M. Tech. Information Technology / Voting is a widely spread and democratic way of making decisions. For centuries, South Africa has been using the popular paper-based voting system though it does not provide the desirable blend of accessibility and efficiency. Missing ballot papers, invalid votes and miscount are some of the challenges that come with the paper-based voting system. Time is precious to everyone and correct information is even more precious in the fast-paced information technology era. Merging all these together we look in for easier, effective, efficient and time managing way of casting a vote. Mobile phones facilitate communication and rapid access to information and their diffusion has reached a larger proportion of the population in a short period of time. In this thesis, we propose designing and developing a mobile phone voting system, which allows users to vote spontaneous and timeous, using existing mobile phone networks and technologies via their mobile phones.

The focus of this report was the modern news media and how the industry has tried to adapt in a world where most news can be gathered with a few keystrokes for free. The report is segmented into four parts and investigates both how and what kind of news is consumed. The first part of the report focuses on the different types of news aggregators and how they affect the revenue of news sites. Pay-walls are also discussed, using The New York Times’ recent decision to charge for access to their web site as a starting point. Evidence shows that besides one glaring exception (The Wall Street Journal, which is examined as an aside) the attempts to charge customers for content that was once free have largely been fruitless. The second part investigates mobile-based applications (also known as “apps”) and their economic strengths and weaknesses; topics ranging from companies’ initial successes to the ease of piracy are examined. The third part examines the meteoric, although at times numerically misleading, rise of Twitter and its potential use as a news gathering and consuming source as well as its massive potential revenue streams. The fourth part examines what types of news are currently the most consumed, and dissects the profitability (and the attributes that lead to their popularity) of four genres: lifestyle, entertainment, business, and sports. The piece also looks at the potential of community-based, hyper-localized journalism, a venture that many claim profitable yet has failed to produce concrete results. Graphs are used as supplementary material for parts one and three. Taken as a whole, the report concludes that while there may be no sure-fire winner in the news media industry, the industry has finally shaken off the complacency that lead to hundreds of thousands of journalism jobs being lost and finally started to evolve. / text

Innovative mobile Endgeräte und Applikationen durchdringen nicht mehr nur das Berufs- und Privatleben, sondern finden auch zunehmend Einsatz in der Aus- und Fortbildung. Dies gilt sowohl in Hinblick auf das „Lifelong Learning“ als auch in der schulischen und universitären Ausbildung. Neue Regelungen zu Bachelor- und Masterprogrammen, Lehrformen wie Gruppenarbeiten und die zunehmende Mobilität der Studierenden verlangen nach neuen Lernmedien und Lehrkonzepten, die es ermöglichen, bisherige Lehrlaufzeiten im Studium sinnvoll zu nutzen. (...)

CAPES / Com o objetivo de identificar elementos que justifiquem o uso didático dos telefones inteligentes (Smartphones), realizamos uma pesquisa qualitativa investigando a tendência do mobile learning, m-learning visto que há escassez de estudos focados exclusivamente a respeito do uso do celular como ferramenta didática. Resgatando pesquisas sobre o tema em diferentes áreas do conhecimento, esta pesquisa aborda o uso do aparelho celular inteligente no ensino da Matemática empregando o aplicativo WhatsApp. Desenvolvemos, portanto, uma pesquisa bibliográfica onde destacamos como, atualmente, é vista a presença do celular em sala de aula, a relação professor-aluno-celular, e ainda, o smartphone como tecnologia em sala de aula. Como trabalho de campo, acompanhamos dois grupos WhatsApp compostos por alunos do terceiro ano do Ensino Médio que utilizaram o aparelho como ferramenta de estudo de Matemática. Diante disso, observamos que o telefone celular pode ser um aliado de grande potencial para atender as demandas educacionais atuais. Este aparelho, com suas potencialidades, pode se tornar uma ferramenta pedagógica muito poderosa para um ensino que recentemente vem se instalando, conhecido como ensino híbrido, pois, com este aparelho é possível que o aluno acesse plataformas, como Moodle, ou Helpousts, que podem ser utilizadas nesse modelo de ensino e que se mostram como o caminho que a educação vai seguir nos próximos anos. Experiências vivenciadas por professores nas escolas brasileiras, com os telefones inteligentes, também foram analisadas. Diante de vários estudos realizados e dos grupos que acompanhamos, concluímos que o uso pedagógico do celular inteligente tem potencial para revolucionar a comunicação entre professor e alunos bem como proporcionar diferentes abordagens sobre os conteúdos. No entanto, ainda observamos nos docentes uma resistência à presença desse instrumento em sala de aula para fins pedagógicos. / With the objective of identifying elements that justify the didactic use of telephone intelligent (Smartphones), we conducted a qualitative research investigating the trend of mobile learning, m-learning is seen that there is a shortage of studies focused exclusively on the use of the mobile phone as a teaching tool. Rescuing research on the theme in different areas of knowledge, this research discusses the use of cell phone device smart on the teaching of Mathematics by employing the application WhatsApp. We developed, therefore, a bibliographic search where we highlight how, currently, is seen the presence of mobile in the classroom, relation the teacher - student - cell phone, and still, the smartphone as technology in the classroom. As field work , we followed two groups WhatsApp compounds, by students of the third year of high School that have used the instrument as a tool for the study of Mathematics. On the face of it, we observe that the mobile phone can be an ally of great potential to meet the demands of the educational current. This device, with its potential, can become a pedagogical tool very powerful for a school that recently has been installing, known as Hybrid Education, because, with this device it is possible for the student have access platforms, such as Moodle, or Helpousts, which can be used in this model of education and that show it as the path that education will follow in the next few years. Experiences by teachers in Brazilian schools, with telephone intelligent, were also analyzed. In the face of several studies and groups who follow, we conclude that the use of pedagogical smart phone has the potential to revolutionize the communication between teacher and students as well as provide different approaches about the contents. However, we also observed in teachers a resistance to the presence of this instrument in the classroom for teaching purposes.

Submitted by Noeme Timbo (noeme.timbo@metodista.br) on 2018-03-20T18:46:33Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Priscila Guidini.pdf: 1928516 bytes, checksum: 463c3b77a112ead8f493c7b0046c541c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-20T18:46:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Priscila Guidini.pdf: 1928516 bytes, checksum: 463c3b77a112ead8f493c7b0046c541c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-28 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / The digital revolution has provoked changes in social behaviors and market interactions. The communication with the market today is the dispersion of the attention of the consumers entertained with messages of the most diverse means. In this scenario of dissemination of communication a component converges the habits of consumers: the smartphone. By combining ubiquity and immediacy, smartphones add functionality to users' daily through mobile applications. The rapid and intense adoption of the applications has led the brands to see a new possibility of direct communication with. This investigation seeks to understand the communicational possibilities allowed by the applications. Methodologically, the work uses a qualitative and exploratory approach supported in principle in bibliographical and documentary research to understand the state of the art of technology and communication with the contemporary consumer and the use of mobile applications in order to communicate and relate. In the second moment, a multiple case study, comparative of Coral, Suvinil and Eucatex and its different communicational and strategic approaches. The sector was chosen because it represents a modal trend, in addition to reflecting the country's economy. The results point to the importance of communication objectives for application development and communicability to enhance the user experience / A revolução digital tem provocado mudanças nos comportamentos sociais e nas interações mercadológicas. A comunicação com o mercado vive a dispersão da atenção dos consumidores entretidos com mensagens dos mais diversos meios. Nesse cenário de disseminação da comunicação um componente converge os hábitos dos consumidores: o smartphone. Unindo ubiquidade e imediatismo, os smartphones agregam facilidades ao cotidiano dos usuários por meio dos aplicativos móveis. A rápida e intensa adoção dos aplicativos tem levado as marcas a enxergarem uma nova possibilidade de comunicação direta. Essa investigação busca o entendimento das possibilidades comunicacionais permitidas por meio dos aplicativos. Metodologicamente o trabalho se vale de abordagem qualitativa e exploratória a princípio apoiada na pesquisa bibliográfica e documental para compreensão do estado da arte da tecnologia e da comunicação com o consumidor contemporâneo e do uso de aplicativos móveis com objetivo de se comunicar e se relacionar. No segundo momento, é realizado um estudo de caso múltiplo, comparativo dos aplicativos da Coral, Suvinil e Eucatex e suas diferentes abordagens comunicacionais e estratégicas. O setor foi escolhido por representar uma tendência modal, além de refletir a economia do país. Os resultados mostram a importância dos objetivos de comunicação para o desenvolvimento de aplicativos e da comunicabilidade para valorizar a experiência do usuário

No description available.

This qualitative study of networks of entrepreneurs in the mobile technology industry in three ecosystems - Kathmandu, Nairobi and London - examines perceptions and attitudes of entrepreneurs related to their networking activities. The focus is on understanding the entrepreneurs' motivations for, and benefits and risks of networking, as well as the overall trends of development of the three ecosystems, which are very different from each other in terms of socioeconomic circumstances. The findings provide new insights into the link between the concept of a community of supportive peers and the acquisition of subjective resources, such as self-efficacy and legitimacy, while also supporting conclusions of earlier empirical and theoretical work linking networks with the acquisition of resources necessary for founding and building a new firm. A comparison of results across the three ecosystems uncovers a strong tendency towards institutional convergence of the three ecosystems based on a model inspired by the Silicon Valley experience. The mechanisms through which this is found to occur are mimesis and storytelling, motivated primarily by learning goals and the pursuit of legitimacy for entrepreneurial action in the mobile technology industry, as well as for the individual ventures. The overall finding emerging from the cases is that, despite significant differences, the three ecosystems are reliant on a shared pool of relevant information and knowledge, via the Internet and through personal and organizational connections. They resemble one another not only in terms of resources sought by entrepreneurs through their networks, but also in the ways entrepreneurs signal their purpose and value to their community, and in the way the describe their environment - through references to other entrepreneurship ecosystems. In the absence of an existing theoretical approach to analyzing convergence of diverse entrepreneurship ecosystems, the study proposes a framework based on DiMaggio and Powell's theory of institutional isomorphism, and integrating the works of Wiewel and Hunter, on legitimacy-building by association through networks, and Djelic, on the process of cross-national transfer, or export, of economic models. The type of isomorphism perceived is termed "aspirational," since it is found to occur in the context of pursuing a specific outcome previously achieved by the application of a particular institutional model. The difference between "aspirational isomorphism" and behaviours described by DiMaggio and Powell lies in the interpretation and adaptation of a model that can then be embedded in a nascent institutional environment (in this case, an entrepreneurial ecosystem). Rather than pure mimesis, aspirational isomorphism is a flexible and creative endeavor.

Submitted by Natalia Ojeda Mastronicola null (naty.mastronicola@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-03-14T01:37:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Natalia Ojeda Mastronicola com ficha catalografica.pdf: 2397628 bytes, checksum: dcd1a480f60fabba28224e1631cdfc2c (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Paula Grisoto (grisotoana@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-03-15T12:16:55Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 mastronicola_no_me_sjrp.pdf: 2397628 bytes, checksum: dcd1a480f60fabba28224e1631cdfc2c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T12:16:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 mastronicola_no_me_sjrp.pdf: 2397628 bytes, checksum: dcd1a480f60fabba28224e1631cdfc2c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-15 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Neste trabalho, utilizamos aplicativos para smartphones e tablets (apps) no ensino da Aritmética, abordando tópicos como divisibilidade através da decomposição em fatores primos; mínimo múltiplo comum e máximo divisor comum. Este trabalho foi desenvolvido junto aos alunos do Ensino Fundamental. Além disso, tratamos também de temas normalmente não trabalhados no Ensino Básico como Teorema de Bézout e Função de Euler. O uso desses aplicativos aproveita-se dessa crescente tecnologia em poder dos alunos, auxiliando a aprendizagem de forma inovadora e tornando-a mais atraente. / In this work, we use some special apps for smartphones and tablets to teach Arithmetic, covering topics such as divisibility, prime decomposition of numbers, least common multiple and greatest common divisor. This study was developed with the students of elementary school. We also treat topics which are not normally worked in basic Education as Bézout's theorem and Euler function. We notice the use of these apps in the classroom brought more enthusiasm for students.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:02:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 6419.pdf: 2714679 bytes, checksum: e7b28ca713a4181fb73285416b6bb39b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-10-31 / In this work the author intends to show an experience of implementation of alternative activities to traditional teaching of trigonometry in 9th year of Fundamental School (Brazilian curriculum). The theme choice came from the author's finding of difficulties presented by pupils in face of a great amount of formulas without meaning for them. The goal of these activities was to stimulate the students to make them construct their own knowledge, culminating in a meaningful learning. It was intended to formulate activities with the use of smartphones and tablets. The technological advance of cell phones has provided a range of different tools that fit in someone's palm and can be accessed immediately. Some of these tools provide the use of tablets and smartphones in the educational context, aiding student's learning in an innovative form, making it more pleasurable. All activities followed the guidelines of didactical engineering as research methodology. The activities were applied in a school were the author is a teacher. / Neste trabalho, a autora pretende mostrar uma experiência de aplicação de atividades alternativas ao ensino tradicional de trigonometria no 9º ano do Ensino Fundamental. A escolha do tema veio da constatação dessa pesquisadora das dificuldades apresentadas pelos alunos ao se depararem com um amontoado de fórmulas sem significado algum para eles. O objetivo das atividades foi estimular os alunos a construir o seu próprio saber, culminando em uma aprendizagem significativa. Pretendeu-se formular atividades com o uso de aplicativos para smartphones e tablets. O avanço tecnológico dos celulares tem proporcionado um leque de diferentes ferramentas que cabem na palma da mão e podem ser acessadas instantaneamente. Algumas dessas ferramentas proporcionam o uso de tablets e smartphones no contexto educacional, auxiliando a aprendizagem dos alunos de forma inovadora, tornando-a mais prazerosa. Todas as atividades seguiram o percurso da Engenharia Didática como metodologia de pesquisa. As atividades foram aplicadas em uma escola em que a pesquisadora é professora.

Acompanha: Elaboração de um aplicativo para resolução de testes conceituais e envio das respostas ao professor / Este trabalho partiu do anseio em potencializar o Ensino de Física para estudantes trabalhadores de Ensino Médio noturno em uma escola do Município de Laranjeiras do Sul - Paraná. Observou-se que os estudantes apresentavam dificuldades de aprendizagem em vários tópicos da Física sendo que algumas delas persistiam durante as aulas. Não obstante, percebeu-se que a desmotivação para aprender também tem forte influência no desempenho estudantil, acentuando a evasão e a repetência escolar. Visando contribuir para a alteração desta situação, utilizaram-se as estratégias de ensino Peer Instruction (Mazur, 1997) e Just-in-Time Teaching (Novak et al., 1999) nas atividades escolares, buscando melhorar o ensino e a aprendizagem de Física. Durante as aulas de Física desenvolvidas nesta pesquisa, foi utilizado um aplicativo para smartphones como banco de questões de Física e como instrumento para envio da resposta durante a resolução de problemas em sala. Esta pesquisa objetivou identificar as potencialidades de um processo de Ensino com o Just-in-Time-Teaching e Peer Instruction, mediados pela interação estudante-App-professor, no ensino de Cinemática. A opção metodológica foi pela pesquisa qualitativa, já que almejávamos melhorias no ensino e na aprendizagem. Utilizou-se a Pesquisa-Ação e a Tabla de Invención como instrumentos para coleta e de análise dos dados. Durante o desenvolvimento foram lecionadas 12 aulas de Física no ensino médio, com 22 estudantes em uma turma de Física, em escola de EJA no município de Laranjeiras do Sul-PR. Como produto, foi desenvolvido um aplicativo para smartphone (App), que opera no sistema operacional Android, para ser utilizado nas votações das respostas dos Testes Conceituais durante as aulas. Um notebook e um roteador foram utilizados para estabelecer a rede wireless e a base de dados para o funcionamento do App. Os resultados mostraram que o aplicativo foi bem aceito pelos estudantes, tem potencial para melhorar a concentração nas atividades de resolução de problemas e para realizar o envio das respostas ao professor. O professor pode salvar as respostas dos estudantes no notebook e fazer uma verificação do aproveitamento de cada estudante. As estratégias de ensino Just-in-Time-Teaching e Peer Instruction mostraram-se como potentes ferramentas para estimular os estudantes a buscar conhecimento de forma autônoma, a reduzir receio que tinham das aulas de Física, a estimular a concentração na resolução individual de problemas e promover discussões em grupos na resolução coletiva. Este trabalho é acompanhado de um produto educacional, em um volume anexo. / This work was based on the yearning to enhance the teaching of Physics for night high school working students at a school in the municipality of Laranjeiras do Sul - Paraná. It was observed that the students presented learning difficulties in several topics of Physics and some of them persisted during the classes. Nevertheless, it was perceived that the demotivation to learn also has a strong influence over the student’s performance, accentuating evasion and grade retention. Seeking to contribute to the alteration of this situation, the teaching strategies Peer Instruction (Mazur, 1997) and Just-in-Time Teaching (Novak et al., 1999) were used in school activities, aiming to improve the teaching and learning of Physics. During the Physics classes developed in this research, a smartphone app was used as a bank of Physics questions and as an instrument to send the answers during the resolution of problems inside the class. This research aimed to identify the potentialities of a Teaching process with Just-in-Time-Teaching and Peer Instruction, mediated by the student-App-teacher interaction, in the Kinematics teaching. The methodological option was of a qualitative research, since we wanted improvements in both teaching and learning. The Research-Action and the Tabla de Invención were used as instruments for data collection and analysis. Through the development, 12 physics classes were taught in high school, with 22 students in a Physics class at an YAE school in the municipality of Laranjeiras do Sul. As a product, a smartphone application (App), which operates on the Android operating system, was developed to be used in the voting of Conceptual Testing responses during classes. A laptop and a router were used to establish the wireless network and database for the operation of the App. The results showed that the application was well accepted by students, have the potential to improve concentration in problem-solving activities and to perform sending of answers to the teacher. The teacher can save the students' answers in the laptop and verify each student's performance. Just-in-Time-Teaching and Peer Instruction teaching strategies proved to be powerful tools to stimulate students to seek autonomous knowledge, reduce fear of physics classes, stimulate concentration in individual problem solving and to promote group discussions in group problem solving. This work is accompanied by an educational product, that follows attached.