Evaluating transformative innovation policy: towards an integrated framework

Past reviews show that the current practice of science, technology, and innovation policy evaluation lags behind the development of innovation theory. The emergence of the transformative innovation policy paradigm, which aims at addressing transformative change or ‘grand challenges’, implies new challenges for policy evaluation. These include, among other aspects, assessing (i) behavioural additionality, i.e., going beyond the traditional input–output analysis to address how policy changes the behaviour of actors involved in or affected by a policy measure and affects learning at the system level, and (ii) the directionality of change, i.e., how policy mixes are impacting the process and direction of socio-technical systems. The purpose of this licentiate thesis is to understand how evaluation can be made more transformative in order to assess policy interventions targeting system innovation, while also addressing the aforementioned challenges. Based on the literature on sustainability transitions, combined with insights from the literature on theory-based policy evaluation, I propose an integrated framework for evaluating such programmes. The integrated framework is composed of three main components: (i) a programme theory, which describes how the programme was conceptualized, including its goals, system boundaries, desired transition pathways, and theories of change; (ii) a system analysis, which focuses on a set of transformative processes that describe changes in socio-technical systems; and (iii) an assessment of the unfolding transition pathway(s). This licentiate thesis also includes a first attempt to apply the framework. In order to do this, I analyse the case of the BioInnovation Strategic Innovation Programme (SIP), a programme funded by Vinnova (the Swedish Innovation Agency), whose vision is that Sweden will have transformed into a bioeconomy by 2050. The programme focuses on system innovation in three main areas: chemical and energy, construction and design, and materials. Building on preliminary findings of this empirical application, I reflect upon the methodological and conceptual implications of such an approach and indicate opportunities for further research

Effect of waste plaster of Paris on physical and mechanical properties of ceramic pottery body

Over the years, millions tonnes of waste plaster of Paris (POP) were generated and disposed in landfills or most of the time was dumped directly into the environment without any treatments, makes it as one of the environmental issues. Therefore, a new alternative is required to convert the wastes POP into useful materials and marketable to minimize the environmental impact. In the early stage, this study focused on the characterization of the raw material used through particle size analysis, thermal analysis, and identification of its purity. Then, the slip casting technique and standard American Society for Test and Materials (ASTM) was respectively used to fabricate and characterize all of the pottery samples. In the second stage, the ceramic pottery body was fabricated using different composition of waste POP, started from 0 wt.% until 12 wt.%. The samples obtained were analysed through viscosity test and its green body was observed. The results showed that the samples with compositions of 0 to 10 wt.% of waste POP were the only samples that can be used in this study. The analysis on the effects of particle sizes ranging from 25 to 73 μm and sintering temperatures ranging from 950 to 1050 °C on the physical and mechanical properties of the fabricated ceramic pottery body, respectively, were then determined in the third and fourth stage of this study. The physical properties were reported in terms of shrinkage, porosity, and density values; whereas, the mechanical properties were reported in terms of the value of modulus of rupture (MOR). The result showed that a dense and a high strength of ceramic pottery can be produced by using a finer size of particle of 25 μm and at a high sintering temperature of 1050 °C, based on the low porosity value, the high density value, MOR and also the controllable value of shrinkage. Therefore, it can be concluded that the waste POP can be successfully used as a filler to enhance the properties of ceramic pottery body

Effect of waste plaster of Paris on physical and mechanical properties of ceramic pottery body

Over the years, millions tonnes of waste plaster of Paris (POP) were generated and disposed in landfills or most of the time was dumped directly into the environment without any treatments, makes it as one of the environmental issues. Therefore, a new alternative is required to convert the wastes POP into useful materials and marketable to minimize the environmental impact. In the early stage, this study focused on the characterization of the raw material used through particle size analysis, thermal analysis, and identification of its purity. Then, the slip casting technique and standard American Society for Test and Materials (ASTM) was respectively used to fabricate and characterize all of the pottery samples. In the second stage, the ceramic pottery body was fabricated using different composition of waste POP, started from 0 wt.% until 12 wt.%. The samples obtained were analysed through viscosity test and its green body was observed. The results showed that the samples with compositions of 0 to 10 wt.% of waste POP were the only samples that can be used in this study. The analysis on the effects of particle sizes ranging from 25 to 73 μm and sintering temperatures ranging from 950 to 1050 °C on the physical and mechanical properties of the fabricated ceramic pottery body, respectively, were then determined in the third and fourth stage of this study. The physical properties were reported in terms of shrinkage, porosity, and density values; whereas, the mechanical properties were reported in terms of the value of modulus of rupture (MOR). The result showed that a dense and a high strength of ceramic pottery can be produced by using a finer size of particle of 25 μm and at a high sintering temperature of 1050 °C, based on the low porosity value, the high density value, MOR and also the controllable value of shrinkage. Therefore, it can be concluded that the waste POP can be successfully used as a filler to enhance the properties of ceramic pottery body

Development and evaluation of a web-based learning system based on learning object design and generative learning to improve higher-order thinking skills and learning

This research aims to design, develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a Webbased learning system prototype called Generative Object Oriented Design (GOOD) learning system. Result from the preliminary study conducted showed most of the students were at lower order thinking skills (LOTS) compared to higher order thinking skills (HOTS) based on Bloom’s Taxonomy. Based on such concern, GOOD learning system was designed and developed based on learning object design and generative learning to improve HOTS and learning. A conceptual model design of GOOD learning system, called Generative Learning Object Organizer and Thinking Tasks (GLOOTT) model, has been proposed from the theoretical framework of this research. The topic selected for this research was Computer System (CS) which focused on the hardware concepts from the first year Diploma of Computer Science subjects. GOOD learning system acts as a mindtool to improve HOTS and learning in CS. A pre-experimental research design of one group pretest and posttest was used in this research. The samples of this research were 30 students and 12 lecturers. Data was collected from the pretest, posttest, portfolio, interview and Web-based learning system evaluation form. The paired-samples T test analysis was used to analyze the achievement of the pretest and posttest and the result showed that there was significance difference between the mean scores of pretest and posttest at the significant level a = 0.05 (p=0.000). In addition, the paired-samples T test analysis of the cognitive operations from Bloom’s Taxonomy showed that there was significance difference for each of the cognitive operation of the students before and after using GOOD learning system. Results from the study showed improvement of HOTS and learning among the students. Besides, analysis of portfolio showed that the students engaged HOTS during the use of the system. Most of the students and lecturers gave positive comments about the effectiveness of the system in improving HOTS and learning in CS. From the findings in this research, GOOD learning system has the potential to improve students’ HOTS and learning

The Cooperative Participatory Evaluation of Renewable Technologies on Ecosystem Services (CORPORATES)

Publisher PD

Planning Curricular Proposals on Sound and Music with Prospective Secondary-School Teachers

Sound is a preferred context to build foundations on wave phenomena, one of the most important disciplinary referents in physics. It is also one of the best-set frameworks to achieve transversality, overcoming scholastic level and activating emotional aspects which are naturally connected with every day life, as well as with music and perception. Looking at sound and music by a transversal perspective - a border-line approach between science and art, is the adopted statement for a teaching proposal using meta-cognition as a strategy in scientific education. This work analyzes curricular proposals on musical acoustics, planned by prospective secondary-school teachers in the framework of a Formative Intervention Module answering the expectation of making more effective teaching scientific subjects by improving creative capabilities, as well as leading to build logical and scientific categorizations able to consciously discipline artistic activity in music students. With this aim, a particular emphasis is given to those concepts - like sound parameters and structural elements of a musical piece, which are best fitted to be addressed on a transversal perspective, involving simultaneously physics, psychophysics and music.Comment: 12 pages with 5 figures. Submitted for publication in Physics Curriculum Design, Development and Validation - GIREP 2008 book of selected papers, 200

Using language technologies to support individual formative feedback

In modern educational environments for group learning it is often challenging for tutors to provide timely individual formative feedback to learners. Taking the case of undergraduate Medicine, we have found that formative feedback is generally provided to learners on an ad-hoc basis, usually at the group, rather than individual, level. Consequently, conceptual issues for individuals often remain undetected until summative assessment. In many subject domains, learners will typically produce written materials to record their study activities. One way for tutors to diagnose conceptual development issues for an individual learner would be to analyse the contents of the learning materials they produce, which would be a significant undertaking. CONSPECT is one of six core web-based services of the Language Technologies for Lifelong Learning (LTfLL) project. This European Union Framework 7-funded project seeks to make use of Language Technologies to provide semi-automated analysis of the large quantities of text generated by learners through the course of their learning. CONSPECT aims to provide formative feedback and monitoring of learners’ conceptual development. It uses a Natural Language Processing method, based on Latent Semantic Analysis, to compare learner materials to reference models generated from reference or learning materials. This paper provides a summary of the service development alongside results from validation of Version 1.0 of the service

OntoEng: A design method for ontology engineering in information systems

This paper addresses the design problem relating to ontology engineering in the discipline of information systems. Ontology engineering is a realm that covers issues related to ontology development and use throughout its life span. Nowadays, ontology as a new innovation promises to improve the design, semantic integration, and utilization of information systems. Ontologies are the backbone of knowledge-based systems. In addition, they establish sharable and reusable common understanding of specific domains amongst people, information systems, and software agents. Notwithstanding, the ontology engineering literature does not provide adequate guidance on how to build, evaluate, and maintain ontologies. On the basis of the gathered experience during the development of V4 Telecoms Business Model Ontology as well as the conducted integration of the related literature from the design science paradigm, this paper introduces OntoEng and its application as a novel systematic design method for ontology engineering

FDTL voices : drawing from learning and teaching projects

This publication draws on insights and experiences from individuals and teams within learning and teaching development projects in higher education. It considers lessons learnt from the processes, outcomes and tangible outputs of the projects across the spectrum of the FDTL initiative, with the intention that colleagues can draw on and benefit from this experience. The overriding theme at the heart of every FDTL project has been the desire to achieve some form of positive and meaningful change at the level of the individual, institution or discipline. The continuing legacy of the programme has been to create wider community involvement as projects have engaged with the higher education sector on multiple levels - personal, institutional, practice, and policy. This publication has remained throughout a collaborative endeavour, supported by Academy colleagues. It is based around the four themes emerging from the initiative as a whole: • Sectoral/Organisational Change • Conceptual Change • Professional and Personal Development Partnership and • Project Managemen

The Greatest Constructivist Educator Ever: The Pedagogy of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew in the Context of the 5Es

The gospel message of Jesus Christ found in the New Testament requires the learner to believe in God, not as a result of works, but on a foundation of faith. In order to preach the principles of the kingdom of heaven effectively in a way the people could understand, Jesus employed teaching methodologies in the Gospel of Matthew that can be framed in the 5Es of constructivism and can be an example for educators today