New frontiers in Iranian Archaeology: digital technology and cultural heritage

Inspired by my recent work in Iran - were I was able to compile a digital corpus of material culture related to the ancient Iranian civilization of Elam - I stipulate and encourage archeological and museological objectives cognizant of twenty-first-century challenges. At its core, this vision is compelled by a philosophical understanding of the museum as a research and didactical institution, while critically considering the complex relationships between museums and politics, and the imperative need to merge computer literacy with a sound understanding of the material at hand. At the end it is the archaeologist, I argue, that through our privileged role as interpreters of the material past, together with a full awareness of present cultural and political realities, is uniquely positioned to advocate for fully-implemented digital museum systems which would make archaeological collections truly accessible to a global audienc

ADAPTIVE MICROLEARNING: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY AMONG THE STUDENTS IN THE RURAL AREAS OF CHINA

Through multiple educational reforms, China has pursued developing well-rounded learners with solid content knowledge, higher-order thinking skills, and the ability to transfer knowledge to real-world problem spaces. The imbalance of learning resources between urban and rural China, however, has caused disadvantages for learners in rural China to gain access to quality educational opportunities necessary for becoming well-rounded learners. Luckily, the quickly growing Internet service coverage in rural China makes educational interventions possible. Online intervention aiming for many qualities of well-rounded learners, such as deeper learning, is particularly promising. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of adaptive microlearning to improve deeper learning among public school students in rural areas of China. More specifically, this study investigated whether learners experienced deeper learning while engaging in a prototype adaptive microlearning module (Teaching Cell) to supplement traditional Chinese classroom learning. Teaching Cell adopted the deeper learning principles from Wickersham and McGee’s framework (2008). The findings from quantitative data indicated that the Teaching Cell fulfilled many DLPs. For example, evidence supported the active learning principle, the engaged learner principle, the learner ownership principle, and the engaged activities principle. Mixed evidence was also found for the technology-supported principle, the intuitive design principle, and the facilitative teaching practices principle. However, there was a lack of evidence supporting the learner context principle. The findings from qualitative data were generally similar to the ones from quantitative data. The current proof-of-concept study demonstrated the potential that adaptive microlearning, promoting deeper learning, has for improving the educational experience of rural Chinese public school students. While the study was designed in search of a way to help disadvantaged students from rural China, the study can be extended to assist students in urban China, as the government recently banned private companies from offering tutoring services for core subjects

METROPOLITAN ENCHANTMENT AND DISENCHANTMENT. METROPOLITAN ANTHROPOLOGY FOR THE CONTEMPORARY LIVING MAP CONSTRUCTION

We can no longer interpret the contemporary metropolis as we did in the last century. The thought of civil economy regarding the contemporary Metropolis conflicts more or less radically with the merely acquisitive dimension of the behaviour of its citizens. What is needed is therefore a new capacity for imagining the economic-productive future of the city: hybrid social enterprises, economically sustainable, structured and capable of using technologies, could be a solution for producing value and distributing it fairly and inclusively. Metropolitan Urbanity is another issue to establish. Metropolis needs new spaces where inclusion can occur, and where a repository of the imagery can be recreated. What is the ontology behind the technique of metropolitan planning and management, its vision and its symbols? Competitiveness, speed, and meritocracy are political words, not technical ones. Metropolitan Urbanity is the characteristic of a polis that expresses itself in its public places. Today, however, public places are private ones that are destined for public use. The Common Good has always had a space of representation in the city, which was the public space. Today, the Green-Grey Infrastructure is the metropolitan city's monument that communicates a value for future generations and must therefore be recognised and imagined; it is the production of the metropolitan symbolic imagery, the new magic of the city

GLOBAL PRODUCTION NETWORKS, STRATEGIC COUPLING AND THE DYNAMICS OF INDUSTRIAL UPGRADING IN PEARL RIVER DELTA, CHINA

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

1-D broadside-radiating leaky-wave antenna based on a numerically synthesized impedance surface

A newly-developed deterministic numerical technique for the automated design of metasurface antennas is applied here for the first time to the design of a 1-D printed Leaky-Wave Antenna (LWA) for broadside radiation. The surface impedance synthesis process does not require any a priori knowledge on the impedance pattern, and starts from a mask constraint on the desired far-field and practical bounds on the unit cell impedance values. The designed reactance surface for broadside radiation exhibits a non conventional patterning; this highlights the merit of using an automated design process for a design well known to be challenging for analytical methods. The antenna is physically implemented with an array of metal strips with varying gap widths and simulation results show very good agreement with the predicted performance

Beam scanning by liquid-crystal biasing in a modified SIW structure

A fixed-frequency beam-scanning 1D antenna based on Liquid Crystals (LCs) is designed for application in 2D scanning with lateral alignment. The 2D array environment imposes full decoupling of adjacent 1D antennas, which often conflicts with the LC requirement of DC biasing: the proposed design accommodates both. The LC medium is placed inside a Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) modified to work as a Groove Gap Waveguide, with radiating slots etched on the upper broad wall, that radiates as a Leaky-Wave Antenna (LWA). This allows effective application of the DC bias voltage needed for tuning the LCs. At the same time, the RF field remains laterally confined, enabling the possibility to lay several antennas in parallel and achieve 2D beam scanning. The design is validated by simulation employing the actual properties of a commercial LC medium

What Constitutes the Success or Failure of Multinational Corporations (MNCs) in Foreign Markets? A Case Study of Chinese and American MNCs

Scholars have identified multinational corporations (MNCs) as increasingly important and influential actors in international politics. However, mainstream international studies scholarship has failed to explain why MNCs succeed or fail in entering foreign markets. Market entry is a particularly vexing question for U.S. and Chinese firms seeking to compete for each other\u27s consumers. As this study shows, surprising differences in success among U.S. firms in China, as well as Chinese firms in the U.S., suggest that statist and market factors interact with corporate strategies in confounding ways. Through case studies in the internet, automobile and fast food industries, this dissertation builds a theoretical framework that better explains why some MNCs succeed in foreign markets while others fail. Empirical studies show that two contrasting cultures (universalism vs. particularism, individualism vs. collectivism, and rule-based vs. relation-based governance) make it more difficult for Chinese MNCs and American MNCs to adapt to their counterpart\u27s market. Although the study finds some support for the cultural dissimilarity argument, it finds that culture alone is an insufficient explanation. The results suggest that statist and market factors like ownership, sector industry, interest groups, entry mode and choice of location are also determinants of a MNC\u27s success in a foreign market. Based on those findings, the study provides suggestions for both Chinese MNCs and American MNCs seeking to compete in each other\u27s markets

A study of portable computers and interactive multimedia as a new tool for interpreting museum collections

Over the last two decades the introduction of interactive multimedia applications complimenting existinginterpretative techniques in museum displays has become a widely accepted practice. Indeed fixedinteractive multimedia applications can communicate large amounts of often complex information in auser friendly and accessible way. A drawback is their fixed position. This research project identified thepotential of using a portable computer with an interactive multimedia application manipulated through atouch screen interface. This thesis describe& the results of a series of empirical studies to design and testthe effectiveness of a portable computer as a new tool for interpretation in a museum gallery.The central aim of the research, funded by the GEMISIS 2000 initiative, was to examine potentialinnovative applications of new interactive technologies for heritage attractions and museums. Exploratoryresearch progressed from discovery and gaining insights into the diversity of interactive multimediaapplications in heritage attractions to the dynamics of interactive multimedia as a powerfulcommunication medium. The main study fell into three distinct yet complimentary research pathwaysnamely 1) to design an interactive multimedia application for a portable computer, 2) to examine the useand effectiveness of the portable computer with museum visitors, 3) to assess the application as a newtool for interpretation in a museum setting. The conclusions of this research project are based upon theresults of a rigorous and comprehensive evaluation study, which combined a questionnaire survey,structured unobtrusive observation and interaction logging.As the research project was initiated there were few other projects in this field of study, and no formalevaluation had been published. At the completion, four research projects were identified and are detailedin the conclusion.The results of this research project have confirmed the hypothesis that a portable computer with aninteractive multimedia application has the potential to enhance interpretation and to become a new toolfor interpreting museum collections. As the number of homes with multimedia capable computersequipped with CD-ROM drives and connected to the Internet grows and exposure to computers at workand at school increases, visitors are well prepared to handle the new technology. The projects resultsshow ease of use and an increased recall of exhibits by visitors. Visitors experienced discovery basedlearning at their own pace facilitated by a portable touch screen computer.Limitations of the project are discussed and future research topics identified. These included expandingthe interactive multimedia application to cover the whole gallery, exploring alternative interactionmodels, evaluating the impact of age and gender, evaluating the portable computer within other categoriesof museums, to evaluating location aware positioning systems and to investigating Personal DigitalAssistants as a potential hardware platform