Open and distance learning: does it (still) matter?

The evident standardization of Information Technology (IT) in education, by way of the widespread adoption of robust and dependable Learning Management Systems (LMS), has made distance learning courses possible and easy to mount, even in institutions or universities that had no previous experience in online education. However, based on evidence gathered through the ODL-NET Experience project, we were able to identify major usability problems, quite a number of user difficulties and many LMS limitations. The results of the study show that technology is the solution, on one hand, and that technology is [still] the problem, so the saying technology matters is up to date, even if it represents only one component of a complex blend, involving others like educational organizations, learning content, pedagogical strategies, etc.A estabilização evidente das Tecnologias de Informação (TI) na educação, por via da adopção generalizada de Sistemas de Gestão da Aprendizagem (LMS) robustos e seguros, tornou possível e fácil implementar cursos de aprendizagem a distância, até mesmo em instituições ou universidades que nunca tiveram experiência prévia de ensino online. Porém, baseados em dados recolhidos através do projecto ODL-NET Experience, pudemos identificar problemas de usabilidade relevantes, várias dificuldades ao nível do utilizador e muitas limitações de LMS. Os resultados do estudo mostram que a tecnologia é a solução, por um lado, mas que a tecnologia é (ainda) o problema, pelo que a tecnologia continua a ser um tema relevante, mesmo se representa só uma das componentes da mistura complexa que abarca as organizações educacionais, os conteúdos de aprendizagem, as estratégias pedagógicas, etc.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Does Distance Still Matter For Internal Migration And, If So, How? Evidence From 1986 To 2006

In this paper we re-examine the structure of internal migration flows in New Zealand. We use data on gross migration flows between the 39 main and secondary urban areas for the four intercensal periods between 1986 and 2006. We confirm that the gravity model – in which migration is inversely related to distance – fits the data well, and that the way in which distance is measured (travel time, road distance or straight-line distance) matters to some extent for the goodness of fit of the model. We also show that some forms of socioeconomic differences influence migration in the same way as distance. Perhaps surprisingly, we find that the deterrence effect of distance on migration was increasing, at least until 2001. Improvements in connectivity through reduced travel time have not increased migration flows

How does income inequality affect support for populist parties?

Does rising income inequality encourage voters to shift their support to populist parties? Drawing on a new study, Lukas F. Stoetzer explains that while inequality does appear to have a link with support for populist parties, we are still some distance from fully understanding how this relationship works in practice

A PORTRAIT OF LANGUAGE SHIFT IN A JAVANESE FAMILY

In the case study of a Javanese family from Semarang, the second generation speaks Javanese in the particular domains, based on status scale and social distance of the speakers. The members of second generation marry the men or women from similar race (Javanese). The third generation still speaks Javanese, even though they begin to speak Javanese Krama Inggil infrequently. They speak Ngoko Alus to the second generation. They prefer speaking Indonesian language (Bahasa) rather than Krama Inggil to acquaintances in order not to be entrapped to send messages impolitely. Intermarriage also makes it worse. They begin not to speak Javanese to their children. And this attitude is followed by similar attitude of those who marry Javanese men or women because of a few reasons. Attitude of the family offers disadvantages. Javanese is not seen as an important symbol of ethnic identity. The fourth generation of the family practically does not speak Javanese any longer. The second generation has to speak Indonesian language (Bahasa) to the fourth generation even though they are close family. In that case, positive attitude does not support efforts to use the ethnic language in a variety of domains

The Spatial Pattern of FDI: Some Testable Hypotheses

This paper is a simple extension of the standard FDI model of Markusen and Horstmann (1992). This latter predicts firms would supply nearby markets with exports but far away markets with FDI. Nevertheless, this does not match the spatial pattern in the data for many home nations and industries. We propose a model with heterogeneous firms where the spatial pattern of FDI depends upon distance-linked communications costs as well as trade costs; the resulting model lines up both with the aggregate knowledge-capital model evidence and the firm-level evidence of Helpman-Melitz-Yeaple, while still allowing individual firms to engage in FDI in nearby markets while supplying distant markets via exports.

The Development of Legislation on the Social Economy in Continental Western Europe

One of the main instruments for local development is the regulatory legal framework of the so-called Social Economy, a term and concept that is yet to be fully defined. The society’s approach to the generation of wealth encompasses different concepts, movements, approaches, and ways of acting, all of which pose a challenge to the determination of a precise definition. Within the European Union (E.U.), a common legislative base has been developed, although the specific legislation developed by each Member State has been uneven. The legislation may have started from the same common principles, but each country has adopted different legal forms. This work aims to outline the diverse ways of legislating on a concept that is still under construction and within similar legal frameworks, illustrating the lack of harmony between European states that, despite the sharing of borders and having common legislative foundations, distance themselves in the final legislation, a situation that does not benefit the economic unity of entrepreneurs with social principles

Financial locations : Frankfurt’s place and perspectives

The introduction of a common currency as well as the harmonization of rules and regulations in Europe has significantly reduced distance in all its guises. With reduced costs of overcoming space, this emphasizes centripetal forces and it should foster consolidation of financial activity. In a national context, as a rule, this led to the emergence of one financial center. Hence, Europeanization of financial and monetary affairs could foretell the relegation of some European financial hubs such as Frankfurt and Paris to third-rank status. Frankfurt’s financial history is interesting insofar as it has lost (in the 1870s) and regained (mainly in the 1980s) its preeminent place in the German context. Because Europe is still characterized by local pockets of information-sensitive assets as well as a demand for variety the national analogy probably does not hold. There is room in Europe for a number of financial hubs of an international dimension, including Frankfurt

PAndAS' cubs: discovery of two new dwarf galaxies in the surroundings of the Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies

We present the discovery of two new dwarf galaxies, Andromeda XXI and Andromeda XXII, located in the surroundings of the Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies (M31 and M33). These discoveries stem from the first year data of the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS), a photometric survey of the M31/M33 group conducted with the Megaprime/MegaCam wide-field camera mounted on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Both satellites appear as spatial overdensities of stars which, when plotted in a color-magnitude diagram, follow metal-poor, [Fe/H]=-1.8, red giant branches at the distance of M31/M33. Andromeda XXI is a moderately bright dwarf galaxy (M_V=-9.9+/-0.6), albeit with low surface brightness, emphasizing again that many relatively luminous M31 satellites still remain to be discovered. It is also a large satellite, with a half-light radius close to 1 kpc, making it the fourth largest Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxy after the recently discovered Andromeda XIX, Andromeda II and Sagittarius around the Milky Way, and supports the trend that M31 satellites are larger than their Milky Way counterparts. Andromeda XXII is much fainter (M_V=-6.5+/-0.8) and lies a lot closer in projection to M33 than it does to M31 (42 vs. 224 kpc), suggesting that it could be the first Triangulum satellite to be discovered. Although this is a very exciting possibility in the context of a past interaction of M33 with M31 and the fate of its satellite system, a confirmation will have to await a good distance estimate to confirm its physical proximity to M33. Along with the dwarf galaxies found in previous surveys of the M31 surroundings, these two new satellites bring the number of dwarf spheroidal galaxies in this region to 20.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ; v2: minor typographical correction