ConfBits: A Web Based Conference Management System

ConfBits is a Web-based Conference Management System (CMS) developed to aid effective organization and management of professional, academic and technical conferences. The web based application is an object-oriented and multi-conferences platform that is made up of four major actors which are authors, reviewers, administrators (otherwise known as Program Committee (PC) chair) and participants. Conference organizers in any Anglophone country can subscribe to the platform via the Internet to access and utilize the different features which include; abstract and full paper submissions, assignment of papers to reviewers, sending email notifications to authors and reviewers, participants management and conference program scheduling. The prototype of the platform is already deployed on the Internet and the trial Universal Resource Locator (URL) is www.cucms.com.ng. From our review of existing online CMSs, ConfBits (although still at a prototype stage) is the first of such system from a developing clime. We hope the platform will serve to bridge the hitherto wide digital divide between the developed and developing nations especially with respect to scholarly online content

Rancang Bangun Sistem Informasi Inventaris Berbasis Multimedia Akses Online

Inventory management manually inhibit the performance of institutions.This research was aimed at developing a multimedia-based inventory information system program that can meet users\u27 specific needs. The information system program was developed on multimedia basis to produce output of inventory data in the form of 3D texts and visuals that are accessible online to multi users. The development research adopted the SLDC method. Initially, the program was developed using XAMPP as the local web server that includes Apache Web Server, PHP Script Language, MySQL Database, and phpMyAdmin Database Manager.Data were collected through observation, interviews and document study of educational institutions and public institutions. The program\u27s feasibility was tested by Stub Testing, Unit Testing, Black Box Testing, and White Box Testing, as well as Integration Testing. Its execution includes access modules with system login as the main access gate. The program database scheme includes (1) System Login, (2) Menu Manager,(3) Data Entry, (4) Circulation or Transaction, (5) Maintenance, and (6) Report. The information system model is capable of presenting information in the form of texts or images, and the data input uses the barcode system.The system provides access to a menu of top-down and bottom-up to facilitate the use and meet the specific needs and complete. The system was designed as an open source program, so it is open to development for studio or workshopand library information system

Creating Access to Education with Progression Pathways via Blended Learning of Deaf Studies at Third Level in Ireland: Open Innovation with Digital Assets

Irish Sign Language (ISL) is an indigenous language of Ireland and is recognized by the EU as a natural language. It is a language separate from the other languages used in Ireland, including Irish, English and, in Northern Ireland, British Sign Language. Some 6,500 Deaf people use ISL on the island of Ireland. Deaf people are the most under-represented of all disadvantaged groups at third level, posing two challenges: (1) getting Deaf people into third level and (2) presenting education in an accessible form. Two higher education institutions, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and the Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown, Dublin (ITB) have partnered to create a unique elearning environment based on MOODLE as the learning management system, in the delivery of Deaf Studies programmes at TCD. We intend to create access to education plus the provision of progression pathways into and through third level in the Irish National Quality Framework within the European Bologna model. We deliver third level programmes to students online to resolves problems of time, geography and access, maximizing multi-functional uses of digital assets across our programmes. Signed languages are visual-gestural languages and online content is required to be multi-modal in nature and utilize rich-media learning objects. This presents many important challenges, including (1) Universal design in an online curriculum for Deaf students, (2) Assessing signed language interpreting skill in an online context, (3) Using the Signs of Ireland corpus in blended learning contexts in a MOODLE environment and (4) Issues of assessment in an elearning context. In this paper, we introduce the Irish Deaf community and their language; the educational context that leads to disadvantage and negative outcomes in employment and our work to date in developing accessible elearning with progression pathways for Deaf Studies programmes at TCD

Using the ‘recovery’ and ‘rehabilitation’ paradigms to support desistence of substance-involved offenders: Exploration of dual and multi-focus interventions (Invited Paper)

Purpose The links between substance use and offending are well evidenced in the literature, and increasingly, substance misuse recovery is being seen as a central component of the process of rehabilitation from offending, with substance use identified as a key criminogenic risk factor. In recent years, research has demonstrated the commonalities between recovery and rehabilitation, and the possible merits of providing interventions to substance-involved offenders that address both problematic sets of behaviours. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the links between substance use and offending, and the burgeoning literature around the parallel processes of recovery and rehabilitation. Design/methodology/approach This is provided as a rationale for a new treatment approach for substance-involved offenders, Breaking Free Online (BFO), which has recently been provided as part of the “Gateways” throughcare pathfinder in a number of prisons in North-West England. The BFO programme contains specific behaviour change techniques that are generic enough to be applied to change a wide range of behaviours, and so is able to support substance-involved offenders to address their substance use and offending simultaneously. Findings This dual and multi-target intervention approach has the potential to address multiple, associated areas of need simultaneously, streamlining services and providing more holistic support for individuals, such as substance-involved offenders, who may have multiple and complex needs. Practical implications Given the links between substance use and offending, it may be beneficial to provide multi-focussed interventions that address both these behaviours simultaneously, in addition to other areas of multiple and complex needs. Specifically, digital technologies may provide an opportunity to widen access to such multi-focussed interventions, through computer-assisted therapy delivery modalities. Additionally, using digital technologies to deliver such interventions can provide opportunities for joined-up care by making interventions available across both prison and community settings, following offenders on their journey through the criminal justice system. Originality/value Recommendations are provided to other intervention developers who may wish to further contribute to widening access to such dual- and multi-focus programmes for substance-involved offenders, based on the experiences developing and evidencing the BFO programme

Resilient livelihoods and food security in coastal aquatic agricultural systems: Investing in transformational change

Aquatic agricultural systems (AAS) are diverse production and livelihood systems where families cultivate a range of crops, raise livestock, farm or catch fish, gather fruits and other tree crops, and harness natural resources such as timber, reeds, and wildlife. Aquatic agricultural systems occur along freshwater floodplains, coastal deltas, and inshore marine waters, and are characterized by dependence on seasonal changes in productivity, driven by seasonal variation in rainfall, river flow, and/or coastal and marine processes. Despite this natural productivity, the farming, fishing, and herding communities who live in these systems are among the poorest and most vulnerable in their countries and regions. This report provides an overview of the scale and scope of development challenges in coastal aquatic agricultural systems, their significance for poor and vulnerable communities, and the opportunities for partnership and investment that support efforts of these communities to secure resilient livelihoods in the face of multiple risks

Content creation and E-learning in Indian Languages : a model

In the era of E-publishing and E-learning, numerous universities and cultural organizations around the world have launched initiatives to develop tools for multilingual learning and web publishing and have given preference to local content. India has different languages and different culture. Most of the knowledge and information related to people, culture, science and philosophy of India is available in Indian languages, which will be useful for learning and developing knowledge base. In India E-learning systems and online courses are already started, but as a multi lingual country, which gives importance to education through regional languages, there should be facilities for multi lingual E-learning. This paper covers the issues of Indian language knowledge base/content base, its requirement, and its implication in e learning. An Integrated multi lingual E-learning system for India is proposed in this paper, where importance given to multi lingual course content creation

Partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals: Synthesis of Consultations

The Partnerships for SDGs online platform was launched as a beta/draft version in the lead-up to the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit for the adoptation of the post-2015 development agenda. The platform, managed by the Division for Sustainable Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DSD/DESA) and initially developed in response to a mandate set out by the Rio+20 Conference (paragraph 283, Future We Want), is currently being improved to better respond to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in order to function as a tool to inform all stakeholders on initiatives carried out by multi-stakeholder partnerships in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and for linking progress of those initiatives to various follow-up mechanisms of the 2030 Agenda, in particular to the High-level Politician Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)

Get yourself connected: conceptualising the role of digital technologies in Norwegian career guidance

This report outlines the role of digital technologies in the provision of career guidance. It was commissioned by the c ommittee on career guidance which is advising the Norwegian Government following a review of the countries skills system by the OECD. In this report we argue that career guidance and online career guidance in particular can support the development of Norwa y’s skills system to help meet the economic challenges that it faces.The expert committee advising Norway’s Career Guidance Initiativ