17,397 research outputs found
Creating an employment ready graduate:stakeholder perspectives of internship programmes and their ability to enhance the graduate employability skills set
Purpose: The aims of this research are to examine stakeholder perspectives of the use and usefulness of graduate attributes which are embedded into the curriculum of a UK university and to evaluate the potential of these graduate attributes to go beyond institutional pedagogy and enhance the employability skills set of graduates.Design/methodology/approach: The research used a mixed method to elicit perspectives of a University’s graduate attributes, interviewing employers and surveying students using a self-assessment tool and convenience sampling approach. Findings: The research found that there are key attributes for the success of University-led graduate attributes which include engagement from stakeholders with those attributes, commitment from teaching staff towards the development of identified attributes, appropriate time to align and embed attributes into the curriculum and with the needs of stakeholders and a framework which compliments institutional research and is properly resourced (Al-Mahood and Gruba, 2007). No one graduate attribute works in isolation, they have to be part of a measured and balanced model or framework to address the multi-faceted nature of graduate employability. The research reveals that work-based initiatives were the most valued by graduates and employers alike, which are arguably easier to teach as it is learning by doing as opposed to developing generic softer skills which are not valued highly by graduates in respect to employment. The findings support existing research that graduates value graduate attributes which involve work based learning activities as a means to gain employability skills and employment. Practical and social implications: The research findings should provide Universities and Colleges from both within and out with the UK with a blueprint from which to create or refresh existing University led graduate attributes. Originality/value: The findings from this paper consolidate existing research in the area of graduate employability and take research forward in the areas of graduate attributes, the measurement of these attributes and their currency in terms of employability and employer synergy
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
Modular eco-class: an approach towards a sustainable innovative learning environment in Egypt
Today, Egypt suffers from deterioration of education quality as a result of
deficient learning spaces, insufficient governmental expenditure and funding, and lack of
proper research in education developmental strategies. Additionally, 21st century learning
requires innovative spaces that connect school, home, and community. Therefore, new learning
spaces should increase flexibility, support hands-on and outside-class learning activities in
order to motivate learners. Furthermore, they intend to encourage extra-curricular activities
beyond conventional learning times. Undoubtedly, comfortable, safe and creative learning
spaces can inspire and motivate users, while ugly/unsafe spaces can depress. Therefore, welldesigned
learning spaces are able to support creative, productive and efficient learning
processes on one hand. On the other hand, ecological design measures became an increasingly
major keystone for modern sustainable learning-spaces. Thus, learning-spaces’ design process,
form, components, materials, features, and energy-saving technologies can yield well-educated,
environmentally-literate, energy-conscious, and innovative future-generations.
This paper represents a preliminary phase of an ongoing research project that aims to create
a framework for an Innovative Sustainable Learning Environment (ISLE) in developing
countries, the Middle East region, and Egypt in particular. This project aims at encouraging
constructive relationships between users, buildings, ecosystems and to improve quality of
learning through intelligent and ecologically well designed learning-spaces. The paper
proposes the concept of modular Eco-Class as a framework of learning spaces and a stepforward
in the direction of ISLE. Moreover, this Eco-Class aims to educate and provide
balance between building’s environmental sensitivity, high performance, initial cost, and
lifecycle costs without harming the surrounding ecology. The Eco-Class not only intends to
promote a positive environmental impact to improve indoor air quality and energy efficiency, it
also provides on its own an environment that educates learners and elevates environmentalawareness
between future generations. Finally, the study and the ongoing research project of
Eco-Class aim to provide validated design-guidelines for sustainable educational buildings, and
to achieve the optimum innovative and sustainable learning environment in Egypt for effective
and creative future-generation learners, parents, staff, and communities
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Towards evaluation design for smart city development
Smart city developments integrate digital, human, and physical systems in the built environment. With growing urbanization and widespread developments, identifying suitable evaluation methodologies is important. Case-study research across five UK cities - Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Milton Keynes and Peterborough - revealed that city evaluation approaches were principally project-focused with city-level evaluation plans at early stages. Key challenges centred on selecting suitable evaluation methodologies to evidence urban value and outcomes, addressing city authority requirements. Recommendations for evaluation design draw on urban studies and measurement frameworks, capitalizing on big data opportunities and developing appropriate, valid, credible integrative approaches across projects, programmes and city-level developments
Object lessons : a learning object approach to e-learning for social work education
Learning objects are bite-sized digital learning resources designed to tackle the e-learning adoption problem by virtue of their scale, adaptability, and interoperability. The learning object approach advocates the creation of small e-learning resources rather than whole courses: resources that can be mixed and matched; used in a traditional or online learning environment; and adapted for reuse in other discipline areas and in other countries. Storing learning objects within a subject specific digital repository to enable search, discovery, sharing and use adds considerable value to the model. This paper explores the rationale for a learning object approach to e-learning and reflects on early experiences in developing a national learning object repository for social work education in Scotland
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Multimodal and ubiquitous computing systems: supporting independent-living older users
We document the rationale and design of a multimodal interface to a pervasive/ubiquitous computing system that supports independent living by older people in their own homes. The Millennium Home system involves fitting a resident’s home with sensors – these sensors can be used to trigger sequences of interaction with the resident to warn them about dangerous events, or to check if they need external help. We draw lessons from the design process and conclude the paper with implications for the design of multimodal interfaces to ubiquitous systems developed for the elderly and in healthcare, as well as for more general ubiquitous computing applications
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