Optimising Visual Layout for Training and Learning Technologies

The layout and arraying of information in electronic aids used for training can affect viewer comprehension and impressions. This paper explains existing layout guidance, and defines an integrated design model for applying these recommendations. To test the efficacy of this model, two similar presentations were created, which contained the same content. However, one of these presentations applied the integrated design model to shape the positioning of the visual content, and a variant was developed that flipped the layout, so it did not conform to this design approach. The experimental results demonstrated that developing layouts that bias the important visual material to the top and left positively influenced viewer impressions. These results will have design implications for predominantly text-based material (e.g. presentations, web-pages, e-learning systems); particularly when the content is being delivered to people who typically read from left to right and top to bottom

'Profound understanding of fundamental mathematics' and mathematical life histories of some teachers teaching mathematics in the intermediate phase in KwaZulu-Natal.

Thesis (M.Ed. (School of Education and Development)) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.This study had two components: 1) Investigating the conceptual understanding of teachers teaching elementary mathematics at primary schools in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, who had been successful in their mathematics modules in the National Professional Diploma in Education (NPDE) teacher upgrading program, and 2) Investigating the influence of their mathematical lifehistories on their understanding and personal philosophies about mathematics. It firstly required the NPDE students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal to complete a questionnaire adapted from the TELT interview schedule used by Liping Ma (1999). This questionnaire was to assess whether these high scoring teachers had an understanding of basic mathematical concepts that could have been regarded as being profound. The second part of the study was designed in order to get these teachers to examine their mathematical life histories and then to look at how their life histories could have influenced their level of understanding. It was found that these teachers were procedurally capable and were aware of the algorithms that could be used to solve the problems posed, but they lacked deep understanding of the concepts and were thus conceptually weak. None of the teachers demonstrated an understanding of the fundamental mathematics concepts that were assessed, that could be regarded as been ‘profound’. The mathematical life history portion of this study revealed that these teachers, having experienced mathematics education very differently due to their Apartheid influenced education, mentioned that there were definite influences that had a marked effect on their outlook on the subject and thus their belief in their ability to do basic/ fundamental mathematics

Building Conceptual Understandings of Equivalence

The equal sign is prevalent at all levels of mathematics however many students misunderstand the meaning of the equal sign and consider it an operational symbol for the completion of an algorithm (Baroody & Ginsburg, 1983; Rittle-Johnson & Alibali, 1999). Three constructs were studied through the lens of the Developing Mathematical Thinking (Brendefur, 2008), Relational Thinking, Spatial Reasoning and Modes of Representation. A review of literature was conducted to examine the effects of mathematics instruction on the development of students’ conceptual understanding of equivalence through the integration of spatial reasoning and relational thinking. The Developing Mathematical Thinking (DMT) curricular resources integrate Bruner’s enactive, iconic, and symbolic modes of representations (1966), using tasks designed to strengthen students’ spatial reasoning and relational thinking to develop mathematical equivalence. The research question “What is the effect of integrating iconic teaching methodology into mathematics instruction on first grade students’ relational thinking and spatial reasoning performance?” was analyzed to determine whether there was a significant difference in pre-and posttest scores for the two groups. Students were found to have a better opportunity to develop conceptual understanding of mathematics in their early years of school when taught with the progression of EIS, relational thinking and spatial reasoning

A Generative Statistical Approach for Data Classification in a Biologically Inspired Design Tool

The objective of the research this thesis describes is to find a way to classify text-based descriptions of biological adaption to support Biologically Inspired design. Biologically inspired design is a fairly new field with ongoing research. There are different tools to assist designers and biologists in bio-inspired design. Some of the most common are BioTRIZ and AskNature. In recent years, more tools have been proposed to aid and make research in the field easier, for example, the Biologically Inspired Adaptive System Design (BIASD) tool. This tool was designed with the goal of helping designers in early design stages generate more robust and innovative designs. Even though this tool offers a vast database of biological examples, many limitations have been encountered in the tool. The most noticeable is the order in which the biological examples are distributed within the tool. The process used to classify them was very subjective and does not follow a pattern. Another challenge is the way in which the user of the tool reaches the biological examples. By addressing these issues, we provide a more objective way to classify the biological adaptive strategies. To do this, we needed a meta classification in order for the questions to be rationally organized within the tool. Then, approaches such as k-means and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) techniques from machine learning were employed to minimize the randomness and increase the objectivity of the tool. Out of the two, the LDA model provided a more useful classification. A validation of the LDA model was needed, so we used perplexity, which is used in statistical models to measure the accuracy of a language model and better understand datasets. At the end, a rational classification for the analogues of the BIASD tool was generated

The process of hospital consolidation: a case study in Anhui Province, China

JEL: I11, I18, M1, M54Hospital consolidation is an important topic both in theoretical research and practical exploration in the healthcare sector as it allows for the improvement of the utilization efficiency of medical resources and for the optimization of cost reduction. Based on the strategic management theory, especially the resource-based theory, this thesis makes an in-depth analysis of the strategic choices of the First People‘s Hospital group of Hefei City, Anhui Province, China. Combining with the process of China‘s health system reform, the motivating factors of establishing hospital groups, the basic concept of hospital groups and modes are reviewed while the reasons and background for public hospitals consolidation in China are introduced. Under this setting, the thesis studies the motivations behind strategic choices and incentives towards consolidation as well as the environment and the strengths and weaknesses of the internal resources of the hospital. Based on the case study method, 25 semi-structured interviews to 25 experts and participants and field visits were conducted for data collection. The research shows that the consolidation strategy followed by the hospital allows for its sustainable development. However, in identical situations, for positive results to be achieved, a core member of the group should be selected to lead the consolidation process during the transition period and to balance the relationship between centralization and decentralization while respecting each specific situation The analysis of the strategic consolidation of the hospital studied allowed for the identification of difficulties and challenges, which may serve as a theoretical base for the practice of other organizations undergoing a similar processA consolidação de unidades hospitalares é um tópico de investigação importante para a teoria e para a prática, pois permite reorganizar os recursos médicos através da sua utilização eficiente e da optimização da redução de custos. Com base na teoria da gestão estratégica e em especial na teoria dos recursos, esta tese analisa em profundidade as escolhas estratégicas com que se debateu um grupo hospitalar da cidade de Hefei, província de Anhui na China: o First People‘s Hospital Group. Tendo como base o processo de reforma do sistema de saúde na China, a tese estuda as motivações inerentes à tomada de decisão, bem como os incentivos à consolidação. São analisados os pontos fortes e fracos do hospital, os seus recursos principais e a envolvente procurando-se entender as escolhas estratégicas que levaram à consolidação. A tese utiliza o método do estudo de caso tendo sido realizadas 25 entrevistas semiestruturadas a peritos e participantes no processo bem como diversas visitas que permitiram observação direta. A investigação demonstra que a estratégia de consolidação permite assegurar o desenvolvimento sustentado do hospital mas, para isso, a melhor opção é escolher um dos membros do grupo para assumir um papel de liderança durante o período de transição e cuidar do equilíbrio da relação entre centralização e descentralização sem descurar a especificidade da situação local. A análise da consolidação estratégica do hospital estudado permitiu ainda identificar as dificuldades do processo contribuindo com uma base teórica que poderá ser útil ao desenvolvimento de outras organizações em idêntica situação

On the Regional Rootedness of Population Mobility and Environmental Change

"This article argues that the interplay of changing environmental conditions in the wake of climate change and dynamic migration systems will lead to even more clearly articulated new regional formations. The way regions perceive the risks of climate change, how they cope with and adapt to these risks and their constitution as resilient entities determines the way migration and mobility take place. We focus on the regional dimensions of climate change and broader related developmental trends such as urbanisation and will highlight this nexus for coastal regions. We present two regional case studies, Keta in Ghana and Semarang in Indonesia. Both cities have experienced floods and related environmental risks throughout their histories. The contrasting analysis of the two cases illustrates that similar environmental challenges may have very different effects on the migratory patterns." (author's abstract

Economically sustainable public security and emergency network exploiting a broadband communications satellite

The research contributes to work in Rapid Deployment of a National Public Security and Emergency Communications Network using Communication Satellite Broadband. Although studies in Public Security Communication networks have examined the use of communications satellite as an integral part of the Communication Infrastructure, there has not been an in-depth design analysis of an optimized regional broadband-based communication satellite in relation to the envisaged service coverage area, with little or no terrestrial last-mile telecommunications infrastructure for delivery of satellite solutions, applications and services. As such, the research provides a case study of a Nigerian Public Safety Security Communications Pilot project deployed in regions of the African continent with inadequate terrestrial last mile infrastructure and thus requiring a robust regional Communications Satellite complemented with variants of terrestrial wireless technologies to bridge the digital hiatus as a short and medium term measure apart from other strategic needs. The research not only addresses the pivotal role of a secured integrated communications Public safety network for security agencies and emergency service organizations with its potential to foster efficient information symmetry amongst their operations including during emergency and crisis management in a timely manner but demonstrates a working model of how analogue spectrum meant for Push-to-Talk (PTT) services can be re-farmed and digitalized as a “dedicated” broadband-based public communications system. The network’s sustainability can be secured by using excess capacity for the strategic commercial telecommunication needs of the state and its citizens. Utilization of scarce spectrum has been deployed for Nigeria’s Cashless policy pilot project for financial and digital inclusion. This effectively drives the universal access goals, without exclusivity, in a continent, which still remains the least wired in the world