Design, Development and Evaluation of Web Based Learning Management System

e-learning is a process of integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into the learning system that can be used by users without the limitation of time and location. The e-learning framework application known as Learning Management System (LMS) is capable in managing the teaching and learning processes effectively. Lecturers use LMS for the intention of increasing and enhancing the teaching-learning environment for the students with the diversity of learning resources available on the internet sites. The goal of this research is to develop an LMS that suits the ICT competency of lecturers and students in UPM. Meanwhile, the objectives of this research are to identify the lecturers’ perception on the necessity in developing the LMS in order to inculcate the culture of e-learning as well as to assess its usage among lecturers and students. Hence a prototype LMS based on the Rapid Prototyping Design Model has been developed. Lecturers’ perceptions toward e-learning from the aspects of attitude, skills in technology as well as fields of expertise were examined to identify the lecturers’ need to use the LMS prototype. The research found that lecturers are positive towards new changes that are happening especially in the campus ICT development. Overall, it was found that respondents have quite a high perception towards attitude (mean=4.03, sd=.76), technology skills (mean=4.19, sd=0.85) and field of expertise (mean=4.07, sd=0.93). The respondents perception is also positive mainly about the needs of LMS (mean=4.12, sd=0.80) and Learning Contents Management System (mean=4.11, sd=0.80) in their efforts toward e-learning accomplishment. The LMS prototype adopting open source PERL as the programming language has been successfully developed in which it took into account the aspects of data flow, database design, process design, navigation and interface design. The web based application is used by the lecturers to organize the learning materials, whereby the student used it in order to access lecture notes; news updates of courses and to have online discussions. The interface design of the LMS prototype does not involve oversized graphic elements as it also has simple navigation to simplify the usage. The research on LMS prototype among students found that students enrolled in the course BIP3501 preferred the lectures notes module (72%), followed by the info/news updates module (15%) and tutorial activities (10%). On the other hand, students who enrolled for the course PHY4202, were more interested in accessing the info/news updates (40%), beside lectures notes (36%) and forum (22%). The difference in the pattern of preference for a particular module was apparently due to the learning method adapted for the course PHY4202 is more of Student Centered Learning (SCL) method while the course BIP3501 is more of Teacher Centered Learning (TCL) oriented. The lecturers’ perception towards the LMS prototype showed that they are really positive and agreed with the interface design and navigation with the mean score value excess of 3.50 for each item given. Respondents agreed with the LMS interface design that is simple with clear-cut text presentation (mean=4.10, sd=0.77), unambiguous icons or graphics (mean=4.14, sd=0.64), instructions that are easy to follow (mean=4.10, sd=0.68) and able to explore the LMS easily (mean=4.10, sd=0.79). The research also found that more than 40 lecturers (53%) who implemented SCL method updated the lectures notes at least once a week. The LMS prototype that has been developed fulfill the requirements of the users (mean=3.35, sd=0.93). For the purpose of organizing the learning resources through LMS, respondents also agreed that it is easy to upload (mean=3.69, sd=0.82) and to download (mean=3.70, sd=0.80) the teaching documents. In conclusion, respondents agreed that the LMS prototype which contains minimal modules is simple to be used (mean=4.04, sd=0.79) in accordance of the ICT competency of lecturers and students

Wonders of glass: synthesis, elasticity and application

The term ‘glass’ has a precise scientific meaning: a glass, or a substance in the glassy or vitreous state, is a material, formed by cooling down from the normal liquid state, which has shown no discontinuous change (such as crystallization or separation into more than one phase) at any temperature, but has become more or less rigid through a progressive increase in its viscosity. In common usage, the term ‘glass’ refers to a class of versatile materials of great practical usefulness, with a number of very characteristic properties which are typically hard and brittle solids, lustrous and often optically transparent. Glass is one type of amorphous solid material which also shows property of softening progressively and continuously when heated. The term is usually applied to inorganic solids and not to plastics or other organics. Glasses do not have crystalline (non-crystalline) internal structure. Its molecules have a disordered arrangement, but there is enough cohesion to produce rigidity. Majority of glass seen in everyday life is transparent, but glass can also be translucent or opaque. In science, however, the term glass is usually defined in a much wider sense, including every solid that possesses a non-crystalline (i.e. amorphous) structure and that exhibits a glass transition when heated towards the liquid state. The term ‘glass’ was developed in the late Roman Empire. It was in the Roman glassmaking center at Trier, now in modern Germany, that the late-Latin term glesum originated, probably from a Germanic word for a transparent, lustrous substance. Glasses can be made of quite different classes of materials. Glassy state, which is a universal property of supercooled liquids if they are cooled rapidly enough, is regarded as the fourth state of matter. The physics of glass is the science of the glassy or amorphous state of matter as seen from an atomic or molecular point of view. The mysterious glass transition phenomenon, which connects the liquid and glassy states, is related widely to daily life, industry, materials preparation and a lot of natural phenomena. However, the exact and comprehensive physical understanding of the glass nature is considered to be one of the most challenging problems in condensed matter physics and material science. Due to their random disordered structure, the characterization of glasses is very difficult, and this leads to problems in understanding the formation, nature, and the structure-properties relationship of glasses. The mechanics of solids, regarded as continuous media, forms the content of the theory of elasticity. The macroscopic behaviour of a solid is described by a continuum field theory, the theory of elasticity, which describes the way a solid deforms when stresses are applied. Glass itself provides plentiful precise knowledge of fundamental parameters of elastic modulus, which offer a benchmark reference point for understanding and applications of these materials. In general, the elastic constants of glasses show a correlation with a weighted average of the elastic constants of the constituent elements. This information can be employed in selecting the constituent elements with suitable elasticity for controlling the elastic properties and glass-forming ability of the glasses, and thus the results would enable the design, control and tuning of the formation and properties of any type of glasses. So far glass structure is still the basic foundation in understanding the behaviour of the material. Elasticity of any solid materials can be studied through ultrasonic investigation which is associated with the velocity of ultrasonic waves and bulk density. Hence the elastic moduli are particularly suitable for characterizing glasses as a function of composition. Elastic properties also provide vital information about the structure of solids and they are directly related to inter-atomic potentials. Glass is normally lustrous and transparent in appearance and shows great durability when exposed to natural elements. Hence, glass applications are found to be common and varied in many implementations in human civilization and life, such as domestic appliances, construction elements, scientific investigation, medical devices and artistic items. Throughout history, glass has been used to make ornamental and decorative objects. In addition, it has been used for useful objects such as windows, containers, optical lenses and glass fibers. Its flexible character allows it to be shaped into a wide variety of forms and sizes, in addition to which glass’s cohesiveness with other substance gives benefits in the form or new transitions. The varied applications are driven by one or several of the properties that make the use of glass so attractive. This lecture comprehensively reviews the science of glass and the development of the study of the elastic properties of borate, phosphate and tellurite based glass systems, the establishment of correlations between elastic moduli and other physical properties of glass, and also the application and preparation techniques of glass. The goal is to show the key roles of elastic moduli in the study, formation, and understanding of several types of glasses, and to present a comprehensive elastic perspective on the major fundamental issues from its processing to structure to properties in this rapidly evolving field

Synthesis and characterisation of nickel oxide reinforced with polycaprolactone composite for dielectric applications by controlling nickel oxide as a filler

Developing new absorbing and sheilding materials with a large band of frequency and high performance to allow the coexistence of the electronic components without the damaging electromagnetic interference (EMI) is needed. This paper is about the development of microwave-absorbing material from polycaprolactone by the addition of nickel oxide. Preparation of NiO/PCL composites to homogeneous were carried out using a Brabender Internal Mixer using the melt blend technique. These composites were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as well using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Dielectric properties were obtained over a broad range of frequency of 8–12 GHz at the room temperature. It is found that the permittivity values increased via NiO filler content increments and decreased with frequency hikes. An instrument of rectangular waveguide is connected to a network analyzer (PNA) and the values of transmission (S21) and reflection (S11) parameters were measured which were also used for calculating reflection loss, microwave absorption values and the shielding properties of EMI by NiO/PCL composite at X-band frequencies. The measurement results found the material has good EMI shielding application potential as its microwave absorption has shown

Linear and nonlinear optical properties of erbium doped zinc borotellurite glass system

A glass series of erbium doped zinc borotellurite glass system was prepared by using the melt-quenching method. The absorption spectra revealed several bands at visible range which correspond to the following transitions (from the ground state); 4G11/2 + 2H9/2 + 4F5/2 + 4F7/2 + 2H11/2 + 4S3/2 + 4F9/2 + 4I9/2 + 4I11/2. From the Judd–Ofelt analysis, it is found that the trend of Ω2 values is a non-linear variation along with erbium concentrations. Meanwhile, the value of Ω6 decreases as the erbium concentration increases. The photoluminescence analysis shows green emission which are attributed to the 4S3/2 level to the ground state at 4I15/2. Meanwhile, the upconversion analysis revealed several emission bands at 376 nm, 424 nm, 470 nm and 558 nm which correspond to 4G11/2 → 4I15/2, 4F3/2 → 4I15/2, 4F7/2 → 4I15/2 and 4S3/2 → 4I15/2 transitions respectively. The non-linear refractive index spectra show self-defocusing behavior and negative nonlinear refraction (ƞ2<0) under laser excitation at 532 nm of wavelength. The obtained values of nonlinear absorption and nonlinear susceptibility revealed nonlinear variations

A systematic literature review on sustainable production indicators to assess the sustainable performance of industries

Previous literature proposed various methodologies to integrate and assess sustainable production. Numerous frameworks and indicators for sustainable production were suggested as measurement tools. However, these tools need to be more comprehensive and simpler to apply at factory level to achieve the sustainability goals. This paper mainly aims to analyze the various frameworks of sustainable production as evidenced in previous studies to determine the elements and components of the reviewed frameworks as well as indicators based on their criteria as suggested in the literature. The second objective is to understand the trend of scholars in integrating sustainable performance in manufacturing firms. The scientific literature on sustainable production in manufacturing industries was systematically reviewed. Findings of the study suggest that proposals for sustainable production indictors need to be more detailed to include all sustainable development pillars. Scholars are most likely to propose specific sets of indicators for specific products in industry, and life cycle approach is the most reliable in the case of sustainable production. This review will help to enhance managers’ awareness of different frameworks of sustainable production, which can be used in specific contexts

Formation and elastic properties of lithium chlorophosphate glasses

Two series of glasses, (Li2O)x(P2O5)1-x and (LiCl)y((Li2O)0.4(P2O5)0.6)1-y were prepared by ordinary melt-quench technique. The range of x is from 0.1 to 0.5 with interval of 0.05 and the range of y is from 0.1 to 0.5 with interval of 0.1. The ultrasonic velocities for both series of glasses were measured at room temperature by using pulse echo technique at 10 MHz. The velocity data have been used to estimate the elastic modulus and Debye temperature for each composition. The density of Li2O-P2O5 glasses increases with the addition of Li2O but LiCl-Li2O-P2O5 glasses shows the trend of decrement when the mole fraction of LiCl increases. The longitudinal, shear, bulk and Young’s modulus for lithium phosphate glasses are found to increase with the addition of Li2O whereas the elastic moduli for lithium chlorophosphate glasses are found to decrease with the concentration of LiCl; these kind of characteristics are due to the variation of ultrasonic waves in different glass structures

Comprehensive study on physical, elastic and shielding properties of lead zinc phosphate glasses

A series of ternary phosphate glasses in the form of (PbO)x(ZnO)60-x(P2O5)40 where x = 0–60 mol%, have been successfully prepared by conventional melt-quenching technique. The physical and elastic properties of the glasses have been investigated using pulse echo technique. The longitudinal and shear velocity of the glasses were measured using the MBS8000 ultrasonic data acquisition system at 10 MHz frequency in room temperature. The density, ultrasonic velocity and elastic moduli are found to be composition dependent and the correlation between the elastic moduli with the atomic packing density is discussed in detailed. The shielding parameters, mass attenuation coefficients, half value layers and exposure buildup factor (EBF) values have been computed using WinXCom program with the use of GP fitting method, and variation of shielding parameters are discussed for the effect of PbO addition into the glasses and photon energy. An increase in the density of the glasses results in a change in crosslink density. The sound velocity and elastic properties increased with PbO content and increase in Poisson's ratio trend suggests that the rigidity of the glasses has decreased. Besides, the replacement of ZnO by PbO causes an increase in mass attenuation coefficient, while the half value layer and the exposure buildup factor were decreased and these glasses has been potentially used as shielding material

Synthesis and characterization of wollastonite glass-ceramics from eggshell and waste glass

Abundance of waste products disposed by communities has huge environmental impacts which lead to serious problems. Some waste products such as eggshells (ES) and soda lime silica (SLS) glass waste can be used as CaO and SiO2 resources to bring on new potentially CaSiO3, wollastonite glass ceramics (WGC) materials. Three samples labelled as S1, S2 and S3 with different compositions, each with of ES (15, 20, 25 weight%) and SLS glass (85, 80, 75 weight%) respectively, were prepared via solid state reaction method. All the samples were sintered at 800°C, 900°C and 1000°C. The elemental analysis of the raw materials and the WGC samples has been determined using the X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) system where the experimental results show that the samples were mainly contained of CaO and SiO2. The density of the WGC samples increase linearly with the sintering temperatures. The XRD results reveal that the optimum crystalline phase of the WGC samples was at around 900°C