Measuring Effectiveness of Quantitative Equity Portfolio Management Methods

In this paper, I use quantitative computer models to measure the effectiveness of Quantitative Equity Portfolio Management in predicting future stock returns using commonly accepted industry valuation factors. Industry knowledge and practices are first examined in order to determine strengths and weaknesses, as well as to build a foundation for the modeling. In order to assess the accuracy of the model and its inherent concepts, I employ up to ten years of historical data for a sample of stocks. The analysis examines the historical data to determine if there is any correlation between returns and the valuation factors. Results suggest that the price to cash flow and price to EBITDA exhibited significant predictors of future returns, while the price to earnings ratio is an insignificant predictor

A Proposal for the Development of a Program of the Use of Microcomputers in the Red Hill School District

In this study the current uses of microcomputers in the classroom were explored through a review of the literature and personal interviews with educators, businessmen, and computer specialists. The current innovations are examined in an effort to anticipate the technical world that students will face in the future. One must anticipate what the future needs will be to develop a program that will help the students to become contributing members of society. This study was specifically conducted to make recommendations for the uses of microcomputers in the Red Hill school district. The report focuses on the different areas of the instructional uses of microcomputers in the classroom. These different areas are: the selection and evaluation of hardware; the selection and evaluation of software; microcomputers and minicomputers; time-sharing and main frame computers; computer literacy; computer programming; drill and practice; tutorial; creative programming; computer-managed instruction; computer-assisted instruction; projected uses in the classroom by subject material; simulations and decision making; games and graphics in the classroom; introduction into the curriculum; telecommunications and their use in education; peripherals that are desirable and necessary; the choice of a supplier; computer equity and students; microcomputer politics and solutions; computer phobia and its solutions; social implications of the microcomputer; are computers cost effective; the hidden costs of microcomputers; the administrator\u27s role in adopting the microcomputer into the curriculum; microcomputers and copyright laws; microcomputers in a rural district; the funding available for microcomputer programs; why computers are not reaching their full potential; new innovations and the future; the resources available at Red Hill; and preventative maintenance and care. From the discussion of these areas, a list of specific recommendations for the instructional use of microcomputers at Red Hill is formed. Following these recommendations, a tentative timetable of adoption is presented

Restorative Justice: Introducing Juvenile Hall Students to Computer Science

Computer Science is an increasingly important field in regards to (in)equity in the United States and our world. Equal access to adequate Computer Science education is an issue in schools. Incarcerated youth in Juvenile Halls are often unable to obtain classes / resources that would foster interest in the field of engineering. This paper presents findings from a revitalized and revamped computer science course that was originally taught in San Luis Obispo’s Juvenile Hall in 2019 [7]. This iteration of the project introduces modified curriculum and different tools for learning the art of programming that was not included in the 2019 class. By adding more structured curriculum such as a scaffolding of base code and worksheets to work on key concepts, this course is more digestible for the Juvenile Hall students and is more repeatable for future Cal Poly students. The data collected shows an increase in students’ efficacy in programming from the beginning of the course compared to the end of the course

Investigating Gender and Racial/Ethnic Invariance in Use of a Course Management System in Higher Education

This study focused on learning equity in colleges and universities where teaching and learning depends heavily on computer technologies. The study used the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to investigate gender and racial/ethnic heterogeneity in the use of a computer based course management system (CMS). Two latent variables (CMS usage and scholastic aptitudes)—with two moderation covariates (gender and ethnicity)—were used to explore their associational relationships with students’ final grades. More than 990 students’ CMS data were collected from courses at a Midwest public university in the United States. The final model indicated that there was gender and racial/ethnic invariance in the use of the CMS. Additionally, CMS use was significantly positively associated with students’ academic achievement. These findings have policy and practical implications for understanding the correlation between technology use and academic achievement in colleges and universities. This study also pointed out future research directions for technology use in higher education

An assessment tool for teaching aids towards the retention of female students in computer science

Attempts to bridge the gender-equity gap have exposed the predominant under-representation of women in Computer Science which has been ascribed to high attrition rates in the undergraduate stream for female students. Challenges that commonly confront female students in Computer Science have been grouped as follows: inadequately designed curriculum, poor teaching methods, student-teacher relationship and insufficient content of teaching materials. This grouping could be referred to as teaching aids and they form part of the equity strategies that could address under -representation of women in Computer Science. Solving the gender equity problem requires multi-dimensional approach with strategies to include periodically reviewed curriculum, proper classroom management, appropriate teaching methods, teacher training, policy reform, school construction, scholarships award among others. Therefore, to reduce female attrition, comprehensive assessment of the teaching aids becomes imperative. This work aims at developing the assessment tool that will serve as a guide or template for evaluating teaching aids for courses in computer science. A pilot study on the usefulness of the tool has been conducted on three courses randomly selected from first, second and third year in Computer Science Department, UCT. The tool has successfully tracked the progress, identified lapses; suggest proactive corrective actions that will subsequently improve the teaching aids and female students’ retention in the programme. The weight of the usefulness of this tool in retaining female students in Computer Science will be better felt in future

EquiTect: Solving the Lack of Internet and Computer Access During Online Learning

Around the world, nearly 1.3 billion children are unable to access the internet, hindering their ability to engage with digital learning and converse with one another (US Census Bureau, 2020). This problem has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, where most students were forced to move online to learn. The problem presents itself in three ways. First, a lack of accessible connection — traditional internet connections are far too expensive, costing thousands of dollars on average. Second, a lack of internet access — certain locations, specifically rural entities, do not have reliable internet access available, and even if they do, connections are oftentimes weak and lackluster. Students are often provided with computers from schools, but not with access to the internet. This problem is also a problem in equity, with the need for internet and computer access varying greatly amongst different family incomes. Families making under $10,000 in income have the greatest need for computer and internet access (about 45$100,000 or more have about 8 times less need for internet and computer access. In addition, around 35% of American Indian/Native Alaskan individuals and 20-30% of African Americans lack access to computers and reliable internet, while around 1/3 of White individuals lack access. EquiTect works to battle these imbalances and create equity in the online learning environment by providing all students, especially those who cannot afford their own internet or computer, proper internet and computer access. Our idea utilizes white space technology, social enterprise, and philanthropy. We plan to balance both our business goals and our social ones, pursue partnerships with internet service providers as well as other companies who specialize in white space connectivity, and hold fundraisers for schools or areas that could not otherwise afford our product/services. White space is essential the radio band that lays in between the unused frequencies normally used by Television providers. These frequencies are long-range, stable, and also almost never obstructed as there is very little activity happening in those frequencies. The novel technology provides promise in solving the equity problem in internet and computer access. Compared to MiFi, both MiFi and Equitect are accessible because they easily allow users to access the internet cheaply and efficiently. EquiTect will work similarly to Mifi in the sense that it will allow multiple users to access the internet. This will be very efficient since oftentimes, an entire family with multiple students needs internet and computer access. At the moment, most MiFi mobile broadband provides standard 3G or 4G connection speeds, depending upon network coverage, with 5G options just entering the market. On 3G and 4G connections, there can be a considerable slowdown when sharing MiFi connections across multiple devices and users. In contrast, white space relies on stable, long-range frequencies which is far more reliable. Finally, with MiFi, when more devices connect, the speed gets reduced and the battery drains faster, which causes the frequency of the wifi to get poor. This is a disadvantage that EquiTect must also battle. In the future, we plan to branch out to adult remote workers, satellite connectivity, and optimizing our devices

Debranding in Fantasy Realms: Perceived Marketing Opportunities within the Virtual World

This paper discusses the application of the concept of debranding within immersive virtual environments. In particular the issue of the media richness and vividness of experience is considered in these experience realms that may not be conducive to traditional branding invasive strategies. Brand equity is generally seen to be the desired outcome of branding strategies and the authors suggest that unless the virtual domains are considered as sacred spaces then brand equity may be compromised. The application of the above concepts is applied to the differing social spaces that operate within the different experience realms. The ideas of resonance, presence and interactivity are considered here. They lead to the development of a constructed positioning by the participants. Through the process of debranding, marketers may be able to enter these sacred spaces without negative impact to the brand. Perception of these virtual spaces was found to be partially congruent with this approach to branding. It thus presents a number of challenges for the owners of such virtual spaces and also virtual worlds in increasing the commercial utilization of investment in these environments

A comparison on the capabilities of Malaysian SMEs with different equity structure in implementing advanced manufacturing technologies

The principal ownership of firms by equity structure or country reflects the differences in management styles and practices. Based on a “culture” of origin, many researchers have argued that national culture and different equity structure have an impact on management strategies and practices. In Malaysia, different equity structure based on the Bumiputra (the people of the land) and non-Bumiputra may have an influence in the implementation process of advanced manufacturing technology. Since the SMEs in Malaysia play a vital role in developing the economy, the use of technologies has been one of the main focuses by the government. Using data collected from 136 manufacturing companies in Malaysia, this paper presents the results of a study on the differences between the Bumiputra and Non-Bumiputra SMEs implementing Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT). The survey results showed that although the Bumiputra scored better in its organizational structure planning, provisions and training, it has less number of AMTs, mostly stand alone compared to the non-Bumiputra companies. However, both group of companies focused on short term solutions, rather than planning for the future with the AMTs they implemented. Also, the results indicated that the changes in nonBumiputra can be significantly correlated with AMT, but not so in the case of Bumiputra companies. Based on indices developed for organizational (O) requirements (culture, structure, workers skill) and technology (T) (integration of functions using computer, levels of computer usage), the fit between organization and technology was determined by regression analysis and compared between the two groups. The O-T map showed that most of the Bumiputra companies were in the stage 1 of technology implementation (stand-alone technology), while non-Bumiputra companies lie in stage 2 (having ‘Islands’ of automation). The R-squared value for the non-Bumiputra companies (0.4584) is much higher than the Bumiputra companies (0.2516) indicating that the non-Bumiputra companies has a higher fit between organization and technology. A fit between technology and organization has been shown by many researches as having positive contributions from AMT implementation. The results of the study have provided a better understanding of the underlying factors in these companies in the implementation of technologies, and thus, would enable the government to structure appropriate policies and programs for each group

Managing the Ethical Dimensions of Brain-Computer Interfaces in eHealth: An SDLC-based Approach

A growing range of brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies is being employed for purposes of therapy and human augmentation. While much thought has been given to the ethical implications of such technologies at the ‘macro’ level of social policy and ‘micro’ level of individual users, little attention has been given to the unique ethical issues that arise during the process of incorporating BCIs into eHealth ecosystems. In this text a conceptual framework is developed that enables the operators of eHealth ecosystems to manage the ethical components of such processes in a more comprehensive and systematic way than has previously been possible. The framework’s first axis defines five ethical dimensions that must be successfully addressed by eHealth ecosystems: 1) beneficence; 2) consent; 3) privacy; 4) equity; and 5) liability. The second axis describes five stages of the systems development life cycle (SDLC) process whereby new technology is incorporated into an eHealth ecosystem: 1) analysis and planning; 2) design, development, and acquisition; 3) integration and activation; 4) operation and maintenance; and 5) disposal. Known ethical issues relating to the deployment of BCIs are mapped onto this matrix in order to demonstrate how it can be employed by the managers of eHealth ecosystems as a tool for fulfilling ethical requirements established by regulatory standards or stakeholders’ expectations. Beyond its immediate application in the case of BCIs, we suggest that this framework may also be utilized beneficially when incorporating other innovative forms of information and communications technology (ICT) into eHealth ecosystems