Making the Connection: Moore’s Theory of Transactional Distance and Its Relevance to the Use of a Virtual Classroom in Postgraduate Online Teacher Education

This study explored the use of the Web-based virtual environment, Adobe Connect Pro, in a postgraduate online teacher education programme at the University of Waikato. It applied the tenets of Moore’s Theory of Transactional Distance (Moore, 1997) in examining the efficacy of using the virtual classroom to promote quality dialogue and explored how both internal and external structural elements related to the purpose and use of the classroom affected the sense of learner autonomy. The study provides an illustration of the complexity of the relationship that exists between the elements of Moore’s theory, and how the implementation of an external structuring technology such as the virtual classroom, can have both positive impacts (dialogue creation) and negative impacts (diminished sense of learner autonomy). It also suggests that, although Moore’s theory provides a useful conceptual “lens” through which to analyse online learning practices, its tenets may need revisiting to reflect the move toward the use of synchronous communication tools in online distance learning

The evolving landscape of learning technology

This paper provides an overview of the current and emerging issues in learning technology research, concentrating on structural issues such as infrastructure, policy and organizational context. It updates the vision of technology outlined by Squires’ (1999) concept of peripatetic electronic teachers (PETs) where Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) provide an enabling medium to allow teachers to act as freelance agents in a virtual world and reflects to what extent this vision has been realized The paper begins with a survey of some of the key areas of ICT development and provides a contextualizing framework for the area in terms of external agendas and policy drivers. It then focuses upon learning technology developments which have occurred in the last five years in the UK and offers a number of alternative taxonomies to describe this. The paper concludes with a discussion of the issues which arise from this work

Digital technology and governance in transition: The case of the British Library

Comment on the organizational consequences of the new information and communications technologies (ICTs) is pervaded by a powerful imagery of disaggregation and a tendency for ?virtual? forms of production to be seen as synonymous with the ?end? of bureaucracy. This paper questions the underlying assumptions of the ?virtual organization?, highlighting the historically enduring, diversified character of the bureaucratic form. The paper then presents case study findings on the web-based access to information resources now being provided by the British Library (BL). The case study evidence produces two main findings. First, radically decentralised virtual forms of service delivery are heavily dependent on new forms of capacity-building and information aggregation. Second, digital technology is embedded in an inherently contested and contradictory context of institutional change. Current developments in the management and control of digital rights are consistent with the commodification of the public sphere. However, the evidence also suggests that scholarly access to information resources is being significantly influenced by the ?information society? objectives of the BL and other institutional players within the network of UK research libraries

New possibilities of calculating the volumes of extracted masses in the surface mining of brown coal

The companies engaged in brown coal mining are looking for ways of managing the mining process as efficiently as possible. The principal mining technology used for brown coal mining in our country, but also in Germany and Poland, are wheel excavators. The evolving GNSS technology has enabled designing and realisation of systems for determining the spatial position of the excavator wheel. The visualisation of the wheel's spatial position and tracking of its real-time motion is performed in the Czech Republic by the program Mine Model developed by the company KVASoftware. One of the most important tasks of mine surveyors is the calculation of the volumes of the extracted masses. The described system performs this task in real-time. This article describes an application that is used to automate volume calculations

Natural language processing

Beginning with the basic issues of NLP, this chapter aims to chart the major research activities in this area since the last ARIST Chapter in 1996 (Haas, 1996), including: (i) natural language text processing systems - text summarization, information extraction, information retrieval, etc., including domain-specific applications; (ii) natural language interfaces; (iii) NLP in the context of www and digital libraries ; and (iv) evaluation of NLP systems

A Spectral-Scanning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Transceiver

An integrated spectral-scanning nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) transceiver is implemented in a 0.12 mum SiGe BiCMOS process. The MRI transmitter and receiver circuitry is designed specifically for small-scale surface MRI diagnostics applications where creating low (below 1 T) and inhomogeneous magnetic field is more practical. The operation frequency for magnetic resonance detection and analysis is tunable from 1 kHz to 37 MHz, corresponding to 0-0.9 T magnetization for ^1H (hydrogen). The concurrent measurement bandwidth is approximately one frequency octave. The chip can also be used for conventional narrowband nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy from 1 kHz up to 250 MHz. This integrated transceiver consists of both the magnetic resonance transmitter which generates the required excitation pulses for the magnetic dipole excitation, and the receiver which recovers the responses of the dipoles

Application features of the surface laser scanning technology when solving the main tasks of surveying support for reclamation

Purpose. Study of the effectiveness of topographical survey methods when solving the main tasks of surveying support for the disturbed lands reclamation. Methods. Comparative analysis of the topographical survey results, which was conducted with the use of electronic total station and a surface laser scanner during reclamation. The heap leaching dump at the Belaya Gorka Site of the Rodnikovoye Field has been chosen as an object for topographical survey. To compare adequately, the electronic total station and the laser scanner were chosen of the same accuracy class. The determination of the values accuracy of the area and volume of an object during a tacheometric survey depends on the discreteness of surveying pickets. In practice, the density of the pickets’ arrangement is limited by the working capacity of the surveying crew, which, as a rule, is several hundred pickets per day, and the density is two or three survey points per 100 m2 of the object. To determine the dependence of measurement accuracy on the pickets’ density during the tacheometric survey, it was carried out at four different scales, with the distance between the pickets from 5 to 25 meters. The density of points (pickets) of a surface laser scanner, which was used in the studies, is 500 points per 100 m2 of survey area. Findings. Based on the results of the tacheometric survey and surface laser scanning of the heap leaching dump, two variants of the topographic maps of the surface and its smoothed digital model have been obtained. Detailed surface laser scanning at an increased level in comparison with a tacheometric survey improves the topographic map accuracy. Improved accuracy when determining the volume on a survey scale of 1:500 – 1:2000 is 12%. Originality. A new concept for topographical surveying is proposed when solving the surveying problems of reclaiming the disturbed lands, based on the methods of surface laser scanning. Practical implications. Use of the surface laser scanning technology makes possible to obtain the prompt three-dimensional visualization of the surveyed area, to ensure high accuracy and degree of detailed survey, to increase the working capacity and field surveying conditions, to solve the main tasks of surveying support of the disturbed lands reclamation in the shortest possible time and with the required surveying quality.Мета. Дослідження ефективності методів топографічної зйомки при вирішенні основних завдань маркшейдерського забезпечення рекультивації порушених земель. Методика. Порівняльний аналіз результатів топографічної зйомки, проведених із використанням електронного тахеометра та наземного лазерного сканера при рекультивації. Об’єктом топографічної зйомки обраний відвал купчастого вилуговування ділянки Біла Гірка родовища Родникове. Для коректності порівняння, електронний тахеометр і лазерний сканер обрані одного класу точності. Визначення точності значення площі та об’єму об’єкта при тахеометричній зйомці залежить від дискретності знімальних пікетів. На практиці щільність розміщення пікетів обмежена продуктивністю знімальної бригади, яка, як правило, становить кілька сотень пікетів у день, при цьому щільність становить дві або три знімальні точки на 100 м2 площі об’єкта. Для визначення залежності точності вимірювання при тахеометричній зйомці від щільності пікетів, вона проводилася у чотирьох різних масштабах, з відстанню між пікетами від 5 до 25 метрів. Щільність точок (пікетів) наземного лазерного сканера, використаного в дослідженнях, становить 500 точок на 100 м2 площі зйомки. Результати. За результатами тахеометричної зйомки і наземного лазерного сканування відвалу купчастого вилуговування отримані два варіанти планів топографічної поверхні і згладжена її цифрова модель. Підвищена деталізація при наземному лазерному сканування у порівнянні з тахеометричною зйомкою підвищує точність топографічного плану. Підвищення точності визначення обсягу при масштабі зйомки 1:500 – 1:2000 становить 12%. Наукова новизна. Запропоновано нову концепцію проведення топографічної зйомки при вирішенні маркшейдерських завдань рекультивації порушених земель, що заснована на методах наземного лазерного сканування. Практична значимість. Застосування технології наземного лазерного сканування дозволяє отримати миттєву тривимірну візуалізацію території, забезпечити високу точність і ступінь деталізації зйомки, підвищити продуктивність праці та умови польових робіт при зйомці, вирішити основні завдання маркшейдерського забезпечення рекультивації порушених земель у найкоротші терміни і з необхідною якістю зйомки.Цель. Исследование эффективности методов топографической съемки при решении основных задач маркшейдерского обеспечения рекультивации нарушенных земель. Методика. Сравнительный анализ результатов топографической съемки, проведенных с использованием электронного тахеометра и наземного лазерного сканера при рекультивации. Объектом топографической съемки выбран отвал кучного выщелачивания участка Белая Горка месторождения Родниковое. Для корректности сравнения, электронный тахеометр и лазерный сканер выбраны одного класса точности. Определение точности значения площади и объема объекта при тахеометрической съемке зависит от дискретности съемочных пикетов. На практике плотность расстановки пикетов ограничена производительностью съемочной бригады, которая, как правило, составляет несколько сотен пикетов в день, при этом плотность составляет две или три съемочные точки на 100 м2 площади объекта. Для определения зависимости точности измерения при тахеометрической съемке от плотности пикетов, она проводилась в четырех различных масштабах, с расстоянием между пикетами от 5 до 25 метров. Плотность точек (пикетов) наземного лазерного сканера, использованного в исследованиях, составляет 500 точек на 100 м2 площади съемки. Результаты. По результатам тахеометрической съемки и наземного лазерного сканирования отвала кучного выщелачивания получены два варианта планов топографической поверхности и сглаженная ее цифровая модель. Повышенная детализация при наземном лазерном сканирования в сравнении с тахеометрической съемкой повышает точность топографического плана. Повышение точности определения объема при масштабе съемки 1:500 – 1:2000 составляет 12%. Научная новизна. Предложена новая концепция по проведению топографической съемки при решении маркшейдерских задач рекультивации нарушенных земель, основанная на методах наземного лазерного сканирования. Практическая значимость. Применение технологии наземного лазерного сканирования позволяет получить мгновенную трехмерную визуализацию снимаемой территории, обеспечить высокую точность и степень детализации съемки, повысить производительность труда и условия полевых работ при съемке, решить основные задачи маркшейдерского обеспечения рекультивации нарушенных земель в кратчайшие сроки и с требуемым качеством съемки.This paper was prepared within the framework of the Grant Financing Project of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan 2018/АРО5131591

Occupational therapy\u27s link to vocational reeducation, 1910-1925.

The development of occupational therapy is rooted in early 20th century medical reform. During the early 1910s, several members of the medical profession, human service workers, and the larger American society were increasingly disturbed by medical practices that did not consider the individual\u27s personal experience of disability. Occupational therapy was developed, in part, out of this desire to provide persons with treatment that helped them to function in their communities despite their disability. Early occupational therapy leaders envisioned the fledgling profession as a societal service capable of assisting persons with disabilities to return to both work and community life. Vocational reeducation was initially considered to be an integral component of occupational therapy in the years from 1910 to 1920. However, the profession\u27s early link to vocational reduction was challenged by vocational technical trainers during World War I. To prevent occupational therapy from being subsumed by vocational technical training, the early occupational therapy leaders implemented several strategies: adoption of physician prescription for all occupational therapy services, delivery of occupational therapy services primarily within hospital settings, and dissociation from vocational reeducation services. Reasons accounting for why the early occupational therapy leaders abandoned their initial commitment to vocational reeducation are explored. Suggestions about how this decision has affected present-day practice are also offered