In this study, we integrate the theories of self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, and social capital to identify individual and contextual factors that may exert effect on professional teachers' knowledge sharing behaviors in an Internet-based knowledge community. Data collected from 441 members of this community reveal that knowledge sharing self-efficacy has significant influence on knowledge sharing outcome expectancy, anxiety, and knowledge sharing behaviors. In addition, relational identity, i.e., the degree of social capital among members, is found to have positive effects on knowledge sharing self-efficacy and knowledge sharing behaviors. The implication of this study is that both the individual perceptions toward knowledge sharing and the interpersonal relational development are important predictors of ongoing knowledge sharing activities. The organizers of Internet-based knowledge communities should therefore focus on the development of members' resilient self-efficacy, favorable outcome expectancy, and strong relational identity if they wish knowledge sharing to be effective.

The business model of on-line group buying has been introduced and thrived since 1998 in America. Unfortuately, this internet-based purchase merchanism did not make its growing progress which should be presumed to be an effective and attractive system as an efficient transaction spot on line. Our research specifically focused on the physical consumers' view, including the practical participants in the on-line group buying and the general consumers who never have such experiences on it, to establish a statistical analysis on the effects to consumers' join intention and purchase decision of on-line group buying. We intend to explore the most direct recognition and requirements of the consumers in this commercial mechanism. Also would like to contribute some effective and valuable advices to the future business running under the on-line group buying model for reaching a successful development on it. Over the thorough approach on the collection of related research essays and from the close observation and investigation on the domestic on-line group buying activities, we therefore designed a questionnaire composed with the possible items which might effect the consumers' intention to decide if they would like to join the group buying. By applying the exploratory factor analysis, in this essay, we conclude the 8 major dimensions to our research topic: (1) Familiarity with the group-buying platform and initiators, (2) Recognition to essentials of products, (3) Fulfillment of the cumulative volume of orders, (4) Delivery and payment terms, (5) Convenience to consumers' decision process, (6) Gap between reference prices, (7) Stimulative function, (8) Brand recognition. Furthermore, we can obtain the following inductive reasoning comments from our descriptions and definitions on the 8 major dimensions of our survey. A. Maturity of the internet use can effectively increase consumers' intention to join the on-line group buying. B. Mutation of the modren lifestyle can just meet and satisfy the requirements from consumers. C. Model of group buying can easily and promptly raise the consumers' involvement and understanding on target products.

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a mental disorder with high prevalence but low treatment accessibility. A way to facilitate care to these patients is through Internet based treatment. As is the case of most psychological treatments, much has been studied about positive effects but there is a gap regarding adverse effects. This study seeks to fill this gap in the case of an Internet delivered treatment. From a total of 127 participants who took part in a treatment that combined attention biased modification (ABM) and Internet based cognitive behavior therapy (iCBT), 21 (16.5%) presented adverse effects. Most of the adverse effects were detected after participants had received iCBT (13.4%), and these were mostly related to deterioration of symptoms (5.5%), negative wellbeing (3.9%) and emergence of new symptoms (1.6%). Perceived side effects after attention training were less common (4.7%). A thematic analysis showed also that the techniques used in treatment, the lack of time to complete treatment and becoming aware with the impairments of the disorder and its consequences could influence the emergence of adverse effects.

This thesis presents the groundwork development of an Internet-based idea assessment tool to guide innovators through the design process and educate them on the ‘best practices’ of transforming creative ideas into marketable products. The system triages registered users based on their knowledge, assesses the most suitable level of technical terminology and completes a pre-assessment of ideas. The outputs of the developed system are an idea outline, a product requirements list, a basic opportunity summary and an opportunity score for the idea being assessed. An extensive literature review on popular product development methodologies was conducted to identify which methodology would be robust enough to be used as part of an online process to assess ideas. A review of 3,600 Internet websites on product innovation and product development indicated a lack of guidance offered on the many product design processes available and mixed messages regarding which to use. The Internet search identified a lack of structure for innovators as well as a lack of coordinated educational resources to guide innovators. Combining the results of the literature review and the information gathered during the Internet search, an online system was developed using several programming languages to complete the pre-assessment tasks. A series of tests were conducted using volunteers to establish the viability of the assessment process developed and test the features developed to improve user/website interaction. Suggestions for further development of the model and method will be made at the conclusion of the thesis. The work presented in this thesis provides an excellent foundation for future development of an Internet-based idea assessment tool to guide innovators through the design process.

Mindfulness is a way of managing chronic pain and its consequences as it fosters anaccepting approach to pain that can be beneficial in several aspects of life affected bypain. This study sought to examine whether an online mindfulness training programcould reduce the experience of pain, increase acceptance of pain, and increase qualityof life in a group of individuals suffering from chronic pain. The study was arandomized controlled trial with a partly active control group. Initially 52 participantswere randomized to the intervention group and 55 to the control group. The drop outrates were high, 21 participants from the intervention group and 40 participants fromthe control group completed post measurement. Increased levels of mindfulness,reduced pain related distress, and heightened pain acceptance, as well as increasedquality of life, was observed in the intervention group. A strong tendency towards aperceived reduction of pain intensity was also evident in the intervention group. Asthe mindfulness program had positive effects on the overall experience of pain it mayserve as a cost‐effective and useful method of dealing with chronic pain. / Mindfulness är ett sätt att hantera kronisk smärta och dess konsekvenser då det lär uten accepterande inställning till smärta som kan vara till hjälp i flera aspekter av livetpåverkade av smärta. Denna studie undersökte huruvida ett online‐baseratmindfulnessprogram kunde minska upplevelsen av smärta, öka acceptans av smärtaoch öka livskvaliteten hos en grupp individer med kronisk smärta. Studien varrandomiserad och kontrollerad med en delvis aktiv kontrollgrupp. Initialtrandomiserades 52 deltagare till experimentgruppen och 55 deltagare tillkontrollgruppen. Bortfallet var högt, 21 deltagare från experimentgruppen och 40deltagare från kontrollgruppen fullgjorde eftermätningarna. Ökade nivåer avmindfulness, reducerat smärtrelaterat lidande, ökad acceptans av smärta såväl somökad livskvalitet återfanns i experimentgruppen. En stark tendens till minskadupplevd smärtintensitet var också tydlig hos experimentgruppen. Dåmindfulnessprogrammet hade positiva effekter på den övergripande upplevelsen avsmärta kan det fungera som en kostnadseffektiv och användbar metod att hanterakronisk smärta.

In this study, the participants&rsquo / perceptions about Information Technologies Certificate Program which was based on synchronous and asynchronous communication methods over the Internet offered by cooperation of Middle East Technical University, Computer Engineering Department and Continuing Education Center were examined. This online certificate program started in May 1998. The program includes eight fundamental courses of Computer Engineering Department and comprised of four semesters lasting nine months. The courses in the program are given by instructors of Computer Engineering Department. In the study, participants&rsquo / perceptions about Information Technologies Certificate Program in regard to four major items which were preferences, course effectiveness, learner support and computer mediated communication were examined and the study included the 3rd, 4th and 5th programs&rsquo / participants who attended the certificate programs. The data were collected by using online survey at the end of the each term of programs and analyzed by using descriptive statistical analyzing methods. The results showed that there was a parallelism between participants&rsquo / perceptions and aims of Information Technologies Certificate Program. It was revealed that the courses in the program were effective in general and majority of the participants found learner support satisfied. The results showed that the participants were satisfied with computer mediated communication provided in program, however, the chat sessions were not beneficial enough. In addition to these, participants made important suggestions to improve the program.

This thesis maps the growth of the use of internet technologies in randomised controlled trials in health care and public health, and explores the methodological and ethical issues that arise from their use from the perspective of researchers and participants. Online clinical trials are growing in number, and claim to offer benefits for researchers and participants, providing solutions to some of the inherent problems associated with traditional trials. However, little is known about how many internet-based trials have been conducted, what methodological research has been undertaken, or what impact the new technologies might have on researcher or participant experience. The thesis followed a step-by-step approach, using information science, research synthesis, and qualitative methods. The creation of a database of internet-based clinical trials established that they have grown rapidly in number, use internet technologies primarily to deliver an intervention, predominantly in behavioural, mental health, or life-style public health settings. A two-stage systematic review, comprising a descriptive map and a qualitative synthesis, established what is known about the methods, conduct or participant experience in internet-based trials. A qualitative primary study was then carried out, based on the findings of the review, to further explore the views, attitudes and experiences of researchers, participants and the public, into the motivations, benefits or barriers to taking part in internet-based clinical trials. Themes emerging from the research suggest complex interactions between design and technology, particularly in the area of participant characteristics and choice; convenience versus intrusion; impact of time and place; the pace of change and impact of societal changes in the use of technology. A range of ethical considerations emerged, including the nature of informed consent, ethical approval, and the need for a systematic approach to patient and public involvement. Recommendations are made to help inform and improve research practice in the digital age.

This paper analyzes the two test forms used by TOEFL: IBT and PBT. The analysiswill focus on the reading comprehension section, its design features, content, andscoring results. The aim is to assess the reliability of the two test forms as well as toidentify factors influencing candidate performance in the reading comprehension test.Three factors are identified: test setting, test difficulty and scoring methods and results.The latter two will be focused on because test difficulty consistency directly decides thetest result consistency. And as the goal of the candidate is to achieve as high a score aspossible, and success is measured in terms of numbers, score reliability is a primaryconcern for both candidate and examining body alike.

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka mellanchefers upplevelse av en utbildningsinsats, inom ramen för e-learning. Denna kvalitativa studie genomfördes med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer av åtta respondenter i en offentlig verksamhet. Den fenomenologiska metoden fungerade som inspiration till dataanalysen där Giorgis´ analysmetod användes i syfte att skapa struktur. Datainsamlingsmaterialet resulterade i två gemensamma nämnare, dialog och tid och tematiseringen som låg till grund för intervjufrågorna var relation, behov, stöd och hinder. Studien visade att mellancheferna överlag upplevde utbildningsinsatsen med e-learning, som hjälp i lärandeprocessen. Men kombinationen med dialog lyftes som betydelsefull och tidsfaktorn som viktig i sammanhanget. Olikheterna i deras upplevelse förklarades med utgångspunkt i individuella skillnader, som ligger till grund för deras skilda behov av stöd och upplevelse av hinder. Sammanfattningsvis konstaterades att blandande läroformer, där e-learning utgjorde en av utbildningsdelarna, upplevdes av mellancheferna som positivt för lärandeprocessen. / The purpose of this study was to investigate the middle management’s perception of an implementation of a training actions, within the framework of E-Learning. This qualitative study was conducted in a public-sector organization with semi-structured interviews of eight respondents. The phenomenological method served as an inspiration to the data analysis, using Giorgi's analysis method for the purpose of creating structure. The data collection material resulted in two common denominators, dialogue and time, and the themes that formed the basis for the interview questions were relation, needs, support and obstacles. The study showed that the most of middle managers perception of E-Learning was that the education initiative helped them in their work. But some also highlighted the combination of dialogue as important to the learning process, and some emphasized the time factor as important in the context. The differences in their perceptions were explained on the basis of individual differences, which underlie their different needs for support and experience of obstacles. In summary, it was found that varied learning forms, where E-Learning constituted one of the parts, executives as positive for the learning process.

Despite advancements in asthma treatment and diagnosis, asthma still remains the number 1 cause for hospitalizations in school-aged children. This usability study aimed to develop a child-friendly interactive narrative, Okay with Asthma v2.0, based on the Biopsychosocial Family Model using feedback from children. This fun and kid-friendly program encourages children to manage their own asthma with the help of peers, families, communities, and health care services. With these support structures, children can identify and avoid triggers, monitor their asthma, manage their condition with medications based on an action plan, and learn to live happily with asthma.