First Looks: CATaC '98\ud

The First International Conference on Cultural Attitudes Towards Technology and Communication (CATaC’98), and its affiliated publications, seek to bring together current insights from philosophy, communication theory, and cultural sciences in an interdisciplinary dialogue. The synthesis of disparate scholarly ideas will shed greater light on just how culture impacts on the use and appropriation of new communications technologies. Beyond the individual contributions themselves, some of our most significant insights will emerge as we listen and discuss carefully with one another during the conference itself. As a way of preparing for that discussion, I offer the following overview of the CATaC papers and abstracts, along with a summary of the insights and questions they suggest

A systematic review of pedagogical approaches that can effectively include children with special educational needs in mainstream classrooms with a particular focus on peer group interactive approaches

The broad background to this review is a long history of concepts of special pupils and special education, and a faith in special pedagogical approaches. The rise of inclusive schools and some important critiques of special pedagogy (e.g. Hart, 1996; Norwich and Lewis, 2001; Thomas and Loxley, 2001) have raised the profile of teaching approaches that ordinary teachers can and do use to include children with special educational needs in mainstream classrooms. Inclusive education itself is increasingly conceived as being about the quality of learning and participation that goes on in inclusive schools rather than simplistic matters of where children are place

Feasibility study of an Integrated Program for Aerospace-vehicle Design (IPAD) system. Volume 2: Characterization of the IPAD system, phase 1, task 1

The aircraft design process is discussed along with the degree of participation of the various engineering disciplines considered in this feasibility study

Understanding Entrepreneurship Process and Growth in Emerging Business Ventures under Market Socialism in China

Objectives: This paper aims to provide an insightful view of the entrepreneurial process and growth in different types of Chinese entrepreneurial enterprises under market socialism in China. This issue is explored by examining the organisational characteristics of three emerging business ventures under market reforms and institutional changes. It addresses the interactive effect of key contingency factors in entrepreneurship process and explains its impact on growth or failure outcomes in a particular ‘China type’ of market economy. Prior work: China’s hybrid economic system represents a mixed political economy with both socialist and capitalist characteristics (Lichtenstein, 1992; Morphy et al, 1992; Opper, 2001). Despite a growing body of research on Chinese small business practices alongside the economic reforms (Shen, 1994; Child, 1994; Naughton, 1994; Schlevogt, 2001; Warner, 2004; Yang, 2007; Kshetri, 2007; Yang and Li, 2008), more empirical studies are required to provide a critical insight into the emerging business practices. This research adopts a contingency model of entrepreneurship(Wickham, 2006) to examine entrepreneurship process and growth in different types of business venture. It reveals the interactive relationships among key variables such as strategy, ownership, culture and management process. Approaches: This research is undertaken through the empirical analysis of three case study companies in the textile industry. This fieldwork was conducted in 2006 and 2009 respectively. Multiple sources of data were collected including 21 open-ended interviews of owners and key managers in three case study companies. Results: The study offers an explanation on how entrepreneurship takes different forms and features in different organisational contexts. Empirical evidence supports four hypotheses: (1) The type of ownership is a key contingent factor that moderates particular entrepreneurial outcomes. (2) Leadership and knowledge accumulation capability are critical factors in learning process, significantly affecting the strategic choices in either high value or low value added products strategy. (3) The broadening of product portfolios and increased production capacity will improve survival chances and increase the likelihood of firm growth. (4) Management capability and consistency have greater impact on the outcome of entrepreneurship process than the resource and strategy factors. Implications: The findings have significant implications for a conceptual understanding of Chinese entrepreneurship dynamics. It addresses important considerations on government policy making and promotion strategies for entrepreneurship development in different forms of business venture. Value: The textile sector has pioneered the government reforms in restructuring and creating entrepreneurial enterprises. It offers a perfect case for assessing the entrepreneurship processes in a rapidly changing market environment. It emphasizes the important ownership effect on entrepreneurial outcomes. Drawing upon Wickham’s contingency model of entrepreneurship, it provides an improved understanding of this concept under particular circumstance and different contexts

In/Visibility in the Internet’s Third Age

Current research (see, for example, Cheong, Martin and Macfadyen, 2012) on patterns of global and intercultural new media penetration and use nevertheless reveal the thinness of earlier utopian hopes for a technologically mediated “global village.” Nevertheless, new media are transforming local, political and cultural landscapes. What has (and who have) been made newly in/visible by new media and technologies? Participants in this panel will present\ud and discuss aspects of their current research that shed light, in different ways, on questions of in/visibility in this, the Internet’s ‘Third Age’ (Wellman, 2011)

Addressing Teen Pregnancy in Rural Settings through Comprehensive Teen-Focused Prenatal Programs

During an internship at Magee-Womens Hospital, I had the opportunity to work with the teen centered prenatal care program. Through my interactions with the teens, I found that it is very beneficial to them to have access to a prenatal care program that is teen-focused. I wondered if access the same type of program would be beneficial to pregnant teens in rural areas.Although rates have declined, teen pregnancy continues to be a health issue with significant social and economic implications. Pregnant teens are a vulnerable population at higher risk for poor prenatal and post-partum outcomes. Pregnant teens have unique circumstances that require a different approach than that provided to pregnant adults. Teen parents lack parenting skills and are at a higher risk for child abuse and neglect. Teen mothers are less likely to finish high school and more likely to have poor long-term outcomes. Teen pregnancy in rural settings is as much of an issue as teen pregnancy in urban settings, however, the availability of teen-focused prenatal services in rural areas are disproportionately low. Pregnant teens in rural areas are limited to seeking care in adult-focused clinics or traveling to neighboring urban counties for teen-focused services. Pregnant teens would benefit from comprehensive teen-focused prenatal care programs. Providing care in a teen-focused setting allows teens to learn needed skills in a supportive atmosphere. A teen-focused program addresses issues such as increasing the use of contraception to prevent subsequent pregnancies; it also provides nutritional counseling, teaches parenting skills, encourages continued education, and identifies available resources. Teen Outreach is an example of a comprehensive teen centered education program located in Washington County, PA. The program provides prenatal, post-partum, and parenting education for pregnant teens in a rural setting. The purpose of this thesis is to address the need for comprehensive teen-focused prenatal programs in rural areas

A critical theory and postmodernist approach to the teaching of accounting theory

[Abstract]: This paper outlines my teaching philosophy for the Accounting Theory subject. A Critical Theory and Postmodernist approach is recommended, which makes full use of non-accounting 'tangential material' (Boyce, 2004) and material from popular culture (Kell, 2004; Nilan, 2004). The paper discusses some classroom interactive activities, as well as interview results from interviews conducted with eleven international students and one Australian student at Charles Sturt University. The teaching approach proposed in this paper is to conduct classroom interactive activities which study theories and research results from a range of disciplines in order to illustrate key points that apply equally as much to accounting theories and the accounting research process, e.g. the Positive/Normative dichotomy. Classroom interactive activities are discussed in class using the 'dialogical approach' to education recommended by Freire (1996), Kaidonis (2004), Boyce (2004), and Thomson and Bebbington (2004). Once students gain experience in studying material from outside accounting, the interview results suggest that they are then better motivated (Wynder, 2006) and better equipped to study and evaluate accounting theories

save to DISC: Documenting Innovation in Music Learning

The paper discusses an approach to determining the worth and value of innovation in music education and measuring it’s capacity for meaning and engagement. It also aims to identify new examples of innovation across a broad range of music learning contexts and establish a rigorous digital process for documenting, evaluating and distributing innovative cases and resources for present and future contexts. It discusses specifically a pilot project that seeks to document innovation in sound curriculum (DISC). save to DISC is an exploratory study in an Australasian CRC for Interaction Design (ACID) project that proposes to establish flexible and effective procedures for the sourcing, evaluating, refereeing, editing, producing, validating, storing, publishing, and distributing of a wide range of media and content types. It involves documenting innovative and successful practice in music education, creating and evaluating programs in difficult/challenging school contexts and commissioning and encouraging the production of resource materials for 21 st century contexts

Public participation and New Urbanism: a conflicting agenda?

The challenges to public participation in planning are numerous. Inclusive and equitable processes are recognised as an ideal in much planning theory and practice, yet this ideal is increasingly difficult to realise in today’s societies that comprise diverse and multiple publics. Within the wider sustainability debate, ‘New Urbanism’ has emerged as a pragmatic alternative to convention allow-density development. Concomitant with a range of prescribed physical outcomes, the New Urbanism movement advocates a process of ‘citizen-based participatory planning and design’. Charrettes, with urban design workshops, are the favoured tools for achieving this goal. However, it is argued that the adherence to a single type of participatory tool can be inconsistent with accepted ideals of participation processes and has several implications. Of particular concern is the role of the charrette planner or facilitator, a figure who has the potential to manipulate the public because of his/her inevitable allegiance to the New Urban agenda. In addition, the examination of a charrette process in a small New Zealand town raises several broader questions about the ability of the approach to address issues of inclusiveness and the recognition of difference, two fundamental elements of good participatory processes