OOPS stands for Opensource Opencourseware Prototype System, a project sponsored by Fantasy Foundation. Aiming to benefit Chinese readers, this project recruit volunteer translators all over the world through internet to translate Opencourseware materials from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) into Chinese. This research was a qualitative case study conducted between 2004/2 ~ 2007/1. Multiple data sources were surveyed, including OOPS¡¦ online discussion forum, and archival information from OOPS website. Online archival data ranged from media reports, activity reports, e-newsletters, volunteer reports, survey summaries, and sub-group websites. Interviews with group leaders were also conducted. Evidence collected through these means were used to describe how OOPS employed the Internet to coordinate translation efforts and promote Opencourseware. In addition, this research applied Science of Complexity to explain the self organizing phenomenon within the network arisen from its participants. This research looked further into how Science of Complexity can clarify the organic process of a self organizing network going from simple to complex. This research found 1) the degree of openness in a collaborative knowledge network influenced its degree of self organization; 2) volunteer¡¦s willingness to participate was related to environment¡¦s fitness; 3) critical mass, diversity, variety, interaction and feedback promoted evolution; 4) a collaborative knowledge network¡¦s key to an organic expansion depended on participants¡¦ outgrowth and self organization; and 5) effective facilitation at the edge of chaos would foster new organization growth.

The main focus of this paper is the evolution of complex behavior in a system of coupled nonlinear memristor circuits depending on the applied coupling conditions. Thereby, the parameter space for the local activity and the edge-of-chaos domain will be determined to enable the emergence of the pattern formation in locally coupled cells according to Chua's principle. Each cell includes a Niobium oxide-based memristor, which may feature a locally active behavior once it is suitably biased on the negative differential resistance region of its DC current-voltage characteristic. It will be shown that there exists a domain of parameters under which each uncoupled cell may become locally active around a stable bias state. More specifically, under these conditions, the coupled cells are on the edge-of-chaos, and can support the static and dynamic pattern formation. The emergence of such complex spatio-temporal behavior in homogeneous structures is a prerequisite for information processing. The theoretical results are confirmed by

Echo state networks represent a special type of recurrent neural networks. Recent papers stated that the echo state networks maximize their computational performance on the transition between order and chaos, the so-called edge of chaos. This work confirms this statement in a comprehensive set of experiments. Afterwards, the best performing echo state network is compared to a network evolved via neuroevolution. The evolved network outperforms the best echo state network, however, the evolution consumes significant computational resources. By combining the best of both worlds, the simplicity of echo state networks and the performance of evolved networks, a new model called locally connected echo state networks is proposed. The results of this thesis may have an impact on future designs of echo state networks and efficiency of their implementation. Furthermore, the findings may improve the understanding of biological brain tissue. 1

Models are incredibly insidious; they slide undetected into discussions and then dominate the way people think. Since Information Systems (ISs) and particularly Knowledge Management Systems (KMSs) are socio-technical systems, they unconsciously embrace the characteristics of the dominant models of management thinking. Thus, their limitations can often be attributed to the deficiencies of the organizational models they aim to support. Through the case study of a hotel chain, this research suggests that contemporary KMSs in the hospitality sector are still grounded in the assumptions of the mechanistic organizational model which conceives an organization as a rigid hierarchical entity governed from the top. Despite the recent technological advances in terms of supporting dialogue and participation between members, organizational knowledge is still transferred vertically; from the top to the bottom or from the bottom to the top. A number of limitations still exist in terms of supporting effectively the transfer of knowledge horizontally between the geographically distributed units of an organization. Inspired from the key concepts of the more recent complex systems model, referred frequently as complexity theories, a Knowledge Management Architecture (KMA) is proposed aiming to re-conceptualize the existing KMSs towards conceiving an organization as a set self-organizing communities of practice (CoP). In every such CoP, order is created from the dynamic exchange of knowledge between the structurally similar community members. Thus, the focus of the KMA is placed on capturing systematically for reuse the architectural knowledge created upon every initiative for change and share such knowledge with the rest of the members of the CoP. A KMS was also developed to support the dynamic dimensions that the KMA proposes. The KMS was then applied in the case of the hotel chain, where it brought significant benefits which constitute evidence of an improved self-organizing ability. The previously isolated hotel units residing in distant regions could now trace but also reapply easily changes undertaken by the other community members. Top-management’s intervention to promote change was reduced, while the pace of change increased. Moreover, the organizational cohesion, the integration of new members as well as the level of management alertness was enhanced. The case of the hotel chain is indicative. It is believed that the KMA proposed can be applicable to geographically distributed organizations operating in different sectors too. At the same time, this research contributes to the recent discourse between the fields of IS and complexity by demonstrating how fundamental concepts from complexity such as self-organization, emergence and edge-of-chaos can be embraced by contemporary KMSs.

No description available.

Rapid technological development and the emerging necessity to insert this reality in the school environment demand Brazilian government\'s efforts to develop new educational policies. One of the latest initiatives is the One Computer per Student Program (PROUCA), whose goal is to provide a netbook for each student of some selected schools. This research aims to analyze what kind of influence is exerted by these netbooks in English classes of elementary school, from a regular public school of Uberaba/MG. This is a qualitative ethnographic research, guided by the Paradigm of Complexity and theories on the process of language teaching and learning mediated by technology. Participants are students from two classes of sixth grade and three classes of eighth grade, two English teachers, the school principal and the director of the Department of Information and Communication Technology from Uberaba s Board of Education. Data were collected through argumentative texts produced by the students and the English teachers, besides semi-structured interviews performed with some selected students and with the mentioned directors and field notes. The generated results show that students perceive the use of netbooks as a positive aspect in English classes, but they point out the problems with the Internet link as one of the main weaknesses of the program. These inconveniences let students become demotivated and demand preparation and creativity for teachers to deal with a system on the edge of chaos. In addition, the data reflect the possibility to develop dynamic, fun and productive classes without the use of digital technologies. Motivation to learn depends, essentially, on the pedagogy adopted by the teacher to conduct their classes. / O rápido desenvolvimento tecnológico e a emergente necessidade de inserção dessa realidade no ambiente escolar exigem esforços do governo brasileiro na elaboração de novas políticas educacionais. Uma das iniciativas mais recentes é o Programa Um Computador por Aluno (PROUCA), cujo objetivo é disponibilizar um netbook para cada aluno das escolas contempladas. Esta pesquisa objetiva analisar qual o tipo de influência exercida por esses netbooks nas aulas de língua inglesa, do Ensino Fundamental, de uma escola municipal regular de Uberaba/MG. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, de cunho etnográfico, orientada pelo Paradigma da Complexidade e por teorias sobre o processo de ensino e aprendizagem de línguas mediado por tecnologias. Os participantes são alunos de duas turmas de sexto ano e três turmas de oitavo ano, além de dois professores de inglês, a diretora da escola e o diretor do Departamento de Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação da Secretaria de Educação de Uberaba. Os dados foram coletados através de textos argumentativos produzidos pelos alunos e pelos professores de inglês, entrevistas semiestruturadas realizadas com alguns alunos selecionados e com os diretores mencionados e notas de campo. Os resultados gerados revelam que os alunos percebem a utilização dos netbooks como um aspecto positivo nas aulas de inglês, mas apontam os problemas de conexão com a Internet como um dos principais pontos negativos do programa. Esses transtornos causam desmotivação nos alunos e demandam preparação e criatividade dos professores, para lidar com um sistema no limite do caos. Além disso, os dados refletem a possibilidade de se desenvolver aulas dinâmicas, divertidas e produtivas sem o uso de tecnologias digitais. A motivação para aprender depende, essencialmente, da pedagogia adotada pelo professor ao ministrar suas aulas. / Mestre em Estudos Linguísticos