Mobile augmented reality has become an influential tool for digital content representation and visualization of media content in terms of enhancing users' experience and improving the adaptability and usability of typical augmented reality applications, such as in e-commerce shopping, virtual museum, or digital heritage scenarios. This research proposes a new Service Oriented Mobile AR Architecture called SOMARA, which includes a novel mobile AR client application. SOMARA takes advantage the ability to integrate third party content through service orientation. The SOMARA architecture enhances traditional standalone mobile AR applications with embedded media content by uniquely integrating a web service framework into an augmented reality client application to create more efficient and flexible mobile augmented reality applications that efficiently supports novel media content acquisition and visualization through appropriate access parameters. The proposed architecture requires access to media content through specific media content service providers, e.g. a museum commissioning an augmented reality based museum interactive — predetermined media content, or any third party with their own service APIs, e.g. the Victoria and Albert Museum API — related external media content. This approach allows relevant third party media content to be ‘mashed' via their public API with museums' augmented reality interactive's ‘embedded' media content in the SOMARA mobile AR client. In this way novel mobile AR interactive applications, such as a museum augmented reality interactive, can be created based on particular museum environment scenarios that integrate a museum visitor's experience with the interactive's cultural objects. Such experiences based on a SOMARA type museum augmented reality interactive can also be saved allowing visitors to take home their museum experience. SOMARA thus allows museum interactive experiences based on visualization of museums and third party media content physically located in the museum to be migrated to the visitor's home environment for further study, enjoyment and understanding. This unique feature, ability to effectively replay the experience at home, of the proposed system utilizes service-orientation to integrate third party media content, which is currently deficient from commercial augmented reality solutions.

This research examines the social use of the Internet at the level of specified online users in conservative Arab societies, who are called in this thesis online lead users. These specified lead users are the ones who are influential in shaping the innovation processes due to their leading role of practice in finding solutions to their needs and problems they have experienced before the emergence of online social networks such as the lack of public sphere and independent civic organizations etc., which led them to utilize the Internet as their new public space to pursue their goals through their online initiatives and collective actions to apply the social change they seek for their societies under the existence of society social norms and censorship. The research has been carried out as mixed-method study, the gathered data done through means of quantitative and qualitative methods, and the chosen country to conduct the research were Saudi Arabia. A survey questionnaire link were distributed among the targeted online lead users in the country under study, and the author chose three cases form the country under study for the qualitative part. The research sought to examine to what extent society social norms and censorship influence online lead user's expression and behaviours, and their effect on the formulation of their online activities and collective actions, and analyzing the characteristics of online lead user's. The significance of this study lies in the fact that it contribute to the gap in the literature on the use of Internet in conservative Arab societies by providing insight into the roles that social norms play in influencing online behaviour, particularly in communities that are seeking to discuss social issues or mobilize collective action, and analysing online lead users characteristic to distinguish between conservative and cosmopolitan ones using the Right-Wing authoritarian measurement.

Orientador: Cassia Leticia Carrara Domiciano / Banca: Fausto Orsi Medola / Banca: Deborah Viviane Ferrari / Resumo: Essa dissertação de mestrado apresenta uma investigação com foco no Design Gráfico Inclusivo aplicado à área da Educação. Propõe uma revisão bibliográfica em áreas como o design gráfico, design inclusivo, design educacional, necessidades educacionais especiais, educação especial, tecnologias assistivas, inclusão digital e acessibilidade web, além de reflexões a respeito do desenvolvimento de materiais digitais acessíveis, que possam atender também às crianças com necessidades específicas de aprendizagem. Objetiva analisar, comparar e gerar diretrizes e parâmetros projetuais em design gráfico para o desenvolvimento de objetos de aprendizagem digitais que sejam acessíveis ao público infantil, contemplando tanto crianças normotípicas, como aquelas com necessidades educacionais especiais, como dislexia, cegueira, baixa-visão, daltonismo, surdez e baixa-audição, visando inovar os métodos de ensino-aprendizagem para esse público. Elenca, compara e analisa recomendações de acessibilidade relacionados à identidade gráfica de um ambiente digital (tipografia, cores, mídias, elementos interativos e de acessibilidade web), provindos de pesquisas teóricas e dos órgãos de fomento a acessibilidade: WCAG (2014) e E-MAG (2014), de caráter exploratório descritivo e empírico. Pretende ainda, por meio de pesquisa de campo, com a aplicação de um objeto de aprendizagem digital inclusivo a uma amostra de conveniência de nove usuários e auxílio da tecnologia de eye-tracking, colocar à prova recomend... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This dissertation presents an investigation focusing on the Inclusive Graphic Design applied to the area of Education. It proposes a bibliographic review in areas such as graphic design, inclusive design, educational design, special educational needs, special education, assistive technologies, digital inclusion and web accessibility, as well as reflections on the development of accessible digital materials that can atend children with specific learning needs. It aims to analyze, compare and generate design guidelines and parameters in graphic design for the development of digital learning objects that are accessible to children, contemplating both normotypic children and those with special educational needs such as dyslexia, blindness, low vision, color blindness, deafness and low-hearing, aiming to innovate teaching-learning methods for this audience. Lists, compares and analyzes accessibility recommendations related to the graphic identity of a digital environment (typography, colors, media, interactive elements and web accessibility), coming from theoretical research and from the agencies promoting accessibility: WCAG (2014) and E-MAG (2014), with a descriptive and empirical exploratory character. It also intends, through field research, to apply an inclusive digital learning object to a convenience sample of nine users and aid in eye-tracking technology, to test design recommendations for the development of digital materials, which children with or without special educati... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

A tecnologia da informação e comunicação (TIC) tem se tornado cada vez mais comum no cotidiano da sociedade atual. Diversas são as facilidades disponibilizadas para os indivíduos habilitados no uso da TIC. Entretanto, estar habilitado em TIC não corresponde apenas a aspectos de conforto; a falta dessa habilitação restringe oportunidades importantes. Destaca-se a relevância deste conhecimento no ambiente acadêmico, no qual os alunos são constantemente chamados à execução de atividades apoiadas por computadores e aplicativos. Para ingressar no mercado de trabalho, nas mais diversas áreas de atuação, tem-se exigido o prévio preparo relacionado aos conhecimentos e habilidades sobre a TIC. Felizmente, os dispositivos de TIC têm se tornado cada vez mais acessíveis à população em geral, e os aplicativos também têm oferecido usabilidade cada vez mais intuitiva. Ainda assim, constata-se que a autoaprendizagem sobre TIC é restrita a alguns aspectos específicos, e ainda considerada insuficiente para um preparo minimamente adequado. Como agravante, as ações de incorporação da TIC no ensino público brasileiro ainda são malsucedidas. Esta dissertação tem como objetivo principal a definição de critérios para avaliação da Alfabetização Computacional (AC), correspondente à identificação do conjunto relevante de conhecimentos e habilidades de TIC, aplicada a alunos do ensino médio. Para atender a esse objetivo, os principais aspectos da AC foram extraídos da literatura por meio de uma revisão sistemática, e submetidos à análise de especialistas pela aplicação da Técnica Delphi. Os aspectos de TIC identificados como mais relevantes pelos especialistas para AC são: ética, ferramentas de busca, privacidade, segurança e vírus. Em complemento, este estudo também visa descrever como as instituições de ensino médio e as empresas avaliam a relevância dos conhecimentos e habilidades de AC. Os dados coletados possibilitaram uma análise comparativa de pontos de vista distintos dos docentes, pesquisadores e empresas sobre o tema. Concluiu-se que a conectividade corresponde ao elemento central da AC na atualidade, com base no conjunto de aspectos classificados como mais relevantes pela metodologia de pesquisa aplicada. / Information and communication technology (ICT) has become increasingly common in the daily life of today\'s society. Many conveniences are made available to all individuals by using ICT. However, knowledge of ICT does not refer only to aspects of comfort; the lack of this competence restricts important opportunities. Noteworthy is the great importance of this knowledge in the academic environment, in which students are constantly required to perform activities supported by computers and applications. In order to enter the job market, in several areas, prior preparation related to knowledge and skills on ICT is required. Fortunately, ICT devices have become increasingly accessible to the population in general, and applications have also been offering increasingly intuitive usability. Still, it appears that ICT self-learning is restricted to some specific aspects, and considered insufficient for a minimally adequate preparation. To make matters worse, the learning of ICT in Brazilian public schools is still insufficient. This dissertation aims at defining some criteria for assessing Computer Literacy (CL), corresponding to an identification of the relevant body of knowledge regarding ICT skills, to be applied to high school students. In order to meet this goal, the main aspects of CL were extracted from literature by a systematic review, and submitted to expert analysis by Delphi Technique. The aspects of ICT identified as the most important ones by experts at CL are: ethics, search engines, privacy, security and viruses. In addition, this study also aims at describing how high school institutions and companies evaluate the relevance of CL knowledge and skills. The collected data has allowed a comparative analysis of different points of view of teachers, researchers and companies on the subject. We have concluded that connectivity represents the central element of CL nowadays, based on the set of issues classified as the most relevant by the research methodology.

Thesis (M.M. (ICT Policy and Regulation))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Public and Development Management, 2014. / The research aimed to investigate the supply and demand side factors that enables or hinders the effectiveness of rural connectivity provided through public access points such as the Thusong Service Centres (TSCs). The lack of broadband and terrestrial infrastructure is often cited as the main reason why rural people are not able to participate in the information society. The status of the Mopani District rural connectivity indicates that the digital divide is not always due to the lack of infrastructure, but due to the etic approach towards the deployment of connectivity and the failure to locate rural connectivity within the broader community development goals. The failure to understand the user requirements contributes to the misconception that Very Small Apparatus Terminals (VSAT) satellite technology is an inadequate solution which must be replaced by fixed broadband. On the other hand, the failure of the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) blueprint indicates the poor level of e-government readiness within the public service sector. The status of the Mopani TSCs also shows that there is a lack of accountability, cooperation and collaboration across the three spheres of government and that there is a misuse of public funds in cases where connectivity resources are duplicated and not optimally used. The separation of the public service connectivity from the public connectivity creates the digital inequality in the targeted communities. The separation has resulted in connectivity being available to some and not to all, because accessibility is based on personal relationships. In other cases there is constructed denied access due to local politics. 16 years later since the establishment of the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA), the South African Community Informatics (CI) sector is struggling to achieve outputs that produce the desired impact in the targeted communities.

Thesis (M.Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2009 / Refer to document

Several researchers (e.g., Allen & Paesani, 2010; Maxim, 2009; MLA Report, 2007) argue that the language-literature divide limits language development in many foreign language departments and that the speaking skill is the most affected by this common two-tiered curriculum (Swender, 2003). This study investigates the implementation of the concept of collaborative dialogues in an upper-division Francophone literature and culture course to support the oral proficiency skills of the participants. It addresses research questions pertaining to (1) how they constructed their group conversations in terms of language and content, (2) the connections between their dialogues and whole-class discussions, and (3) their perspectives about their group conversations. Both whole-class discussions and weekly group dialogues, which took place outside of class, were video-recorded. The participants took an oral proficiency test at the beginning and at the end of the study and shared their opinions about the dialogues in two questionnaires and in stimulated recalls. The analysis of the data sources shows that the majority of participants focused heavily on content during their conversations. This finding differs from previous research on collaborative dialogues, which hosted many interactions about language and supported language learning. Based on their analytical abilities and proficiency levels, the participants of this study either reviewed previous class discussions or extended them by exploring additional material and adding prior knowledge to their arguments. Extending class discussions during outside-of-class dialogues was a scaffolding activity which better prepared the participants to contribute to subsequent class discussions. Questionnaires and stimulated recalls suggest that the participants enjoyed participating in weekly group conversations because it supported their comprehension of difficult class concepts and materials and helped them develop confidence speaking.

A need exists to gain a better understanding of how the online learning environment found in higher education is perceived by students of color. The research completed for this dissertation explored student participation in the online learning environment in higher education by examining the observations and perceptions of students of color. Along the way, the process of the research journey drew attention to the lack of inclusion of students of color in the literature and data collected about online learning, and pointed to the existence of the digital divide and its impact on graduate students of color and their participation in online learning. In this study, no significant relationships were found in the examination of the nature of the relationship between ethnicity and the variables of gender, age, and self-reported computer experience. The online learning environment was not conclusively found to be an environment where opinions or critiques could be expressed more easily than in a face to face classroom, and the importance to students of having the opportunity to challenge white norms in the online learning environment was not found to be significant. Advice is offered from students and instructors of color providing examples of ways in which an online course environment may more fully consider the voices and experiences of persons of color.

People with disabilities, and in particular people who are blind or vision impaired, are not embracing computing and Internet-related technologies at the same rate as the able-bodied population. The purpose of this study was to find the reasons behind this digital divide for people with disabilities and provide solutions. The investigation into this 'disability divide' initially examined the historical significance of the social construction of disability, the developments of computing and Internet-related technologies and the evolution of associated government and corporate policies. In order to gain an understanding of the specific elements in the current disability divide, interviews were conducted with a range of government representatives, multinational information technology developers and online information providers in Australia and the United States of America. In order to gain an understanding of what people with disabilities required from information technology, a national survey was conducted with people who are blind or vision impaired to determine their computing and Internet experiences. This study clearly identified that people with vision disabilities have a high level of computing and Internet expertise and it is specific barriers, rather than lack of will, that has prevented access to computing and Internet-related technologies. These barriers include issues relating to the perception of disability in society, Federal and state government policy, corporate policy, mainstream computing products, assistive technologies, real-time online communication, poverty and a lack of educational opportunities. Addressing the issues in these areas will significantly reduce the impact of the disability divide, allowing people who are blind or vision impaired to participate more effectively in the information age.

In recent years it has become widely accepted that the natural systems on which we depend for survival are being degraded by human activity. It is no longer a question of if we need to reduce our impact upon the planet, but of the extent to which we need to change our behaviour, and how soon we need to act. Such change will depend upon the support of voters, governments, and the international community and will require wide spread changes in attitudes and behaviour. Using the social identity approach as a framework, the current programme of research focuses on rural land users in Australia and the effectiveness of sustainable land use campaigns directed at them from both urban and rural sources. The studies provide a novel contribution to the area by demonstrating the effects of intergroup threat on group-based communication, in particular, the perception of threat to rural identity and the effect on urban and rural messages aimed at changing land use behaviour. Conclusions about broader social influence processes were also made by assessing rural participants’ perceptions of the degree to which others are influenced. Although the studies are based in the context of rural Australian land users, the results and theoretical implications can be applied to any situation wherein one group is attempting to change the attitudes and behaviours of another group. This could range from local interest groups trying to convince each other of the merits of their ideas through to political parties and nations calling for united and decisive action on global issues. Such groups ignore issues of power and status at the risk of ineffective communications or even a backlash in opinion and behaviour. Six studies were conducted, including five survey studies with rural landholders and one experiment with students at a rural campus. Study 1 (N = 251) was an evaluation of sustainable land use campaigns in general, comparing those from urban sources to those from rural sources. Study 2 (N = 585) extended this by assessing the moderating role of intergroup threat perceptions. This study also measured the perceptions of influence of urban and rural messages on urban people and other rural people. Study 3 (N = 98) assessed the influence of an actual land use campaign delivered by an ingroup source on individuals’ attitudes and behaviours and the perceived influence on others. Study 4 (N = 249) built upon Study 2 but included additional measures to address some of the inconsistencies between Studies 1 and 2. To address the psychological underpinnings of group-based influence, Study 5 (N = 124) included measures of trust in urban and rural sources as well as reports of influence, agreement, and past behaviour. To conclude, Study 6 (N = 64) provided an experimental test of persuasion by manipulating the source of the message. Self-reported identification and intergroup threat were examined as moderators of group-based persuasion. Furthermore, attributions of constructiveness were explored as a possible reason for the superior influence of ingroups. Across the six studies it was found that ingroup messages were consistently more influential than outgroup messages. Attributions of trust and constructiveness helped to explain the superior influence of ingroups. In terms of perceptions of influence on others, there was a third-person effect for urban messages but rural people did not differentiate between themselves and other rural people in response to rural messages. Furthermore, rural identification was associated with greater reported influence from the ingroup source and perceived threat was associated with increased influence of rural messages compared to urban messages. These findings have clear implications for attempts at changing attitudes between groups, particularly where there is a salient and competitive intergroup context. Outgroups operate at a distinct disadvantage in delivering persuasive communications, especially if ingroup identification is high or there is a perception of threat stemming from the communicating group. Evidence of the persuasiveness of ingroups compared to outgroups is further strengthened by the perceptions of similarity in influence of rural sources for self and other ingroup members. The findings on trust and constructiveness hint at the possibility of overcoming barriers to outgroup persuasion if positive motives for the messages can be established. Of course, this depends on the severity of the intergroup context and the nature of communication. Recommendations are made for a collaborative approach to achieving change.