Search results for: landscape experience
5458 Understanding the Experience of the Visually Impaired towards a Multi-Sensorial Architectural Design
Authors: Sarah M. Oteifa, Lobna A. Sherif, Yasser M. Mostafa
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Visually impaired people, in their daily lives, face struggles and spatial barriers because the built environment is often designed with an extreme focus on the visual element, causing what is called architectural visual bias or ocularcentrism. The aim of the study is to holistically understand the world of the visually impaired as an attempt to extract the qualities of space that accommodate their needs, and to show the importance of multi-sensory, holistic designs for the blind. Within the framework of existential phenomenology, common themes are reached through "intersubjectivity": experience descriptions by blind people and blind architects, observation of how blind children learn to perceive their surrounding environment, and a personal lived blind-folded experience are analyzed. The extracted themes show how visually impaired people filter out and prioritize tactile (active, passive and dynamic touch), acoustic and olfactory spatial qualities respectively, and how this happened during the personal lived blind folded experience. The themes clarify that haptic and aural inclusive designs are essential to create environments suitable for the visually impaired to empower them towards an independent, safe and efficient life.Keywords: architecture, architectural ocularcentrism, multi-sensory design, visually impaired
Procedia PDF Downloads 2025457 Women's Menstrual Experience in India: A Psycho-Social Approach
Authors: Bhavna Rajagopal, Mrinmoyi Kulkarni
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Today women experience more menstrual cycles than their ancestors did a hundred years ago, owing to early puberty, fewer pregnancies and dietary changes. Much of the research in menstruation is located in the medical domain with a focus on physical symptoms. The research in psychology is largely concerned with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), whereas the focus in sociology is on social and cultural practices relating to menstruation. Research that simultaneously studies the physical, psychological, social and cultural aspects is lacking. Therefore, in this study, an attempt has been made to identify socio-cultural, psychological and physical factors that interact to influence a woman’s experience of menstruation in the urban setting. The study included seven unmarried women in the age group of 24-30 and data was obtained through a focus group discussion. The transcript of the focus group discussion was thematically analysed. Two major themes relating to the self and social experience of menstruation emerged. Themes relating to the self included menarcheal experiences, self-perception, mood and management of menstrual hygiene and symptoms while themes relating to social experience included the construction of menstruation by family and peers, and cultural factors. Attitudes towards the menstrual cycle appeared to be primarily influenced by severity of symptoms and the resulting disruption to daily life. Outcomes of this study have indicated that future research needs to study menstruation and its impact on women’s wellbeing by adopting a socio-ecological approach and by collecting data using the whole cycle approach across a woman’s reproductive years.Keywords: India, menstrual cycle, psychosocial approach, wellbeing
Procedia PDF Downloads 1335456 Socio-Economic Factors Influencing the Use of Coping Strategies among Conflict Actors (Farmers and Herders) in Giron Masa Village, Kebbi State, Nigeria
Authors: S. Umar, B. F. Umar
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This study was conducted at Giron Masa village, located 30 km from Yauri town. The study determines the socio-economic factors influencing the use of coping strategies among farmers and herders during post-conflict situation. Simple random sampling was employed to select one hundred respondents (50 farmers and 50 herders) from the study area. Logistic regression analysis (LR) was used to ascertain the socioeconomic variables that influenced the use of the coping strategies. The results of the study shows that age, income, family size and farming experience were individually significant and thus influenced the use of POCS by farmers. Annual income and production system influenced the use of POCS by herders. Age, farm size and farming experience were found to be individually significant in influencing the use of EOCS among farmers. Specifically, years of occupation experience among the herders increased the use of emotion oriented coping strategies among herders. The use of SSCS among farmers was influenced by educational level; farm size and farming experience, while the variables are not collectively significant in influencing the use of SSCS among the herders. The research recommends a need to adopt the strategy of community coping to cope with stress.Keywords: farmers, herders, conflict, coping strategies
Procedia PDF Downloads 3745455 The Transformative Landscape of the University of the Western Cape’s Elearning Center: Institutionalizing ELearning
Authors: Paul Dankers, Juliet Stoltenkamp, Carolynne Kies
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In May 2005, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) established an eLearning Division (ED) that, over the past 18 years, accelerated into the institutionalization of an efficient eLearning Centre. The initial objective of the ED was to incessantly align itself with emerging technologies caused by digital transformation, which progressively impacted Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) globally. In this paper, we present how the UWC eLearning Division (ED) first evolved into the eLearning Development and Support Unit (EDUS), currently called the ‘Centre for Innovative Education and Communication Technologies (CIECT). CIECT was strategically separated from the Department of Information and Communication Services (ICS) in 2009 and repositioned as an independent structure at UWC. Using a comparative research method, we highlight the transformative eLearning landscape at UWC by doing a detailed account of the shift in practices. Our research method will determine the initial vision and outcomes of institutionalizing an eLearning division. The study aims to compare across space or time the eLearning division’s rate of growth. By comparing the progressive growth of the UWCs eLearning division over the years, we will be able to document the successes and achievements of the eLearning division precisely. This study’s outcomes will act as a reference for novel research subjects on formalising eLearning. More research that delves into the effectiveness of having an eLearning division at HEIs in support of students’ teaching and learning is needed.Keywords: eLearning, institutionalization, teaching and learning, transformation
Procedia PDF Downloads 405454 Identifying Environmental Adaptive Genetic Loci in Caloteropis Procera (Estabragh): Population Genetics and Landscape Genetic Analyses
Authors: Masoud Sheidaei, Mohammad-Reza Kordasti, Fahimeh Koohdar
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Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T.Aiton, (Apocynaceae), is an economically and medicinally important plant species which is an evergreen, perennial shrub growing in arid and semi-arid climates, and can tolerate very low annual rainfall (150 mm) and a dry season. The plant can also tolerate temperature ran off 20 to30°C and is not frost tolerant. This plant species prefers free-draining sandy soils but can grow also in alkaline and saline soils.It is found at a range of altitudes from exposed coastal sites to medium elevations up to 1300 m. Due to morpho-physiological adaptations of C. procera and its ability to tolerate various abiotic stresses. This taxa can compete with desirable pasture species and forms dense thickets that interfere with stock management, particularly mustering activities. Caloteropis procera grows only in southern part of Iran where in comprises a limited number of geographical populations. We used different population genetics and r landscape analysis to produce data on geographical populations of C. procera based on molecular genetic study using SCoT molecular markers. First, we used spatial principal components (sPCA), as it can analyze data in a reduced space and can be used for co-dominant markers as well as presence / absence data as is the case in SCoT molecular markers. This method also carries out Moran I and Mantel tests to reveal spatial autocorrelation and test for the occurrence of Isolation by distance (IBD). We also performed Random Forest analysis to identify the importance of spatial and geographical variables on genetic diversity. Moreover, we used both RDA (Redundency analysis), and LFMM (Latent factor mixed model), to identify the genetic loci significantly associated with geographical variables. A niche modellng analysis was carried our to predict present potential area for distribution of these plants and also the area present by the year 2050. The results obtained will be discussed in this paper.Keywords: population genetics, landscape genetic, Calotreropis procera, niche modeling, SCoT markers
Procedia PDF Downloads 935453 Spectacles of the City: An Analysis of the Effects of Festivals in the Formation of New Urban Identities
Authors: Anusmita Das
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In the post-industrial scenario, cities in India have become critical sites of negotiation and are expected to become some of the largest urban agglomeration of the twenty-first century. This has created a pluralist identity resulting in a new multifarious urbanism pervading throughout the entire urban landscape. There is an ambiguity regarding the character of present day Indian cities with new meanings emerging and no methodical study to understand them. More than an abstract diagram, the present day cities can be looked at as an ensemble of meanings. One of the ways in which the meaning is reflected is through events. Festivals such as Diwali, Dussera, Durga Puja, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc have transpired as the phenomenon of the city, and their presence in the everyday landscape weaves itself through the urban fabric dominating the popular visual culture of Indian cities. Festivals influence people’s idea of a city. Ritual, festival, celebrations are important in shaping of the urban environment and in their influence on the intangible aspect of the urban setting. These festivals pertaining to the city in motion have emerged as the symbolic image of the emerging urban Indian condition giving birth to new urban identities. The study undertaken to understand the present context of temporality of Indian cities is important in analyzing the process of its formation and transformation. This study aims to review the evolution of new dimensions of urbanism in India as well as its implication on the identity of cities.Keywords: urban identities, urban design, festivals, rituals, celebrations, inter-disciplinary study
Procedia PDF Downloads 2535452 Comparison of Stationary and Two-Axis Tracking System of 50MW Photovoltaic Power Plant in Al-Kufra, Libya: Landscape Impact and Performance
Authors: Yasser Aldali
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The scope of this paper is to evaluate and compare the potential of LS-PV (Large Scale Photovoltaic Power Plant) power generation systems in the southern region of Libya at Al-Kufra for both stationary and tracking systems. A Microsoft Excel-VBA program has been developed to compute slope radiation, dew-point, sky temperature, and then cell temperature, maximum power output and module efficiency of the system for stationary system and for tracking system. The results for energy production show that the total energy output is 114GWh/year for stationary system and 148 GWh/year for tracking system. The average module efficiency for the stationary system is 16.6% and 16.2% for the tracking system. The values of electricity generation capacity factor (CF) and solar capacity factor (SCF) for stationary system were found to be 26% and 62.5% respectively and 34% and 82% for tracking system. The GCR (Ground Cover Ratio) for a stationary system is 0.7, which corresponds to a tilt angle of 24°. The GCR for tracking system was found to be 0.12. The estimated ground area needed to build a 50MW PV plant amounts to approx. 0.55 km2 for a stationary PV field constituted by HIT PV arrays and approx. 91 MW/km2. In case of a tracker PV field, the required ground area amounts approx. 2.4k m2 and approx. 20.5 MW/km2.Keywords: large scale photovoltaic power plant, two-axis tracking system, stationary system, landscape impact
Procedia PDF Downloads 4515451 Dynamics of Museum Visitors’ Experiences Studies: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Tesfaye Fentaw Nigatu, Alexander Trupp, Teh Pek Yen
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Research on museums and the experiences of visitors has flourished in recent years, especially after museums became centers of edutainment beyond preserving heritage resources. This paper aims to comprehensively understand the changes, continuities, and future research development directions of museum visitors’ experiences. To identify current research trends, the paper summarizes and analyses research article publications from 1986 to 2023 on museum visitors' experiences. Bibliometric analysis software VOSviewer and Harzing POP (Publish or Perish) were used to analyze 407 academic articles. The articles were generated from the Scopus database. The study attempted to map new insights for future scholars and academics to expand the scope of museum visitors’ experience studies by analyzing keywords, citation patterns, influential articles in the field, publication trends, collaborations between authors, institutions, and clusters of highly cited articles. Accessibility to museums, social media usage within museums, aesthetics in museum settings, mixed reality experiences, sustainability issues, and emotions have emerged as key research areas in the study of museum visitors' experiences. The results benefit stakeholders and researchers in advancing the collective progress of considering recent research trends to stay informed about the latest developments and breakthroughs in the global academic landscape and visitors’ experiences development in the museum.Keywords: bibliometric analysis, museum, network analysis, visitors’ experiences, visual analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 685450 Professional Development of Pre-Service Teachers: The Case of Practicum Experience
Authors: G. Lingam, N. Lingam, K. Raghuwaiya
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The reported study focuses on pre-service teachers’ professional development during the teaching practice. The cohort studied comprised participants in their final year in the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science with Graduate Certificate in Education programmes of a university in Fiji. Analysis of the data obtained using a survey questionnaire indicates that overall, the pre-service teachers were satisfied with the practicum experience. This is assumed to demonstrate that the practicum experience contributed well towards their professional preparation for work expected of them in Fiji secondary schools. Participants also identified some concerns as needing attention. To conclude, the paper provides suggestions for improving the preparation of teachers by strengthening the identified areas of the practicum offered by the university. The study has implications for other teacher education providers in small developing island states and even beyond for the purpose of enhancing learning in student teachers’ for future work.Keywords: pre-service, teacher education, practicum, teachers’ world of work, student teachers
Procedia PDF Downloads 3585449 Practitioner Reflections: The Live Case Studies
Authors: Kate Barnett-Richards, Marie Sams
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As the need for integration between students and industry grows, classroom practitioners must find ways of engaging students whilst also involving industry professionals to help shape the changing nature of university level education. As part of a project funded by the Disruptive Media Learning Lab at Coventry University, traditional case study based seminars on two modules were replaced by interactive live cases. Utilising Google+ as a social media platform allowed students and industry professional to come together and share ideas on a range of current issues. As technology becomes an ever increasingly important part of the higher education landscape, classroom practitioners need to adapt and find ways of utilising technological tools which can enhance the overall classroom experience. Given that many of these innovations come from the individuals involved in delivering classroom based sessions it is vital to share ideas, experiences and best practices so as to allow and encourage others to use the numerous free tools and platforms available. This poster presents the reflections, challenges, and problems faced by education practitioners when engaging students with industry partners in live case study discussions via Google+ within a classroom setting. It is expected that this poster will be of interest to a number of academics and teaching fellows who may be considering utilising social media tools to connect their students with industry.Keywords: case study, Google+, practitioner, reflections.
Procedia PDF Downloads 3075448 Combining Experiments and Surveys to Understand the Pinterest User Experience
Authors: Jolie M. Martin
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Running experiments while logging detailed user actions has become the standard way of testing product features at Pinterest, as at many other Internet companies. While this technique offers plenty of statistical power to assess the effects of product changes on behavioral metrics, it does not often give us much insight into why users respond the way they do. By combining at-scale experiments with smaller surveys of users in each experimental condition, we have developed a unique approach for measuring the impact of our product and communication treatments on user sentiment, attitudes, and comprehension.Keywords: experiments, methodology, surveys, user experience
Procedia PDF Downloads 3115447 Bilingual Experience Influences Different Components of Cognitive Control: Evidence from fMRI Study
Authors: Xun Sun, Le Li, Ce Mo, Lei Mo, Ruiming Wang, Guosheng Ding
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Cognitive control plays a central role in information processing, which is comprised of various components including response suppression and inhibitory control. Response suppression is considered to inhibit the irrelevant response during the cognitive process; while inhibitory control to inhibit the irrelevant stimulus in the process of cognition. Both of them undertake distinct functions for the cognitive control, so as to enhance the performances in behavior. Among numerous factors on cognitive control, bilingual experience is a substantial and indispensible factor. It has been reported that bilingual experience can influence the neural activity of cognitive control as whole. However, it still remains unknown how the neural influences specifically present on the components of cognitive control imposed by bilingualism. In order to explore the further issue, the study applied fMRI, used anti-saccade paradigm and compared the cerebral activations between high and low proficient Chinese-English bilinguals. Meanwhile, the study provided experimental evidence for the brain plasticity of language, and offered necessary bases on the interplay between language and cognitive control. The results showed that response suppression recruited the middle frontal gyrus (MFG) in low proficient Chinese-English bilinguals, but the inferior patrietal lobe in high proficient Chinese-English bilinguals. Inhibitory control engaged the superior temporal gyrus (STG) and middle temporal gyrus (MTG) in low proficient Chinese-English bilinguals, yet the right insula cortex was more active in high proficient Chinese-English bilinguals during the process. These findings illustrate insights that bilingual experience has neural influences on different components of cognitive control. Compared with low proficient bilinguals, high proficient bilinguals turn to activate advanced neural areas for the processing of cognitive control. In addition, with the acquisition and accumulation of language, language experience takes effect on the brain plasticity and changes the neural basis of cognitive control.Keywords: bilingual experience, cognitive control, inhibition control, response suppression
Procedia PDF Downloads 4835446 A Hill Town in Nature to Urban Sprawl: Shimla (HP) India
Authors: Minakshi Jain, I. P. Singh
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The mountain system makes the one fifth of the world’s landscape and is the home to the 600 million people. Though hills and mountains contain about 10 percent of the total population of the country, yet almost half of the country’s population living in or adjacent to the mountain areas depend directly or indirectly on the resources of the hills. Mountain environments are essential to the survival of the global ecosystems, as they sustain the economy of India through its perennial river system and precious forest wealth. Hill areas, with distinct climate, diverse vegetation and valuable flora & fauna are distinguished primarily by unique eco-system, rich both in bio-diversity and visual resources. These areas have special significance in terms of environment and economy. Still the irony is that these mountain ecosystems are fragile and highly susceptible to disturbance, with a low ability to rebound and heal after damage. Hills are home to endangered species, biological diversity and an essential part of the ecosystem. They are extremely sensitive to any human related development. Natural systems are the most ignored in the hills. The way the cities and towns have encroached them today has the serious repercussions on the climate. Amidst immense resources and constraints of nature, the town had a fantastic diversity of cultural and ethnic characteristics nurtured through ages along river basin and valley strung across the length and breadth of this Himalayan setting.Keywords: eco-system, bio-diversity, urban sprawl, vernacular landscape
Procedia PDF Downloads 5275445 Integrating Cooperative Education Experience into Engineering Curriculum: An Approach
Authors: Robin Lok-Wang Ma
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The Center/Unit for Industry Engagement and Collaboration, as well as Internship, play a significant role at university. In general, the Center serves as the official interface between the industry and the School or Department to cultivate students’ early exposure to professional experience. The missions of the Center are not limited to provide a communication channel and collaborative platform for the industries and the university but also to assist students to build up their career paths early while still in the university. In recent years, a cooperative education experience (commonly known as a co-op) has been strongly advocated for students to make the school-to-work transition. The nature of the co-op program is not only consistent with the internships/final year design projects, but it is also more industrial-oriented with academic support from faculty at the university. The purpose of this paper is to describe an approach to how cooperative education experience can be integrated into Engineering Curriculum. It provides a mutual understanding and exchange of ideas for the approach between the university and the industry. A suggested format in terms of timeline, duration, selection of candidates, students, and companies’ expectations for the co-op program is described. Also, feedbacks from employers/industries show that a longer-term co-op program is well suited for students compared with a short-term internship. To this end, it provides a new insight into collaboration and/or partnership between the university and the industries to prepare professional work-ready graduates.Keywords: cooperative education, industry, engagement, collaboration
Procedia PDF Downloads 955444 Ecotourism Sites in Central Visayas, Philippines: A Green Business Profile
Authors: Ivy Jumao-As, Randy Lupango, Clifford Villaflores, Marites Khanser
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Alongside inadequate implementation of ecotourism standards and other pressing issues on sustainable development is the lack of business plans and formal business structures of various ecotourism sites in the Central Visayas, Philippines, and other parts of the country. Addressing these issues plays a key role to boost ecotourism which is a sustainability tool to the country’s economic development. A three-phase research is designed to investigate the green business practices of selected ecotourism sites in the region in order to propose a business model for ecotourism destinations in the region and outside. This paper reports the initial phase of the study which described the sites’ profile as well as operators of the following selected destinations: Cebu City Protected Landscape and Olango Island Wildlife Bird Sanctuary in Cebu, Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape in Bohol. Interview, Self-Administered Questionnaire with key informants and Data Mining were employed in the data collection. Findings highlighted similarities and differences in terms of eco-tourism products, type and number of visitors, manpower composition, cultural and natural resources, complementary services and products, awards and accreditation, peak and off peak seasons, among others. Recommendations based from common issues initially identified in this study are also highlighted.Keywords: ecotourism, ecotourism sites, green business, sustainability
Procedia PDF Downloads 2725443 A Study of Gender Differences in Expressing Pain
Authors: A. Estaji
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The first part of the present paper studies the role of language in expressing pain. Pain is usually described as a personal and mental experience, so language has an important role in describing, expressing and measuring pain and sometimes it is believed that language is the only device for accessing this personal experience. The second part of this paper studies gender differences in expressing pain. Considering the biological, psychological and social differences between men and women, we raise this question whether men and women express their pain in the same way or differently. To answer this question, we asked 44 Farsi speaking participants to write about the most painful experience they had in the past. Qualitative analysis of the data shows that women, have expressed their pain more severely, have expressed their feelings about pain instead of describing the pain itself, have made their pain more personal and have given more details about the circumstances in which they experienced pain, while men have given a more neutral description of their pain and have given a description of their pain by distancing themselves from the painful event. Knowing these gender differences in expressing pain can help medical practitioners in assessing the pain level.Keywords: discourse analysis, expressing pain, measuring pain, gender
Procedia PDF Downloads 3965442 Educational Framework for Coaches on Injury Prevention in Adolescent Team Sports
Authors: Chantell Gouws, Lourens Millard, Anne Naude, Jan-Wessel Meyer, Brandon Stuwart Shaw, Ina Shaw
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Background: Millions of South African youths participate in team sports, with netball and rugby being two of the largest worldwide. This increased participation and professionalism have resulted in an increase in the number of musculoskeletal injuries. Objective: This study examined the extent to which sport coaching knowledge translates to the injuries and prevention of injuries in adolescents participating in netball and rugby. Methods: Thirty-four South African sports coaches participated in the study. Eighteen netball coaches and 16 rugby coaches with varying levels of coaching experience were selected to participate. An adapted version of Nash and Sproule’s questionnaire was used to investigate the coaches’ knowledge with regards to sport-specific common injuries, injury prevention, fitness/conditioning, individual technique development, training programs, mental training, and preparation of players. The analysis of data was carried out using a number of different techniques outlined by Nash and Sproule (2012). These techniques were determined by the type of data. Descriptive data was used to provide statistical analysis. Quantitative data was used to determine the educational framework and knowledge of sports coaches on injury prevention. Numerical data was obtained through questions on sports injuries, as well as coaches’ sports knowledge levels. Participants’ knowledge was measured using a standardized scoring system. Results: For the 0-4 years of netball coaching experience, 76.4% of the coaches had knowledge and experience and 33.3% appropriate first aid knowledge, while for the 9-12 years and 13-16 years, 100% of the coaches had knowledge and experience and first aid knowledge. For the 0-4 years in rugby coaching experience, 59.1% had knowledge and experience and 71% the appropriate first aid knowledge; for the 17-20 years, 100% had knowledge and experience and first aid, while for higher or equal to 25 years, 45.5% had knowledge and experience. In netball, 90% of injuries consisted of ankle injuries, followed by 70% for knee, 50% for shoulder, 20% for lower leg, and 15% for finger injuries. In rugby, 81% of the injuries occurred at the knee, followed by 50% for the shoulder, 40% for the ankle, 31% for the head and neck, and 25% for hamstring injuries. Six hours of training resulted in a 13% chance of injuries in netball and a 32% chance in rugby. For 10 hours of training, the injury prevalence was 10% in netball and 17% in rugby, while 15 hours resulted in an injury incidence of 58% in netball players and a 25% chance in rugby players. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for coaches to improve their knowledge in relation to injuries and injury prevention, along with factors that act as a preventative measure and promotes players’ well-being.Keywords: musculoskeletal injury, sport coaching, sport trauma
Procedia PDF Downloads 1615441 Powering Connections: Synergizing Sales and Marketing for Electronics Engineering with Web Development.
Authors: Muhammad Awais Kiani, Abdul Basit Kiani, Maryam Kiani
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Synergizing Sales and Marketing for Electronics Engineering with Web Development, explores the dynamic relationship between sales, marketing, and web development within the electronics engineering industry. This study is important for the power of digital platforms to connect with customers. Which increases brand visibility and drives sales. It highlights the need for collaboration between sales and marketing teams, as well as the integration of web development strategies to create seamless user experiences and effective lead generation. Furthermore, It also emphasizes the role of data analytics and customer insights in optimizing sales and marketing efforts in the ever-evolving landscape of electronics engineering. Sales and marketing play a crucial role in driving business growth, and in today's digital landscape, web development has become an integral part of these strategies. Web development enables businesses to create visually appealing and user-friendly websites that effectively showcase their products or services. It allows for the integration of e-commerce functionalities, enabling seamless online transactions. Furthermore, web development helps businesses optimize their online presence through search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, social media integration, and content management systems. This abstract highlights the symbiotic relationship between sales marketing in the electronics industry and web development, emphasizing the importance of a strong online presence in achieving business success.Keywords: electronics industry, web development, sales, marketing
Procedia PDF Downloads 1165440 MEET (Maximise the Erasmus Experience Together): Gains, Challenges and Proposals
Authors: Susana Olmos, Catherine Spencer
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Every year our School in DIT (Dublin Institute of Technology) hosts approximately 80 Erasmus students from partner universities across Europe. Our own students are required to spend a compulsory 3rd year abroad on study and/or work placements. This is an extremely rewarding experience for all of the students, however, it can also be a challenging one. With this in mind, we started a project which aimed to make this transition as easy and productive as possible. The project, which is called MEET: Maximise the Erasmus Experience Together, focuses on the students’ own active engagement in learning and preparation – outside of the classroom –and their own self-directed pursuit of opportunities to develop their confidence and preparedness, which would work as an important foundation for the transformative learning that study abroad implies. We focussed on creating more structured opportunities where Erasmus students from our partner universities (currently studying at DIT) and our second-year students could interact and learn from each other, and in so doing improve both their language and intercultural skills. Our experience so far has been quite positive and we have seen how students taking part in this project have developed as autonomous learners as well as enhanced both their linguistic and intercultural knowledge. As the linguistic element of our project was one of our main priorities, we asked the students to keep a reflective diary on the activities that were organised by the group in the TL. Also, we use questionnaires as well as personal interviews to assess their development. However, there are challenges and proposals we would make to bring this project forward for the near future.Keywords: erasmus, intercultural competence, linguistic competence, extra curriculum activities
Procedia PDF Downloads 3785439 Digital Innovation and Business Transformation
Authors: Bisola Stella Sonde
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Digital innovation has emerged as a pivotal driver of business transformation in the contemporary landscape. This case study research explores the dynamic interplay between digital innovation and the profound metamorphosis of businesses across industries. It delves into the multifaceted dimensions of digital innovation, elucidating its impact on organizational structures, customer experiences, and operational paradigms. The study investigates real-world instances of businesses harnessing digital technologies to enhance their competitiveness, agility, and sustainability. It scrutinizes the strategic adoption of digital platforms, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies as catalysts for transformative change. The cases encompass a diverse spectrum of industries, spanning from traditional enterprises to disruptive startups, offering insights into the universal relevance of digital innovation. Moreover, the research scrutinizes the challenges and opportunities posed by the digital era, shedding light on the intricacies of managing cultural shifts, data privacy, and cybersecurity concerns in the pursuit of innovation. It unveils the strategies that organizations employ to adapt, thrive, and lead in the era of digital disruption. In summary, this case study research underscores the imperative of embracing digital innovation as a cornerstone of business transformation. It offers a comprehensive exploration of the contemporary digital landscape, offering valuable lessons for organizations striving to navigate the ever-evolving terrain of the digital age.Keywords: business transformation, digital innovation, emerging technologies, organizational structures
Procedia PDF Downloads 605438 Qualitative Analysis of Emotional Thoughts in the Perspective of Nurses Who Have Been Working Experience in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Unit
Authors: Sevil Inal, Leman Yantiri, Meral Kelleci
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Aim: In this study, it was aimed to qualitatively analyze the feelings, thoughts and meanings of the nurses who had experience in child hematology in the past. Method: In this qualitative study, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 nurses between 29 and 53 years of age who had previously worked in child hematology-oncology unit. Interviews were conducted with a semi-structured interview form. Each interview lasted 20-30 minute. Some of the questions are: ‘What kind of experiences do you experience when you think about the periods you are working in hematology-oncology service?’ ‘Do you explain the reason for living these feelings?’ The data were analyzed with QSR NVivo 7 software. Results: From the perspective of the nurses who had experience working in the pediatric hematology-oncology service in the past, five main themes and sub-themes related to emotions and thoughts towards this experiment were identified in the study. 1) Positive and negative emotions: (a) fear and anxiety, (b) desperation, pity, guilt, (c) burnout, (d) longing; 2) Being coping 3) Professional implications 4) Meaning of life 5) Unmet needs and suggestions. Conclusions: Working in hematology should be viewed as a multidimensional situation that affects the way nurses view their profession and life, leading to a wide range of emotional lives. Data obtained from this study can be used to strengthen hematologic nurses.Keywords: cancer, child, care, hematology, nursing
Procedia PDF Downloads 2395437 Process Driven Architecture For The ‘Lessons Learnt’ Knowledge Sharing Framework: The Case Of A ‘Lessons Learnt’ Framework For KOC
Authors: Rima Al-Awadhi, Abdul Jaleel Tharayil
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On a regular basis, KOC engages into various types of Projects. However, due to very nature and complexity involved, each project experience generates a lot of ‘learnings’ that need to be factored into while drafting a new contract and thus avoid repeating the same mistakes. But, many a time these learnings are localized and remain as tacit leading to scope re-work, larger cycle time, schedule overrun, adjustment orders and claims. Also, these experiences are not readily available to new employees leading to steep learning curve and longer time to competency. This is to share our experience in designing and implementing a process driven architecture for the ‘lessons learnt’ knowledge sharing framework in KOC. It high-lights the ‘lessons learnt’ sharing process adopted, integration with the organizational processes, governance framework, the challenges faced and learning from our experience in implementing a ‘lessons learnt’ framework.Keywords: lessons learnt, knowledge transfer, knowledge sharing, successful practices, Lessons Learnt Workshop, governance framework
Procedia PDF Downloads 5775436 Cyber Victimization: School Experience of Malaysian Cyberbullied Teenagers
Authors: Shireen Simon
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Cyberbullying among schoolchildren and teenagers became a hot issue discussed by Malaysian society. Cyberbullying is a new age of bullying because it uses the modern digital technology intentionally to hurt and degrade someone in the cyber world. Cyberbullying is a problem affecting many teenagers as they embrace online communication and interaction whereby virtual world with no borders. By adopting a qualitative approach, this study has captured 8 cyberbullied victims’ school experience. Even years after leaving school, these 8 cyberbullied victims remember how it feels to be bullied in the cyber world. The principal investigator also tries to identify the possibility factors that contribute to cyberbullying among these 8 victims. The result shows that these victims were bullied differently in cyber world. This study not just primarily focuses on cyberbullying issues among schoolchildren and teenagers; it also addresses the motives and causes of cyberbullying. Lastly, this article will be served as guidance for school teachers, parents and teenagers to prepare to tackle cyberbullying together. Cyberbullying is no laughing matter in our community, and it is time to spread the seeds of peace inspires others to do the same.Keywords: cyberbullying, cyber victimization, internet, school experience, teenagers
Procedia PDF Downloads 2875435 Subjective Temporal Resources: On the Relationship Between Time Perspective and Chronic Time Pressure to Burnout
Authors: Diamant Irene, Dar Tamar
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Burnout, conceptualized within the framework of stress research, is to a large extent a result of a threat on resources of time or a feeling of time shortage. In reaction to numerous tasks, deadlines, high output, management of different duties encompassing work-home conflicts, many individuals experience ‘time pressure’. Time pressure is characterized as the perception of a lack of available time in relation to the amount of workload. It can be a result of local objective constraints, but it can also be a chronic attribute in coping with life. As such, time pressure is associated in the literature with general stress experience and can therefore be a direct, contributory burnout factor. The present study examines the relation of chronic time pressure – feeling of time shortage and of being rushed, with another central aspect in subjective temporal experience - time perspective. Time perspective is a stable personal disposition, capturing the extent to which people subjectively remember the past, live the present and\or anticipate the future. Based on Hobfoll’s Conservation of Resources Theory, it was hypothesized that individuals with chronic time pressure would experience a permanent threat on their time resources resulting in relatively increased burnout. In addition, it was hypothesized that different time perspective profiles, based on Zimbardo’s typology of five dimensions – Past Positive, Past Negative, Present Hedonistic, Present Fatalistic, and Future, would be related to different magnitudes of chronic time pressure and of burnout. We expected that individuals with ‘Past Negative’ or ‘Present Fatalist’ time perspectives would experience more burnout, with chronic time pressure being a moderator variable. Conversely, individuals with a ‘Present Hedonistic’ - with little concern with the future consequences of actions, would experience less chronic time pressure and less burnout. Another temporal experience angle examined in this study is the difference between the actual distribution of time (as in a typical day) versus desired distribution of time (such as would have been distributed optimally during a day). It was hypothesized that there would be a positive correlation between the gap between these time distributions and chronic time pressure and burnout. Data was collected through an online self-reporting survey distributed on social networks, with 240 participants (aged 21-65) recruited through convenience and snowball sampling methods from various organizational sectors. The results of the present study support the hypotheses and constitute a basis for future debate regarding the elements of burnout in the modern work environment, with an emphasis on subjective temporal experience. Our findings point to the importance of chronic and stable temporal experiences, as time pressure and time perspective, in occupational experience. The findings are also discussed with a view to the development of practical methods of burnout prevention.Keywords: conservation of resources, burnout, time pressure, time perspective
Procedia PDF Downloads 1745434 Valuation of Cultural Heritage: A Hedonic Pricing Analysis of Housing via GIS-based Data
Authors: Dai-Ling Li, Jung-Fa Cheng, Min-Lang Huang, Yun-Yao Chi
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The hedonic pricing model has been popularly applied to describe the economic value of environmental amenities in urban housing, but the results for cultural heritage variables remain relatively ambiguous. In this paper, integrated variables extending by GIS-based data and an existing typology of communities used to examine how cultural heritage and environmental amenities and disamenities affect housing prices across urban communities in Tainan, Taiwan. The developed models suggest that, although a sophisticated variable for central services is selected, the centrality of location is not fully controlled in the price models and thus picked up by correlated peripheral and central amenities such as cultural heritage, open space or parks. Analysis of these correlations permits us to qualify results and present a revised set of relatively reliable estimates. Positive effects on housing prices are identified for views, various types of recreational infrastructure and vicinity of nationally cultural sites and significant landscapes. Negative effects are found for several disamenities including wasteyards, refuse incinerators, petrol stations and industries. The results suggest that systematic hypothesis testing and reporting of correlations may contribute to consistent explanatory patterns in hedonic pricing estimates for cultural heritage and landscape amenities in urban.Keywords: hedonic pricing model, cultural heritage, landscape amenities, housing
Procedia PDF Downloads 3395433 Treatment of Carribean Colonial Historical Experience in Walcott and Brathwaite's Poems: Finding the Long Lost 'Root' in the Route
Authors: Gopashis Biswas G. Son
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This paper will attempt to explore the notions that the two Caribbean poets- Derek Walcott and Edward Kamau Brathwaite endorse on Caribbean history in their poems. Though both of these poets hold almost the same notion regarding history but their approach is totally different from one another. Coming from a 'hybrid' race, Walcott is aware of the history and acknowledges it and writes in 'mulatto of style'; whereas Brathwaite is enraged by it and attempts to sublimate it to erect a history of the new world. It is Walcott’s view to rise above the delusion and hatred and engulf the world of literature with creativity. On the other hand, Brathwaite holds the grudge which helps him not to forget and forgive the past experience but to transform that very experience into something positive which may help the Caribbean to transform their frustration into something creative and to help the Caribbean to overcome the present struggle against the legacy of colonization. Following discourse analysis, this paper seeks to identify if it is possible to rewrite and re-‘right’ the Caribbean history which has been lost in the route and analyze Walcott and Brathwaite’s attitude towards that very history which has been implemented through their poetry.Keywords: Caribbean history, colonialism, mulatto of style, Walcott vis-à-vis Brathwaite
Procedia PDF Downloads 1585432 Analyzing the Perceptions of Emotions in Aesthetic Music
Authors: Abigail Wiafe, Charles Nutrokpor, Adelaide Oduro-Asante
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The advancement of technology is rapidly making people more receptive to music as computer-generated music requires minimal human interventions. Though algorithms are applied to generate music, the human experience of emotions is still explored. Thus, this study investigates the emotions humans experience listening to computer-generated music that possesses aesthetic qualities. Forty-two subjects participated in the survey. The selection process was purely arbitrary since it was based on convenience. Subjects listened and evaluated the emotions experienced from the computer-generated music through an online questionnaire. The Likert scale was used to rate the emotional levels after the music listening experience. The findings suggest that computer-generated music possesses aesthetic qualities that do not affect subjects' emotions as long as they are pleased with the music. Furthermore, computer-generated music has unique creativity, and expressioneven though the music produced is meaningless, the computational models developed are unable to present emotional contents in music as humans do.Keywords: aesthetic, algorithms, emotions, computer-generated music
Procedia PDF Downloads 1355431 Pedestrian Areas, Development Stimulus in Urban Old Fabrics; Analyzing Stroget, Pedestrian Street in Copenhagen
Authors: Kiomars Habibi, Mostafa Behzadfar, Airin Jaberi
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Designing appropriate places for the comfort of pedestrians is one of the most important aspects of modern urbanization and renovation and rehabilitation stimulus of urban old fabrics. So, that special cities designed for pedestrians with a complete network of streets without cars, can be considered as one of the best habitations in the world. The number of these cities with a network of streets and squares in which beauty, enjoyment and comfort are mostly concerned for the pedestrians designed regions is increasing around the world, such as Stockholm, Copenhagen, Munich, Frankfurt, Venice, Rome, etc. In this paper, we are going to explain the influential factors regarding the efficiency of these cities by identifying one of the most important pedestrian ways of the world; Strøget is a car free zone in Copenhagen, Denmark. This popular tourist attraction in the center of town is the longest pedestrian shopping area in Europe. Analyses indicate that world-wide experience concerning the renovation and rehabilitation of old fabrics has many advantages in exploiting the idea of pedestrian way for regeneration of old fabrics. Transforming the streets to appropriate places for the comfort of pedestrians, expanding the public spaces such as city squares, and decreasing the masses of building alongside the brought comfort and peace is the main reason in the success of Strøget pedestrian street in urban old fabrics of Copenhagen. Hypothesis: The Strøget pedestrian street has been the development stimulus in Copenhagen and the urban old fabrics development as a resultKeywords: development, stimulus, pedestrian street, urban landscape, Stroget
Procedia PDF Downloads 1075430 Land Use/Land Cover Mapping Using Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 in a Mediterranean Landscape
Authors: Moschos Vogiatzis, K. Perakis
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Spatial-explicit and up-to-date land use/land cover information is fundamental for spatial planning, land management, sustainable development, and sound decision-making. In the last decade, many satellite-derived land cover products at different spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions have been developed, such as the European Copernicus Land Cover product. However, more efficient and detailed information for land use/land cover is required at the regional or local scale. A typical Mediterranean basin with a complex landscape comprised of various forest types, crops, artificial surfaces, and wetlands was selected to test and develop our approach. In this study, we investigate the improvement of Copernicus Land Cover product (CLC2018) using Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 pixel-based classification based on all available existing geospatial data (Forest Maps, LPIS, Natura2000 habitats, cadastral parcels, etc.). We examined and compared the performance of the Random Forest classifier for land use/land cover mapping. In total, 10 land use/land cover categories were recognized in Landsat 8 and 11 in Sentinel-2A. A comparison of the overall classification accuracies for 2018 shows that Landsat 8 classification accuracy was slightly higher than Sentinel-2A (82,99% vs. 80,30%). We concluded that the main land use/land cover types of CLC2018, even within a heterogeneous area, can be successfully mapped and updated according to CLC nomenclature. Future research should be oriented toward integrating spatiotemporal information from seasonal bands and spectral indexes in the classification process.Keywords: classification, land use/land cover, mapping, random forest
Procedia PDF Downloads 1255429 Effects of Fire on Vegetation of the Prairies and Black Oak Sand Savannas of Kankakee, Illinois
Authors: Megan Alkazoff, Charles Ruffner
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Tallgrass prairies and sand savannas, once covering northern to central Illinois, are ecosystems in need of restoration and conservation in the Midwestern United States. The Nature Conservancy manages five sites containing fragments of remaining tallgrass prairies and sand savannas within the Kankakee Sands using techniques such as prescribed burning and invasive species removal. The objective of this study was to conduct a ten-year resampling of transects established on these five sites during previous studies to assess whether the management tools applied there are helping maintain the tallgrass prairie and sand savannas. During the summer of 2020, permanent transect lines were sampled using a quadrat to determine the % Cover Class of each species rooted in the quadrat. Data gathered was analyzed using linear regression to illustrate the relationship between fire occurrence and species composition on the landscape. The fire frequency had a highly significant effect (P= 0.0025) on the species richness of all sites. The frequency of fire had a non-significant effect (P>0.05) on the Floristic Quality Index, percent C value 4-10, and bare-ground percentage of a site. These results suggest that fire on the landscape, both wild and prescribed, have increased biodiversity on all five sites but has not affected the Floristic Quality Index, percent C value 4-10, and the percentage of bare-ground on the sites.Keywords: fire, floristic quality assessment, sand savanna, species richness, tallgrass prairie
Procedia PDF Downloads 179