This study was undertaken to serve two purposes. At a theoretical level, it was undertaken to review the concept of interaction in open and distance learning (ODL).The decision to conduct this review grew out of a concern that the current dominant approach to the study of teaching and learning in ODL was focusing on social interaction. This was regarded as a restricted interpretation of the concept, hence the decision to review and revise. At a subsidiary level, the study was aimed at examining teaching and learning in the current teacher education programmes of the University of the West Indies This aspect of the study was undertaken in light of the university's proposed expansion of these offerings in the distance mode. The concept of interaction was seen as the appropriate context for undertaking this examination. Based on a review of the literature, a revised concept of interaction was developed,embodying three separate, yet interrelated types, namely social interaction, leamer media interaction and learner-knowledge interaction. In developing this concept,attention was also paid to the part played by power relations and knowledge from external sources in the functioning of the concept's component parts. It is this reformulated concept that provided the theoretical framework for the examination of the teacher education programmes mentioned above. A research programme comprising two sub-studies was designed and implemented. The first sub-study was an exploratory survey based on selected attributes of social interaction and designed to examine student teachers' perception of their experience as learners. The second was an observation study based on the principles of leamer knowledge interaction and aimed at investigating student-teachers' knowledge-building processes as these revealed themselves within the interpersonal interaction of teachers and learners in an audio-conferencing environment. A key feature of the observation study was the design and implementation of an interpretive framework to guide data analysis. The framework was developed out of the data themselves and comprised two sets of interrelated categories, the one classifying knowledge-building activities and the other, control management functions. Extended data analysis drew on selected aspects of discourse analysis and specifically on the work of Fairclough (1989, 1992) and Potter and Wetherell (1987). The findings derived from the two sub-studies underscored the essential thesis of this study that interaction in distance education is best viewed as a multifaceted phenomenon, and that there is a functional interrelationship among the constituent parts of the concept. The research programme also confirmed the constructivist thesis that people construct rather than acquire knowledge. At the same time, the findings seem to indicate that the imbalance in the power relations between teachers and learners can hinder learners' capability to derive meaning from their learning. The findings also suggest that student-teachers are ambivalent about their roles as learners and that this ambivalence seems, at times, to be reflected in the attempts they make to gain control of the teaching learning situation and to direct their knowledge-building activities. The study proposes specific areas of further research, including a follow-up study to test and refine the interpretive framework used in the observation study, and another to assess the validity of the three-part concept of interaction formulated in this work.

Esse estudo pretende compreender as múltiplas formas de construção do conhecimento agroecológico (CCA), através da observação da interface entre Grupos de Agroecologia (GAs) e agricultores de base ecológica. A Agroecologia é entendida, neste trabalho, em suas dimensões práticas, teóricas e políticas – e, para, além disso, enquanto um campo estudado e vivido por uma miríade heterogênea de atores. Os GAs, por sua vez, são coletivos que se organizam para estudar, praticar e difundir a Agroecologia (muitas vezes, grupos de extensão universitária). Para este estudo, focou-se em GAs atuantes em Universidades Públicas do Rio de Janeiro/RJ; e, consequentemente, em agricultores que com estes interagissem. Partiu-se da Perspectiva Orientada ao Ator como base teórico-metodológica, buscando nela elementos que subsidiassem uma análise da construção do conhecimento que emana da confrontação, do compartilhamento e da negociação entre os diversos atores sociais e seus mundos de vida. Esta análise permitiu observar a centralidade dada às premissas da ciência moderna na produção/construção do conhecimento. Desta forma, problematizou-se, buscando propostas como a ecologia dos saberes, a hierarquia (aqui considerada artificial) estabelecida entre os saberes especializados ou científicos e os saberes práticos ou populares. Pôs-se em questão o papel da Universidade neste contexto, sobretudo no que tange às formas de desenvolvimento rural que preconiza e, portanto, ao espaço que dá as perspectivas agroecológicas em suas atividades de ensino, pesquisa e extensão. Conclui-se que, embora de forma ainda discreta e, por vezes, informal, a agência dos atores sociais (aqui notadamente os GAs e os agricultores) colabora para a superação do abismo criado entre demandas sociais e Universidade, fomentando o debate agroecológico e a valorização dos saberes dos agricultores. A análise das situações de interfaces entre os diversos atores (inclui-se aqui a complexidade de atores que envolve a Universidade) permitiu compreender que a CCA acontece em meio a disputas e visões diferenciadas acerca do desenvolvimento rural. Por outro lado, as interações entre estudantes e agricultores demonstram-se profícuas ao desenvolvimento de processos de aprendizagem diferenciados, fortalecendo a Agroecologia e propondo formas alternativas de construção do conhecimento dentro e fora dos muros da Universidade. / This study aims to understand the multiple ways of agroecological knowledge construction, by observing the interface between Agroecology Groups and ecological farmers. In this research, Agroecology is understood in its practical, theoretical and political dimensions - and, moreover, as a field studied and lived by a myriad of heterogeneous actors. The Agroecology Groups are groups that organize themselves to study, practice and propagate Agroecology (often groups of university extension). This study focuses on Agroecology Groups whose activities happen in Public Universities of Rio de Janeiro/RJ; and thus ecological farmers that interact with them. The research is grounded in the Actor Oriented Perspective as its theoretical and methodological basis. That perspective brings elements that give support for an analysis of the construction of knowledge that emanates from confrontation, sharing and negotiation between the various social actors and their life worlds. This analysis allowed us to observe the centrality given to the assumptions of modern science in the production/construction of knowledge. Thus, we seek to problematize the hierarchy (here considered artificial) established between specialized or scientific knowledge and practical or popular knowledge – exploring proposals such as the ecology of knowledges. In this context, the role of University is brought into question, especially in relation to the rural development’s patterns that it helps creating – therefore examining the space giving to agroecological perspectives. We conclude that, although in still germinal and sometimes informal ways, the agency of social actors (notably GAs and farmers) helps to overcome the gap created between social demands and the University by fostering the debate around agroecology and the recovery of farmers’ knowledge. The analysis of the interface situations between the different actors (this includes the complexity of actors involving University) allows us to understand that the agroecological knowledge construction happens in a context of disputation and differentiated views on rural development. Moreover, the interactions between students and farmers showed up fruitful to the development of differentiated learning processes, strengthening agroecological principles and proposing alternative ways of knowledge constructing inside and outside the gates of the University.

Esse estudo pretende compreender as múltiplas formas de construção do conhecimento agroecológico (CCA), através da observação da interface entre Grupos de Agroecologia (GAs) e agricultores de base ecológica. A Agroecologia é entendida, neste trabalho, em suas dimensões práticas, teóricas e políticas – e, para, além disso, enquanto um campo estudado e vivido por uma miríade heterogênea de atores. Os GAs, por sua vez, são coletivos que se organizam para estudar, praticar e difundir a Agroecologia (muitas vezes, grupos de extensão universitária). Para este estudo, focou-se em GAs atuantes em Universidades Públicas do Rio de Janeiro/RJ; e, consequentemente, em agricultores que com estes interagissem. Partiu-se da Perspectiva Orientada ao Ator como base teórico-metodológica, buscando nela elementos que subsidiassem uma análise da construção do conhecimento que emana da confrontação, do compartilhamento e da negociação entre os diversos atores sociais e seus mundos de vida. Esta análise permitiu observar a centralidade dada às premissas da ciência moderna na produção/construção do conhecimento. Desta forma, problematizou-se, buscando propostas como a ecologia dos saberes, a hierarquia (aqui considerada artificial) estabelecida entre os saberes especializados ou científicos e os saberes práticos ou populares. Pôs-se em questão o papel da Universidade neste contexto, sobretudo no que tange às formas de desenvolvimento rural que preconiza e, portanto, ao espaço que dá as perspectivas agroecológicas em suas atividades de ensino, pesquisa e extensão. Conclui-se que, embora de forma ainda discreta e, por vezes, informal, a agência dos atores sociais (aqui notadamente os GAs e os agricultores) colabora para a superação do abismo criado entre demandas sociais e Universidade, fomentando o debate agroecológico e a valorização dos saberes dos agricultores. A análise das situações de interfaces entre os diversos atores (inclui-se aqui a complexidade de atores que envolve a Universidade) permitiu compreender que a CCA acontece em meio a disputas e visões diferenciadas acerca do desenvolvimento rural. Por outro lado, as interações entre estudantes e agricultores demonstram-se profícuas ao desenvolvimento de processos de aprendizagem diferenciados, fortalecendo a Agroecologia e propondo formas alternativas de construção do conhecimento dentro e fora dos muros da Universidade. / This study aims to understand the multiple ways of agroecological knowledge construction, by observing the interface between Agroecology Groups and ecological farmers. In this research, Agroecology is understood in its practical, theoretical and political dimensions - and, moreover, as a field studied and lived by a myriad of heterogeneous actors. The Agroecology Groups are groups that organize themselves to study, practice and propagate Agroecology (often groups of university extension). This study focuses on Agroecology Groups whose activities happen in Public Universities of Rio de Janeiro/RJ; and thus ecological farmers that interact with them. The research is grounded in the Actor Oriented Perspective as its theoretical and methodological basis. That perspective brings elements that give support for an analysis of the construction of knowledge that emanates from confrontation, sharing and negotiation between the various social actors and their life worlds. This analysis allowed us to observe the centrality given to the assumptions of modern science in the production/construction of knowledge. Thus, we seek to problematize the hierarchy (here considered artificial) established between specialized or scientific knowledge and practical or popular knowledge – exploring proposals such as the ecology of knowledges. In this context, the role of University is brought into question, especially in relation to the rural development’s patterns that it helps creating – therefore examining the space giving to agroecological perspectives. We conclude that, although in still germinal and sometimes informal ways, the agency of social actors (notably GAs and farmers) helps to overcome the gap created between social demands and the University by fostering the debate around agroecology and the recovery of farmers’ knowledge. The analysis of the interface situations between the different actors (this includes the complexity of actors involving University) allows us to understand that the agroecological knowledge construction happens in a context of disputation and differentiated views on rural development. Moreover, the interactions between students and farmers showed up fruitful to the development of differentiated learning processes, strengthening agroecological principles and proposing alternative ways of knowledge constructing inside and outside the gates of the University.

Esse estudo pretende compreender as múltiplas formas de construção do conhecimento agroecológico (CCA), através da observação da interface entre Grupos de Agroecologia (GAs) e agricultores de base ecológica. A Agroecologia é entendida, neste trabalho, em suas dimensões práticas, teóricas e políticas – e, para, além disso, enquanto um campo estudado e vivido por uma miríade heterogênea de atores. Os GAs, por sua vez, são coletivos que se organizam para estudar, praticar e difundir a Agroecologia (muitas vezes, grupos de extensão universitária). Para este estudo, focou-se em GAs atuantes em Universidades Públicas do Rio de Janeiro/RJ; e, consequentemente, em agricultores que com estes interagissem. Partiu-se da Perspectiva Orientada ao Ator como base teórico-metodológica, buscando nela elementos que subsidiassem uma análise da construção do conhecimento que emana da confrontação, do compartilhamento e da negociação entre os diversos atores sociais e seus mundos de vida. Esta análise permitiu observar a centralidade dada às premissas da ciência moderna na produção/construção do conhecimento. Desta forma, problematizou-se, buscando propostas como a ecologia dos saberes, a hierarquia (aqui considerada artificial) estabelecida entre os saberes especializados ou científicos e os saberes práticos ou populares. Pôs-se em questão o papel da Universidade neste contexto, sobretudo no que tange às formas de desenvolvimento rural que preconiza e, portanto, ao espaço que dá as perspectivas agroecológicas em suas atividades de ensino, pesquisa e extensão. Conclui-se que, embora de forma ainda discreta e, por vezes, informal, a agência dos atores sociais (aqui notadamente os GAs e os agricultores) colabora para a superação do abismo criado entre demandas sociais e Universidade, fomentando o debate agroecológico e a valorização dos saberes dos agricultores. A análise das situações de interfaces entre os diversos atores (inclui-se aqui a complexidade de atores que envolve a Universidade) permitiu compreender que a CCA acontece em meio a disputas e visões diferenciadas acerca do desenvolvimento rural. Por outro lado, as interações entre estudantes e agricultores demonstram-se profícuas ao desenvolvimento de processos de aprendizagem diferenciados, fortalecendo a Agroecologia e propondo formas alternativas de construção do conhecimento dentro e fora dos muros da Universidade. / This study aims to understand the multiple ways of agroecological knowledge construction, by observing the interface between Agroecology Groups and ecological farmers. In this research, Agroecology is understood in its practical, theoretical and political dimensions - and, moreover, as a field studied and lived by a myriad of heterogeneous actors. The Agroecology Groups are groups that organize themselves to study, practice and propagate Agroecology (often groups of university extension). This study focuses on Agroecology Groups whose activities happen in Public Universities of Rio de Janeiro/RJ; and thus ecological farmers that interact with them. The research is grounded in the Actor Oriented Perspective as its theoretical and methodological basis. That perspective brings elements that give support for an analysis of the construction of knowledge that emanates from confrontation, sharing and negotiation between the various social actors and their life worlds. This analysis allowed us to observe the centrality given to the assumptions of modern science in the production/construction of knowledge. Thus, we seek to problematize the hierarchy (here considered artificial) established between specialized or scientific knowledge and practical or popular knowledge – exploring proposals such as the ecology of knowledges. In this context, the role of University is brought into question, especially in relation to the rural development’s patterns that it helps creating – therefore examining the space giving to agroecological perspectives. We conclude that, although in still germinal and sometimes informal ways, the agency of social actors (notably GAs and farmers) helps to overcome the gap created between social demands and the University by fostering the debate around agroecology and the recovery of farmers’ knowledge. The analysis of the interface situations between the different actors (this includes the complexity of actors involving University) allows us to understand that the agroecological knowledge construction happens in a context of disputation and differentiated views on rural development. Moreover, the interactions between students and farmers showed up fruitful to the development of differentiated learning processes, strengthening agroecological principles and proposing alternative ways of knowledge constructing inside and outside the gates of the University.

Past research has shown that interpretive tour visitors at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge do no better than other visitors on knowledge and value questions about federal wilderness areas and national wildlife refuges. Tours into the Okefenokee Swamp Wilderness are conducted by a National Wildlife Refuge concessionaire. Interpretive tour guides participated in a training session on the purposes and values of wilderness and wildlife refuges. Visitors who took guided interpretive tours in the spring of 2001 with trained and untrained guides completed knowledge surveys immediately after taking the boat tour. Results indicate that there were no differences in visitor knowledge scores with trained versus untrained guides. A small sample of interpretive tour visitors was also interviewed in an effort to understand the meanings they ascribe to wilderness. Visitors were able to describe and articulate their views of wilderness with considerable clarity. Recommendations for future research include monitoring the guides' interpretive messages, conducting more in-depth interviews with visitors and guides, assessing visitors' and guides' prior knowledge of wilderness and wildlife refuge purposes and values, and developing guide training based on the principles of persuasive communication. / Master of Science

Reality TV is the most popular genre of television programming today. The number of reality television shows has grown exponentially over the last fifteen years since the premier of The Real World in 1992. Although reality TV uses styles similar to those used in documentary film, the “reality” of the shows is questioned by critics and viewers alike. The current study focuses on the “reality” that is presented to viewers and how that “reality” is created and may differ from what the participants of the shows experience. I appeared on two reality shows, Faking It and That's Clever, and learned a great deal as a participant observer. Within the study, I outline my experience and demonstrate how editing changed the reality I experienced into what was presented to the viewers. O'Connor's (1996) representation context web serves as a model for the realities created through reality television. People derive various benefits from watching reality TV. Besides the obvious entertainment value of reality TV, viewers also gather information via this type of programming. Viewers want to see real people on television reacting to unusual circumstances without the use of scripts. By surveying reality TV show viewers and participants, this study gives insight into how real the viewers believe the shows are and how authentic they actually are. If these shows are presented as reality, viewers are probably taking what they see as historical fact. The results of the study indicate more must be done so that the “reality” of reality TV does not misinform viewers.

Interação verbal e construção de conhecimento - O caráter social de situações de entrevista envolvendo a díade pesquisador-sujeito suscita o interesse de se identificar como as ações de cada um dos membros contribui para que ambos conheçam um tema e qual a natureza do conhecimento assim construído. É nesta perspectiva que se coloca o presente trabalho, que teve como objetivo \"identificar classes de ações interativas pesquisador-sujeito e a função que desempenham na construção de conhecimento sobre um fenômeno que é tema dos relatos do sujeito, durante sessões de coleta de informações planejadas pelo pesquisador\". Foram identificadas Categorias de Interação que forneceram indicações sobre como as ações verbais dos interlocutores operaram na construção de conhecimento descritivo e inferencial sobre um fenômeno que era tema dos diálogos. Além disso, os resultados indicaram que, na situação estudada, sob condições de interação verbal, o conhecimento que pesquisador e sujeito têm de um tema se transforma, devido a características peculiares aos processos interativos envolvendo relatos verbais. Por fim, os resultados levaram a algumas considerações mais gerais a respeito da interrelação entre processo interativo e construção de conhecimento, especialmente no contexto de situações - problema a serem resolvidas / Verbal Interaction and Knowledge Construction - The social character of interview situations with the dyad researcher- subject gives rise to the problem of identifying how the actions of each member contributes to the knowledge of the theme and the nature of this knowledge. This work follow this view. Its objective is \"to identify classes of researcher- subject interactive actions and the function they play in the construction of the knowledge about the phenomenon which is the theme of the subjects\' reports, taking place during the sessions planned by the researcher\". Interaction classes were identified and they gave indications of how the speakers\' verbal actions operates in the descriptive and inferential constructed knowledge. Besides that, the results indicate that in this case, under the conditions of verbal interaction, the knowledge the researcher and the subject have about the theme changes, because of the peculiar character of interactive processes envolving verbal reports. Finally, the results brought about some general considerations of the interrelation betweeen interactive processes and knowledge construction, specially in the context of problem-solving situations

Interação verbal e construção de conhecimento - O caráter social de situações de entrevista envolvendo a díade pesquisador-sujeito suscita o interesse de se identificar como as ações de cada um dos membros contribui para que ambos conheçam um tema e qual a natureza do conhecimento assim construído. É nesta perspectiva que se coloca o presente trabalho, que teve como objetivo \"identificar classes de ações interativas pesquisador-sujeito e a função que desempenham na construção de conhecimento sobre um fenômeno que é tema dos relatos do sujeito, durante sessões de coleta de informações planejadas pelo pesquisador\". Foram identificadas Categorias de Interação que forneceram indicações sobre como as ações verbais dos interlocutores operaram na construção de conhecimento descritivo e inferencial sobre um fenômeno que era tema dos diálogos. Além disso, os resultados indicaram que, na situação estudada, sob condições de interação verbal, o conhecimento que pesquisador e sujeito têm de um tema se transforma, devido a características peculiares aos processos interativos envolvendo relatos verbais. Por fim, os resultados levaram a algumas considerações mais gerais a respeito da interrelação entre processo interativo e construção de conhecimento, especialmente no contexto de situações - problema a serem resolvidas / Verbal Interaction and Knowledge Construction - The social character of interview situations with the dyad researcher- subject gives rise to the problem of identifying how the actions of each member contributes to the knowledge of the theme and the nature of this knowledge. This work follow this view. Its objective is \"to identify classes of researcher- subject interactive actions and the function they play in the construction of the knowledge about the phenomenon which is the theme of the subjects\' reports, taking place during the sessions planned by the researcher\". Interaction classes were identified and they gave indications of how the speakers\' verbal actions operates in the descriptive and inferential constructed knowledge. Besides that, the results indicate that in this case, under the conditions of verbal interaction, the knowledge the researcher and the subject have about the theme changes, because of the peculiar character of interactive processes envolving verbal reports. Finally, the results brought about some general considerations of the interrelation betweeen interactive processes and knowledge construction, specially in the context of problem-solving situations

Due to high frequency and occurrence of chronic kidney diseases in Taiwan, as well as the low public awareness, this research aims to explore the knowledge construction process of Hemodialysis in health broadcasting programs from a health communication point of view. This research intended to answer the following questions: 1) What are health radio program audience types? 2) How does the knowledge on hemodialysis differ among audiences? 3) What is the knowledge construction process among audience in regards to hemodialysis? Data were collected by ten episodes of the Kaohsiung Police Ration Station¡¦s ¡§Medical Network¡¨ program for a six month period (January ~ June 2011). This research has utilized content analysis method on the audience type, quantitative description on questions identified by the audience and qualitative methods to summarize and interpret the audience¡¦s knowledge construction process on hemodialysis. The results showed that the main audiences for health broadcast programs are mostly male, age 31 to 50 years, holding profession as drivers, service personnel and potential patients. Among them, the potential patients and their family members most often times ask diagnostic questions, falling into the compelled group in seek of knowledge. Those who have not been diagnosed with the disease often times bring up knowledge confirmation questions, belonging to the proactive knowledge chaser group. These two groups also demonstrated different hemodialysis knowledge construction processes. While the radio program host plays the role of knowledge enhancer to the diagnostic-need group (potential patients), the role transfers to a knowledge transformation model for the knowledge confirmation group (non-patients). Participating physicians follow the treatment process of ¡V examination, diagnosis and treatment to deliver information. The research process shall provide broadcasters or other media professionals a best practice on how the audience absorbs information - to study the distribution and motives of the audience and to deliver the knowledge of health and illnesses.

Este trabalho descreve a experiência realizada em turmas de graduação em Administração da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul e em um projeto de extensão que surgiu a partir da análise da primeira fase da experiência, com as turmas de graduação. Motivados pela necessidade de mudanças no atual formato das aulas que temos em nossas universidades, propusemos uma pesquisa ação participante, realizando as aulas em um formato diferenciado, onde seguimos os princípios do construtivismo de Piaget e Paulo Freire, tendo os alunos como protagonistas de seu aprendizado e promovendo a construção de conhecimento em sala de aula. Também desenvolvemos um projeto de extensão onde propusemos um formato diferenciado, transformando as relações entre professor e aluno e entre alunos de modo a possibilitar a construção conjunta do conhecimento em administração. Como resultado, acreditamos que nossa pesquisa possa inspirar novas ações em diversas salas de aula e em diversas universidades, contribuindo para uma mudança positiva na educação universitária em nosso país. / This thesis describes an experience within groups of undergraduate students in the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Business Administration course. It also describes the experience of an extension program that emerged from the analysis of the first phase of the experience. Inspired by the need of change in the current format of classes that we see in our universities, we proposed a participatory action research, having classes in a different format. We have followed the principles of Piaget and Paulo Freire’s constructivism, having the students as protagonists of their learning and promoting the knowledge construction in the classroom. We have also developed an extension project at the university, proposing a differentiated format which transformed the interactions between students and students-professors in a way that made it possible to construct knowledge together. As a result, we believe that our study can inspire new similar actions in several classrooms and universities, contributing to a positive change in the tertiary education in our country.