This research study investigated how a Dominican English language teacher and her students appropriated cell phone features for educational purposes inside and outside the classroom. The dissertation used a qualitative approach that focused on the teacher, and four students selected from a class of 23. Data collection took place for 8 weeks in an English language center located at a public university in the Dominican Republic in the summer of 2014. I collected data through interviews, conversations, classroom observations, and questionnaires. Data were analyzed to identify emerging themes that described how the teacher and students used their cell phones for different educational activities related to English language learning. Findings identified four major themes on how the teacher used different cell phone features for educational purposes: cell phone as connectivity tool, content delivery tool, research and reference tool, and assessment facilitation tool. Findings from the four student subcases indicated that they appropriated features in their cell phones in different ways, including: iPod as a cell phone (student 1), assessment and feedback facilitation tool (student 2), peer- and self-assessment facilitation tool and e-reader (student 3), and multimedia delivery and social interactivity tool (student 4). Themes across subcases and from the classroom in general indicated that participants used features that allowed them to use their cell phones as tools for data gathering and note taking, reference and research, collaboration, and repository. Findings from this dissertation shed light on how a teacher and students can make use of their own mobile technologies to support English language learning in a Dominican classroom with uneven access to technology.

Relays can be used in cellular systems to increase coverage as well as reduce the total power consumed by mobiles in a cell. This latter benefit is particularly useful for mobiles operating on a depleted battery. The relay can be a mobile, a car or any other device with the appropriate communication capabilities. In thesis we analyze the impact of using relays under different situations. We first consider the problem of reducing total power consumed in the system by employing relays intelligently. We find that in a simulated, fully random, mobile cellular network for CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), significant energy savings are possible ranging from 1.76 dB to 8.45 dB. In addition to reducing power needs, relays can increase the coverage area of a cell by enabling mobiles located in dead spots to place relayed calls. We note that use of relays can increase the useful service area by about 10% with real life scenarios. We observe that in heavy building density areas there is more need of relays as compared to low building density areas. However, the chance of finding relays is greater in low building density areas. Indeed, having more available idle nodes helps in choosing relays, so we conclude that unlike present day implementations of cellular networks, the base station should admit more mobiles (beyond the capacity of the cell) even if they are not placing calls since they can be used as relays. One constraint of using relays is the potential to add interference in the same cell and in neighboring cells. This is particularly true if the relays are not under power control. Based on our analysis, we conclude that in interference limited systems like CDMA the relays have to be under power control otherwise we will reduce the total capacity by creating more dead spots. Thus, we believe that either the base station should be responsible to allocate relays or relays should be provided with enough intelligence to do power control of the downlink. Finally, we show how utility of data services can be increased by use of relays.

In our technologically ever-advancing world, cell phones can either help us remain socially connected or can contribute to social isolation by substituting for face-to-face contact. This study examines the levels of social isolation in terms of the state of loneliness and trait of shyness and their correlations with academic achievement in 206 community college and university students to examine the connection between social isolation, GPA and cell phone use in college students. Two instruments used in the collection of data were the Revised Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale (RCBS) and the DeJong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Correlational analysis was used to examine the relationships between variables. Hypothesis 1 proposed a significant negative relationship between higher levels of cell phone use and academic achievement as measured by self-reported GPA. This was partially supported by the research findings. Hypothesis 2 proposed a significant negative relationship between shyness and higher levels of cell phone use. This was also partially supported by the research findings. Hypothesis 3 proposed a significant positive relationship between loneliness and higher levels of cell phone use. This was not supported by research findings. Implications for further research include examining non-college populations for greater generalization of results and examining additional personality traits.

Malaria significantly contributes to morbidity and mortality rates in Zambia. The currently accepted malaria treatment is artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT); it is more than 97% effective when the regimen is strictly adhered to. However, the mean ACT adherence rate in sub-Saharan Africa is only approximately 38-48%. Poor pharmacoadherence remains a significant barrier to malaria control and elimination. The purpose of this study was to determine if adherence rates to a six-dose ACT antimalarial treatment differ between patients in Zambia who received short message service (SMS) reminders and those who did not. An experimental, randomized, controlled trial was conducted to collect data from a sample of 96 adult patients with malaria who presented to Fisenge Clinic in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. Participants were randomly assigned to a control or intervention group. The intervention group received SMS messages to remind them to take their medication according to the regimen. An electronic pillbox was used to measure pharmacoadherence for both groups, and patients were classified as probably adherent or probably non-adherent. Data were analyzed using Chi-square for association between the SMS intervention and pharmacoadherence, and logistic regression used for predictors of adherence. No significant association was found between SMS reminders and pharmacoadherence among malaria patients being treated with ACT when evaluated with respect to those who received the SMS reminders and those who did not (x2=0.19, df=1, p=0.67). Binary logistic regression indicated that there were no variables associated with adherence (p > 0.05). Findings from this study contribute to the research regarding the use of mobile phones to promote adherence. This is the first study of its kind using SMS directly to the patient for ACT adherence in sub-Saharan Africa known to the author. It is possible that the use of the electronic pillbox and/or the novelty of participating in a research study contributed to higher levels of adherence than previously found in this geographical area. While data suggested that there was no association between SMS and adherence, further research is needed to explore the value of this intervention.

Abstrakt  Bakgrund: Utvecklingen av mobiltelefonen har skett i snabb takt och många ungdomar har idag en egen mobiltelefon. De senaste åren har användning av mobiltelefonen och sociala medier markant ökat. Tidigare forskning visar att användning av mobiltelefonen påverkar ungdomars hälsa på olika sätt. Skolsköterskor arbetar förbyggande och hälsofrämjande för att elever ska uppleva hälsa.  Motiv: Denna studie avser att bidra med en djupare förståelse om skolsköterskors uppfattning om mobiltelefonanvändning bland elever med möjlighet att ge ökad kunskap om ämnet för att vägleda skolsköterskor i deras förebyggande arbete kring elevers hälsa.  Syfte: Syftet med studien är att belysa skolsköterskans uppfattning om mobiltelefonanvändningen bland elever. Metod: Kvalitativ intervjustudie. Individuell semistrukturerade intervjuer med skolsköterskor (n=8). Det insamlade materialet analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys med induktiv ansats. Resultat: Skolsköterskors uppfattningar är att mobiltelefonen bistår med både positiva och negativa följder hos elever samt att elever är i behov av hälsofrämjande insatser. Resultatet mynnade ut i tre huvudkategorier; ”Ses som ett stöd i vardagen”, ”Kan leda till osunda vanor som inverkar på hälsan” och ”Behov finns av hälsopreventiva insatser”. Konklusion: Skolsköterskor behöver få ökad kunskap om följder av elevers mobiltelefonanvändning för att utveckla och förbättra det förebyggande och hälsofrämjande arbete för att hjälpa elever till en ökad hälsa. / Abstract  Background: The development of the cell phone has happened in rapid pace and many adolescents has their own cell phone today. In recent years has the cell phone use and social media use markedly increased. Previous research has shown that cell phone use influence adolescents health in different way. School nurses works with prevention and promotion to help students ́ experience health.  Motive: This study intends to contribute to a deeper understanding of school nurses’ perception of cell phone use among students with the possibility of providing increased knowledge on the subject to guide school nurses in their preventive work regarding student health.  Aim: The aim of this study was to illuminate the school nurse’s perception of cell phone use among school students.Methods: Qualitative interview study. Individual semi-structured interviews with school nurses (n=8). Collected data was analysed using qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach.  Result: The school nurses’ perceptions is that the cell phone contributes with both positive and negative effects on students and that the students are in need of health improvement contributions. The result generated three main categories; “Seen as a support in everyday life”, “Can led to unhealthy habits that affects the health” and “need of health preventive contributions”.  Conclusion: School nurses’ need increased knowledge about the consequence of students’ cell phone use to be able to develop and improve the preventive and health promotion work to support increased student health.

Today, information and communication technology is not only for professional use, but also for private tasks. In this thesis, the use of such technology for managing family information flow is investigated. Busy family life today, with school, work and leisure activites, makes coordination and synchronisation a burden. In what way cell-phones and Internet provides a support for those tasks is investigated, together with proposals for future technology. The problem with coordination and synchronisation were found to be managed by a bulletin board placed at a central point at home. Besides the bulletin board, we found that calendars, shopping lists, and to-do lists are important. The families we investigated in field studies were all intensive users of both Internet and cell-phones. Since the bulletin board played such an important role in the family life, we equipped families with cameras to be able to track what happened at those places with help of photo diaries. The field studies revealed that each family had their own unconscious procedure to manage the flow of notes on the bulletin board. With technology, new problem will emerge. We investigated how notes on typical family bulletin boards may be visualised on a computer screen, and compared click-expand, zoom-pan and bifocal interfaces. The click-expand interface was substantially faster for browsing, and also easier to use. An advantage of information and communication technology is that it may provide possibilities for multiple interfaces to information, and not only different terminals but also from different places. At home, a digital refrigerator door or a mobile web tablet; at work or at school, a conventional computer; when on the move, a cell-phone or a PDA. System architecture for these possibilities is presented. / <p>Report code: LiU-TEK-LIC-2004:39.</p>

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<p>Cell phone use while driving is one of the commonest distracted driving behaviors that causes fatal crashes, and drivers are more likely to use their cell phones in work zones because of slow-moving traffic. The road safety campaign literature suggests that persuasive messages can positively influence safe driving behaviors leading to a reduction in crashes. Thus, this dissertation, guided by the risk perception attitude (RPA) framework, sought to examine how tailored messaging could serve as an effective communication strategy to promote positive attitudes and behavioral intentions in the context of cell phone use avoidance while driving through highway work zones. Findings from two studies, using a college student sample and a national sample of US young adults between 18 and 24 years old, revealed that the RPA framework likely does not serve as a useful audience segmentation strategy in this context because an overwhelming majority of participants (about 87%) belonged to the responsive group. A tailored messaging approach did not influence cell phone use avoidance while driving attitudes and intentions among the young adults because the majority of participants (70%) felt the messages were not designed uniquely for them and might not be personally relevant to them. However, the majority of participants (62%) reported that highway work zone safety was an important topic they would want to receive future messaging about because messages about this topic would help to save lives and protect public safety, drastically reduce crashes in highway work zones, and promote safe driving behaviors in highway work zones. Participants who were aware of the existence of state laws banning cell phone use while driving reported slightly higher attitudes toward and intentions to engage in safe driving behaviors compared to those who were not aware of the existence of such state laws. This dissertation suggests that instead of creating messages to raise risk perceptions and enhance efficacy perceptions, informing the young adult population in the US about the existence of laws banning cell phone use while driving might be an effective means to discourage them from using their cell phones while driving through highway work zones. By extending the RPA framework as an audience segmentation strategy, this dissertation also proposes a responsive group classification framework which could serve as a useful audience segmentation strategy in this study context to classify audiences into four groups to effectively tailor messages to them.</p>

As technology has developed, Americans have come to carry their most private information around with them in their pockets in digital form on their cell phones. A cell phone has immense storage capacity and can contain a wide variety of communicative information about its owner. In the past, there had been a disagreement among the lower courts as to whether police officers could search the contents of an arrestee's cell phone when making an arrest. The United States Supreme Court settled this disagreement in Riley v. California; in that case, the Court held that the warrantless search of a cell phone incident to arrest violated the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. This thesis discusses case law that preceded the United States Supreme Court case Riley v. California, that decision, and possible ramifications of that decision.

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