Use of a student response system in Primary Schools — an empirical study

This paper reports a pilot study for a student response system (SRS) used in an English school. The technology used is the “Wireless Response System” – WRS developed at Huddersfield University, and the learning activities were conducted in Mathematics and English classes. The main concepts – activity based, problem based and opinion based learning – are adopted into the study. A case study was the method used in the investigation. The results show that the system is suitable for different sizes groups of users, who may choose their preferred question types. The school claims the use of WRS was successful, evidenced by the data collected, and the children and teachers were interested in using it. We conclude that the SRS can assist teachers in classroom teaching at primary school level, especially in the observations of engagement and effectiveness of students’ learning

VICAR image processing system guide to system use

The functional characteristics and operating requirements of the Video Image Communication and Retrieval System are detailed

Use of the Físchlár video library system

Físchlár is a shared video retrieval system that lets users record, browse and watch television programmes using their web browser. In Físchlár, the programmes users can watch and record are organised by channel, by theme and by personal recommendation as provided by the ChangingWorlds’ ClixSmart personalisation engine. Our initial results from user trials illustrate the usage of each of these features

Run numbering system for use with data recorders

Run numbering identification system provides a permanent identification on the recorder traces of data runs. It automatically enters, by pulse coding, the number of the current data run on the recorder trace. The system uses a keyboard, registers, converters, amplifiers, and a pulse generator

Predicting teachers' use of an educational system by intention, attitude and self-reported use

Acceptance studies are for organizations a means to gain insight into users’ perceptions of a (newly introduced) technology. However, the validity of an acceptance study might be limited (a) in the case where a technology can be used receptively (e.g. to download information) as well as generatively (e.g. to share knowledge); and (b) if actual use of the technology is not measured. For this study, different dimensions of actual use of an educational portal (number of logins, downloads, uploads, reactions and pageviews) of 864 teachers were collected on two occasions (T1 and T2), and linked to their responses on an acceptance questionnaire based upon scales of TAM and TPB (taken at T1). Two research questions were put forward: (1) which dimensions of actual use can be predicted by attitude, intention and self-reported use; and (2) which factors discern the uploaders from the non-uploaders. Regression analyses showed that receptive use (logging in, downloading and browsing) could be predicted by attitude, intention and self-reported use, with variance explained ranging between .13 and .16; whereas generative use (uploading and reacting on contributions of other teachers) could not be predicted (Adj. R2 between .01 and .04). Logistic regression showed that the more positive teachers’ attitudes towards the portal are and the higher their perceptions of control; the more likely they will upload information onto the portal. This study is a call for more research on the factors that influence different dimensions of actual educational technology use

Psychotropic medication use among children in the child welfare system

Prior research demonstrates that children in the child welfare system are given psychotropic medication at rates approximately three times higher than children and adolescents in the general population. Using data from the second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, authors Wendy Walsh and Marybeth Mattingly report that among children age 4 and older with a report of maltreatment, rates of psychotropic medication use are significantly higher in rural (20 percent) than urban areas (13 percent). Children age 4 and older with a maltreatment report in rural areas were significantly more likely to take more than one medication than children in urban areas. The significantly higher rates of psychotropic medication use among children in rural areas and the significantly higher rates of taking multiple medications point to the need among child welfare professionals in rural areas to closely monitor use. The results of the current analysis indicate that more information is needed about the complex decision-making process regarding medication use. This includes a need to better understand how pediatric clinicians make decisions, and the impact of community norms on medication use

A NPC Behaviour Definition System for Use by Programmers and Designers

In this paper we describe ZBL/0, a scripting system for defining NPC (Non Player Character) behaviour in FPS (First Person Shooter) games. ZBL/0 has been used to illustrate the use of scripting systems in computer games in general and the scripting of NPC behaviour in particular in the context of a book on game development. Many novice game designers have clear ideas about how the computer game they imagine should work but have little knowledge – if any – about how their ideas can be implemented. This is why books on game creation (design, programming etc.), as well as all-in-one game creation systems – especially designed for ease of use and intended for an amateur audience – enjoy great popularity. A large proportion of these books however merely present solutions in the form of descriptions and explanations of specific implementations with inadequate explanations of principles. While this may benefit rapid application development it often does not lead to a deeper understanding of the underlying concepts. The understanding of rule-based behaviour definition through simple scripting in computer games and the development of such scripts by programmers and designers is what we aim to address with the ZBL/0 system

Modeling the Influence of Land Use Developments on Transportation System Performance

The growth in the urban population has influenced urban sprawl, congestion, and subsequently, delays on the existing road infrastructure. New land use developments occur in every part of the city due to rapid economic development and to meet the demand for better living standards. The induced traffic volume generated from such land use developments often results in increased congestion and vehicular delay on the existing roads. With recent advancements in the technology, it is possible to capture continuous, and comprehensive travel time data for every major corridor in a city. Therefore, the goal of this research is to model the influence of land use developments on travel time variations to improve the mobility of people and goods. Data for 259 road links were selected within the city of Charlotte, North Carolina (NC). Three years of travel time data, from the year 2013 to the year 2015, were collected from the private agency. Thirty-five different types of land use developments were considered in this research. The spatial dependency was incorporated by considering the land use developments within 0.5 miles, 1 mile, 2 miles, and 3 miles of the selected road link. Forty-eight statistical models were developed. The results obtained indicate that land use developments have a significant influence on travel times. Different land use categories contribute to the average travel time based on the buffer width, area type, and the link speed limit. Developing the models by classifying the links based on the speed limit (\u3c 45 mph, 45 to 50 mph, and \u3e 50 mph) was observed to be the best approach to examine the relationship between land use developments and the average travel time. Also, typically travel time on a selected road link is higher during the evening peak period compared to the morning peak and the afternoon off-peak period. Further, the results obtained indicate that the number of lanes and the posted speed limit are negatively associated with the travel time of the selected link