Evaluation in a project life‐cycle: The hypermedia CAMILLE project

In the CAL literature, the issue of integrating evaluation into the life‐cycle of a project has often been recommended but less frequently reported, at least for large‐scale hypermedia environments. Indeed, CAL developers face a difficult problem because effective evaluation needs to satisfy the potentially conflicting demands of a variety of audiences (teachers, administrators, the research community, sponsors, etc.). This paper first examines some of the various forms of evaluation adopted by different kinds of audiences. It then reports on evaluations, formative as well as summative, set up by the European CAMILLE project teams in four countries during a large‐scale courseware development project. It stresses the advantages, despite drawbacks and pitfalls, for CAL developers to systematically undertake evaluation. Lastly, it points out some general outcomes concerning learning issues of interest to teachers, trainers and educational advisers. These include topics such as the impact of multimedia, of learner variability and learner autonomy on the effectiveness of learning with respect to language skills

Public initiatives of settlement transformation. A theoretical-methodological approach to selecting tools of multi-criteria decision analysis

In Europe, the operating context in which initiatives of settlement transformation are currently initiated is characterized by a complex, elaborate combination of technical, regulatory and governance-related factors. A similar set of considerations makes it necessary to address the complex decision-making problems to be resolved through multidisciplinary, comparative approaches designed to rationalize the process and treat the elements to be considered in systematic fashion with respect to the range of alternatives available as solutions. Within a context defined in this manner, decision-making processes must often be used to obtain multidisciplinary and multidimensional analyses to support the choices made by the decision-makers. Such analyses are carried out using multi-criteria tools designed to arrive at syntheses of the numerous forms of input data needed to describe decision-making problems of similar complexity, so that one or more outcomes of the synthesis make possible informed, well thought-out, strategic decisions. The technical literature on the topic proposes numerous tools of multi-criteria analysis for application in different decision-making contexts. Still, no specific contributions have been drawn up to date on the approach to take in selecting the tool best suited to providing adequate responses to the queries of evaluation that arise most frequently in the various fields of application, and especially in the settlement sector. The objective of this paper is to propose, by formulating a taxonomy of the endogenous and exogenous variables of tools of multi-criteria analysis, a methodology capable of selecting the tool best suited to the queries of evaluation which arise regarding the chief categories of decision-making problems, and particularly in the settlement sector

A Method for Establishing Outdoor Recreation Project Priorities in Alaska

The authors thank Theodore Smith, Edward Kramer and Nat Goodhue of the Division of Parks for information and comments supplied during this study, and Frank Orth, Charles Marsh, Ed Kramer, C.E. Logsdon, and Frank Wooding for reviewing the manuscript. Thanks is also due the Department of Business Administration, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Dale Swanson, Head, for their cooperation in this research project.The objectives of this study are to define outdoor recreation benefits to the public and to develop a priority ranking method for proposed outdoor recreation projects. A careful analysis of the benefits which people derive from outdoor recreation provides a frame of reference for evaluating a recreational facility. A project should supply those benefits which are most highly demanded by the public. Fifteen benefits of recreation are defined and discussed. They are divided into two major categories; those which accrue to recreational participants and those which accrue to non-participants.This research was supported by a grant from the Division of Parks, State of Alaska

Management arrangements for accommodating nonrice crops in rice-based irrigation systems: Proceedings of the First Progress Review and Coordination Workshop of the Research Network on Irrigation Management for Crop Diversification in Rice-Based Systems (IMCD), held in Quezon City, the Philippines, 10-14 December 1990

Irrigation management / Crops / Diversification / Rice / Irrigated farming / Policy / Research / Sri Lanka / Bangladesh / India / Indonesia / Malaysia / Nepal / Philippines / Thailand

Optimising production systems for organic pig production (OF0169)

This is the final report of Defra project OF0169. There is a more comprehensive Executive Summary at the start of the attached main report. The overall objective of this project was to generate the scientific and financial information necessary to facilitate increased production of pigmeat on existing organic farms, and the conversion of conventional farms to this organic production. Information was collected through a series of experiments focusing on the effects of genotype, management and nutrition. The study was conducted on commercial organic pig farms, supported by literature searches, financial appraisal, and survey data collection. Organic production standards favour traditional breeds of livestock in preference to ‘improved’ genotypes, which may be less suited to the more extensive production systems. An experiment was carried out to compare performance, health and welfare of three different genotypes managed organically. These genotypes were chosen to represent different breeding strategies - British Saddleback (S), a pure-bred, traditional genotype; PIC Camborough 12 (C12), an improved modern genotype; and Saddleback x Duroc (SD) sow, suitable for ‘criss-cross breeding’ system by smaller organic farms. The modern improved genotypes of sows produced higher litter sizes than their more traditional counterparts, although the numbers of pigs weaned were similar across the genotypes studied. The results indicated that all three breeding strategies can be successfully adopted in organic production systems, and that choice of sow breed should depend on the ability of the farm to manage prolific sows, the implications for slaughter pig performance, and market requirements. A factorially designed experiment was carried out to investigate the effects on performance and carcass quality of three different genotypes of growing pig, three feeding systems and two housing systems. Overall, there were few significant treatment effects on product quality. In a further experiment, the herbage intake of growing pigs maintained at pasture was quantified. The results showed that, when offered a cereal- based concentrate ad libitum, the herbage intake of growing pigs from a good quality grass/clover sward contributed <5% to daily organic matter consumption. In these circumstances, modification of concentrate composition would not be appropriate. To facilitate efficient feed use in organic pig production, a ‘Feed Handbook’ (publication C3) was compiled, printed and made available to UK organic farmers. The effect of paddock management on the ranging behaviour of sows was also studied in a two by three factorial design, involving three sow genotypes. Two commercially applicable paddock management strategies were established: a) ‘Rotational’ (R) where a group of up to 6 sows was relocated to clean ground every four months, and b) ‘Set stocked’ (SS) where a group of up to 6 sows was relocated to clean ground every twelve months. Results suggest that during wet periods, the R paddocks may be advantageous as the pigs are moved off damaged pasture, whereas in drier periods, the SS paddocks maintain grass cover for longer than R and therefore incur less labour for moving without significant pollution risk. Pigs in the SS paddocks do use the further portions of the field, but this may require management manipulations to achieve satisfactory grass usage and distribution of excreted nutrients. In a survey conducted between August 1999 and April 2002 on the commercial organic farms, the main welfare issues reported related to keeping stock clean and dry in periods of high rainfall, managing Porcine Dermatitis and Nephropathy Syndrome and Postweaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PDNS/PMWS) within their herd, and recruiting and retaining good quality personnel. Mange and lice were the highest-ranking current health concerns, and post-mortem reports of endo-parasitism was the highest-ranking historical health concern. Two of the five farms surveyed reported problems with scouring in young pigs probably due to Coccidia, which may pose a significant risk in organic systems. Data collected on physical performance, capital investment and operating costs were used to establish bench-mark production levels for organic pig herds, the cashflow implications of establishing an organic pig herd, profitability, and sensitivity to movements in productivity, costs and prices. This showed the potential for profitability, which was vulnerable to price fluctuations. Information was disseminated widely through farmer conferences and talks at national conferences, scientific papers, conference proceedings, technical and press reports

Underlying structures of risk response measures among small and medium contractors in South Africa

Although attention has been given to the measures used to respond to risk in the construction industry (CI), there is limited literature that scrutinizes underlying structures of risk response measures (RRMs) especially among small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study, therefore, presents findings from an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of RRMs. A positivist paradigm was adopted to collect empirical raw data from 181 conveniently sampled respondents in Gauteng, South Africa (SA), using a structured questionnaire. The results support the extant literature and empirically established the structural composition of risk response by two constructs. The construct with emerged measures was termed trailing measures while the one with popular measures was termed leading measures of risk response. However, the study yielded a two-factor model with all the six items supposed to measure risk response. Based on the results obtained, it seems that risk avoidance and risk mitigation are reliable measures for measuring risk response. This study could thus serve as a reference for the accurate measurement of risk response and for the development of agreed responses for each risk, including an appropriate strategy and specific responses to implement the chosen strategy. The study was limited to the CI and to a lesser extent, construction SMEs in Gauteng; hence the findings cannot be generalized to all SMEs in SA

Development of lean design process for building construction projects

Complex designs in construction projects may lead to various problems in the construction industry. The design process in the earlier part of a construction project can be considered as the most influential phase capable of affecting the performance of the project. An approach of integrating lean thinking into the design process of constructions projects can achieve substantial benefit at the design stage. The research presented in this thesis investigates and demonstrates the adaptation of lean thinking towards performance improvement of the design process. The aim of this research is to develop an innovation of design processes that supports the implementation of lean thinking for building construction projects. The proposed design process provides a systematic approach, which is structured into stages and activities in order to obtain a lean design process. The development of the proposed design process starts with the framework of innovation. The framework comprises of seven knowledge domains: application, design management, design process, people, information flow, performance and measurement, and techniques and tools. The proposed design process was developed based on the principles of ‘Set-Based-Concurrent-Engineering’ as the core enabler. The research makes the following contributions: (1) identification of wastes and enablers in the design process; (2) elimination of the identified wastes in the design process; (3) the applicability of the proposed lean design process in the construction industry; (4) the performance measurement as a tool for design process review

Accessibility in metropolitan transportation planning : visualizing a GIS-based measure for collaborative planning

Passed by the US Congress in 1995, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), requires Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to further the trend of collaboration by employing visualization techniques for Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs). In the first part of this two-part research, three New Jersey MPOs are investigated to understand how accessibility is considered by their organizations, how TIPs are evaluated, and how collaborative planning and visualization techniques are used to evaluate TIPs. In the second part of this study, a small segment of a MPO\u27s jurisdiction is selected to develop a visualization of the change in accessibility brought about by a TIP. Suitability analysis, a method commonly used for collaborative decision making in land use planning, is employed to develop the accessibility measure from service areas generated by ArcGIS Network Analyst. Service area values are calculated by a gravity- type model that decay inversely to network distance and network time and are dependent on the travel mode desires of the residents of the region. The resultant accessibility raster, a product of collaborative planning, is dependent on the physical characteristics of the region and the people residing there. This accessibility raster is used to visualize change in accessibility before and after a TIP. Zonal statistics may be applied on this raster to evaluate environmental justice concerns by MPOs

Visor

A visor is a piece of plastic object that can protect or cover the eyes area. Visor is designed transparent to protect the face and eyes. Therefore, the visors can disguise as a mask. For example, some of helmet in suit of the armour can protect our eyes and in automobile, the driver or front passenger can lower the part of windshield to block the sun. In the year 1924, Hathway has invented the car visor. Originally, he calls it as the glare shield because its function to block out the harmful sun’s x-ray. Therefore, Henry Ford from the creator of the Ford company patented the Hathway’s invention in 1938 that led many innovations to Ford Corp. The main of this purpose is to reduce the direct sunlight to driver’s eyes