Factors influencing Indian student's choice of overseas study destination

There has been an increase in the number of students from India studying at Australian universities in Singapore. During the same period, there has been a corresponding decrease in the number of this group of students studying in Australia. The study thus seeks to understand why the current group of Indianstudents studying at an Australian University in Singapore has chosen to study in Singapore rather than at a campus in Australia. The research design employed a qualitative approach using focus group interviews and an online survey. The findings include a combination of factors and considerations influencing the choice of university and overseasstudydestination for students from India, the role of education service agents in India in influencing the decisions of these students and the demographic characteristics of students from India in Singapore. The study highlights future recommendations for universities in attracting and catering for students from overseas countrieshere and insert abstract your text. Insert an abstract of 50-100 words, giving a brief account of the most relevant aspects of the paper

New methods for collaborative experiential learning to provide personalised formative assessment

Supporting diverse and rapidly changing learning styles of new digital age generations is one of the major hurdles to higher education in the age of massification of education markets. Higher education institutions must now utilize unprecedented network speed and mobile technology to create stimulating learning environments for new digital age generations. This paper presents a new learning and teaching model that combines dynamic learning space (DLS) and mobile collaborative experimental learning (MCEL) for supporting diverse learning styles of students. DLS assists students with stateof-art modern wireless network technologies in order to support fast-paced, multi-tasking, data and content intensive collaborative learning in class. The model further extends student learning activities beyond classroom by allowing students to continue their learning anywhere and anytime conveniently using their mobile devices. MCEL provides automated continuous personalized formative-feedback 24/7. The main objectives of the model are to improve student engagement and to provide ownership of their learning journey, experiential learning, contextualized learning, and formative assessment at low cost. The model employs three factors that influence collaborative experiential learning and formative assessment. The three factors are: - The use of learning space within the classroom - Wireless learning technology - Mobile learning system (m-Learning) Pilot studies of the model are conducted and evaluated on two groups of postgraduate students. Their participation is observed, and a survey is conducted. The results show that (1) DLS encourages high-level learning and diverse learning styles to move away from passive low-level knowledge intensive learning activities; (2) MCEL supports Bigg's constructive alignment in curriculum design, contextualized experimental learning, and personalized formative learning

Tourist attractions in Bangkok and Singapore; linking vandalism and setting characteristics

The study adopts an exacting observational approach to vandalism and its site determinants in two pivotal Asian cities, Bangkok and Singapore. The study served three goals: to develop and evaluate an observational approach to auditing the damage to tourist attractions; to link the setting characteristics to the indicators of damage; and to explore the applicability of Western constructs of vandalism and control to these Asian settings. A cluster analysis identified five kinds of sites which differed systematically in levels of disrepair and the factors influencing that damage. Sites with higher and lower levels of vandalism appeared in both cities. Powerful factors limiting damage were identified. The western site determinants for vandalism applied to the Asian settings

Project-based work-integrated learning: building global perspectives in the Asian tropics

The subject at the centre of this case study is LB5218: Business Plan: Application of Strategy. This is a capstone subject taken in the final year of the Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program. The international design of the subject seeks to equip international students with a work-relevant skill set through a work placement with a local small-medium sized (SME) firm and a non-profit organisation. The subject brings together the theoretical materials covered in the course (including theories of ethical and social responsibility in professional practice and aligns them with the university's strategic intent to develop graduates who make a difference in the local context) and introduces community-based learning experiences through collaboration with a Singaporean SME firm and a non-profit organisation. Students are encouraged to become work-ready, contribute to community and be aware of intercultural competencies and differences

Vandalism and tourism settings: an integrative review

Although wide agreement exists in the literature concerning the presence of vandalism in tourism, very little attention has been given to studying the phenomenon. This paper reviews published literature that addresses vandalism, its manifestation in tourism and its prevention. The review provides a comprehensive analysis of empirical research on the motivations for vandalism, deviant visitor behaviour and intervention strategies to manage such behaviours in tourism settings. The paper reviews the micro-level and macro level forces influencing vandalism and provides a definition, thematic analysis of current literature on motivation of vandalism and common themes in vandalism prevention. The analysis demonstrates a range of intervention strategies to curb vandalism. An evolution towards the use of more refined proactive techniques is apparent in recent work. The review provides a foundation for further work by theorists and practitioners

Growth of Community-Based Giving Days in the United States: The Landscape and Effects

Over the past decade, local and regional community foundations across the United States have adopted “giving days” as a means to build awareness, bolster community pride, and raise money for local nonprofit organizations. Despite the increasing prevalence of giving days, little scholarly research has empirically examined this phenomenon and its impact, particularly at the local and regional levels. To address these gaps, this article shares the findings of a study that examined similarities and differences across communities’ giving days and sought to evaluate the extent to which those days led to more giving at the community level. While the study found that aggregate amounts raised through giving days are increasing, the median amount raised has dropped substantially and the range is widening. Still, there was substantial growth from 2009 through 2016 in the number of giving days in the U.S., raising over $1 billion across counties, cities, and states and thereby growing philanthropy within communities

Hawker Centres: A Social Space Approach to Promoting Community Wellbeing

This article sets out to examine how the use of social spaces, namely hawker centres, has contributed to community wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic. Using an extensive thematic analysis of online conversations, we have identified that the use of social spaces can have a positive influence on individual, relational and social wellbeing. Access to social spaces during stressful events contributes to the feeling of normalcy, supports routines and structured activities, encourages responsible behaviours, facilitates social connectedness, and helps maintain community resilience. We present a new framework for urban social space characterisation containing three dimensions: coaction, copresence, and colocation (the three Cs). Here, coaction is associated with better visibility of community practices, copresence enhances the sense of connectedness, and colocation is concerned with the use of spatial design factors for influencing movement and interactions. The framework is central to our understanding of social space and its impact on wellbeing. Underpinning the three Cs is the notion of the integration of policy, community wellbeing, and various urban agendas. The findings were considered in terms of their relevance for social space development in Singapore

20 Years of Workplace Diversity Research in Hospitality and Tourism: A Bibliometric Analysis

Purpose – This paper charts the development of diversity research in hospitality and tourism (H&T) as a field of study. We are interested in how diversity has been studied, where diversity scholarship has been published, who are the leading diversity scholars, and whether their work has been influential. In addition, we identified the institutions and countries that contribute significantly to diversity scholarship in H&T. Methodology – We draw from the Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and Australian Business Dean’s Council Journal Quality List covering 109 journals to identify the relevant articles on workplace diversity in H&T. We conducted evaluative and relational bibliometric techniques to assess the prominence of diversity scholarship in the field. Findings – Diversity research in H&T did not gain traction until 2005. Using Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal as a benchmark, we found that diversity research in H&T closely tracked the diversity topics in general organization and management literature. However, H&T lagged in race and ethnic, as well as gender identity research. A majority of diversity research is published in leading (top-ranked) journals, signifying the value of diversity scholarship in H&T. Hospitality journals published the most articles, while tourism journals reported the highest impact. Scholars based in the US, China, and the UK contributed the most diversity articles but one researcher, Osman M. Karatepe (Turkey), stood out as the most productive and influential diversity scholar in H&T. Originality – Given an absence of prior review and diversity research has only gained ground in the H&T literature since 2005, this bibliometric study offers a fossil record and documents the trajectory of diversity scholarship in H&T, identifies the scholars who are active in this area of research, and highlights institutions and countries where diversity research is conducted. Implications – The insights from this study aid H&T scholars in identifying trends and opportunities in diversity research, assessing the productivity and impact of various journals and databases, locating collaborative opportunities (through co-citations and highly productive and influential institutions and scholars), and benchmarking their own work

Energy conservation through smart homes in a smart city: A lesson for Singapore households

Energy saving is a hot topic due to the proliferation of climate changes and energy challenges globally. However, people's perception about using smart technology for energy saving is still in the concept stage. This means that people talk about environmental awareness readily, yet in reality, they accept to pay the given energy bill. Due to the availability of electricity and its integral role, modulating consumers’ attitudes towards energy savings can be a challenge. Notably, the gap in today's smart technology design in smart homes is the understanding of consumers’ behaviour and the integration of this understanding into the smart technology. As part of the Paris Climate change agreement (2015), it is paramount for Singapore to introduce smart technologies targeted to reduce energy consumption. This paper focused on the perception of Singapore households on smart technology and its usage to save energy. Areas of current research include: (1) energy consumption in Singapore households, (2) public programs and policies in energy savings, (3) use of technology in energy savings, and (4) household perception of energy savings in smart homes. Furthermore, three case studies are reviewed in relation to smart homes and smart technology, while discussing the maturity of existing solutions

Wireless Learning Technology in Higher Education – a Case Study in Singapore

Wireless Learning Technologies (WLTs) are set to replace the traditional methods of information sharing and set the trend for future information presentation and collaborative multiuser sharing. Wireless learning technologies (WLTs) used in education include mobile technologies such as smartphones, tablets and laptops as well as systems designed to be used specifically in technology-rich collaborative learning spaces. Such spaces are networked both technologically as well as through student-to-student interactions.This paper undertakes a literature review of wireless learning technologies for multi-platform compatibility over a multitude of personal devices and operating systems. It discusses the use of WLT for new collaborative spaces of learning. The paper further undertakes a comparative descriptive analysis between a space recently discussed in the teaching and learning literature with a case study of one classroom based on the authorial team’s participation and observation