Flood hazard hydrology: interdisciplinary geospatial preparedness and policy

Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2017Floods rank as the deadliest and most frequently occurring natural hazard worldwide, and in 2013 floods in the United States ranked second only to wind storms in accounting for loss of life and damage to property. While flood disasters remain difficult to accurately predict, more precise forecasts and better understanding of the frequency, magnitude and timing of floods can help reduce the loss of life and costs associated with the impact of flood events. There is a common perception that 1) local-to-national-level decision makers do not have accurate, reliable and actionable data and knowledge they need in order to make informed flood-related decisions, and 2) because of science--policy disconnects, critical flood and scientific analyses and insights are failing to influence policymakers in national water resource and flood-related decisions that have significant local impact. This dissertation explores these perceived information gaps and disconnects, and seeks to answer the question of whether flood data can be accurately generated, transformed into useful actionable knowledge for local flood event decision makers, and then effectively communicated to influence policy. Utilizing an interdisciplinary mixed-methods research design approach, this thesis develops a methodological framework and interpretative lens for each of three distinct stages of flood-related information interaction: 1) data generation—using machine learning to estimate streamflow flood data for forecasting and response; 2) knowledge development and sharing—creating a geoanalytic visualization decision support system for flood events; and 3) knowledge actualization—using heuristic toolsets for translating scientific knowledge into policy action. Each stage is elaborated on in three distinct research papers, incorporated as chapters in this dissertation, that focus on developing practical data and methodologies that are useful to scientists, local flood event decision makers, and policymakers. Data and analytical results of this research indicate that, if certain conditions are met, it is possible to provide local decision makers and policy makers with the useful actionable knowledge they need to make timely and informed decisions

Evaluating Improvisation As A Technique For Training Pre-service Teachers For Inclusive Classrooms

Improvisation is a construct that uses a set of minimal heuristic guidelines to create a highly flexible scaffold that fosters extemporaneous communication. Scholars from diverse domains: such as psychology, business, negotiation, and education have suggested its use as a method for preparing professionals to manage complexity and think on their feet. A review of the literature revealed that while there is substantial theoretical scholarship on using improvisation in diverse domains, little research has verified these assertions. This dissertation evaluated whether improvisation, a specific type of dramatic technique, was effective for training pre-service teachers in specific characteristics of teacher-child classroom interaction, communication and affective skills development. It measured the strength and direction of any potential changes such training might effect on pre-service teacher’s self-efficacy for teaching and for implementing the communication skills common to improvisation and teaching while interacting with student in an inclusive classroom setting. A review of the literature on teacher self-efficacy and improvisation clarified and defined key terms, and illustrated relevant studies. This study utilized a mixed-method research design based on instructional design and development research. Matched pairs ttests were used to analyze the self-efficacy and training skills survey data and pre-service teacher reflections and interview transcripts were used to triangulate the qualitative data. Results of the t-tests showed a significant difference in participants’ self-efficacy for teaching measured before and after the improvisation training. A significant difference in means was also measured in participants’ aptitude for improvisation strategies and for self-efficacy for their implementation pre-/post- training. Qualitative results from pre-service teacher class iv artifacts and interviews showed participants reported beneficial personal outcomes as well as confirmed using skills from the training while interacting with students. Many of the qualitative themes parallel individual question items on the teacher self-efficacy TSES scale as well as the improvisation self-efficacy scale CSAI. The self-reported changes in affective behavior such as increased self-confidence and ability to foster positive interaction with students are illustrative of changes in teacher agency. Self-reports of being able to better understand student perspectives demonstrate a change in participant ability to empathize with students. Participants who worked with both typically developing students as well as with students with disabilities reported utilizing improvisation strategies such as Yes, and…, mirroring emotions and body language, vocal prosody and establishing a narrative relationship to put the students at ease, establish a positive learning environment, encourage student contributions and foster teachable moments. The improvisation strategies showed specific benefit for participants working with nonverbal students or who had commutation difficulties, by providing the pre-service teachers with strategies for using body language, emotional mirroring, vocal prosody and acceptance to foster interaction and communication with the student. Results from this investigation appear to substantiate the benefit of using improvisation training as part of a pre-service teacher methods course for preparing teachers for inclusive elementary classrooms. Replication of the study is encouraged with teachers of differing populations to confirm and extend results

Development of an integrated safety, health and environmental management capability maturity model for Ghanaian construction companies

With high rates of accidents, injuries, illnesses, negative environmental impacts and other well-being issues still recorded in the construction sector, as well its social and economic impacts, the need for safety health and environmental (SHE) improvement has become critical. Management systems, particularly environmental management systems (EMS) and safety management systems (SHMS), have been identified as innovative and systematic approaches for companies to manage SHE risks effectively in order to improve their SHE performance. However, the adoption and implementation of EMS and SHMS in the construction sector, particularly in developing countries like Ghana, has been slow and generally low, mainly due to cost and the bureaucracy that comes with the parallel implementation of standalone management systems. There is, therefore, a need for an integrated SHE management framework for effective SHE risks management and control in the construction sector. However, there is no single integrated SHE management framework for construction organisations to use, especially those within developing countries. Neither is there any mechanism by which construction companies can ascertain their capability in implementing integrated SHE management in order to guide efforts to improve their SHE performance. This research was undertaken to develop an integrated SHE management capability maturity model (SHEM-CMM) that can be used by construction firms in the Ghanaian construction industry.To achieve the aim of the study, a quantitative research approach was adopted. It involved a comprehensive literature review to generate potential capability attributes relevant to integrated SHE management. Following the literature review, a survey of experienced SHE experts was undertaken in order to verify the suitability of the identified integrated SHE management capability attributes. Subsequently, a three-round Delphi technique was undertaken with experienced SHE management experts (round 1 n=41, round 2 n=31 and round 3 n=30) and accompanied by the application of voting analytical hierarchy process, to ascertain the relative weight/priority of the capability attributes. This study found 20 integrated SHE management capability attributes which are clustered into five categories, namely: strategy; process; people; resources; and information. Collectively, the attributes within the ‘strategy’ category are the most important, followed by the ‘people’ and then ‘process’ attributes. Drawing on the capability maturity concept, an integrated SHE management capability maturity model (SHEM-CMM) was developed. The model is composed of 20 integrated SHE management capability attributes which are mapped on to five levels of capability maturity ranging from Level 1 to Level 5, and with each level having a distinct maturity level descriptor. The integrated SHEM-CMM was then validated by 59 construction professionals including SHE experts in construction companies operating in the Ghanaian construction industry in order to ensure the adequacy and practical usefulness of the model. This research has contributed to the existing body of knowledge on SHE management by establishing integrated SHE management capability attributes and their relative weight of importance. Furthermore, the research has developed a novel integrated SHEM-CMM which has practical usefulness in the construction industry. The model provides a systematic approach for SHE management capability evaluation and improvement in construction. It is anticipated that the developed capability maturity model would be used by construction firms to systematically assess their SHE management capability and identify ways to further improve their SHE management in order to obtain better SHE performance outcomes

Web Usability Guidelines for Air Force Knowledge Now Web Site

The Department of Defense Net-Centric Data Strategies number one key attribute is to ensure data is visible, available, and usable when and where needed to accelerate decision-making. The Internet provides opportunities for quick and efficient disseminating of information to the public, distributing information throughout the Air Force, and accessing information from a variety of sources. In 2002, the Air Force CIO designated the Air Force Knowledge Now (AFKN) as the center of excellence for Knowledge Management. The site is a one-stop resource, providing access to a great depth and breadth of information. This study seeks to determine how usable and accessible the web interface is to its customers. A literature review determined the usability inspection method called Heuristic Evaluation to be most favorable for this type of evaluation. The researcher conducted a case study using heuristic evaluation to determine the site usability compliance rate. A second case study using web content accessibility guidelines was then performed to determine the sites accessibility compliance rate. The study finally presented a comparative analysis of the usability and accessibility checklists to determine if any overlap occurred between the two or if one is a subset of the other. This exploratory research finds more emphasis on web usability and accessibility should be explored in the future for AFKN

Facilitating heuristic evaluation for novice evaluators

Heuristic evaluation (HE) is one of the most widely used usability evaluation methods. The reason for its popularity is that it is a discount method, meaning that it does not require substantial time or resources, and it is simple, as evaluators can evaluate a system guided by a set of usability heuristics. Despite its simplicity, a major problem with HE is that there is a significant gap in the quality of results produced by expert and novice evaluators. This gap has made some scholars question the usefulness of the method as they claim that the evaluation results are a product of the evaluator’s experience rather than the method itself. In response, the goal of this thesis is to bridge the gap between expert and novice evaluators. Based on interviews with 15 usability experts, which focused on their experience with the method, the difficulties they faced when they were novices, and how they overcame such difficulties, it presents a comprehensive protocol called Coherent Heuristic Evaluation (CoHE). This step-by-step protocol guides novice evaluators from the moment they decide to conduct an evaluation until the submission of their evaluation report. This protocol was verified by conducting an experiment to observe the difference between novices using the CoHE protocol and novices using Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristics without the guidance. The experiment involved 20 novices performing two sessions; the first was an understanding session where the novices read and understood the heuristics and the second was an inspecting session where they inspected a system. The findings show that, while evaluators take more time to read and evaluate a system using CoHE, they tend to identify more problems. The experiment also demonstrated that CoHE can improve the thoroughness, effectiveness, and f-measure of evaluation. However, the validity of CoHE was comparable to that of HE

Selden's Mare Clausum: the secularisation of international law and the rise of soft imperialism

No description supplie

FROM SEMANTIC TO EMOTIONAL SPACE IN SENSE SENTIMENT ANALYSIS

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Consumers knowledge and perceptions of foods with a geographical indication or designation of origin

EU je z namenom zaščite in promocije tradicionalnih živil sprejela Uredbo EU št. 1151/2012, v kateri določa živila z evropskimi znaki kakovosti, in sicer z zaščiteno označbo porekla (ZOP/PDO), z zaščiteno geografsko označbo (ZGO/PGI) in zaščiteno tradicionalno posebnostjo (ZTP/TSG). Da bi potrošniki lahko prepoznali navedena zaščitena živila in se za njih odločili pri nakupu, je pomembna uporaba evropskega znaka kakovosti na teh živilih, ki je od leta 2016 obvezna. O tej temi v Sloveniji ni bila izvedena še nobena raziskava, zato smo s to raziskavo skušali zapolniti to raziskovalno vrzel. Namen doktorske disertacije je bil ugotoviti, kakšno je poznavanje in zaznavanje živil z ZOP/PDO ali ZGO/PGI pri slovenskih potrošnikih, saj raziskave na področju proučevanja poznavanja in dojemanja različnih živil z označenimi nacionalnimi in evropskimi znaki kakovosti v Sloveniji še ni bilo. S hedonskimi testi smo ugotavljali vpliv segmentacije in sociodemografskih značilnosti potrošnikov na prepoznavnost in všečnost živil z označbo ZOP/PDO ali ZGO/PGI. Rezultati hedonske senzorične analize na paru zaščitenega in konvencionalnega vzorca sira (sir Tolminc in sir Planika), pršuta (Kraški pršut in Pršut Kras) in medu (Kraški med in med Zlati panj) so pokazali, da ni statistično značilnih razlik med potrošniki v senzoričnem prepoznavanju in všečnosti živil, označenih z nacionalnim in evropskim znakom ZGO/PGI ali ZOP/PDO, glede na segmente in sociodemografske značilnosti. S vprašalnikom, ki smo ga posredovali po pošti in pozneje nadgradili s vprašalnikom preko spleta, smo proučevali odnos potrošnika do živil z označbo ZOP/PDO ali ZGO/PGI ter poznavanje znakov kakovosti na nacionalni in evropski ravni. Ugotovili smo, da slovenski potrošniki bolje poznajo nacionalne znake kakovosti kot evropske. Z uporabo conjoint analize smo preverili, kako lastnosti kot so izvor, označba in cena, vplivajo na odločitev potrošnika pri nakupu. Ugotovili smo, da slovenski potrošniki ne dajejo prednosti slovenskim izdelkom, označenim z ZOP/PDO ali ZGO/PGI, in niso zanje pripravljeni plačati več. Slovenija spada v skupino evropskih držav, ki nimajo tradicije uporabe evropskih shem kakovosti, zato potrošniki slabo poznajo evropske znake kakovosti. Zato je potrebno v promocijske aktivnosti poleg živil z nacionalnimi označbami kakovosti vključiti tudi živila z evropskimi označbami kakovosti in potrošnikom predstaviti tudi evropsko shemo kakovosti.In order to protect and promote traditional food products, the European Union adopted Regulation No. 1151/2012, specifying three groups of foods products bearing the EU quality labels: Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG). The use of the EU quality logo, mandatory since 2016, allows the consumers to recognise the products from the above quality schemes and ease their purchasing decisions. Since no study has yet been carried out on the knowledge and perception of food products with national and EU quality labels in Slovenia, the present research attempted to fill this gap. The purpose of the PhD thesis was to assess the knowledge and perception of PDO or PGI labelled food products among Slovenian consumers. Hedonic tests were carried out to determine the influence of consumer segmentation and sociodemographic characteristics on the visibility and liking of PDO or PGI labelled food products. The results of a hedonic sensory analysis of protected and conventional samples of cheese (Tolminc and Planika), prosciutto (Kraški pršut and Pršut Kras) and honey (Kraški med and Zlati panj) showed no statistically significant differences (relating to segmentation and sociodemographic characteristics) among the consumers regarding the sensory recognition and the liking of food products bearing national and European PGI or PDO labels. A questionnaire sent by mail and later upgraded via online served to examine consumers’ attitude towards food products labelled PDO and PGI and their knowledge of special quality labels, including those at national and European levels. According to the results, Slovenian consumers are better acquainted with national quality labels than they are with the European ones. A conjoint analysis was performed to examine how origin, designation and price affected the consumers’ purchasing decisions. It was found that Slovenian consumers do not favour Slovenian products labelled with PDO and PGI and are not willing to pay a higher price for such. The results prove that Slovenia belongs to a group of European countries that do not traditionally use EU quality schemes, which is why the consumers are rather unfamiliar with the EU quality labels. Hence, in addition to food products with national quality labels, promotional activities should include a presentation of food products with EU quality labels and European quality schemes

Evidence Based Design of Heuristics: Usability and Computer Assisted Assessment

The research reported here examines the usability of Computer Assisted Assessment(CAA) and the development of domain specific heuristics. CAA is being adopted within educational institutions and the pedagogical implications are widely investigated, but little research has been conducted into the usability of CAA applications. The thesis is: severe usability problems exist in GAA applications causing unacceptable consequences, and that using an evidence based design approach GAA heuristics can be devised The thesis reports a series of evaluations that show severe usability problems do occur in three CAA applications. The process of creating domain specific heuristics is analysed, critiqued and a novel evidence based design approach for the design of domain specific heuristics is proposed. Gathering evidence from evaluations and the literature, a set of heuristics for CAA are presented. There are four main contributions to knowledge in the thesis: the heuristics; the corpus of usability problems; the Damage Index for prioritising usability problems from multiple evaluations and the evidence based design approach to synthesise heuristics. The focus of the research evolves with the first objective being to determine If severe usability problems exist that can cause users d?ffIculties and dissatisfaction with unacceptable consequences whitct using existing commercial CAA software applications? Using a survey methodology, students' report a level of satisfaction but due to low inter-group consistency surveys are judged to be ineffective at eliciting usability problems. Alternative methods are analysed and the heuristic evaluation method is judged to be suitable. A study is designed to evaluate Nielsen's heuristic set within the CAA domain and they are deemed to be ineffective based on the formula proposed by Hanson et al. (2003). Domain specific heuristics are therefore necessary and further studies are designed to build a corpus of usability problems to facilitate the evidence based design approach to synthesise a set of heuristics, in order to aggregate the corpus and prioritise the severity of the problems a Damage Index formula is devised. The work concludes with a discussion of the heuristic design methodology and potential for future work; this includes the application of the CAA heuristics and applying the heuristic design methodology to other specific domains