Context-Aware Recommendation Systems in Mobile Environments

Nowadays, the huge amount of information available may easily overwhelm users when they need to take a decision that involves choosing among several options. As a solution to this problem, Recommendation Systems (RS) have emerged to offer relevant items to users. The main goal of these systems is to recommend certain items based on user preferences. Unfortunately, traditional recommendation systems do not consider the user’s context as an important dimension to ensure high-quality recommendations. Motivated by the need to incorporate contextual information during the recommendation process, Context-Aware Recommendation Systems (CARS) have emerged. However, these recent recommendation systems are not designed with mobile users in mind, where the context and the movements of the users and items may be important factors to consider when deciding which items should be recommended. Therefore, context-aware recommendation models should be able to effectively and efficiently exploit the dynamic context of the mobile user in order to offer her/him suitable recommendations and keep them up-to-date.The research area of this thesis belongs to the fields of context-aware recommendation systems and mobile computing. We focus on the following scientific problem: how could we facilitate the development of context-aware recommendation systems in mobile environments to provide users with relevant recommendations? This work is motivated by the lack of generic and flexible context-aware recommendation frameworks that consider aspects related to mobile users and mobile computing. In order to solve the identified problem, we pursue the following general goal: the design and implementation of a context-aware recommendation framework for mobile computing environments that facilitates the development of context-aware recommendation applications for mobile users. In the thesis, we contribute to bridge the gap not only between recommendation systems and context-aware computing, but also between CARS and mobile computing.<br /

Casco Bay Weekly : 30 July 1998

https://digitalcommons.portlandlibrary.com/cbw_1998/1032/thumbnail.jp

Southern Accent September 1985 - April 1986

Southern Adventist University\u27s newspaper, Southern Accent, for the academic year of 1985-1986.https://knowledge.e.southern.edu/southern_accent/1061/thumbnail.jp

An examination of the place of school mathematics in preparing pupils for the workplace in Antigua and Barbuda

This research examines the preparation made to enable mathematics teachers to appropriately prepare school leavers entering directly into the workforce upon graduation to handle the different branches of mathematics. The methodology was that of the interpretive qualitative paradigm. The method was that of the multi method case study and the tools included: constructed conversation; interviews; telephone calls; email; focus group; photography; video recording; participatory observation; observation and documentation. The theoretical framework was informed by components of the Engeström (2001) second generation model. The study found that while there was hardly any preparation made in the system to accommodate mathematics teachers in the appropriate preparation of students to cope with rapid changes in technology and mathematical skills in the workplace, because of on-the-job training, the newly employed were able to handle the mathematics at their workplaces. Additionally, the technological tools in use at workplaces allowed employees to handle the mathematics in work: complicated algorithms associated with mathematical operations were hidden in these technological tools. Employees were then only required to perform an operation of a push or a pull of a button (switch) to turn on or to turn off the device. Equally, mathematical knowledge at the workplace was an activity; thus there was no need for the pedagogical format required for school mathematics classes. This research is significant since this is the first of its kind in the Caribbean using components of the Engeström (2001) second generation model as its theoretical framework and for examination of the mathematics informing workplaces in Antigua and Barbuda. It has also served to bridge a gap between school teachers and employers on communication of the different branches of mathematics required in the workplaces of Antigua and Barbuda. Simultaneously it represents a new block in the wall of literature from scholars in the field of workplace mathematics since the Caribbean’s space was empty

Developing radical innovation in telecommunications: an R&D management perspective

Radical innovation has been identified as one of the central topics of innovation management, being relevant to the development process, the categories, and the R&D department’s responsibilities for development. Based on the above three individual research conversations, this research aimed to determine, when the R&D department of a large telecommunications operator engaged in radical innovation, which capabilities they used and how the use of these capabilities was affected by different contextual factors at each stage of the radical innovation development cycle. By comparing the aim of the current research with other researchers’ findings on relevant topics, three gaps in the research were identified, and two research questions were raised, as below: • RQ1: What capabilities do the R&D department of an STO use for each separate activity during its radical innovation development process? • RQ2: Within the radical innovation development process of an STO, which contextual factors explain the differential uses of the R&D department’s capabilities? Following the above research questions and based on the philosophical views of interpretivism and social constructivism, this PhD study uses a qualitative research strategy and a case study research approach for guiding the research design. Based on the data collected from 29 interviews plus a three-month, full-time participant observation, four case studies were conducted, which are the telematics service within China Mobile, the Xi-He system within China Telecom, and 21CN and BT Fusion within British Telecom (BT). By comparing the four cases, the R&D departments’ uses of capabilities in each separate activity of its radical innovation development cycle were identified, and the reasons for the different uses of these capabilities were described in relation to six contextual factors derived from the literature. Based on the four case studies and the data analysis, from the perspective of the R&D department eight theoretical propositions were put forward for an STO to develop its radical innovation. The propositions concerned the capabilities involved at each stage of the R&D department’s radical innovation development cycle, as well as the contextual factors that played the most significant roles in affecting these capabilities at all of the radical innovation development stages. In addition to the eight theoretical propositions, practically, five guidelines were also proposed in this study, which contributes to the understanding of the R&D managers and strategy people of other Chinese and British STOs, in terms of the impacts that the contextual factor of cultural contexts would have on their radical innovation development activities

An examination of the place of school mathematics in preparing pupils for the workplace in Antigua and Barbuda

This research examines the preparation made to enable mathematics teachers to appropriately prepare school leavers entering directly into the workforce upon graduation to handle the different branches of mathematics. The methodology was that of the interpretive qualitative paradigm. The method was that of the multi method case study and the tools included: constructed conversation; interviews; telephone calls; email; focus group; photography; video recording; participatory observation; observation and documentation. The theoretical framework was informed by components of the Engeström (2001) second generation model. The study found that while there was hardly any preparation made in the system to accommodate mathematics teachers in the appropriate preparation of students to cope with rapid changes in technology and mathematical skills in the workplace, because of on-the-job training, the newly employed were able to handle the mathematics at their workplaces. Additionally, the technological tools in use at workplaces allowed employees to handle the mathematics in work: complicated algorithms associated with mathematical operations were hidden in these technological tools. Employees were then only required to perform an operation of a push or a pull of a button (switch) to turn on or to turn off the device. Equally, mathematical knowledge at the workplace was an activity; thus there was no need for the pedagogical format required for school mathematics classes. This research is significant since this is the first of its kind in the Caribbean using components of the Engeström (2001) second generation model as its theoretical framework and for examination of the mathematics informing workplaces in Antigua and Barbuda. It has also served to bridge a gap between school teachers and employers on communication of the different branches of mathematics required in the workplaces of Antigua and Barbuda. Simultaneously it represents a new block in the wall of literature from scholars in the field of workplace mathematics since the Caribbean’s space was empty

The Whitworthian 2006-2007

The Whitworthian student newspaper, September 2006-May 2007.https://digitalcommons.whitworth.edu/whitworthian/1091/thumbnail.jp

Developing radical innovation in telecommunications: an R&D management perspective

Radical innovation has been identified as one of the central topics of innovation management, being relevant to the development process, the categories, and the R&D department’s responsibilities for development. Based on the above three individual research conversations, this research aimed to determine, when the R&D department of a large telecommunications operator engaged in radical innovation, which capabilities they used and how the use of these capabilities was affected by different contextual factors at each stage of the radical innovation development cycle. By comparing the aim of the current research with other researchers’ findings on relevant topics, three gaps in the research were identified, and two research questions were raised, as below: • RQ1: What capabilities do the R&D department of an STO use for each separate activity during its radical innovation development process? • RQ2: Within the radical innovation development process of an STO, which contextual factors explain the differential uses of the R&D department’s capabilities? Following the above research questions and based on the philosophical views of interpretivism and social constructivism, this PhD study uses a qualitative research strategy and a case study research approach for guiding the research design. Based on the data collected from 29 interviews plus a three-month, full-time participant observation, four case studies were conducted, which are the telematics service within China Mobile, the Xi-He system within China Telecom, and 21CN and BT Fusion within British Telecom (BT). By comparing the four cases, the R&D departments’ uses of capabilities in each separate activity of its radical innovation development cycle were identified, and the reasons for the different uses of these capabilities were described in relation to six contextual factors derived from the literature. Based on the four case studies and the data analysis, from the perspective of the R&D department eight theoretical propositions were put forward for an STO to develop its radical innovation. The propositions concerned the capabilities involved at each stage of the R&D department’s radical innovation development cycle, as well as the contextual factors that played the most significant roles in affecting these capabilities at all of the radical innovation development stages. In addition to the eight theoretical propositions, practically, five guidelines were also proposed in this study, which contributes to the understanding of the R&D managers and strategy people of other Chinese and British STOs, in terms of the impacts that the contextual factor of cultural contexts would have on their radical innovation development activities