Through the rapid expansion of information technologies, Learning Management Systems have become one of the most important innovations for delivery of education. Successful implementation and management of these systems are primarily based on the instructors&#039 / adoption. However, too few researches have been conducted to evaluate instructors&rsquo / adoption towards e-learning system as taking higher education as base. This study aims to understand behavioral intentions of higher education instructors towards Learning Management Systems and further to identify the influencing factors. A research model has been proposed based on the belief variables of the Technology Acceptance Model. Additionally, Application Characteristics, Individual, Social and Technological dimensions were considered to identify the effects of key variables on behavioral intention of users. A survey instrument has been developed and conducted with 224 academicians after a pilot study through its reliability and validity has been assured. Although the items of the survey instrument were based on the literature, an explanatory factor analysis was performed to strictly determine which items belong to which factors. Then, in order to assess the measurement model Convergent validity and Discriminant validity were conducted via confirmatory factor analyses. After the required prior analyses, Component based Structural Equation Modeling (Partial Least Square - PLS) was used to validate the predictive power of the proposed research model. Consequently, relationships between the influencing factors were detected and the results showed that the factors related with Belief dimension directly influenced behavioral intention of instructors. Also, the factors under the Individual, Social and Technological dimensions indirectly affected behavioral intention of users towards learning management system use. Additionally, structured and informal interviews were performed with ten instructors and the findings of the research model were explained with the opinions of system users. The indications of this research will be valuable for implementation, management and continuous improvement of learning management systems.

I föreliggande studie har arbetssätt, upplevelser och konsekvenser av hundassisterad pedagogik i fyra elevärenden undersökts. Studien grundas på en kvalitativ ansats genom femton semistrukturerade intervjuer med elever, hundförare, vårdnadshavare och lärare. Dessa elevärenden bildar tillsammans fyra case. Databearbetningen har skett genom kvalitativ innehållsanalys och tematisering. Analys av data har även genomförts utifrån holistisk undervisningsteori samt tidigare forskning inom området djurunderstödda insatser och hundassisterad pedagogik. Resultatet har påvisat att utbildade hundar kan fungera som en holistisk undervisningsmetod genom att utgå från ett helhetsperspektiv på den lärande individen. Arbetssätten som förekommer vid hundassisterad pedagogik är sinnliga, konkreta, upplevelsebaserade och sker genom interaktioner med hunden där hundrelationen är kärnan i arbetet. Upplevelserna är genomgående positiva och relationen till hunden bidrar till lugn, trygghet och meningsfullhet. Detta skapar även goda lärmiljöer för eleverna som förstärks av hundarnas icke-dömande karaktär. I casen framkommer att hundassisterad pedagogik genererar konsekvenser såsom ökad närvaro, engagemang, välbefinnande och förbättrade attityder gentemot skola och lärande. Detta har även lett till ett ökat lärande och ökad måluppfyllelse för flera elever i casen, liksom en personlig utveckling i form av förbättrad självbild, självkänsla och självförståelse. Studiens sammantagna resultat påvisar att hundassisterad pedagogik, genom att fungera holistisikt, är en undervisningsform som ser till hela eleven och även bidrar till goda resultat avseende elevernas lärande och utveckling. Genom sitt holistiska närmande har hundassisterad pedagogik i denna studie en betydelse för elevhälsoarbetet som enligt styrdokument också ska utgå från en helhetssyn på elevers hälsa, lärande, utveckling och lärmiljö.

The aim of my study is to investigate if and in that case how the writing process and texts written by students in the upper secondary school are affected by the writing tool; does it matter if they write their texts on a computer or by longhand? Another objective is to compare such an effect with the findings of previous studies performed on earlier generations of writers. The first part of my study was a survey. It showed that two thirds of the 67 students participating thought that they would have written better texts in the national writing test if they had been able to use computers. In the second part of the study each of the fourteen participants wrote one text on computer and another by hand. Unlike the findings of earlier studies that I compared with, these students had a higher writing speed and spent significantly less time to produce their texts. This result could indicate that the students of today not only are accustomed to computers but also are unfamiliar with writing by hand. Furthermore this study, like previous studies, did not show any statistic proof of a correlation between a specific writing tool and the quality of the written text. Hence it did not support the opinion that the students of today have a disadvantage when they have to write their national test by hand. On the other hand the study indicated that such disadvantage still could be the fact for some individuals. Three of the participants took part in the third part of the study where they produced two more texts; one by hand and the other on computer. Their writing processes were recorded and the analyses indicate an individual variation in whether the writing tool had an effect on the writing process and quality of texts. / Syftet med min undersökning är att undersöka om och i så fall hur gymnasieelevers skrivprocesser och texter påverkas av om de skriver för hand eller på dator, men också att jämföra en eventuell påverkan med den som har konstaterats för tidigare generationer av datoranvändare. Bakgrundsenkäten i den första delundersökningen visade att två tredjedelar av de 67 elever trodde att de skulle ha skrivit bättre texter på det nationella provet i svenska om de hade fått använda dator. I den andra delundersökningen medverkade fjorton av gymnasieeleverna genom att skriva två texter, en för hand och en på dator. Ett resultat som skilde sig från dem i de tidigare studier jag jämförde med var att deltagarna skrev snabbare och under kortare tid när de använde dator. Resultatet tyder på att dagens gymnasieelever inte bara är datorvana utan kanske också ovana att skriva för hand. I likhet med tidigare undersökningar visade delundersökningen inte en statistiskt signifikant kvalitetsskillnad mellan deltagarnas datorskrivna och handskrivna texter. Gymnasieelevernas farhågor om att textkvaliteten skulle ha försämrats av att de tvingades skriva det nationella provet för hand fick därmed inget stöd. Samtidigt visade studien att för enskilda individer skulle det faktiskt kunna förhålla sig så. Tre av deltagarna medverkade även i den tredje delundersökningen, där deras skrivprocesser dokumenterades i samband med att de skrev ytterligare en text på dator och en för hand. Resultatet av den andra delundersökningen pekar mot att skrivverktygets påverkan på skrivprocessen och även på texternas kvalitet skulle kunna variera från person till person.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the current status and competencies of CEIT graduates working in IT firms from the employers&rsquo / point of view. In addition, the cases were evaluated to see whether the graduates have gained competency in their undergraduate education or while working for the firms. In the end the main goal was to identify how well CEIT departments are preparing students for professional practice. The participants of this study were thirteen employers of CEIT graduates working in IT firms in a technopolis. A mixed methods research approach including both quantitative and qualitative research methods was employed as the primary method in order to reach the purpose of this study. Within the scope of this mixed method study, firstly, the quantitative technique was employed in which the data were gathered through a questionnaire to examine the competencies of CEIT graduates. Then, the qualitative part of the study was employed through a follow-up semi-structured interview to confirm and complement the quantitative findings. According to the results of this study, CEIT graduates are average competent at pedagogical, technical and communcation issues. They are more competent within communication and teamwork, and least competent within technical issues according to the employers.

This study investigated the implementation of computer-assisted education in the outcomes-based education system at Sterling Primary School in East London. A literature study was done on constructivism on which outcomes based education is based. The literature review also focused on computer-integrated education. The integration of computer-assisted education at Sterling Primary School was appraised with the help of the Evolutionary Model developed by Miller (1997). It was observed that the educators and learners at this school were trying to integrate computers into their teaching and learning process. Although this study focussed on the Intermediate Phase, it could provide a basis for further study in the field of computer-assisted education in Senior, and Further Education and Training Phases throughout the Republic of South Africa. / Dissertation (MEd (Computer-Assisted Education))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

Only an Afrikaans abstract is available. Die astronomiese ontwikkeling van informasie kommunikasie tegnologie (IKT) hou verreikende gevolge in vir elke lewensfeer in die twintigste eeu. Spesifiek op die terrein van produksie en oordrag van kennis, twee kernfunksies van hoer onderwys, hou IKT nie net ‘n bedreiging in vir die tradisionele wyse waarop hierdie kernfunksies vervul word nie, maar bied ook moontlik die uitdagings van toegang, koste, buigsaamheid en kwaliteit waarmee universiteite gekonfronteer word. Waar die toepassing van tegnologie in afstandsonderrig reeds help om bogenoemde uitdagings aan te spreek, is dieselfde resultate meer ontwykend in tradisionele residensiële universiteite soos Rhodes Universiteit. Verder is universiteite meer geneë om IKT in navorsing en administratiewe prosesse te gebruik, as in onderrig en leer. Hierdie opstel fokus dus op die behoeftes en verwagtings van onderrigpersoneel aan Rhodes Universiteit om IKT te gebruik om die onderig-en-leerproses te verryk. Die rasionaal vir die gebruik van IKT fokus op die veranderende omgewing waarin hoër onderwys fungeer, die veranderende konsepte van kennis en kennisproduksie, en die oënskynlike potensiaal van IKT om onderwys te verbeter. Daarteenoor word die wyse waarop IKT gebruik word bespreek teen die agtergrond van voorvereistes vir suksesvolle integrasie en praktiese toepassings van tegnologie in onderrig en leer. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Curriculum Studies / Unrestricted

Vista University is known in South Africa as a historically disadvantaged or black university. It is a multi-campus university (it has eight campuses throughout South Africa) and caters for learners from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. The Department of Mathematics and Statistics holds an annual meeting to coordinate the activities in the department across all eight campuses. Attendance is compulsory for all lecturers from all the campuses. Every year the same problem arises, which is to have examination papers drawn up that will be of a uniform standard across all the campuses. It is a very frustrating task for the compiler of the papers to get contributions from the lecturers that are submitted on time, in the agreed format and of an acceptable standard. During the 2000 meeting it was unanimously agreed that the long-term solution to the problem would be a database of questions in the agreed format and of an acceptable standard. Because the lecturers are spread over South Africa, this database must be available through Vista’s Intranet. The development of such a product would involve a great deal of time and energy, and the most important question to ask is whether the lecturers would use the product. The solution is to design a prototype of the product: a database with a Web-based portal populated with a sample of questions. The usability of such a database must be determined to ensure the effectiveness of the final product. The aim of this study is, after a prototype of a Web-based Statistical Data and Story Library in the South African Context (in future referred to as SSS) has been implemented, to determine the usability of the product. Copyright 2001, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Basson, EM 2001, The usability of a computer-based Statistics Data and Story Library in the South African context, MEd dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-02042002-094953 / > / Thesis (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Curriculum Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

One role of an administrator is to provide and assess staff development programs. The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of a 120-hour standards-based, technology-connnected staff development program on participating teachers' instruction.

This thesis compares four methods of therapeutic riding to determine what communicative competence are developed in the framework of activities with the use of horses. The work includes terminology section, which are explained in terms accompanying the whole job and explains the term of use for therapeutic riding. The theoretical part introduces the social communications horses and interpersonal communication. The next section presents the specifics of interspecies communication, and its use in the development of communicative competence and follows the chapter on the development of communicative competence through activities with the use of horses. The main part describes the four methods of therapeutic riding and analytically compares the contents of individual activities with horses focused on the development of communicative competence. In conclusion summarizes the results and encourages the formation of methodology developing communicative competence in educational programs with horses.

This diploma thesis deals with the use of canistherapy in the special education practise. It records the development, methods, forms and type sof canistherapy, included risks and benefits of this psychoterapeutic method. The research parts maps the relationship between the education of dog handlers and the quality of their fieldwork.