A Conceptual Framework for Mobile Learning

Several technology projects have been launched to explore the opportunities that mobile technologies bring about when tackling issues of democratic participation and social inclusion through mobile learning. Mobile devices are cheaper than for instance a PC, and their affordance, usability and accessibility are such that they can potentially complement or even replace traditional computer technology. The importance of communication and collaboration features of mobile technologies has been stressed in the framework of ICT-mediated learning. In this paper, a theoretical framework for mobile learning and e-inclusion is developed for people outside the conventional education system. The framework draws upon the fields of pedagogy (constructivist learning in particular), mobile learning objects and sociology.Mobile Learning, Digital Divide, Constructivist Pedagogy, Forms Of Capital

Proactive Vision for Strategy Making

Strategy makers have expressed the need for computer support systems, which they can readily use to monitor, diagnose, analyze and synthesize the current performance of their organization and estimate its future potential, direction and performance. The computer software industry has attempted to meet this demand for many years; however, in this context, the computer-based executive support and decision support systems developed so far have provided only partial solutions. These systems have supported either specific processes or specific activities. They have not provided executives with the kind of support that would enable them to acquire a holistic understanding of the constructs, concepts, variables, specific issues, and also the relations and interrelationships that must be monitored and mastered in strategic planning and implementation. In this paper, we present a new way to analyze the current and future states of company strategy. We have used the Continuous Strategy ontology as a basic construct that incorporates many current strategic constructs, concepts, and ideas, culminating in an application that contains an ontology in which we have fixed linguistic statements. Through these statements, users can analyze the current strategic situation as well as future possible improvements to the current strategy. The system operates on the Internet and this is the first prototype application constructed for this purpose. The first test runs are only to demonstrate the ideas. In the future, this application will be tested in real strategy work in business life.© 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Democratic Culture Paradigm for Organizational Management and Leadership Strategies - The Company Democracy Model

Democracy is one of the most powerful words in the world. A word that indicates justice, equality, development, prosperity, respect, freedom, rights, fairness and many other significant meanings that no other word in any language can express better. However, managing, leading, achieving, and sustaining democracy in its true meaning is very difficult, not to say almost impossible. In this research we developed and defined a democratic company culture method and revealed its main components through a new organizational co-evolutionary spiral method and a process for creating a culture that suits different organizations. Companies can create new knowledge, initiate, innovate, understand, perceive and apply the results from the method and manage and lead the company to improve the degree of democratic company culture. Theoretically, the overall procedure adopted in our research is the same as that which has been presented for human and company performance improvement. First, the actuality is viewed through the current democratic behavior. Then the capability and the potentiality in the organization are examined. In this process, the indicative critical issues addressed and answered are: Actuality > what are we managing to do now for our organization’s democratic behavior? Capability > what could we achieve now to develop democratic behavior in our organization? Potentiality > what could we be doing to develop our organization’s democratic behavior? This paper presents our first approach towards identifying and defining the degree of company democracy

Situation Modeling of Regional Development in the Republic of Kazakhstan

The methodology of situation modeling was based on the application of fuzzy cognitive maps, indistinct regional data and indistinct time horizon. Based on indistinct number of involved concepts, the model enables users to create their own situations with fuzzy quantity of available concepts including both the existing and the added ones. The added concepts are characterized by the set properties and database related to no less than three fuzzy time horizons. The number of set impulses is fuzzy as well. Cognitive map training was based on the artificial intelligence element – the active Hebb learning rule. The impact of concepts was defined in the course of training. Fine adjustment of the fuzzy cognitive map was achieved by changing the training order using a rank scale and Saati’s sorting algorithm. The developed computer software was used in simulation modeling of regional socio-economic processes related to the project aiming at tourism development of the Alacol Lake in Almaty region. Research results are shown in the form of a fuzzy cognitive map reflecting internal and external relations within the region, graphs reflecting socio-economic development and the Bossel criterion. Simulation of allocations had a positive effect: GRP (Gross Regional Product) growth along with increase in employment and environmental improvement. The proposed approach provides a tool for forecasting of regional development and solution of different regional problems. This approach can be used with regard to any administrative-territorial entity, provided relevant statistical data

Understanding Situationality using the Kepner-Tregoe Method in the Company Democracy Model to increase Employee Engagement and Knowledge Contribution

This paper integrates the concepts of critical thinking and change-making by introducing the problem-solving Kepner-Tregoe (KT) Method in the Company Democracy Model. The concept of situationality, as presented in the Company Democracy Model (CDM), is further supported in this paper with the KT problem-solving methods to identify the core nature of a specific situational concern that supports people’s critical thinking. The paper defines and analyses the KT methods’ situational concerns, categorized into five areas: understanding a situation, deviation cause, alternatives selection, risk reduction, and chance enhancement. Identifying the core nature of a specific situational concern helps to find a thinking approach that leads to an idea that is transformed into an innovative process, product, or service. The paper uses the Aristotelian golden mean to effectively balance this employee performance and identity imbalances that feed the development of corrective actions and impact behavioral change

The applied philosophy concept for management and leadership objects through the Company Democracy Model

Humans must be in focus when companies are improving performance in business. Applied philosophy for management and leadership places humans in the company context as living entities aligned with the business management and leadership objects in the conscious experiences of the company workforce. Starting with Hellenic philosophy and drawing on more modern philosophies relevant to everyday business, the applied philosophy concept in management and leadership can harness business ontologies, taxonomies, classes and other knowledge classification techniques in order to create added-value in companies. The holistic concept of man and the circles of mind models open up the human mind and situationality in a new way, giving new alternatives in terms of understanding how humans, as decision makers, behave in a company context. This article explores the applied philosophy concept for management and leadership in order to develop a more practical description of the Company Democracy Model

The Purola model and the Holistic Concept of Man metaphor as bases for the networked view of decision-making in eHealth and eWelfare

The essence of the essay is to outline two models or metaphors of different philosophic and practical origins, with the aim of recombining the two to encompass some relevant aspects of modern information systems contexts in eHealth and eWelfare. The Purola model and the Holistic Concept of Man refer to the same real world phenomena but with different ontological and epistemological views. However, many further applications in areas of education, rehabilitation, accounting research, computerized decision support, sociomedical and information systems research remain yet to be contrived. Deeper analyzes of decision making environments of networked systemic wholes in eHealth and eWelfare are needed, both on micro and macro levels. Researchers and practicioners should strive for a balance between ethical demands of individual biopsychosociality and confrontations of technological and economic efficiency, also with macro scale cooperative options in mind

Situation Modeling of Regional Development in the Republic of Kazakhstan

The methodology of situation modeling was based on the application of fuzzy cognitive maps, indistinct regional data and indistinct time horizon. Based on indistinct number of involved concepts, the model enables users to create their own situations with fuzzy quantity of available concepts including both the existing and the added ones. The added concepts are characterized by the set properties and database related to no less than three fuzzy time horizons. The number of set impulses is fuzzy as well. Cognitive map training was based on the artificial intelligence element – the active Hebb learning rule. The impact of concepts was defined in the course of training. Fine adjustment of the fuzzy cognitive map was achieved by changing the training order using a rank scale and Saati’s sorting algorithm. The developed computer software was used in simulation modeling of regional socio-economic processes related to the project aiming at tourism development of the Alacol Lake in Almaty region. Research results are shown in the form of a fuzzy cognitive map reflecting internal and external relations within the region, graphs reflecting socio-economic development and the Bossel criterion. Simulation of allocations had a positive effect: GRP (Gross Regional Product) growth along with increase in employment and environmental improvement. The proposed approach provides a tool for forecasting of regional development and solution of different regional problems. This approach can be used with regard to any administrative-territorial entity, provided relevant statistical data

Delphic Maxims Based Applied Philosophy for Business and Governance Management

Knowledge analysis and representation is significant in defining situations before they are implemented through action. Knowledge engineering precedes knowledge management and knowledge utilization needs knowledge creation. In the race for capturing and mastering knowledge, emphasis is given to the development of intelligent methods and tools to understand the human mind, but not the human being itself. To tackle this complexity, it is necessary to seek knowledge in non-trivial sources via root cause analysis models of philosophical wisdom, which usually provides the answers. As problems become more complex over time, synergies of knowledge disciplines are critical and necessary. This paper presents a triadic categorization approach, based on classes, taxonomies, and ontologies of the Delphic Maxims, and their analysis by cognitive models in an attempt to reveal their contribution to modern business and governance management through the essence of the Hellenic contribution to the global economy, civilization and humanity