Search results for: career and technical education
4000 Integrating Service Learning into a Business Analytics Course: A Comparative Investigation
Authors: Gokhan Egilmez, Erika Hatfield, Julie Turner
Abstract:
In this study, we investigated the impacts of service-learning integration on an undergraduate level business analytics course from multiple perspectives, including academic proficiency, community awareness, engagement, social responsibility, and reflection. We assessed the impact of the service-learning experience by using a survey developed primarily based on the literature review and secondarily on an ad hoc group of researchers. Then, we implemented the survey in two sections, where one of the sections was a control group. We compared the results of the empirical survey visually and statistically.Keywords: business analytics, service learning, experiential education, statistical analysis, survey research
Procedia PDF Downloads 993999 Examining Geometric Thinking Behaviours of Undergraduates in Online Geometry Course
Authors: Peter Akayuure
Abstract:
Geometry is considered an important strand in mathematics due to its wide-ranging utilitarian value and because it serves as a building block for understanding other aspects of undergraduate mathematics, including algebra and calculus. Matters regarding students’ geometric thinking have therefore long been pursued by mathematics researchers and educators globally via different theoretical lenses, curriculum reform efforts, and innovative instructional practices. However, so far, studies remain inconclusive about the instructional platforms that effectively promote geometric thinking. At the University of Education, Winneba, an undergraduate geometry course was designed and delivered on UEW Learning Management System (LMS) using Moodle platform. This study utilizes van Hiele’s theoretical lens to examine the entry and exit’s geometric thinking behaviours of prospective teachers who took the undergraduate geometry course in the LMS platform. The study was a descriptive survey that involved an intact class of 280 first-year students enrolled to pursue a bachelor's in mathematics education at the university. The van Hiele’s Geometric thinking test was used to assess participants’ entry and exit behaviours, while semi-structured interviews were used to obtain data for triangulation. Data were analysed descriptively and displayed in tables and charts. An Independent t-test was used to test for significant differences in geometric thinking behaviours between those who entered the university with a diploma certificate and with senior high certificate. The results show that on entry, more than 70% of the prospective teachers operated within the visualization level of van Hiele’s geometric thinking. Less than 20% reached analysis and abstraction levels, and no participant reached deduction and rigor levels. On exit, participants’ geometric thinking levels increased markedly across levels, but the difference from entry was not significant and might have occurred by chance. The geometric thinking behaviours of those enrolled with diploma certificates did not differ significant from those enrolled directly from senior high school. The study recommends that the design principles and delivery of undergraduate geometry course via LMS should be structured and tackled using van Hiele’s geometric thinking levels to serve as means of bridging the existing learning gaps of undergraduate students.Keywords: geometric thinking, van Hiele’s, UEW learning management system, undergraduate geometry
Procedia PDF Downloads 1243998 The Relationship of Creativity and Innovation in Artistic Work and Their Importance in Improving the Artistic Organizational Performance
Authors: Houyem Kotti
Abstract:
The development in societies requires that these societies are continuously changing in various aspects, a change that requires continuous adaptation to the data of the technical age. In order for the individual to perform his/her duty or task in a perfect way, it is necessary to provide all the basic requirements and necessities to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the personnel working to accomplish their tasks, requirements, and work successfully. The success of the industries and organizations are linked to the need to create individuals in the creative and innovative field. Formation process is considered an economic development and social prosperity, and to improve the quantity and quality of artistic work. Therefore, creativity and innovation play an important role in improving the performance of the artistic organization as it is one of the variables affecting the organization's ability to grow and invest. In order to provide better services to their customers, especially in the face of competition and traditional methods of work, and in an environment that discourages and hinders creativity and impairs any process of development, change or creative behavior. The research methodology that will be performed for this study is described as qualitative by conducting several interviews with artistic people, experts in the artistic field and reviewing the related literature to collect the necessary and required qualitative data from secondary sources such as statistical reports, previous research studies, etc. In this research, we will attempt to clarify the relationship between innovation and its importance in the artistic organization, the conditions of achieving innovation and its constraints, barriers, and challenges. The creativity and innovation and their impacts on the performance of artistic organizations, explaining this mechanism, so as to ensure continuity of these organizations and keeping pace with developments in the global economic environment.Keywords: artistic work, creativity and innovation, artistic organization, performance
Procedia PDF Downloads 2443997 Technology Use by African Smallholder Farmers and the Significant Mediating Factors
Authors: Enobong Akpan-Etuk
Abstract:
The willingness of smallholder farmers in Africa to adopt new agricultural technologies has been low, despite the technological advancement in agriculture. Although technology is seen as the main route out of the traditional methods of food production and poverty, the rate of adoption of agricultural technology remains low among farmers in Africa. Factors affecting the adoption of agricultural technologies include the acquisition of information, characteristics of the technology, education of farmers, social capital, farm size, and household size. This paper explored the literature on the influence of the factors that determine the adoption of technology by smallholder farmers.Keywords: smallholder, technology, adoption
Procedia PDF Downloads 1363996 Development of an Attitude Scale Towards Social Networking Sites
Authors: Münevver Başman, Deniz Gülleroğlu
Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to develop a scale to determine the attitudes towards social networking sites. 45 tryout items, prepared for this aim, were applied to 342 students studying at Marmara University, Faculty of Education. The reliability and the validity of the scale were conducted with the help of these students. As a result of exploratory factor analysis with Varimax rotation, 41 items grouped according to the structure with three factors (interest, reality and negative effects) is obtained. While alpha reliability of the scale is obtained as .899; the reliability of factors is obtained as .899, .799, .775, respectively.Keywords: Attitude, reliability, social networking sites, validity.
Procedia PDF Downloads 3763995 Beyond Inclusion: The Need for Health Equity for Women with Disabilities
Authors: Jaishree Ellis
Abstract:
The United States Centers for Disease Control tells us that many women with disabilities will not receive regular health screenings, including Pap Smears and mammograms. This article was comprised and written to recognize the barriers to care, gaps in existing healthcare implementation, and viable methodologies for the provision of comprehensive and robust gynecologic care for women with disabilities. According to the World Health Organization, 15% of the world's population, or approximately 1 billion people, have disabilities, most of whom are identified as women. Women with disabilities are described as being multi-disabled, as in some places, they suffer exclusion because of their disabilities as well as their gender. The paucity of information regarding how to create a healthcare system that is inclusive of every woman, regardless of her type of disability (physical, mental, intellectual or medical), has made it challenging to establish an environment that makes it possible for individuals to access care in an equitable, respectful and comprehensive way. A review of the current literature, institutional websites within the United States and American resource guides was implemented to determine where comprehensive models of care for women with disabilities exist, as well as the modalities that are being employed to meet their healthcare needs. The many barriers to care that women with disabilities face were also extracted from various sources within the literature to provide an exhaustive list that can be tackled, one by one. Of the 637 Hospital Systems in the United States, only 7 provide website documentation of health care services that address the unique needs of women with disabilities. The presumption is that if institutions have not marketed such interventions to the community, then it is likely that they do not have a robust suite of services with which to make gynecologic care available to patients with disabilities. Through this review, 7 main barriers to comprehensive gynecologic care were identified, with more than 20 sub-categories existing within those. As with many other areas of community life, inclusion remains lacking in the delivery of healthcare for women with disabilities. There are at least 7 barriers that must be overcome in order to provide equity in the medical office, the exam room, the hospital and the operating room. While few institutions have prioritized this, those few have provided blueprints that can easily be adopted by others. However, as the general population lives longer and ages, the incidence of disabilities increases, as do the healthcare disparities surrounding them. Further compounded by this is a lack of formal education for medical providers in the United States.Keywords: health equity, inclusion, healthcare disparities, education
Procedia PDF Downloads 493994 Determination of the Runoff Coefficient in Urban Regions, an Example from Haifa, Israel
Authors: Ayal Siegel, Moshe Inbar, Amatzya Peled
Abstract:
This study examined the characteristic runoff coefficient in different urban areas. The main area studied is located in the city of Haifa, northern Israel. Haifa spreads out eastward from the Mediterranean seacoast to the top of the Carmel Mountain range with an elevation of 300 m. above sea level. For this research project, four watersheds were chosen, each characterizing a different part of the city; 1) Upper Hadar, a spacious suburb on the upper mountain side; 2) Qiryat Eliezer, a crowded suburb on a level plane of the watershed; 3) Technion, a large technical research university which is located halfway between the top of the mountain range and the coast line. 4) Keret, a remote suburb, on the southwestern outskirts of Haifa. In all of the watersheds found suitable, instruments were installed to continuously measure the water level flowing in the channels. Three rainfall gauges scattered in the study area complete the hydrological requirements for this research project. The runoff coefficient C in peak discharge events was determined by the Rational Formula. The main research finding is the significant relationship between the intensity of rainfall, and the impervious area which is connected to the drainage system of the watershed. For less intense rainfall, the full potential of the connected impervious area will not be exploited. As a result, the runoff coefficient value decreases as do the peak discharge rate and the runoff yield from the storm event. The research results will enable application to other areas by means of hydrological model to be be set up on GIS software that will make it possible to estimate the runoff coefficient of any given city watershed.Keywords: runoff coefficient, rational method, time of concentration, connected impervious area.
Procedia PDF Downloads 3463993 Interrelationship of Socio-Demographic Factors, Health Belief Dimensions and Compliance to Measles Vaccination among Filipino Mothers
Authors: Beryl Rene R. Lopez, Lesley Anne M. Lipat, Rhogene Barbette C. Lirio, Laurice Joy H. Llanes, Karl Philippe M. Llapitan, Einstein James R. Lopez, Socorro S. GuanHing
Abstract:
Background: Measles remain as one of the most common childhood diseases despite the availability of the vaccine that is safe and cost-effective. Because of morbidity and mortality associated with the recent measles outbreak in the Philippines, there is an increasing concern from the health care professionals. Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between the compliance of Filipino mothers to measles vaccination and their health beliefs when grouped according to the given socio-demographic factors using a researcher-made questionnaire. Research Methodology: This research utilized the descriptive-correlational research design. With the use of purposive sampling technique, the study involved 200 Filipino mothers aged 18 years old and above excluding those who are healthcare professionals with children aged 2-3 years old with either urban or rural as their settlements. Pre-testing was done prior to the actual data gathering. A questionnaire composed of 26 items involving socio-demographic, compliance, and health beliefs was distributed to the sample population. Statistical analysis was done with the use of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) for the first research question and Structural Equation Model (SEM) for the second research question. Results: Four dimensions were generated with the use of EFA namely: Vulnerability-Oriented Beliefs (VOB), Knowledge-Oriented Beliefs (KOB), Accessibility-Oriented Beliefs (AOB), and Outcomes-Oriented Beliefs (OOB). These were then correlated with the mothers’ socio-demographic factors (age, educational attainment, the area of residence, the number of children, and family income) and their compliance to the measles vaccination schedule. Results showed significant and direct relationships between area of residence and compliance, family income and compliance, KOB and compliance, education and KOB, KOB and VOB, KOB and OOB, AOB and KOB, AOB and OOB, AOB and VOB, and lastly, OOB and VOB. Conclusion: The Knowledge – Oriented Belief dimension greatly influence compliance to measles vaccination. Other determinants of compliance like the area of residence, educational attainment, and family income significantly increase the Filipino mothers’ likelihood of compliance to measles vaccination, which have implications to health education.Keywords: socio-demographic, health beliefs, compliance, measles vaccination
Procedia PDF Downloads 3663992 The Fundamental Research and Industrial Application on CO₂+O₂ in-situ Leaching Process in China
Authors: Lixin Zhao, Genmao Zhou
Abstract:
Traditional acid in-situ leaching (ISL) is not suitable for the sandstone uranium deposit with low permeability and high content of carbonate minerals, because of the blocking of calcium sulfate precipitates. Another factor influences the uranium acid in-situ leaching is that the pyrite in ore rocks will react with oxidation reagent and produce lots of sulfate ions which may speed up the precipitation process of calcium sulphate and consume lots of oxidation reagent. Due to the advantages such as less chemical reagent consumption and groundwater pollution, CO₂+O₂ in-situ leaching method has become one of the important research areas in uranium mining. China is the second country where CO₂+O₂ ISL has been adopted in industrial uranium production of the world. It is shown that the CO₂+O₂ ISL in China has been successfully developed. The reaction principle, technical process, well field design and drilling engineering, uranium-bearing solution processing, etc. have been fully studied. At current stage, several uranium mines use CO₂+O₂ ISL method to extract uranium from the ore-bearing aquifers. The industrial application and development potential of CO₂+O₂ ISL method in China are summarized. By using CO₂+O₂ neutral leaching technology, the problem of calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate precipitation have been solved during uranium mining. By reasonably regulating the amount of CO₂ and O₂, related ions and hydro-chemical conditions can be controlled within the limited extent for avoiding the occurrence of calcium sulfate and calcium carbonate precipitation. Based on this premise, the demand of CO₂+O₂ uranium leaching has been met to the maximum extent, which not only realizes the effective leaching of uranium, but also avoids the occurrence and precipitation of calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate, realizing the industrial development of the sandstone type uranium deposit.Keywords: CO₂+O₂ ISL, industrial production, well field layout, uranium processing
Procedia PDF Downloads 1643991 Substance Use and Association of Adverse Childhood Experience and Mental Health in Young Adults
Authors: Sreelekha Prakash, Yulong Gu
Abstract:
Background: About 61% of adults surveyed across 25 states reported they had experienced at least one type of Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) before 18 years of age. Relationships between ACEs and a variety of substance-related behaviors and behavioral health have been reported in previous studies. ACEs can have lasting, negative effects on health, well-being, as well as life opportunities such as education and job potential. Objectives: For the current research, the aim was to assess the factors affecting substance use behavior in young adults. The further onset of drug use and its association was analyzed with ACEs and mental health. Method: The young adults from a county in the north-eastern United States were invited to participate in an online questionnaire survey with prior consent through an IRB approved study. The Survey included questions related to social determinants of health, 10 item ACE questionnaire, and substance use related to Alcohol, Marijuana, Opioids, Stimulants, and other drugs. PHQ-9 questionnaire was used to assess cognitive health. Results: Data was analyzed for the 244 completed surveys {68% (165) were females, and 78% (190) were Whites}. The average age of the participants was 26.7 years, and approximately 80% were lifelong residents of the county or year-round residents. Of the respondents, 50% (122) were high school graduates with some college education, and 56% (136) had a full-time jobs. Past 30-day usage for alcohol was 76% (72), and marijuana was 28.4% (27). The data showed that the higher the ACE scores, the younger they start using any substance (p < 0.0001). The data for PHQ-9 and ACE scores showed that the higher the ACE score, the higher the PHQ-9 score, with a significant p-value (p 0.0001). The current data also showed a significant association with other drugs; marijuana use showed significance for 30 days of use (p 0.0001), stimulant use (0.0008), prescription drug misuse (0.01), and opioids (0.01). Conclusion: These findings further support the association between ACEs and initiation of drug use and its correlation with mental health symptoms. Promoting a safe and supportive environment for children and youth in their earlier ages can prevent the youth and young adults from the effects of drug use and create healthy living habits for young adults.Keywords: subtance use, young adults, adverse childhood experience, PHQ-9
Procedia PDF Downloads 793990 Evaluation of Model-Based Code Generation for Embedded Systems–Mature Approach for Development in Evolution
Authors: Nikolay P. Brayanov, Anna V. Stoynova
Abstract:
Model-based development approach is gaining more support and acceptance. Its higher abstraction level brings simplification of systems’ description that allows domain experts to do their best without particular knowledge in programming. The different levels of simulation support the rapid prototyping, verifying and validating the product even before it exists physically. Nowadays model-based approach is beneficial for modelling of complex embedded systems as well as a generation of code for many different hardware platforms. Moreover, it is possible to be applied in safety-relevant industries like automotive, which brings extra automation of the expensive device certification process and especially in the software qualification. Using it, some companies report about cost savings and quality improvements, but there are others claiming no major changes or even about cost increases. This publication demonstrates the level of maturity and autonomy of model-based approach for code generation. It is based on a real live automotive seat heater (ASH) module, developed using The Mathworks, Inc. tools. The model, created with Simulink, Stateflow and Matlab is used for automatic generation of C code with Embedded Coder. To prove the maturity of the process, Code generation advisor is used for automatic configuration. All additional configuration parameters are set to auto, when applicable, leaving the generation process to function autonomously. As a result of the investigation, the publication compares the quality of generated embedded code and a manually developed one. The measurements show that generally, the code generated by automatic approach is not worse than the manual one. A deeper analysis of the technical parameters enumerates the disadvantages, part of them identified as topics for our future work.Keywords: embedded code generation, embedded C code quality, embedded systems, model-based development
Procedia PDF Downloads 2363989 Comfort Needs and Energy Practices in Low-Income, Tropical Housing from a Socio-Technical Perspective
Authors: Tania Sharmin
Abstract:
Energy use, overheating and thermal discomfort in low-income tropical housing remains an under-researched area. This research attempts to explore these aspects in the Loving Community, a housing colony created for former leprosy patients and their families in Ahmedabad in India. The living conditions in these households and working practices of the inhabitants in terms of how the building and its internal and external spaces are used, will be explored through interviews and monitoring which will be based on a household survey and a focus group discussion (FGD). The findings from the study will provide a unique and in-depth account of how the relocation of the affected households to the new, flood-resistant and architecturally-designed buildings may have affected the dwellers’ household routines (health and well-being, comfort, satisfaction and working practices) and overall living conditions compared to those living in poorly-designed, existing low-income housings. The new houses were built under an innovative building project supported by De Montfort University Leicester (DMU)’s Square Mile India project. A comparison of newly-built and existing building typologies will reveal how building design can affect people’s use of space and energy use. The findings will be helpful to design healthier, energy efficient and socially acceptable low-income housing in future, thus addressing United Nation’s sustainable development goals on three aspects: 3 (health and well-being), 7 (energy) and 11 (safe, resilient and sustainable human settlements). This will further facilitate knowledge exchange between policy makers, developers, designers and occupants focused on strategies to increase stakeholders’ participation in the design process.Keywords: thermal comfort, energy use, low-income housing, tropical climate
Procedia PDF Downloads 1153988 Understanding the Basics of Information Security: An Act of Defense
Authors: Sharon Q. Yang, Robert J. Congleton
Abstract:
Information security is a broad concept that covers any issues and concerns about the proper access and use of information on the Internet, including measures and procedures to protect intellectual property and private data from illegal access and online theft; the act of hacking; and any defensive technologies that contest such cybercrimes. As more research and commercial activities are conducted online, cybercrimes have increased significantly, putting sensitive information at risk. Information security has become critically important for organizations and private citizens alike. Hackers scan for network vulnerabilities on the Internet and steal data whenever they can. Cybercrimes disrupt our daily life, cause financial losses, and instigate fear in the public. Since the start of the pandemic, most data related cybercrimes targets have been either financial or health information from companies and organizations. Libraries also should have a high interest in understanding and adopting information security methods to protect their patron data and copyrighted materials. But according to information security professionals, higher education and cultural organizations, including their libraries, are the least prepared entities for cyberattacks. One recent example is that of Steven’s Institute of Technology in New Jersey in the US, which had its network hacked in 2020, with the hackers demanding a ransom. As a result, the network of the college was down for two months, causing serious financial loss. There are other cases where libraries, colleges, and universities have been targeted for data breaches. In order to build an effective defense, we need to understand the most common types of cybercrimes, including phishing, whaling, social engineering, distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, malware and ransomware, and hacker profiles. Our research will focus on each hacking technique and related defense measures; and the social background and reasons/purpose of hacker and hacking. Our research shows that hacking techniques will continue to evolve as new applications, housing information, and data on the Internet continue to be developed. Some cybercrimes can be stopped with effective measures, while others present challenges. It is vital that people understand what they face and the consequences when not prepared.Keywords: cybercrimes, hacking technologies, higher education, information security, libraries
Procedia PDF Downloads 1233987 Smart Books as a Supporting Tool for Developing Skills of Designing and Employing Webquest 2.0
Authors: Huda Alyami
Abstract:
The present study aims to measure the effectiveness of an "Interactive eBook" in order to develop skills of designing and employing webquests for female intern teachers. The study uses descriptive analytical methodology as well as quasi-experimental methodology. The sample of the study consists of (30) female intern teachers from the Department of Special Education (in the tracks of Gifted Education and Learning Difficulties), during the first semester of the academic year 2015, at King Abdul-Aziz University in Jeddah city. The sample is divided into (15) female intern teachers for the experimental group, and (15) female intern teachers for the control group. A set of qualitative and quantitative tools have been prepared and verified for the study, embodied in: a list of the designing webquests' skills, a list of the employing webquests' skills, a webquests' knowledge achievement test, a product rating card, an observation card, and an interactive ebook. The study concludes the following results: 1. After pre-control, there are statistically significant differences, at the significance level of (α ≤ 0.05), between the mean scores of the experimental and the control groups in the post measurement of the webquests' knowledge achievement test, in favor of the experimental group. 2. There are statistically significant differences, at the significance level of (α ≤ 0.05), between the mean scores of experimental and control groups in the post measurement of the product rating card in favor of the experimental group. 3. There are statistically significant differences, at the significance level of (α ≤ 0.05), between the mean scores of experimental and control groups in the post measurement of the observation card for the experimental group. In the light of the previous findings, the study recommends the following: taking advantage of interactive ebooks when teaching all educational courses for various disciplines at the university level, creating educational participative platforms to share educational interactive ebooks for various disciplines at the local and regional levels. The study suggests conducting further qualitative studies on the effectiveness of interactive ebooks, in addition to conducting studies on the use of (Web 2.0) in webquests.Keywords: interactive eBook, webquest, design, employing, develop skills
Procedia PDF Downloads 1773986 Developing Learning in Organizations with Innovation Pedagogy Methods
Authors: T. Konst
Abstract:
Most jobs include training and communication tasks, but often the people in these jobs lack pedagogical competences to plan, implement and assess learning. This paper aims to discuss how a learning approach called innovation pedagogy developed in higher education can be utilized for learning development in various organizations. The methods presented how to implement innovation pedagogy such as process consultation and train the trainer model can provide added value to develop pedagogical knowhow in organizations and thus support their internal learning and development.Keywords: innovation pedagogy, learning, organizational development, process consultation
Procedia PDF Downloads 3573985 The Effectiveness of Intervention Methods for Repetitive Behaviors in Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review
Authors: Akane Uda, Ami Tabata, Mi An, Misa Komaki, Ryotaro Ito, Mayumi Inoue, Takehiro Sasai, Yusuke Kusano, Toshihiro Kato
Abstract:
Early intervention is recommended for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and an increasing number of children have received support and intervention before school age in recent years. In this study, we systematically reviewed preschool interventions focused on repetitive behaviors observed in children with ASD, which are often observed at younger ages. Inclusion criteria were as follows : (1) Child of preschool status (age ≤ 7 years) with a diagnosis of ASD (including autism, Asperger's, and pervasive developmental disorder) or a parent (caregiver) with a preschool child with ASD, (2) Physician-confirmed diagnosis of ASD (autism, Asperger's, and pervasive developmental disorder), (3) Interventional studies for repetitive behaviors, (4) Original articles published within the past 10 years (2012 or later), (5) Written in English and Japanese. Exclusion criteria were as follows: (1) Systematic reviews or meta-analyses, (2) Conference reports or books. We carefully scrutinized databases to remove duplicate references and used a two-step screening process to select papers. The primary screening included close scrutiny of titles and abstracts to exclude articles that did not meet the eligibility criteria. During the secondary screening, we carefully read the complete text to assess eligibility, which was double-checked by six members at the laboratory. Disagreements were resolved through consensus-based discussion. Our search yielded 304 papers, of which nine were included in the study. The level of evidence was as follows: three randomized controlled trials (level 2), four pre-post studies (level 4b), and two case reports (level 5). Seven articles selected for this study described the effectiveness of interventions. Interventions for repetitive behaviors in preschool children with ASD were categorized as five interventions that directly involved the child and four educational programs for caregivers and parents. Studies that directly intervened with children used early intensive intervention based on applied behavior analysis (Early Start Denver Model, Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention, and the Picture Exchange Communication System) and individualized education based on sensory integration. Educational interventions for caregivers included two methods; (a) education regarding combined methods and practices of applied behavior analysis in addition to classification and coping methods for repetitive behaviors, and (b) education regarding evaluation methods and practices based on children’s developmental milestones in play. With regard to the neurophysiological basis of repetitive behaviors, environmental factors are implicated as possible contributors. We assumed that applied behavior analysis was shown to be effective in reducing repetitive behaviors because analysis focused on the interaction between the individual and the environment. Additionally, with regard to educational interventions for caregivers, the intervention was shown to promote behavioral change in children based on the caregivers' understanding of the classification of repetitive behaviors and the children’s developmental milestones in play and adjustment of the person-environment context led to a reduction in repetitive behaviors.Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, early intervention, repetitive behaviors, systematic review
Procedia PDF Downloads 1303984 Relationship between Gender and Performance with Respect to a Basic Math Skills Quiz in Statistics Courses in Lebanon
Authors: Hiba Naccache
Abstract:
The present research investigated whether gender differences affect performance in a simple math quiz in statistics course. Participants of this study comprised a sample of 567 statistics students in two different universities in Lebanon. Data were collected through a simple math quiz. Analysis of quantitative data indicated that there wasn’t a significant difference in math performance between males and females. The results suggest that improvements in student performance may depend on improved mastery of basic algebra especially for females. The implications of these findings and further recommendations were discussed.Keywords: gender, education, math, statistics
Procedia PDF Downloads 3693983 Designing Effective Serious Games for Learning and Conceptualization Their Structure
Authors: Zahara Abdulhussan Al-Awadai
Abstract:
Currently, serious games play a significant role in education, sparking an increasing interest in using games for purposes beyond mere entertainment. In this research, we investigate the main requirements and aspects of designing and developing effective serious games for learning and developing a conceptual model to describe the structure of serious games with a focus on both aspects of serious games. The main contributions of this approach are to facilitate the design and development of serious games in a flexible and easy-to-use way and also to support the cooperative work between the multidisciplinary developer team.Keywords: game development, game design, requirements, serious games, serious game model.
Procedia PDF Downloads 493982 Pre-Service Teachers’ Conceptual Difficulties about Gravitational Force: The Case of the Free Fall Bodies
Authors: A. Metioui
Abstract:
Research related to the student’s conceptual difficulties in sciences, particularly in the field of physics, are relatively numerous. In this work, we will analyze the results of qualitative research conducted with 80 elementary preservice teachers from Quebec in Canada on their understandings after studying the free fall bodies. First, we will illustrate the paper-pencil questionnaire built for this purpose. Then we will give the analysis of the experimental data. The results show that, even though there is a continuing physics education, many misconceptions persist despite the teaching provided.Keywords: pre-service teachers, elementary school, conceptual difficulties, free fall bodies
Procedia PDF Downloads 1223981 Importance of Human Resources Training in an Information Age
Authors: A. Serap Fırat
Abstract:
The aim of this study is to display conceptually the relationship and interaction between matter of human resources training and the information age. Fast development from industrial community to an information community has occurred and organizations have been seeking ways to overcome this change. Human resources policy and human capital with enhanced competence will have direct impact on work performance; therefore, this paper deals with the increased importance of human resource management due to the fact that it nurtures human capital. Researching and scanning are used as a method in this study. Both local and foreign literature and expert views are employed -as much as one could be- in the making of the theoretical framework of this study.Keywords: human resources, information age, education, organization, occupation
Procedia PDF Downloads 3643980 Foregrounding Events in Modern Sundanese: The Pragmatics of Particle-to-Active Voice Marking Shift
Authors: Rama Munajat
Abstract:
Discourse information levels may be viewed from either a background-foreground distinction or a multi-level perspective, and cross-linguistic studies on this area suggest that each information level is marked by a specific linguistic device. In this sense, Sundanese, spoken in Indonesia’s West Javanese Province, further differentiates the background and foreground information into ordinary and significant types. This paper will report an ongoing shift from particle-to-active voice marking in the way Sundanese signals foregrounding events. The shift relates to decades of contact with Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesia’s official language) and linguistic compatibility between the two surface marking strategies. Representative data analyzed include three groups of short stories in both Sundanese and Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian) published in three periods: before 1945, 1965-2006, and 2016-2019. In the first group of Sundanese data, forward-moving events dominantly appear in particle KA (Kecap Anteuran, word-accompanying) constructions, where the KA represents different particles that co-occur with a special group of verbs. The second group, however, shows that the foregrounded events are more frequently described in active-voice forms with a subject-predicate (SP) order. Subsequently, the third offers stronger evidence for the use of the SP structure. As for the Indonesian data, the foregrounding events in the first group occur in verb-initial and passive-voice constructions, while in the second and third, the events more frequently appear in active-voice structures (subject-predicate sequence). The marking shift above suggests a structural influence from Indonesian, stemmed from generational differences among authors of the Sundanese short stories, particularly related to their education and language backgrounds. The first group of short stories – published before 1945 or before Indonesia's independence from Dutch – were written by native speakers of Sundanese who spoke Indonesian as a foreign language and went through the Dutch education system. The second group of authors, on the other hand, represents a generation of Sundanese native speakers who spoke Indonesian as a second language. Finally, the third group consists of authors who are bilingual speakers of both Sundanese and Indonesian. The data suggest that the last two groups of authors completed the Indonesian education system. With these, the use of subject-predicate sequences to denote foregrounding events began to appear more frequently in the second group and then became more dominant in those of the third. The coded data also signify that cohesion, coherence, and pragmatic purposes in Particle KA constructions are intact in their respective active-voice structure counterparts. For instance, the foregrounding events in Particle KA constructions occur in Sentence-initial KA and Pre-verbal KA forms, whereas those in the active-voice are described in Subject-Predicate (SP) and Zero-Subject active-voice patterns. Cross-language data further demonstrate that the Sentence-initial KA and the SP active-voice structures each contain an overt noun phrase (NP) co-referential with one of the entities introduced in a preceding context. Similarly, the pre-verbal KA and Zero-Subject active-voice patterns have a deleted noun phrase unambiguously referable to the only one entity previously mentioned. The presence and absence of an NP inform a pragmatic strategy to place prominence on topic/given and comment/new information, respectively.Keywords: discourse analysis, foregrounding marking, pragmatics, language contact
Procedia PDF Downloads 1263979 The Sustainable Governance of Aquifer Injection Using Treated Coal Seam Gas Water in Queensland, Australia: Lessons for Integrated Water Resource Management
Authors: Jacqui Robertson
Abstract:
The sustainable governance of groundwater is of the utmost importance in an arid country like Australia. Groundwater has been relied on by our agricultural and pastoral communities since the State was settled by European colonialists. Nevertheless, the rapid establishment of a coal seam gas (CSG) industry in Queensland, Australia, has had extensive impacts on the pre-existing groundwater users. Managed aquifer recharge of important aquifers in Queensland, Australia, using treated coal seam gas produced water has been used to reduce the impacts of CSG development in Queensland Australia. However, the process has not been widely adopted. Negative environmental outcomes are now acknowledged as not only engineering, scientific or technical problems to be solved but also the result of governance failures. An analysis of the regulatory context for aquifer injection using treated CSG water in Queensland, Australia, using Ostrom’s Common Pool Resource (CPR) theory and a ‘heat map’ designed by the author, highlights the importance of governance arrangements. The analysis reveals the costs and benefits for relevant stakeholders of artificial recharge of groundwater resources in this context. The research also reveals missed opportunities to further active management of the aquifer and resolve existing conflicts between users. The research illustrates the importance of strategically and holistically evaluating innovations in technology that impact water resources to reveal incentives that impact resource user behaviors. The paper presents a proactive step that can be adapted to support integrated water resource management and sustainable groundwater development.Keywords: managed aquifer recharge, groundwater regulation, common-pool resources, integrated water resource management, Australia
Procedia PDF Downloads 2243978 Educational Audit and Curricular Reforms in the Arabian Context
Authors: Irum Naz
Abstract:
In the Arabian higher education context, linguistic proficiency in the English language is considered crucial for the developmental sustainability, economic growth, and stability of communities and societies. Qatar’s educational reforms package, through the 2030 vision, identifies the acquisition of English at K-12 as an essential survival communication tool for globalization, believing that Qatari students need better preparation to take on the responsibilities of leadership and to participate effectively in the country’s surging economy. The idea of introducing Qatari students to modern curricula benchmarked to high-student-performance curricula in developed countries is one of the components of reformatory design principles of Education for New Era reform project that is mutually consented to and supported by the Office of Shared Services, Communications Office, and Supreme Education Council. In appreciation of the government’s vision, the English Language Centre (ELC) at the Community College of Qatar ran an internal educational audit and conducted evaluative research to understand and appraise the value, impact, and practicality of the existing ELC language development program. This study sought to identify the type of change that could identify and improve the quality of Foundation Program courses and the manners in which second language learners could be assisted to transit smoothly between (ELC) levels. Following the interpretivist paradigm and mixed research method, the data was gathered through a bicyclic research model and a triangular design. The analyses of the data suggested that there was a need for improvement in the ELC program as a whole, and particularly in terms of curriculum, student learning outcomes, and the general learning environment in the department. Key findings suggest that the target program would benefit from significant revisions, which would include narrowing the focus of the courses, providing sets of specific learning objectives, and preventing repetition between levels. Another promising finding was about the assessment tools and process. The data suggested that a set of standardized assessments that more closely suited the programs of study should be devised. It was also recommended that students undergo a more comprehensive placement process to ensure that they begin the program at an appropriate level and get the maximum benefit from their learning experience. Although this ties into the idea of curriculum revamp, it was expected that students could leave the ELC having had exposure to courses in English for specific purposes. The idea of a more reliable exit assessment for students was raised frequently so ELC could regulate itself and ensure optimum learning outcomes. Another important recommendation was the provision of a Student Learning Center for students that would help them to receive personalized tuition, differentiated instruction, and self-driven and self-evaluated learning experience. In addition, an extra study level was recommended to be added to the program to accommodate the different levels of English language proficiency represented among ELC students. The evidence collected in the course of conducting the study suggests that significant change is needed in the structure of the ELC program, specifically about curriculum, the program learning outcomes, and the learning environment in general.Keywords: educational audit, ESL, optimum learning outcomes, Qatar’s educational reforms, self-driven and self-evaluated learning experience, Student Learning Center
Procedia PDF Downloads 1803977 Cultural Background as Moderator of the Association Between Personal Bonding Social Capital and Well-Being: An Association Study in a Sample of Dutch and Turkish Older Adults in the Netherlands
Authors: Marianne Simons, Sinan Kurt, Marjolein Stefens, Kai Karos, Johan Lataster
Abstract:
As cultural diversity within older populations in European countries increases, the role of cultural background should be taken account of in aging studies. Bonding social capital (BSC), containing someone’s socio-emotional resources, is recognised as an important ingredient for wellbeing in old age and found to be associated with someone’s cultural background. The current study examined the association between BSC, loneliness and wellbeing in a sample including older Turkish migrants with a collectivistic cultural background and native Dutch older adults, both living in the Netherlands, characterised by an individualistic culture. A sample of 119 Turkish migrants (64.7% male; age 65-87, M(SD)=71.13(5.04) and 124 native Dutch adults (32.3% male, age 65-94, M(SD)= 71.9(5.32) filled out either an online or printed questionnaire measuring BSC, psychological, social and emotional well-being, loneliness and relevant demographic covariates. Regression analysis - including confounders age, gender, level of education, physical health and relationship - showed positive associations between BSC and respectively emotional, social and psychological well-being and a negative association with loneliness in both samples. Moderation analyses showed that these associations were significantly stronger for the Turkish older migrants than for their native peers. Measurement invariance analysis indicated partial metric invariance for the measurement of BSC and loneliness and non-invariance for wellbeing, calling for caution comparing means between samples. The results stress the importance of BSC for wellbeing of older migrants from collectivistic cultures living in individualistic countries. Previous research, shows a trend of older migrants displaying lower levels of BSC as well as associated variables, such as education, physical health, and financial income. This calls for more research of the interplay between demographic and psychosocial factors restraining mental wellbeing of older migrant populations. Measurement invariance analyses further emphasize the importance of taking cultural background into account in positive aging studies.Keywords: positive aging, cultural background, wellbeing, social capital, loneliness
Procedia PDF Downloads 803976 An Approach to Building a Recommendation Engine for Travel Applications Using Genetic Algorithms and Neural Networks
Authors: Adrian Ionita, Ana-Maria Ghimes
Abstract:
The lack of features, design and the lack of promoting an integrated booking application are some of the reasons why most online travel platforms only offer automation of old booking processes, being limited to the integration of a smaller number of services without addressing the user experience. This paper represents a practical study on how to improve travel applications creating user-profiles through data-mining based on neural networks and genetic algorithms. Choices made by users and their ‘friends’ in the ‘social’ network context can be considered input data for a recommendation engine. The purpose of using these algorithms and this design is to improve user experience and to deliver more features to the users. The paper aims to highlight a broader range of improvements that could be applied to travel applications in terms of design and service integration, while the main scientific approach remains the technical implementation of the neural network solution. The motivation of the technologies used is also related to the initiative of some online booking providers that have made the fact that they use some ‘neural network’ related designs public. These companies use similar Big-Data technologies to provide recommendations for hotels, restaurants, and cinemas with a neural network based recommendation engine for building a user ‘DNA profile’. This implementation of the ‘profile’ a collection of neural networks trained from previous user choices, can improve the usability and design of any type of application.Keywords: artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, DNA profile, genetic algorithms, machine learning, neural networks, optimization, recommendation system, user profiling
Procedia PDF Downloads 1583975 Netnography Research in Leisure, Tourism, and Hospitality: Lessons from Research and Education
Authors: Marisa P. De Brito
Abstract:
The internet is affecting the way the industry operates and communicates. It is also becoming a customary means for leisure, tourism, and hospitality consumers to seek and exchange information and views on hotels, destinations events and attractions, or to develop social ties with other users. On the one hand, the internet is a rich field to conduct leisure, tourism, and hospitality research; on the other hand, however, there are few researchers formally embracing online methods of research, such as netnography. Within social sciences, netnography falls under the interpretative/ethnographic research methods umbrella. It is an adaptation of anthropological techniques such as participant and non-participant observation, used to study online interactions happening on social media platforms, such as Facebook. It is, therefore, a research method applied to the study of online communities, being the term itself a contraction of the words network (as on internet), and ethnography. It was developed in the context of marketing research in the nineties, and in the last twenty years, it has spread to other contexts such as education, psychology, or urban studies. Since netnography is not universally known, it may discourage researchers and educators from using it. This work offers guidelines for researchers wanting to apply this method in the field of leisure, tourism, and hospitality or for educators wanting to teach about it. This is done by means of a double approach: a content analysis of the literature side-by-side with educational data, on the use of netnography. The content analysis is of the incidental research using netnography in leisure, tourism, and hospitality in the last twenty years. The educational data is the author and her colleagues’ experience in coaching students throughout the process of writing a paper using primary netnographic data - from identifying the phenomenon to be studied, selecting an online community, collecting and analyzing data to writing their findings. In the end, this work puts forward, on the one hand, a research agenda, and on the other hand, an educational roadmap for those wanting to apply netnography in the field or the classroom. The educator’s roadmap will summarise what can be expected from mini-netnographies conducted by students and how to set it up. The research agenda will highlight for which issues and research questions the method is most suitable; what are the most common bottlenecks and drawbacks of the method and of its application, but also where most knowledge opportunities lay.Keywords: netnography, online research, research agenda, educator's roadmap
Procedia PDF Downloads 1743974 Enhancing Critical Reflective Practice in Fieldwork Education: An Exploratory Study of the Role of Social Work Agencies in the Welfare Context of Hong Kong
Authors: Yee-May Chan
Abstract:
In recent decades, it is observed that social work agencies have participated actively, and thus, have gradually been more influential in social work education in Hong Kong. The neo-liberal welfare ideologies and changing funding mode have transformed the landscape in social work practice and have also had a major influence on the fieldwork environment in Hong Kong. The aim of this research is to explore the educational role of social work agencies and examine in particular whether they are able to enhance or hinder critical reflective learning in fieldwork. In-depth interviews with 15 frontline social workers and managers in different social work agencies were conducted to collect their views and experience in helping social work students in fieldwork. The overall findings revealed that under the current social welfare context most social workers consider that the most important role of social work agencies in fieldwork is to help students prepare to fit-in the practice requirements and work within agencies’ boundary. The fit-for-purpose and down-to-earth view of fieldwork practice is seen as prevalent among most social workers. This narrow perception of agency’s role seems to be more favourable to competence-based approaches. In contrast, though critical reflection has been seen as important in addressing the changing needs of service users, the role of enhancing critical reflective learning has not been clearly expected or understood by most agency workers. The notion of critical reflection, if considered, has been narrowly perceived in fieldwork learning. The findings suggest that the importance of critical reflection is found to be subordinate to that of practice competence. The lack of critical reflection in the field is somehow embedded in the competence-based social work practice. In general, social work students’ critical reflection has not been adequately supported or enhanced in fieldwork agencies, nor critical reflective practice has been encouraged in fieldwork process. To address this situation, the role of social work agencies in fieldwork should be re-examined. To maximise critical reflective learning in the field, critical reflection as an avowed objective in fieldwork learning should be clearly stated. Concrete suggestions are made to help fieldwork agencies become more prepared to critical reflective learning. It is expected that the research can help social work communities to reflect upon the current realities of fieldwork context and to identify ways to strengthen agencies’ capacities to enhance critical reflective learning and practice of social work students.Keywords: competence-based social work, critical reflective learning, fieldwork agencies, neo-liberal welfare
Procedia PDF Downloads 3193973 Educational System in Developing Countries and E-learning Evaluation in the Face of COVID Pandemic
Authors: Timothy Wale Olaosebikan
Abstract:
The adverse effect of the Covid-19 outbreak and lock-downs on the world economy has coursed a major disrupt in mostly all sectors. The educational sector is not exempted from this disruption as it is one of the most affected sectors in the world. Similarly, most developing countries are still struggling to adopt/ adapt with the 21st-century advancement of technology, which includes e-learning/ e-education. Furthermore, one is left to wonder of the possibility of these countries surviving this disruption on their various educational systems that may no longer be business as usual after the Covid Pandemic era. This study evaluates the e-learning process of educational systems, especially in developing countries. The collection of data for the study was effected through the use of questionnaires with sampling drawn by stratified random sampling. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study show that about 30% of developing countries have fully adopted the e-learning system, about 45% of these countries are still struggling to upgrade while about 25% of these countries are yet to adopt the e-learning system of education. The study concludes that the sudden closure of educational institutions around the world during the Covid Pandemic period should facilitate a teaching pedagogy of e-learning and virtual delivery of courses and programmes in these developing countries. If this approach can be fully adopted, schools might have to grapple with the initial teething problems, given the sudden transition just in order to preserve the welfare of students. While progress should be made to transit as the case may be, lectures and seminars can be delivered through the web conferencing site-zoom. Interestingly, this can be done on a mobile phone. The demands of this approach would equally allow lecturers to make major changes to their work habits, uploading their teaching materials online, and get to grips with what online lecturing entails. Consequently, the study recommends that leaders of developing countries, regulatory authorities, and heads of educational institutions must adopt e-learning into their educational system. Also, e-learning should be adopted into the educational curriculum of students, especially from elementary school up to tertiary level. Total compliance to the e-learning system must be ensured on the part of both the institutions, stake holders, lecturers, tutors, and students. Finally, collaborations with developed countries and effective funding for e-learning integration must form the heart of their cardinal mission.Keywords: Covid pandemic, developing countries, educational system, e-learning
Procedia PDF Downloads 973972 The Hidden Role of Interest Rate Risks in Carry Trades
Authors: Jingwen Shi, Qi Wu
Abstract:
We study the role played interest rate risk in carry trade return in order to understand the forward premium puzzle. In this study, our goal is to investigate to what extent carry trade return is indeed due to compensation for risk taking and, more important, to reveal the nature of these risks. Using option data not only on exchange rates but also on interest rate swaps (swaptions), our first finding is that, besides the consensus currency risks, interest rate risks also contribute a non-negligible portion to the carry trade return. What strikes us is our second finding. We find that large downside risks of future exchange rate movements are, in fact, priced significantly in option market on interest rates. The role played by interest rate risk differs structurally from the currency risk. There is a unique premium associated with interest rate risk, though seemingly small in size, which compensates the tail risks, the left tail to be precise. On the technical front, our study relies on accurately retrieving implied distributions from currency options and interest rate swaptions simultaneously, especially the tail components of the two. For this purpose, our major modeling work is to build a new international asset pricing model where we use an orthogonal setup for pricing kernels and specify non-Gaussian dynamics in order to capture three sets of option skew accurately and consistently across currency options and interest rate swaptions, domestic and foreign, within one model. Our results open a door for studying forward premium anomaly through implied information from interest rate derivative market.Keywords: carry trade, forward premium anomaly, FX option, interest rate swaption, implied volatility skew, uncovered interest rate parity
Procedia PDF Downloads 4383971 Encapsulation of Flexible OLED with an Auxiliary Sealing Line
Authors: Hanjun Yun, Gun Bae, Nabin Paul, Cheolhee Moon
Abstract:
Flexible OLED is an important technology for the next generation display over various kinds of applications. However, the organic materials of OLEDs degrade rapidly under the invasion of oxygen and water moisture. The degradation causes the formation of non-emitting areas which gradually suppress the device brightness, ultimately the lifetime of the device decreasing rapidly. Until now, the most suitable sealing process of the flexible OLED devices is a thin film encapsulation (TFE). However, TFE consists of a multilayer thin-film structure with organic-inorganic materials, so the cost is expensive and the process time is long. Another problem is that the blocking characteristics from the moisture and oxygen are not perfect. Therefore, the encapsulation of the flexible OLED device is a still key technical issue for the successful market entry. In this study, we are to introduce an auxiliary sealing line between the two flexible substrates. The electrode lines were formed on the substrates which have a SiNx barrier coating layer. To induce the solid phase diffusion process between the SiNx layer and the electrode lines, the electrode materials were determined as Al-Si composition. Thermal energy was supplied for both the SiNx layer and Al-Si electrode lines within the furnace to induce the interfacial bonding through the solid phase diffusion of Si. We printed a test pattern for the edge of the flexible PET substrate of 3cm*3cm size. Experimental conditions such as heating temperature, heating time were optimized to get enough adhesion strength which was estimated through the competitive bending test. Finally, OLED devices with flexible PET substrate of 3cm*3cm size were manufactured to investigate the blocking characteristics as an encapsulation layer.Keywords: barrier, encapsulation, OLED, solid phase diffusion
Procedia PDF Downloads 233