A Personalized e-Learning Framework

With the advent of web based learning and content management tools, e-learning has become a matured learning paradigm, and changed the trend of instructional design from instructor centric learning paradigm to learner centric approach, and evolved from “one instructional design for many learners” to “one design for one learner” or “many designs for one learner”. Currently, there are mature technologies that can lead to the construction of a personalized e-learning environment, namely: Ontology, Semantic web, learning objects, and content management systems. In this paper, a personalized e-learning framework is proposed, where learning objects are classified according to their suitability for the different types and styles of learning, and where these learning objects are offered to individual learners according to their personal preferences, skills and needs

Implementing A Sustainable Livelihoods Framework for Policy-Directed Research: Reflections from Practice in Mali

This paper has two objectives. The first is to discuss the experience of carrying out research in a village in Mali as part of a multi-country, comparative research programme on the theme of Sustainable Livelihoods. The second is to place that field-level experience in the broader context of the relationship between research and policy, particularly in terms of the exchange and flow of information between different stakeholders in the development policy process. The process of using the Sustainable Livelihoods framework for planning and implementing an enquiry, and analysing the information this generated, raised a range of questions. On one hand, there were methodological lessons and practical issues: what is the best way to represent complexity? how can the multiple views of different actor groups be incorporated into such a representation? how can such a learning process be effectively managed within the boundaries of available resources? On the other, there were more abstract considerations: what, and who, is this research for? How could this process of research best be transformed into something which usefully serves the needs of the poor, or supports environmentally sustainable practices? These reflections on how a particular piece of research was carried out resonated with some of the current debates about methodological complimentarity, incorporating the needs and perceptions of the poor into anti-poverty policies, and the centrality of institutions, both to livelihoods and policymaking. There is in turn a common thread in many of these debates: how to best occupy the space between top-down and bottom-up, between macro and micro. The framework for research and analysis described here provided opportunities to bridge this gap

Muslim - state relations in Great Britain : an evolving story

The concern of this chapter, as that of the book as a whole, is to explore contemporary relationships between Muslim minorities and the state, with a particular focus upon structural and cultural dynamics. In this regard the case of Britain is illustrative. This is because an analysis of political and institutional responses to Muslim ‘difference’ in Britain details a pattern of engagement that has evolved over a period of time. This can be framed in terms of rising agendas of racial equality and multiculturalism to which Muslims have become central – even while they have challenged important aspects of these. This implies that these developments have neither been linear nor unproblematic, and have been characterised by various ongoing contestations and revisions. According to some authors, what this engagement has accomplished presently looks to be in retreat and at best remains uncertain

The case of user-centered design & portuguese basketry

Dissertação de Mestrado em Design, com a especialização em Design de Produto, apresentada na Faculdade de Arquitetura da Universidade de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre.N/

Slash-and-mulch: Exploring the role of shrub-based agroforestry systems for smallholder farmers in the Sahel

In Burkina Faso, degraded soils where no crop production is possible affect more than 1 million farmers (Bai et al., 2008). If restored, these soils could potentially contribute to increased local food provision and to climate change mitigation via global carbon sequestration. Advancements toward the imitation of dryland forest floors to restore agricultural soils in the Sahel, a form of ‘ecosystem mimicry’ (Ewel, 1999), can be achieved via the intensive application of carbon-rich mulches. Therefore, strategies are needed to restore and maintain soil productivity via greater inputs of organic matter, greater water retention, reduced evaporation and runoff, increased soil biological diversity, and nutrient cycling and availability. Indigenous forms of agroforestry based on the use of local shrubs, as practiced by farmers, offer opportunities to design sustainable farming systems that are based on agroecological principles and can contribute to building resilience and adaptability in the face of climate change

University Catalog 1992-1994

This catalog is published for students and other persons who want to know more about the University of Northern Iowa. Its purpose is to communicate as objectively and completely as possible what the university is and what it does. The catalog is presented in sections to give a general view of the university as well as the detailed information required for informed decision making.https://scholarworks.uni.edu/uni_catalogs/1015/thumbnail.jp

Strength of weak ties in microfinance

This research makes a contribution to knowledge by testing Granovetter’s (1973) theory of the strength of weak ties in microfinance based on an empirical study in India. Specifically, it looks to test if the addition of weak bridging ties to the networks of microfinance clients who own businesses will improve their businesses and help to reduce their poverty. This research also investigates Burt’s theories on structural holes (1992), brokerage and closure(2005) and network spillover (2010) can assist with the building of weak bridging ties. Microfinance is the delivery of financial services to the poor which includes credit, savings, insurance and remittances. The original goal of microfinance is to do financially sustainable poverty reduction. The key issue for microfinance is that it has not achieved levels of poverty reduction envisioned when the modern microfinance started. One reason for this is that microfinance clients start businesses with low barriers to entry which makes them very susceptible to competition. Also, the poor tend to inhabit fragmented social networks with few ties outside it that would bring needed information on markets, finance, suppliers, customers and the competition that would help to improve their businesses. Network analysis provides, with theory of the strength of weak ties, an approach that will give poor people access to information need by them to improve their businesses. India is one of the largest microfinance markets in the world which also has a unique form of microfinance. In addition to individual lending and joint liability groups, India has self-help groups which are essentially microbanks owned and operated by its members. Sari sellers, who happen to be members of self- help groups, are good example of a low barrier to entry business. Using a variation of the method developed by Kahn and Antonucci (1980), sari sellers were asked to identify the people they were connected to for supplies, finance, market information and customers. These are placed on a target diagram indicating how close these are to the sari seller who is at the centre of the target. Lines connecting the alters who know each other are drawn. In addition, a network intervention was conducted in attempt to introduce weak bridging ties into the social networks of the sari sellers. A simple method of providing sari sellers in the treatment group a list of other sari sellers they could contact for help while those in the control group did not receive the list. Several interesting findings came out of this research. Analysis of the sari sellers’ ego networks shows that there is a reliance on strong ties which confirms Granovetter’s (1983) argument. The analysis of the ego networks also show the sari sellers do have access to structural holes but do not take advantage of these. When the ego networks are combined using their contacts with the microfinance institution’s staff, analysis shows that the resulting network has a parent-subsidiary structure which reflects the hierarchical nature of Indian society. Finally, the analysis also shows that this network is fragmentary and fragile. Weak bridging ties would make the full network less fragile and allow the sari sellers to take advantage of the structural holes they find. This is what the intervention is attempting to do. While the intervention did not go as planned, evidence was found to support the hypothesis that addition of weak bridging ties to the social networks of sari sellers improved their businesses. A group of 15 disparate sari sellers created weak bridging ties to take advantage of one of the sari seller’s contacts to buy saris in bulk. Another sari seller saw a significant increase in sales for Diwali 2011 because a new member of her social network created a weak bridging tie which introduced her to many new customers

The bacterial and fungal communities in the airways of adults with asthma and eosinophilic lung diseases

Asthma is the most common long-term respiratory condition, but its aetiology is not fully understood. The incidence has increased alongside urbanisation and altered microbial exposure patterns. The respiratory tract’s bacterial communities (microbiota) undergo dysbiosis in asthma. Eosinophilic inflammation, common in asthma, also occurs in fungal infections and eosinophilic lung diseases (ELDs) including Chronic Eosinophilic Pneumonia (CEP). The CEP microbiome has not yet been described and there are few studies of respiratory fungal communities (mycobiota) in health or disease. The main objective of this thesis was to describe the respiratory microbiota and mycobiota in asthma, ELDs and healthy controls, through two cross-sectional bronchoscopy studies: 1) A multi-centre study of asthmatics and controls (Celtic Fire); 2) A single-centre study of subjects with ELDs and controls (Bronchoscopic evaluation of the Eosinophilic Airway Microbiome, BEAM). Oropharyngeal (throat) swab (OTS) samples (N = 130) and left lower lobe (LLL) brushes (N = 131) were obtained from 131 subjects (Celtic Fire: 66 asthmatics, 44 controls; BEAM: 11 subjects with ELDs, 10 controls). In Celtic Fire additional brushings were obtained when feasible. Samples underwent DNA extraction. Bacterial DNA was quantified and sequenced using 16S rRNA gene qPCR and 16S sequencing (Illumina MiSeq) respectively. Selected samples underwent comparable processes regarding fungi: 18S rRNA gene qPCR and ITS2 sequencing. Sequences underwent pre-processing using Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology and analysis in R. Within individuals, left upper lobe (LUL) and LLL brushes were highly similar. In both studies OTS samples contained c. 100 times more bacterial and fungal DNA than LLL brushes. Upper respiratory tract (URT) bacterial communities were similar to the lower respiratory tract (LRT), but fungal sequencing results varied greatly between URT and LRT. Numerous operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were differentially abundant according to case-control status and other clinical variables e.g. sex, corticosteroid use and smoking history. Analyses have provided insights into relationships between microbes, host and disease.Open Acces

A comparative analysis of the curricular content of Canadian preparation programs for educational administrators to the master's degree level and an evaluation of the relevance of the graduate diploma program in educational administration at Memorial University of Newfoundland as perceived by diploma graduates

The primary concern of the study was an analysis of the curricular content of the educational administration graduate courses to the Master's Degree level at Canadian universities. Also, a related aspect of the study was to investigate the degree of preparation that Graduate Diploma students in Educational Administration received from their preparatory program at Memorial. -- At a more specific level, the problems examined in the study were: (1) to determine if there were core curricular courses common to the educational administration programs at the Canadian universities; (2) to determine the realms and the sub-realms of educational administration course concentration; (3) to compare Memorial's Educational Administration program with the programs at other Canadian universities; (4) to determine the admission requirements in the educational administration programs at Canadian universities; (5) to determine the course areas that Memorial's Graduate Diploma students in Educational Administration selected to fulfill the program requirements; and (6) to determine if there was a difference in the degree of preparation that Memorial's Graduate Diploma students received in the various course areas. -- This study was organized around the curricular philosophy of Philip Phenix(1964a). Phenix contends that the six realms of meaning (symbolics, empirics, esthetics, synnoetics, ethics, and synoptics) must be used as the foundation in the making of a curriculum. -- The statistical procedures utilized included the calculation of frequencies and percentages. The chi-square test of independence was used to analyze the relationship, if any, between the degree of preparation and the course areas of preparation. -- Analysis of the data revealed that (1) basic educational administration and statistical courses were common to most university programs; (2) educational administration courses were drawn mostly from the sub-realm of social sciences in the empirical realm; (3) Memorial's Educational Administration program was compatible with the programs at other universities; (4) similar admission requirements existed at most universities; (5) Memorial's Graduate Diploma students in Educational Administration selected most of their courses from the course areas of General, Staff, and Public Relations; and (6) Graduate Diploma students in Educational Administration at Memorial reported receiving the greatest degree of preparation in the course areas of School Law, Research, General and Staff. Generally speaking the Graduate Diploma students felt their Educational Administration training at Memorial was adequate