Design and Implementation of an Open Source Indexing Solution for a Large Set of Radiological Reports and Images

This paper hopes to share the insights we experienced during designing, building, and running an indexing solution for a large set of radiological reports and images in a production environment for more than 3 years. Several technical challenges were encountered and solved in the course of this project. One hundred four million words in 1.8 million radiological reports from 1989 to the present were indexed and became instantaneously searchable in a user-friendly fashion; the median query duration is only 31 ms. Currently, our highly tuned index holds 332,088 unique words in four languages. The indexing system is feature-rich and language-independent and allows for making complex queries. For research and training purposes it certainly is a valuable and convenient addition to our radiology informatics toolbox. Extended use of open-source technology dramatically reduced both implementation time and cost. All software we developed related to the indexing project has been made available to the open-source community covered by an unrestricted Berkeley Software Distribution-style license

How do they like it? Higher education teachers’ professional development preferences for blended learning and technology acceptance profiles

Blended learning is useful in higher education for catering to diverse student learning needs, however, higher education teaching staff need to be trained and supported so that it is applied attentively. Higher education teachers are diverse themselves with complex professional development needs. This study aims to examine the relationships between professional development preferences and 217 teaching staff grouped into technology acceptance profiles: high, moderate and low. Association rules analysis was run on an 18-item questionnaire dataset of the teaching staff's professional development preferences for blended learning. Results show that the high group is highly motivated to professionalise themselves collaboratively with added central support. The moderate group prefers centrally organised and guided professional development initiatives. The low group prefers centrally organised initiatives with guidance as well as incentive for professionalisation. These results highlight the differences between the groups, and how these preferences can be useful for designing targeted initiatives along with adapted communication strategies for groups with different technology acceptance levels

Re-examining the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT): Towards a Revised Theoretical Model

YesBased on a critical review of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this study first formalized an alternative theoretical model for explaining the acceptance and use of information system (IS) and information technology (IT) innovations. The revised theoretical model was then empirically examined using a combination of meta-analysis and structural equation modelling (MASEM) techniques. The meta-analysis was based on 1600 observations on 21 relationships coded from 162 prior studies on IS/IT acceptance and use. The SEM analysis showed that attitude: was central to behavioural intentions and usage behaviours, partially mediated the effects of exogenous constructs on behavioural intentions, and had a direct influence on usage behaviours. A number of implications for theory and practice are derived based on the findings

Requirements for an eModeration System in Private Schools in South Africa

Despite the growing importance of digitization in all aspects of teaching and learning, digital moderation (eModeration) has received little attention in research or practice. Considering the secondary school environment, no evidence-based requirements could be found for the development of a digital moderation system. This finding provides the rationale for this investigation into the requirements for an efficient eModeration system for IT and CAT assessments at grade 12 level in South Africa (SA). This study draws on eModeration literature as well as technology adoption literature to identify a set of preadoption eModeration requirements against the background of the challenges and benefits of eModeration. The research design involved a single exploratory case study with IT and CAT moderators as units of analysis. Qualitative data analysis using Atlas.ti V8 was conducted on the 61 responses received from an online survey and 4 responses received from a focus group interview. The findings confirmed the absence of customized eModeration systems. The main contribution is the eModeration requirements identified from literature and then refined by triangulation with the empirical findings of the survey. The research has practical value in guiding the design of eModeration systems for the school environment.School of Computin

Negotiating teacher educators' beliefs about blended learning: Using stimulated recall to explore design choices

Teachers' beliefs about education influence practice and vice versa. Teacher educators should be particularly attuned to the association between educational beliefs and practice. Teachers' beliefs about education have been widely studied, but investigating how a team of teacher educators put a shared vision on blended learning into practice is less researched. Blended learning practices are subject to the four design aspects of incorporating flexibility, stimulating interaction, facilitating the learning process, and creating an affective learning climate. This qualitative study investigates a team of experienced blended learning teacher educators from two perspectives: their beliefs about blended learning, and how these beliefs are realised in practice. Seventeen screencast stimulated recall interviews revealed: (1) teacher educators express evaluative beliefs about deep and meaningful blended learning and descriptive beliefs about online flexibility and face-to-face interaction, and (2) how these beliefs are realised in practice by flexible online facilitation of learning processes, profound face-to-face interaction, and providing authentic learning experiences. Furthermore, as a result of the association between beliefs about blended learning and practice, the areas of refining student feedback, improving online structure and increasing interaction in online learning materials emerged for professional growth. Finally, recommendations are made for blended learning practitioners and teacher educators.Implications for practice or policy:Teacher educators hold evaluative beliefs about deep and meaningful blended learning and descriptive beliefs about online flexibility and face-to-face interaction.Deep and meaningful blended learning is promoted by flexible online facilitation of learning processes, profound face-to-face interaction, and providing authentic learning experiences.Areas for professional growth are refining student feedback, improving online structure and increasing interaction in online learning materials

Assessing the Adoption of Virtual Learning Environments in Primary Schools: An Activity Oriented Study of Teacher’s Acceptance

International audienceThis article studies the conditions of use of a VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) by primary school teachers. It first presents a triangulated model to explore Virtual Learning Environments’ adoption in primary schools. The theoretical models cover three approaches: the social acceptance, the practical acceptance and the situated acceptance. The situated acceptance of teachers is studied according to the model by using activity theory and qualitative methods (individual and collective interviews). Our study describes how teachers (8 participants) perceived the role of the VLE in the evolution of their working practices (maintaining, transforming or restricting existent practices), in their relationship with parents and in the follow-up of their students