Meaningful learning requires active teaching and learning approaches. Thus, with a specific focus on Mathematics teaching at university in Oramia, the study aimed to: • examine the extent to which active learning/student-centered approaches were implemented; • assess the attitudes of university lecturers towards active-learning; • investigate whether appropriate training and support have been provided for the implementation of an active learning approaches • assess the major challenges that hinder the implementation of active learning approaches and • recommend ways that could advance the use of active learning approaches in Mathematics teaching at university. A mixed-methods design was used. Among the six universities in the Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia, two of the newly established universities (younger than 5 years) and two of the old universities (15 years and older) were involved in the study. A total of 84 lecturers participated in the study and completed questionnaires. This was complemented by a qualitative approach that used observation checklists and interviews for data gathering: 16 lessons were observed while the lecturers taught their mathematics classes (two lecturers from each of the four sample universities were twice observed). In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with four mathematics department heads and eight of the observed lecturers. The study adhered to ethical principles and to applied several techniques to enhance the validity/trustworthiness of the findings. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Individuals and organisations need to do much more if sustainable development is to be achieved. Appropriate environmental vocational education and training (EVET) is essential for current decision makers. Crucial decisions need to be made before the present generation of school and college students achieve significant positions of authority. An increasing range of EVET courses and course providers are available within the UK. However, availability is not synonymous with suitability for either the attendee and/or his/her (future) employer. Previous research indicates that, as a component of lifelong learning, EVET courses should and the methods used to evaluate them should be student-centred. This thesis describes the development and validation of a new studentcentred evaluation framework. Preliminary literature reviews identified six fundamental issues which needed to be addressed. Existing academically productive evaluation models were examined and critically appraised in the context of these problems. The output from this process was used to develop a bespoke research methodology. Empirical research on four commercial EVET programmes revealed distinct personal, teaching and work-based presage factors which influenced course attendance, individual learning and subsequent organisational learning. Modified versions of Biggs¿ 3P model and Kirkpatrick¿s Four level Evaluation Model were shown to provide an effective student-centred evaluation framework for EVET courses. Additional critical elements pertaining course utility and the student¿s long(er) term ii retention of knowledge/skill were derived from previous research by Alliger et al (1997). Work-based presage factors and the student¿s return on expectation were added as a direct consequence of this research. The resultant new framework, the Presage-Product Evaluation Framework, was positively received during an independent validation. This confirmed inter alia that the framework should also be capable of adaption for use with other VET courses. Recommendations for additional research focus on the need to demonstrate this through further empirical studies.

Significant changes in demographics, including a growing ageing population and a larger number of people with disabilities, have made inclusive design an increasingly relevant notion in the design of products, services, and environments. However, there is considerable concern that the concept of inclusive design is rather limited in its current definition and applications and has not yet been thoroughly applied. This is possibly due to the conventional understanding and application of inclusive design, mainly rooted in and focused on physical aspects of inclusion, such as accessibility, usefulness, and usability. This limited focus has led various voices in design academia and industry to speak of the need for further consideration of the psychological and social aspects of inclusive design as the next step to facilitate inclusive design, and make impact. In this research, inclusivity on psychological and social levels, is referred to as "psychosocial inclusivity". The concept of psychosocial inclusivity, including a clear definition thereof and its application, is rather limited in the existing literature. Therefore, this PhD research aims to further explore this concept by establishing a clear definition and the dimensions thereof. In order to achieve this, an initial definition and dimensions of the psychosocial inclusivity in design are established through a critical review of existing literature from both social science and design perspectives. The initial definition and dimensions are then developed, refined, and evaluated through four empirical studies: the Delphi study (expert survey); field study I (ethnographic interviews with mobility scheme users); field study II (ethnographic interviews, creative workshop, and observation of older individuals); and an evaluation study (online survey of design academics and professionals). These studies have been designed based on a triangulation approach in order to enhance the reliability and validity of the outcomes. At the end of this research, the definition and dimensions for psychosocial inclusivity in design (Cognitive, Emotional, Social, and Value dimensions) are proposed. The outcomes of this research can enhance the understanding and knowledge of the concept of psychosocial inclusivity in design. Also, the definition and dimensions can be used by design academics and professionals or third parties to consider psychosocial aspects. The dimensions also can be developed as a complete set of framework or toolkit through further research.

<p>IT systems with poor usability are a serious problem in many workplaces. Many workers, particularly office workers, spend a large part of their workday at the computer, and usability problems can cause frustration and impact negatively on productivity. This thesis discusses some of the problems associated with addressing usability and users’ needs in IT systems development.</p><p>Usability issues and users’ needs are often marginalised or even abandoned in systems development. Technical issues and deadlines are given precedence, while usability activities and user activities are cut back or cancelled. Research shows that there are various obstacles to usability and user involvement, including difficulties with understanding the usability concept, insufficient usability expertise and a lack of time and resources.</p><p>This thesis presents a number of studies that look at the problem from different angles. The main question is why usability and users’ needs are marginalised in bespoke systems development, where IT systems are built for a specific work context. The research presented in this thesis also addresses user-centred systems design as a way of integrating usability issues and users’ needs into systems development. The thesis concludes with a discussion about different ways of viewing and representing the users’ work: the systems theoretical view and the view of work as a social process. The former emphasises the formal aspects of work and views users as components in an overall system, whereas the latter focuses on work as a social process and people as active agents. The discussion concludes with the argument that the conflict between these two views is played out in the systems development process, which may help explain some of the difficulties that arise when working with usability and users’ needs.</p>

IT systems with poor usability are a serious problem in many workplaces. Many workers, particularly office workers, spend a large part of their workday at the computer, and usability problems can cause frustration and impact negatively on productivity. This thesis discusses some of the problems associated with addressing usability and users’ needs in IT systems development. Usability issues and users’ needs are often marginalised or even abandoned in systems development. Technical issues and deadlines are given precedence, while usability activities and user activities are cut back or cancelled. Research shows that there are various obstacles to usability and user involvement, including difficulties with understanding the usability concept, insufficient usability expertise and a lack of time and resources. This thesis presents a number of studies that look at the problem from different angles. The main question is why usability and users’ needs are marginalised in bespoke systems development, where IT systems are built for a specific work context. The research presented in this thesis also addresses user-centred systems design as a way of integrating usability issues and users’ needs into systems development. The thesis concludes with a discussion about different ways of viewing and representing the users’ work: the systems theoretical view and the view of work as a social process. The former emphasises the formal aspects of work and views users as components in an overall system, whereas the latter focuses on work as a social process and people as active agents. The discussion concludes with the argument that the conflict between these two views is played out in the systems development process, which may help explain some of the difficulties that arise when working with usability and users’ needs.

Multimodale Anwendungen bieten den blinden Benutzern neue Möglichkeiten und Chancen, die durch Verlust des Sehsinnes entstandenen Defizite über andere Sinneskanäle auszugleichen. Die benutzerorientierte Gestaltung ist der sicherste Weg, um interaktive Systeme gebrauchstauglich zu gestalten. Dabei sind die Benutzer hauptsächlich an zwei Aktivitäten beteiligt. Dies sind die Nutzungsanforderungsanalyse und die Evaluation. Hinsichtlich dieser zwei Aktivitäten wurden in der vorliegenden Arbeit Usability-Methoden untersucht bzw. neu entwickelt, um die nutzerzentrierte Gestaltung multimodaler Anwendungen für blinde Benutzer zu unterstützen. Bezogen auf die Aktivität Nutzungsanforderungsanalyse wurde ein Verfahren entwickelt, welches speziell die Besonderheiten blinder Benutzer und multimodaler Anwendungen bei der Nutzungsanforderungsanalyse berücksichtigt. Zusätzlich wurden zwei Schritte des Verfahrens, die Erstellung mentaler Modelle und die Modalitätsauswahl, die speziell auf den Kontext multimodaler Anwendungen für blinde Benutzer ausgerichtet sind, weiter vertiefend untersucht. Für den Schritt Erstellung mentaler Modelle wurden zwei Erstellungsmethoden, Teaching-Back und Retrospective Think-Aloud, mit blinden Benutzern untersucht. Dabei sind sowohl die Gestaltung vom Teaching-Back als auch der Vergleich beider Methoden von Interesse. Für den Schritt Modalitätsauswahl stand die Analyse des multimodalen Nutzerverhaltens blinder Benutzer im Mittelpunkt. Vier Eingabemodalitäten, Sprache, Touchscreen-Gesten, Touchscreen-Tastatur und Touchscreen-Braille bzw. deren Kombinationen wurden unter Einfluss von acht Aufgabentypen bei der Bedienung einer mobilen multimodalen Navigationsanwendung untersucht. In Hinblick auf die Usability-Evaluationsmethoden wurde zuerst das Augenmerk auf die Auswertung und die Erhebung mentaler Karten von blinden Benutzern gerichtet, da sie eine wichtige Rolle bei der Entwicklung von Navigationssystemen spielen. Zwei Auswertungsmethoden für mentale Karten hinsichtlich des Überblicks- und Routenwissens wurden entwickelt. Beide Methoden ermöglichen es, die mentalen Karten anhand speziell entwickelter Bewertungskriterien, wie Anzahl der Elemente und Eigenschaften der Straßen, quantitativ zu bewerten. Bezüglich der Erhebung mentaler Karten wurden zwei Erhebungsmethoden – Rekonstruktion mit Magnetstreifen und verbale Beschreibung – mit blinden Probanden hinsichtlich unterschiedlicher Aspekten untersucht. In zwei weiteren Untersuchungen wurden taktiles Paper-Prototyping und computerbasiertes Prototyping für die frühen Entwicklungsphasen bzw. Labor- und synchroner Remote-Test für die späteren Entwicklungsphasen mit blinden Benutzern verglichen. Dabei wurden die Effektivität der Evaluation, die Erkenntnisse und Erfahrungen der Probanden sowie des Testleiters als Vergleichskriterien in beiden Untersuchungen eingesetzt.

Recent decades have seen increasing recognition of the importance of patient involvement during patient-professional interactions and promotion of preventative and long term approaches to healthcare for those with long-term conditions. The concepts of 'shared decision making' and 'personalised care planning' have both been advocated by patient groups, policy-makers, professional bodies and academia as best practice. During shared decision making, patients and healthcare professionals work in equal partnership to decide the best course of action. Shared decision making is a central tenet of personalised care planning, as it aims to foster partnerships between patients and healthcare professionals when making decisions, but personalised care planning also describes an overall approach to healthcare that is forward-planning and preventative, rather than episodic and reactive. Despite the breadth of support for such approaches, in reality they are not routinely adopted. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a heterogeneous neurodegenerative long term condition, which is unpredictable with limited treatments available. Such uncertainty and complexity position MS as an interesting long term condition to explore decisional and information needs. This doctoral research comprises of three methods stages. Firstly, two systematic reviews assessing the effectiveness of personalised care planning for people with long-term conditions and people with MS were carried out. Secondly, 22 in-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews were carried out with people with MS across the UK to explore experiences of decision making and interactions with healthcare professionals. Purposive sampling was carried out and data saturation determined sample size. A modified grounded theory approach was used and thematic analysis of interview data was carried out. Lastly, a series of structured qualitative interviews were carried out with 6 consultant neurologists. This stage was iterative in that problematic areas identified during analysis of interview data from stage 2 were presented to neurologists in infographic form to further examine issues raised. Framework analysis was carried out on neurologist interview data to examine their interpretations and potential solutions. Although there appears to be some evidence demonstrating that personalised care planning is effective for people with long term conditions, such favourable effects were not demonstrated in the context of MS. Based on the findings from the systematic reviews it is unclear whether personalised care planning is effective for people with MS and there is a clear gap in the literature examining this. Findings from the interview stages suggest there are key areas which are lacking in terms of information and decisional support. Such areas included the type and amount of information around the time of diagnosis, support when choosing disease modifying drugs and discussions about approaches outside mainstream medicine. Findings from neurologist interview data corroborated those from MS interview data, but through examination of issues raised it also highlighted some of the complexities and challenges of involving patients and enacting shared decision making in reality. This research identified key areas that require improvement for people with MS in terms of provision of the information and decisional support. Although in theory personalised care planning and shared decision making are positioned as best practice, in reality it is unclear whether they are effective or appropriate for people with MS. The way in which such approaches are enacted are complex and require careful consideration. Potential barriers and pitfalls identified within this study suggest a lack of clarity in how to respond to challenges and further investigation into how patient involvement is enacted is needed.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The research was prompted by two main issues prevalent in South African education in the last decade. These were particularly the critical state of the schooling system, especially in the educationally disadvantaged schools (mainly ex-Department of Education and Training) and the relationship of the teacher to teaching and the related issue of teacher upgrading. The resultant effect was that the educationally disadvantaged communities became more and more disadvantaged over time because of decreasing mental stimulation and mental development. The answer lay in finding a theory of intellectual growth and development which takes into account the learning environment of the disadvantaged child. The Educational Support Services Trust (ESST) has been active in addressing this very issue since 1986. It provides appropriate learner-centred mediational texts to disadvantaged pupils around the country. These materials concentrate on the development of practical intelligence by relating leaming to everyday experience. The Teachers' Methodology Project was designed to change the teachers who were using the ESST materials from being disseminators of information to being managers of a learning-centred classroom environment. The idea was to change the way that teachers thought about teaching and learning. This was accomplished by sharing the methodology of the existing pupils' materials and theories of cognition and mediation with them so that they could become adept at mediating at the level of deconstruction of complex ideas and using this knowledge in the construction and development of their own learning materials, thereby contributing to the mental development of their pupils. My experience as a staff member of the ESST and my background in education provided an entry point to this research via Feuerstein et at's (1980,1991) criteria for mediation, Haywood's (1993) mediational teaching style and a range of other theories and ideas including group work and co-operative learning, graphic organisers, and the ESSTs own theory of mediatory text (Sinclair, 1991). These were consolidated into a learning-centred approach to teaching in which the learner, the teacher and the task become part of the total learning-centred environment. The research began as an investigation of the Teachers' Methdology Project (TMP) and an effort to track teachers' development but grew to include the development of the conceptual mediational framework on which the project was based. This resulted in the development of a classroom observation instrument which was used to evaluate how teachers mediated in their classrooms and how they interacted with pupils. The TMP was implemented through a series of workshops during which teachers examined their assumptions about teaching and learning: explored new avenues for facilitating learning; experienced a learning-centred approach to teaching; acquired new strategies for and knowledge of, theories and atttitudes to teaching and learning and were able to reflect on and practise newly acquired skills in a supportive collegial environment. The research employed a qualitative approach and therefore the documentation of the process took considerable effort. An experiential framework (Kolb, 1974) was used to analyse the process and the results. This mediational experiential framework resulted in a methodology which addressed teachers' attitudes and cognition in a life-related way, taking into account their personal knowledge and experience. The methodology is replicable and has been used in basic adult education and other settings. In addition, the methodology can contribute to the understanding of how Outcomes-based Education could be implemented in South Africa.

Multimodale Anwendungen bieten den blinden Benutzern neue Möglichkeiten und Chancen, die durch Verlust des Sehsinnes entstandenen Defizite über andere Sinneskanäle auszugleichen. Die benutzerorientierte Gestaltung ist der sicherste Weg, um interaktive Systeme gebrauchstauglich zu gestalten. Dabei sind die Benutzer hauptsächlich an zwei Aktivitäten beteiligt. Dies sind die Nutzungsanforderungsanalyse und die Evaluation. Hinsichtlich dieser zwei Aktivitäten wurden in der vorliegenden Arbeit Usability-Methoden untersucht bzw. neu entwickelt, um die nutzerzentrierte Gestaltung multimodaler Anwendungen für blinde Benutzer zu unterstützen. Bezogen auf die Aktivität Nutzungsanforderungsanalyse wurde ein Verfahren entwickelt, welches speziell die Besonderheiten blinder Benutzer und multimodaler Anwendungen bei der Nutzungsanforderungsanalyse berücksichtigt. Zusätzlich wurden zwei Schritte des Verfahrens, die Erstellung mentaler Modelle und die Modalitätsauswahl, die speziell auf den Kontext multimodaler Anwendungen für blinde Benutzer ausgerichtet sind, weiter vertiefend untersucht. Für den Schritt Erstellung mentaler Modelle wurden zwei Erstellungsmethoden, Teaching-Back und Retrospective Think-Aloud, mit blinden Benutzern untersucht. Dabei sind sowohl die Gestaltung vom Teaching-Back als auch der Vergleich beider Methoden von Interesse. Für den Schritt Modalitätsauswahl stand die Analyse des multimodalen Nutzerverhaltens blinder Benutzer im Mittelpunkt. Vier Eingabemodalitäten, Sprache, Touchscreen-Gesten, Touchscreen-Tastatur und Touchscreen-Braille bzw. deren Kombinationen wurden unter Einfluss von acht Aufgabentypen bei der Bedienung einer mobilen multimodalen Navigationsanwendung untersucht. In Hinblick auf die Usability-Evaluationsmethoden wurde zuerst das Augenmerk auf die Auswertung und die Erhebung mentaler Karten von blinden Benutzern gerichtet, da sie eine wichtige Rolle bei der Entwicklung von Navigationssystemen spielen. Zwei Auswertungsmethoden für mentale Karten hinsichtlich des Überblicks- und Routenwissens wurden entwickelt. Beide Methoden ermöglichen es, die mentalen Karten anhand speziell entwickelter Bewertungskriterien, wie Anzahl der Elemente und Eigenschaften der Straßen, quantitativ zu bewerten. Bezüglich der Erhebung mentaler Karten wurden zwei Erhebungsmethoden – Rekonstruktion mit Magnetstreifen und verbale Beschreibung – mit blinden Probanden hinsichtlich unterschiedlicher Aspekten untersucht. In zwei weiteren Untersuchungen wurden taktiles Paper-Prototyping und computerbasiertes Prototyping für die frühen Entwicklungsphasen bzw. Labor- und synchroner Remote-Test für die späteren Entwicklungsphasen mit blinden Benutzern verglichen. Dabei wurden die Effektivität der Evaluation, die Erkenntnisse und Erfahrungen der Probanden sowie des Testleiters als Vergleichskriterien in beiden Untersuchungen eingesetzt.

This diploma thesis analyzes some of the most successful movements in the Czech Republic - ANO and Svoboda a přímá demokracie Tomio Okamury through the content analysis and the theory of populism by Cas Mudd. The aim of the thesis is to determine to what extent both movements are populist in view of the theory mentioned above and how their populism is different. The thesis is divided into two main parts. The first one - the theoretical part is devoted to the concept of populism. In this part three most distinctive streams of populism research are presented: 1) populism as a political (communication) style 2) populism as a strategy and 3) populism as an ideology. The second one - the analytical part includes a methodology in which the criteria for determining what populism is by using the populist core features defined by Francisco Panniza and Cas Mudd are defined. Subsequently, I analyze the content analysis of programming and media representation involving the Facebook social network of both political entities. The results of the analysis are that ANO and SPD - Tomio Okamury fulfill the criteria of all three core features in their media presentations and therefore can be described as populist. There are all three core features appearing in the programs of both movements, what is more SPD is more...