Using a video annotation tool for authentic learning: A case study

In e-learning there is increasing need for active learning designs that highlight reflection. Video sharing is one such option. The Media Annotated Tool (MAT), developed at RMIT University, provides the opportunity for students to annotate their own and other students' videos of learning tasks. Teachers provide feedback, coaching and scaffolding using this tool to develop professional skills. This approach provides an authentic learning opportunity, where students engage in 'real world' experiences. This paper uses the results of a pilot study on MAT conducted in 2009 and links the design and learning experiences of students to the nine characteristics of authentic learning as outlined by Herrington et al., (2010)

Nicola building virtual tour; Considering simulation in the equity of experience concept

Examining equity of learner experiences across delivery modes is a contemporary issue, particularly in comparing onshore and offshore or local and distance experiences. This paper begins the journey of reviewing equivalence of learning experience for local and distance students in a vocational course in a Property Services learning program, just as this case joins a larger multiple-case study examining equivalence. It focuses on the potential of a simulation in providing equivalent practical experience of conducting a building inspection. A simulation designed to help achieve this, the Nicola Building Virtual Tour, was trialed in a small cohort in the Property Services program, and a survey harnessing learner opinion of this tool received largely positive feedback, but also provide some guidance in how to proceed

La formazione dei prezzi nei servizi di traduzione. L'asimmetria informativa come causa distorsiva

Seemingly, the translation industry does not follow the laws regulating economic activities. This is supposedly due to an information asymmetry affecting pricing mechanisms: clients and vendors lack the information necessary to evaluate transaction costs. Most often, clients are hardly able to express their service requirements, as their competences are typically inadequate for a proper evaluation of any service added value. This leads clients to look at translation services as a cost to cut rather than as an investment whose return can bemeasured. Consequently, vendors tend tomaximize short-termprofits by cutting their production costs dramatically. Reverse auctions are the direct effect of this situation. They are the best mechanism to assign a translation job when price is the only metric. Auctions are a typical tool in a market affected by a phenomenon commonly known as commoditization. In this scenario, quality is a “unique selling proposition”, a deceptive differential. To prevent price from being the only measure, both clients and vendors should opt for service level agreements (SLAs). Clients must provide detailed requirements, while vendors must follow measurable and verifiable production processes according to commonly acknowledged standards. This demands a process-oriented approach to business, which is still rather rare

Selection of the distributional rule as an alternative tool to foster cooperation in a Public Good Game

This paper presents an investigation about cooperation in a Public Good Game using an Agent Based Model calibrated on experimental data. Starting from the experiment proposed in Colasante and Russo (2016), we analyze the dynamic of cooperation in a Public Good Game where agents receive an heterogeneous income and choose both the level of contribution and the distribution rule. The starting point is the calibration and the output validation of the model using the experimental results. Once tested the goodness of fit of the Agent Based Model, we run some policy experiment in order to verify how each distribution rule, i.e. equidistribution, proportional to contribution and progressive, affects the level of contribution in the simulated model. We find out that the share of cooperators decreases over time if we exogenously set the equidistribution rule. On the contrary, the share of cooperators converges to 100% if we impose the progressive rule. Finally, the most interesting result refers to the effect of the progressive rule. We observe that, in the case of high inequality, this rule is not able to reduce the heterogeneity of income.This research has received funding from the European Union, Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreements n. SYMPHONY—ICT-2013-611875

'mat': A new media annotation tool with an interactive learning cycle for application in tertiary education

This paper provides an overview of the design process of a new online media annotation tool. This work-in-progress report will step through some design decisions as aided by reviewing learning theory and related experiences outlined in the literature; design principles from a user interface perspective; and user testing of the first design iteration. The first of a three stage development of the media annotation tool, 'mat' (MAT), is designed for learning from video, with later stages enabling other media (audio, image, other) plus assignment building with media inserts. User testing reinforced several design decisions plus initiated some change

Survey data to assess consumers’ attitudes towards circular economy and bioeconomy practices: A focus on the fashion industry

This data article presents data collected through a survey with the aim of understanding consumers' behavior in the fashion industry. The analyses of these data are elaborated in the article "The circular economy and bioeconomy in the fashion sector: Emergence of a "sustainability bias"" (Colasante and Adamo 2021). As highlighted in the literature, the fashion industry contributes significantly to environmental pollution in all steps, from the production to the delivery. Often, consumers are not aware of the impact of their fashion habits on the environment and this led to the emergence of the well-known fast fashion phenomenon. Even though there is a lack of evidence on this topic, shifting consumers to embrace bioeconomy as well as circular economy principles constitutes a possible solution to reduce the impact of the fashion sector on the environment. We collected these data on consumers' habits and preferences regarding both bioeconomy and circular economy by means of a questionnaire in which a total of 402 Italian people took part by using Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) platform. This paper aims at presenting the data split in the three main blocks: (i) consumer perception; (ii) purchasing habits; and (iii) consumers' willingness to pay (WTP). The results obtained are of interest to citizens, business, academics and policy makers to understand consumers' perception of sustainability in the fashion industry. The proposed dataset can be replicated on a global scale, on specific market segments of the fashion industry and can be used to compare the perception of the circular bioeconomy in other sectors

Risk aversion, prudence and temperance. It is a matter of gap between moments

Higher order risk preferences are important determinants of choices under uncertainty. We build a questionnaire different from usually adopted ones: our questionnaire is simpler in order to reduce the number of random choices, and it includes questions with largely diversified stake sizes to observe different gaps between moments. Moreover, we collect results from a large and heterogeneous population to provide more general and unbiased results. Our results confirm the preference of the majority of the respondents for higher odd and lower even moments of the expected return distribution. However, we highlight three features: (i) the importance of the gap between the values of the corresponding moments of the two choices, (ii) the behavioral change in presence of a positive/zero/negative expected value, (iii) the huge heterogeneity in behaviors, also due to the complexity of the choice as an important driver of the propensity to switch from choosing on the basis of preferences to choosing randomly. We also find that age and geographical location are important determinants of risk propensity

Can a media annotation tool enhance online engagement with learning? A multi-case work-in-progress report

The paper explores preliminary data of four cases in a larger study investigating the effects on learning of a new educational technology called Media Annotation Tool (MAT). In particular, the paper focuses on learning engagement with MAT and begins to raise questions about what factors promote or enhance engagement. Drawing on the work of Kirkwood (2009), the authors analyse the type of educational technology functions that were expressed through the ways teachers integrated the use of MAT into their curriculum. Another factor explored in the paper is student engagement. Barkley's (2010) theorising on the complexity of student engagement for learning argues that engagement is where motivation and active learning synergistically interact. Examining students' reflections on their use of MAT, the authors identify that while MAT offers active learning, motivation for the use of MAT may be a missing factor for some disengaged students. This insight provides further themes to explore in further analysis of the project's data