Decentralised multimedia development by the content experts

This paper describes the possibility to develop interactive educational material by the content expert (teacher). It is suggested to develop small modules of flexible material that can be easily changed similar to traditional lecture presentations. The features of such material include: • Learning by problem solving and application of knowledge (constructing knowledge). • Easy internet on-line implementation of software pieces via Shockwave technology. At the same time CD-Rom versions of the same programs can be marketed. • Integrated assessment by progress tracking and uploading via the web. • Feel of ownership (avoiding the ìnot invented here syndromeî) of the program by the teacher. • Possible exchangeability of small modules between different courses. • Built in recording of student comments for improving and debugging program for the next year • Facilitated input by students (over a year by year updating). • Teachers develop expertise in using the modern and effective teaching tools. • Teachers can put into practice much more effectively than before the educational principles learned from staff development sessions such as (self paced learning, problem based learning, deep learning, constructive learning). • Student feedback (questionnaire) indicated that > 85% of students found the program modules were more effective and more ìfunî learning than traditional method

The ratchet effect in a two lag setting and the mitigating influence of yardstick competition

In order to increase efficiency in the provision of power distribution networks, the German regulator Bundesnetzagentur plans to implement revenue cap regulation together with yardstick competition. Revenue cap regulation could bear the ratchet effect: cost minimization need not to be optimal for the operator who anticipates that his revenue cap will become adjusted according to his cost performance. The regulator could extract all the rent by lowering an operator’s revenue cap to the level of costs he revealed to be possible for him to reach. The ratchet effect could be mitigated by yardstick competition at which the level of revenues that is allowed to one operator is tied to the performance of others that are comparable to him. One will only be allowed to accumulate revenues that recover the least cost level that has been adopted within the group of comparable decision makers. In a setting of two sequential regulatory lags, this paper examines the occurence of the ratchet effect and the mitigating influence that yardstick competition has on it.ratchet effect, yardstick competition, regulation

The ratchet effect in a two lag setting and the mitigating influence of yardstick competition

In order to increase efficiency in the provision of power distribution networks, the German regulator Bundesnetzagentur plans to implement revenue cap regulation together with yardstick competition. Revenue cap regulation could bear the ratchet effect: cost minimization need not to be optimal for the operator who anticipates that his revenue cap will become adjusted according to his cost performance. The regulator could extract all the rent by lowering an operator's revenue cap to the level of costs he revealed to be possible for him to reach. The ratchet effect could be mitigated by yardstick competition at which the level of revenues that is allowed to one operator is tied to the performance of others that are comparable to him. One will only be allowed to accumulate revenues that recover the least cost level that has been adopted within the group of comparable decision makers. In a setting of two sequential regulatory lags, this paper examines the occurence of the ratchet effect and the mitigating influence that yardstick competition has on it.ratchet effect, yardstick competition, regulation

Linked Data for the Natural Sciences. Two Use Cases in Chemistry and Biology

Wiljes C, Cimiano P. Linked Data for the Natural Sciences. Two Use Cases in Chemistry and Biology. In: Proceedings of the Workshop on the Semantic Publishing (SePublica 2012). 2012: 48-59.The Web was designed to improve the way people work together. The Semantic Web extends the Web with a layer of Linked Data that offers new paths for scientific publishing and co-operation. Experimental raw data, released as Linked Data, could be discovered automatically, fostering its reuse and validation by scientists in different contexts and across the boundaries of disciplines. However, the technological barrier for scientists who want to publish and share their research data as Linked Data remains rather high. We present two real-life use cases in the fields of chemistry and biology and outline a general methodology for transforming research data into Linked Data. A key element of our methodology is the role of a scientific data curator, who is proficient in Linked Data technologies and works in close co-operation with the scientist

A grand-canonical approach to the disordered Bose gas

We study the problem of disordered interacting bosons within grand-canonical thermodynamics and Bogoliubov theory. We compute the fractions of condensed and non-condensed particles and corrections to the compressibility and the speed of sound due to interaction and disorder. There are two small parameters, the disorder strength compared to the chemical potential and the dilute-gas parameter.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Disorder and interference: localization phenomena

The specific problem we address in these lectures is the problem of transport and localization in disordered systems, when interference is present, as characteristic for waves, with a focus on realizations with ultracold atoms.Comment: Notes of a lecture delivered at the Les Houches School of Physics on "Ultracold gases and quantum information" 2009 in Singapore. v3: corrected mistakes, improved script for numerics, Chapter 9 in "Les Houches 2009 - Session XCI: Ultracold Gases and Quantum Information" edited by C. Miniatura et al. (Oxford University Press, 2011

Bogoliubov theory on the disordered lattice

Quantum fluctuations of Bose-Einstein condensates trapped in disordered lattices are studied by inhomogeneous Bogoliubov theory. Weak-disorder perturbation theory is applied to compute the elastic scattering rate as well as the renormalized speed of sound in lattices of arbitrary dimensionality. Furthermore, analytical results for the condensate depletion are presented, which are in good agreement with numerical data.Comment: 10 pages, contributed to Lyon BEC 201