The development of a contextualised set of evaluation criteria for studying internationalisation at a Vietnamese public university : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand

The aim of this thesis is to explore the development of a contextualised set of evaluation criteria for studying internationalisation at a Vietnamese public university. The literature on internationalisation has so far paid little attention to Vietnam, a context which is at an early stage in conceptualising a plan for its internationalisation. This thesis, therefore, will assist Vietnamese universities in this effort in order to become a part of the global higher education system. Having access to a set of relevant evaluation criteria will not only enable them to better understand their current level of internationalisation but also inform their future internationalisation strategy. The research process was supported by two conceptual frameworks: practical participation evaluation and utilization-focused evaluation approaches. A mixture of qualitative and quantitative research methods was employed to conduct the three-phase development of the contextualised set of evaluation criteria. A collaborative partnership was also developed with the institutional stakeholders from a key university for which the set of criteria was contextualised for evaluating the internationalisation process. The findings from this study indicated that the development of a contextualised set of evaluation criteria for internationalisation at a Vietnamese public university was informed by a complexity of contextual factors. In particular, the domestic-focused nature of institutional internationalisation was found to be shaped not only by national economic and political rationales but also the institutional structure of single focus on teaching. The complexity was further expanded to (national) cultural relevance, institutional purposes for the evaluation, and the institutional mono-disciplinary structure when it came to the evaluation of that internationalisation. As a result of the study, a modelling process for developing a contextualised set of criteria for internationalisation at Vietnamese public universities was established. Insights into the complexity of the process for contextualising a set of evaluation criteria to study internationalisation at a Vietnam university also led to implications and recommendations for institutional stakeholders at the key university in the study (policy implementers and senior leaders), other universities, and policy makers

Key factors affecting work-integrated learning in language teacher education : a multisite case study = Các yếu tố chính ảnh hưởng đến mô hình Học tập Lồng ghép Trải nghiệm Nghề nghiệp trong đào tạo giáo viên ngôn ngữ : Một nghiên cứu điển hình đa vùng

In the relationship between education and production as a perennial issue; work-integrated learning (WIL) is a vehicle intended to bridge theory and practice. This study investigated key factors affecting work-integrated learning (WIL) programs in language teacher education in Việt Nam and Australia. The main research question focused on the unexplored relationship between WIL and language teacher education: What are the key factors affecting work-integrated learning in language teacher education in Việt Nam and Australia? Given what the literature reports is presently known, the following three contributory research questions about WIL in language teacher education presented the scope necessary for making an original contribution to knowledge: 1. What are the expressions of, and responses to, changes in English and Chinese language teacher education WIL programs? 2. What opportunities and challenges arise in conducting English and Chinese language teacher education through WIL? 3. How does the organisation of WIL in English and Chinese language teacher education help students’ professional learning? With the concerns about academic dependency on theories produced or disseminated in English, and the fact that evidence for this study was collected in Tiếng Anh (English language), and Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese language), my research also investigated a subsidiary research question: How might Tiếng Việt concepts be used to interpret evidence of WIL in English and Chinese language teacher education? This research study employed an interpretive-critical analysis philosophical stance underpinning its research methodology. This multisite case study used a flexible research design focusing on the dynamics affecting WIL in two language teacher education programs. This study involved fieldwork in Việt Nam to study WIL in a language teacher education program specialising in English, and fieldwork in Australia with a WIL language teacher education program specialising in Chinese. The data set generated for this study consisted of semi-structured interviews, education and curriculum policies, media reports, and artefacts. Data analysis techniques employed in this study included data transcription and translation, data immersion, coding, creating categories, identifying counterevidence, generating themes, and theorising. The analytical framework used in this study employed the following concepts: dominant, residual, and emergent cultures (Williams, 1977), dilemmas of schooling (Berlak & Berlak, 1981), and connections, and disconnections (Munro, 1997). Significantly, study used postmonolingual research methodologies, including the use of analytical concepts from Tiếng Việt and English to make meaning of the evidence. Three key findings arose from the research reported in this thesis. First, the results indicated the dominance of workplace learning by finance-driven partnerships that embrace the interrelated social, economic, and historical features of a residual nature, as well as an emergent strategy in WIL in language teacher education. Second, WIL in language teacher education provided students with real-world experiences of the teaching profession, 21st century skills for enhancing employment possibilities, as well as opportunities for them to contribute to equity in education. Findings also entailed dilemmas of curriculum, society, and policy practice residing in the lack of resources, expert personnel, facilities, and funding, as well as tensions in policy and governance. Third, findings revealed the co-existence of connections and disconnections in WIL that affect students’ learning transformation, peer learning, and use of social media as a tool for learning, along with institutional management and student performance. Key theoretical implications from findings of this study include post-monolingual knowledge production and dissemination using languages other than English as theoretical tools for theorising in language teacher education and research in other disciplines. The study has policy and practical implications for designing and/or refining the curriculum for organising WIL in higher education and other education levels across disciplines and/or faculties; engaging with industry; communities, partnerships for WIL with overseas institutions, non-government organisations, and for research collaborations through government-funded research schemes

Strangers helping strangers in a strange land: Vietnamese immigrant (expectant) mothers in the US use social media to navigate health issues in acculturation

Objectives Trying to adapt to a new culture, Vietnamese (expectant) mothers in the USA gathered in few Facebook groups with thousands of members discussing pregnancy, health, and child caring issues. However, there is little research exploring how social support was given/taken among these (expectant) mothers. This empirical research aims at shedding light on how such mothers use social media groups for social support seeking/providing regarding health utilization during their acculturation process. Methods Drawing from Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Utilization, acculturation, and online social support conceptual frameworks, this study analyzes 18 in-depth interviews with immigrant Vietnamese (expectant) mothers in the United States on the use of social media in navigating health acculturation during their pregnancy and motherhood. Results Results show that these mothers give and take all forms of social support including informational, emotional, relational, and instrumental ones. Facebook groups do not provide the best environment for improving “bonding” social capital for its members. However, these groups provide a platform where “strangers help strangers” overcome various barriers to sufficiently understand and independently access and use the official healthcare system. The groups, hence, aid these women's pregnancy and their child(ren)'s health. The informational and emotional support provided by Facebook groups among (soon-to-be) mothers helped them tremendously in overcoming acculturative stress. Moreover, with better language skills, knowledge, and experience in using health and social security systems, help-seekers tend to be transformed into help providers to deliver support for those “newcomers.” Conclusions This research provides insights into personal experience on the uses of social media in navigating health behavior in the process of acculturation among Vietnamese immigrant (expectant) mothers in the United States. The research seeks to contribute to the conceptual frameworks and practical experience of behavioral model of health utitlization among immigrant Vietnamese ethnic immigrant pregnant women and mothers of babies and toddlers in navigating health during acculturation process in the United States. The limitations and future research suggestions are also discussed

The influences on Internet adoption and usage of the Bottom of the Pyramid in Vietnam: a preliminary model

Objectives This research attempts to assess potential influences on the Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) in using the Internet by proposing a technology acceptance model. In the course of doing so, the study also provides a better understanding of how the BoP accesses the Internet. Summary The author modified the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Usage of Technology using previous studies of the BoP to create an initial conceptual framework. The model consists of four independent variables: performance expectancy, ease expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions and a dependent variable: usage behavior. Then, eight in-depth individual interviews with the BoP in Vietnam are conducted. Content analysis is adopted to improve the variables proposed in the initial model. Next, the variables are coded to carry out correlation tests, which help suggesting the relationships between them. Conclusions Performance expectancy, which is how much the BoP believes the Internet helps achieving job goals, entertainment and information needs, positively influence the adoption. Ease expectancy measuring the affordability of the Internet and the ease of accesing it also positively correlates with usage behavior. Social influence takes into account the degree the BoP thinks that reference groups expect them to use the Internet, that Internet is a social norm which should be abided to, and that the Internet is beneficial for the whole household. The probability that the BoP uses the Internet increases with Social Influence. Last, Facilitating Conditions, which is the level the BoP believes that a technical infrastructure exists to support their usage and that the BoP have control over their usage, positively influence the degree of usage of the Internet

Asians in the American mind: how Americans view Asian Americans politically

This study explores how the general American public thinks about Asian Americans, who are a multiethnic, immigrant-dominated, fast-growing, and understudied group. Understanding Americans’ views toward Asians is important in light of the changing face of the American electorate, whose recent additions comprise largely of immigrants from Asia and Latin America, and the likelihood that Americans’ beliefs or thoughts about race and ethnicity will be altered beyond the black-white divide in U.S. politics. As an attempt to gain such understanding, the purpose of this study is to provide a systematic study of Americans’ attitudes toward Asians in terms of positive/negative evaluations that they have of Asians (i.e., affect-based perceptions) and their perceptions of factual attributes of Asians, such as perseverance and intelligence (i.e., cognition-based perceptions). Americans’ perceptions of Asian Americans are examined using a conceptual framework based on theories and measures that have been discussed in past studies of intergroup relations largely directed at the relationship between white and black Americans, including the personal contact, context, self-interest, and symbolic politics theoretical perspectives. The major findings of the effects of these key explanatory factors on Americans’ affect- and cognition-based perceptions of Asians indicate some mixed and conflicting results. The findings confirm some aspects of the personal contact, self-interest, and symbolic politics hypotheses, but not the context hypothesis. The major findings of this study have provided some important insights into Americans’ views of Asians, suggesting that a better or fuller understanding of contemporary racial attitudes in U.S. politics requires focusing on all groups salient to politics, including Asian Americans

Axial Ligand Mutant: H229A

Many pathogenic bacteria use their iron acquisition mechanisms to live inside hosts. Streptococcus pyogenes is a pathogenic bacterium that uses streptococcal iron acquisition ABC transporter to obtain heme. SiaA (HtsA, spy1795), a lipoprotein located on the cell surface, serves as a heme binding protein. To understand the iron-uptake mechanism, histidine 229, one of the two proposed axial ligands in SiaA, was mutated to alanine. SiaA H229A was expressed in E. coli, lysed by French Press, and purified by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). SDS-PAGE indicated that pure protein was isolated. Nickel affinity FPLC gave purer H229A when 0.5 M imidazole was added to the binding buffer. Overall, histidine 229 is likely to be an axial ligand in wild type SiaA, as shown by the fact the mutant readily lost heme as evidenced by UV-vis spectra

Intrusion Detection In Wireless Sensor Networks

There are several applications that use sensor motes and researchers continue to explore additional applications. For this particular application of detecting the movement of humans through the sensor field, a set of Berkley mica2 motes on TinyOS operating system is used. Different sensors such as pressure, light, and so on can be used to identify the presence of an intruder in the field. In our case, the light sensor is chosen for the detection. When an intruder crosses the monitored environment, the system detects the changes of the light values, and any significant change meaning that a change greater than a pre-defined threshold. This indicates the presence of an intruder. An integrated web cam is used to take snapshot of the intruder and transmit the picture through the network to a remote station. The basic motivation of this thesis is that a sensor web system can be used to monitor and detect any intruder in a specific area from a remote location

Vietnamese EFL learners’ perspectives on online extensive reading during emergency remote L2 teaching

Previous research has shown a range of benefits of extensive reading for second or foreign language (L2) learning, as well as learners’ positive attitudes towards extensive reading. However, during emergency remote teaching around the globe as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, where all L2 classes have been moved online, little research has investigated online extensive reading as well as learners’ perspectives on this activity. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate Vietnamese EFL learners’ perspectives on online extensive reading during emergency remote L2 teaching amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Eighty-seven Vietnamese EFL learners at a local university participated in the study. They were involved in one online extensive reading over 12 weeks. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the participants. The results showed that all the learners had positive attitudes towards online extensive reading during emergency remote L2 teaching. Learners reported enjoying the variety of topics and genres found in online extensive reading, the suitability of the texts for their L2 proficiency, the usefulness of the program for enhancing their L2 competence as well as general knowledge, along with the convenience that the program offers. Learners also suggested several improvements in the website interface and the addition of more topics, genres, and quizzes

Effect of matrix constituents on the determination of plutonium and americium in bone

2019 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.There are numerous methods available in the literature for separating and analyzing radionuclides of interest from an array of environmental matrices. The quality of these methods can be affected by the stable elements that are commonly found in many of these samples. The presence of such interfering constituents can result in incomplete separation of the radioisotopes of interest as well as a reduced rate of recovery. This is especially the case when complex matrices such as samples of bone and bone ash are analyzed. Plutonium and americium tend to concentrate in bone, they are therefore often referred to as bone seekers. They accumulate in actively metabolizing portions of bones of mammals including humans. It is therefore extremely important to study and evaluate the accumulation of these radionuclides in human bone by analyzing bone samples. However, calcium, which is present in high concentrations in the hydroxyapatite that constitutes the bone, as well as sodium and potassium, have the potential to strongly affect the efficacy of radiochemical separation methods. The objective of this research is to investigate the influence of the major and minor elemental constituents present in bone on the affinity of plutonium and americium for a variety of commercial extraction chromatographic resins