Crafting blindness : its organizational construction in a first grade school

This article is based on a case study conducted in an Italian primary school where the interactions between a sightless girl (named Jasmine, aged 8) and her classmates were extensively observed. The initial aim was to understand and describe the problems encountered by the sightless pupil, who acted in a social, organizational and physical environment which was not designed for handicapped people. However, other theoretical issues emerged during the research. The main finding was that sightlessness seems socially and organizationally constructed before it becomes a biological/physical handicap. The organizational processes through which the blindness is slowly and routinely constructed were extensively described

Corporate advisory networks of knowledge sharing agents

M.Phil. (Information Management)This study was aimed at the discovery of in corporate advisory networks who act as agents to share information and knowledge. In the current competitive and often uncertain economic business environment, savvy executives need to leverage off the expertise of their company employees in order to service their customers effectively and remain competitive. Since not all employees in the company have expert knowledge, executives need to discover the advisory networks of expert employees embedded in formal organisational structures and encourage them to share and transfer their expert knowledge to novices and/or less experienced employees. In light of the current argument, a diagnostic technique known as social network analysis (SNA) was used to map out and measure the advisory relational X-ray patterns within organisational departments and across to other functional business units. Once the patterns are discovered and the key expert networked employees identified, knowledge sharing interventions are introduced to facilitate experts to share and transfer their information, knowledge, insights and experiences to other less knowledgeable employees within the departments and across to other functional areas in the organisation. The overall objective of this study is therefore to utilise the SNA technique to discover the experts in the corporate advisory networks whom will act as agents to facilitate information and knowledge sharing in the organisation to improve other employees’ work performance thereby enabling the organisation to meet and even exceed its strategic objectives..

Risk management in Chinese supply

This research investigates how, in the context of China supply management, the relationship between supplier and buyer influences risk, and how non-Chinese companies manage Chinese suppliers to minimize risk. Four streams of literature were reviewed. Themes emerged when the four were aggregated. A qualitative, interpretivist, phenomenologically-housed research methodology was applied. Data was obtained through case and key informant studies, principally via literature-informed semi-structured interviews with managers at China-sourcing companies. Most key informant interviews were undertaken to enrich and validate case study findings. The two case studies and two of the key informant studies were of global MNEs; four key informants were managers at UK SMEs, one key informant interview was with a Chinese MNE (for perspectival comparison). Non-industry key informant interviews were also conducted: two were supply chain academics, three were China-specialising consultants, and two were managers at UK SMEs who both sell and source in China. The experiences of various supply chain and procurement professionals were acquired through an online discussion. Transcripts and forum messages constituted the data obtained from key informants; transcripts and internal and external documentation constituted the case study data. All data was subjected to thematic coding and analysis via NVivo. Themes and sub-themes were quantified to identify dominance. Risks and their corresponding countermeasures were compiled in tabular form, exposing similar patterns and approaches. Five theoretical outputs were produced – two main and three minor. Output #1 shows the commonality in the methods of China supply risk management reported – MNE and SME meta-processes. Output #2 articulates the triadic nature of risk, China presence, and the interfirm relationship. The three minor outputs derive from Output #1: (a) three pairs of variables characterise China supply risk factors unique to global MNEs; (b) the relatedness of risk and relationship quality/formality; and (c) the relatedness of risk and buyer status/ supplier perspective. Two practitioner outputs were also developed: a global MNE risk assessment tool, and a UK SME risk assessment tool. Essential findings: in the context of China supply management, buyer risk is lower if the buyer-supplier relationship is strong. Buyer-supplier relationships are strengthened by interfirm integration and China-side presence of the foreign partner. Non-Chinese MNEs minimize Chinese supply risk by operating China offices; SMEs by utilising key China people. MNEs and SMEs can earn risk-reducing favoured buyer status through placing significant orders, building trust relationships, and working collaboratively with their Chinese partners

Neuroeducación, ansiedad y atención en alumnos de Educación Primaria

El Trabajo de Fin de Máster que se expone a continuación constituye una iniciación a la investigación educativa. El tema principal que se aborda está centrado en la búsqueda de metodologías adaptables, en niveles de Educación Primaria, que ayuden a resolver el reciente aumento de trastornos del aprendizaje y la aparición de conductas disruptivas en la población infanto-juvenil en el medio escolar. Partiendo de la fundamentación teórica sobre Neuroeducación se instalan una serie de estímulos neuroeducativos con los que erradicar la ansiedad que se pueda producir en las aulas y, de este modo, mejorar la atención del alumnado. La neuroeducación aborda un nuevo campo, tanto educativo como científico, cuyo fin es el empleo de los conocimientos sobre el funcionamiento del cerebro, apoyándonos en la neurocognición, para la mejora del aprendizaje. En consecuencia, se pretende mejorar y potenciar tanto los procesos de aprendizaje como las funciones de orden superior, a través de la innovación educativa. Si se conoce el posible papel que juegan los docentes dentro de este campo, se podrá poner en práctica esta propuesta metodológica que reivindica la importancia del autocontrol en el triple determinismo recíproco y, por consiguiente, desarrollar en los alumnos la competencia de aprender a aprender en todos sus ámbitos.Departamento de PsicologíaMáster en Investigación Aplicada a la Educació

SOCIAL PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOLS: DEVELOPING THE ROLE OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PRACTITIONERS

The aim of this dissertation is to build the repertoire of occupational therapy practitioners so that they are better prepared in the provision of services addressing social participation of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Students with disabilities in general education classrooms tend to have greater difficulty establishing and maintaining friendships (Wight & Chapparo, 2008), have fewer reciprocated friendships (Kemp & Carter, 2002), and lower stability in relationships than peers without disabilities. Furthermore, studies indicate that students with disabilities are less social accepted (Ekornas, Heimann, Tjus, Heyerdahl, & Lundervold, 2011) and are more isolated (Nadeau & Tessier, 2006). Students are often aware of the stigma and negative attitudes that promote “disabling expectations” of them in general education classrooms (McMaugh, 2011). Social participation is important for students with disabilities as it leads to better functional and psychosocial outcomes (Richardson, 2002), decreases the likelihood of behavioral and emotional problems (Murray & Greenberg, 2006), and promotes a better subjective health status (Gerich, 2003), all of which leads to a more conducive learning environment. Occupational therapists report role confusion, a limited knowledge base, and express the need for better preparation and continuing education in psychosocial interventions for students, along with more tools and reference materials (Beck et al., 2006). This dissertation is the accumulation and progression of four different research projects centered around social participation in the schools for students with disabilities in general education classrooms. This research includes a systematic review of the literature, a survey of occupational therapy practitioners, a phenomenological look at the lived experience of school-based team members who implemented a program to promote inclusion, and a mixed methods study utilizing ethnographic principles and social network analysis to study a case of seventh graders and their social interactions. These studies reveal the need for occupational therapy practitioners to (a) provide practical knowledge to all individuals within the social environment, (b) collaborate with team members for successful intervention, program development, and goal setting, (c) facilitate involvement in valued school roles, and (d) structure and adapt activities to promote active participation of all students. Further implications for occupational therapy practice and future research is also discussed

The development of realistic mathematics education-based student worksheets to enhance higher-order thinking skills and mathematical ability

This study aims to provide educational resources in the form of worksheets based on Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) principles and focus on the topic of equal fractions. The main criteria for these resources are validity, feasibility, and effectiveness. The development methodology employed in this study is the ADDIE model, which encompasses the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation stages. The participants of this study consisted of 14 pupils enrolled in class IV at SDM Alam Surakarta. The assessment tools employed consisted of assessments on student learning outcomes about equivalent fractions and supplementary materials in the form of questionnaires, interview guides, and observation sheets. The examination of the data reveals that the learning tools have achieved a high level of validity, falling inside the extremely valid category, with an average score of 4.26. The feasibility test for the LKS, conducted by the assisting instructor, yielded an average score of 4.4. The pupils' performance on the LKS assessment yielded an average score of 4.89, placing them in the "very feasible" category. The classical student learning outcomes achieved a completeness of 85.71%, as evidenced by an average score of 80.35. Notably, 12 students attained a complete score. There is a noticeable upward trend in student engagement during each learning session. The findings from the data analysis conducted on instructors' competencies in managing RME-based learning revealed an average score of 92, indicating a high level of proficiency. Students who were qualitatively integrated into the eligibility questionnaire also expressed positive responses. Therefore, learning tools based on Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) exhibit high validity, feasibility, and effectiveness in educational settings, as they have been empirically demonstrated to enhance students' mathematical proficiency

DATA STORES AND VISUALIZATION: Cookstove Emissions Research as a Case Study for Industry Practice

Research of Emissions, Air Quality, Climate, and Cooking Technologies in Northern Ghana (REACCTING) is a group composed primarily of researchers from the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the University of Colorado at Boulder, and the Nvrango Health Research Center. Recent reports indicate that “nearly three billion people in the developing world cook food and heat their homes with open fires or cookstoves that are fueled by solid biofuels.” The smoke exposure from these methods contributes heavily to global emissions and is estimated to cause four million premature deaths annually. REACCTING has been collecting vast amounts of data in search of effective alternatives for these activities and requested student assistance in managing and visualizing the data. The processing, cleaning, storage, and visualization of the REACCTING data presented technical and human challenges that are common in industry practices. This paper primarily discusses the technical strategies and design considerations for data visualization, within the context of the data engineering lifecycle. The process of working with the REACCTING data was dynamic and the end product was an explanatory web application that presents a dataset in the form of an interactive animated map. Although the REACCTING team was already using both free and proprietary high-level software for advanced statistical, geographical, and graphical analysis, this mapping “quick-look” tool served the explanatory purpose of creating an overview of the subject’s location and how that relates to exposure. The technical outcome can be used for a more comprehensive understanding of the data and, from a developer’s perspective, can be applied in concept to other data problems