Teaching Archetypal Design with an Electronic Textbook

How can parallel programming be made tractable for students in high schools and community colleges, to programmers in four-year colleges, to commercial and government employees, to interested independent users learning on their own, and as CASE tools for professional software designers? The computer science community must address this question if the ability of programmers to harness the power of parallel systems is to maintain pace with technology advances forthcoming in parallel systems. This paper addresses some of the issues of bringing parallel programming to the people, ranging from newly developing programmers with little experience on any computer to seasoned programmers of single-processor machines. We aim not only to enable people to use more powerful computers, but also to enable people to use computers more powerfully, by nurturing the techniques that enable them to develop efficient, correct code with relative ease. This paper briefly presents the concept of an Archetype, a software engineering methodology developed at the Caltech for patterns of problem solving, and for providing media for quick reference and natural software reuse. We then describe eText, an interactive multimedia electronic textbook that facilitates the teaching of, navigating through, and referring to Archetypes. Initial experience with Archetypes and the electronic textbook suggests that this approach to teaching parallel programming can aid computer users in the immediate future

Telemedicine strategic planning and implementation issues in the Navy Medical Department

Telemedicine is a system of health care delivery which combines image, video, sounds and text, enabling health care providers to consult one another and to examine patients at a distance through the use of telecommunications technology. There are currently a number of telemedicine initiatives within the Department of Defense (DoD) designed to improve the delivery of health care within the military health services system. Telemedicine demonstration projects and consultation sites have been deployed at Army, Navy, and Air Force medical treatment facilities. These initiatives have been driven by recent advances in telecommunications technology, digital imaging technology and video teleconferencing (VTC) technology, coupled with pressures to reduce health care costs and improve access to scarce medical specialist resources. This thesis provides a contextual framework for the analysis of the potential effects of telemedicine on the Navy health care delivery system. The analysis is developed through the review of current telemedicine and telecommunications technology, examination of strategic planning and implementation issues facing Navy telemedicine efforts, and an assessment of the merits and problems associated with implementing a telemedicine pilot project in a Navy medical treatment facility.http://archive.org/details/telemedicinestra1094535124NANAU.S. Navy (U.S.N.) author

Peer Tutoring and Scaffolding Principle for Inclusive Teaching

This paper aims to investigate the theoretical references that the literature offers with respect to the principle of scaffolding and to the methodology of Peer Tutoring from an inclusive perspective. The principle of scaffolding, in fact, has its roots in the first definitions by Vygotskij (1978a) who defines it as the social support provided to the student during the completion of a learning task to solve a problem or achieve a goal. Subsequently, this principle has been declined in an inclusive perspective with respect to classroom management and with respect to new transmedia learning environments. The reference literature was reviewed to highlight the learning outcomes related to the principle of cognitive, metacognitive and emotional scaffolding. In addition, from the point of view of classroom management from an inclusive perspective, a declination that is effective refers to Peer Tutoring. This methodology aims to promote mutual interactions mediated by peers in order to optimize individual functioning and promote the holistic development of the parties involved. Therefore, the Peer Tutoring methodology was highlighted with reference to both the theoretical and practical components of the studies investigated

Descriptive Case Studies of Training, Research and Development in Computers and Related Instructional Technologies for Teachers at Three NCATE Universities

Topic. The initial focus of this study was the computer and related instructional technology training of preservice teachers. Two areas related to the study, (1) graduate-level instruction in computers and related instructional technologies and (2) research and development in the area of computers in instruction, were also surveyed, with the intent of exploring their relationship to the training of preservice teachers and their influence on instruction in general. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe training, research, and development in computers and related instructional technologies at three NCATE universities which were identified as doing a good job of preparing teachers to teach in the Information Age. Sources. Using a qualitative case study research method, five research questions concerning the computer and related instructional technology training of preservice teachers were addressed. Semi-structured interviews, informal interviews, observations, questionnaires, NCATE documents, school of education bulletins, class syllabi, and handouts were used in the cross-case analysis. Conclusions. The findings from the research questions provide other teacher preparation programs with models for development, new ideas, and fresh approaches. Findings from an exploration of the two areas related to the study support the opinions of many educators who think that the delivery of instruction is changing and that technology is playing an important role in that change. Distance education, multi/hyper/interactive media, and technical skills necessary to access, manipulate, store, and retrieve information are perceived as growing inimportance, due to the demands of the Information Age

SEPEC conference proceedings: Hypermedia and Information Reconstruction. Aerospace applications and research directions

Papers presented at the conference on hypermedia and information reconstruction are compiled. The following subject areas are covered: real-world hypermedia projects, aerospace applications, and future directions in hypermedia research and development

Interactive hypermedia : a comparative study of the effects of real-time motion videodisc versus still frame and of cognitive style on cetacea animals knowledge test for second grade students

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of real-time motion vs still frame presentation mode and cognitive style (field dependent versus field independent) on a interactive hypermedia knowledge task. The field dependent and field independent cognitive style dimensions of 121 second grade students were determined by the administration of the Children's Embedded Figure Test. Forty field dependent individuals and 40 field independent individuals were selected, randomly assigned to treatment groups, and administered the Cetacea Animals Knowledge Test pre-test. Two groups each of 20 field dependent individuals and 20 field independent individuals received the hypermedia still frame presentation; two groups each of 20 field dependent individuals and 20 field independent individuals received the hypermedia real-time motion presentation. All groups were administered the Cetacea Animals knowledge test post-test. The results of a 2x2 analysis of covariance indicated a significant effect of cognitive style on the post-test scores; field independent students scored higher than field dependent students. There were no differences between hypermedia still frame and realtime motion treatment sub-groups, and no interaction effects between cognitive style field independent and field dependent dimension and hypermedia still frame and real-time motion presentation treatment

Adaptive learning technology in higher education : lessons from an economics classroom in South Africa

Abstract: Many public universities in South Africa have increased their use of technology assisted learning tools in a bid to improve student retention and success. One such tool is adaptive learning technology, which aims to customise a learner’s learning path to suit their individual learning needs using technology-assisted learning. Despite the growing popularity of adaptive learning technology in the global educational technology industry, little research has been done into adaptive learning and adaptive technology to prove its effectiveness on student learning in higher education and, more specifically, in the South African higher education environment. The aim of this study is to contribute to the growing literature on adaptive learning and adaptive learning technology by examining whether adaptive learning technology, in the form of McGraw Hill Connect, influences the learning experiences of first year Economics students in South Africa..

ITALY: WEB TOURISM PROMOTION

Tourism, an important industry with a significant social and cultural dimensions, provides interesting stimuli for the study of communication, particularly in the search for adequate tools for persuading potential clients. Since the internet is an essential tool for self-promotion nowadays, specialists examine how tourist destinations are presented in different types of digital texts such as official tourism websites, which combine the informative function of guidebooks with the promotional function of brochures and leaflets. The purpose of this study is to analyse the rhetorical strategies used on the official homepages of nine Italian regions to catch the eye of potential clients and create an identity for a particular region as a tourist destination. Il turismo, industria importante che ha una significativa dimensione sociale e culturale, costituisce un’area che fornisce stimoli interessanti per lo studio della comunicazione, in particolare nella ricerca di strumenti adeguati a persuadere potenziali clienti. Dal momento che oggi Internet è uno strumento essenziale per l’auto-promozione, molti specialisti si sono dedicati allo studio di come le destinazioni turistiche sono presentate in diversi tipi di testi digitali quali, ad esempio, i siti turistici ufficiali, che combinano la funzione informativa delle guide con quella promozionale di opuscoli e volantini. Scopo di questo studio è analizzare le strategie retoriche utilizzate nelle homepage ufficiali di nove regioni italiane per catturare l’attenzione dei potenziali clienti e per caratterizzare la regione come destinazione turistica

CICC Information System

The CICC Information system is an interactive media project simulated to be provided by the Chinese Information and Culture Center (CICC). It provides various Chinese information and the CICC services via the telecommunication network between the end-users\u27 computer and the terminal of the CICC. Through this connection, the user can not only search the Chinese art and culture information they are interested in, but also acquire the services providing by the CICC Library, Taipei Gallery and Taipei Theater. The intention of this project is to design an electronic information system for the real world. Both interface design and audio-visual aspect are my concerns