Language learning and language acquisition in online forums

Innovations in computer technology have made possible new platforms for supporting and building shared knowledge in meaningful and creative ways to enhance language learning and acquisition. Platforms like web forums, webinars, and bulletin boards in most Learner Management Systems (LMS) provide the additional platform for learning but are seldom utilized effectively to promote student interaction in language learning and acquisition. This paper reports on English Language Studies (ELS) students’ voices of how they participated and benefitted in online forums (OLFs) during their language courses. Findings from the focus group interviews with undergraduate students showed that they are more than ready to adopt OLFs as a learning platform in addition to classroom interactions. However, better effort on the part of the instructors is needed for OLFs to be beneficial. The issues that emerged in the utilization of these forums will propose future directions in the implementation of OLFs to enhance learning and acquisition among ESL students

Application of a Multi-Criteria Integrated Portfolio Model for Quantifying South Africa’s Crude Oil Import Risk

e availability of secure energy resources at sustainable quantities and affordable prices is fundamental to South Africa’s current objective of enhancing and sustaining its current growth trajectory. Economic reforms, since the early 1990s, have led to the economy growing at an average rate of almost 5% per annum. A major consequence of this strong growth is the rapid increase in domestic demand for oil energy. With small amounts of proven oil reserves, the rise in oil demand as an essential energy source has prompted an increasing reliance on external sources for domestic crude oil supplies. High oil prices, the extent of proven oil reserves, instability in major oil producing regions and the rise in ‘oil-nationalism’ have raised serious concerns about the security of South Africa’s oil supplies. In this context, a comprehensive understanding of oil import security risks is critical as it will guide in the formulation of energy policy framework aimed at alleviating the impact of oil import risks. This study utilises portfolio theory to provide quantitative measures of systematic and specific risks of South Africa’s crude oil imports over the period 1994 to 2007. It explains the relationship between supply sources diversification and oil energy security risks, and highlights the impact of different crude oil import policy adjustment strategies on the total crude oil import risk for South Africa. The results for the adjustment strategies show that: (a) a policy of having the same quantity of oil imported every month or a constant quantity of oil imported from the supply regions reduces both systematic and specific risks of oil import portfolio, and (b) a reduction in specific risks of South Africa’s oil imports can be achieved if some of the Middle Eastern supplies can be diversified to less risk regions of Europe, North America and Russia.Oil Import Risks, Portfolio Theory, Analytical Hierarchy Process

Approach of Electronic Government to Closing the Gap between Public and Citizens

Electronic government uses ICT to improve public activities, bringing also greater organizational efficiency and effectiveness. The aim of this research is to study electronic government in Thailand to move towards success. The questionnaire obtained information on the current status of electronic government in Thailand which intendeds to investigate factors relating to information technology by interviewing state employees in National Electronics and Computer Technology Center: NECTEC. The results reveal 6 conclusion based upon the following area of study; 1) Investment: budget allocations for the integration of ICT in the public sector by considering the national strategic plan and the ASEAN community strategies, to increase the competitiveness and investigate in infrastructure and logistics. 2) Officials’ knowledge and understanding: involving the full cooperation from government agencies workshops on the development of information systems for public sector officials to allow implementation of the projects to restructure more efficiently the form of electronic government. 3) Citizens’ understanding: which investigated the public sectors acceptance of public participation and people-centered government services? There are wide gaps between those used in municipal and non-municipal area. 4) Networking: the form of networking through a collaborative network of TOT and CAT in the core layer, which makes the network redundancy and high availability. 5) Promoting: using website to promote activities and disseminate knowledge about technology in electronics and computer project or training. and 6) Policies: the manner the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, allocates resources in their expansion of telecommunications infrastructure and communication channels and the way they encourage full access to ICT that will lead to close the gap

Connecting Continents: Archaeology and History in the Indian Ocean World

Winner, Society for American Archaeology Book Award In recent decades, the vast and culturally diverse Indian Ocean region has increasingly attracted the attention of anthropologists, historians, political scientists, sociologists, and other researchers. Largely missing from this growing body of scholarship, however, are significant contributions by archaeologists and consciously interdisciplinary approaches to studying the region’s past and present. Connecting Continents addresses two important issues: how best to promote collaborative research on the Indian Ocean world, and how to shape the research agenda for a region that has only recently begun to attract serious interest from historical archaeologists. The archaeologists, historians, and other scholars who have contributed to this volume tackle important topics such as the nature and dynamics of migration, colonization, and cultural syncretism that are central to understanding the human experience in the Indian Ocean basin. This groundbreaking work also deepens our understanding of topics of increasing scholarly and popular interest, such as the ways in which people construct and understand their heritage and can make use of exciting new technologies like DNA and environmental analysis. Because it adopts such an explicitly comparative approach to the Indian Ocean, Connecting Continents provides a compelling model for multidisciplinary approaches to studying other parts of the globe. Contributors: Richard B. Allen, Edward A. Alpers, Atholl Anderson, Nicole Boivin, Diego Calaon, Aaron Camens, Saša Čaval, Geoffrey Clark, Alison Crowther, Corinne Forest, Simon Haberle, Diana Heise, Mark Horton, Paul Lane, Martin Mhando, and Alistair Patterson.https://ohioopen.library.ohio.edu/oupress/1021/thumbnail.jp

Using Ultraviolet Laser Absorption Spectroscopy To Measure Vibrational Temperature Time Histories Of Shock-heated Oxygen

Here, a two-color O$_{2}$ vibrational temperature diagnostic was developed by utilizing spectroscopic models to inform optimal wavelength candidates for both a continuous-wave (CW), ultraviolet (UV) laser and a picosecond pulsed, UV laser. Cross-sections of shock-heated O$_{2}$ were measured using a CW UV laser, and results over a range of wavelengths and temperatures are compared against a Stanford model, developed to simulate oxygen absorption cross-sections in the Schumann-Runge system under vibrational non-equilibrium conditions, and Specair, a spectroscopic model for high-temperature air species developed by Laux et al. All measurements were completed behind reflected shocks in 2\% and 5\% O$_{2}$ in argon (Ar) mixtures. Vibrational temperatures for cross-section measurements were calculated for plateaus and peaks in experimental absorbances using a Bethe-Teller relaxation model up to 6,000 K and a steady-state approach above 6,000 K. Temperature sweep measurements were fixed around 223.237 nm, while wavelength sweep measurements were taken around 4550 K and ranged between 223.23 nm to 223.27 nm. Temperature sweep cross-sections agree to within 15\% of Specair modeled cross-sections, with most measurements falling within 10\% of Specair predictions. Wavelength sweep cross-sections agree at shorter wavelengths with Specair cross-sections, but longer wavelength features are offset from both the Stanford model and Specair predictions. Using the spectroscopic model developed here to inform appropriate wavelength selection, the UV laser systems in this work become tools for directly tracking both vibrational temperature and populations in specific vibrational states of O$_{2}$ as it undergoes vibrational relaxation and dissociation behind strong shock waves. These temperature and population time histories provide important experimental data needed to evaluate current computational models that seek to capture the molecular energy transfer present in high-enthalpy airflows

Is Innovative Auditory Technology Here to Stay

Innovation is often seen as a necessary constant throughout history, as it is our survival mechanism, evolving from humanity’s inherent ignorance/flaws. However, as society pushes for innovation at an ever-increasing rate, should we be concerned about its implications on the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) in the United States? The DHH has been quite sensitive to this surplus of innovation, with an increasing amount of ‘auditory aid related’ technologies being marketed every day. What does this mean for deaf culture? More importantly, how will these innovations shape the future of deaf behavior and linguistics

From Brand Loyalty to E-Loyalty: a Conceptual Framework

The concept of brand loyalty has been extensively discussed in traditional marketing literature with main emphasis on two different dimensions: behavioral and attitudinal loyalty. Oliver (1997) has extended a conceptual framework of brand loyalty that includes the full spectrum of brand loyalty based on a hierarchy of effects model with cognitive, affective, conative (behavioral intent) and action (repeat purchase behavior) dimensions. The concept of e-loyalty extends the traditional brand loyalty concept to on-line consumer behavior. Although the underlying theoretical foundations of traditional brand loyalty and the newly defined phenomena of e-loyalty are generally similar there are unique aspects of its manifestation in Internet based marketing and buyer behavior. Schultz and Bailey (2000) describe customer/brand loyalty in cyberspace as an evolution from traditional product driven – marketer controlled concept towards a distribution driven – consumer controlled and technology facilitated concept. E-loyalty also has several parallels to the “store loyalty” concept (Corstjens and Lal, 2000) such as building repeat store visiting behavior over and above the purchase of established brand name items in the store. As extensively discussed in Schefter and Reichheld (2000) e-loyalty is all about quality, customer support, on-time delivery, compelling product presentations, convenient and reasonably priced shipping and handling, and clear and trustworthy privacy policies. This paper presents an integrated framework of e-loyalty (see figure below) and its underlying drivers in terms of (a) Website & Technology (b) Customer Service & Logistics (c) Trust & Security (d) Product & Price and (e) Brand Building Activities. The nature of these factors in building customer loyalty are discussed with examples of current practices. Managerial and future research implications from the proposed framework are also presented