Thesis (MPhil (Journalism))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / Magazine publishers are under increasing pressure to extend their business strategies beyond the traditional printed products. A culture of instant gratification of media needs, pervasive social networking and the immediacy of content delivery, which are all provided by the World Wide Web, aggravate fears that readers will ultimately abandon the printed media in favour of the Internet as the primary content provider. These fears are rooted in the assumption that consumers choose the media they use based on preconceived ideas as to how these media will fulfil their needs. If the Internet succeeds in supplanting or displacing printed media, it could potentially destroy the traditional magazine model whereby publishers simultaneously generate revenue from the sale of media content to their audience and the sale of the audience’s attention to their advertisers. Therefore it is imperative that magazine publishers develop a relevant and efficient strategy to maintain their position as “intermediary” between advertisers and the media audience. To develop such a strategy, they need to understand what media uses consumers have for the Internet and what gratifications they expect to receive. Once this is understood, publishers could develop their online and offline strategies to service these uses and gratifications. This thesis contains qualitative research conducted in a phenomenological paradigm through the application of two descriptive surveys. The first survey focused on the experiences and attitudes of visitors to the website of WegSleep, an Afrikaans South African niche magazine for the caravanning and camping community, whilst the second compares similarities between the seven most visited magazine websites in South Africa during 2008. A correlation of the findings leads to the conclusion that although the Internet could potentially emulate all media, readers do not employ the Internet for exactly the same purposes as printed media. Whilst some displacement does take place, magazines are still better at serving readers’ affective and escapist needs. Conversely, the Internet is the preferred medium with regard to information gathering and cognitive media needs as well as personal integrative needs. Social integrative needs appear to be non medium specific. A complementary combination of the printed product and the online offering could therefore provide gratification of all media needs and promote brand loyalty instead of medium loyalty.

Opinion leaders are important political players who bridge the gap between the political elite and the general public. Traditionally opinion leaders use social pressure and social support via interpersonal communication to personally influence the opinions, attitudes and behaviours of their everyday associates (who make up the general public). However, in a hybrid media system opinion leaders have access to added channels which mean they can communicate with audiences beyond their everyday associates and/or engage in non-interpersonal interactions, potentially setting the stage for opinion leaders to become more influential since they can access more members of the general public. Conversely, since the ability of opinion leaders to influence others traditionally relies on strong social bonds, even if audiences are accessible for information transfer, the lack of social connection could mean influence does not flow. As such, opinion leaders' channel choice in a hybrid media system is potentially very important. To investigate the patterns of channel use as well as motivations for, and impacts of, channel choices by opinion leaders, a two phase mixed-methods study is employed. Phase one includes online social network analysis of the #CDNpoli (Canadian politics) hashtag on Twitter and an online survey. Phase two investigates the communication practices of 21 specific digitally enabled opinion leaders drawn from the #CDNpoli network. Two hour in-depth interviews are paired with visualizations of the participants trace data. Telephone interviews with associates (alters) of the primary interviewee were conducted (N=27). This design is therefore responsive to the multi-channel reality of a hybrid media system and improves upon large scale and single channel studies which are most common in this line of research. Now strategic and, at times, impersonal, a fundamental shift in how influence is derived challenges theories of social influence and information dissemination. Two types of strategic opinion leaders emerge: enthusiasts and champions. Their strategies contribute to a wider trend - a "just-in-time" informed citizenry - where those who do not opt in to receiving messages from the political elite only get information at the last possible minute, such as during a scandal or an election. Future research and communication strategy must be sensitive to the varied aims and tactics of digitally enabled opinion leaders as well as the subsequent inconsistent relationship between the uninformed and their political system.

Secondary schools under the jurisdiction of the Cape Education Department (CED) have, over the past 10 years, been acquiring computer equipment without a national policy on educational computing in South Africa, and within only broad parameters provided by their department. The aim of this study was to determine the present status of educational computing in these schools. A literature survey on educational computing was undertaken and a number of international and local 'computers-in-schools' initiatives were elucidated. A field survey, involving all CED secondary schools (239), was initiated by sending questionnaires to principals of these schools - a return rate of 89% was achieved. The results of the research revealed that most CED secondary schools have already acquired computer facilities. The role of pressure groups such as teachers, parents, business sector etc together with other factors that might have influenced schools in acquiring their computer facilities was also investigated. The investigation also revealed where and how these facilities are being utilised: most schools use their computers for administrative functions, with the computer-as-a-tool for teachers and pupils also fast gaining ground. Computer-assisted learning activities, where the computer is integrated with subject curricula, are however still limited. The extent of both teachers' formal training in educational computing and their familiarity with different software applications were also determined. Schools were also required to indicate the areas where they experience problems in getting teachers and pupils more involved in 'computers-in-education' activities. The present educational computing position in secondary schools of the CED will have to serve as a foundation for the department's CISR Project embarked upon in 1991.

THESIS Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree MAGISTER TECHNOLOGIAE in INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY in the FACULTY OF BUSINESS INFORMATICS at the CAPE PENINSULA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY 2005 / The Internet has become the fastest growing technology the world has ever seen. It also has the ability to permanently change the face of business, including e-business. The Internet has become an important tool required to gain potential competitiveness in the global information environment. Companies could improve their levels of functionality and customer satisfaction by adopting e-commerce, which ultimately could improve their long-term profitability. Those companies who do end up adopting the use of the Internet, often fail to gain the advantage of providing a visible website. Research has also shown that even though the web provides numerous opportunities, the majority of SMMEs (small, medium and micro enterprises) are often ill equipped to exploit the web’s commercial potential. It was determined in this research project through the analysis of 300 websites, that only 6.3% of SMMEs in the Western Cape Province of South Africa appears within the top 30 results of six search engines, when searching for services/products. This lack of ability to produce a visible website is believed to be due to the lack of education and training, financial support and availability of time prevalent in SMMEs. For this reason a model was developed to facilitate the improvement of SMME website visibility. To develop the visibility model, this research project was conducted to identify potential elements which could provide a possible increase in website visibility. A criteria list of these elements was used to evaluate a sample of websites, to determine to what extent they made use of these potential elements. An evaluation was then conducted with 144 different SMME websites by searching for nine individual keywords within four search engines (Google, MSN, Yahoo, Ananzi), and using the first four results of every keyword from every search engine for analysis. Elements gathered through academic literature were then listed according to the usage of these elements in the top-ranking websites when searching for predetermined keywords. Further qualitative research was conducted to triangulate the data gathered from the literature and the quantitative research. The evaluative results provided the researcher with possible elements / designing techniques to formulate a model to develop a visible website that is not only supported by arrant research, but also through real current applications. The research concluded that, as time progresses and technology improves, new ways to improve website visibility will evolve. Furthermore, that there is no quick method for businesses to produce a visible website as there are many aspects that should be considered when developing “visible” websites.

Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Peninsula Technikon, 2004 / This dissertation was written in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology in the Faculty of Information Technology at the Peninsula Technikon in South Africa. The dissertation covers the introduction of the study; the reviews of the case, Free and Open Source Software; the discussion of methodology of software project management in terms of software engineering; the analysis of assessment methods; the techniques of using PHP, MySQL, Apache and CVS; and the implementation of a test module. The research represents the consideration of the problem, namely that there are few free assessment manager programmes that can be used for the quick and efficient deployment of academic assessments. An experimental research method was used to with the aim of solving the above problem. In other words, a test management system module had to be designed and implemented to function within the architectural constraints of a developing Open Source Software (OSS) Learning Management System (LMS), which is called Knowledge Environment for Web-based Learning Next Generation (KEWL.NextGen). The test management system is a module developed on Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) in PHP and MySQL application. The scripts of this test module are written under the KEWL.NextGen' application framework, which is based on a close approximation of model, view and controller (MVC) design III pattem. Now the entire source coding of the test module has been uploaded to Web site http://kngforge.uwc.ac.za. This test module can be used for the creation and management of an online test. It provides facilities to create a new test, and to preview, edit, delete and mark an existing test. Three question types have been achieved, namely multiple-choice, true/false and short answer.

Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Peninsula Technikon,Cape Town, 2004 / Higher education and online discussions are an integral part of collaboratively based e-Learning systems. However, there problems can be associated with current online discussion models. For example, it can be easy to set open-ended discussions which attract little participation and to assess contributions can be difficult or time-consuming. Students may not achieve the expected learning outcomes without proper structure and management in online discussions. This paper proposes to design and implement a discussion forum object to function within the architectural constraints of an existing Oss learning management system (to meet target user requirements) that is a web-based environment for online discussions where the facilitator can structure each discussion according to its nature and where learning requirements are using already designed templates.

Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Peninsula Technikon, Cape Town, 2004 / This document describes the design and implementation of an Assignment Management Module (AMM) to function within the architectural constraints of an eXisting open-source software (OSS) Leaming Management System (LMS). The project is established for Infonmation Technology Department Master Degree Project of the Peninsula Technikon. The Assignment Management Module will be constructed in orders to make it easier to create, mark, and manage assignments and record individual student perfonmances. The design entailed work on different function blocks like a user's authorisation, files uploadfdownload and mailing reminder unit as well as writing and testing of the application code on the intemet/intranet. The development process of the project to explore how to fu lfi11 software engineering methodology in an open-source environment, also presents details of the design architecture and technologies to be used, as well as being mindful of its future directions. The target audience of this document is anyone with an interest in an open-source software project in general, and in a Learning Management System in particular. If the reader has also been a contributor to Learning Management System, and especially to the management of assignments, this document may provide additional value, in that it strives to present a new approach to the understanding of such a module.

The evolution of e-health has the potential to assist in the management of scarce resources and the shortage of skills, enhance efficiencies, improve quality and increase work productivity within the healthcare sector. As a result, an increase is seen in e-health solutions developments with the aim to improve healthcare services, hospital information systems, health decision support, telemedicine and other technical systems that have the potential to reduce cost, improve quality, and enhance the accessibility and delivery of healthcare. However, unfortunately their implementation contiues to fail. Although there are several reasons for this, in this study a lack of project quality management is viewed as a key contributor to the failure of e-health solutions implementation projects in rural hospitals. This results in neglected aspects of quality assurance (QA), which forms an integral part of project quality management. The purpose of this study is to develop a Genertic Quality Assurance Model (GQAM) for the successful acquisition (i.e. development and implementation) of e-health solutions in rural hospitals in the Eastern Cape Province to enable improved quality of care and service delivery. In order to develop and test this model it was necessary to identify the QA methodologies that are currently used in rural hospitals and to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their impact on project success. The study is divided into four phases; in each phase different study designs were followed. The study used triangulation of qualitative and some elements of quantitative research approaches, in terms of which a case study approach was adpoted to answer the research questions. This study did indeed develop a GQAM that can be used to ensure e-health solution success in rural hospitals. Furthermore, to aid in the implementation of this model, a set of QA value chain implementation guidelines were developed, as a framework, to inject the nodel into typical (SDLC) phases.

M.Tech. / Information is a company’s greatest asset that is continually under threat from human error, technological failure, natural disasters and other external factors. These threats need to be identified and quantified and their relevant protection techniques need to be deployed. This research will allow businesses to ascertain which of these data protection strategies to embrace and deploy, thereby highlighting the balance between cost and value for their business needs. Every commercial enterprise should understand the business value of their data and realise that protecting this data is of utmost importance. However, company data often resides on different mediums, in different locations and implementing a data protection strategy is not always cost effective in terms of the cost of storage mediums and protection methods. The challenges that businesses face is trying to distinguish between mission-critical data from other business data, excluding any non-business or invaluable data that resides on their systems. Thus a cost-effective data protection strategy can be implemented according to the different values of business data. This research provides a model to enable an organisation to: · Utilise the model as a framework or guideline in determining a strategy for protection, storage, retrieval and preservation of business critical data. · Define the data protection strategy to meet the organisation’s business requirements. · Define a cost effective data protection solution that encompasses protection, storage, retrieval and preservation of business critical data. · Make strategic decisions based on an array of best practices to ensure mission-critical data is protected accordingly. iii · Draw a conclusion between the costs of implementing these solutions against the real business value of the data that it protects.

The purpose of this research is to propose metrics to evaluate the user interface factors that impact on the user experience of Software Accounting Applications (SAAs) used to support the accounting business activities in Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) operating in developing countries. The research commences by outlining the conceptual background that introduces the study. In the introductory chapter, the problems together with the objectives that motivate the significance of the study are presented. In the same chapter, the overall research focus and how each of the research questions are treated to accomplish the intended goals are defined. In Chapter 2, the typical accounting business activities for SMMEs operating in developing countries are investigated. Findings from the preliminary survey revealed that Pastel accounting is the commonly used SMME accounting application used in developing countries. Inventory management, cash book processing, preparation of financial statements, customer and supplier documents processing are revealed as the most prevalent SMME accounting activities. This chapter highlights the problems that inhibit the implementation and the delivery of full benefits of using these SAAs. After indentifying the SAA problems, user experience aspects of the SAA are addressed in Chapter 3. User experience (UX) is defined and existing UX evaluation criteria are discussed. The findings form the basis for choosing the applicable criteria for evaluating the User Interface (UI) factors impacting on the UX of Pastel accounting. The proposed user experience evaluation metrics are described in Chapter 4. A discussion on how the metrics are implemented and what UI aspect they measure is presented. The research design and methodology followed is discussed in Chapter 5. The chapter outlines the possible research philosophy, strategy, methods and data collecting methods. A choice is made about the appropriate approach to answer the stated research questions to satisfy the intended overall research objective. A phenomenologist, qualitative inductive approach is adopted in the study. A contextual inquiry case-study strategy is chosen as applicable to this research. Data is collected using expert reviews, user observation and subjective questionnaires. After the choice of the research techniques, the case study results are presented and analysed in Chapter 6. It is found that Pastel UI is attractive and the users are happy with the visual design of the application. The major factors that impact on Pastel accounting are its lack of 4 feedback and its complexity which makes it difficult for first time users to use the application and the paucity of the help function. After the observed findings, the conclusions and recommendations of the research are presented in Chapter 7. It has been concluded that Pastel accounting UI fails to captivate a positive user experience for first-time users; the users do not find the expected help from the Help function and are often left wondering about the status of the system and the outcome of their actions on a task. Recommendations on how designers would make Pastel user interface more helpful, easy to use, and provide adequate feedback are presented in Chapter 7.