Inclusive Intelligent Learning Management System Framework

Machado, D. S-M., & Santos, V. (2023). Inclusive Intelligent Learning Management System Framework. International Journal of Automation and Smart Technology, 13(1), [2423]. https://doi.org/10.5875/ausmt.v13i1.2423The article finds context and the current state of the art in a systematic literature review on intelligent systems employing PRISMA Methodology which is complemented with narrative literature review on disabilities, digital accessibility and legal and standards context. The main conclusion from this review was the existing gap between the available knowledge, standards, and law and what is put into practice in higher education institutions in Portugal. Design Science Research Methodology was applied to output an Inclusive Intelligent Learning Management System Framework aiming to help higher education professors to share accessible pedagogic content and deliver on-line and presential classes with a high level of accessibility for students with different types of disabilities, assessing the uploaded content with Web content Accessibility Guidelines 3.0, clustering students according to their profile, conscient feedback and emotional assessment during content consumption, applying predictive models and signaling students at risk of failing classes according to study habits and finally applying a recommender system. The framework was validated by a focus group to which experts in digital accessibility, information systems and a disabled PhD graduate.publishersversionpublishe

Inclusive Intelligent Learning Management System Framework - Application of Data Science in Inclusive Education

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Data Science and Advanced Analytics, specialization in Data ScienceBeing a disabled student the author faced higher education with a handicap which as experience studying during COVID 19 confinement periods matched the findings in recent research about the importance of digital accessibility through more e-learning intensive academic experiences. Narrative and systematic literature reviews enabled providing context in World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, legal and standards framework and information technology and communication state-of-the art. Assessing Portuguese higher education institutions’ web sites alerted to the fact that only outlying institutions implemented near perfect, accessibility-wise, websites. Therefore a gap was identified in how accessible the Portuguese higher education websites are, the needs of all students, including those with disabilities, and even the accessibility minimum legal requirements for digital products and the services provided by public or publicly funded organizations. Having identified a problem in society and exploring the scientific base of knowledge for context and state of the art was a first stage in the Design Science Research methodology, to which followed development and validation cycles of an Inclusive Intelligent Learning Management System Framework. The framework blends various Data Science study fields contributions with accessibility guidelines compliant interface design and content upload accessibility compliance assessment. Validation was provided by a focus group whose inputs were considered for the version presented in this dissertation. Not being the purpose of the research to deliver a complete implementation of the framework and lacking consistent data to put all the modules interacting with each other, the most relevant modules were tested with open data as proof of concept. The rigor cycle of DSR started with the inclusion of the previous thesis on Atlântica University Institute Scientific Repository and is to be completed with the publication of this thesis and the already started PhD’s findings in relevant journals and conferences

The Undergraduate Classroom as a Community of Inquiry

This project contributes to the literature on action research and undergraduate pedagogy for leadership development through application and expansion of existing theory on collaborative ways of teaching and learning. I applied a participatory, inquiry-based approach to teaching an undergraduate course in leadership studies over four semesters using the action research process of recursively asking and answering living questions in real time about teaching and learning with students\u27 participating as co-researchers. Reflection on my initial, mostly traditional teaching strategies generated questions about the students\u27 detachment from and resistance to exercising leadership, as well as the challenge of aligning my deepest values with my teaching. I invited subsequent cohorts to be co-investigators of these questions with me, guided by Torbert\u27s method of action inquiry. I collected first-, second-, and third-person data from journals, course assignments, field notes, personal correspondence, discussion notes, interviews, collaborative writing, electronic discussion threads, and student course evaluations. The recursive action inquiry process led me to enact an increasingly experimental and emancipatory pedagogy which enabled the students to recognize the inertial passivity that restricted their capacity for agency, the experiences that had conditioned them in that way, and to acknowledge and act upon their responsibility for their own learning and exercise of leadership. At the same time I learned that my passion for liberating my students in this way paralleled and has been sustained by my ongoing, and unfinished struggle for my own emancipation from similar conditioning. Initially, I intended to contribute specifically to the improvement of pedagogy for undergraduate student leadership development; however, my findings have broader applicability. My narrative of the students\u27, my dissertation committee\u27s, and my struggles toward increasingly participatory and democratic forms of working in groups has larger application for those seeking to collaboratively transform their own groups and organizations with integrity, mutuality, and sustainability

Doing 'what works': a substantive grounded theory of teacher perceptions and uses of technology in a Korean university general English department

The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate what teachers experience as they considered the use of technology in their Korean university English classes. It was a qualitative study which attempted to provide a grounded explanation of the complexities that led teachers to begin adopting technology in their teaching or, in some cases, to reject it outright. This case study involved the general English program of a major women‘s university in Seoul, Republic of Korea (where the researcher currently works as a faculty member). This study assumes the perspectives of teachers and viewed the complicated decision and implementation process through their thoughts and actions. It was believed that only through the perspectives of teachers could the messy business of implementation be properly understood and explained. A grounded theory of investigation therefore underpinned a mixed-techniques approach. The impetus for this method was reached after a close reading of diffusion of innovations theory by Everett Rogers (2003) and therefore similarities to and differences from this theory are likewise considered where appropriate and in conclusion. Data for the study were collected through three main techniques: semi-structured interviews, a survey questionnaire, and classroom observations. An iterative, grounded method of analysis was used for all three techniques, aided by the application of both qualitative and quantitative software programs (Atlas.ti 5.0 and SPSS 16.0 respectively). The study first employed thirteen semi-structured interviews to identify phenomena and concepts which were further explored in a subsequent survey questionnaire (along with some aspects of Rogers‘ [2003] theory), which was administered to all full-time and part-time instructors (16 and 34 respectively) in the General English Department at Park University (a pseudonym). Information from both sources helped to select theoretically a set of five teachers to participate in classroom observations and follow-up interviews to explore developing categories and their properties, aspects, and dimensions. Furthermore, teachers participating in all four strands of the study were consulted throughout the research in order to clarify and/or verify concepts and perceptions. Results from the study are organized under a substantive theory entitled ―what works‖. This expression is not to be confused with the term as associated with evidenced-based research (EBR), although certain similarities can be found. This theory of ―what works‖ explains the complex interactions that transpire both in and out of the classroom as teachers attempt to balance adaptation to changes with personal and administrative goals. Concepts of roles and responsibilities as well as self-efficacy, image, satisfaction, and sociability all interweave to reinforce ―teacher psychodynamics‖ which formed the basis for decision making. It was found that within this system teachers‘ professional uses of technology were influenced by personality factors, previous learning experiences, teaching beliefs, and beliefs about technology. However, the decision to use any resource (technological or otherwise) was found to be dependent on what worked. Teachers were interested (to varying degrees) in ideas about the benefits of technology; however, in the final analysis, they employed it only if it consistently worked for them in the classroom. As one teacher explained, ―As a teacher, you‘re never done…so you can only do what works‖. A final element in this process was the willingness or aptitude of teachers as lifelong learners given that teaching with technology involves continuous renewal and adaptation. Further implications indicate a general disconnect between contemporary educational practices and the learning needs of a majority of students. It is posited that the use of technology in education exacerbates this disconnect, leading to inconsistencies in application and a limitation of potential benefits both for technology and for education in general. Final recommendations suggest the need for debate on the reconciliation between longstanding educational beliefs and practices and the current and future needs of students

Reports to the President

A compilation of annual reports for the 1985-1986 academic year, including a report from the President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as reports from the academic and administrative units of the Institute. The reports outline the year's goals, accomplishments, honors and awards, and future plans

IAIMS newsletter

NewsletterThe IAIMS Newsletter (1996-2005) provides valuable information about library activities and resources as well as informative articles related to information technology

“Scholarly Communications at Duke” Blog, December 2006-April 2016

This work contains all of the blog posts spanning the years 2006-2016 from the "Scholarly Communications @ Duke" blog by Kevin L. Smith, M.L.S, J.D. It is being made available in both PDF and XML formats to facilitate use of the material.The "Scholarly Communications at Duke" blog addressed current issues in scholarly communications, and also tried to provide information, from the most basic to complex issues, about how copyright law impacted higher education as it moved more fully into a digital age

Bowdoin Orient v.138, no.1-25 (2008-2009)

https://digitalcommons.bowdoin.edu/bowdoinorient-2000s/1009/thumbnail.jp

Bowdoin Orient v.133, no.1-24 (2003-2004)

https://digitalcommons.bowdoin.edu/bowdoinorient-2000s/1004/thumbnail.jp

Social Work and Sustainable Development Goals: Role of Social Workers in Improving Well-Being for Residents of Nursing Homes in Malaysia

The traditional role of social work includes but not limited to addressing issues of inequality, violence, substance abuse, isolation, discrimination and social well-being. The values and principles of the SDG are geared towards the creation of a cohesive and equitable society in a more transformative manner. In addressing social well-being, nursing homes are set up for people who do not need to be hospitalize but cannot be cared for at home. These people are supposed to be managed by professional and skilled nurses, doctors and social workers. As such, this study focuses on the services and advocacy of social workers to help nursing homes achieve an improved sense of well-being. To get relevant data, Google Scholar was used as a tool to access the major databases provided by Tailor and Frances, Emerald, Elsevier, Springer, Sage and others. The study found that the service and advocacy of social workers produce a significant impact on the individuals at nursing homes. The study contributes to knowledge by critically exploring and synthesizing the role of social work in response to welfare services to reduce inequality, enhance good health and wellbeing of the people in nursing homes as indicated in SDGs 3 and 10