Tesis sobre el tema "Professionnal practices and digital technology"

This study investigates the digital lifeworlds of rural and urban 13- to 18-year old young people in an African, specifically Nigerian, context. Children and young people’s digital lifeworlds and practices with technology in the global North is well researched and documented. By contrast, research focusing on their counterparts, particularly pre-teens’ and teenagers’ digital practices and participation in Africa is still largely limited and exploratory; and the field underdeveloped. This is more so despite the important role played by digital communication technologies in children and young people’s everyday life. Privileging the use of a mixed methods approach, this study conducted 16 focus group discussions with 175 participants and a survey of 380 respondents in public and private schools sampled across two of Nigeria’s major geopolitical zones. Supported by the child-centred approach and the domestication framework by Silverstone, Hirsch and Morley (1992), the study provides a multi-layered portrait of the ways in which Nigerian teens access, understand, work and play with and negotiate the digital technologies that are available to them. The study also broadly pays attention to how young people constitute their digital lives and the role played by contextual dynamics and community networks such as family, school and others. It was found that young people in Nigeria have a considerable access to and are predominantly using mobile phones and the Internet (via the ‘mobile internet’). However, this did not preclude the divides and marginalities between children from dissimilar social backgrounds. Teens’ significant outcomes with technology mostly centre around the need for communication and interaction with friends first, and then family. They also primarily use technology to cultivate and maintain their peer culture, for self-care, dealing with mental wellbeing, and as a critical resource for education and information-seeking. Nigerian children’s digital practices are substantially shaped and at the same time undermined by various mediators or digital gatekeepers. These include parents, teachers, guardians and older adults who are presented mostly as prohibitors and moral panic mongers. Issues such as the absence of digital literacy and skill on the part of the children, their parents and teachers also limit the teens’ agency and digital opportunities and result in unchecked risks such as access to pornography, meeting online with strangers/online grooming, distractions, identity issues/negative role modelling. Moreover, the opportunities and benefits of technology in children’s lives remain precarious, stratified and complex. This study attempts to place children’s digital lifeworlds in its wider socio-spatial context and experience, contributing an important dimension to children’s digital practices, especially as there exists a resonant paucity of and apathy towards research and scholarship in children and media studies in Africa. Techno-shaming children into silence, fear, scepticism, guilt or moral panic is a common, but flawed strategy. Instead, it is suggested that government, schools and families should reconsider the precarious subjective-subordinate and marginalised position of young people and allow them the agency to contribute to decisions relating to their digital lives. Adult decision makers must focus on expanding Nigerian teens’ digital opportunities and rights. There is equally the need to develop resources that might help empower parents, families and adults by providing knowledge of the opportunities and risks of the digital age.

Members of the Kunibídji community are the traditional owners of the lands and seas around Maningrida, a remote community in Arnhem Land in Northern Australia. Kunibídji children speak Ndjébbana as their first language and learn to speak English as a third or fourth language at school. Underpinning this study is a belief that the children have the right to speak their own language and access texts in their own language at home. [...] This study investigated the literacy practices that approximately fifty Kunibídji children enacted in the literacy events with the Ndjébbana talking books. [...] This study found that Kunibídji children had a desire to access the Ndjébbana talking books, a will to participate in the literacy events and the capacity to be critical about these literacy events at home.<br>Doctor of Philosophy

BIM (Building Information Modeling) is a new radically different emerging approach to design, construction and facilities management. BIM promises to better facilitate the building development, construction and building operation. In this thesis the domain of small architectural practices is considered and how BIM can be implemented to address the problems both of operational and product efficiency and effectiveness. Research has indicated that guidance on how small architectural practices should implement BIM is lacking (Jung et al 2010). This lack of guidance is one of the reasons why small architectural practices are disinclined to adopt BIM. There is a growing need for more knowledge on how BIM technology and processes can be and should be adopted and what happens when BIM technologies and processes are implemented and used in the practice of architecture. The aim of this thesis is to develop a BIM implementation strategy framework for small architectural practices. To identify of the problems and issues of BIM implementation in a small architectural practice, a two years of case study using action research was undertaken. This involved instigating, participating and observing the implementation of BIM within a small architectural practice. Both the internal and external benefits to the architectural practice were considered. The findings of this BIM implementation research were then recorded and reviewed providing a structured approach to BIM implementation. From this process of review and reflection a revised improved framework and suggested methods for BIM adoption was developed and documented. At each stage of the BIM implementation recommendations are made. The research was undertaken as part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership between the University of Salford, John McCall Architects (a small architectural practice) and the researcher and author of this thesis. Though being actively involved in the BIM implementation it was possible to understand the issues and document the actions that were taken as part of the BIM adoption. The major limitation of this research is the focus on a single company as the source of evidence and research. This enhanced BIM implementation framework and the suggested working methods represents the primary contribution to knowledge made by this thesis. This framework should be of value to other small architectural practices embarking on BIM implementation.

nÃo hÃ<br>The use of technological resources in education becomes ever more present. With this, new educational practices are designed to achieve a major goal of the school which is to teach literacy and letter. This paper presents the study of Technological Artifacts and Virtual Digital (ATVD) that, through the use of technologies in education, enable different educational literacy practices. We search for research by understanding how educational practices, from the use of virtual and digital technological artifacts can contribute to literacy, which, consequently, will be digital. However, our goal is to investigate the contributions of these artifacts to the literacy practices. On the path followed to answer the research question we draw the following specific objects Sort virtual and digital technological artifacts that can contribute to literacy; investigate which aspects of teaching with the use of virtual technological artifacts in digital literacy actions; Investigate possibilities and limitations of virtual technological artifacts in digital literacy actions under the vision of teachers. From the study of conceptual categories: virtual and digital technological artifacts, educational practices, literacy and digital literacy, as well as exploration of the field of research that will be the Internet. We will conduct a search through the virtual ethnography methodology for the analysis of research data and selection of artifacts that will be understood by observing and open to meet the educational practices developed that could serve as an example and encouragement to the literacy process questionnaires. The daily digital field was divided into three categories: blogs, software and video channels. Each with five representations that are closer to the subject. From the questionnaires it was possible to open educational practices developed by teachers, and know what artifacts to use literacy skills and what think they need to have to use these features. The surveys conducted enable us to understand that cyberspace and its artifacts have yet been little explored in order to publicize the actions of literacies developed by schools. Teachers recognize the importance of using these artifacts and that also require continuing education to perform meaningful work.<br>O uso de recursos tecnolÃgicos na educaÃÃo se faz cada vez mais presente. Com isso novas prÃticas educativas sÃo desenvolvidas para alcanÃar um dos principais objetivos da escola, que à alfabetizar e letrar. Este trabalho traz o estudo dos Artefatos TecnolÃgicos Virtuais e Digitais (ATVD) que, por meio do uso das tecnologias na educaÃÃo, possibilitam prÃticas educativas de letramento. Tem-se por investigaÃÃo a busca pela compreensÃo de como as prÃticas educativas, com o uso dos artefatos tecnolÃgicos virtuais e digitais, podem contribuir para o letramento, que, consequentemente, serà digital. O objetivo, contudo à investigar as contribuiÃÃes desses artefatos para as prÃticas de letramento. No caminho percorrido para responder à questÃo de pesquisa, foram traÃados os seguintes objetos especÃficos: classificar os artefatos tecnolÃgicos virtuais e digitais que podem contribuir para o letramento; investigar aspectos do ensino com o uso de artefatos tecnolÃgicos virtuais e digitais nas aÃÃes de letramento e averiguar possibilidades e limitaÃÃes dos artefatos tecnolÃgicos virtuais e digitais nas aÃÃes de letramento sob a visÃo dos professores. Com base no estudo das categorias conceituais: artefatos tecnolÃgicos virtuais e digitais, prÃticas educativas, letramento e letramento digital, bem como a exploraÃÃo do campo de pesquisa que serà a Internet realizar-se-à uma pesquisa por intermÃdio da metodologia etnografia virtual para o levantamento dos dados da pesquisa e seleÃÃo dos artefatos que serÃo compreendidos mediante da observaÃÃo e questionÃrios abertos para conhecer as prÃticas educativas desenvolvidas, que poderÃo servir de exemplo e incentivo ao processo de letramento. O diÃrio de campo digital foi dividido em trÃs categorias: âblogsâ, âsoftwaresâ e canais de vÃdeos. Cada uma delas tem cinco representaÃÃes que mais se aproximam da temÃtica. Com base nos questionÃrios abertos, foi possÃvel conhecer as prÃticas educativas desenvolvidas pelas professoras, quais artefatos conhecem e utilizam para o letramento e quais competÃncias acham que precisam ter para utilizar esses recursos. Os levantamentos realizaram nos permitem compreender que o ciberespaÃo e seus artefatos ainda sÃo pouco explorados para divulgar as aÃÃes de letramentos desenvolvidas pelas escolas. Os professores reconhecem a importÃncia de se utilizar esses artefatos e entendem que tambÃm necessitam de formaÃÃo continuada para realizar um trabalho significativo.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD<br>Micro-teaching provides a framework for teachers’ professional development with emphasis on the teach and re-teach cycle as a practical procedure for the development of micro-teaching skills. One fundamental element in this teach and re-teach cycle is the use of digital technology tools as a recording device which may help aid the understanding and application of micro-teaching skills. This study explores micro-teaching skills with the use of digital technology (cell phone) in B.Ed. programmes at a Western Cape university. The study aims to merge the past and present strategies to initiate the development of a simple model to improve micro-teaching methodology using a simple and mostly available digital technology tool which can allow for self-evaluation and personal reflection. The study seeks to investigate how a digital technology, through a cell phone, can guide practical learning to support pre-service teachers in the micro-teaching presentation. The underpinning theories that frame this study were Vygotsky’s Socio-cultural Theory, Bandura’s Social Learning Theory and Mishra & Koehler’s Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) Theory. These theories emphasize social interactions, modelling and the use of technological tools as a significant aspect of skills development. The combination of these theories informs the conceptually developed knowledge acquisition, knowledge construction and the implementation with technology (KACIT) model with the aim to encourage the construction and implementation of micro-teaching knowledge with available digital technology tools. The study employs a sequential explanatory design, using a case study approach, which draws on both quantitative and qualitative methods as sources of data collection. The quantitative procedure adopted video recording as a form of data collection, using a conceptually developed teaching skills rubric, with a three level Likert-scale rating. SPSS version 25 was used to get the aggregated descriptive statistical values of each teaching skill. The qualitative procedure employed unstructured interviews, lesson plan observation, and thematic and content analysis was used to interpret and analyse the interviews and lesson plans respectively. The sample size of this study is drawn from the B.Ed. students in the Faculty of Education at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). Two hundred and sixteen (216) participants were involved in the quantitative data collection phase, while the qualitative data collection phase consisted of twelve (12) participants for the focus group discussion, five (5) school-based supervisors, five (5) pre-service teachers and (5) five lesson plans from the students-portfolio documents. The findings attest to the general context of micro-teaching as a strategy for developing pre-service teachers‟ teaching skills. It further highlights the high theoretical knowledge levels of micro-teaching of the B.Ed. students, and the relative lack of practical knowledge of micro-teaching of the students. In addition, the findings reveal the high technological knowledge levels of the participants and the need to deepen the professional knowledge of the B.Ed. students along the lines of authentic teaching experiences within the university environment. As part of the recommendations, the study emphasises the use of a digital video platform as a complementary strategy and as a form of reflective practice in micro-teaching presentations. Importantly, the study further recommends that the Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications (MRTEQ) policy document, on the knowledge mixes for teaching competences in terms of the observation outcome, should be re-considered with a clear guideline for South African universities to have a uniform framework and a clear picture of its implementation.

In the last few decades Creative Industries (CIs) have been gaining ground as an important topic in academic and political agendas. CIs have their origin in creativity and individual talent to produce content, services or products with symbolic value, e.g. design, music, video games, among other sectors. The rationale in grouping these rather diverse activities together was said to be that individual creativity and intellectual capital were the primary drivers for these sectors. Moreover, digital technologies play an important role as they provide new forms of expressions of creativity (such as in music, movies or video games). In the academic literature, these activities have been widely studied as new industries in developed countries. Nevertheless, there is a gap with regards to studying their innovation processes. After conducting the literature review (second chapter), I argue that research on creative industries has analyzed innovation from different perspectives but in a separate way, without in-depth analysis of their innovation process. Furthermore, the role of new digital technologies in the innovation process has not been analyzed, which play a major role in these industries. In this regard, this doctoral thesis aims to contribute to the literature by exploring different topics of the innovation process in creative industries from the perspective of the use of new technologies (technological change) and the emergence of new practices (organizational change). The case of the mobile games sector (i.e. games to be played on portable devices) has been used as study context. In pursuit of the objective, it is proposed a compendium of four articles corresponding to the central chapters of this thesis. The first article (Chapter 2) is a literature review. In this paper, the existing innovation process literature in creative sectors is reviewed, and a theoretical model for the entire innovation process is proposed. In essence, it explains how innovation occurs and what managerial practices are commonly used. Based on the proposal, an agenda for future research is presented. The research agenda leads us to focus on the second paper (Chapter 3) on the innovation process in a specific creative sector, mobile games, and new practices that have been introduced due to technological and market changes. Based on a qualitative approach of 14 case studies, the paper proposes a data-driven innovation process model. This model explains how mobile companies explore, develop and commercialize new products/services in an iterative way, and the role of technological and market changes on the emergence of this model. The Chapter 4 presents an exploratory study on how digital platforms, as internet technologies, have changed and introduced new innovation practices. Using qualitative data from 50 interviews with professional, the results show that digital platforms have introduced some practices such as a creation process in real time, and they have reorganized others, such as internal structures. This research aims to contribute to the literature by improving the knowledge on how technologies change managerial practices (in this case the innovation process) and organizations. The last paper (Chapter 5) presents an inductive study on how hackathons, as new innovation and collaborative practices, contribute to innovation in large organizations. Drawing on a single case of a large company from a creative sector (mobile games), and based on analytical interviews and non-participant observation, the results suggest that hackathons contribute by promoting exploration activities, and by enhancing some preconditions for innovation, such as attracting talent. This paper aims to contribute to the existing research on new innovation practices by positioning the results in innovation literature. Finally, the conclusions section (Chapter 6) reflects on the results obtained and it presents some future research lines to continue developing the creative industry and innovation process literature.

In this dissertation, I present the findings from a qualitative case study of the digital literacy integration of a teacher and the digital literacy practices of three students with literacy-related learning difficulties within her classroom. As a researcher, I was interested in the ways students with literacy- related learning difficulties navigated digital tools in a technology-infused environment created by a teacher who has experience using digital tools for instructional and student-learning purposes. My research was guided by the following questions: (1) What was the context, content, and structure of the teacher’s technology instruction? (2) In what ways did the students use technological tools? (3) How did students with reading difficulties compose during digital literacy events? The data for this case study included classroom observations, interviews, field notes, work samples, and lesson plans. Through the use of both inductive (Phase I and II) and a priori (Phase III) analysis, the data highlight several important findings to inform the research questions: (a) Knowledge of Technology Does Not Ensure Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (b) Students with Reading Difficulties Still Have Difficulty with Reading Despite Technology Integration and (c) Change in Writing Tool (technology) does not Guarantee Change in Writing Performance.

Distribution through electronic media provides an avenue for promotion, recognition and an outlet of display for graphic designers. The emergence of available media technologies have enabled graphic designers to extend these boundaries of their practice. In this context the designer is constantly striving for aesthetic success and is strongly influenced by the fashion and trends of contemporary design work. The designer is always in a state of inquiry, finding pathways of discovery that lead to innovation and originality that are highly valued criteria for self-evaluation. This research is based on an analysis of the designer perspective and the processes used within an active graphic design practice specializing entirely within a digital collage domain. Contemporary design methodologies were critically examined, compared and refined to reflect the self-practice of the researcher. The refined methodology may assist designers in maintaining systematic work practices, as well as promote the importance of exploration and experimentation processes. Research findings indicate some differences in the identified methodologies and the design practice of the researcher in the sense that many contemporary designers are not confined to a client-base but are self-generating design images influenced by contemporary practitioners. As well as confirming some aspects of more conventional design processes, the researcher found that accidental discoveries and the designer’s interaction with technology plays a significant part in the design process.

Advancements in virtual reality (VR) have facilitated a new drawing experience for digital artists. These have provided the experience for artists to have an embodied human-computer interaction (HCI) while drawing. This project focuses on exploring and understanding how analogue life drawing practices can be redefined in the digital realm of virtual reality. In this practice-led project, the analogue life drawing creative practice is the foundation for making immersive drawing artworks in the virtual environment. This is alongside theoretical research into aesthetic experience, embodiment, disembodiment and presence in conjunction with conducting semi-structured interviews to understand other drawing practitioner experiences with immersive drawing.

Limited research has focused on the knowledge, beliefs, and professional practices of elementary educators related to digital citizenship. The purpose of this study was to identify elementary educators' knowledge and beliefs about digital citizenship, as well as understand their plans and implemented practices, supports, and barriers related to digital citizenship instruction. This study was grounded in Mezirow's theory of transformative learning, Siemen's theory of connectivism, and Ribble's concept of digital citizenship. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data collected from an original survey instrument developed from the literature by the researcher. Participants were recruited using publicly accessible email addresses and the monthly newsletter from Hawaii Society for Technology Education; a total of 74 educators completed the survey. All educators in the district who met the demographic criteria of working at the elementary level as a teacher, curriculum coordinator, or technology coordinator were welcome to participate in the study. Data were analyzed for frequencies and percentages to develop generalized statements about the population. The results indicated, on average, that educators rated themselves with high knowledge and beliefs about digital citizenship concepts with the exception of digital law. Additionally, correlational analysis revealed schools with greater adoption rates of 1:1 technology-device integration had a significant impact on professional practices in digital citizenship implementation and overall instructional practices. This research study contributes to positive social change by helping educational leaders identify what is needed to support educators in teaching with digital citizenship, and especially in supporting those educators in schools which are further behind in adopting 1:1 technology integration.

<p> The accelerated growth of 1:1 educational computing initiatives has challenged digital equity with a three-tiered, socioeconomic digital divide: (a) access, (b) higher order uses, and (c) user empowerment and personalization. As the access gap has been closing, the exponential increase of 1:1 devices threatens to widen the second and third digital divides. Using critical theory, specifically, critical theory of technology and critical pedagogy, and a qualitative case study design, this research explored the experiences of a middle school categorized under California criteria as &ldquo;socioeconomically disadvantaged&rdquo;. This study contributes to critical theory on technology within an educational setting, as well as provides voice to the experiences of teachers and students with economic disadvantages experiencing the phenomena of 1:1 computing.</p><p> Using observational, interview, and school document data, this study asked the question: To what extent do 1:1 technology integration uses and associated pedagogical practices foster <i>Margins of Maneuver</i> in an eighth grade comprised of a student population that is predominantly economically disadvantaged? Probing two key markers of Margins of Maneuver, student agency and participation, the study found: (a) a technology-enhanced learning culture; (b) a teacher shift to facilitator roles; (c) instances of engaged, experiential, and inquiry learning and higher order technology uses; (d) in-progress efforts to strengthen student voice and self-identity. Accompanying the progress in narrowing economically based digital divides, the data also demonstrated some tension with the <i>knowledge economy. </i> Nevertheless, sufficient margins existed, associated with one-to-one uses and practices, to result in micro-resistances characterized by assertion of student agency and democratization potential.</p><p>

<p> The objectives of this study were to gain an understanding of how practicing teachers believe they are prepared to meaningfully and critically integrate technology into their classroom practices; and to understand how practicing teachers recruited those beliefs into their teaching practices. This included gaining an understanding of what they believed led to their engagement in the critical dimensions of technology use in their teaching practices. This mixed-methods study contained two phases. In Phase 1, 58 graduate students in a College of Education completed a newly developed Critical Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (C-TPACK) survey containing likert-scale and open-ended questions. A subset of four graduate students, who were also practicing teachers, participated in Phase 2 of this study where lesson plans, observations, and interviews were analyzed. The findings indicated that limited training in and exposure to C-TPACK during teacher education coursework and professional development (PD), uncertainty about students&rsquo; critical digital literacies (CDL), the teachers&rsquo; varying understandings of CDL, resource limitations and restrictive school policies posed barriers for the teachers&rsquo; recruitment of CTPACK to their practices. These findings showed the importance of tying critical theory to technology in education coursework and PD programs. This study proposes the use of a theoretical framework that prioritizes critical theory, namely the C-TPACK framework, when analyzing teachers&rsquo; technology integration practices. KEYWORDS: TPACK, C-TPACK, critical digital literacy, digital literacy, teacher education, professional development </p><p>

<p> Autobiographical digital storytelling (DST) is a burgeoning multiliteracy practice in in- and out-of-school spaces. Recently, education researchers have explored DST's potential as a robust critical literacy tool for non-dominant youth to tell agentic counter narratives. A less explored area of youth DST practices relates to how authors account for audience (local and macro discourse) when composing digital autobiographies. Using feminist poststructural theory as a heuristic and analytical tool, I investigated the varying discourses youth authors engaged throughout their processes and products related to autobiographical DST. </p><p> The ethnographic data for this dissertation were collected in an English Language Arts high school classroom, African American Literature, over the course of four months across fall semester 2012. The three case study findings chapters illustrate three non-dominant students' approaches to negotiating their subjectivity within the school context across multiple school spaces. The findings from this study complicate notions of agency; namely the case studies demonstrate how diverse youth of color negotiated multiple and competing discourses when narrating stories of the self in relation to a perceived peer audience. More specifically, each case provides a detailed analysis of how Darius, Malcolm, and Gabriel, negotiated local and macro discourses related to Black masculinity, salient intersecting subjectivities for each. </p><p> This study holds theoretical implications in establishing the importance of using poststructural feminist theories in combination with Critical Discourse Analysis of student processes and produced related to autobiographical storytelling by way of detecting the complex power relations youth navigate within the school context. Moreover, this study reports important implications regarding the utility of digital storytelling as a culturally responsive, multimodal, critical literacy practice that affords youth opportunities to draw on personally and culturally meaningful discourses (e.g., hip-hip music) as they compose digital representations in relation to local and macro discourse. Additionally, implications for English Language Arts practice encourage future examination of how youth author's attentiveness to peer audience discourse demonstrate students' facilities in composing narratives in relation to audience.</p>

The purpose of this study was to examine the practices and perceptions of professors of reading education in the issues surrounding teaching reading and learning with digital media. This study aimed to understand the strategies and thoughts of a select group of professors of reading education as they worked with pre-service teachers in preparing them to meet the needs' of their future students. The four respondents that participated in this inquiry were professors of reading education at various California Universities. The guiding research question was stated as: What are the issues surrounding the teaching and learning of reading through digital media? Two sub-questions were also posed: What strategies and practices are reading educators using in teaching reading education with traditional and digital media? In what ways are reading educators connecting traditional and digital literacy skills? Multiple case study methodology was used to acquire various perspectives on the issues of teaching and learning through digital media. From the four cross-case analyses of interviews, documentation, and observations, four themes and an overarching theme emerged depicting the issues educators are discovering with digital media. Reading competency is driven by intrinsic motivation. Current practices which neglect "real-world" reading are producing student who know how to read, but do not have the desire to read. The pressures to conform to educational mandates has created a disconnect between "good teaching" strategies and mandated school district requirements. The use of updated practices utilizing digital media is tempered by the current knowledge and self-efficacy of professors of reading education, as well as, the inconsistent availability and/or limited technological accessibility. These four themes acted as the foundation in support of the culminating theme. The overarching theme indicated that meeting the needs of today's students by looking at education through a new lens and gaining tools and strategies for the 21st century is imperative. Since the professor of reading educations' knowledge and self-efficacy is essential in the process of integrating digital media, the respondents themselves are transforming the practices and perceptions of educators. Thus, professors of reading education are change agents in their own practices, Universities, surrounding schools and the community. Based on the results of this study, implications for practice and recommendations for further research are suggested.

In the digitally mediated world that we live in, self-tracking and monitoring technologies have been observed to become part of the various realms of our social lives, shaping and even disturbing relations that we take part in. This thesis has sought to explore how tensions emerge between digital tracking technologies, players and other human members of an elite football team and, thus, to address how those tensions are dealt with. By applying the ethnographic research methodology and adopting the theoretical framework of Actor-Network Theory (ANT), the study has pursued to investigate how the technologies participate in the players’ everyday practices as well as how the players navigate between the expertise of different human and non-human sources in the team. The results indicate that the involvement of tracking technologies can increase the possibility of tensions to arise between different participants in a network such as the studied football team. To deal with these tensions, this thesis has contributed with a prototype of a system around a player monitoring technology. It suggests roles, relations, factors and actions in order to enhance the understanding among those who manage such a technology, helping them to acknowledge and overcome possible tensions in the social process of tracking a football team. This service blueprint is constructed through co-design workshops together with the player participants.

In recent years, the position of (post-)millennial girls and young women within the digital landscape of social media has proven to be a topic of much interest to a number of feminists, journalists and cultural commentators. On the one hand, girls’ (social) media practices are presented as a key site of concern, wherein new digital technologies are said to have produced an intensification of individualized, neoliberal and post-feminist identities. At the same time, others have championed access to social media for young people as a revolutionary political tool, wherein previously marginalised political subjects (such as girls) can access and participate within new and exciting political cultures. This thesis offers an original contribution to these debates by locating itself at the intersection of these two approaches and examining the role of social media in the production of girls’ cultural and political identities. I present my findings from focus groups carried out with girls (aged 12-18) in three urban locations in England. This data is organised around the three overriding themes of space, surveillance and visibility. Ultimately, the thesis argues that social media should be conceptualised as an important terrain upon which neoliberal and postfeminist subjectivities can be both reproduced and subverted.

<p> Changes in the field of education require teachers&rsquo; acquisition of specific knowledge of technology and the skills of its effective use in the classroom. With the expansion of the traditional classroom to include virtual learning environments, concern still exists regarding characteristics necessary for quality teaching and learning.</p><p> This research is an examination of pre-service teachers&rsquo; needs relevant to integrating technology in an online learning environment. It is a first step toward acknowledging the responsibility teacher preparation programs have in the formation of educators equipped to instruct in dual learning environments, thus providing pre-service teachers with opportunities and experiences to become fluent in the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) required for online learning environments as well as the traditional face-to-face instruction. </p><p> The purpose of this study was to determine if active engagement with content of an online instruction module would affect the attitudes, knowledge and skills, and instructional centeredness of pre-service teachers&rsquo; towards technology integration in an online learning environment. A mixed-methods concurrent triangulation design procedure was utilized to measure characteristics of pre-service teachers in a teacher preparation program. A two-way within-subjects analysis of variance was conducted to evaluate the effect of engagement with the content of the online instruction module for all three domains. Participants began the intervention with limited knowledge and skills of technology integration and online learning environments; however, they made statistically significant gains upon completion of the intervention. The implementation of an intervention such as this online instruction module may support other teacher preparation programs in identifying strengths and weaknesses of their pre-service teachers and provide valuable information necessary to guide program goals.</p>

What are the information practices of teen content creators? In the United States over two thirds of teens have participated in creating and sharing content in online communities that are developed for the purpose of allowing users to be producers of content. This study investigates how teens participating in digital participatory communities find and use information as well as how they experience the information. From this investigation emerged a model of their information practices while creating and sharing content such as film-making, visual art work, story telling, music, programming, and web site design in digital participatory communities. The research uses grounded theory methodology in a social constructionist framework to investigate the research problem: what are the information practices of teen content creators? Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews and observation of teen’s digital communities. Analysis occurred concurrently with data collection, and the principle of constant comparison was applied in analysis. As findings were constructed from the data, additional data was collected until a substantive theory was constructed and no new information emerged from data collection. The theory that was constructed from the data describes five information practices of teen content creators. The five information practices are learning community, negotiating aesthetic, negotiating control, negotiating capacity, and representing knowledge. In describing the five information practices there are three necessary descriptive components, the community of practice, the experiences of information and the information actions. The experiences of information include information as participation, inspiration, collaboration, process, and artifact. Information actions include activities that occur in the categories of gathering, thinking and creating. The experiences of information and information actions intersect in the information practices, which are situated within the specific community of practice, such as a digital participatory community. Finally, the information practices interact and build upon one another and this is represented in a graphic model and explanation.

Cette recherche interroge les pratiques d'écoute musicale des adolescents en régime numérique. Depuis la « démocratisation » des voies d'accès illégales (Napster, KazAa, eMule, et aujourd'hui le convertisseur YouTube) et l'avènement du numérique (abonnements téléphoniques et ADSL, taux d'équipements), les modes de production et de consommation de la musique se trouvent bouleversées. Nous appuyant sur une ethnographie (combinant entretiens compréhensifs et observation participante) menée auprès d'adolescents, notre objectif est de comprendre comment la musique peut faire sens dans leur quotidien. Nous avons cherché à comprendre de quelles manières la musique, à l'ère du numérique, participe des phénomènes de construction identitaire – à la fois individuelle, mais aussi sociale et générationnelle –, ainsi que de la structuration des univers culturels des adolescents. Questionnant les usages et les ergonomies des équipements, cette étude brosse un portrait des différentes situations d'écoute en fonction des éléments pragmatiques et contextuels. La méthodologie qualitative que nous avons choisie a permis de faire émerger les médiations au sein de la cellule familiale entre frères et sœurs et entre parents et enfants, révélant la fonction phatique de la musique, dont le numérique se fait le support<br>This research examines the music listening practices of teenagers in a digital era. Production and receptions modes as well as the music itself have deeply changed since the “democratisation” of the illegal ways to access music (Napster, KazAa, eMule, and even now the YouTube converter) and the advent of the digital technologies (phone subscriptions and ADSL, household penetration rates of computers). Based on an ethnography of adolescents (combining comprehensive interviews with participant observation), we aim to understand how music makes sense in their everyday lives. We have thus tried to understand in what ways music, in the digital era, contributes to the phenomena of identity construction - individual, but also social and generational - as well as to the configuration of teenagers’ cultural worlds. Questioning the ergonomics and uses of devices, this study depicts different listening situations in accordance with pragmatic and contextual elements. The qualitative methodology that we have chosen enabled us to highlight the mediations in the family unit between brothers and sisters and between parents and children, which revealed the phatic expression of the music supported by digital technology

Ce travail de réflexion a pour objectif d’appréhender les pratiques managériales, pédagogiques et communicationnelles mises en place par les professeurs documentalistes afin de créer des liens entre CDI physique et CDI numérique. Pour cela, nous avons procédé à une enquête de terrain, sur la Région PACA, auprès de 41 professeurs documentalistes, soit 39 CDI de collège ou lycée général. Notre investigation est structurée en deux phases successives : un questionnaire exploratoire suivi d’un entretien semi-directif. Le matériau ainsi constitué a été analysé « épisode par épisode », relatant les moments importants pour les acteurs : ceux qui relèvent de la routine et ceux qui apparaissent inhabituels. Nous avons comparé le sens des paroles relavant les logiques récurrentes pour isoler les tendances conjoncturelles spécifiques à certains établissements procédant donc à un double niveau. Les professeurs documentalistes s’approprient le numérique en fonction de leurs envies, leurs possibilités et les moyens à leur disposition en l’absence de réelles prescriptions. Ils sont aussi contraints par le CDI, espace physique dont ils dépendent. Les études actuelles s’intéressent à l’espace documentaire scolaire dans ses aspects purement pédagogiques ou numériques mais peu relient directement les deux. Par conséquent, comment le professeur documentaliste tiraillé entre injonctions institutionnelles et besoins professionnels spécifiques peut-il proposer un service qui réponde réellement et efficacement aux usagers dans son organisation globale ?<br>This thinking process aims at perceiving the managerial, pedagogical and communication practices introduced by the school librarians in order to create links between the material and the digital school libraries. To the end, we have proceeded with a field survey in the south east of France : 41 school librarians (39 secondary school librarians and 2 high school librarians). Our investigation is organized in two successive periods : an exporatory study followed by a semi-structured interview. The established data has been analysed « step by step », relating the important moments of the participants : those which prove the routine and those which seem unusual. We have compared the words meaning, selecting the reccuring rationales in order to define the conjonctural and particular trends in some schools, leading to a double level. The school librarians appropriate digital tools according to their needs, possibilities and resources in absence of regulatory requirements. They are also constrainted by the school libraries, real documentary spaces they depend on. The current studies are interested in the purely pedagogical or digital aspects but they rarely connect the two facets. Therefore, how may the school librarian, torn between the institutional ordinances and the particular professional necessity, offer a service that could really and efficiently respond to the needs of the users considering its general management ?

SANTIAGO, Larisse Barreira de Macedo. O uso dos artefatos tecnológicos virtuais e digitais nas práticas educativas de letramento. 2014. 94f. – Dissertação (Mestrado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação Brasileira, Fortaleza (CE), 2014.<br>Submitted by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2014-04-28T13:04:55Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2014-DIS-LBMSANTIAGO.pdf: 1389911 bytes, checksum: 00f6ca53e0639a69db79a0aed1a872bf (MD5)<br>Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo(marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2014-04-28T14:23:17Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2014-DIS-LBMSANTIAGO.pdf: 1389911 bytes, checksum: 00f6ca53e0639a69db79a0aed1a872bf (MD5)<br>Made available in DSpace on 2014-04-28T14:23:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2014-DIS-LBMSANTIAGO.pdf: 1389911 bytes, checksum: 00f6ca53e0639a69db79a0aed1a872bf (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014<br>The use of technological resources in education becomes ever more present. With this, new educational practices are designed to achieve a major goal of the school which is to teach literacy and letter. This paper presents the study of Technological Artifacts and Virtual Digital (ATVD) that, through the use of technologies in education, enable different educational literacy practices. We search for research by understanding how educational practices, from the use of virtual and digital technological artifacts can contribute to literacy, which, consequently, will be digital. However, our goal is to investigate the contributions of these artifacts to the literacy practices. On the path followed to answer the research question we draw the following specific objects Sort virtual and digital technological artifacts that can contribute to literacy; investigate which aspects of teaching with the use of virtual technological artifacts in digital literacy actions; Investigate possibilities and limitations of virtual technological artifacts in digital literacy actions under the vision of teachers. From the study of conceptual categories: virtual and digital technological artifacts, educational practices, literacy and digital literacy, as well as exploration of the field of research that will be the Internet. We will conduct a search through the virtual ethnography methodology for the analysis of research data and selection of artifacts that will be understood by observing and open to meet the educational practices developed that could serve as an example and encouragement to the literacy process questionnaires. The daily digital field was divided into three categories: blogs, software and video channels. Each with five representations that are closer to the subject. From the questionnaires it was possible to open educational practices developed by teachers, and know what artifacts to use literacy skills and what think they need to have to use these features. The surveys conducted enable us to understand that cyberspace and its artifacts have yet been little explored in order to publicize the actions of literacies developed by schools. Teachers recognize the importance of using these artifacts and that also require continuing education to perform meaningful work.<br>O uso de recursos tecnológicos na educação se faz cada vez mais presente. Com isso novas práticas educativas são desenvolvidas para alcançar um dos principais objetivos da escola, que é alfabetizar e letrar. Este trabalho traz o estudo dos Artefatos Tecnológicos Virtuais e Digitais (ATVD) que, por meio do uso das tecnologias na educação, possibilitam práticas educativas de letramento. Tem-se por investigação a busca pela compreensão de como as práticas educativas, com o uso dos artefatos tecnológicos virtuais e digitais, podem contribuir para o letramento, que, consequentemente, será digital. O objetivo, contudo é investigar as contribuições desses artefatos para as práticas de letramento. No caminho percorrido para responder à questão de pesquisa, foram traçados os seguintes objetos específicos: classificar os artefatos tecnológicos virtuais e digitais que podem contribuir para o letramento; investigar aspectos do ensino com o uso de artefatos tecnológicos virtuais e digitais nas ações de letramento e averiguar possibilidades e limitações dos artefatos tecnológicos virtuais e digitais nas ações de letramento sob a visão dos professores. Com base no estudo das categorias conceituais: artefatos tecnológicos virtuais e digitais, práticas educativas, letramento e letramento digital, bem como a exploração do campo de pesquisa que será a Internet realizar-se-á uma pesquisa por intermédio da metodologia etnografia virtual para o levantamento dos dados da pesquisa e seleção dos artefatos que serão compreendidos mediante da observação e questionários abertos para conhecer as práticas educativas desenvolvidas, que poderão servir de exemplo e incentivo ao processo de letramento. O diário de campo digital foi dividido em três categorias: “blogs”, “softwares” e canais de vídeos. Cada uma delas tem cinco representações que mais se aproximam da temática. Com base nos questionários abertos, foi possível conhecer as práticas educativas desenvolvidas pelas professoras, quais artefatos conhecem e utilizam para o letramento e quais competências acham que precisam ter para utilizar esses recursos. Os levantamentos realizaram nos permitem compreender que o ciberespaço e seus artefatos ainda são pouco explorados para divulgar as ações de letramentos desenvolvidas pelas escolas. Os professores reconhecem a importância de se utilizar esses artefatos e entendem que também necessitam de formação continuada para realizar um trabalho significativo.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-21T14:54:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ZULEICA APARECIDA CABRAL.pdf: 1319067 bytes, checksum: d1b59e294d1e34872997d5b882440f26 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-18<br>Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior<br>This paper discussed the identity reconfigurations of teachers compared to the processes of integration of digital technologies into their teaching practice research focuses primarily on the practices of digital literacies in school, since one of the related issues concerning the (re) identity configurations in a society with unprecedented technological advances amid a globalized society. These advances and changes directly affect the school and the teaching / learning. For these reasons, this thesis aimed to investigate how digital literacy practices are being viewed and used at school, if they are, from the point of view of teachers in the areas of humanities, exact and biological. The specific objectives was to: a) see how the digital literacy practices are being seen in school, b) describe whether the practices of digital literacies are worked in school by teachers in their classroom practices and to what extent this occurs and c) investigate identity configurations of teachers, effective participants in cyberspace through blogs, as autobiographical writing aimed at critical reflection on own performance. The theoretical part listed for this work was Braga (2005), Freitas (2010);Buzato (2010); Coscarelli (2007), Moran (2007), Hall (2006), Bauman (2005), Giddens (1991, 2002) among others. The research took place in two schools in the interior of Paraná,being a public school and a private school, and research participants are teachers who work at the two schools. The research is predominantly qualitative in view of their instruments and technical procedures employed, and these questionnaires, blogs created by teachers participating in which are found the perceptions of working with digital language classroom, group discussions with participants to debate about the use of digital technologies in teaching practice. Therefore, the research was characterized with mixed method research. It is especially important to note that this research craved contribute to teachers working through the practices of literacies / digital literacies and discussion groups, to reflect on new digital technologies in the classroom and also could adopt them before this virtual universe that gather individuals in a society filled with machines and digital equipment. Furthermore, we sought to achieve results that provide better understandings of the practices of literacies / digital literacies and the need for inclusion in the digital world, as well as issues related to the (re) shaping the identity of teachers in this environment<br>Neste trabalho,discute-se as reconfigurações identitárias dos professores ante aos processos de inserção de tecnologias digitais na prática docente A pesquisa tem como foco principal as práticas de letramentos digitais na escola, posto que uma das questões correlacionadas diz respeito às (re)configurações identitárias em uma sociedade com avanços tecnológicos sem precedentes em meio a uma sociedade globalizada. Esses avanços e mudanças afetam diretamente a escola e os processos de ensino/aprendizagem. Por essas razões é que a presente dissertação teve como objetivo geral investigar como as práticas de letramento digital estão sendo vistas e utilizadas, se é que estão sendo, em um grupo de escolas do interior do Paraná do ponto de vista dos professores das áreas de ciências humanas, exatas e biológicas. Os objetivos específicos visaram a: a) verificar como as práticas de letramento digital são vistas nessas escolas; b) descrever se as práticas de letramentos digitais são trabalhadas nesses ambientes pelos professores nas suas práticas de sala de aula e em que proporção isso ocorre e c) investigar configurações identitárias dos professores, participantes efetivos, no espaço cibernético por meio de blogs, como escrita autobiográfica visando à reflexão crítica da própria atuação. O referencial teórico utilizado para a elaboração deste trabalho foi Braga (2005); Freitas (2010); Buzato (2010); Coscarelli (2011); Moram (2007); Hall (2006); Bauman (2005); Giddens (1991; 2002) dentre outros. A pesquisa aconteceu em duas escolas,sendo uma escola pública e a outra particular, e os participantes da pesquisa são professores que atuam nessas instituições. A pesquisa é predominantemente qualitativa haja vista os instrumentos utilizados e procedimentos técnicos empregados, os quais são: questionários,blogs criados pelos professores participantes, nos quais são encontradas as percepções do trabalho com linguagem digital em sala de aula, discussões em grupo com os participantes para debate sobre o uso de tecnologias digitais na prática docente. Assim, a metodologia de pesquisa pode ser caracterizada como uma forma mista de investigação. É sobremodo importante assinalar que este estudo almejou contribuir para que professores atuantes, por meio das práticas de letramentos/letramentos digitais e grupos de discussão, pudessem refletir sobre a função de novas tecnologias digitais em sala de aula e também pudessem adotá-las, uma vez que esse universo virtual tem arrebanhado indivíduos em uma sociedade repleta de máquinas e equipamentos digitais. Além disso, pretendeu-se alcançar resultados que proporcionassem melhores e tendimentos acerca das práticas de letramentos/letramentos digitais e a necessidade de inserção no universo digital, bem como questões relacionadas à (re)configuração da identidade dos professores neste ambiente.

Despite decades of research surrounding Information Communication Technology (ICT) use in schools, the pedagogical reasoning required to provide meaningful ICT enabled learning opportunities is rarely analysed in the literature. The purpose of this research was therefore to investigate teachers’ pedagogically reasoned practice. This study involved three exemplary Australian secondary science teachers, renowned for their expertise in utilising ICT working in classrooms where students had school issued one-to-one computers and reliable network access. The research utilised qualitative methods, including semistructured interviews, video-based observational data, and an array of lesson artefacts. The study followed a naturalistic multiple-case study design to explore the pedagogical reasoning and actions of these science teachers. The study identified different forms of pedagogical reasoning and action for a digitally connected world. Many aspects of this iterative model bear close resemblance to Shulman’s (1987) original conception of pedagogical reasoning and action. In each case, sophisticated reasoned decision-making drawing upon a range of teacher knowledge bases, most notably technological pedagogical content knowledge took place. The pedagogical reasoning and action model presented demonstrates a backward mapping approach where the use of ICT was directed at supporting the development of scientific content and educational outcomes of the mandated science curriculum. The research also found that these teachers held social constructivist beliefs for the use of ICT and intentionally designed ICT enabled opportunities from a learning affordance perspective. The research also demonstrated a reflexive relationship between the teacher’s beliefs and their pedagogical practices. Teacher activity involved significant preparatory work in the selection and curation of motivating, authoritative and multimodal Internet accessible ICT resources and tools aligned to the mandated science curriculum. In each case, the teachers had purposefully created a customised classroom online presence or website, offering students a flexible learning environment, an uncommon practice at the time of the study. The teachers designed ICT enabled learning opportunities following a guided inquiry model, frequently involving collaborative problem-based strategies. In each case, the students were the dominant users of ICT in the classroom using ICT for discovering knowledge, constructing knowledge and for sharing knowledge. The teachers’ role was predominantly one of orchestration of the learning environment, scaffolding and questioning students as they engaged with guided inquiry-based learning tasks. Ultimately the research revealed the critical role of the teacher in mediating the affordances of ICT for meaningful learning. Overall the findings offer useful insights into how exemplary science teachers’ reason and act about the use of ICT in a digitally connected classroom. An important implication for the development of initial science teacher education programs arose from the study, notably that preservice teachers require ongoing and authentic course opportunities to support the development of the technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge relevant for a digitally connected classroom.

The info1mation society marks a shift from the dominance of the industrial to the rise of the "informational" (Castells, 1996, p. 21 ). The effects of this shift on social arrangements generally have been greeted in diverse ways, ranging from the enthusiasm of Negroponte (1995) to the more cautious scepticism of Postman (1992). While recognised as an inevitable and ongoing process, the wider social imperatives for change have brought people and technology together in ways that are often highly problematic. Older people, as one group among others identified as experiencing the disadvantage in the information society, face challenges of adaptation to a new form of literacy and communicative practice. A large body of research is developing to investigate the needs of older people in the new information society, yet little of this focuses on the full complexity of relationships that exist between the wider institution of communication technologies and the management of these changes in everyday places. Everyday, mundane activities of older people, as they interface with the discourses and practices of the information society, are, therefore, prioritised in this qualitative study. A purposively structured case study applies Bourdieu's concepts of field and habitus (Bourdieu, 1990) in an ethnomethodological investigation. Levels of social phenomena representative of the field in the context of older people's experiences are assembled in the case study. Qualitative methods of data collection bring three elements of the field together. Firstly, discourses of the digital divide set the contextual scene for examining persuasions towards computer literacy for older people. Then observations in settings for older learners provide information about building computer competencies. In addition, interviews with geographically dispersed older people allow a range of users, from novices to experts, to contribute to the study. Data analysis based on the dramaturgical perspective of Goffman (1973a, 1973b) and the grammar of motives advocated by Burke (1969a) produce an interpretive ethnography in which older people's strategies and motives are revealed. The thesis finds that within the full set of relationships in the field of older people's use of ICT, a complex network of influences operates as discursive and interactive strategies. Motives implied in discourses of the digital divide direct attention towards the field of ICT and the settings of older people's active engagement with information and communication technologies. Within such settings a range of dispositions towards technology become obvious. These dispositions are critically important to the ways in which technology is integrated into everyday practices of individuals. In a field of opportunities and constraints computer technology is involved in creating particular communities of interest. Practices with technology promote self-esteem, secure networks of friendship, and connect the person within the home to the world beyond in real and virtual ways. The case study effectively describes the field of older people's engagement with computer technology as a microcosm of strategic everyday practices, a contingent set of experiences that enjoin older people with the process of change to an information society.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-27T13:52:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LYANDRA DE AZEVEDO PEREIRA.pdf: 559099 bytes, checksum: 3ba3059ae54769b09a07fb0cf5a5546c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-09-28<br>This study was conducted within the research line Theories and Processes of Education, Educational Program Graduate Education at the Pontifical Catholic University of Goias. The objective of this thesis was to investigate the digital culture of young people, identifying the educational aspects of their forms of appropriation of the Internet outside school. The starting point is the concerning about the preconceived idea that the uses which young people make of the Internet outside school are sufficient to prepare them for use demanded by the school. The study of the cultural issue, of school culture and digital culture took as a reference the contributions of Belloni (2008), Bourdieu (1998, 1999), Fourquin (1993), Peixoto (2008, 2009, 2010), among others. To investigate the relationships between technologies and the social, cultural and educational processes, we rely especially on the debate of Buckingham (2000), Castells (1999), Kenski (2007), Sacristán (2007), Sancho, Hernandez (2006) and Santaella (2004). The qualitative type of research consists in the observation of young people using the internet in lan-house situated in the eastern part of the city of Goiania. To accommodate the research objectives, we adopted the daily observation as a tool for data collection. The discussion and analysis of the results led us to identify four types of use that can be taken as evidence to characterize the forms of Internet use by young people in lanhouse: 1) use of diverse forms, 2) communication limited to the social group, 3) Virtual Communications in a complementary (not substitutive) to the presential communication process, 4) Setting up a player marked by the electronic media.<br>Este estudo foi realizado dentro da linha de pesquisa Teorias da Educação e Processos Educacionais, do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação da Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás. O objetivo desta dissertação foi investigar a cultura digital dos jovens, visando identificar os aspectos educativos de suas formas de apropriação da internet fora do contexto escolar. O ponto de partida é a preocupação com a idéia preconcebida de que os usos que os jovens fazem da internet fora do contexto escolar são suficientes para prepará-los para o uso demandado pela escola. O estudo da questão cultural, da cultura escolar e da cultura digital tomou como referência as contribuições de Belloni (2008), Bourdieu (1998, 1999), Fourquin (1993), Peixoto (2008, 2009, 2010), dentre outros. Para a investigação das relações entre as tecnologias e os processos sociais, culturais e educativos, apoiamo-nos especialmente nas reflexões de Buckingham (2000), Castells (1999), Kenski (2007), Sacristán (2007), Sancho e Hernandez (2006) e Santaella (2004). A pesquisa de tipo qualitativa consistiu na observação de jovens utilizando a internet em lan-house situadas na região leste do município de Goiânia. Para contemplar os objetivos da pesquisa, foi adotado o diário de observação como instrumento para a coleta de dados. A discussão e análise dos resultados levaramnos a identificar quatro modalidades de uso que podem ser tomadas como elementos para caracterizar as formas de uso da internet pelos jovens em lanhouse: 1) Formas diversificadas de uso; 2) Comunicação limitada ao grupo social de convivência; 3) Comunicação virtual de forma complementar (e não substitutiva) ao processo de comunicação presencial; 4) A configuração de um leitor marcado pelos meios de comunicação eletrônicos.

Nesta tese discute-se, a partir de um olhar teórico multidisciplinar, a relação entre sujeito, língua e tecnologias que se manifesta em enunciados produzidos em meio digital, no contexto de práticas pedagógicas de duas modalidades de educação a Educação a Distância (EAD) e a Educação Presencial (EP), em cursos superiores de Letras/Espanhol. Tem como objetivo principal contribuir para uma reflexão crítica sobre o papel exercido por diferentes tecnologias de suporte da escrita, surgidas no cenário da cibercultura, na relação entre sujeitos aprendizes e mediadores e também se propõe a observar de que forma essas tecnologias afetam o processo de ensino e aprendizagem de línguas estrangeiras, neste caso concretamente o espanhol por parte de falantes do português brasileiro. Para tanto, faz uso de uma metodologia qualitativa, com técnicas de observação participante e, nesse campo, de um conjunto de procedimentos de pesquisa, de natureza exploratória, etnográfica, auto-etnográfica e de descrição linguística, sem, no entanto, enveredar no que se conhece como análise de erros. As interpretações foram feitas a partir da análise de enunciados em fóruns digitais da EAD e da descrição de práticas pedagógicas híbridas, incluindo enunciados em meio digital, produzidos nessas práticas. Os resultados apontam para a necessidade de uma maior reflexão sobre enunciados produzidos em meio digital, em processos de ensino e aprendizagem, observando-os como objetos híbridos e complexos, que podem comportar informações sobre a postura do sujeito, tanto na relação com a língua estrangeira e as tecnologias quanto sobre a especificidade da cibercultura, assim como sobre a forma como esta molda novas formas de escrita e novas relações sócio-afetivas e comunicativas.<br>This thesis discusses, from a multidisciplinary theoretical standpoint, the relationship among individual (understood as a complex subject), language and technologies that manifests itself in utterances produced in digital media, in the context of teaching practices of two kinds - Distance Learning (DL) and Classroom Teaching (CT), in university degrees in Languages (Spanish). The main objective is to contribute to a critical reflection on the role played by different technologies that support writing, which emerged in the scenario of cyberculture, in the relationship involving learners and mediators. The research also intends to observe how these technologies affect the teaching and learning of foreign languages, in this specific case, the Spanish learned by speakers of Brazilian Portuguese. To achieve its objective, a qualitative methodology is used, counting on participant observation techniques, and in this field, making use of a set of research procedures, which take the form of exploratory, ethnographic, auto-ethnographic and linguistic description research. However, error analysis is not used. The interpretations were made from the analysis of utterances set out in digital forums (DL) and from the description of hybrid pedagogical practices, including utterances digitally produced as part of these practices. The results point to the need for further reflection on utterances produced in digital media in teaching and learning processes, watching them as hybrid and complex objects, which can include information about the individuals attitudes. These can be related to the persons relationship with the foreign language and technologies, the specificity of cyberculture, as well as how cyberculture shapes new forms of writing and new socio-affective and communicative relationships.

A presente dissertação refere-se a um estudo de caso sobre as práticas de leitura e escrita das crianças de 6 anos da classe de alfabetização de uma escola pública de Porto Alegre, imersas em um cotidiano digital, viabilizado pelo projeto Um Computador por Aluno (UCA). Seu objetivo foi investigar as práticas realizadas pelos estudantes, bem como as possibilidades e condições necessárias para que o computador fosse instrumento para inscrevê-los no mundo letrado, superando a relação estritamente escolar com a escrita, além de analisar as implicações para o processo de conceituação. Partiu-se do pressuposto de que a saturação tecnológica em uma escola na modalidade em que foi implantado o projeto UCA (cada criança com o seu laptop) implicaria mudanças nas práticas de leitura e de escrita realizadas pelos estudantes. Portanto, essas práticas dos alunos foram examinadas segundo duas unidades de análise: propostas da professora e as realizadas espontaneamente. Para cada unidade, foram construídos três eixos de categorias, relacionadas a letramento, alfabetização e fluência digital. O estudo de caso também apresentou uma terceira unidade, com a análise de cinco casos emblemáticos de alunos representativos à investigação. Conforme característica de um estudo de caso, a pesquisa teve início com uma proposição teórica, sustentada pelas experiências anteriores da investigadora e pelo referencial teórico utilizado, que foi gradativamente comparada com os dados encontrados no campo. Ao final do estudo, considerou-se que a proposição teórica deveria ser ajustada enfatizando a proposta pedagógica para crianças em processo inicial de aprendizagem da língua escrita. Conclui-se que a utilização cotidiana do laptop em rede permitirá às crianças a exploração da língua em situações reais, construindo um ambiente simbólico propício para a compreensão da função e do sentido da língua escrita (letramento) e, portanto, criará a necessidade de compreensão da sua estrutura (alfabetização), favorecendo o processo de conceituação, desde que incorporada a propostas e intervenções pedagógicas adequadas às necessidades e possibilidades da criança. Na classe analisada, algumas condições foram necessárias para que isso acontecesse. Entre elas, destacam-se o trabalho por projetos, a relação de um laptop por aluno em sala de aula, a conexão à Internet e o uso de um ambiente virtual.<br>This thesis refers to a case study about the practices of reading and writing of six-year-old children of a literacy class in a public elementary school of Porto Alegre city (RS/Brazil), immersed in a digital quotidian, made viable by One Computer per Student (UCA) project. Its objective was to investigate the practices carried out by students, as well as the possibilities and necessary conditions for the computer to be a tool to make them able to enter the “literate world”, overcoming the strictly scholar relationship with the writing, besides analysing the implications for the conceptualization process. It was presupposed that the technological saturation in a school in the modality in which UCA project was implemented (each child with his own laptop) would change the practices of reading and writing carried out by students. Therefore, these practices of the students were examined according to two units of analysis: practices proposed by the teacher and proposals carried out spontaneously. For each unit, three categories were built, related to literacy, alphabetization and digital fluency. The case study has also presented a third unit, with the analysis of five emblematic cases of students which were representative to the investigation. As typical in a case study, the research has begun with a theoretical proposition, based on previous experiences of the researcher and on the theoretical framework used, which was gradually compared to the data found in the field. At the end of the study, it was considered that the proposition should be adjusted emphasizing the pedagogic proposals for children in initial process of written language learning. It is concluded that daily use of laptops in a network will allow children to use language in real situations, building a symbolic environment propitious to the comprehension of the function and meaning of written language (literacy) and, thus, will create the necessity of understanding of its structure (alphabetization), facilitating the conceptualization process, as long as it is incorporated to appropriate proposals and pedagogic interventions to the needs and possibilities of the child. In the class which was analysed, some conditions were necessary for that to happen. The work by projects, the relation of one laptop per student in the classroom, the connection to the Internet and the use of a virtual learning environment are among them.

Doctor Educationis<br>Writing is an important skill throughout learners’ schooling trajectory because it is through writing that learners need to situate meaning and sense-making across the curriculum. Writing proficiency becomes even more important when learners access tertiary studies. Yet studies suggest that most students struggle with academic writing. Various authors suggest that writing has not been taught appropriately especially in secondary schooling contexts in South Africa and that writing becomes even more daunting for Second Language speakers of English when they reach tertiary education. There is abundant literature on students’ challenges with academic writing and ways to address academic writing challenges but the use of digital storytelling in relation to academic writing development is recent and distinctively underexplored in the literature.

Submitted by ANA ELISA SILVA (anaelisaba@gmail.com) on 2017-11-01T11:17:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE - ANA ELISA DRUMMOND CELESTINO SILVA.pdf: 6274825 bytes, checksum: dba997d12007db3c7488df750d8cf814 (MD5)<br>Approved for entry into archive by Maria Auxiliadora da Silva Lopes (silopes@ufba.br) on 2017-11-06T11:57:37Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE - ANA ELISA DRUMMOND CELESTINO SILVA.pdf: 6274825 bytes, checksum: dba997d12007db3c7488df750d8cf814 (MD5)<br>Made available in DSpace on 2017-11-06T11:57:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE - ANA ELISA DRUMMOND CELESTINO SILVA.pdf: 6274825 bytes, checksum: dba997d12007db3c7488df750d8cf814 (MD5)<br>As tecnologias móveis digitais estão presentes no ambiente escolar e, cada vez mais, professores e alunos compreendem a importância de integrá-las ao processo de ensino e aprendizagem, percebendo como os usos dos dispositivos móveis podem contribuir para as práticas pedagógicas. A inclusão dos tablets no processo de aprendizagem possibilita transformar as práticas, nas quais professores e alunos podem juntos ensinar, aprender, interagir e construir conhecimentos, pois essa tecnologia torna-se dispositivo de produção e difusão de conteúdos digitais e saberes, proporcionando uma aprendizagem participativa, colaborativa e compartilhada. Nesse contexto, o problema da tese foi norteado a partir da questão “em que medida as atividades de produção de conteúdos digitais, construídos por meio dos tablets, por um grupo de professores e alunos, possibilitam inovações nas práticas pedagógicas, no contexto da cibercultura?”. O objetivo da pesquisa foi analisar os processos e os produtos finais de três conteúdos digitais construídos por meio dos tablets por professores e alunos. De maneira mais específica, avaliar a maneira como esses sujeitos aproveitam e potencializam a mobilidade dos tablets para a construção dos conteúdos digitais, ultrapassando o espaço escolar; examinar as ações pedagógicas desenvolvidas pelos professores para trabalhar na perspectiva da colaboração nas produções dos conteúdos digitais, de modo a promover a interação entre os envolvidos no processo; e discutir a maneira com que os professores e alunos utilizam os tablets para compartilhar informações, inclusive os conteúdos digitais por eles produzidos. A metodologia usada foi a qualitativa, de cunho descritivo e analítico. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida na Escola Municipal Lagoa do Abaeté (Salvador – Bahia) e contou com a participação e colaboração de uma professora de tecnologia, duas professoras regentes e 60 alunos do 4º e 5º anos do Ensino Fundamental I. Para a produção dos dados do campo, foram utilizados os seguintes instrumentos de pesquisa: observação de práticas pedagógicas com os usos dos tablets; questionários para caracterização do locus e dos sujeitos; análise de documentos, dentre eles os conteúdos digitais produzidos pelos professores e alunos; entrevistas individuais com os professores; e grupos focais com os alunos. As análises dos produtos foram feitas considerando seus aspectos pedagógicos, técnicos e estruturais. Os resultados alcançados revelaram que a interação dos alunos com os tablets acontecia de maneira intuitiva, integrando-se às práticas pedagógicas desenvolvidas dentro e fora do espaço escolar. Essas práticas geralmente eram pautadas no trabalho colaborativo, no qual professores e alunos realizavam ações com objetivos de ampliar as trocas na produção de novos conhecimentos e conteúdos digitais. Como meio de valorizar as práticas desenvolvidas, professores e alunos compartilhavam suas atividades através de apresentações para a comunidade escolar e na internet, por meio da página da escola no Facebook. Os resultados obtidos permitem concluir que as atividades de produção de conteúdos digitais construídos por meio dos tablets possibilitam inovações nas práticas pedagógicas, transformando os processos de ensino-aprendizagem.<br>ABSTRACT Digital mobile technologies are present in the school environment and both teachers and students increasingly understand the importance of integrating them into the teaching and learning process, recognizing how the use of mobile devices may contribute to pedagogical practices. The integration of tablets into the learning process makes it possible to transform practices, in which teachers and students are able to, working together, teach, learn, interact and build expertise, once that technology become device for producing and disseminating digital content and knowledge, providing participatory, collaborative and shared learning. In this context, the problem approached in the thesis was directed from the question "in which way does the production of digital content by a group of teachers and students, through the use of tablets, enable innovation in pedagogical practices, in the context of cyberculture?". The objective of the present research was to analyze the processes and final products of three digital content built by teachers and students, through the use of tablets. More specifically, evaluate the way these subjects take advantage of and potentiate tablet mobility to build digital content, beyond the school environment; examine the pedagogical actions developed by teachers to work in the perspective of collaboration in digital content productions, in order to promote the interaction between those involved in the process; discuss the way both teachers and students use the tablets to share information, including the digital content they produced. The qualitative methodology was applied, in its descriptive and analytical basis. The research was developed at the Escola Municipal Lagoa do Abaeté (Salvador - Bahia) with the active participation and collaboration of a technology teacher, two teachers and 60 students of the 4th and 5th years of Elementary School. The field data were produced through the use of the following research instruments: observing pedagogical practices with the use of tablets; applying questionnaires so as to characterize both locus and subjects; analyzing documents, including digital content produced by teachers and students; conducting individual interviews with teachers and focal groups with the students. The product analysis considered its pedagogical, technical and structural aspects. The results achieved revealed that the interaction of students with tablets occurred intuitively, integrating with the pedagogical practices developed in and out of the school environment. These practices were mostly guided by collaborative work, in which teachers and students performed actions so as to enhance the exchanges while producing knowledge and digital content. As a means of treasuring the practices developed, teachers and students shared their activities through presentations to the school community and on the Internet, through the school page on Facebook. The results achieved lead to the conclusion that the activities of producing digital content through the use of tablets enable innovation in pedagogical practices, hence transforming teaching and learning processes.<br>RESUMEN Las tecnologías digitales móviles están presentes en el ambiente escolar y, cada vez más profesores y alunmos comprenden la importancia de intregarlas al proceso de enseñanza - aprendizaje, percibiendo como los usos de los dispositivos móviles pueden contribuir en las prácticas pedagógicas. La inclusión de las tablets en el proceso de aprendizaje posibilita transformar las prácticas, en las cuales profesores y alumnos pueden juntos enseñar, aprender e interactuar y construir conocimientos, pues esa tecnología se tornan dispositivo de producciony difusión de contenidos digitales y saberes, proporcionando un aprendizaje participativo, colaborativo y compartido. En ese contexto, el problema de la tesis fue guiado a partir de la pregunta: "¿En qué medida las actividades de producción de contenidos digitales, contruidos por medio de tablets, por un grupo de profesores y alumnos, posibilitan inovaciones en las prácticas pedagógicas, en el contexto de la cibercultura?". El objetivo de la investigación fue analizar los procesos y los productos finales de tres contenidos digitales construidos por medio de tablets por profesores y alumnos. De manera más específica, evaluar las formas de como esos sujetos aprovechan y potencializan la movilidad de las tablets para las construcción de contenidos digitales, sobrepasando el espacio escolar; examinar también las acciones pedagógicas desarrolladas por los profesores para trabajar desde la perspectiva de la colaboración en la producción de contenidos digitales, promoviendo la interacción de los actores envueltos en el proceso; discutir las formas en que los profesores y alumnos usan las tablets para compartir información, incluyendo los contenidos digitales que ellos producen. La metodología usada fue de tipo cualitativa, de tipo descriptivo y analítico. La investogación fue desarrollada en la Escuela Municipal Lagoa de Abaeté (Salvador - Bahia) e contó con la participación y colaboración de una profesora de tecnología, dos profesoras regentes y 60 alumnos de 4to y 5to años de Educación Básica I. Para la producción de los datos de campo, fueron utilizados los siguientes instrumentos de investigación: observación de prácticas pedagógicas con los usos de las tablets; cuestionarios para la caracterización del locus y de los sujetos; analisis documental, incluyéndose los contenidos digitales producidos por los profesores y alumnos; entrevistas individuales con los profesores; y grupos focales con los alumnos.Los análisis de los productos fueron hechos considerando sus aspectos pedagógicos, técnicos y estructurales. Los resultados alcanzados revelaron que la interacción de los alumnos con las tablets ocurre de manera intuitiva, integrándose a las prácticas pedagógicas dentro y fuera del espacio escolar. Esas prácticas, generalmente estaban enmarcadas en el trabajo colaborativo, en el cual los profesores y alumnos realizaban acciones con el objeto de ampliar el intercambio en la producción de nuevos conocimientos e contenidos digitales. Como forma de dar valo a las prácticas desarrolladas, profesores y alumnos compartían sus actividades a través de presentaciones para la comunidad escolar y en la internet, a través de la página escolar de Facebook. Los resultados obtenidos permiten concluir que las actividades de producción de contenidos digitales construídos por medio de tablets posibilitan innovaciones en las prácticas pedagógicas, transformando los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje.

La démarche BIM est devenue une nécessite pour le secteur du bâtiment impliquant la fabrication d’un nouvel objet technique : la maquette numérique. Cette thèse s’intéresse à ce nouvel impératif de fabrication et à ses effets sur la réorganisation de l’acte de construire, la reconfiguration des pratiques de coordination et de conception collective entre les professionnels de la construction ainsi qu’à la redéfinition des frontières théoriques du projet architectural. Ce travail s’appuie sur une enquête ethnographique menée au sein d’un Grand Projet d’́Ecole reconnu pour sa forte implication dans la démarche BIM. C’est au cœur de la phase chantier de ce projet, lors des réunions de synthèse d’exécution, entre les acteurs et les objets, que s’ancre cette investigation. L’analyse du matériel empirique constitue d’observations et d’entretiens menés avec les acteurs du projet nous permet de comprendre les différentes réorganisations pratiques liées ̀a la fabrication collective d’une maquette numérique. Cette recherche nous permet aussi d’esquisser les perspectives de nouvelles pratiques numériques de projet et à préfigurer une ́évolution théorique des nouvelles limites du projet architectural<br>The BIM approach has become a necessity for the building sector involving the realization of a new technical object : the digital model. The research is focused on the new manufacturing of this object and its praticals effects on the way to build, the reconfiguration of coordination practices and collective design between construction professionals. We also attempted to draw a new definition of theoretical boundaries of the architectural project. Our work is based on an ethnographic investigation carried out within a Major School Project recognized for its strong involvement in the BIM process. The investigation takes place on the heart of the construction phase of this project, during the execution summary meetings, between actors and objects. The analysis of this material mainly composed by observations and interviews carried out with the project stakeholders allows us to understand the different practical reorganizations linked to the collective production of this new digital model. This work also allows us to outline the perspectives of new digital project practices and to prefigure a theoretical evolution of the limits of the traditional architectural project

Depuis les premières expériences de John Cage et de Pierre Schaeffer jusqu’aux hybridations bruitistes de la noise, les musiques expérimentales ont suivi une reconfiguration de leurs pratiques au contact d’une évolution technologique constante. Cette thèse propose de présenter ces musiques dans leur constitution en tant que scène artistique à l’ère du régime numérique à travers une démarche historique, esthétique et sociologique.Cette recherche sera mise en perspective par une monographie du GRIM (Groupe de Recherche et d’Improvisation Musicales), un lieu marseillais dédié aux musiques expérimentales et improvisées.Par l’étude de cette scène territoriale emblématique de la multitude des pratiques chez les artistes et les publics, nous présenterons les différentes interactions qui alimentent ce contexte créatif émergent. C’est en cela qu’il convient également d’étudier à la fois l’incertitude des carrières chez les musiciens professionnels et l’expertise des amateurs de ces musiques. De plus, cette scène artistique se retrouve dans une économie en mutation face aux innovations technologiques d’un côté et aux enjeux institutionnels de l’autre.Dans ce contexte pluriel, nous proposons de définir les codes et conventions régissant les musiques expérimentales pour caractériser cette scène spécifique au sein des mondes de l’art<br>Since the first experiments by John Cage and Pierre Schaeffer up to the loud hybridations of noise music, experimental music has followed a reconfiguration of its practices in contact with a constant technological evolution.This thesis aims to present experimental music as a singular and radical scene in the digital era through a historic, aesthetic and sociological procedure.This research is seen through the context of the GRIM, a venue located in Marseilles dedicated to experimental and impovised music.Through the study of this local scene, emblematic of practices by artists and audiences, we will present the different interactions that feed this emancipatory and emergent creative context. This will lead us to assess incertitudes in professional musicians’ careers and the expertise of amateurs of this music scene.Furthermore, faced with technological innovations on one hand and institutional issues on the other, this artistic scene finds itself in a changing economy.In this pluralistic context, we shall define the codes and conventions that rule experimental music to model the characteristics of this specific scene inside the art worlds

This study is an investigation in and through media arts practice. It set out to develop a novel type of new media artistic praxis built upon concepts drawn from the disciplines of scientific and cultural ecology. The rationale for this research was based upon my observation as a practising new media artist that existing praxis in the new media domain appeared to operate largely without awareness of the ecological implications of those practices. The thesis begins by explaining key concepts of ecology, spanning the arts and the sciences. It then outlines the thinking of contemporary theorists who propose that the problem of ecology is a critical issue for the 21st century, suggesting that our well-documented ecological crisis is indicative of a more general crisis of human subjectivity. It then records an investigation into particular strategies for artistic praxis which might instigate an active engagement with this problem of ecology. The study employed a methodology based in action research to focus upon the development and analysis of three new artistic works, '#14', 'Public Relations' and 'transit_lounge'. These were used to explore diverse theories of ecology and to hone a series of pointers towards Ecosophical arts/new media praxis. This journey constitutes an emergent theory for new media space design. The thesis concludes with a toolkit of tactics and approaches that other arts/new media practitioners might employ to begin working on the problem of ecology.

This thesis is about emerging changes in photography and imaging related to digitization and how we might approach and understand them, particularly in terms of their impact upon how narratives are constructed. By focusing on the accounts of Queen’s University students this thesis examines the new ways of making, storing, distributing, and viewing images that have emerged with digital photography. Additionally, it looks at the cultural conventions of photography (particularly in relation to the documenting and organization of memory) that remain intact and have important implications for the reception of use of new digital technologies and how these are used to construct narratives. This thesis also looks at the digitization of photography in relation to broader theoretical debates about the dynamics and shifts associated with modernity, postmodernity and ‘global information culture’. Contemporary society is often seen as more capitalist, and in many ways, this is an era of increasing uncertainty, fluidity, and fragmentation. This thesis examines the affinity between the supposed ‘death of narrative’ in social theory and the ‘death of photography’ in terms of how they relate to the ordinary practices of amateur digital photographers. Specific focus is given to Bauman’s (2000) theory of ‘liquid modernity’ and how it offers a compelling account of contemporary society, specifically in terms of changes in narrative and how many individuals are faced with developing ‘biographical solutions’ to systemic problems of increasing uncertainty and fragmentation in the context of globalization and informationalization. In doing so, this thesis aims to address gaps in existing research on digitization that fails to capture the subtleties encountered in the everyday experiences of those engaged in taking the digital turn.<br>Thesis (Master, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2008-12-09 11:01:58.955

Defense Date: 24/09/2010<br>Examining Board: Prof. Alexander Trechsel, EUI (Supervisor) Prof. Donatella Della Porta, EUI Prof. R. Michael Alvarez, California Institute of Technology Prof. Jan A.G.M. van Dijk, University of Twente<br>This study explores the relation between Internet and politics from a cross-national perspective of analysis. In the domain of the political sciences, the Internet has been welcomed for its potential to facilitate political practice. However, it is also commonly noted that the Internet is not equally distributed and not everybody can equally make the most of its potential. This is why the Digital Divide is perceived as the obstacle which limits the potential of the Internet to influence politics. Today, we are entering the third decade after the advent of the WWW, and the Internet is used far more broadly worldwide. We also have much more empirical evidence about Internet use. However, most research until now has concentrated on Western countries which have similar political systems, and therefore neglects a larger comparative perspective. This study empirically resizes the relation of causality between the Digital Divide and the influence of the Internet on politics. I explore how other contextual factors are determinant in this regard. In order to test this empirically, I set up a dataset tracking internet use, internet infrastructure, internet politics, blogging practices and social, economic and democratic factors of over 190 countries. Through cross-national analysis, first, I size the current status of the Digital Divide across countries. Second, I explore whether and how this scenario affects the inequalities in using the Internet for practicing politics. By following a constructivist approach, I explore not only how political parties are unequally present online across countries to perform conventional forms of politics, but also how citizens and social movements use the Internet to practice civic engagement. I pay particular attention to how people use social network organization tools to empower their own information narratives. My empirical findings confirm that the Digital Divide plays a limited role in explaining the relation between the Internet and politics. Rather, the use of the Internet to practice politics is mainly determined by the political context in which political actors operate. In this framework, the Digital Divide is only one of the several factors characterizing the national context.

abstract: In 2016, the United Nations reported a historical high of 65.6 million globally displaced people. Within the current protectionist and isolationist climate, the U.S is accepting a fewer number of refugees for resettlement than ever before and less governmental funding is being allocated to resettlement organizations, which provide support services for refugee resettlement and integration. Increased migration and the advancement of communication technologies with affordable access to these technologies have produced extensive communication networks and complex relational ties across the globe. While this is certainly true of all migrants, building and maintaining relational ties has added complexity for refugees whose journey to resettlement, economic insecurity, political disenfranchisement, and vulnerability impact the motivating factors for digital engagement. This dissertation seeks to understand to what extent Diminescu’s (2008) concept of the connected migrant addresses the lived experience of resettled refugees in Phoenix, Arizona. The connected migrant through Information Communication Technology (ICT) use maintains transnational and local networks that produce mobility and belonging. Connected migrants are able to produce and maintain socio-technical sociality abroad and in the country of settlement to create and access social capital and resources. Using a grounded theory approach and qualitative methods, this research project explores concepts of mobility, connectivity, and belonging in relation to resettled refugees. The research indicates that age, imagined affordances, digital literacy, language, and time moderate connectivity, belonging, and mobility for resettled refugees. Finally, I offer the concept of transnational contextual relationality to understand refugee communication strategies with the transnational and local network.<br>Dissertation/Thesis<br>Doctoral Dissertation Communication Studies 2019

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)<br>This thesis explores the lifestyle sport subculture of backcountry skiing and snowboarding, or backcountry touring. The sport sees participants use specialised equipment to venture into mountain areas that are unsupported by human infrastructure in pursuit of secluded or challenging slopes to climb and then ride down. Over the course of the last 10 to 15 years backcountry touring has experienced rapid growth in attention and participation. As a result a number of new influences have altered the way that participants engage with their practice and understand their experiences. The use of digital technologies have become significant elements of the embodied experiences of tourers in the backcountry. Similarly, the proliferation of digital media practices has offered new ways of representing and understanding the backcountry and its corporality. With these depictions of touring reaching wider audiences than ever before, commercial interest in the backcountry market has risen with ramifications for the tourers who participate in different aspects of the industry. These additions to the affective atmosphere of the field constitute a raft of challenges to sanctity of established backcountry principles that concern ‘authentic’ and safe practice. Tourers experience and respond to these struggles in nuanced ways: from expressing concerns about how depictions of the backcountry can influence the practice of others, to adopting and adapting technology that augments their observance of the conventional perspectives of touring. This thesis uses a synthesis of affect theory and the concepts of Bourdieu in order to explore and animate these intersections of human bodies, objects and the non-material. This theoretical position has informed the project design and data collection process that included fieldwork, digital ethnography and 22 semi-structured with a broad range of the relatively homogenous touring community.