Search results for: teaching staff
2382 Including All Citizens Pathway (IACP): Transforming Post-Secondary Education Using Inclusion and Accessibility as Foundation
Authors: Fiona Whittington-Walsh
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Including All Citizens Pathway (IACP) is addressing the systems wide discrimination that students with disabilities experience throughout the education system. IACP offers a wide, institutional support structure so that all students, including students with intellectual/developmental disabilities, are included and can succeed. The entire process from admissions, course selection, course instruction, graduation is designed to address systemic discrimination while supporting learners and faculty. The inclusive and accessible pedagogical model that is the foundation of IACP opens the doors of post-secondary education by making existing academic courses environments where all students can participate and succeed. IACP is about transforming teaching, not modifying, or adapting the curriculum or essential knowledge and skill sets that are required learning outcomes. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles are applied to instructional teaching strategies such as lectures, presentations, and assessment tools. Created in 2016 as a research pilot, IACP is one of the first fully inclusive for credit post-secondary options available. The pilot received numerous external and internal grants to support its initiative to investigate and assess the teaching strategies and techniques that support student learning of essential knowledge and skill sets. IACP pilot goals included: (1) provide a successful pilot as a model of inclusive and accessible pedagogy; (2) create a teacher’s guide to assist other instructors in transforming their teaching to reach a wide range of learners; (3) identify policy barriers located within the educational system; and (4) provide leadership and encouraging innovative and inclusive pedagogical practices. The pilot was a success and in 2020 the first cohort of students graduated with an exit credential that pre-exists IACP and consists of ten academic courses. The University has committed to continue IACP and has developed a sustainable model. Each new academic year a new cohort of IACP students starts their post-secondary educational journey, while two additional instructors are mentored with the pedagogy. The pedagogical foundation of IACP has far-reaching potential including, but not limited to, programs that offer services for international students whose first language is not English as well as influencing pedagogical reform in secondary and post-secondary education. IACP also supports universities in satisfying educational standards that are or will be included in accessibility/disability legislation. This session will present information about IACP, share examples of systems transformation, hear from students and instructors, and provide participatory experiential activities that demonstrate the transformative techniques. We will be drawing from the experiences of a recent course that explored research documenting the lived experiences of students with disabilities in post-secondary institutes in B.C (Whittington-Walsh). Students created theatrical scenes out of the data and presented it using Forum Theatre method. Forum Theatre was used to create conversations, challenge stereotypes, and build connections between ableism, disability justice, Indigeneity, and social policy.Keywords: disability justice, inclusive education, pedagogical transformation, systems transformation
Procedia PDF Downloads 82381 Remote Training with Self-Assessment in Electrical Engineering
Authors: Zoja Raud, Valery Vodovozov
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The paper focuses on the distance laboratory organisation for training the electrical engineering staff and students in the fields of electrical drive and power electronics. To support online knowledge acquisition and professional enhancement, new challenges in remote education based on an active learning approach with self-assessment have been emerged by the authors. Following the literature review and explanation of the improved assessment methodology, the concept and technological basis of the labs arrangement are presented. To decrease the gap between the distance study of the up-to-date equipment and other educational activities in electrical engineering, the improvements in the following-up the learners’ progress and feedback composition are introduced. An authoring methodology that helps to personalise knowledge acquisition and enlarge Web-based possibilities is described. Educational management based on self-assessment is discussed.Keywords: advanced training, active learning, distance learning, electrical engineering, remote laboratory, self-assessment
Procedia PDF Downloads 3272380 Informed Decision-Making in Classrooms among High School Students regarding Nuclear Power Use in India
Authors: Dinesh N. Kurup, Celine Perriera
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The economic development of any country is based on the policies adopted by the government from time to time. If these policies are framed by the opinion of the people of the country, there is need for having strong knowledge base, right from the school level. There should be emphasis to provide in education, an ability to take informed decisions regarding socio-scientific issues. It would be better to adopt this practice in high school classrooms to build capacity among future citizens. This study is an attempt to provide a different approach of teaching and learning in classrooms at the high school level in Indian schools for providing opportunity for informed decision making regarding nuclear power use. A unit of work based on the 5E instructional model about the use of nuclear energy is used to build knowledge base and find out the effectiveness in terms of its influence for taking decisions as a future citizen. A sample of 120 students from three high schools using different curricula and teaching and learning methods were chosen for this study. This research used a design based research method. A pre and post questionnaire based on the theory of reasoned action, structured observations, focus group interviews and opportunity for decision making were used during the intervention. The data analysed qualitatively and quantitatively, and the qualitative data were coded into categories based on responses. The results of the study show that students were able to make informed decisions and could give reasons for their decisions. They were enthusiastic in formulating policy making based on their knowledge base and have strong held views and reasoning for their choice.Keywords: informed decision making, socio-scientific issues, nuclear energy use, policy making
Procedia PDF Downloads 3022379 Private Universities and Socio-Economic Development of Host Communities: The Case of Fountain University, Nigeria
Authors: Ganiyu Rasaq Omokeji
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The growing recognition of the pivotal role of universities in promoting socio-economic development has led to a focus upon the expansion of the sector around the world. As the economy and society become more ‘knowledge intensive’, the role of universities in development is more onerous than just teaching, research, and service. It is to help create the open society upon which the progress of ideas depends on. Driven to fulfill this role, universities are likely to become even more important in building regional networks of their host communities. Currently, there are about 129 universities in Nigeria, with a total number of 37 federal, 36 state, and 56 privately owned universities. Fountain University is among the private universities in Nigeria located in Osogbo, Osun State. The university is committed to the total development of men and women in an enabling environment, through appropriate teaching, research, and service to humanity, influenced by Islamic ethics and culture. The university focuses on educational development and growth that are relevant to the nation’s manpower needs and global competitiveness through a gradual but steady process. This paper examines the role of Private University in the socio-economic development of host community using Fountain University as a case study. The research methodology design for this paper has a total of 200 respondents. The research instrument of data collection was a questionnaire and in-depth interview (IDI). The finding reveals that Fountain University plays an important role in socio-economic and cultural development through their Islamic culture. The paper recommend that universities must bridge the gaps between creative individual with innovative ideas and the application of technology for economic progress and social betterment of their host communities. University also must serve as a bridge that carries the traffic of social and economic development.Keywords: private university, socio-economic development, host communities, role of universities and community development
Procedia PDF Downloads 2832378 Exploring the Working Conditions of Physical Education Teachers in Times of COVID-19: A Phenomenological Study
Authors: Raziel Mojica
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This study delves into the challenging working conditions faced by physical education (PE) teachers in public schools, particularly during the transition to remote teaching due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological approach, the research involves in-depth interviews with PE teachers to gain profound insight into their lived experiences and to answer the main question: What is the essence of the lived experience of physical education? The study explores the following sub-questions: (1) How do the participants describe their lived experience regarding their working conditions as physical education teachers in the new normal setup?; (2) What themes emerge from the testimonies of Physical Education Public School teachers from the Division of Calamba?; (3) Based on the consolidated findings and reflection, what material may be produced to inspire the physical education public school teachers? The study identifies emerging themes such as professional growth, personal life boundaries, accessible facilities and equipment, time management, and school leadership. Framed by Frederick Herzberg's Work-Motivation Theory, the study emphasizes motivator and hygienic factors that significantly impact job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. As a result of the study, the teachers vividly identified the challenges they face, including the lack of resources, training, and support from school leaders, which have made it difficult for them to adapt to the new teaching environment. These findings underscore the urgent need to revise teacher training curricula and for school leaders to provide strategic support to PE teachers in remote learning contexts. In conclusion, the study recommends targeted interventions to address these challenges and better equip PE teachers for the new normal in education.Keywords: PE teachers, COVID-19 pandemic, hermeneutic phenomenological, physical education, new normal
Procedia PDF Downloads 242377 Teacher Training in Saudi Arabia: A Blend of Old and New
Authors: Ivan Kuzio
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The GIZ/TTC project is the first of its kind in the Middle East, which allows the development of a teaching training programme to degree level based on modern methodologies. The graduates from this college are part of the Saudization programme and will, over the next four years be part of and eventually run the new Colleges of Excellence. The new Colleges of Excellence are being developed to create a local vocationally trained workforce and will run initially alongside the current Colleges of Technology.Keywords: blended learning, pedagogy, training, key competencies, social skills, cognitive development
Procedia PDF Downloads 3102376 Educational Innovation through Coaching and Mentoring in Thailand: A Mixed Method Evaluation of the Training Outcomes
Authors: Kanu Priya Mohan
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Innovation in education is one of the essential pathways to achieve both educational, and development goals in today’s dynamically changing world. Over the last decade, coaching and mentoring have been applied in the field of education as positive intervention techniques for fostering teaching and learning reforms in the developed countries. The context of this research was Thailand’s educational reform process, wherein a project on coaching and mentoring (C&M) was launched in 2014. The C&M project endeavored to support the professional development of the school teachers in the various provinces of Thailand, and to also enable them to apply C&M for teaching innovative instructional techniques. This research aimed to empirically investigate the learning outcomes for the master trainers, who trained for coaching and mentoring as the first step in the process to train the school teachers. A mixed method study was used for evaluating the learning outcomes of training in terms of cognitive- behavioral-affective dimensions. In the first part of the research a quantitative research design was incorporated to evaluate the effects of learner characteristics and instructional techniques, on the learning outcomes. In the second phase, a qualitative method of in-depth interviews was used to find details about the training outcomes, as well as the perceived barriers and enablers of the training process. Sample size constraints were there, yet these exploratory results, integrated from both methods indicated the significance of evaluating training outcomes from the three dimensions, and the perceived role of other factors in the training. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the training of C&M, and also their impact in fostering positive education through innovative educational techniques in the developing countries.Keywords: cognitive-behavioral-affective learning outcomes, mixed method research, teachers in Thailand, training evaluation
Procedia PDF Downloads 2742375 Dental Education in Brazil: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Fabiane Alves Farias Guimarães, Rodrigo Otávio Moretti-Pires, Ana Lúcia Schaefer Ferreira de Mello
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Introduction: Considering the last changes in Brazilian Health and Higher Educational Systems, the production of scientific knowledge regarding dental education and training has been increasing. The National Curriculum Guidelines for undergraduate courses in Dentistry established in 2002 the principles and procedures to perform a more generalist dental professional profile. Objectives: To perform a systematic review of the Brazilian scientific literature about dental education and training. Methods: The systematic review was conducted considering the Lilacs - Latin American Literature in Health Sciences and SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online data bases, using the combination of key words dentistry, education, teaching or training. It was select original research articles, published between 2010 and 2013, in Portuguese. Results: Based on the selection criteria, it was found 23 articles. In order to organize the outcomes, the analysis was separated in three themes: Ethical aspects of education (3 articles), integrating dental service with training (10 articles) and Dental education and the Brazilian curriculum guidelines (10 articles). Most of the studies were published between 2011 and 2012 (35% each) and were held in public universities. The studied populations included dental students, teachers, universities directors, health managers and dentists. The qualitative methodological approach was predominant. Conclusion: It was possible to identify a transience time in Brazilian undergraduate courses in Dentistry after curricular changes. The produced literature shows some advances, as the incorporation of ethical values on dental education and the inclusion of new practices environments for students by integrating education and training in diversified dental services scenarios.Keywords: Teaching, Dental Students, Human resources in dentistry
Procedia PDF Downloads 5322374 Increasing Creativity in Virtual Learning Space for Developing Creative Cities
Authors: Elham Fariborzi, Hoda Anvari Kazemabad
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Today, ICT plays an important role in all matters and it affects the development of creative cities. According to virtual space in this technology, it use especially for expand terms like smart schools, Virtual University, web-based training and virtual classrooms that is in parallel with the traditional teaching. Nowadays, the educational systems in different countries such as Iran are changing and start increasing creativity in the learning environment. It will contribute to the development of innovative ideas and thinking of the people in this environment; such opportunities might be cause scientific discovery and development issues. The creativity means the ability to generate ideas and numerous, new and suitable solutions for solving the problems of real and virtual individuals and society, which can play a significant role in the development of creative current physical cities or virtual borders ones in the future. The purpose of this paper is to study strategies to increase creativity in a virtual learning to develop a creative city. In this paper, citation/ library study was used. The full description given in the text, including how to create and enhance learning creativity in a virtual classroom by reflecting on performance and progress; attention to self-directed learning guidelines, efficient use of social networks, systematic discussion groups and non-intuitive targeted controls them by involved factors and it may be effective in the teaching process regarding to creativity. Meanwhile, creating a virtual classroom the style of class recognizes formally the creativity. Also the use of a common model of creative thinking between student/teacher is effective to solve problems of virtual classroom. It is recommended to virtual education’ authorities in Iran to have a special review to the virtual curriculum for increasing creativity in educational content and such classes to be witnesses more creative in Iran's cities.Keywords: virtual learning, creativity, e-learning, bioinformatics, biomedicine
Procedia PDF Downloads 3622373 Translating Silence: An Analysis of Dhofar University Student Translations of Elliptical Structures from English into Arabic
Authors: Ali Algryani
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Ellipsis involves the omission of an item or items that can be recovered from the preceding clause. Ellipsis is used as a cohesion marker; it enhances the cohesiveness of a text/discourse as a clause is interpretable only through making reference to an antecedent clause. The present study attempts to investigate the linguistic phenomenon of ellipsis from a translation perspective. It is mainly concerned with how ellipsis is translated from English into Arabic. The study covers different forms of ellipsis, such as noun phrase ellipsis, verb phrase ellipsis, gapping, pseudo-gapping, stripping, and sluicing. The primary aim of the study, apart from discussing the use and function of ellipsis, is to find out how such ellipsis phenomena are dealt with in English-Arabic translation and determine the implications of the translations of elliptical structures into Arabic. The study is based on the analysis of Dhofar University (DU) students' translations of sentences containing different forms of ellipsis. The initial findings of the study indicate that due to differences in syntactic structures and stylistic preferences between English and Arabic, Arabic tends to use lexical repetition in the translation of some elliptical structures, thus achieving a higher level of explicitness. This implies that Arabic tends to prefer lexical repetition to create cohesion more than English does. Furthermore, the study also reveals that the improper translation of ellipsis leads to interpretations different from those understood from the source text. Such mistranslations can be attributed to student translators’ lack of awareness of the use and function of ellipsis as well as the stylistic preferences of both languages. This has pedagogical implications on the teaching and training of translation students at DU. Students' linguistic competence needs to be enhanced through teaching linguistics-related issues with reference to translation and both languages, .i.e. source and target languages and with special emphasis on their use, function and stylistic preferences.Keywords: cohesion, ellipsis, explicitness, lexical repetition
Procedia PDF Downloads 1242372 Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers’ Mental Construction in Solving Equations and Inequalities Using ACE Teaching Cycle
Authors: Abera Kotu, Girma Tesema, Mitiku Tadesse
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This study investigated ACE supported instruction and pre-service mathematics teachers’ mental construction in solving equations and inequalities. A mixed approach with concurrent parallel design was employed. It was conducted on two intact groups of regular first-year pre-service mathematics teachers at Fiche College of Teachers’ Education in which one group was assigned as an intervention group and the other group as a comparison group using the lottery method. There were 33 participants in the intervention and 32 participants in the comparison. Six pre-service mathematics teachers were selected for interview using purposive sampling based on pre-test results. An instruction supported with ACE cycle was given to the intervention group for two weeks duration of time. Written tasks, interviews, and observations were used to collect data. Data collected from written tasks were analyzed quantitatively using independent samples t-test and effect size. Data collected from interviews and observations were analyzed narratively. The findings of the study uncovered that ACE-supported instruction has a moderate effect on Pre-service Mathematics Teachers’ levels of conceptualizations of action, process, object, ad schema. Moreover, the ACE supported group out scored and performed better than the usual traditional method supported groups across the levels of conceptualization. The majority of pre-service mathematics teachers’ levels of conceptualizations were at action and process levels and their levels of conceptualization were linked with genetic decomposition more at action and object levels than object and schema. The use of ACE supported instruction is recommended to improve pre-service mathematics teachers’ mental construction.Keywords: ACE teaching cycle, APOS theory, mental construction, genetic composition
Procedia PDF Downloads 162371 Chronically Ill Patient Satisfaction: An Indicator of Quality of Service Provided at Primary Health Care Settings in Alexandria
Authors: Alyaa Farouk Ibrahim, Gehan ElSayed, Ola Mamdouh, Nazek AbdelGhany
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Background: Primary health care (PHC) can be considered the first contact between the patient and the health care system. It includes all the basic health care services to be provided to the community. Patient's satisfaction regarding health care has often improved the provision of care, also considered as one of the most important measures for evaluating the health care. Objective: This study aims to identify patient’s satisfaction with services provided at the primary health care settings in Alexandria. Setting: Seven primary health care settings representing the seven zones of Alexandria governorate were selected randomly and included in the study. Subjects: The study comprised 386 patients attended the previously selected settings at least twice before the time of the study. Tools: Two tools were utilized for data collection; sociodemographic characteristics and health status structured interview schedule and patient satisfaction scale. Reliability test for the scale was done using Cronbach's Alpha test, the result of the test ranged between 0.717 and 0.967. The overall satisfaction was computed and divided into high, medium, and low satisfaction. Results: Age of the studied sample ranged between 19 and 62 years, more than half (54.2%) of them aged 40 to less than 60 years. More than half (52.8%) of the patients included in the study were diabetics, 39.1% of them were hypertensive, 19.2% had cardiovascular diseases, the rest of the sample had tumor, liver diseases, and orthopedic/neurological disorders (6.5%, 5.2% & 3.2%, respectively). The vast majority of the study group mentioned high satisfaction with overall service cost, environmental conditions, medical staff attitude and health education given at the PHC settings (87.8%, 90.7%, 86.3% & 90.9%, respectively), however, medium satisfaction was mostly reported concerning medical checkup procedures, follow-up data and referral system (41.2%, 28.5% & 28.9%, respectively). Score level of patient satisfaction with health services provided at the assessed Primary health care settings proved to be significantly associated with patients’ social status (P=0.003, X²=14.2), occupation (P=0.011, X²=11.2), and monthly income (P=0.039, X²=6.50). In addition, a significant association was observed between score level of satisfaction and type of illness (P=0.007, X²=9.366), type of medication (P=0.014, X²=9.033), prior knowledge about the health center (P=0.050, X²=3.346), and highly significant with the administrative zone (P=0.001, X²=55.294). Conclusion: The current study revealed that overall service cost, environmental conditions, staff attitude and health education at the assessed primary health care settings gained high patient satisfaction level, while, medical checkup procedures, follow-up, and referral system caused a medium level of satisfaction among assessed patients. Nevertheless, social status, occupation, monthly income, type of illness, type of medication and administrative zones are all factors influencing patient satisfaction with services provided at the health facilities.Keywords: patient satisfaction, chronic illness, quality of health service, quality of service indicators
Procedia PDF Downloads 3522370 Supply Side Readiness for Universal Health Coverage: Assessing the Availability and Depth of Essential Health Package in Rural, Remote and Conflict Prone District
Authors: Veenapani Rajeev Verma
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Context: Assessing facility readiness is paramount as it can indicate capacity of facilities to provide essential care for resilience to health challenges. In the context of decentralization, estimation of supply side readiness indices at sub national level is imperative for effective evidence based policy but remains a colossal challenge due to lack of dependable and representative data sources. Setting: District Poonch of Jammu and Kashmir was selected for this study. It is remote, rural district with unprecedented topographical barriers and is identified as high priority by government. It is also a fragile area as is bounded by Line of Control with Pakistan bearing the brunt of cease fire violations, military skirmishes and sporadic militant attacks. Hilly geographical terrain, rudimentary/absence of road network and impoverishment are quintessential to this area. Objectives: Objective of the study is to a) Evaluate the service readiness of health facilities and create a concise index subsuming plethora of discrete indicators and b) Ascertain supply side barriers in service provisioning via stakeholder’s analysis. Study also strives to expand analytical domain unravelling context and area specific intricacies associated with service delivery. Methodology: Mixed method approach was employed to triangulate quantitative analysis with qualitative nuances. Facility survey encompassing 90 Subcentres, 44 Primary health centres, 3 Community health centres and 1 District hospital was conducted to gauge general service availability and service specific availability (depth of coverage). Compendium of checklist was designed using Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) in form of standard core questionnaire and scorecard generated for each facility. Information was collected across dimensions of amenities, equipment, medicines, laboratory and infection control protocols as proposed in WHO’s Service Availability and Readiness Assesment (SARA). Two stage polychoric principal component analysis employed to generate a parsimonious index by coalescing an array of tracer indicators. OLS regression method used to determine factors explaining composite index generated from PCA. Stakeholder analysis was conducted to discern qualitative information. Myriad of techniques like observations, key informant interviews and focus group discussions using semi structured questionnaires on both leaders and laggards were administered for critical stakeholder’s analysis. Results: General readiness score of health facilities was found to be 0.48. Results indicated poorest readiness for subcentres and PHC’s (first point of contact) with composite score of 0.47 and 0.41 respectively. For primary care facilities; principal component was characterized by basic newborn care as well as preparedness for delivery. Results revealed availability of equipment and surgical preparedness having lowest score (0.46 and 0.47) for facilities providing secondary care. Presence of contractual staff, more than 1 hr walk to facility, facilities in zone A (most vulnerable) to cross border shelling and facilities inaccessible due to snowfall and thick jungles was negatively associated with readiness index. Nonchalant staff attitude, unavailability of staff quarters, leakages and constraint in supply chain of drugs and consumables were other impediments identified. Conclusions/Policy Implications: It is pertinent to first strengthen primary care facilities in this setting. Complex dimensions such as geographic barriers, user and provider behavior is not under precinct of this methodology.Keywords: effective coverage, principal component analysis, readiness index, universal health coverage
Procedia PDF Downloads 1212369 An Outsourcing System Model for the Thai Electrical Appliances Industry
Authors: Sudawan Somjai
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The purpose of this paper was to find an appropriate outsourcing system model for the Thai electrical appliances industry. The objective was to increase competitive capability of the industry with an outsourcing system. The population for this study was the staff in the selected 10 companies in Thai electrical appliances industry located in Bangkok and the eastern part of Thailand. Data collecting techniques included in-depth interviews, focus group and storytelling techniques. The data was collected from 5 key informants from each company, making a total of 50 informants. The findings revealed that an outsourcing model would consist of important factors including outsourcing system, labor flexibility, capability of business process, manpower management efficiency, cost reduction, business risk elimination, core competency and competitiveness. Different suggestions were made as well in this research paper.Keywords: outsourcing system, model, Thailand, electrical appliances industry
Procedia PDF Downloads 5902368 Customer Service Marketing Mix: A Survey of Small Business around Campus, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University
Authors: Chonlada Choovanichchanon
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This research paper was aimed to investigate a relationship between the customer service marketing mix and the level of customers’ satisfaction from purchasing goods and service from small business around campus, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Bangkok, Thailand. Based on the survey of 200 customers who frequently purchased goods and service around campus, the level of satisfaction for each factor of marketing mix was reached. An accidental random sampling was applied by using questionnaire in collecting the data. The findings revealed that the means values can help to rank these variables from high to low mean as follows: 1) forms and system of service, 2) physical environment of service center, 3) service from staff and employee, 4) product quality and service, 5) market channel and distribution, 6) market price, and 7) market promotion and distribution.Keywords: service marketing mix, satisfaction, small business, survey
Procedia PDF Downloads 4942367 Quality versus Excellence: The Importance of Employees Knowing the Difference
Authors: Chris Nelson
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Quality and excellence are qualitative topics that are usually addressed based on knowledge and past experience from leadership and those in charge of the organization. The significance of this study is to highlight the differences and similarities between these two mindsets and how an operational staff can most appropriately use them in the workplace. Quality and excellence are two words that are talked about a lot in the manufacturing world. Buzzwords such as operational excellence, quality controls, and efficiencies are discussed in the boardroom as well on the shop floor. These terms are used quite frequently and with good reasons. When a person visits their favorite local restaurant, They go because 1) they like the food and 2) the people are some of the greatest individuals to be around. With that in mind, they know they always put out quality food. They do not always go because the quality of the food is far superior than other restaurants. But the quality of ingredients always meets their expectations. When they compare them to the term excellence, they are disappointed. The food never looks like the pictures on the menu. But when have you ever been to a restaurant where the food looks the same as on the menu? For them, when evaluating which buzzword to use as a guiding star, its simple: excellence. The corporation can accomplish these goals by operating at a standard that far exceeds customer’s wants and needs.Keywords: industrial engineering, innovation, management and technology, logistics and scheduling, six sigma
Procedia PDF Downloads 2052366 Brazilian-Italian Comparative Study on EFL Teacher Training
Authors: Tatiana Belmonte dos Santos Rodrigues
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This is a comparative study between the training process of teachers of English as a foreign language in a Brazilian institution and an Italian institution, analyzing the academic curriculum, which includes courses mandatory internship activities, among other curricular aspects, and investigating the motivations that lead pre-service teachers to pursue a teaching career. The two institutions involved in this research are considered the oldest in Brazil, the Federal University of Amazonas, created in 1909, and the oldest in Italy, the University of Bologna, created in 1088. The general problem, or guiding question of this research, therefore, is: What is the role of the academic curriculum in motivating and consolidating the teaching of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) as a professional career? The hypothesis be investigated is that the degree courses of the two institutions apply in their curricula the pedagogical contours described in Shulman (2005), essential for the consolidation of the specificities of professional teacher training, which would lead to the strengthening of motivation pre-service professors to remain in this professional career plan, both for those who have already entered the course with pre-established external or internal motivations and for those who entered without apparent motivation. This is qualitative research (CRESWELL, 2007), with the application of field research, where documental analysis of the academic curriculum was carried out together with interviews with preservice teachers of the two institutions and analysis through interpretivism (MERTENS, 2010). The curriculum was analyzed in the light of Shulman (2005) and the interviewees' motivational discourse were analyzed from the perspective of Lovely (2012)'s discoveries. At the end, the data was crossed to answer the guiding question of the research, generating the proposed comparative study.Keywords: preservice teachers, academic curriculum, motivation, english as a foreign language
Procedia PDF Downloads 702365 Application of Constructivist-Based (5E’s) Instructional Approach on Pupils’ Retention: A Case Study in Primary Mathematics in Enugu State
Authors: Ezeamagu M.U, Madu B.C
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This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of 5Es constructivist-based instructional model on students’ retention in primary Mathematics. 5Es stands for Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration and Evaluation. The study adopted the pre test post test non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental research design. The sample size for the study was one hundred and thirty four pupils (134), seventy six male (76) and fifty eight female (58) from two primary schools in Nsukka education zone. Two intact classes in each of the sampled schools comprising all the primary four pupils were used. Each of the schools was given the opportunity of being assigned randomly to either experimental or control group. The Experimental group was taught using 5Es model while the control group was taught using the conventional method. Two research questions were formulated to guide the study and three hypotheses were tested at p ≤ 0. 05. A Fraction Achievement Test (FAT) of ten (10) questions were used to obtain data on pupils’ retention. Research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while hypotheses were tested using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The result revealed that the 5Es model was more effective than the conventional method of teaching in enhancing pupils’ performance and retention in mathematics, secondly there is no significant difference in the mean retention scores of male and female students taught using 5Es instructional model. Based on the findings, it was recommended among other things, that the 5Es instructional model should be adopted in the teaching of mathematics in primary level of the educational system. Seminar, workshops and conferences should be mounted by professional bodies, federal and state ministries of education on the use of 5Es model. This will enable the mathematics educator, serving teachers, students and all to benefit from the approach.Keywords: constructivist, education, mathematics, primary, retention
Procedia PDF Downloads 4512364 School-Based Oral Assessment in Malaysian Schools
Authors: Sedigheh Abbasnasab Sardareh
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The current study investigates ESL teachers' voices in order to formulate further research on the effectiveness of the SBOA practices. It is an attempt to find out (1) what are ESL experienced teachers’ perceptions, experiences, attitudes, and beliefs of SBOA; (2) what teaching and learning aspects of SBOA needs focus to enhance its effectiveness; (3) external issues related to the implementation of SBOA; (4) internal issues related to the implementation of SBOA; and also (5) perceived recommendations on SBOA. The study utilized focus group discussion sessions. 9 experienced ESL (5 females and 4 males) teachers were selected based on the consent letters sent to them. These teachers had over 20 years experience in both traditional and SBOA-type assessment and the train-the-trainer experts recommended by the Ministry of Education. Respondents were guided with open-ended questions to extracts their perceived experiences implementing SBOA guided structurally by the author as the moderator. Data were first discussed with the respondents for further clarifications and then only analyzed and re-confirmed with some recommendations before the final presentation of this preliminary results were presented here. The focus group discussions yielded some important perceived views on the SBOA implementation. Some of the themes were discussed and some recommendations were proposed for further in-depth study by the Ministry of Education. Some of the future directions based on the results were also put forward. Some external and internal variables were important in order for successful implementation of SBOA. Mere implementing a policy should be taken into consideration because this might impede some of the teaching and learning processes both by the classroom stakeholders such as teachers and student. More research methods such as the use of questionnaires could be utilized to further investigate to large populations of teacher educators in Malaysia.Keywords: school based oral assessment, Malaysia, ESL, focus group discussion
Procedia PDF Downloads 3252363 Knowledge Management in a Combined/Joint Environment
Authors: Cory Cannon
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In the current era of shrinking budgets, increasing amounts of worldwide natural disasters, state and non-state initiated conflicts within the world. The response has involved multinational coalitions to conduct effective military operations. The need for a Knowledge Management strategy when developing these coalitions have been overlooked in the past and the need for developing these accords early on will save time and help shape the way information and knowledge are transferred from the staff and action officers of the coalition to the decision-makers in order to make timely decisions within an ever changing environment. The aim of this paper is to show how Knowledge Management has developed within the United States military and how the transformation of working within a Combined/ Joint environment in both the Middle East and the Far East has improved relations between members of the coalitions as well as being more effective as a military force. These same principles could be applied to multinational corporations when dealing with cultures and decision-making processes.Keywords: civil-military, culture, joint environment, knowledge management
Procedia PDF Downloads 3642362 A Review of Blog Assisted Language Learning Research: Based on Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Bo Ning Lyu
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Blog assisted language learning (BALL) has been trialed by educators in language teaching with the development of Web 2.0 technology. Understanding the development trend of related research helps grasp the whole picture of the use of blog in language education. This paper reviews current research related to blogs enhanced language learning based on bibliometric analysis, aiming at (1) identifying the most frequently used keywords and their co-occurrence, (2) clustering research topics based on co-citation analysis, (3) finding the most frequently cited studies and authors and (4) constructing the co-authorship network. 330 articles were searched out in Web of Science, 225 peer-viewed journal papers were finally collected according to selection criteria. Bibexcel and VOSviewer were used to visualize the results. Studies reviewed were published between 2005 to 2016, most in the year of 2014 and 2015 (35 papers respectively). The top 10 most frequently appeared keywords are learning, language, blog, teaching, writing, social, web 2.0, technology, English, communication. 8 research themes could be clustered by co-citation analysis: blogging for collaborative learning, blogging for writing skills, blogging in higher education, feedback via blogs, blogging for self-regulated learning, implementation of using blogs in classroom, comparative studies and audio/video blogs. Early studies focused on the introduction of the classroom implementation while recent studies moved to the audio/video blogs from their traditional usage. By reviewing the research related to BALL quantitatively and objectively, this paper reveals the evolution and development trends as well as identifies influential research, helping researchers and educators quickly grasp this field overall and conducting further studies.Keywords: blog, bibliometric analysis, language learning, literature review
Procedia PDF Downloads 2102361 Enhancing Chinese Foreign Language Teachers’ Intercultural Competence: An Action Research Study
Authors: Wei Hing Rosenkvist
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In the past few decades, concerns and demands of promoting student intercultural communicative competence in foreign language education have been increasing along with the rapid growth of information technologies and globalization in the 21st century. In Sweden, related concepts such as internationalization, global citizenship, multiculturalism, and intercultural communication, are also keywords that would be found in the written learning objectives of foreign language education at all levels. Being one of the leading higher institutes in distance education in Europe, Dalarna University clearly states that after completion of the teacher education program, students shall understand the needs for integrating internationalization, intercultural and global perspective in teaching and learning in Swedish schools and implement their studies to promote education in an international and global context. Even though many teachers and educators agree with the institutes’ mission and vision about the importance of internationalization and the need to increase student understanding of intercultural and global perspectives, they might find this objective unattainable and restricted due to the nature of the subject and their knowledge of intercultural competence. When conducting a comprehensive Chinese language course for the students who are going to become Chinese foreign language teachers, the researcher found that all the learning objectives are linguistic oriented while grammatical components dominate the entire course. Apparently, there is a gap between the learning objectives of the course and the DU’s mission of fostering an international learner with intercultural and globalized perspectives. How to include this macro-learning objective in a foreign language course is a great challenge to the educator. Although scholars from different academic domains have provided different theoretical frameworks and approaches for developing student intercultural competence, research that focuses on the didactic perspectives of developing student intercultural competence in teaching Chinese as a foreign language education (CFL) is limited, and practical examples are rare. This challenge has motivated the researcher to conduct an action research study that aims at integrating DU’s macro-learning objective in a current CFL course through different didactic practices to develop the student's intercultural competence. This research study aims to, firstly, illustrate the cross-cultural knowledge integrated into the present Chinese language course for developing intercultural competence. Secondly, it investigates different didactic means that can be utilized to deliver cross-cultural knowledge to student teachers in the present course without generating dramatic disturbance of the syllabus. Thirdly, it examines the effectiveness of these didactic means in enhancing student-teacher intercultural competence regarding the need for integrating and implementing internationalization, intercultural and global perspectives in teaching and learning in Swedish schools. Last but not least, it intends to serve as a practical example for developing the student teachers’ intercultural competence in foreign language education in DU and fill in the research gap of this academic domain worldwide.Keywords: action research, intercultural competence, Chinese as a foreign language education, teacher education
Procedia PDF Downloads 1042360 HIS Integration Systems Using Modality Worklist and DICOM
Authors: Kulvinder Singh Mann
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The usability and simulation of information systems, known as Hospital Information System (HIS), Radiology Information System (RIS), and Picture Archiving, Communication System, for electronic medical records has shown a good impact for actors in the hospital. The objective is to help and make their work easier; such as for a nurse or administration staff to record the medical records of the patient, and for a patient to check their bill transparently. However, several limitations still exists on such area regarding the type of data being stored in the system, ability for data transfer, storage and protocols to support communication between medical devices and digital images. This paper reports the simulation result of integrating several systems to cope with those limitations by using the Modality Worklist and DICOM standard. It succeeds in documenting the reason of that failure so future research will gain better understanding and be able to integrate those systems.Keywords: HIS, RIS, PACS, modality worklist, DICOM, digital images
Procedia PDF Downloads 3172359 The Psychological Contract and the Readiness to Verbalize It in Financial Institutions in Poland
Authors: Anna Rogozińska-Pawełczyk
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A psychological contract is an agreement between the employer and an employee that covers the parties’ informal and frequently non-verbalized obligations and expectations towards each other. The contract is a cognitive pattern-governing employee’s behaviour in the organization. A gap between employee’s expectations and the organizational reality may lead to difficult-to-solve conflicts or cause the employee to modify their behaviour towards organizational values and goals, if they are willing and ready to verbalize their expectations. The article discusses psychological contracts in the financial institutions in Poland. Its theoretical part outlines the types of psychological contracts in organizations (relational, transactional, and balanced) and shows the process of their verbalization. The purpose of the article is to present how the type of the psychological contract relates to employee’s readiness to verbalize it. The article ends with conclusions arising from the study.Keywords: customer contact staff in banks, employee expectations, financial institutions, mutual expectations, psychological contract, verbalization of the psychological contract
Procedia PDF Downloads 4872358 Appraisal of Maintenance Practices in Selected Tourist Attraction in Bauchi State, Nigeria
Authors: Eldah Ephraim Buba, Amina Bata Zoaka, Aishatu Ibrahim
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This study appraised maintenance practices in selected tourist attractions in Bauchi state, Nigeria. Four tourist attractions were used for the research. Checklists were used to assess operations and repairs maintenance practices in the different attractions. The study carried out personal assessment thrice in six months without prior knowledge of the staff in charge for operational maintenance. Records of repairs maintenance from the attractions maintenance unit for a period of ten years were assessed using the checklists. The findings of the study show that operations maintenance was not adequately carried out in the four tourists attractions. Repairs maintenance was carried out in Yankari game reserve and safari, but repairs maintenance was poor in the other three attractions. The study therefore, recommends that adequate maintenance should be practiced in tourist attractions to expand the lifespan of the facilities and also encourage tourist patronage.Keywords: appraisal, maintenance, practices, tourist attraction
Procedia PDF Downloads 3012357 The Application of Simulation Techniques to Enhance Nitroglycerin Production Efficiency: A Case Study of the Military Explosive Factory in Nakhon Sawan Province
Authors: Jeerasak Wisatphan, Nara Samattapapong
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This study's goals were to enhance nitroglycerin manufacturing efficiency through simulation, recover nitroglycerin from the storage facility, and enhance nitroglycerine recovery and purge systems. It was found that the problem was nitroglycerin reflux. Therefore, the researcher created three alternatives to solve the problem. The system of Nitroglycerine Recovery and Purge was then simulated using the FlexSim program, and each alternative was tested. The results demonstrate that the alternative system-led Nitroglycerine Recovery and Nitroglycerine Purge System collaborate to produce Nitroglycerine, which is more efficient than other alternatives and can reduce production time. It can also improve the recovery of nitroglycerin. It also serves as a guideline for developing a real-world system and modeling it for training staff without wasting raw chemical materials or fuel energy.Keywords: efficiency increase, nitroglycerine recovery and purge system, production improvement, simulation
Procedia PDF Downloads 1292356 The Level of Satisfaction of the Training Program from the ASEAN Camp II: A Camp to Prepare Human Resources for AEC 2015
Authors: Tanakom Potjanapitak, Kevin Wongleedee
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The purpose of this research study was to study the level of satisfaction of the faculty members who participated in the ASEAN camp which aimed to prepare them for the readiness of AEC 2015. The population of this study included all the faculty members who participated in the activities of the ASEAN camp during April, 2014. Based on the survey of 120 faculty members who answered the questionnaire, the data was complied by using SPSS. Mean and standard deviation were utilized in analyzing the data. The findings revealed that the average mean of satisfaction was 4.41, and standard deviation was 0.7188. Moreover, the average mean can be used to rank the level of satisfaction from each of the following factors: helpful knowledge, understandable knowledge, proper materials, suitable knowledge, schedule of activities, staff, and advertising.Keywords: ASEAN camp, training, satisfaction, human resources
Procedia PDF Downloads 4282355 Exploring the Effect of Using Lesh Model in Enhancing Prospective Mathematics Teachers’ Number Sense
Authors: Areej Isam Barham
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Developing students’ number sense is an essential element in the learning of mathematics. Number sense is one of the foundational ideas in mathematics where students need to understand numbers, representing them in different ways, and realize the relationships among numbers. Number sense also reflects students’ understanding of the meaning of operations, how they related to one another, how to compute fluently and make reasonable estimates. Developing students’ number sense in the mathematics classroom requires good preparation for mathematics teachers, those who will direct their students towards the real understanding of numbers and its implementation in the learning of mathematics. This study describes the development of elementary prospective mathematics teachers’ number sense through a mathematics teaching methods course at Qatar University. The study examined the effect of using the Lesh model in enhancing mathematics prospective teachers’ number sense. Thirty-nine elementary prospective mathematics teachers involved in the current study. The study followed an experimental research approach, and quantitative research methods were used to answer the research questions. Pre-post number sense test was constructed and implemented before and after teaching by using the Lesh model. Data were analyzed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive data analysis and t-test were used to examine the impact of using the Lesh model in enhancing prospective teachers’ number sense. Finding of the study indicated poor number sense and limited numeracy skills before implementing the use of the Lesh model, which highly demonstrate the importance of the study. The results of the study also revealed a positive impact on the use of the Lesh model in enhancing prospective teachers’ number sense with statistically significant differences. The discussion of the study addresses different features and issues related to the participants’ number sense. In light of the study, the research presents recommendations and suggestions for the future development of mathematics prospective teachers’ number sense.Keywords: number sense, Lesh model, prospective mathematics teachers, development of number sense
Procedia PDF Downloads 1402354 Healthcare Providers’ Perception Towards Utilization of Health Information Applications and Its Associated Factors in Healthcare Delivery in Health Facilities in Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana
Authors: Richard Okyere Boadu, Godwin Adzakpah, Nathan Kumasenu Mensah, Kwame Adu Okyere Boadu, Jonathan Kissi, Christiana Dziyaba, Rosemary Bermaa Abrefa
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Information and communication technology (ICT) has significantly advanced global healthcare, with electronic health (e-Health) applications improving health records and delivery. These innovations, including electronic health records, strengthen healthcare systems. The study investigates healthcare professionals' perceptions of health information applications and their associated factors in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana's health facilities. Methods: We used a descriptive cross-sectional study design to collect data from 632 healthcare professionals (HCPs), in the three purposively selected health facilities in the Cape Coast municipality of Ghana in July 2022. Shapiro-Wilk test was used to check the normality of dependent variables. Descriptive statistics were used to report means with corresponding standard deviations for continuous variables. Proportions were also reported for categorical variables. Bivariate regression analysis was conducted to determine the factors influencing the Benefits of Information Technology (BoIT); Barriers to Information Technology Use (BITU); and Motives of Information Technology Use (MoITU) in healthcare delivery. Stata SE version 15 was used for the analysis. A p-value of less than 0.05 served as the basis for considering a statistically significant accepting hypothesis. Results: Healthcare professionals (HCPs) generally perceived moderate benefits (Mean score (M)=5.67) from information technology (IT) in healthcare. However, they slightly agreed that barriers like insufficient computers (M=5.11), frequent system downtime (M=5.09), low system performance (M=5.04), and inadequate staff training (M=4.88) hindered IT utilization. Respondents slightly agreed that training (M=5.56), technical support (M=5.46), and changes in work procedures (M=5.10) motivated their IT use. Bivariate regression analysis revealed significant influences of education, working experience, healthcare profession, and IT training on attitudes towards IT utilization in healthcare delivery (BoIT, BITU, and MoITU). Additionally, the age of healthcare providers, education, and working experience significantly influenced BITU. Ultimately, age, education, working experience, healthcare profession, and IT training significantly influenced MoITU in healthcare delivery. Conclusions: Healthcare professionals acknowledge moderate benefits of IT in healthcare but encounter barriers like inadequate resources and training. Motives for IT use include staff training and support. Bivariate regression analysis shows education, working experience, profession, and IT training significantly influence attitudes toward IT adoption. Targeted interventions and policies can enhance IT utilization in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana.Keywords: health information application, utilization of information application, information technology use, healthcare
Procedia PDF Downloads 652353 Consumer Cognitive Models of Vaccine Attitudes: Behavioral Informed Strategies Promoting Vaccination Policy in Greece
Authors: Halkiopoulos Constantinos, Koutsopoulou Ioanna, Gkintoni Evgenia, Antonopoulou Hera
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Immunization appears to be an essential part of health care service in times of pandemics such as covid-19 and aims not only to protect the health of the population but also the health and sustainability of the economies of the countries affected. It is reported that more than 3.44 billion doses have been administered so far, which accounts for 45 doses for 100 people. Vaccination programs in various countries have been promoted and accepted by people differently and therefore they proceeded in different ways and speed; most countries directing them towards people with vulnerable chronic or recent health statuses. Large scale restriction measures or lockdown, personal protection measures such as masks and gloves and a decrease in leisure and sports activities were also implemented around the world as part of the protection health strategies against the covid-19 pandemic. This research aims to present an analysis based on variations on people’s attitudes towards vaccination based on demographic, social and epidemiological characteristics, and health status on the one hand and perception of health, health satisfaction, pain, and quality of life on the other hand. 1500 Greek e-consumers participated in the research, mainly through social media who took part in an online-based survey voluntarily. The questionnaires included demographic, social and medical characteristics of the participants, and questions asking people’s willingness to be vaccinated and their opinion on whether there should be a vaccine against covid-19. Other stressor factors were also reported in the questionnaires and participants’ loss of someone close due to covid-19, or staying at home quarantine due to being infected from covid-19. WHOQUOL-BREF and GLOBAL PSYCHOTRAUMA SCREEN- GPS were used with kind permission from WHO and from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies in this study. Attitudes towards vaccination varied significantly related to aging, level of education, health status and consumer behavior. Health professionals’ attitudes also varied in relation to age, level of education, profession, health status and consumer needs. Vaccines have been the most common technological aid of human civilization so far in the fight against viruses. The results of this study can be used for health managers and digital marketers of pharmaceutical companies and also other staff involved in vaccination programs and for designing health policy immunization strategies during pandemics in order to achieve positive attitudes towards vaccination and larger populations being vaccinated in shorter periods of time after the break out of pandemic. Health staff needs to be trained, aided and supervised to go through with vaccination programs and to be protected through vaccination programs themselves. Feedback in each country’s vaccination program, short backs, deficiencies and delays should be addressed and worked out.Keywords: consumer behavior, cognitive models, vaccination policy, pandemic, Covid-19, Greece
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