Search results for: employee work environment
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 21148

Search results for: employee work environment

20068 Investigating the Effect of the Pedagogical Agent on Visual Attention in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Students

Authors: Nasrin Mohammadhasani, Rosa Angela Fabio

Abstract:

The attention to relevance information is the key element for learning. Otherwise, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) students have a fuzzy visual pattern that prevents them to attention and remember learning subject. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that the presence of a pedagogical agent can effectively support ADHD learner's attention and learning outcomes in a multimedia learning environment. The learning environment was integrated with a pedagogical agent, named Koosha as a social peer. This study employed a pretest and posttest experimental design with control group. The statistical population was 30 boys students, age 10-11 with ADHD that randomly assigned to learn with/without an agent in well designed environment for mathematic. The results suggested that experimental and control groups show a significant difference in time when they participated and mathematics achievement. According to this research, using the pedagogical agent can enhance learning of ADHD students by gaining and guiding their attention to relevance information part on display, so it can be considered as asocial cue that provides theme cognitive supports.

Keywords: attention, computer assisted instruction, multimedia learning environment, pedagogical agent

Procedia PDF Downloads 314
20067 The Role of Nano-Science in Construction of Civil Engineering and Environment

Authors: Mehrdad Abkenari, Naghmeh Pournayeb, Mohsen Ramezan Shirazi

Abstract:

Nano-science has been widely used in different engineering sciences. Generally, materials’ application can be determined through their chemical and physical properties. Nano-science has introduced as a new way in production systems that not only turns the materials into very small particles but also, gives them new and considerable properties. Like other fields of study, civil engineering has not been ignorant of benefits and characteristics of new nanotechnology and has used it in the construction industry and environmental engineering. Therefore, considering such chemical properties as elemental analysis and molecular or atomic structure, the present article is aimed at studying the effects of Nano-materials on different branches of civil engineering. Finally, by identifying new Nano-materials, this study attempts to introduce advantages of using these materials for increasing the strength of materials during construction as well as finding new approaches to prevent or reduce the entrance of chemical pollutants during or after construction to the environment.

Keywords: civil, nano-science, construction, environment

Procedia PDF Downloads 412
20066 An Application of E-Learning Technology for Students with Deafness and Hearing Impairment

Authors: Eyup Bayram Guzel

Abstract:

There have been growing awareness that technology offers unique and promising advantages by offering up-to-data educational materials in promoting teaching and learning materials, new strategies for building enhanced communication environment for people with disabilities and specifically for this study concentrated on the students with deafness and hearing impairments. Creating e-learning environment where teachers and students work in collaboration to develop better educational outcomes is the foremost reason of conducting this research. This study examined the perspectives of special education teachers’ regarding an application of e-learning software called Multimedia Builder on the students with deafness and hearing impairments. Initial and follow up interviews were conducted with 15 special education teachers around the scope of qualitative case study. Grounded approach has been used to analyse and interpret the data. The research results revealed that application of Multimedia Builder software were influential on reading, sign language, vocabulary improvements, computer and ICT usage developments and on audio-visual learning achievements for the advantages of students with deafness and hearing impairments. The implications of the study encouraged the ways of using e-learning tools and strategies to promote unique and comprehensive learning experiences for the targeted students and their teachers.

Keywords: e-learning, special education, deafness and hearing impairment, computer-ICT usage.

Procedia PDF Downloads 438
20065 An Interaction Model of Communication Skills and Participation in Social Work among Youth

Authors: Mohd Yusri Ibrahim

Abstract:

Youth participation in social work is essential in social and community development. Although many studies have been conducted to identify the determinant of youth involvement, few studies were discussed interaction between communication skills and youth participation in volunteerism. This article will discuss a cross-sectional study that was conducted to identify the relationship between communication skills and youth participation in social work. The results were successfully developed an interaction model of communication skills as predictor to participation criteria among youth. Finally, the article was suggested several ways to encourage youth participation in community by developing their communication skill in various stages.

Keywords: youth, participation, communication skill, social work

Procedia PDF Downloads 365
20064 Conceptualizing Notions of Poverty in Graduate Social Work Education: Contextualizing the Formation of the ‘Social Worker’ Subjectivity

Authors: Emily Carrothers

Abstract:

This research takes a critical look at the development of the social worker subjectivity, particularly in Canada. Through an interrogation of required graduate course texts, this paper explicates the discursive formation, orientation, and maintenance of the social worker subject and the conceptualizations of poverty in graduate social work education. This research aims to advance understandings of power and ideology in social work graduate texts and formations of particular dominant constructions of poverty and social worker subjectivity. Guiding questions for this inquiry include: What are social workers being oriented to? What are social workers being oriented away from? How is poverty theorized, discussed and/or attached to social location in social work education? And, how are social workers implicated in contesting or reinforcing poverty? Using critical discourse analysis, 6 texts were analyzed with a particular focus on ways in which notions of poverty are discursively represented and ways in which notions of the formation of the social worker were approached. This revealed that discursively underpinning social work in anti-oppressive practice (AOP) can work to reify hierarchal structures of power that orient social workers away from structural poverty reduction strategies and towards punitive interactions with those that experience poverty and multiple forms of marginalization. This highlights that the social worker subjectivity is formed in opposition to the client, with graduate texts constructing the social worker as an expert in client’s lives and experiences even more so than the client.

Keywords: Canada, education, social work, subjectivity

Procedia PDF Downloads 161
20063 Remembering Route in an Unfamiliar Homogenous Environment

Authors: Ahmed Sameer, Braj Bhushan

Abstract:

The objective of our study was to compare two techniques (no landmark vs imaginary landmark) of remembering route while traversing in an unfamiliar homogenous environment. We used two videos each having nine identical turns with no landmarks. In the first video participant was required to remember the sequence of turns. In the second video participant was required to imagine a landmark at each turn and associate the turn with it. In both the task the participant was asked to recall the sequence of turns as it appeared in the video. Results showed that performance in the first condition i.e. without use of landmarks was better than imaginary landmark condition. The difference, however, became significant when the participant were tested again about 30 minutes later though performance was still better in no-landmark condition. The finding is surprising given the past research in memory and is explained in terms of cognitive factors such as mental workload.

Keywords: wayfinding, landmarks, unfamiliar environment, cognitive psychology

Procedia PDF Downloads 476
20062 The Role of Nutrition and Food Engineering in Promoting Sustainable Food Systems

Authors: Sara Khan Mohammadi

Abstract:

The world is facing a major challenge of feeding a growing population while ensuring the sustainability of food systems. The United Nations estimates that the global population will reach 9.7 billion by 2050, which means that food production needs to increase by 70% to meet the demand. However, this increase in food production should not come at the cost of environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, and climate change. Therefore, there is a need for sustainable food systems that can provide healthy and nutritious food while minimizing their impact on the environment. Nutrition and Food Engineering: Nutrition and food engineering play a crucial role in promoting sustainable food system. Nutrition is concerned with the study of nutrients in foods, their absorption, metabolism, and their effects on health. Food engineering involves the application of engineering principles to design, develop, and optimize food processing operations. Together, nutrition and food engineering can help to create sustainable food systems by: 1. Developing Nutritious Foods: Nutritionists and food engineers can work together to develop foods that are rich in nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein. These foods can be designed to meet the nutritional needs of different populations while minimizing waste. 2. Reducing Food Waste: Food waste is a major problem globally as it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and wastes resources such as water and land. Nutritionists and food engineers can work together to develop technologies that reduce waste during processing, storage, transportation, and consumption. 3. Improving Food Safety: Unsafe foods can cause illnesses such as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid fever among others which are major public health concerns globally. Nutritionists and food engineers can work together to develop technologies that improve the safety of foods from farm to fork. 4. Enhancing Sustainability: Sustainable agriculture practices such as conservation agriculture can help reduce soil erosion while improving soil fertility. Nutritionists and food engineers can work together to develop technologies that promote sustainable agriculture practices.

Keywords: sustainable food, developing food, reducing food waste, food safety

Procedia PDF Downloads 87
20061 Collaborative Reflexive/Reflective Teaching and Action Research in TESL

Authors: O. F. Elkommos

Abstract:

Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) has become a very rich area of research. Practitioners or teachers of English as a foreign or a second language are now promoting both collaborative learning and collaborative teaching. Students learning a language collaboratively and cooperatively are learning in a better environment of team work where they learn from each other. Further, teaching English collaboratively also creates an enriching environment that is also very enriching to students’ and teachers’ experiences of learning and teaching. Moreover, action research stems from actual teacher concerns and students’ needs. Reflection in turn, on the experience of the material taught and the delivery of material is becoming an integral part of the teaching and learning experience self- evaluation and self-development. In this case, the concern of the research field in the area of TESL will be the development of teaching delivery, material and quality of learning. In the present research, the TESL module taught to year two students in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, British University in Egypt (BUE) will be evaluated reflexively by the students and teachers. The module was taught to students in two different specialisms. It was taught and delivered through collaborative teaching and was evaluated by both teachers and students as very successful and enjoyable. The reflections of both teachers and students as well as student results confirm that it was a success.

Keywords: action research, addressing differentiation, collaborative teaching, reflective teaching and learning, reflexive learning, reflexive teaching, self-development, self-evaluation, TESL

Procedia PDF Downloads 125
20060 The Relationship between Elderly People with Depression and Built Environment Factors

Authors: Hung-Chun Lin, Tzu-Yuan Chao

Abstract:

As the population aging has become an inevitable trend globally, issues of improving the well-being of elderly people in urban areas have been a challenging task for urban planners. Recent studies of ageing trend have also expended to explore the relationship between the built environment and mental condition of elderly people. These studies have proved that even though the built environment may not necessarily play the decisive role in affecting mental health, it can have positive impacts on individual mental health by promoting social linkages and social networks among older adults. There has been a great amount of relevant research examined the impact of the built environment attributes on depression in the elderly; however, most were conducted in the Western countries. Little attention has been paid in Asian cities with contrarily high density and mix-use urban contexts such as Taiwan regarding how the built environment attributes related to depression in elderly people. Hence, more empirical cross-principle studies are needed to explore the possible impacts of Asia urban characteristics on older residents’ mental condition. This paper intends to focus on Tainan city, the fourth biggest metropolis in Taiwan. We first analyze with data from National Health Insurance Research Database to pinpoint the empirical study area where residing most elderly patients, aged over 65, with depressive disorders. Secondly, we explore the relationship between specific attributes of the built environment collected from previous studies and elderly individuals who suffer from depression, under different socio-cultural and networking circumstances. To achieve the results, the research methods adopted in this study include questionnaire and database analysis, and the results will be proceeded by correlation analysis. In addition, through literature review, by generalizing the built environment factors that have been used in Western research to evaluate the relationship between built environment and older individuals with depressive disorders, a set of local evaluative indicators of the built environment for future studies will be proposed as well. In order to move closer to develop age-friendly cities and improve the well-being for the elderly in Taiwan, the findings of this paper can provide empirical results to grab planners’ attention for how built environment makes the elderly feel and to reconsider the relationship between them. Furthermore, with an interdisciplinary topic, the research results are expected to make suggestions for amending the procedures of drawing up an urban plan or a city plan from a different point of view.

Keywords: built environment, depression, elderly, Tainan

Procedia PDF Downloads 123
20059 Effects of Work Load and Surface Acting on Emotional Exhaustion and Work Satisfaction of Social Worker Students: Chinese Indigenous Ren-Qing Shi-Ku Trait as Moderator

Authors: Chung-Kwei Wang, Kuo-Ying Lo

Abstract:

The study is aimed to examine main and moderation effect of Chinese traditional social wisdom ‘Ren-qing Shi-kuon' the adjustment of social worker students during their practicum. Ren-qing Shi-ku as a social wisdom has been emphasized by collective-oriented Chinese society for thousand years. Based on interview and literature review, we operationalized the concept as four factors, including ‘harmonious interaction’, ‘understanding and tolerance’, ‘empathetic communication’ and ‘rule abiding’. We administer the scale to 96 social worker senior students before their summer practicums begins and collect their response on emotion labor, emotional exhaustion, work load, work satisfaction. We also ask their supervisors rated their performance on empathy, interpersonal relationships, performance on practicum and their Ren-qing Shi-ku performance. Results indicated that self-ratings of students on Ren-qing Shi-ku scale are correlated with rating from their supervisors. Students who have higher Ren-qing Shi-ku have better adjustment and higher ratings from their supervisor. Ren-qing Shi-ku also moderate effects of surface acting labor and work load on emotional exhaustion and work satisfaction. However, Ren-qing Shi-ku seems more beneficial under low work load situations. The finding of this study suggested traditional social skill training might be very effective for social service providers in a collective-oriented culture.

Keywords: emotion labor, ren-qing shi-ku, emotional exhaustion, work satisfaction and performance

Procedia PDF Downloads 491
20058 A Diagnostic Comparative Analysis of on Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) Models for Indoor and Outdoor Route Planning and Obstacle Avoidance

Authors: Seyed Esmail Seyedi Bariran, Khairul Salleh Mohamed Sahari

Abstract:

In robotics literature, the simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is commonly associated with a priori-posteriori problem. The autonomous vehicle needs a neutral map to spontaneously track its local position, i.e., “localization” while at the same time a precise path estimation of the environment state is required for effective route planning and obstacle avoidance. On the other hand, the environmental noise factors can significantly intensify the inherent uncertainties in using odometry information and measurements obtained from the robot’s exteroceptive sensor which in return directly affect the overall performance of the corresponding SLAM. Therefore, the current work is primarily dedicated to provide a diagnostic analysis of six SLAM algorithms including FastSLAM, L-SLAM, GraphSLAM, Grid SLAM and DP-SLAM. A SLAM simulated environment consisting of two sets of landmark locations and robot waypoints was set based on modified EKF and UKF in MATLAB using two separate maps for indoor and outdoor route planning subject to natural and artificial obstacles. The simulation results are expected to provide an unbiased platform to compare the estimation performances of the five SLAM models as well as on the reliability of each SLAM model for indoor and outdoor applications.

Keywords: route planning, obstacle, estimation performance, FastSLAM, L-SLAM, GraphSLAM, Grid SLAM, DP-SLAM

Procedia PDF Downloads 444
20057 An Analysis of the Contemporary Western Academic Works in the Genre of Quranic Studies: a Case Study of Encyclopaedia of the Quran

Authors: Iffat Batool

Abstract:

An extensive body of literature produced by the contemporary Western academia is an indication of their grave interest in the field of Qur’ānic studies. What increases its significance is the writings of the western scholars that underscore the element of objectivity and impartiality in the recent western academic works on the Qur’ān. Moreover, the participation of some Muslim scholars in the western academia is also highlighted by western thinkers to ensure the objectivity of western Qur’ānic scholarship. More specifically, with the publication of ‘Encyclopaedia of the Qur’ān by Brill’ the western academia seems to assign these elements to this work vigorously. Being the foremost work of its nature, ‘Encyclopaedia of the Qur’ān’ has attracted the academicians from across the world yet, with multiple receptions. The present study aims at locating the status of this work in the recent Western scholarship and its contribution towards the subject of Qur’ānic Studies. Through a critical analysis of articles, various features of this work are highlighted. This work concludes that although Encyclopaedia of the Qur’ān presents wide-ranging and extensive study, yet, it lacks a perfect, rigorous and thorough scholarship of the Qur’ān. Besides, this work argues that because of the marginal contribution of Muslim researchers, the majority conclusions of this anthology are in contrast to the traditional Muslim standpoint

Keywords: academic, encyclopeadia, objectivity, quran

Procedia PDF Downloads 194
20056 Interrogating Western Political Perspectives of Social Justice in Canadian Social Work

Authors: Samantha Clarke

Abstract:

The term social justice is central to social work; however, the meaning behind this term is not as simple as defining the term itself. This is because the meaning of social justice is relative since its origin and development is based on evolving political perspectives. Political perspectives provide numerous lenses to view social justice in social work; however, the realities of changing society have meant that social justice has assumed different values, definitions, and understandings over time and in different geopolitical and cultural contexts. There are many competing and convincing theories of social justice that are relevant to social work practice. Exploring the term is not an idle preoccupation because the meaning of the term is not as crucial as the meaning of the worldview, as it is the worldview that positions social justice as crucial in the emancipation of people marginalized from oppression. The many political assumptions that underlie the term social justice are explored and connected to the contemporary discussions about social justice in social work. These connections are then interrogated in the Canadian Social Works Code of Ethics, and in micro, mezzo, and macro approaches. To be remiss in interrogating the underlying political assumptions of the worldview of social justice is to entrench oppression and to preserve oppressive structures in contemporary Canadian social work. The concept of social justice is unable to withstand closer scrutiny about its emancipatory qualities in Canadian social work when we interrogate the many political assumptions that frame its understanding. In order to authenticate social justice as an emancipatory central organizing principle, Canadian social workers must engage in deeper discussions about the political implications of social justice in their everyday practices based on diverse worldviews and geopolitical contexts. Social workers are well positioned to develop an understanding of social justice that is emancipatory based on their everyday practices because as social and political actors they are positioned to work for and with individuals and toward the greater good of those who are marginalized from oppression.

Keywords: Canadian social work, political analysis, social justice, social work practice

Procedia PDF Downloads 184
20055 Failure Mechanisms in Zirconium Alloys during Wear and Corrosion

Authors: Bharat Kumar, Deepak Kumar, Vijay Chaudhry

Abstract:

Zirconium alloys are used as core components of nuclear reactors due to their high wear resistance, good corrosion properties, and good mechanical stability at high temperatures. Water flows inside the pressure tube through fuel claddings, which produces vibration of these core components and results in the wear of some components. Some components are subjected to the environment of coolant water containing LiOH which results in the corrosion of these components. The present work simulates some of these conditions to determine the failure mechanisms under these conditions and the effect of various parameters on them. Friction and wear experiments were performed varying the surrounding environment (room temperature, high temperature, and water submerged), duration, frequency, and displacement amplitude. Electrochemical corrosion experiments were performed by varying the concentration of LiOH in water. The worn and corroded surfaces were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze the wear and corrosion mechanism and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Raman spectroscopy to analyze the tribo-oxide layer formed during the wear and oxide layer formed during the corrosion. Wear increases with frequency and amplitude, and corrosion increases with LiOH concentration in water.

Keywords: zirconium alloys, wear, oxide layer, corrosion, EIS, linear polarization

Procedia PDF Downloads 68
20054 Risk-Based Computer Auditing and Measures of Prevention

Authors: Mohammad Hadi Khorashadi Zadeh, Amin Karkon, Seyd Mohammad Reza Mashhoori ‎

Abstract:

the technology of Computer audit played a major role in the progress and ‎prospects of a proper application to improve the quality and efficiency of audit ‎work. But due to the technical complexity and the specific risks of computer ‎audit, it should be shown effective in audit and preventive action. Mainly through ‎research in this paper, we proposes the causes of audit risk in a computer ‎environment and the risk of further proposals for measures to control, to some ‎extent reduce the risk of computer audit and improve the audit quality.‎

Keywords: computer auditing, risk, measures to prevent, information technology

Procedia PDF Downloads 489
20053 Exploring the Spatial Relationship between Built Environment and Ride-hailing Demand: Applying Street-Level Images

Authors: Jingjue Bao, Ye Li, Yujie Qi

Abstract:

The explosive growth of ride-hailing has reshaped residents' travel behavior and plays a crucial role in urban mobility within the built environment. Contributing to the research of the spatial variation of ride-hailing demand and its relationship to the built environment and socioeconomic factors, this study utilizes multi-source data from Haikou, China, to construct a Multi-scale Geographically Weighted Regression model (MGWR), considering spatial scale heterogeneity. The regression results showed that MGWR model was demonstrated superior interpretability and reliability with an improvement of 3.4% on R2 and from 4853 to 4787 on AIC, compared with Geographically Weighted Regression model (GWR). Furthermore, to precisely identify the surrounding environment of sampling point, DeepLabv3+ model is employed to segment street-level images. Features extracted from these images are incorporated as variables in the regression model, further enhancing its rationality and accuracy by 7.78% improvement on R2 compared with the MGWR model only considered region-level variables. By integrating multi-scale geospatial data and utilizing advanced computer vision techniques, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the spatial dynamics between ride-hailing demand and the urban built environment. The insights gained from this research are expected to contribute significantly to urban transportation planning and policy making, as well as ride-hailing platforms, facilitating the development of more efficient and effective mobility solutions in modern cities.

Keywords: travel behavior, ride-hailing, spatial relationship, built environment, street-level image

Procedia PDF Downloads 81
20052 Contribution to the Study of the Use of Pesticides in the Regions of Tizi Ouzou

Authors: Ramdane Gaouir

Abstract:

Farmers in the two regions of Tizi-Ouzou, DBK and Tadmait, face different crop pests, namely, fungal diseases, insect attack as well as different types of deficiencies. To fight against all these threats, they resort to the use of a wide variety of chemicals. Our survey carried out in these two regions, aims to identify the different types of pesticides used, the method of management of the packaging generated by these phytosanitary products as well as the evaluation of the effect of these products on the farmers' health and the environment. The results obtained highlighted the use of two types of pesticides with a very wide application, namely fungicides and insecticides. The two most widely identified chemical families are neonicotoids and organophosphates, which are among the most toxic and persistent pesticides in the environment. The management method of packaging and the application of products by spraying reflect the lack of training and the unawareness of farmers vis-à-vis the impact of pesticides on their health and on the environment.

Keywords: farmers, crops, pesticides, fungicides, neonicotinoids, organochlorines

Procedia PDF Downloads 95
20051 Effects of the Social Work Field Practicum on the Wellbeing of Non-Traditional and Underserved Students: A Mixed-Methods Study

Authors: Dana S. Smith, Angela Goins, Shahnaz Savani

Abstract:

Using a mixed-methods approach, this study explored costs to student wellbeing generated by the social work field practicum requirement. The project was conducted by faculty at a medium-sized university in the United States. Social work educators and field practicum instructors participated in interviews. Students and former students completed surveys on the topic. The data analysis revealed emotional burdens as well as threats to student wellbeing in association with the fieldwork required for those in pursuit of a social work degree. The study includes recommendations for anti-oppressive approaches for academic programs and implications for further research.

Keywords: emotional wellbeing, field practicum, mixed-methods, social justice

Procedia PDF Downloads 101
20050 Effects of the Social Work Field Practicum on the Wellbeing of Non-traditional and Underserved Students: A Mixed-Methods Study

Authors: Dana S. Smith, Angela Goins, Shahnaz Savani

Abstract:

Using a mixed-methods approach, this study explored costs to student wellbeing generated by the social work field practicum requirement. The project was conducted by faculty at a medium sized university in the United States. Social work educators and field practicum instructors participated in interviews. Students and former students completed surveys on the topic. The data analysis revealed emotional burdens as well as threats to student wellbeing in association with the fieldwork required for those in pursuit of a social work degree. The study includes recommendations of anti-oppressive approaches for academic programs and implications for further research.

Keywords: emotional wellbeing, field practicum, mixed-methods, social justice

Procedia PDF Downloads 91
20049 An Investigation of the Quantitative Correlation between Urban Spatial Morphology Indicators and Block Wind Environment

Authors: Di Wei, Xing Hu, Yangjun Chen, Baofeng Li, Hong Chen

Abstract:

To achieve the research purpose of guiding the spatial morphology design of blocks through the indicators to obtain a good wind environment, it is necessary to find the most suitable type and value range of each urban spatial morphology indicator. At present, most of the relevant researches is based on the numerical simulation of the ideal block shape and rarely proposes the results based on the complex actual block types. Therefore, this paper firstly attempted to make theoretical speculation on the main factors influencing indicators' effectiveness by analyzing the physical significance and formulating the principle of each indicator. Then it was verified by the field wind environment measurement and statistical analysis, indicating that Porosity(P₀) can be used as an important indicator to guide the design of block wind environment in the case of deep street canyons, while Frontal Area Density (λF) can be used as a supplement in the case of shallow street canyons with no height difference. Finally, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to quantify the impact of block height difference and street canyons depth on λF and P₀, finding the suitable type and value range of λF and P₀. This paper would provide a feasible wind environment index system for urban designers.

Keywords: urban spatial morphology indicator, urban microclimate, computational fluid dynamics, block ventilation, correlation analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 137
20048 The Relationship between Demographic, Social and Economic Characteristics and the Level of Implementation of Rural Women’s Practices to Preserve the Environment in the Governorates of Sharkia and Beni Suef

Authors: Asmaa Ahmed Nasr El-Din

Abstract:

The Egyptian countryside faces many environmental problems in the field of environmental pollution in a wide range due to the current bad behavior patterns towards the environment, where the rural people continued to follow unconscious environmental practices in addition to the lack of environmental awareness among the rural people in terms of legislation, and the damages resulting from those practices. Rural women play an important and vital role that cannot be neglected in the field of reducing environmental pollution and rationalizing environmental resources, and it is their responsibility to maintain the safety of environmental elements such as water, air, food, and soil from pollution, either through limiting their personal practice that leads to the pollution of these elements or from During the upbringing of her children on the right behaviors towards these elements to protect them from pollution and thus avoid the infection of family members with diseases arising from environmental pollution that may affect their health and production capacity. Therefore, the research aimed to identify the level of rural women’s implementation of environmental practices (land, water, air, public health, and food waste), as well as determining the nature of the relationship between the studied independent variables (demographic, social and economic characteristics) and the level of rural women’s implementation of their role in preserving the environment and identifying some women’s information sources rural environment to preserve the environment. The research was conducted in the villages of Tarout and Qam al-Arous in the governorates of Sharkia and BeniSuef, respectively, and a random sample of 333 rural women was selected using the Yamani equation. Statistical ratio analysis, arithmetic mean, Pearson simple correlation coefficient value, and T-test.

Keywords: environment, rural women, EL-sharkia, banuef

Procedia PDF Downloads 110
20047 Rubric in Vocational Education

Authors: Azmanirah Ab Rahman, Jamil Ahmad, Ruhizan Muhammad Yasin

Abstract:

Rubric is a very important tool for teachers and students for a variety of purposes. Teachers use the rubric for evaluating student work while students use rubrics for self-assessment. Therefore, this paper was emphasized scoring rubric as a scoring tool for teachers in an environment of Competency Based Education and Training (CBET) in Malaysia Vocational College. A total of three teachers in the fields of electrical and electronics engineering were interviewed to identify how the use of rubrics practiced since vocational transformation implemented in 2012. Overall holistic rubric used to determine the performance of students in the skills area.

Keywords: rubric, vocational education, teachers, CBET

Procedia PDF Downloads 507
20046 Study on Environmental Capacity System of the Aged Care Villages Influenced by Tourists

Authors: Yuan Fang, Wang-Ming Li, Yi-Chen Ruan

Abstract:

Rural healthy old-age care for urban elderly who go to surrounding villages on vacation is a new mode of old-age care in developed coastal areas of China. Such villages that receive urban elderly can be called old-caring villages. Due to the popularity of healthy old-age care in rural areas, more and more urban elderly people participate in the ranks of rural old-age care, resulting in excessive number of tourists in some old-caring villages, exceeding the carrying capacity of the village. Excessive passenger flow may damage the ecological environment, social environment, and facilities environment of the village, and even affect the development potential of the village pension industry. On the basis of on-site investigation and questionnaire survey, this paper summarizes the willingness and behavioral characteristics of the urban elderly population and finds that it will have a certain impact on the old-caring villages in the process of pension vacation in the aspects of ecology, construction, society, and economy. According to the influence of tourists, the paper constructs a system of capacity restriction factors of the old-caring villages, which includes four types: ecological environment capacity, policy environment capacity, perceived congestion capacity, and village service capacity, and fourteen specific indicators. It will provide a theoretical basis for reasonable control of the development scale of the old-caring villages.

Keywords: old-caring villages, restriction factors system, tourists' influence, environmental capacity

Procedia PDF Downloads 148
20045 Stressors Faced by Border Security Officers: The Singapore Experience

Authors: Jansen Ang, Andrew Neo, Dawn Chia

Abstract:

Border Security is unlike mainstream policing in that officers are essentially in static deployment, working round the clock every day and every hour of the year looking for illegitimate entry of persons and goods. In Singapore, Border Security officers perform multiple functions to ensure the nation’s safety and security. They are responsible for safeguarding the borders of Singapore to prevent threats from entering the country. Being the first line of defence in ensuring the nation’s border security officers are entrusted with the responsibility of screening travellers inbound and outbound of Singapore daily. They examined 99 million arrivals and departures at the various checkpoints in 2014, which is a considerable volume compared to most immigration agencies. The officers’ work scopes also include cargo clearance, protective and security functions of checkpoints. The officers work in very demanding environment which can range from the smog at the land checkpoints to the harshness of the ports at the sea checkpoints. In addition, all immigration checkpoints are located at the boundaries, posing commuting challenges for officers. At the land checkpoints, festive seasons and school breaks are peak periods as given the surge of inbound and outbound travellers at the various checkpoints. Such work provides unique challenges in comparison to other law enforcement duties. This paper assesses the current stressors faced by officers of a border security agency through the conduct of ground observations as well as a perceived stress survey as well as recommendations in combating stressors faced by border security officers. The findings from the field observations and surveys indicate organisational and operational stressors that are unique to border security and recommends interventions in managing these stressors. Understanding these stressors would better inform border security agencies on the interventions needed to enhance the resilience of border security officers.

Keywords: border security, Singapore, stress, operations

Procedia PDF Downloads 326
20044 Organizational Inertia: As a Control Mechanism for Organizational Creativity And Agility In Disruptive Environment

Authors: Doddy T. P. Enggarsyah, Soebowo Musa

Abstract:

Covid-19 pandemic has changed business environments and has spread economic contagion rapidly, as the stringent lockdowns and social distancing, which were initially intended to cut off the spread, have instead cut off the flow of economies. With no existing experience or playbook to deal with such a crisis, the prolonged pandemic can lead to bankruptcies, despite the fact that there are cases of companies that are not only able to survive but also to increase sales and create more jobs amid the economic crisis. This quantitative research study clarifies conflicting findings on organizational inertia whether it is a better strategy to implement during a disruptive environment. 316 respondents who worked in diverse firms operating in various industry types in Indonesia have completed the survey with a response rate of 63.2%. Further, this study clarifies the roles and relationships between organizational inertia, organizational creativity, organizational agility, and organizational resilience that potentially have determinants factors on firm performance in a disruptive environment. The findings of the study confirm that the organizational inertia of the firm will set up strong protection on the organization's fundamental orientation, which eventually will confine organizations to build adequate creative and adaptability responses—such fundamental orientation built from path dependency along with past success and prolonged firm performance. Organizational inertia acts like a control mechanism to ensure the adequacy of the given responses. The term adequate is important, as being overly creative during a disruptive environment may have a contradictory result since it can burden the firm performance. During a disruptive environment, organizations will limit creativity by focusing more on creativity that supports the resilience and new technology adoption will be limited since the cost of learning and implementation are perceived as greater than the potential gains. The optimal path towards firm performance is gained through organizational resilience, as in a disruptive environment, the survival of the organization takes precedence over firm performance.

Keywords: disruptive environment, organizational agility, organizational creativity, organizational inertia, organizational resilience

Procedia PDF Downloads 112
20043 Kinect Station: Using Microsoft Kinect V2 as a Total Station Theodolite for Distance and Angle Determination in a 3D Cartesian Environment

Authors: Amin Amini

Abstract:

A Kinect sensor has been utilized as a cheap and accurate alternative to 3D laser scanners and electronic distance measurement (EDM) systems. This research presents an inexpensive and easy-to-setup system that utilizes the Microsoft Kinect v2 sensor as a surveying and measurement tool and investigates the possibility of using such a device as a replacement for conventional theodolite systems. The system was tested in an indoor environment where its accuracy in distance and angle measurements was tested using virtual markers in a 3D Cartesian environment. The system has shown an average accuracy of 97.94 % in measuring distances and 99.11 % and 98.84 % accuracy for area and perimeter, respectively, within the Kinect’s surveying range of 1.5 to 6 meters. The research also tested the system competency for relative angle determination between two objects.

Keywords: kinect v2, 3D measurement, depth map, ToF

Procedia PDF Downloads 67
20042 Analysis for Shear Spinning of Tubes with Hard-To-Work Materials

Authors: Sukhwinder Singh Jolly

Abstract:

Metal spinning is one such process in which the stresses are localized to a small area and the material is made to flow or move over the mandrel with the help of spinning tool. Spinning of tubular products can be performed by two techniques, forward spinning and backward spinning. Many researchers have studied the process both experimentally and analytically. An effort has been made to apply the process to the spinning of thin wall, highly precision, small bore long tube in hard-to-work materials such as titanium.

Keywords: metal spinning, hard-to-work materials, roller diameter, power consumption

Procedia PDF Downloads 388
20041 Work Engagement, Sense of Humor and Workplace Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital

Authors: Vandana Maurya

Abstract:

Positive psychological capital is the key contributor to the competitive advantage of the organizations. Moreover, work engagement and sense of humor are also positive notions and are able to facilitate positive workplace behaviour but the mechanism behind these relationships are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among work engagement, sense of humor and outcome variables (organizational citizenship behaviour and ethical performance) as well as investigating how psychological capital (PsyCap) mediates the relationships between work engagement, sense of humor and the outcome variables among healthcare professionals. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on healthcare professionals (n= 240). Data were collected using questionnaires which includes Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), Multi-dimensional Sense of Humor Scale (MSHS), Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ), Organizational Citizenship Behavior Questionnaire, and Ethical Performance Scale (EPS). The results of the regression analyses showed that work engagement and sense of humor both positively predicted the outcome variables. Mediation analysis reveals that psychological capital mediates the relationship between predictor and outcome variables. The study recommends that the framework presented in this study can be an important tool for managers to enhance their employees’ psychological capital by increasing their levels of work engagement and sense of humor. In turn, psychological capital could be a positive resource for employees to dealing more ethically and enhancing more positive workplace behaviour.

Keywords: ethical performance, humor, organizational citizenship behavior, PsyCap, work engagement

Procedia PDF Downloads 216
20040 Assessment of Spatial and Vertical Distribution of Heavy Metals in the Mid Sand Bars of Brahmaputra River in Assam, India

Authors: Vijay Meena, Arup Kumar Sarma, Chandan Mahanta

Abstract:

The environment has been getting contaminated by anthropogenic processes including those that discharge heavy metals to air, soil and water. The present work emphasizes the spatial distribution and vertical profile of six heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Mn, Ni, Fe, Cr) in three layers of mid sand bars (bed surface layer, 50 cm and 100 cm depth) at 42 sampling stations covering around 600 km stretch of the Brahmaputra River, India. Heavy metal analysis was conducted on the sample collected from mid-sand bars in the river stretch to examine the impact of dredging for various hydrological operations in the future. Sediment quality was assessed by calculating six different indices viz., EF, CF, CD, PLI, Igeo, and PERI. In all sediment layers, heavy metal concentrations have been observed to be the same as listed, Fe > Mn > Zn > Ni > Cr > Cu in μg/g. The average concentration of Cu, Mn, and Fe was found in the middle layer while Zn, Ni, and Cr were in the Surface layer. EF indicates higher enrichment in reach 2 which is likely to be due to anthropogenic sources of industrial and urbanized effluents. The sediment of the mid-sand bar was generally found moderately polluted possessing low risk to aquatic lives and the environment. Suggesting, Dredging can be possible in the future. An examination of correlation matrices, principal components analysis, and cluster analyses indicated that these heavy metals possess similar anthropogenic origins for their enrichment.

Keywords: heavy metal contamination, risk assessment, anthropogenic impacts, sediment

Procedia PDF Downloads 97
20039 Social Work in Rehabilitation: Improving Practice Through Action Research

Authors: Poglajen Andrej, Malečihar Špela

Abstract:

Social work in rehabilitation needs constant development and embetterment of its practitioners. This became even more evident during the covid pandemic at times when outside sources of help, care and support were non-existent, or the access to such sources was severely limited. Social workers are, at our core, researchers of the rehabilitated world – from a personal and intrapersonal to a systematic perspective. This is also why a method of research was used in order to see if clinical social work practice can be further improved. The first stage of research showcased how action research and social work practice share many of the core values, whereas the Implementation of the new behaviour principle was severely lacking and thus became the main focus of the follow-up research. Twenty randomly selected case files of clinical social work practice in rehabilitation were qualitatively analyzed and potential benefits of action research on practice were assessed in the process of intervention while also getting feedback of the usefulness by the patients themselves using pre and post evaluation forms where a mixed-method approach was used. Implementation of new behaviour principle was recognized as a potential, improving factor of clinical social work practice in most analyzed cases, while it wasn’t deemed necessary in all of them. Potential improvements of newly implemented behaviour span across different areas of life and were also noted in the feedback from the rehabilitates. Despite the benefits of practice embetterment, the inclusion and focus on Implementation of new behaviour principle also caused additional workload, lack of time and stressful situations for the practitioners, which showcased the need to address certain systemic obstacles in the context of social work in healthcare in Slovenia.

Keywords: action research, practice, rehabilitation, social work

Procedia PDF Downloads 160