Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 132-142). Also available online.

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of English

Visual analytics, defined as "the science of analytical reasoning facilitated by interactive visual interfaces," emerged several years ago as a new research field. While it has seen rapid growth for its first five years of existence, the main focus of visual analytics research has been on developing new techniques and systems rather than identifying how people conduct analysis and how visual analytics tools can help the process and the product of sensemaking. The intelligence analysis community in particular has not been fully examined in visual analytics research even though intelligence analysts are one of the major target users for which visual analytics systems are built. The lack of understanding about how analysts work and how they can benefit from visual analytics systems has created a gap between tools being developed and real world practices. This dissertation is motivated by the observation that existing models of sensemaking/intelligence analysis do not adequately characterize the analysis process and that many visual analytics tools do not truly meet user needs and are not being used effectively by intelligence analysts. I argue that visual analytics research needs to adopt successful HCI practices to better support user tasks and add utility to current work practices. As the first step, my research aims (1) to understand work processes and practices of intelligence analysts and (2) to evaluate a visual analytics system in order to identify where and how visual analytics tools can assist. By characterizing the analysis process and identifying leverage points for future visual analytics tools through empirical studies, I suggest a set of design guidelines and implications that can be used for both designing and evaluating future visual analytics systems.

This study aims to develop a method for more clearly understanding the topics that applicants choose when writing their college or university application essay. As such, the purpose of this dissertation is two-fold. First, to analyze the unstudied volume of advice and guidance available to applicants on the World Wide Web, this study will analyze the guidance that is available to motivate and guide applicants as they embark on writing their essay. Second, this study examines the college application essay and will create a categorization of the application essay topics on which a select group of applicants chose to write. The purpose is not to evaluate the applicant or their demographics, nor is it to suggest “best practices” for college applicants to follow when writing their essays. Furthermore, as an examination of popular media and of narrative expression, this analysis does not attempt to reveal a causal link between media and the resulting narratives. Instead, this inductive analysis develops a baseline theory that begins a discussion of the application essay and the multitude of information that might guide its creation. The motivation for this study is grounded in the following: 1) many colleges and universities employ selective practices in their admissions process and they consider the application essay to be a helpful tool in selecting from among otherwise academically eligible students; 2) applicants consider the essay to be one of the most challenging and unfamiliar aspects of the application; and 3) a multi-million-dollar industry has developed to assist students with college and university applications. This research supports prior studies that indicate that the writing of college application essays (or personal statements) is in fact as Paley (1996) suggests an exercise in a rhetorical conundrum. Applicants emerge from the angst and confusion of how to approach and what to write about in their college application essay to produce a work that reveals personal characteristics that they think are important to college admissions officers and that they hope, will ultimately, result in admission to their institution of choice. / text

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M. Tech. Business Information Systems / Business innovation driven by technology is widely seen as a key driver to transform enterprises and in particular, the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Any organization eager to improve competitiveness, retain sustainability and cost effectively will require new and better technologies with great capabilities. However not all organizations are ready to adopt these innovative technologies, largely because new and rapidly changing technologies come with new and unique challenges. The emergence of cloud computing paradigm in recent years is rapidly gaining momentum as an alternative to the traditional approach to provide or consume Information Technology (IT) services and resources. It is a significant trend with the potential to increase agility and lower costs of IT. Although, embracing this paradigm promises several benefits to an organization, an effective adoption and implementation of cloud computing in an organization requires these organizations to understand different factors. Current literature have shown that there are inadequate guidelines to guide SMEs in developing economies to determine a company's degree of readiness to adopt technological innovations such as cloud computing to transform the operations of the organisation. The purpose of this study is to investigate factors influencing cloud computing readiness in South African small and medium enterprises.

M. Tech. Business Information Systems / The growing trends and the rapid developments of technological innovation have led to a new way of communication. These developments have seen individuals and organizations spending a lot of money on technological devices, software and applications much higher than ever before. On the other hand, institutions of learning are also advancing with technological innovations by shifting away from the face-to-face teaching and communicating with learners, to the use of Learning Management Systems (LMS). Amidst these challenges, these institutions of learning could leverage on freely available social networks for communication and for teaching and learning. However, these transitions have been impeded by many factors that need to be explored in order to adopt social networks for teaching and learning. The foremost objective of this study was to develop a framework for the adoption of social networks for teaching and learning at high schools.

M. Tech. Business Information Systems / Gauteng Online Schools Systems are hardware, software, network and other Information Technology resources that were provided to the schools through Gauteng Online School's Project to be used by teachers. Gauteng Online School's Project ensures that all learners and teachers in the public schooling system have access to computers, email and the internet. Teachers are expected to use Gauteng Online Schools Systems, but there are factors that influence them not to use it. The purpose of this study was to measure educator's beliefs about the factors that influence them to use Gauteng Online Schools Systems.

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The Napster case has created a frenzy of controversy and confusion. The Peer to Peer technology developed by Napster creator Shawn Fanning, has forced the courts, the legislature, corporations, and individuals to reconsider the use of the Internet. Peer to peer networks create new challenges for the application of copyright law. However, these challenges are not that different from those which copyright law has evolved to accommodate in the past. Copyright law is intended to balance the interests of the creators and the public to promote the progress of science and useful arts. The premise behind copyright protection is to ensure that people continue creating, and that the public continues to enjoy those creations, through the mechanism of rewarding the creators with a temporary monopoly over their works. This balance of interests is fundamental to the interpretation of copyright law by the United States Congress and the Courts. This thesis focuses on the application and interpretation of copyright law through a case study of the law in the United States, in particular the Napster case. Although it now appears that the Internet can be subject to some form of regulation with the aid of technological innovation to enforce the regulation, the Courts in the Napster case have misinterpreted the previous judicial consideration attributed to copyright law. In essence, the fundamental principle of the balancing of interests has been lost. We are now left with an unequal balance in favor of large media conglomerates. It can be argued that the media conglomerates have used Napster as an example of their power to control the technology of peer to peer networking as a model of distribution. Napster demonstrates that peer to peer is an effective way of sharing information with an extremely large amount of people. This has the music industry scared, resulting in their legal battle to shut down the Napster technology. The claims of copyright misuse raise awareness of the need for regulation and a reassessment of copyright application in a digital age. There is a need for regulation. However, any attempts at further application of law and regulation to the Internet concerning copyright protection should consider the intent of the constitutional founders of the United States -- copyright law is intended to protect the interests of both the artists, and the public.