User centered design is a process which aims to understand user needs and desires by using different tools and methods. This is challenging in the industry as companies have different goals compared to the academic discipline of user centered design. As companies have different goals, common UCD methods which are used in the academic field are often not used. Therefore, there is a gap in how UCD is done in practice compared to theory. Designers and user experience specialists must use the tools which are available, capitalize on the opportunity to use existing resources in the organization in order to understand users and their needs. Insights explain the why and the motivation of the consumer or user, and they are less apparent and intangible, hidden truths that result from continuous digging. Insights can be draw from several different sources, from data and qualitative sources. This thesis investigates from what available sources in an organization can insights be generated from in order to understand users and design better experiences, specifically from the organizations perspective. The purpose is not only to understand users but to drive the organization’s objectives and goals. This thesis uses an innovative collaborative workshop methodology, working with digital designers, to answer the research questions and as a result presents an insights generation model. The research has been specifically conducted for an organization, and from their available sources, but the methodology and model creation has the potential to be used in similar settings, domains or projects.

Abstract The present thesis analyses different software supplier types and the development of supplier firms in the context of the Finnish ICT cluster, which underwent rapid growth in the 1990s. The central brand-owner firms in the cluster have been accompanied by a high number of smaller industrial supplier firms that base their business on serving their large customer organisations. The research to date on the ICT cluster has largely focused on understanding the development and purchasing strategies of the large customer firms and thus does not provide a sufficient basis for understanding how supplier firms in the cluster operate and develop. It is this gap that the present study undertakes to address. The thesis begins by building a theoretical framework that identifies the main factors affecting the development of industrial supplier firms. The inner context of the framework is based on the resource-based view of the firm and the capability approach, while the outer context rests on principles drawn from theories of evolutionary economics. Supplier development is analysed as a change from one firm type to another. The empirical part of the thesis consists of a quantitative and a qualitative study. The former identifies five software supplier types and elaborates a typology capturing their main features, e.g., key resources, capabilities and operating logic. The latter then applies the theoretical framework in analysing the development of four software supplier firms within the ICT cluster. The empirical analysis generates a number of propositions on the development of software supplier firms that together constitute a description of the firms' typical development path and the most significant resources and capabilities enabling the development identified. The software suppliers' change from providing customised software services towards independent production of software products was found to be extremely difficult. The thesis concludes with a discussion of strategy-level choices that are relevant in managing this type of development.

Teachers need to develop 21st Century skills and be competent users of ICT to integrate it successfully in their everyday instruction and learning activities. The goal of this Secondary Data Analysis (SDA) study is to determine the proportion of South African Science and Mathematics teachers who experience a lack of ICT-related skills and pedagogical skills related to the integration of ICT in instruction and learning as an obstacle. Furthermore it has been investigated whether these teachers are willing to be trained. This study is a response to the distressing outcome of the The Second International Technology in Education Study (SITES 2006), an international survey that was conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), indicating that South Africa has the lowest ICT integration among the SITES 2006 participating countries (16% for Science and 18% for Mathematics). The current study followed a basic SDA of the SITES 2006 dataset relating to South African Science and Mathematics teachers and adopted an integrated qualitative-quantitative approach. The results indicate that there is a great need for South African Science and Mathematics teachers to attend professional development activities since there are many teachers who lack ICT-related skills (55%) and pedagogical skills related to the integration of ICT in instruction and learning (62%). The teachers who experience a lack of ICT-related skills and pedagogical skills are willing to be trained (88% and 93% respectively). These results imply that the challenge now rests with the government of South Africa to make sure that professional development activities that are both relevant and subject-specific are offered on a regular basis. The Government needs to devise strategies to promote professional development for the improvement of ICT integration into South African classrooms. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / MEd / Unrestricted

Technology has taken over tasks that were originally carried out by professionals in all different kinds of industries and sectors ranging from self-check in at airports to money transfer via mobile devices. In the healthcare sector the internet has become one main information resource for health-related issues and with the introduction of mobile devices such as smartphones the mHealth market has evolved. With help of mHealth applications (mHealth apps) patients can actively participate in maintaining their health and take over tasks usually fulfilled by health professionals. Despite the advantages of mHealth apps in practice, the download numbers are decreasing and the academic world has not paid much attention to the end-users point of view. The purpose of this paper is to identify factors influencing end-users in their intention to use mHealth apps. In order to answer this research question a quantitative research design has been chosen. The data is collected with help of an online self-completion questionnaire and statistical analysis with the software SPSS. Time and Perceived Usefulness were two out of five factors that had an influence on the end-users intention to use mHealth apps. A key finding of this study is that the mHealth app market is still in its early stage and end-users lack knowledge about it. This paper contributes to theory as well as to practice by providing new research directions for the academic world and insights for app developers and marketers to adapt their marketing strategies in order to meet the customers’ needs.

In recent years technology has developed significantly and rapidly become an intricate part of people’s daily life in the globalised world. There is a growing recognition that within intimate relationships, technology usage has many functions which can create both negative and positive impacts on intimacy.  Yet research on intimacy in online social relationships is still underdeveloped. This paper maps the literature on long-distance relationships and how its participants use information and communication technologies to overcome the physical detachment. The purpose of this study is to examine whether intimacy changes over Erasmus+ exchange studies in long-distance romantic and parental relationships. Data from an online survey of 100 Erasmus+ exchange students residing in Budapest, Hungary were analysed to see whether the quality of their relationship worsens during the exchange period. Based on the data collected it can be concluded that the majority of respondents does not experience critical decay in neither of their relationships and that preparation for distance communication with ICTs is not strongly connected to preventing a decay in intimacy.

Le développement des tiers-lieux de travail sous la forme de télécentres depuis 2005 interroge les effets des politiques publiques en matière de TIC et de télétravail sur les territoires ruraux français. La thèse analyse ces dispositifs publics en interaction avec leurs dynamiques territoriales d’ancrages et leurs effets en matière de différenciation spatiale et de mobilités. Deux axes de recherche sont ainsi développés : d’une part, l’influence de la gouvernance d’un dispositif public multiniveau sur la structuration de l’offre et les usages les non-usages des télécentres en lien avec les stratégies des utilisateurs potentiels, d’autre part. Ils renvoient tous deux à une problématique méthodologique commune, à savoir la prise en compte des interactions entre un « dispositif socio-technique » centré sur les TIC et sa dynamique territoriale d’ancrage. L’approche systémique est mobilisée dans le but d’appréhender la complexité du phénomène via l’analyse des stratégies d’acteurs et l’imbrication de leurs actions à différentes échelles spatiales. La méthodologie développée combine des entretiens semi-directifs auprès des acteurs de l’offre, comportant des questions fermées sur les caractéristiques techniques des dispositifs, des enquêtes en ligne et des entretiens semi-directifs auprès d’utilisateurs potentiels, et l’étude de données sur les caractéristiques du terrain d’expérimentation : le Cantal, à savoir un territoire rural et semi-montagneux du Massif central, et son réseau de dix télécentres. Les résultats révèlent une gouvernance multiniveau de l’offre qui produit deux modèles de dispositifs en lien avec le positionnement stratégique des acteurs locaux, et des usages et des non-usages liés aux stratégies des utilisateurs potentiels. Les effets induits, attendus ou imprévus par les politiques publiques sont dépendants de certaines conditions liées à l’offre, aux usages, à la dynamique du type de territoire considéré, mais aussi à des facteurs exogènes au système spatial. À partir de ces analyses, des préconisations sont émises à destination des acteurs publics. / The development of third-place in the form of telework centres since 2005 questions the effects of public policies of ICTs and telework on French rural areas. The thesis analyzes these public systems interacting with their territorial dynamics of anchors and their effects on spatial differentiation and mobility. Two research focus are developed: first, the influence of the governance of a multilevel public system on the structuring of the supply and, then, uses and non-use of telework centres related to the strategies of potential users. They both refer to a common methodological problem, i.e. taking into account the interactions between a "socio-technical system" centered on ICTs and its territorial dynamic positioning. The systemic approach is mobilized in order to understand the complexity of the phenomenon by analyzing the players' strategies and overlapping of their actions at different spatial scales. The developed methodology combines semi-structured interviews with actors of the offer and online survey and semi-structured interviews with potential users, and study data on the characteristics of the testing ground: Cantal, in this case a rural area and semi-mountainous, Massif Central, and its network of ten telework centres. The results reveal a multi-level governance of the offer which produces two models of systems related to the strategic positioning of local actors, and uses and non-uses related to potential users strategies. Induced, anticipated or unanticipated effects by public policies are dependent on certain conditions relating to the offer, practices, to the dynamics of territory in type but also to exogenous factors to the space system. From these analyzes, recommendations are issued to public actors.

Magister Legum - LLM / This paper is inspired by the ills borne out of the internet. The internet has become a modern day tool for criminals seeking to conceal the proceeds derived from their crime, hence the problematic notion of cyberlaundering. This paper journeys through the world of cyberlaundering by looking into the structure of the crime in great depth. It explores various possibilities, and tries to hatch out viable solutions to the dilemma. / South Africa

Magister Curationis - MCur / Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are for information storage, retrieval, display and transmission through electronic means in our day-to-day life. The use of technology in education has made both learners and educators to achieve new possibilities because life is made easy for them due to its inherent advantages which range from support of conventional classroom work, design, development of learning materials to accessing virtual libraries. Harnessing these benefits places a great deal of demand on nurse educators to improve the teaching-learning experience of learners. However, the major players, especially the nurse educators in Nigeria, have not been properly investigated to find out if they use technology in teaching, and if they do, what types they use. The study aimed to explore and describe the nurse educators‟ use of Information and Communication Technologies in teaching and learning in nursing schools in Edo State, Nigeria. It focused on the type of Information and Communication Technologies used by nurse educators, how they use them, and the challenges they face, if any, in the use of technologies with a view to suggesting ways of overcoming the identified challenges. An exploratory descriptive quantitative research design with the use of self-administered questionnaires was adopted. The population was all the 36 nurse educators in the three universities that offer the Bachelor in Nursing Science programmes in Edo State. Validity and reliability of the study questions were ensured and a pilot study was done to ensure internal consistency by measurement with the Cronbach‟s alpha consistency measure that yielded 0.85. Descriptive analysis was employed with the aid of frequencies, tables and graphs. Findings of the study indicate that the nurse educators use technology for teaching and learning. They all use the laptop 34(100%); desktop computer iii accounts for 33(97.1%). The respondents use these technologies in conjunction with word processing and spreadsheet for direct classroom teaching, preparation of lectures and students‟ results as well as classroom facilitation. Twenty-five (25) respondents (73.5%) use the mobile technologies such as cell phones and emails to send and receive messages from students. Thirty (30) respondents (88.2%) store information as well as browse the Internet. The use of these applications is quite high, unlike video transmission to receive recorded lectures from out-stations which amounted to 7(20.6%) and video conferencing to dialogue with nursing experts 6(17.6%). The CD ROMS are used for direct classroom teaching, storage of course materials and for rehearsal and revision purposes by less than 50% of the respondents each. The respondents identified erratic power supply, unstable connectivity and inadequate ICT facilities as some of the major challenges they encounter. In conclusion, the study recommends among other things that the various departmental and personal offices of the lecturers be equipped with modern technology facilities. The university management is urged to explore other alternative power supply like solar energy. Furthermore, all the role players are urged to play their part effectively to make ICT for teaching and learning beneficial and effective.

Doctor Legum - LLD / Along with its inumerable wonders, the advent of the internet has brought with it very bad vices. The notion of convenience, which comes with the use of the internet, can be attributed to criminals who wish to disguise the proceeds of their ill-derived funds, or what is better known as cyberlaundering. Cyberlaundering is a phenomenon that seems negligible on face value, but, to the contrary, has very dire effects, especially on national economies, which are in no way trifling.This study describes the problem of cyberlaundering, pointing out the various legal issues pertaining to it. Given that cyberlaundering is a comparatively new crime, which is not yet conceptualized legally, criminal justice authorities find it hard to detect, investigate and prosecute cyberlaundering. An adequate legal regime against cyberlaundering is currently non-existent, as there is presently no concise international or national legal framework in place to contain the problem. Whilst the chief focus of the thesis is to devise a legal framework to combat cyberlaundering, considerable attention is also devoted to the tension that arises between public and private interests, amongst several other legal issues that come to play along the way. This is a debate that necessarily arises when legislatures resort to more radical anti-cyberlaundering laws. The study advocates a middle ground, which leads to the desired end of curbing the exponential growth of cyberlaundering, at the very least.

Magister Economicae - MEcon / The 21st century marked the beginning of an era in which countries became increasingly dependent on information and communication technology (ICT). Technological change has not only become one of the key contributors to economic growth, it is also regarded as an essential element to enhance the general welfare of society (Hu, 2006). Not surprisingly, even governments of developing countries undertake various activities aimed at internalising the positive external impact of technological innovation in order to enhance the development of knowledge-based economies. Examples are the provision of basic information services, such as telephone- and internet services as well as distance learning technologies to make education more generally accessible. Another instrument that recently gained worldwide interest is the development of science parks, also known as information technology (IT) parks, techno parks or cyber parks. The rationale is to promote technological change, regional and/or urban development and to facilitate the diffusion of knowledge and technology through the establishment of knowledge networks. In 2004 there were approximately 600 science parks in the world, 70 percent of which were situated in the United States of America, Europe and Asia, but there is a growing trend towards its establishment in developing countries. However, the financing of such mega-projects in developing countries is especially problematic. A science park can be provided as a pure public project or pure private or through public-private partnerships (PPPs). Pure public financing is usually found in countries that have strong public sectors, such as China and India. On the other hand, in countries with well-developed private sectors they are mostly privately financed. In the case of most developing countries, private sectors are generally not developed enough and the public sectors cannot afford to finance projects of such a nature on a sustainable basis. These countries have no other option but to investigate the possibility of some other variation of a public-private-partnership (PPP) model.The Mozambican government acknowledges the urgency to enhance the development of a knowledge based economy and regards the establishment of a science park as a necessary policy intervention to provide the institutional basis for the diffusion of technological and communication innovation. As a result the country launched its first science park, to be developed in different stages, in 2008. But the real challenge for Mozambique lies in the financing of the park. It was estimated that only the first phase will require about 25 million USD. These funds were secured from the Indian government in the form of a loan. However, the government of Mozambique relies to a large extent on foreign aid to balance the national budget and there are no surplus funds to secure the sustainability of a project of such magnitude. This study firstly explored the economic rationale behind the establishment of a knowledgebased economy and the development of ICT. It then focused on science parks as institutions to secure the diffusion of technological innovation in Mozambique and also on empirical evidence from countries that have benefited greatly from investment in science park projects. The study also investigated the possibility to use a PPP-type of project to finance the science park in Mozambique and pointed out very important determinants for the successful implementation of PPP-projects. The study showed that the government of Mozambique is serious in its efforts to develop a knowledge-based economy although many projects are still in their 'infant' stages. It is strongly recommended that policy makers in Mozambique should study the outcomes of empirical research on various science parks projects in other developing countries. The study shows that Brazil seems to be successful in its use of a PPP for the country's science parks. Policy makers should also pay careful attention to other PPP-projects in Mozambique. Although they are mostly used for infrastructural projects, some failed, while others seem to be functioning efficiently and important lessons can be derived.