Causes of the Low Completion Rate of Literacy Courses in the Department of Aboisso, Côte d’Ivoire

Africa is the continent with the highest rate of illiteracy. To meet this challenge, African states, including Côte d'Ivoire, are promoting literacy through campaigns. In response to these campaigns, adults are massively enrolling in literacy centers to learn to read, write and calculate. Paradoxically, many of those enrolled drop out of the centers within three to six months of enrollment. This study was therefore initiated to understand the low retention rate of literacy course participants in Côte d'Ivoire, in the department of Aboisso. It enabled us to interview 62 deserters (21 men and 41 women) and 23 literacy teachers (19 women and 4 men). The results identified as the first cause, the non-achievement or the feeling of not being able to reach the expectations at the time of registration, i.e., knowing how to read and write, for the majority, and knowing how to calculate and speak for the others. In addition to this cause, the learning conditions are not adapted to the adult public, forced for example to sit on desks designed for children. Finally, the last cause of dropout was found to be the lack or inadequacy of teaching-learning strategies specific to the adult audience. Thus, we recommended that all literacy teachers be extensively trained in the application of andragogy principles, so that the adult who commits to learning to read and write regains his or her dignity and the pleasure of learning without frustration!Keywords: literacy, retention rates, expectations, conditions, learning strategies. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-29-03 Publication date:October 31st 202

Does Summative Assessment Used Formatively Enhance Learning in English for Communication Purposes?

This research is based on an experiment which tries to compare two ways of assessing student learning. The first one, the one which is currently used at Université Félix Houphouët Boigny consists in assessing all the students at the end of every course and this assessment entitles students to have a mark. This mark, being good or bad, is used to decide who fails or passes.  Thus, assessment mode is comparable to a court decision which offers no appeal. This tradition raises the following question: between the mark and learning which one is the target in the teaching- learning process? If we think that learning is the target, then, we should reconsider our assessing tradition. The nature and the results of our proposed assessment approach are to be discovered in the following lines. Keywords: Summative; formative; assessment; learning; English; communicatio

A Study of Proctors’ Involvement in National Examination Cheating: the Case of “Private College MBF Abobo” Exam Center

This research aimed at trying to understand why proctors, whose role and duty is normally to watch over candidates in order to prevent them from cheating, can suddenly become candidates’ protectors against official exam supervisors. Our investigations revealed that most secondary school teachers refuse to partake in exam proctoring because the government refuses to pay for it. Consequently most of those who eagerly accept to work for free are mostly secretaries, bookkeepers, primary school teachers, clerks etc. with terrible financial conditions. Being unable to partake in the grading of exam copies that would be their reward, they felt not to have another choice but accepting candidates’ financial offers and close their eyes on their cheating. For us, every work deserves payment, therefore, we recommended the government to reconsider the exam proctoring conditions in order to re-motivate secondary school teachers

Représentations sociales des crises sociopolitiques en milieu scolaire ivoirien chez les enseignants et les parents d’élèves en Côte d’Ivoire

Résumé : En Côte d'Ivoire, de 1999 à 2011, l'instabilité politique a provoqué des crises ayant fragilisé le tissu social et modifié les modes de vie des populations. Face à ces perturbations, l'interdit a souvent perdu son sens et les valeurs semblent obsolètes, tandis que l'éducation a perdu de son importance. La montée de la violence chez les élèves, les enseignants et les parents suggère une utilisation fréquente de la violence pour résoudre rapidement les problèmes. Cette étude se demande si ces personnes comprennent réellement les graves conséquences des crises sociopolitiques dans les écoles et comment réduire les effets négatifs de ces bouleversements sociaux pour construire un système éducatif plus performant. L'étude s'appuie sur la théorie des représentations sociales de Moscovici (1961) et l'approche structurale d'Abric (1976) pour analyser les pensées des enseignants et celles des parents concernant l'impact des crises dans les écoles ivoiriennes. Deux cents individus, comprenant 100 enseignants et 100 parents d'élèves d'Abobo à Abidjan, de Boundiali, de Korhogo et de Bouaké en Côte d'Ivoire, ont été soumis à un questionnaire d'évocations hiérarchisées. Les résultats montrent que les représentations sociales se caractérisent principalement par les concepts de violence, de mort, de baisse du niveau et de fermeture des écoles. Une analyse plus approfondie de ces représentations pourrait contribuer à lutter plus efficacement contre les crises dans la société. Mots-clés : Approche psychosociale, évocations hiérarchisées, enseignants, représentations sociales, éléments centraux, éléments périphérique

Thermal analysis of a BIPV system by various modelling approaches

This work presents various models developed and implemented within the SOPHIA European project in order to thermally characterize PV modules in a rooftop BIPV configuration. Different approaches have been considered, including a linear model, lumped elements models and models that make use of commercial software solvers. The validation of the models performed by comparing the results of simulations with experimental data recorded on a test bench over an entire year is presented and discussed on a seasonal basis. The results have shown that all the models implemented allow achieving a good prediction of the PV modules back surface temperature, with the minimum value of the coefficient of determination R2 around 95% on a yearly basis. Moreover, the influence of season weather conditions and of the incident solar irradiance magnitude on the accuracy of the considered thermal models is highlighted. The major result of the present study is represented by the fact that it has been possible to perform a better thermal characterization of the BIPV module by tuning some of the heat transfer coefficients, such as those relative to the effects of the wind velocity, and to the evaluation of sky temperature.The experimental data used for the thermal simulation of BIPV system behavior were obtained in the framework of the project Performance BIPV supported by the French research agency (ANR), within the research program ANR HABISOL. Authors would like to thank the European Community that supported the SOPHIA project with the funding of FP7-SOPHIA grant agreement no. 262533

Building-Integrated Photovoltaic/Thermal (BIPVT): LCA of a façade-integrated prototype and issues about human health, ecosystems, resources

Building-Integrated Photovoltaic/Thermal (BIPVT) technology offers multiple advantages; however, these types of installations include materials such as Photovoltaic (PV) cells and metals which considerably influence BIPVT environmental impact. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate BIPVT environmental profile, for instance by means of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). In light of the issues mentioned above, the present article is an LCA study that assesses the environmental performance of a BIPVT prototype that has been developed and patented at the Ulster University (Belfast, UK). The investigation places emphasis on material manufacturing, based on Cumulative Energy Demand (CED), Global Warming Potential (GWP), ReCiPe, Ecological footprint and USEtox. The results show that according to all the adopted methods/environmental indicators and based on primary materials, the PV cells and the two vessels (steel) are the components with the three highest impacts. Scenarios which include recycling of steel, plastics and brass (landfill for the other materials has been assumed), based on CED, GWP 100a and ReCiPe endpoint, have been examined. It was found that steel recycling offers a considerable impact reduction, ranging from 47% to 85%. Furthermore, the impact of the proposed BIPVT module per m2 of thermal absorber has been calculated. The results, based on primary materials, show 4.92 GJprim/m2 and 0.34 t CO2.eq/m2 (GWP 100a). In addition, according to USEtox/ecotoxicity, USEtox/human toxicity-non-cancer (scenario based on primary materials), the PV cells present the highest contributions to the total impact of the module: 55% in terms of ecotoxicity and 86% concerning human toxicity/non-cancer. A comparison with literature is provided. Moreover, a separate section of the article is about factors which influence BIPVT environmental profile, discussing parameters such as the storage materials and the end-of-life management.The authors would like to thank “Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad” of Spain for the funding (grant reference ENE2016-81040-R)

The e-learning platform of the FP7-SOPHIA Project: obtanied results and perspective for its future exploitation

FP7-SOPHIA, the European PV Research Infrastructure project coordinated by CEA-INES ended on 31st of January 2015. The project focused on strengthening and optimising the research capabilities of outstanding European Research Infrastructures by pulling together numerous scientists and researchers of more than 48 relevant Research Infrastructures to share a common vision and to conduct efficient and coordinated research work in the field of PV technologies. SOPHi@Webinar is the internal e-learning platform that has organized a set of online courses/seminaries/guest lectures in parallel to more conventional training initiatives held physically. It has also been opened to non-SOPHIA members