How to promote informal learning in the workplace? The need for incremental design methods

Informal Learning in the Workplace (ILW) is ensured by the everyday work activities in which workers are engaged. It accounts for over 75 per cent of learning in the workplace. Enterprise Social Media (ESM) are increasingly used as informal learning environments. According to the results of an implementation we have conducted in real context, we show that ESM are appropriate to promote ILW. Nevertheless, social aspects must be reconsidered to address users' needs regarding content and access, quality information indicators, moderation and control

A world without farmers? Food production, inclusive development and ecology: Historical Evidences for a New Deal

This paper questions the perspective of a "world without agriculture" which underpins the economic paradigm of "structural transformation" and "modern growth". It does so by recomposing worldwide land and labour productivity trends in caloric terms from 1961 to 2007 and by providing an heuristic model showing that the "Lewis Path" to prosperity is only one out of four possible pathways. It shows that more than half of the world population is rather embarked in a "Lewis Trap" where farmers are increasingly numerous and relatively poorer. It highlights how land scarcity and insufficient job opportunities outside agriculture prevent them to increase their labour productivity and incomes with motorized machineries. The emerging paradigm of "ecological intensification" might contribute to overcome the current deadlocks by redirecting worldwide R&D towards small-scale knowledge-intensive and context-specific agricultures overlapping the manufacture and service sectors. (Résumé d'auteur

Infrastructures Impacts Assessment, deliverable 4

The objective of the report is to produce qualitative analysis of the evolution of the transport system after important infrastructure investment project, and also to produce quantitative indicators. This report corresponds to the work package 4 of the TranSEcon project whom aims is to assess long term effect of large transport investment.Content of the report : [chapter 2]: presentation of the general methodology for impact assessment within TranSEcon project.[chapter 3]: presentation of the general framework of work package 4. In this chapter the application of the general methodology developed for work package 4 is described. The grid of indicators is first described and then data production and collection is commented[chapter 4]: presentation of the case studies[chapter 5]: description and impact on public transport and private transport supply system. Here some indicators are described to quantify both public and private transport supply. The impact on investment, operating costs and transport related revenues is then analysised[chapter 6]: analysis of the impact on demand of the case studies project in terms of mobility, passenger*kilometre and time savings[chapter 7]: is dedicated to results concerning transport environment and safety impact analysis. (Extract of the report).Transport Infrastructure ; Impact assessment ; Quantitative indicators ; Socio-economic evaluation

Performance characteristics of a new structured packing

A new structured packing using carbon fibres, called Sepcarb® 4D, is presented. This packing has several attractive properties, such as high voidage (ε=94%) and high effective area (a=420 m2 m−3). These properties are advantageous for packing used as a gas–liquid contactor for separation units. To determine the internal characteristics of this packing, we performed several experiments using a 150-mm-internal-diameter column. Firstly, hydrodynamics experiments were conducted using an air–water counter current flow to determine the pressure drop (for both dry and wet packing) and flooding point. Secondly, the mass transfer efficiency was determined in terms of HETP (height equivalent to theoretical plate) by total reflux experiments with an n-heptane/cyclohexane mixture at atmospheric pressure. Hydrodynamic performance and mass transfer efficiency were compared with those of packings generally used in distillation and absorption