Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Communication and technology – Cameroon'

Abstract

The frequency of natural disasters and its negative consequences in terms of the number of people killed, property destroyed and negative environmental impacts caused in the affected communities constitute one of the basic foundations and motivations for the development and use of ICT and other means of preventing as well as responding to disasters in the world today. This is simply because disaster management constitutes an important part of any developmental framework. Unfortunately a majority of these natural disasters occur in developing countries where information flow is greatly hampered because the national actors in disasters lack the skills to use ICT to prepare for and to response to disasters in their communities. Current study aims at studying the use of ICT in disaster management in Cameroon-a less developing country south of the Sahara

To achieve the aim of this study, a quantitative research approach was chosen. A total sample of 150 organisations was selected from a population of 285 organisations within Cameroon, that are directly or indirectly involved with disaster management or developmental issues of any nature. In total 150 questionnaires were administered to these selected national actors by mail, internet, telephone and self-administration and 85 of the organisations respondended to the questionnaire.

After collecting and analysing the data, the authors came to the conclusions that; disasters occur in Cameroon on frequent bases causing lots of damages thus the need for ICT use in humanitarian logistics to move information and material. Results showed that national actors use the radio and local TV (CRTV) for disaster preparedness and the mobile phone for disaster response, while the internet and computer techonology, foreign TV, Fixed phone and fax had a very low usage rate or sometimes not used at all. The reason for low usage or no usage was due to problems encountered by national actors in an attempt of trying to use them. Against this background, the authors suggested a number of recommendations that could improve the degree of ICT usage. One of them was that the Cameroon government should partner with private sector firms to make ICT infrastructure available by investing more and improving on the telecommunication sector in the country. This will solve the problem of poor ICT infrastructure, poor radio and TV signals, limited internet connectivity accessibility and availability in Cameroon.

Linking education, science and technology with national development is a subject of increasing concern in many developing countries. In this dissertation, we have studied empirically the contribution, or lack of it, which public investment in education, science and technology has made to the attainment of development objectives in Cameroon since 1960. Using a small computable macroeconometric model of Cameroon incorporating some major relevant quantitative aspects of the knowledge sector, we have investigated the effects on that sector and on the overall economic system of increased education- and research-service resources. We have also analyzed some of the major qualitative factors that are important in this sector.
Our results suggest that, given existing patterns of education, science and technology in Cameroon, the contribution of public investment in this sector may be small compared to the potential contribution suggested in the literature. The implications of these results are examined for policy-making and planning at the national level.

Located in Central Africa, Cameroon is considered the driving force of the sub-region due to its strategic location in the center of the African continent. During the last five years, the country has been under the constant threat of a large range of disasters like floods, droughts, landslides, epidemics, etc. In such a context, the government is implementing several strategies for Disaster Risk Reduction in the country. Under the lead of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, the Directorate of Civil Protection, coordinates Disaster Risk Reduction activities through a network of over 379 decentralized institutions and international partners (Ayanji, 2004). Despite a high level of deployment, these activities still prove to have a low level of efficiency on the field. Results from the literature review suggest that this may be due to strategies for public education and public awareness that do not mirror stakeholders’ needs, capacities, and background. There is a need to: (1) identify the failures of the pre-existing public education and public awareness strategy, (2) assess the educational needs and capacities of each category of actors, (3) select adequate instructional methods and tools and (4) ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of the newly proposed strategy. The aim of this work, which is a three-year PhD project funded by the AXA Research Fund, is therefore to propose a public education and public awareness model adapted to the Cameroonian context, using Technology Enhanced Learning to strengthen capacities and competencies of stakeholders involved in the problem of climate change. The study makes use of a mixed method approach. From the literature review, four categories of actors involved into the climate change education process in the country have first been identified namely (1) government, (2) educational institutions, (3) Non-Governmental Organizations and (4) communities. A sample population has been driven from each category using the Respondent Driven Sampling method. Then data were collected during a six-month field trip in Cameroon, using semi-structured interviews (McNamara, 1999), qualitative survey (Fowler, 2009), direct observation (Bernard, 2006) and focus group discussion (Krueger & Casey, 2009). Findings from data analyses, performed using Epi info software for quantitative data and MAXQDA software for qualitative data show that: the educational strategy is not clearly defined; there is a lack of adequate infrastructures; technologies available are not properly used: either they are not evenly accessible, or when accessible they do not match learners’ capacities and competencies. Finally, quality criteria for the evaluation of the existing educational strategy are not met, thus failing to ensure it sustainability. The conceptual solution proposed in this work makes use of the concept of learning communities, especially Community of Practice as proposed by Lave and Wenger (1991) to develop an information and knowledge sharing community system to establish best practices for improving community resilience to climate change impact. This Community of Practice will operate essentially offline with a selected domain, a well-defined and structured community, and a practice that makes use of identified technologies already available among communities and, most importantly, that mirrors the Cameroonian socio-cultural context. One unexpected factor that had to be taken into consideration while determining adequate technology tools, is the actors’ perception, or rather say actors’ (un)acceptance of “new technologies”, which render the design of the instructional model quite challenging
Kamerun ist ein Land in Zentralafrika. Aufgrund seiner strategischen Lage in der Mitte des afrikanischen Kontinents, gilt das Land als die treibende Kraft der Sub-Region. Während der letzten fünf Jahre wurde Kamerun Opfer von ständigen Bedrohungen einer Vielzahl von Katastrophen wie Überschwemmungen, Dürren, Erdrutsche, Epidemien, usw. In diesem Kontext hat die Regierung eine Reihe von Strategien zur Verringerung der Katastrophenrisiken imstande gebracht. Dies wurde unter der Leitung vom Ministerium der territorialen Verwaltung und Dezentralisierung und vom Amt für Katastrophenschutz durchgeführt. Weiterhin nahmen mehr als 379 dezentrale Institutionen und internationale Partner an diese bedeutende Aktion teil (Ayanji, 2004). Die bei diesem Großeinsatz getroffenen Maßnahmen haben aber bisher eine sehr geringe Effizienz auf dem Feld gebracht. Eine nähere Betrachtung im Zusammenspiel mit entsprechender Literatur lassen folgendes vermuten: die Strategien zur Sensibilisierung sind auf die Bedürfnisse, Kapazitäten und Hintergründe der Akteure nicht angepasst. Demnach sind folgende Tatsachen in Betracht zu ziehen: (1) Identifikation der Ausfälle der bevorstehenden Awareness-Strategie; (2) Bewertung den pädagogischen Bedürfnissen und Kapazitäten der einzelnen Kategorien von Akteuren; (3) Auswahl geeigneter Unterrichtsmethoden und Tools; (4) Gewährleisten der Wirksamkeit und Nachhaltigkeit der neu vorgeschlagenen Strategie. Diese Arbeit stammt aus einem dreijährigen Promotionsprojekt finanziert von der AXA Research Fund. Das Ziel der Arbeit ist der Vorschlag eines Awareness-Modells, das an dem kamerunischen Kontext angepasst ist, und das die Bildungstechnologie zur Stärkung der Kapazitäten und Kompetenzen der beteiligten Akteure des Klimawandels nutzt. Aus der Literatur sind vier Kategorien von Akteuren identifiziert worden: Die Regierung, Bildungseinrichtungen, nationale und internationale Organisationen, Gemeinschaften. Die Studie folgt einer Mixed-Method Forschung. Eine Stichprobe wurde aus jeder Kategorie von Akteuren mit Schneeballauswahl-Methode gezogen. Dann wurden Daten während einer 6-monatigen Studienreise in Kamerun gesammelt. Diese wurde in Begleitung mit semi-strukturierten Interview (McNamara, 1999), qualitativen Erhebung (Fowler, 2009), direkter Beobachtung (Bernard, 2006) und Gruppendiskussion (Krueger & Casey, 2009). Die Daten wurden analysiert mit Epi-info Software für quantitative Daten und MAXQDA Software für qualitative Daten. Die Ergebnisse zeigen Folgendes: - Die pädagogische Strategie ist nicht klar definiert - Mangel an angemessenen Infrastrukturen - Die verfügbaren Technologien sind nicht vorhanden und teilweise falsch eingesetzt. Sie sind entweder nicht gleichmäßig verwendet oder sie stimmen mit den Fähigkeiten der Lernenden nicht überein. - Qualitätskriterien für die Bewertung der bestehenden Ausbildungsstrategie sind nicht erfüllt Die vorgeschlagene konzeptionelle Lösung, die in dieser Arbeit verwendet wird, benutzt das Konzept der Learning Communities, insbesondere "Community of Practice" wie von Lave und Wenger (1991) beschrieben. Ziel ist es, ein Informations- und Wissensaustausch Community-System zur Förderung bewährter Verfahren im Sinne der Verbesserung der Gemeinschaft gegenüber Auswirkungen des Klimawandels zu schaffen. Diese Community of Practice wird offline mit einer ausgewählten Domäne, eine gut definierte und strukturierte Gemeinschaft, und eine gut gestaltete Praxis funktionieren. Ein unerwarteter Faktor, der bei der Bestimmung der angemessenen Technologie-Tools berücksichtigt werden müsste, ist die Wahrnehmung der Akteure oder besser gesagt die (Un-)Akzeptanz der "Neuen Technologien" durch die Akteure. Dies macht das Design des Instruktionsmodells zu einer richtigen Herausforderung

This study aimed at determining whether the use of indigenous techniques of communication can have a positive impact on the motivation of the learner of English as a foreign language in Cameroon. By indigenous techniques of communication we mean techniques like role-play, songs, the telling of folktales, riddles and proverbs. This work is intended as a contribution to the search for improvement of student motivation and enthusiasm, whereby they can be more responsive as they participate spontaneously in learning English as a foreign language. Some writers agree that it is beneficial to learn a foreign language using the material that the learners are familiar with (Lado 1964, Gee 1987, Post and Rathet 1996). The telling of folktales, role-play, songs, and the use of riddles and proverbs are found in all societies and every indigenous society uses them in teaching in one way or the other. Most foreign language learners are familiar with them. Their abundance in the Cameroonian society presents an excellent opportunity for foreign language teaching/learning. My interest in this research has been substantially influenced by my experience of working for almost a decade with learners of English as a foreign language in Francophone secondary/high schools in Cameroon. This work led me to the realization that students respond to English language teaching with very little motivation and enthusiasm. They make little or no progress in learning the language, much less in communicating in it. One of the major questions I have often asked myself is why Francophone students find English language learning boring and what could be done to solve the problem of teaching English to these students. I have tried on a number of occasions to tell folktales or teach a song in class when I found the students were bored with the lessons and discovered that the students immediately became alert. Their alertness was probably not for the direct purpose of making any linguistic gain but for the sheer entertainment of listening to a story or taking part in the singing, all of which they seemed to enjoy. Based on this positive change in the students, it was hypothesized that the introduction of some indigenous techniques of communication in the foreign language classroom might help improve its learning. The results from this study indicate that the recommendations for the use of these techniques in language teaching will help improve on the present negative attitude of foreign language learners. This study is significant to foreign language teaching/learning in all developing countries but most especially to the Cameroonian educational system where the study was carried out. Its relevance is due to the fact that most of the facilities that are presently used for the teaching of foreign languages in advanced countries are absent in developing countries. To help improve on the enthusiasm of the learner of a foreign language therefore, educational planners should resort to the use of indigenous techniques, which this study has found out could be very helpful in any foreign language classroom if properly applied
Es ist allgemein anerkannt, dass es für Schüler, die eine Fremdsprache erlernen sollen, von Vorteil ist, wenn ihnen vertrautes Material im Unterricht verwendet wird (Lado 1964, Post und Rathet 1996). Das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie ist deshalb, die positive Wirkung von indigenen Kommunikationsstrategien und –techniken auf die Lernermotivation kamerunische Schülern und Schülerinnen zu ermitteln, welche Englisch als Fremdsprache erwerben. Unter indigenen Kommunikationstechniken verstehen wir Rollenspiele, Lieder, das Erzählen von Märchen, Rätseln und Sprichwörtern. Die vorliegende Studie soll einen Beitrag bei der Suche nach Verbesserungsmöglichkeiten von Schülermotivation und Enthusiasmus leisten und dazu beitragen, das Schülerinteresse durch spontanes, teilnehmendes Erlernen zu wecken

Le Cameroun doit faire face à l'exigence quasi universelle d'intégration des TIC (Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication) en éducation. De ce chantier gigantesque et complexe, a été extraite une problématique relative à la formation didactique des enseignants de français. Cette langue française y revêt le statut polémique de français langue seconde (Cuq, 1991). La thèse, qui s'inscrit dans le champ des sciences du langage, adopte cependant une approche systémique (Le Moigne, 1977) et nécessairement transdisciplinaire (Nicolescu, 1996), seule susceptible de prendre en charge la complexité (Morin, 1982) de la thématique. Partant de la situation sociolinguistique du Cameroun - pays officiellement bilingue (français, anglais), parallèlement à ses 300 langues nationales - l'étude révèle les liens épistémologiques (Popper, 1963) technologiques (Karsenti, 2005) et éthiques (Comenius, 17e siècle) qui existent entre le statut du français dans un tel contexte plurilingue, la formation des enseignants et les TIC
Cameroon must face the quasi universal requirement of integrating the ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) into education. From this gigantic and complex field, we pointed problems relating to the didactic training of the teachers of French language. This French language which has the polemical status of being considered as a second language in Cameroon (Cuq, 1991). The thesis which pertains to the sciences of language, adopts however a systemic (Moigne, 1977) and necessarily a transdisciplinary approach (Nicolescu, 1996), only likely to deal with the complexity (Morin, 1982) of the set of themes. On the basis of the sociolinguistic situation of Cameroon - officially bilingual country (French, English), containing 300 national languages - this study reveals the epistemological (Popper, 1963), technological (Karsenti, 2005) and ethical bonds (Comenius, 17th century) which exist between the status of French, the training of teachers and the ICT in such a multilingual context

Dans la société de l’information grandissante, les technologies de l’information et de la communication sont considérées comme un facteur homogénéisant et l’investissement par excellence pour une amélioration du rendement scolaire et pour assurer l’égalité des chances. Aussi, peu importe leur appartenance sociale, les personnes appelées à évoluer dans cette société devront composer avec ces technologies. Au-delà de cette assertion plus ou moins contestée, la plupart des études reconnaissent que les enseignants rencontrent encore différents obstacles pour les intégrer convenablement comme des outils pédagogiques dans la pratique quotidienne. La conséquence est une utilisation pédagogique faible. La présente étude, fondée sur une double approche constructiviste et systémique explore une voie d’explicitation de cette faiblesse dans l’enseignement secondaire au Cameroun en vue de stimuler la progression de l’apprentissage. À travers la méthodologie des systèmes souples, l’étude suppose que les interactions entre les dispositions prises jusque-là et les exigences pour réaliser l’intégration pédagogique des TIC dans le secteur désigné constituent le point de départ de la situation problématique perçue. Autrement dit, la complexité de ces interactions déteint sur l’évolution dudit processus. Cette situation est examinée à partir de l’expérience de 58 enseignants des collèges et lycées de la ville de Yaoundé au Cameroun. Les résultats de l’investigation montrent que, « le projet d’intégration » des TIC est, non seulement obstrué par l’insuffisance des dispositifs mis en place, mais aussi qu’effectivement, la complexité des interactions entre les structures et les processus y a une influence certaine. Les résultats font voir, en outre, certains principes qui faciliteraient l'évolution du processus.
In the company of growing information, communication and information technologies are regarded as a homogenizing factor and the best investment for an improvement of the school output and to ensure the equal opportunity. Also, it does not matter their social membership, the people called to move ahead in this company will have to compose with these technologies. Beyond this more or less disputed assertion, the majority of the studies recognize that the teachers still meet various obstacles in daily practice to integrate them suitably like teaching aids daily. The consequence is a weak teaching use. The present study, founded on a both constructivist and systemic approach explores a way of clarification of this learning weakness in order to stimulate the use of ICT in secondary education in Cameroun. Through the methodology of the flexible systems, the study supposes that the interactions between the provisions taken up to that point and the requirements to carry out the teaching integration of the ICT in the indicated sector constitute the starting point of the perceived problematic situation. In other words, the complexity of these interactions fades on the evolution of the aforesaid process. This situation is examined starting from the experiment of 58 teachers of the colleges and colleges of the town of Yaounde in Cameroun. The results of the investigation show that, “the project of integration” of the ICT, is not only blocked by the insufficiency of the devices set up, but also that indeed, the complexity of the interactions between the structures and the processes has an unquestionable influence there. The results show, moreover, certain principles which would facilitate the evolution of the process.

In Sub-Saharan Africa where the rural electrification rates are below 20%, many are positive about renewable energy sources being the salvation for the electricity problem in the area. Engineers Without Borders Sweden has also recognized this and intends to enable a quicker implementation through the Renewable Energy Program. The programme aims to sustainably increase the spread of renewable energy sources by enhancing the possibilities for local entrepreneurs active in the sector. In the Central-African country Cameroon, found at the Gulf of Guinea, the solar irradiation is intense all year round, making solar power a potential energy source for electricity in the country's rural areas. The work presented in this thesis has had the objective to identify and address the financial and technical challenges of spreading the use of solar energy through photovoltaic solutions in Cameroon, in order to enable a successful implementation of the Renewable Energy Program in the country. To gain local insights, a field study was performed in the rural village of Tatum in north-western Cameroon where the authors began by identifying the stakeholders for the implementation of the Renewable Energy Program. Then we proceeded by conducting interviews and distributing questionnaires. A number of challenges became clear. The most obvious one being that photovoltaic technology is expensive, thus not being affordable for the average rural household. However, the study also showed that within the security of a structured program many households would be willing to make the investment. Furthermore, the study showed that lack of knowledge in the households together with a major lack of local technicians would be additional obstacles. The latter being answered with a belief in a spread organically, through a strong word of mouth culture, the first with the idea of a trainee programme. The ideas are analysed through models and as a conclusion the authors state a belief that despite a number of challenges ahead, the Renewable Energy Program is a strong concept that will succeed with its mission.
I subsahariska Afrika är bristen på elektricitet stor och antalet hushåll med tillgång till el är lägre än 20%. I jakten på en lösning är det många som är positiva till potentialen hos förnybara energikällor. Bland dem finns Ingenjörer utan gränser Sverige, som hoppas på att genom introduceringen av sitt Renewable Energy Program kunna påskynda spridningen av förnybara energikällor på ett hållbart sätt, genom att bland annat öka möjligheterna för lokala entreprenörer som är aktiva inom området. I Kamerun, som ligger i västra Centralafrika, skiner solen intensivt året runt. Användning av solceller som en källa till elektricitet i landets mer avskilda samhällen har stor potential för att kunna bli en hållbar lösning. Syftet med detta arbete har varit att identifiera de tekniska och finansiella utmaningar som kan ligga i vägen för ökad användning av solcellslösningar i Kamerun, i en förhoppning om att underlätta implementeringen av Ingenjörer utan gränsers energiprogram. En fältstudie i det lilla samhället Tatum, beläget i landets nordvästra region, har utförts och författarna har genom intervjuer och enkäter samlat på sig lokala insikter och kunskaper. Utifrån dessa har slutsatser kring ett antal utmaningar kunnat dras. Ett av de mest uppenbara problemen med solcellslösningar är att de i dagsläget är för dyra för invånare i fattiga samhällen. Studien visade dock på att det finns en investeringsvilja hos dem, så länge investeringen sker i tryggheten av ett strukturerat program. I övrigt visade studien på att mängden lokala tekniker inom solcellsindustrin idag är liten. Den visade också på låg kunskap kring solcellslösningar hos den lokala befolkningen. Författarna föreslår att problemet med antalet tekniker skulle kunna besvaras med ett trainee-program. När det gäller kunskapsspridning ser de positivt på en organisk spridning genom vad de upplevde som ett mycket kommunikativt samhälle. I det stora hela sammanfattas studien i en positiv anda med en tro om att Ingenjörer utan gränser kommer lyckas med sitt mål, trots en del hinder på vägen.

Transportation planners have traditionally focused onphysical travel only, and disregarded the fact that other modesof communication may influence travel demand. However, moderntelecommunications are rapidly increasing the accessibility toactivities that previously only could be reached by physicaltransportation. This development calls for methods to analyseinteractions between telecommunications and transport systems.The objective of this thesis is to accomplish a betterunderstanding of if and how impacts of information technologycould be implemented in travel demand models. An important partof this issue is to investigate what kind of data that isneeded.

This thesis also aims at investigating whether theCommunication Survey, KOM, collected by Swedish Institute forTransport and Communications, SIKA, can be used to improvetransport modelling with respect to how moderntelecommunications influence travel demand. KOM is a one-daytravel and communication diary survey, including information onthe respondents telecommuting habits as well as socio-economicstatus. One problem was the small sample size in KOM, whichmade the analyses uncertain. Since KOM is collected on a yearlybasis, it is still possible to apply similar analysis methodswithin a few years, using a larger data set, which might enableextended analyses. The small sample in KOM available to date isbest suited for general descriptive analyses of communicationpatterns in Sweden. The main conclusions of the paper aretherefore connected to the methods and future datacollection.

The thesis includes three papers. The first paper tested amodel approach that assumes substitution between travel andnon-travel based communication, using the KOM database. Traveldemand models are in general constructed as nested logit modelswith frequency, mode and destination choice levels. In thepaper, non-travel based modes of communication were included inthe choice set of such a model. The non-travel based modes ofcommunication considered were Internet (and e-mail), ordinarymail and telephone contacts. The model was developed for postand bank activities only, since that was the only activity forwhich the numbers of contacts and trips were large enough toallow model estimation. Several conclusions could be drawn.Describing the utility of the non-travel based alternatives isdifficult and needs more research. The analysisis also verysensitive to how activities are defined. It is furtheressential that the data collection is more process orientedthan traditional cross-sectional data is when analysing traveland telecommunications interactions. That is, habits ofperforming particular activities, including both trips anddifferent types of contacts, must be studied. The second andthird papers investigate telecommuting. As a first step toreach the goal of forecasting telecommuting, the second paperexamined the characteristics of current telecommuters by use ofKOM. This was mainly accomplished by estimating a telecommutingadoption model of logit type. However, only 122 employees outof 7578 actually telecommutes full days at home. Thesetelecommuters work primarily in information- and service-basedindustrial sectors concerned with computers, finance orcommunication. The difficulties in describing the utility ofthe telecommunications based alternatives (representing”no travel”) concerned also the telecommutingadoption model. Also impacts on travel from telecommuting wereinvestigated. Comparing the average commuting distance showedthat employees who exclusively telecommute full days havelonger commuting distances than others, but that othertelecommuters do not have longer average commuting distances.Telecommuting in general does not seem to be influenced by lowaccessibility to the labour market.

The third paper used data collected from a working sitewithin the company Ericsson, located in the office district ofNacka Strand in Stockholm during the autumn 2002. Thetelecommuting frequency was substantially higher at Ericssonthan in the workforce as a whole. The propensity to adopttelecommuting was modelled as a function of socio-economicvariables and access to technical equipment, work tasksuitability and management attitudes, as perceived by theemployees. The focuswas to identify tools that the company canuse to promote telecommuting, and to find incentives for thecompany to promote telecommuting. Technical equipment, suitablework tasks and managers attitude were identified as constraintsfor telecommuting. The employees also perceived that theybecame more efficient and saved time when telecommuting.

PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIRO
Essa tese de doutorado intitulada Idosos, tecnologias de comunicação e socialização surge do interesse pelas transformações ocorridas atualmente devido ao processo de envelhecimento populacional. No Brasil ele se iniciou a cerca de 50 anos, mas diferentemente dos países desenvolvidos, as mudanças ocorreram em uma velocidade tão grande que dificultou a implementação de políticas públicas, bem como o reconhecimento e a adaptação social de toda uma população. O crescimento do segmento dos mais velhos e a diminuição da taxa de natalidade alteraram a estrutura populacional e naturalmente modificaram as interações sociais. Concomitante a isso a evolução das tecnologias digitais vem impactando na vida das pessoas com contínuas inovações e mudanças nas interfaces de comunicação. Se a comunicação nos tempos pós-modernos se dá em grande parte via objetos tecnológicos (celulares, smartphones, desktops e notebooks, tablets e etc) e meios digitais (softwares, aplicativos, sites, redes sociais e etc), qualquer faixa etária da população deve interagir com essas tecnologias a fim de participar das trocas sociais e de informação no seu meio social. O envelhecimento humano tem características que levam a perdas naturais físicas, cognitivas e sociais. Entre as diversas consequências advindas dessas perdas há a diminuição da rede social do idoso e as dificuldades de renovação ou adaptação às mudanças do seu meio. Dessa forma acreditava-se haver uma dificuldade dos idosos em acompanhar a evolução dos objetos tecnológicos de comunicação de maneira a interferir na manutenção e no aumento das suas relações sociais. Esta pesquisa teve por objetivo levantar o uso de objetos tecnológicos de comunicação pelo segmento dos idosos e responder se esse uso tem alguma relação com a sua socialização. Para isso, foram realizadas: uma revisão bibliográfica sobre o envelhecimento populacional mundial e brasileiro, sobre a relação dos idosos com os objetos tecnológicos, bem como foram levantados e compreendidos os conceitos referentes à socialização pós-moderna; também houve a aplicação de entrevistas semiestruturadas em idosos, a fim de obter uma compreensão qualitativa do público alvo a respeito do uso das tecnologias de comunicação, e um questionário online para quantificar esse uso. Buscou-se, através dessas técnicas, identificar a frequência de uso dos objetos tecnológicos e meios de comunicação, verificar as atividades realizadas e os grupos sociais associados a elas e comparar o comportamento das três faixas de idosos (de 60 a 69, de 70 a 79 e de 80 anos em diante) com o grupo dos mais jovens. Foi possível constatar haver uma relação direta entre o uso da tecnologia e a forma de socialização realizada nos dias de hoje e perceber diferenças comportamentais entre as faixas etárias dos idosos e uma grande proximidade da terceira idade (de 60 a 69 anos) com o grupo dos mais jovens. Esse trabalho contribui para o aprofundamento do conhecimento do perfil comportamental do idoso brasileiro, que diferentemente do senso comum, não apresenta apenas o quadro de perdas e de desesperança com que costuma ser retratado. Hoje o idoso é mais saudável, mais engajado, mais produtivo e busca estar inserido não apenas entre idosos, mas em todos os grupos sociais.
This doctoral thesis entitled Senior citizens, communication technology and socialization originates from the interest of the nowadays changes occurring by the process of human aging. In Brazil it started about 50 years ago, but in contrast with developed countries, these changes occurred in such a high speed that it was difficult to implement public policies, as well as their recognition and the social adjustment of the entire population. The growing of seniors segment and the decrease in birthrate changed the population structure and naturally modified their social interactions. Concurrently to this, the evolution of digital technology has impacted the daily lives of people with continuous innovations and changes in communication interfaces. If communication in postmodern times occurs largely through technological objects (mobile phones, smartphones, desktops, notebooks, tablets, etc.) and digital media (software, applications, websites, social networks, etc.), all population ages must interact with these technologies in order to participate in social and information exchanges within their social environment. Human aging has some characteristics that lead to natural losses such as physical, cognitive and social ones. The elderly social network decrease, the difficulties of its renewal and the adaptation to social environment changes are some of consequences of losses. Thus it was believed that there was a difficulty in the elderly follow the technological evolution of communication objects in order to interfere with maintaining and increasing their social relationships. This research aimed to survey the use of technological communication objects by the segment of the elderly and answer whether this use has something to do with their socialization. For this, a literature review on the Brazilian population aging, the relationship of the elderly with technological objects, and the concepts related to the postmodern socialization were raised and analyzed; also semi-structured interviews with the elderly was conducted, in order to obtain a qualitative understanding of the target audience about the use of communication technologies, and a questionnaire online was applied to quantify this use. These techniques were used to identify the frequency of use of technological objects and communication media, to verify the activities undertaken and the social groups associated to them and to compare the behavior of the three groups of elderly (60-69, 70-79 and above 80) with the younger group. The results showed a direct relationship between the use of technology and the way of socialization held today and it was noticed behavioral differences between the age groups of older people and a close proximity of group of 60-69 years with the younger group. This work contributes to a deeper understanding of the behavioral profile of the Brazilian elderly that, unlike the common sense, does not only characterize the picture of losses and hopelessness that is often portrayed. Today the elderly are healthier, more engaged, more productive and seek to be inserted not only among the older people, but in all social groups.

Doctor of Philosophy
Department of Family Studies and Human Services
Joyce Baptist
Very little research has been conducted to understand how the technology revolution has changed and impacted couple relationships. The proposed study examined the impact of technology on couples in committed relationships through the lens of the couple and technology framework. Specifically, this study used data from 2,826 European couples to examine associations between online boundary crossing, online intrusion, relationship satisfaction, and partner responsiveness. The results suggest that when participants’ reported that their partner checked up on their online activities more frequently that this was linked with lower scores on relationship satisfaction and partner responsiveness. Also, decreased scores for relationship satisfaction and partner responsiveness were associated with increased acceptance for their partner using the Internet to talk with someone attractive about everyday life or pop culture, personal information, and relationship troubles or concerns. Lastly, the results suggest that men, but not women, who reported greater acceptability for online boundary crossing were more likely to have partners who reported lower relationship satisfaction in their relationships. Implications for clinicians, relationship educators, and researchers are discussed.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 21, 2002 / Town & Country Hotel and Conference Center, San Diego, California
This paper presents work being done at NASA/GSFC by the Operating Missions as Nodes on the Internet (OMNI) project to demonstrate the application of Internet communication technologies to space communication. The goal is to provide global addressability and standard network protocols and applications for future space missions. It describes the communication architecture and operations concepts that will be deployed and tested on a Space Shuttle flight in July 2002. This is a NASA Hitchhiker mission called Communication and Navigation Demonstration On Shuttle (CANDOS). The mission will be using a small programmable transceiver mounted in the Shuttle bay that can communicate through NASA’s ground tracking stations as well as NASA’s space relay satellite system. The transceiver includes a processor running the Linux operating system and a standard synchronous serial interface that supports the High-level Data Link Control (HDLC) framing protocol. One of the main goals will be to test the operation of the Mobile IP protocol (RFC 2002) for automatic routing of data as the Shuttle passes from one contact to another. Other protocols to be utilized onboard CANDOS include secure login (SSH), UDP-based reliable file transfer (MDP), and blind commanding using UDP. The paper describes how each of these standard protocols available in the Linux operating system can be used to support communication with a space vehicle. It will discuss how each protocol is suited to support the range of special communication needs of space missions.

The attitudes of preservice teachers towards individuals who are nonvocal and using either a high technology augmentative communication (HAC) device or a low technology communication board were investigated. A rating scale was devised, consisting of three sub-scales. The three sub-scales measured preservice teachers' estimates of intelligence, academic potential, and social acceptance in the regular education setting. Reliability and validity were established through a pilot study. Preservice teachers viewed videotapes of children using either high technology or low technology augmentative communication devices and subsequently completed the rating scale based on the videotapes. Results indicated that preservice teachers perceived the same child as having greater academic and social acceptance potential when using high technology augmentative communication.

Dans les systemes multiprocesseurs, il est indispensable de disposer d'un systeme de communication performant qui ne constitue pas un goulet d'etranglement pour la machine. Etant donne le developpement rapide de nouveaux composants photoniques, notamment des liaisons optiques paralleles point-a-point, il est possible de s'interroger sur l'apport de la photonique au niveau de la bande passante, de la surete de fonctionnement ainsi que sur sa contribution a la diminution des latences d'acces distants dans un environnement multiprocesseur. Apres avoir analyse les limitations des systemes actuels, nous avons etudie les possibilites d'amelioration par l'adjonction de composants photoniques. Les resultats montrent le gain substantiel que procurent des liaisons optiques dans des topologies de dimension un. Le point essentiel des reseaux a faible latence, que nous avons consideres, est d'abandonner le mode de transmission avec stockage et reemission sur chaque noeud, qui ralentit considerablement la progression des paquets, et d'opter pour une transmission internoeud sans stockage local. Cela impose de reconsiderer en particulier les principes actuels de detection/correction d'erreurs et d'introduire une correction au vol. Nous pouvons alors envisager des reseaux photoniques quasitransparents, c'est-a-dire dont le terme preponderant est la latence de propagation dans le reseau. Une premiere etude a ete menee sur une topologie en anneau rompant la chaine photonique par des noeuds electroniques. Cette architecture permet de connecter facilement une centaine de noeuds separes de quelques metres et est caracterisee par une latence intranoeud de quelques nanosecondes. L'identification des paquets, la detection/correction d'erreur et l'injection des nouveaux paquets sont realisees en quelques cycles d'horloge. D'autre part, une etude plus prospective a permis d'envisager l'usage de la photonique pour le transport de l'information a tres haut debit (50 gb/s) et son traitement au niveau de chaque noeud. Un tel dispositif suppose qu'il n'y a pas de rupture dans la chaine photonique et que chaque noeud est place en derivation sur le reseau de communication. Ces travaux ont abouti a une description materielle de ces architectures de communication.

Technological developments have brought at the forefront the virtual communication in the business world. In our day and age it is difficult to find teams in organizations that do not rely in long distance communication even partially. Leaders bear the responsibility to secure quick and smooth transition of information among the members of their teams as well as to foster an environment that promotes trust and fuels motivation. We conducted this exploratory case study using the abductive approach and the qualitative method. Our aim was to gain a better understanding on how the leaders perceive trust and motivation in a virtual communication setting. Therefore, we send out questionnaires to leaders that volunteered to participate in our study and we adopted the pragmatist philosophy in an attempt to provide valuable insights and practical recommendations to leaders that are managing teams in an electronic environment. The results of our study suggest that leaders perceive the long distance communication mediated through technology to be something positive to the success of their teams as they consider it to actually increase efficiency, provide a more straightforward style of communication that enables their followers to take on more responsibility for the results of their work as well as an increase in productivity.

This study presents a theoretical GIS model to investigate the relative impacts of geomorphic and environmental factors that govern the occurrence of landslides on the slopes of Mount Cameroon and its surrounding areas. The study area is located along the Cameroon Volcanic Line (CVL), a major structural feature that originates from the south Atlantic and continues into the continental landmass. The quite frequent seismic activity, geologic character, humid tropical climate and high human pressure on hill slopes are the major factors behind the occurrence of landslides in Mount Cameroon. This paper, therefore, underscores the necessity of in-depth follow-up studies concerned with landslides prevention and management based on the relevance of sufficient reliable field methods in landform geomorphology and interpretation. As much is yet to be done to acquire data for structural and surface geology, hydrology, geomorphic processes and physiography of Mount Cameroon, it is difficult at this point in time to considerably apply suitable methods using GIS that would enable identifying and delineating the landslide-prone areas. In addition, the application of environmental surface monitoring instruments will not be meaningful without a clear presentation of which areas are a cause for concern (given that the employment of any slope stability monitoring and rehabilitation efforts will be only possible after appropriate problem-area identification has been done). Consequently, based on the writer’s previous work in the Mount Cameroon area and available related literature, a methodology using GIS is proposed, which provides the capability to demonstrate how the impact of individual or collective geomorphologic site-specific factors on landslides occurrence could be justified. Considering that digital data may not be readily available, a procedure for the creation of data and analysis of themes is proposed and illustrated. The factors analysis approach in landslides analysis may be cheaper and easier to employ in Mount Cameroon and similar problem regions in developing countries (given that there may be problems of limited financial resources and available expertise in GIS technology and applications). The study underscores and recommends the necessity for a later practical implementation with the availability of adequate resources.

AstraZeneca as a biopharmaceutical company performs clinical trials on human volunteers every day. It is crucial that these participants complete the trial to maximise the medical learning from the trial but also to decrease the cost for AstraZeneca. Dropout's from clinical trials can not be eliminated but as a part of the work that AstraZeneca is doing to reduce dropouts, this thesis investigates the possibility to implement voice control into patient applications. The goal is to increase the usability of the systems used in clinical trials and in return reduce dropouts and increase medical knowledge. This thesis results in a discussion that can be used for future work on this topic. Opportunities that a voice-controlled system brings, together with its limitations are presented and results in a discussion regarding "data ownership". One of the main conclusions is that a voice-controlled system would bring a lot of positive features but that either the technology or the authorities are ready for such a system today. A suggested way forward can be to start trying clinical trials, where free-text responses are used for some questions, instead of fixed responses. This can help show the authorities the benefits of such a system and motivate them to open up for more technology.
AstraZeneca är ett läkemedelsbolag som utför kliniska studier på frivilliga deltagare varje dag. Det är avgörande att deltagarna avslutar studien för att maximera utfallet av medicinsk kunskap men även ur ett kostnadsperspektiv. Den här rapporten undersöker möjligheten att implementera röststyrning i kliniska studier för patienter som en del i arbetet AstraZeneca gör för att minska avhoppen. Målet är att öka användbarheten av systemen som används i kliniska studier idag som i sin tur minskar antalet avhopp och bidrar mer till medicinsk kunskap. Rapporten resulterar i en diskussion som kan användas i ett fortsatt arbete inom ämnet. Möjligheterna som ett röststyrt system medför tillsammans med dess begränsningar presenteras och slutar i en diskussion kring ägandeskap av data. En tydlig slutsats som arbetet resulterar i är att implementationen av ett röststyrt system medför många positiva aspekter men att myndigheterna och teknologin inte har kommit lika långt. Ett föreslaget sätt att fortsätta är att börja testa kliniska studier med frågor där svaret består av fri text istället för svarsalternativ. Resultatet från studien kan då i sin tur användas i diskussion med myndigheterna för att visa på alla positiva följder som ett röststyrt system medför.

Telepresence uses the latest video conferencing technology, with high definition video, surround sound audio, and specially constructed studios, to create a near face-to-face meeting experience. A Fortune 500 company which markets information technology has organizations distributed around the globe, and has extensive collaboration needs among those organizations. Having invested heavily in telepresence technology to assist in the collaboration, the company has experienced a broad range of use among departments, but some departments do not use it at all. The purpose of this research was to study the reasons for widely disparate levels of telepresence use. The research is based upon factors contained in the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and assessed the impact of each upon the use of telepresence technology. The results of the research showed some factors affected telepresence acceptance and use while other factors had little or no effect. Underlying practices and conditions, such as the need to multi-task and to telecommute, impacted the factors. The research provided recommendations for assessing the likelihood of technology adoption before making investments, and for positively influencing adoption.

Today smart phones can be used in different ways for different scenarios. One is video and voice calls over internet, which consumes a lot of energy and could be improved. This thesis studies how different wireless communication technologies affect the battery consumption of a mobile device. This is measured with the help of a software program named EnergyBox. By capturing different traces on a smartphone and giving it as input to Energybox, we can see how different communication methods affect the energy consumption. These results showed that voice calls consumed less energy than video calls and that WiFi was the most energy efficient transmission technology, followed by 3G and LTE. It could also be seen that if the call interval was shortened for the video calls the energy consumption decreased. 3G also showed some interesting results that should be investigated further. The conclusion of this is that voice calls are preferred over video calls considering the energy aspect and that WiFi consumes less energy than 3G, which consumes less than LTE.

Since the fieldâ s inception, Science and Technology Studies (STS) has grappled with the task of creating suitable definitions of the terms â scienceâ and â technology,â but the discourse has become cyclical and unproductive. By focusing on real-world applications of these terms, through a case study of the technology â beatâ at the Chicago Tribune, this research attempts to correct that misstep. At the Tribune, as in other major American newspapers, technology reporters operate within the business section, whereas science reporters are located within the general news section of the paper. Through personal interviews and an examination of science and technology articles, it became clear that reporters see â scienceâ as pure research, whereas â technologyâ signifies the application of that knowledge toward a specific end. Though science and technology reporters cover similar topics, they do so in distinct ways with disparate goals. Moreover, technology journalism is actually more complex than the reporters recognize, as these articles discuss a variety of themes beyond commercial application, including project funding, administration and even research. This thesis illustrates that a disconnect exists between STS scholarship and the world of journalism. If STS scholars desire to remain relevant, they must embrace a stronger interaction with the journalism community. Not only should STS welcome more journalists into its fold, through educational programming and increased dialogue, but STS academics must also participate in the journalistic process themselves, by using their STS perspectives to write provocative articles for the general newspaper reader. Readers â and journalists â would benefit from the critical viewpoint that STS offers, and journalism can challenge and invigorate the scholarship in a way that has been lacking in recent years.
Master of Science

In distance learning, ICT tools are used to bridge the instructional gap caused by physical distance between the lecturer and the student. Therefore, more effective communication tools can help to enhance the success of a distance learning curriculum. Communication barriers such as disconnectedness, conceptual confusion and lack of social pressure to perform, can negatively affect the success of distance learning. Careful design and implementation of contextually appropriate communication tools is vital in a distance learning curriculum. The University of Cape Town (UCT) Conversion Masters in Information Technology (MIT) originally used a tool called Vula for communication between staff and students, as well as student-to-student communication. Vula is UCT's implementation of the Sakai learning management system. Between 2016 and 2018, a major shift was observed in the adoption and use of communication tools within the programme. There was a noticeable decrease in dialogue between students and lecturers on Vula, and an increase in student-to-student communication using WhatsApp. In 2018, the Slack communication tool wasintroduced to the MIT degree with the objective of increasing communication and collaboration between students and lecturers. This study investigates the adoption and use of the three communication tools (Vula, WhatsApp and Slack) within the context of the University of Cape Town MIT programme. The research aims to provide an understanding of communication needs and practice that can inform the design of distance learning programmes and enable them to harness the potential of social communication tool features. The study describes the nature of communication within the UCT MIT degree. The research also explores the functional features of the tools and how they are used, and the frequency of interaction on the various communication platforms within the MIT programme. This is complemented by a survey of current MIT students and their perceptions. The research analysed 2605 communication messages in Vula (UCT's name for the Sakai learning management system), Slack and WhatsApp communication tools over the three-year transition period 2016-2018. Feedback from a student survey, in which 11 respondents completed a questionnaire after an interview, is also presented. Based on questionnaire responses from MIT students, Vula is viewed as the best tool for administrative matters, WhatsApp is preferred for sharing information and checking on peers, and Slack is perceived as best for communication with all types of participants - students, lecturers and tutors. Most respondents rated WhatsApp as accessible, convenient and providing a good experience, while far fewer did so for Vula and Slack. WhatsApp was also seen to be the tool students used to reinforce or follow up on communications posted on the other tools.

On-line social networking and communication services are increasingly popular methods to communicate with friends, family and communities. Statistics shows that users of services like Facebook and Twitter stretches across geographical locations, professions, age groups and habits. Smart mobile devices with Internet connectivity simplifies access to these services at anytime and from almost anywhere. However, the huge amount of user-generated content makes it difficult to identify useful information. A challenge is to create micro-communities where users may join in from heterogeneous social networks using proper user and identity management. The increasing number of social networks and communication services are also creating new challenges in social media content filtering, micro-community discovery, automatic group communication initialization.This licentiate thesis proposes to utilize social graphs for improving group communication. It therefore presents a framework that manages information harnessed from social-networking services and personal devices such as mobile phones and laptops. The framework can identify individual communication patterns and use these to calculate a social strength between users expressed as a weighted social graph.The central component of the framework is a social recommendation engine for social content filtering, group management and communication pattern discovery. The engine harness personalized social data (both content and contact) from the social-networking services and personal devices. The framework also contains methods for social strength calculation based on a unified interaction model that supports communication pattern discovery. A comparison study is presented together with the framework, which evaluates different social strength computation methods based on a simulated interaction dataset. The feasibility of social data collection from social networks and communication services are also discussed to illuminate potential benefits of the framework for the next generation of communication tools (such as mobile video conferencing).Evaluation of the framework is initially done by proof-of-concept prototypes that illustrate functional feasibility. Two prototypes are presented in this thesis, a presence information viewer that filters and prioritizes contacts and a real-time photo sharing application utilizing calendar data for initiation of group communication. In conclusion, improving group communication by offering services for micro-communities, based on our communication habits, personal interests and context (such as activity and location) is technically realistic and feasible.
Godkänd; 2011; 20110217 (mjrana); LICENTIATSEMINARIUM Ämnesområde: Medieteknik/Media Technology Examinator: Professor Arkady Zaslavsky, Institutionen för system- och rymdteknik, Luleå tekniska universitet Diskutant: Professor Mikael Wiberg, Ekonomikum, Uppsala universitet Tid: Torsdag den 24 mars 2011 kl 13.00 Plats: A109, Luleå tekniska universitet

Master of Arts
Department of Communication Studies
Sarah Riforgiate
New technology has changed how people do business. With rapid development of technology, it has been difficult for businesses and organizations to successfully implement technology advancements. This problem has spurred research in the area of technology acceptance. The Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989) is a dominant theory used to explain technology use. Although many researchers have copied, expanded, and altered this model through quantitative research, making it robust, this study will further the model by using qualitative methods to explore how members understand and classify technology use. This study adds to the existing knowledge of computer-mediated communication and technology acceptance by exploring information technology use within a volunteer or not-for-profit organization (NPO). In order to offer a unique perspective to exploring how organizational members understand and adopt new technology, this study employs qualitative methodology to a topic traditionally explored through quantitative surveys and measurements. Research questions specifically consider why organizational members accept or reject new technology and how organizational membership affects technology acceptance. Using the third iteration of the technology acceptance model (TAM 3), data confirm perceived usefulness and perceived ease as determinants of technology acceptance. The influencing factors of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were also confirmed. Two new influencing factors of perceived usefulness emerged in this study: appropriateness and information overload. Also, insight into the role of age and technology adoption calls into question stereotypical misconceptions of technology use and acceptance. Overall, this study confirms and expands on research in the area of technology acceptance.

To meet the purpose of the study, three hypotheses were tested: First, it was predicted there was a relationship between spousal connectedness and personal and spousal ICT (information and communication technology) device usage; second, it was predicted satisfaction with personal or spousal ICT device usage were mediators of the primary relationship between spousal connectedness and ICT device usage; and third, it was expected communication moderated the relationship between spousal connectedness and personal ICT device usage. A representative sample of married adults (n=208) were sampled. Personal and spousal ICT device use, satisfaction with personal and spousal ICT device use, spousal connectedness, and communication were measured and the resulting data analyzed. Regression analyses and path analyses were performed to test the hypotheses. The first and third hypotheses were found to be significant, but the second was not. The negative relationship between personal ICT device use and spousal connectedness indicates that as ICT device use increases, connectedness decreases. Communication, however, was shown to buffer this relationship. Data indicated that the more a person recalled communicating with their spouse, the less prominent was the relationship between their personal ICT device use and spousal connectedness.

Supply chain resilience refers to the capability of a supply chain to both withstand and adapt to unexpected disturbances. In today's turbulent business environment, firms are continually seeking to create more resilience within their supply chain through increased information communication technology use and enhanced business-to-business relationships. The focus of this dissertation is the investigation of how information communication technology creates resilience at the differing process levels of supply chain operations. Past research into information communication technology use within supply chains has often been conducted at the macro-level of supply chain phenomena. As such, there is still much to understand about how decision-makers interact with information communication technology at the micro-level of supply chain decision-making. A more in-depth, broad coverage of this interaction will provide both practitioners and academics a better understanding of how to leverage information communication technology in achieving supply chain resilience. To meet this aim, this dissertation contains three essays that re-orient conceptual thinking about supply chain phenomenon, explore how advances in information communication technology influence business-to-business relationships, and identify how information communication technology effects the decision-making of supply chain managers.

This study critically investigates the concept of “digital Bangladesh” putting it in the wider debates surrounding ICT for Development (ICT4D). The original contribution of this thesis is that it problematizes empowerment in ICT4D approach within the human development paradigm in the context of Bangladesh. The main argument of the thesis is that digital Bangladesh as the local manifestation of ICT for Development is both outcome and facilitator of neoliberal globalization. Another argument is that digital Bangladesh promotes entrepreneurship-oriented personal empowerment which is consistent with the neoliberal ideologies. The thesis involves two types of empirical study: discursive and ethnographic. To be precise, it conducts a critical analysis of the National ICT Policy 2009 with the aim of investigating how digital Bangladesh is discursively constructed by it. The findings of the analysis show that the Policy constructs a positive discourse of digital Bangladesh. Most importantly, parroting ICT4D, the Policy propagates the idea that ICT can bring about progress in all areas of the lives of the citizenry, particularly social equity, education, healthcare and economic growth. The entire National ICT Policy is permeated by technological determinism. On the micro level, ethnographically designed fieldwork was conducted at three telecentres located at three districts. Findings show that the telecentres served predominantly the privileged sections of rural societies (i.e. literate, young men and women), by providing either services based on computer, the Internet and the Web, or computer-education. Peasants and other marginalized populations that form the majority of rural populations were invisible at the centres. Analysed from an empowerment approach based on social power, the findings suggest that the telecentres could hardly bring about empowerment and human development in the lives of the people involved with them in different ways. They at best contributed to the entrepreneurs’ achievement of self-reliance, which is consistent with neoliberalism.

Considering its level of sophistication and complexity communication can be understood as a fundamental characteristic of humankind. Since early times humanity has continued to devise novel techniques and tools to enhance the process of communication and governance procedures. This study explores and analyses developments in internet and communication technology (ICT) in relation to governance procedures in Nigeria. It looks at the rapid expansion of ICT and examines levels of assimilation by the population. This study includes an investigation of the challenges and impediments encountered in the process of the integration of ICT into the fabric of Nigeria’s governance. The data and information gained about ICT is then employed towards the development of a theoretical framework to identify and assess good governance. A mixed method and hermeneutical approach were used in the collection and analysis of data. A survey questionnaire was distributed to 100 selected professionals with varied backgrounds as users or experts regarding communication. Those chosen to receive questionnaires were members of the public and individuals from professional and stakeholder groups in the communication industry. Survey questions addressed the frequency of use of ICT in Nigeria in commonly-cited activities as well as areas of success where future improvement may be identified. The questionnaires provided an overview of the benefits of ICT regarding the developments and challenges confronting the communication industry and governance. This overview formed the basis for semi-structured interview questions and focus group sessions. This thesis demonstrates the interconnectivity between communication and governance and how triangulation and hermeneutics were combined to study ICT use in the context of Nigeria. The results also indicated that in certain population groups and in some economic sectors of government ICT use is rapidly growing. However, the study and theoretical framework illustrate that many opportunities and challenges remain for optimal use of ICT for Nigerian governance procedures.

Background: To be able to live independently, older persons can use technology-based health communication (HC) for support, guidance, and contact with health care professionals within their home environment. Informal caregivers who assist in different situations can also find support in their caring role using technology. The study of mobile technologies is an important research area in gerontechnology. Nevertheless, there is a gap of research in technology-based HC utilized by older persons, including preferences related to cognitive impairment (CI) in a home environment. Aim: The overall aim of the thesis was to define the concept and describe experiences of HC within the home environment from a gerontechnological perspective. The aim of Study I was to identify and construct the meaning of HC from the perspective of older persons in need of care in the home environment and their informal caregivers. The aim of Study II was to describe how older persons with CI experienced technology-based HC through the use of a mobile application in order to facilitate a sense of coherence. Method: This thesis has a naturalistic approach. In Study I, the evolutionary model of concept analysis was used, based on a systematic literature review including 29 studies. In Study II, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 older persons with CI. The transcripts were analyzed with a deductive thematic analysis. Findings: The defining attributes of the concept HC identified in Study I were: Resources of the recipient, Influence on decisions, and Advantages of tailored information. These attributes led to the following descriptive definition of HC: Tailored information, based on needs and resources of the recipient influence care decisions. The findings of Study II resulted in an overall theme: A technology that supports but creates challenges. Further, the analysis yielded the following three themes, with associated subthemes: Making sense of mobile technologies, Mastering mobile technologies, and Added value to use mobile technologies. Conclusion: Technology-based HC utilized by older persons and their informal caregivers within the home environment emphasizes suiting needs, capacity and preferences to be considered useful. Influences of the context, the home environment also needs to be taken into account when developing technology-based HC and mobile technologies for this purpose.

Ineffective communication behavioral constructs in the workplace that lead to information technology (IT) project failure and in some cases organization failure are increasingly becoming a management concern. Despite this trend, there is little research on the communication behavioral constructs that contribute to IT project failure rates. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of business analysts, programmers, and programmer analysts pertaining to the behavioral constructs associated with effective and ineffective communication. The research questions addressed these behaviors from a conceptual framework based on communication theory, organizational information processing theory, and critical social theory. This framework guided data collection using electronic interviews of a snowball sample of social media participants. Data were coded using open and axial techniques, analyzed for themes and patterns, and member checked to bolster trustworthiness. Findings included 10 communication behavioral constructs that influence communication in IT software development teams. Included in the findings were potential options for improving communication among end users, management, programmers, and other employees. Recommendations to improve communication among stakeholders included involvement of the correct stakeholders, clear project requirements, frequent communication, active listening, and feedback. Other recommendations were stakeholder education and training, and knowledge of goals and processes. Implications for positive social change could be realized by using the findings to improve the way communication is addressed, shared, and implemented to reduce IT project failure for stakeholders.

This thesis investigated the use of technology, the benefits this can offer, and the experience of using technology, for individuals with a range of difficulties that impact on their learning. It also explored the benefits of technology for facilitating children to communicate. Paper 1 is a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies exploring the experience of using different types of technology for children, young people and adults with learning difficulties and disabilities. A systematic literature search of nine databases, specific journals and Google Scholar identified 1221 studies, of which ten met inclusion criteria. Noblit and Hare's (1988) meta-ethnographic approach and Britten et al.'s (2002) second- and third-order interpretations were used to synthesise the studies, resulting in three themes and nine sub-themes, and third-order interpretations to inform further research. A model of overarching themes and those unique to people with learning disabilities was developed and clinical implications were discussed. Paper 2 is an empirical paper exploring the comparability of an iPad application (app) assessment tool called This Much! as a response modality for a paper-based health-related quality of life measure. It explored the use of different statistical methods to test agreement between response modalities, including correlation, paired samples t-test, and a recommended approach which is the Bland and Altman method (1986). Finally it explored the acceptability of the iPad app for children. Seventy children aged 5 to 9 years completed the paper and iPad app response modalities in a counter-balanced design and indicated their preference. All children could use the iPad app and the majority understood the questionnaire across both modalities. The two modalities did not show acceptable agreement in total scores, and only the recommended approach to measuring agreement between methods identified this. Fifty seven children (82.6%) reported preferring the iPad format. Paper 3 is an empirical paper that builds on Paper 2, exploring the feasibility of the iPad app response modality with children with special educational needs (SEN). It included 15 children aged 5 to 10 years in mainstream primary schools with a range of SEN. It examined their understanding of the questionnaire, their use of and engagement with the iPad app, their response times to the different subscales, and their views on the iPad app. All children were able to use the iPad app regardless of their level of understanding. It discussed the potential for the iPad app to facilitate assessment with children with SEN in an engaging and accessible way, and some of the difficulties children experienced with this. Paper 4 is a critical reflection on the research process as a whole and on the individual papers described above, in terms of methodology, clinical and research implications, and personal reflections.

This master thesis project took place at Orc Software. This company provides technology for advanced trading, market making, and brokerage. The Orc System is based on a client/server architecture. The ordinary way to communicate with the Orc Server System is via the Orc Client Applications, such as Orc Trader or Orc Broker. Additionally, there is another way to communicate with the Orc Server System without using an Orc Client Application. There is a service within the Orc Server System which provides an interface for communication with the Orc Server System. Clients can communicate via this interface using the Orc Protocol (OP). Banks and brokers usually have different systems that are specialized for different needs. Often there is a need to integrate these systems with the Orc Server. In order to simplify the integration for customers with modest programming experience in TCP/IP and parsing techniques, Orc Software would like to provide an example parser/generator capable of communication with the Orc Server System free of charge. This thesis introduces a toolkit consisting of a parser/generator and a sample application. The application provides several examples as well as serves as verification to the customers of how simple it is to develop their own applications by utilizing the different OP messages. A comparison was made between the newly created OP parser/generator and a manually generated FIX client using the FIX gateway which ORC Software AB also sells. This evaluation shows that OP parser/generator is both faster and less memory demanding than the manually generated FIX client.
Det här examensarbetet är utfört på Orc Software, som utvecklar system för avancerad handel, market making samt mäkleri. Detta system är baserat på en klient/server arkitektur. Normalt sker kommunikationen med Orc Servern via Orc klient applikationer som Orc Trader eller Orc Broker. Men det finns även ytterligare ett sätt att kommunicera med Orc Servern utan att använda Orc klient applikationer. Det finns en tjänst i Orc Servern som tillhandahåller ett gränssnitt som går att kommunicera med genom att använda Orc Protocol (OP) meddelanden. Banker och mäklare har vanligtvis flera olika system som alla är specialiserade för olika behov. Detta gör att det ofta finns ett behov att integrera dessa system med Orc Servern. För att kunna underlätta integrationen för kunder med låga kunskaper i TCP/IP och parsing teknik, vill Orc Software tillhandahålla en gratis parser/genererare som kan kommunicera med Orc Server Systemet. Examensarbetet introducerar ett paket innehållande en parser/genererare och ett exempelprogram. Programmet visar ett par exempel samt fungerar som bekräftelse på hur enkelt det kan vara att utveckla ett eget program som använder sig av del olika OP meddelanden. Avslutningsvis presenteras en utvärderingsstudie mellan den utvecklade parser/generator och en manuellt genererad FIX klient som använder en FIX gateway som Orc Software också säljer. Utvärderingen visar att parser/genereraren är både snabbare och använder mindre minne än FIX klienten.

Le théâtre thérapeutique est une espèce de spectacle vivant qui augmente la sensibilité des participants afin qu’ils puissent améliorer leur habileté à exprimer des émotions et des pensées verbales et gestuelles. Comme genre hybride, il fonctionne de la même manière que le théâtre pour le changement social (TPCS) dans lequel la praxis théâtrale est utilisée pour le changement des participants et des communautés ainsi que pour la promotion du bien-être. Cette pratique (le TPCS) est donc utilisée pour le changement social, mental, et surtout émotionnel. Au cours de ces dernières décennies, ces deux pratiques ont été considérées et traitées distinctement. Contrairement à cette perception historique, cette thèse prétend qu’il existe un paradigme dans lequel ces formes se rejoignent. Appelé théâtre thérapeutique, il est beaucoup plus appliqué au Cameroun dans des communautés. Ce cas hypothétique est examiné sous le titre :« Pour un Développement du Théâtre Thérapeutique au Cameroun :enquête sur sa pratique et sa réception à travers une évaluation de cas. » Trois productions du TPCS/théâtre thérapeutique sont donc utilisées :The Boomerang, Ndop et SOS Village Mbalmayo workshops.

Le cadre théorique convoqué à cet effet est la sémiologie théâtrale telle que vue et énoncée par André Helbo. Développée de la pragmatique, sa sémiologie théâtrale est basée sur l’émission et la réception d’un message dans le spectacle. À cet égard, il existe des fonctions réciproques d’acteurs et de spectateurs dans l’événement théâtral. Ceci signifie que la distinction entre la production et la réception est tout simplement considérée comme une « distinction pédagogique ».

Le langage du théâtre dans sa production et/ou sa réception fonctionne dans un contexte d’expérience sociale partagée. Dans cette perspective, Helbo parle de « codes de spectacle (conventions spécifiquement applicables au spectacle, au genre, à la période historique), de codes généraux (linguistiques, idéologiques/culturels, perceptuels), et de codes mixtes (codes généraux fonctionnant dans un contexte spécifique de spectacle) » .Néanmoins, dans la démarche sémiologique d’Helbo tout comme dans ce travail, le privilège est accordé au dépassement de la division précédemment mentionnée, pour aboutir à ce qu’il nomme « l’énonciation collective » et la « notion d’observateur actant ».

Ces concepts dépassent le modèle de la communication linéaire évoqués par Mounin, pour souligner que les participants dans un phénomène théâtral sont impliqués dans le processus de création collective ou de l’énonciation collective sous des normes culturelles spécifiques. Dans ce processus, l’observateur représente une fonction spécifique, l’une des conditions de l’existence de l’énoncé spectaculaire. La notion de l’observateur actant « raffine considérablement l’analyse de l’identification initiée par Brecht », notion qui a été incorporée ou prolongée dans le théâtre thérapeutique de la même manière que le processus de co-création. Ce qui est central dans l’application de la sémiologie théâtrale dans cette thèse, c’est le postulat selon lequel le destinataire d’aujourd’hui deviendra le destinateur de demain.

À la fin de cette étude, nous montrons (sans chercher une reproduction du modèle occidental), que le théâtre thérapeutique est pratiqué au Cameroun. L’utilisation des techniques théâtrales favorise le bien-être des participants et contribuent au changement à tous les niveaux de la vie. Cette approche est orientée vers la communauté et par conséquent constitue un paradigme thérapeutique à visé communautaire nommé « théâtre communautaire à visé thérapeutique ». Considéré comme tel, ce paradigme peut être utilisé concomitamment dans le cadre de la santé mentale et de la santé communautaire au Cameroun. Dans ce cas, il sert comme une modalité thérapeutique intégrée et établit un lien entre le spectacle vivant, la santé en générale et la santé mentale en particulier.

Therapeutic theatre is an improvisational method of performing arts that heightens participants' sensitivity to improve their ability to communicate feelings and thoughts verbally and by gestures. As a hybrid form, it functions in the same way as theatre for social change (TFSC) wherein theatre praxis is used to change participants or communities and promote wellbeing. TFSC is seen as an articulated intention to use theatre praxis in the service of change (social, mental, and emotional). Tradition has held these practices distinctly for the past decades. This thesis however, contends that despite these historic perceptions, there is a paradigm where these forms, previously viewed as distinctly different, come together in a spectacle that is therapeutic and applied to mental health in hospitals and community settings in Cameroon. This hypothetical case is examined under the general topic: ‘Towards the development of a therapeutic theatre in Cameroon: investigating its practice and reception through a cross-case evaluation.’ This thesis is based on the analysis of three TFSC/therapeutic theatre productions from the same practitioner: The Boomerang, Ndop and SOS Village Mbalmayo workshop productions respectively.

The research is inserted under theoretical considerations of theatre semiology and particularly, André Helbo's semiotic concepts. Developed from pragmatics, this method of theatre semiology focuses on the manner in which a message is sent and received. In this respect, there are reciprocal functions of actor and spectator in the theatrical event. From this, semiology is applied to understand the theatrical phenomenon in its entirety: production and reception. This implies, the division between production and reception is viewed as “a pedagogical distinction” only. Privilege in this thesis therefore is given to the surpassing of the aforementioned division to what he terms “enunciating collective” (co-creation process), and the “notion of the observer actant”.

These concepts go beyond the linear form of communication in theatre evoked by Mounin to highlight that the participants in a theatrical phenomenon are involved in a collective creation process or enunciating collective under specific cultural norms, and the observer represents a specific function, one of the conditions of existence of the performance utterance (l’énoncé spectaculaire). The notion of the observer actant in effect “refines considerably the analysis of identification initiated by Brecht” and which has been incorporated or prolonged in therapeutic theatre in the same way as the process of co-creation. Vital therefore to the application of theatre semiology in this work is the postulate that the theatrical phenomenon is an act of interaction wherein today’s receiver can be transformed into tomorrow’s sender.

At the end of this research, it is proven that without seeking a reproduction of a Western form, "therapeutic theatre" is practised in Cameroon. The utilisation of theatrical techniques fosters participants’ wellbeing and enhance change at all levels. It is community centred thereby constituting a community-based therapeutic paradigm which is named "community-based therapeutic theatre". Understood as such, this paradigm can be used concomitantly in cases of mental and community health in Cameroon. In this case, it serves as an integrated therapeutic modality and bridges the gap that exists in the health domain in general and mental health in particular.

Doctorat en Information et communication
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished