Thesis (M.T.S.C.)--Miami University, Dept. of English, 2004. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 31).

A utilização de videoaula aumentou consideravelmente nos últimos anos. O interesse de alunos e professores tem crescido em parte devido às diversas iniciativas que oferecem acesso a videoaulas por meio da Internet. Em especial, muitos professores estão produzindo videoaulas de diversas formas e finalidades, por exemplo, para educação a distância e para apoio ou complemento de aulas presenciais. Neste trabalho foi realizado um estudo sobre as preferências de alunos e professores com relação à videoaula para identificar requisitos de interface para ferramentas de produção. O levantamento proposto como metodologia foi realizado com discentes e docentes de cursos técnicos na modalidade a distância da Escola Técnica Aberta do Brasil (e-Tec Brasil). Os questionários continham questões sobre a utilização de videoaula e as preferências com relação a estilos de videoaula, tempo médio de duração de videoaulas e recursos interativos, questões para identificar o nível de concordância com relação a algumas afirmações sobre videoaula e, somente para docentes, questões com relação à produção de videoaulas. A comparação entre as preferências de discentes e docentes apontou um conflito entre o estilo mais preferido pelos discentes, estilo tutorial, e o estilo mais preferido pelos docentes, estilo voz e apresentação. O estilo imagem, voz e apresentação é o segundo tanto na preferência dos discentes quanto na preferência dos docentes. A maioria dos docentes expressou que não conhece alguma metodologia ou técnica para a produção de videoaula, mas possui predisposição para aprender novas metodologias e técnicas para a produção de videoaula e também para aprender novas ferramentas de produção. Cinco requisitos de interface foram identificados a partir dos resultados da análise dos dados: prover um meio simples de produzir videoaula em diferentes estilos; controlar o tempo de duração da videoaula durante a produção; facilitar a inclusão de recursos interativos; analisar a voz do professor na videoaula para indicar necessidade de mudança de ritmo; incluir uma metodologia ou técnica para apoio à produção de videoaula. / The use of video lecture has increased considerably in recent years. The interest of students and teachers has grown in part because of a number of initiatives that provide access to video lectures through the Internet. In particular, many teachers are producing video lecture in various forms and purposes, for distance education and to support or complement regular classes. In this paper we present a study about the preferences of students and teachers related to video lecture to identify interface requirements for production tools. The survey proposed was performed with students and teachers of distance learning technical courses of the Open Technical School of Brazil (e-Tec Brazil). The questionnaires for students and teachers contained questions about the use of video lecture and preferences regarding style, duration time and interactive resources; the questionnaires also have questions to identify the level of agreement with regard to some statements about video lecture; only for teachers, the questionnaires had some topics related the video lecture production. The comparison between the preferences of students and teachers pointed out a conflict between the most preferred style by students, tutorial style, and the most preferred style by teachers, voice and presentation style. The style containing image, voice and presentation is the second in both the preference of students as the preference of teachers. Most teachers said that they do not know any method or technique for producing video lecture, but they have predisposition to learn new methodologies and techniques for producing video lecture and also to learn new production tools. Five interface requirements were identified from the results of data analysis: providing a simple means of producing video lecture in different styles; controlling the duration time of the video lecture during production; facilitating the inclusion of interactive resources; analyzing the teacher´s voice in the video lecture to indicate the need for change of pace; including a methodology or technique to support video lecture production.

O desenvolvimento de software entre equipes geograficamente distribuídas tem adquirido relevância devido a interesses das organizações, relacionados a custos de projetos, busca de profissionais multidisciplinares e especializados ou visando ampliar a cobertura de seus clientes, atendendo-os de forma mais globalizada. Porém, apesar dos benefícios existentes, há algumas dificuldades oriundas da distribuição de equipes que são inerentes da dispersão temporal e geográfica. Estas dificuldades incluem as diferenças culturais, linguísticas, temporais entre outras, que comprometem a qualidade da comunicação e consequentemente interferem na compreensão mútua entre as equipes que desenvolvem um mesmo projeto de software. O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar uma melhoria de um processo de desenvolvimento distribuído de software (DDS), baseado em Scrum, capaz de minimizar as interferências e perdas de informações, descentralização de conhecimentos em pessoas específicas e melhorar no fluxo de comunicação e disseminação das informações. Um caso real foi abordado e para o desenvolvimento deste trabalho o método de pesquisa adotado foi a pesquisa-ação. Neste cenário real haviam problemas originados da comunicação ineficiente entre seus atores e exigiu que o desenvolvimento desta pesquisa tivesse várias iterações e retroalimentações até atingir a maturidade. A melhoria da comunicação foi alcançada e é a principal contribuição deste trabalho. / Software development between geographically distributed teams has acquired relevance due to interests of organizations, project-related costs, looking for multidisciplinary and specialized professionals or aiming to expand the coverage of its customers, serving them in a globalized form. However, despite the existing benefits, there are some difficulties originated from the distribution of teams that are inherent in the temporal and geographic dispersion. These difficulties include the cultural, linguistic, temporal among others, which affect the quality of communication and consequently interfere with the mutual comprehension between the teams which develop the same software project. Thus, the aim of this work is to present an improvement in the process of distributed software development (DSD) based on Scrum, capable to minimize interference and information losses, decentralization of knowledge in specific people and improve the communication flow and dissemination of information. A real case was discussed and as for the development of this work the action research was the approach employed in this study. In this scenario, problems originated from inefficient communication between their actors and demanded that the development of this research present several iterations and feedbacks in order to reach its maturity. Improved communication has been achieved and is the main contribution of this work.

O desenvolvimento de software entre equipes geograficamente distribuídas tem adquirido relevância devido a interesses das organizações, relacionados a custos de projetos, busca de profissionais multidisciplinares e especializados ou visando ampliar a cobertura de seus clientes, atendendo-os de forma mais globalizada. Porém, apesar dos benefícios existentes, há algumas dificuldades oriundas da distribuição de equipes que são inerentes da dispersão temporal e geográfica. Estas dificuldades incluem as diferenças culturais, linguísticas, temporais entre outras, que comprometem a qualidade da comunicação e consequentemente interferem na compreensão mútua entre as equipes que desenvolvem um mesmo projeto de software. O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar uma melhoria de um processo de desenvolvimento distribuído de software (DDS), baseado em Scrum, capaz de minimizar as interferências e perdas de informações, descentralização de conhecimentos em pessoas específicas e melhorar no fluxo de comunicação e disseminação das informações. Um caso real foi abordado e para o desenvolvimento deste trabalho o método de pesquisa adotado foi a pesquisa-ação. Neste cenário real haviam problemas originados da comunicação ineficiente entre seus atores e exigiu que o desenvolvimento desta pesquisa tivesse várias iterações e retroalimentações até atingir a maturidade. A melhoria da comunicação foi alcançada e é a principal contribuição deste trabalho. / Software development between geographically distributed teams has acquired relevance due to interests of organizations, project-related costs, looking for multidisciplinary and specialized professionals or aiming to expand the coverage of its customers, serving them in a globalized form. However, despite the existing benefits, there are some difficulties originated from the distribution of teams that are inherent in the temporal and geographic dispersion. These difficulties include the cultural, linguistic, temporal among others, which affect the quality of communication and consequently interfere with the mutual comprehension between the teams which develop the same software project. Thus, the aim of this work is to present an improvement in the process of distributed software development (DSD) based on Scrum, capable to minimize interference and information losses, decentralization of knowledge in specific people and improve the communication flow and dissemination of information. A real case was discussed and as for the development of this work the action research was the approach employed in this study. In this scenario, problems originated from inefficient communication between their actors and demanded that the development of this research present several iterations and feedbacks in order to reach its maturity. Improved communication has been achieved and is the main contribution of this work.

Orientador: Jose Armando Valente / Acompanha 2 CD-ROM / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Artes / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-14T09:56:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Vazquez_BeatrizSanz_M.pdf: 2664810 bytes, checksum: ffca4f1ec78f120cf26eefdd9a931802 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: A passagem das memórias humanas à memória virtual coletiva configura a construção de um caminho que é possível trilhar a partir das histórias de vida, utilizadas, aqui, enquanto metodologia de pesquisa e de formação, compartilhadas em ambiente virtual de aprendizagem (AVA). Esta dissertação aborda esse processo, que se inicia com a história de vida desta pesquisadora, formando teias que, inevitavelmente, levam à rede estabelecida com estudantes dos cursos de Pedagogia e Normal Superior, ao longo do primeiro semestre de 2004. Essas memórias digitais interagiram no AVA TelEduc e iniciaram a formação dos nós da teia. Teorias referentes à memória embasam a dissertação, que apresenta uma análise qualitativa, a partir da utilização do software CHIC (Classificação Hierárquica Implicativa Coesiva), das relações estabelecidas nessa memória virtual coletiva, a qual congrega relatos de história de vida, comentários dos alunos e das docentes responsáveis pela disciplina e pelo AVA, impressões sobre contação de histórias e imagens representativas de aprendizagens significativas das teias que cada aluno formou. A construção da identidade dos alunos em formação por meio de suas memórias foi demonstrada a partir da análise das árvores geradas pelo software. Destaca-se, nas árvores, o grupo social familiar e sua inserção em outros contextos sociais, agregando-se a categorias de análise, estabelecidas pelas interações no AVA, tais como identificação emocional, aprendizagem significativa, características individuais, trabalho docente, palavras de encorajamento e brincadeiras de infância. Essas relações suscitaram identificações, significados, rememorações, construções de novas memórias, refazendo uma espiral de aprendizagem na construção da identidade dos alunos por meio das memórias virtuais, apresentando as inter-relações dessas memórias e sua importância na construção de uma história de vida passada, presente e futura. / Abstract: The passage from human memories to the collective virtual memory represents the construction of a path that can be tread through life stories, which are shared in virtual learning environment (VLE) that are used here as a methodology for research and training. This dissertation discusses this process, which begins with the story of the life of this researcher, forming webs that inevitably led to a network that was established with students from the University Education and Teacher courses throughout the first semester of 2004. These digital memories interacted in the TelEduc VLE and gave rise to the formation of knots in the web. Theories concerning memory are the basis of the dissertation, which represents a qualitative analysis, via the use of the CHIC (Cohesive Implicative Hierarchical Classification) software, of the relationships established in this collective virtual memory, which gathers reports of life stories, comments from students and from the faculty in charge of the courses and the VLE, impressions concerning the telling of stories, and representative images of meaningful learning experiences from the webs that each student formed. The construction of the identity of the students being formed in their memories was demonstrated using an analysis of the trees created by the software. In the trees, the family social group and its placement in other social contexts are highlighted, with analytical categories established by the interactions in the VLE being added, such as emotional identification, meaningful learning, individual characteristics, faculty work, words of encouragement and childhood games. These relationships lead to identifications, meanings, remembrances, and constructions of new memories, rebuilding a spiral of learning in the construction of the students' identity through the virtual memories, presenting the interrelations of these memories and their importance in the construction of the story of a life in the past, present and future. / Mestrado / Mestre em Multimeios

Thesis (M.Sc. (Agricultural Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Information Communication Technology tools in facilitating development within Community-Based Farming Projects (CBFPs) served by Mankweng Service Centre (MSC). The objectives of the study were to identify various ICT tools through which farmers get agricultural information, to determine the types of ICT-based agricultural information preferred by farmers in Mankweng, to examine the factors influencing use of ICTs by farmers in Mankweng and also to identify the challenges encountered by Mankweng farmers in their use of ICT. The study was cross-sectional in design and included 102 farmers from the Community-Based Farming Projects in Mankweng Service Centre as participants. Participants were selected using multi-stage sampling of combined cluster and systematic random sampling. Quantitative data was collected from participants using a structured questionnaire under the supervision of the researcher. Descriptive and inferential methods of analysis were employed. Data was summarised using frequency distribution of variables followed by measures of central tendency, measures of variance, and relationship of variables. Summary of findings was presented in the form of tables, figures and frequencies. Univariate regression model was used to analyse factors influencing use of ICT amongst farmers. The findings of the study show that majority (64%) of the farmers were women and (36%) of the farmers were men. Majority of the farmers (56%) were less than 50 years of age with 79% of the farmers having no tertiary education. The results of this study also revealed that the demographics of the participants were not the critical determinant factors in ICT usage (p>0.2) amongst farmers. The level of education farmers acquired was rather a very important predictor of the utilization of the ICT tools available to the farmers. The study revealed cell phones to be the most commonly used ICT device followed by Radio and TV. The study revealed that the affordability of ICT devices is the main challenge which ultimately limits access. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the Limpopo Department of Agriculture (LDoA) should make a provision of informal education sessions for farmers on the use of ICT devices, and ICT infrastructure and smart phones. In addition, the study recommends advocacy for more agricultural programmes through affordable platforms like TV and community radio stations media. Keywords: ICT tools, Education, CBFPs, MSC, LDA, Farmers

Women are currently underrepresented in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The purpose of this thesis is to explore how this underrepresentation translates to a gender gap in the field of technical communication and how this gap causes women to challenge the predominant objectivist paradigm in the field. Through an investigation of peer-reviewed journal articles, periodicals, critical theory, and articles published in online magazines such as Slate, I identify the gendered nature of modern technology and discuss to what extent a shift in the predominant paradigm has occurred in the professional arena. In looking at several theoretical approaches and contemporary examples, I conclude that a significant paradigm shift has not in fact occurred due to an underlying, culturally promoted sexism. Additionally, I conclude that neither new approaches in the technical communication classroom, nor attempts to increasingly include women in the technological fields will result in a significant paradigm change by themselves. I also point to a need for further meaningful research in how sexism influences the professional world as well as a more thorough conversation regarding a fundamental shift in workplace relations between the genders.

Thesis (MPhil) -- Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Background: Cloning is a topic that has long fascinated people. It has imbedded itself into popular culture, but studies show that the general public has, at best, only a vague understanding of what cloning entails. Alternatively, their perception has been skewed by that very same popular culture. However, cloning is a complex scientific subject that has considerable ethical implications. It is the kind of topic that people in a deliberate democracy should know about. The media play an important role in the education of the public with regards to science and technology. However, the media have the potential to do more than provide the basic facts. In fact, the media can play an important role in influencing the actions and opinions of the public. It is therefore a responsibility of the media to provide accurate information on scientific developments, such as cloning. Objective: An analysis of three daily newspapers in the Western Cape was carried out to determine how cloning is reported. The broad topics addressed were whether the coverage focused on the ethical or scientific aspects of cloning, if the subject was reported in a positive or negative tone, and whether the science of cloning was adequately explained. Methodology: A quantitative content analysis was completed of a sample of 69 articles. These articles were all those relating to cloning that appeared in three daily newspapers (Cape Argus, Cape Times and Die Burger) over a period of one year from 10 November 2002 to 10 November 2003. Findings: Of all the articles analysed 34% focused on the scientific aspects, 21% focused on the ethical aspects, 6% focused on both ethics and science, while 39% focused on neither. Fifty two percent of articles dealing specifically with animal cloning focused on the science, while only 4% focused on the ethics. However, in articles dealing specifically with human cloning, more (30%) emphasised ethical aspects than scientific aspects (20%). With regards to tone of coverage, 32% of all the articles analysed were positive, 28% negative, and 40% neutral. Sixty percent of articles dealing specifically with animal cloning featured a positive tone, while only 13% of articles exclusively about human cloning had a positive tone. This 13% was comprised of articles on therapeutic rather than reproductive cloning. In terms of explaining the science associated with cloning, only 30% of articles provided an explicit explanation. Potential threats to the accuracy of explaining science were found to exist. Conclusions: While the overall findings were somewhat indistinct it seemed that when the media of the Western Cape reported on the cloning of animals it was done with a positive tone and emphasised the scientific aspects. Reporting on human cloning tended to feature a negative tone and emphasised the ethical aspects. The large number of ‘neutral’ results for both the ‘tone’ and 'science or ethics’ variables could indicate that the media were wishing to remain neutral. However, the large number of neutral articles relating to the ‘science or ethics’ variable could have a negative impact on public understanding. The small number of articles explaining cloning and an emphasis on ‘breakthrough’ news stories could also have a negative impact on public understanding. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Agtergrond: Kloning is ‘n onderwerp wat die mensdom lank interesseer. Maar selfs al vorm kloning ‘n deel van ons populere kultuur, wys navorsing dat die groot publiek maar vaagweg verstaan wat die onderwerp behels. Dit is ook moontlik dat hul persepsie negatief bemvloed is deur dieselfde populere kultuur. Maar kloning is ‘n komplekse wetenskaplike onderwerp met aansienlike etiese gevolgtrekkings. Dit is ‘n onderwerp waarvan mense in ‘n demokratiese samelewing moet weet. Die media speel ‘n belangrike rol in die groot publiek se opleiding in wetenskap. Maar die media het die potensiaal om meer te doen as net die basiese feite deur te gee. Die media het die potensiaal om die gedrag en menings van die publiek te beTnvloed. Daarom is dit die verantwoordelikheid van die media om akkurate inligting oor wetenskaplike ontwikkelings, soos kloning, te voorsien. Dolewit: Drie daaglikse koerante in die Weskaap is geanaliseer om te bepaal hoe kloning gedek word. Daar is bepaal of die artikels op die etiese of wetenskaplike aspekte van kloning fokus, of die onderwerp in ‘n positiewe of negatiewe toon gedek is, en of die wetenskaplike aspekte doeltreffend verduidelik is. Metode: ‘n Kwantitatiewe inhoudsanalise van 69 artikels is voltooi. Die geanaliseerde artikels is al die oor kloning wat in drie daaglikse koerante (Cape Argus, Cape Times en Die Burger) tussen 10 November 2002 en 10 November 2003 verskyn het. Bevindinge: Van die artikels het 34% net op die wetenskaplike aspekte van kloning gefokus, 21% net op die etiese aspekte, en 6% op beide etiek en wetenskap. Geen van die twee aspekte is in 39% van artikels beklemtoon nie. Van die artikels wat spesifiek oor dierkloning geskryf is, het 52% op die wetenskaplike aspekte gefokus. Net 4% het op die etiese aspekte gefokus. In die geval van artikels oor die kloning van mense, het meer (30%) die etiese aspekte as die wetenskaplike aspekte (20%) beklemtoon. Met betrekking tot die toon, was 32% van al die artikels positief, 28% negatief, en 40% neutraal. In die geval van artikels uitsluitlik oor dierkloning het 60% ‘n positiewe toon gedui, terwyl net 13% van artikels oor menslike kloning in ‘n positiewe toon geskryf was. Die 13% het bestaan uit artikels oor terapeutiese kloning. Geen artikels oor reproduktiewe kloning was met ‘n positiewe toon geskryf nie. Net 30% van artikels het ‘n uitdruklike verduideliking van die geassosieerde wetenskap gegee. Daar is moontlike bedreigings tot die akkuraatheid van wetenskaplike verduidelikings gevind. Gevolgtrekkings: Die algemene bevindinge is ietwat onduidelik maar dit blyk dat die daaglikse koerante van die Weskaap ‘n positiewe toon in hul dekking van dierkloning gebruik het. Die wetenskaplike aspekte van dierkloning was in die artikels beklemtoon. Berigte oor menskloning was in ‘n negatiewe toon geskryf en het die etiese aspekte daarvan beklemtoon. Die groot hoeveelheid ‘neutraal’ resultate vir die ‘toon’ en ‘wetenskap of etiek’ veranderlikes dui moontlik dat die media probeer het om neutraal te bly in hul dekking. Die groot hoeveelheid ‘neutraal’ artikels vir die ‘wetenskap of etiek’ veranderlike kan dalk ‘n negatiewe invloed op publieke begrip van kloning he. Die klein hoeveelheid artikels wat kloning verduidelik, en ‘n klem op ‘deurbraak’ nuusstories kan ook dalk ‘n negatiewe invloed op publieke begrip he.

To illustrate the intersection of ethical language and ethical frameworks within technical communication, this dissertation analyzes the history and documentation of the human radiation experiments of the 1940s through the 1970s. Research propositions included clarifying the link between medical documentation and technical communication by reviewing the literature that links the two disciplines from the ancient period to the present; establishing an appropriate historiography for the human radiation experiments by providing a context of the military, political, medical, and rhetorical milieu of the 1940s to the 1970s; closely examining and analyzing actual human radiation experiment documentation, including proposals, letters, memos, and consent forms, looking for established rhetorical constructions that indicate a document adheres to or diverts from specific ethical frameworks; and suggesting the importance of the human radiation documents for studying ethics in technical communication. Close rhetorical analysis of the documents included with this project reveals consistent patterns of metadiscourse, passive and nominal writing styles, and other rhetorical constructions, including negative language, redundancies, hedges, and intensifiers, that could lead a reader to misunderstand the writer's original ethical purpose. Ultimately this project finds that technical communicators cannot classify language itself as ethical or unethical; the language is simply the framework with which the experimenters construct their arguments and communicate their work. Technical communicators can, however, consider the ethical nature of behavior according to specific ethical frameworks and determine whether language contributes to the behavior.

No description available.