A study into the factors influencing the choice-making process of Indian students when selecting an international university for graduate studies using grounded theory

Paper presented at the conference in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, July 2007.Universities operate in an increasingly competitive market place facing new and complex socio-technical and economical challenges. For many universities international student recruitment is desirable and necessary for survival. Universities knowledge in this area is often an imperfect tool as the changing environment and diversity of cultures with which it must interact challenge previous assumptions and common wisdom. The overall goal of this study is to identify those factors responsible for influencing Indian students’ choice of international university for graduate studies. The results are based on a longitudinal study that was carried out using the Grounded Theory research method. This qualitative methodology provides a good framework for rigorous and relevant research of emerging phenomena in student mobility. Primary data consisted of unstructured interviews, focus groups and questionnaire surveys among participants of the sample population. The literature was used as a source of secondary data. A narrative style and thick description were used to report the research findings. Four major influencers emerged from the analysis, which are referred to as programme content, international reputation, funding and job prospects and quality. Drawing together these findings the study examines the implications for recruiting graduate students from India and reveals that there are a number of ways in which the university can influence the choice-making process. The results clearly provide a sound basis for future study

Dialogic and material influence on the formation of identity in Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway and Michael Cunningham's The Hours

2011 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.The Hours and Mrs. Dalloway are texts that creatively and poignantly reveal how personal identity can be shaped. The construction of identity as portrayed in the characters of these novels goes beyond sexual orientation and constricted roles for women, two areas frequently highlighted in analyses of these books, to the essence of "being" and especially to how self or identity evolves in one's everyday place and time. The focal women in the books, though fictional creations, provide an opportunity to consider how identity evolves within particular ideological settings and how it is influenced by one's material, day-to-day circumstances and personal relationships. I examine identity formation as reflected in the protagonists with the ultimate goal of better understanding, as Bakhtin scholar Michael Holquist states well, "an activity in which we are all implicated. . . creating the ultimate act of authorship [that] results in the text which we call our self," (315). I draw upon the theories of Mikhail M. Bakhtin to apply his model of identity development and his thinking regarding how dialogics, language, ideology and a person's unique acts sculpt identity. My thesis emphasizes kairos, used here to indicate the particular time, place and socially charged environments in which each of the key female characters in Mrs. Dalloway and The Hours are portrayed. Not only do these texts mirror one another, they also keenly mirror human consciousness as it participates in forming personal identity. Applying a Bakhtinian critique to these novels illuminates the creation, sustainment and potential for change in individual identity, or in Bakhtin's words, "consciousness becoming." A Bakhtinian perspective also calls attention to the choices individuals make of their own accord and the responsibility created because of these choices. This is important in the academic setting today because increased awareness about how identity is formed, both by ideological influences and material reality, can contribute to individual empowerment and belief in the possibility of enacting change in self and in others

The history of savings bank life insurance in Massachusetts

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston UniversityBecause savings bank life insurance in Massachusetts has rendered such an extensive service to the citizens of the Commonwealth, a study of the system is of both economic and social significance. Although practically everyone is familiar with life insurance as such, the form of protection offered by savings bank insurance departments is not fully appreciated by the citizens of the State. The relationship between the savings bank life insurance system and the private life insurance companies is similar but because the former has been able to issue policies at a lower premium rate, it is worthy of careful analysis. The savings bank life insurance system has fulfilled its original purpose of providing the working class with an opportunity of purchasing insurance at a minimum cost. It has encouraged thrift, and therefore, has served a great economic and social need to the residents of the Commonwealth. Lower premium rates have been available to savings bank insurance policyholders because of lower operating expense and a higher earned income

The development and evaluation of a ten-week program for improving reading in grade seven

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Science materials for the gifted in grades two and three

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Digital Library Education: Some International Course Structure Comparisons

Digital Library Education (DLE) is assuming increasing importance and it is clear there is a pressing need from social trends and technology for educational developments in this new and fast moving area [1, 3]. Our latest review of progress in DLE and other recent studies [1, 2] pointed out that the number of library schools offering DL education is still growing. By the end of 2006 (based on modules titles shown on-line), 28% (5/18) of all universities with accredited programmes by CILIP (the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) in the UK and over 60% (34/56) of all library schools by ALA (American Library Association) in the USA and Canada are offering specific DL education. Around 40% of DLE is now either specialized independent or certificate programmes and courses, mainly in North America. However, there is currently no widely accepted formal curriculum framework for digital librarianship [2]. A major difficulty for academics in library and information science (LIS) is how to incorporate all of the DL technologies to their DLE, and no formal widely accepted framework of DLE has yet been established [1, 2, 3, 4]. It is difficult to compare full-scale independent programmes with other programmes that are more traditionally-based but which have modules on DLs [3, 4]. This and others recent studies [1, 2, 5] show there is a pressing need for educators to explore the specific question of what should be the standard framework for DLE in LIS to ensure that students and their employers – can be assured of having an adequate skill set to work confidently and productively in this area. DLE taught in a Computer Science environment benefits from an outline framework from CC2001 but no such framework has yet been promulgated from LIS based programmes [1, 2]

Scholarly output: print and digital - in teaching and research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report the outcomes of a Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC)-sponsored study to determine the current state and trends in different forms of scholarly output used in teaching and research; and the nature and extent of problems associated with their use. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 60 UK HE institutions were chosen at random and a selection of departments within these was contacted. An online questionnaire was distributed to the selected departments; resulting in responses from 304 academics across a broad range of subjects and institution types. Findings – The study showed that printed output was still the preferred option in both teaching and research, although electronic journals now have a well-established presence. Web-based material is increasingly provided in teaching and used in research but this includes primarily traditional tools such as reading lists and links to scholarly resources. Some content creation was evident. Use of web 2.0 was not extensive, although respondents were making use of Institutional Learning Environments. Academics were aware of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issues but not always clear about their responsibilities in this area. Research limitations/implications – The study revealed an essentially conservative approach to the developments in digital information. This may have been due to the sample size which was relatively small, and the age profile which clustered around the 45-65 years range. In the case of research the influence of the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) was clear. Originality/value – No equivalent study has been reported on the transition between traditional and new forms of scholarly output used in teaching and research. In this fast developing area this research provides a benchmark for future studies

Nursing strategies to facilitate self-management in persons living with diabetes mellitus type 2

The growing pandemic of diabetes mellitus (DM) is continuing to spread around the world with developing countries being most vulnerable. Diabetes mellitus is the direct cause of 5 percent of deaths worldwide at present, with an expected increase of 50percent in the next 10 years. Diabetes mellitus was virtually unknown in Africa at the start of the 20th century but the incidence is expected to increase by 80 percent by 2025. South African estimates indicate that at present there are up to four million people living with DM in South Africa, with an expected rise of 25 percent by 2020. If DM is not adequately controlled, life-threatening complications ensue, resulting in financial, physical and emotional costs both for people living with the condition and for their families. There is also a great financial burden on the state, both directly due to the cost of providing health care and indirectly due to loss of productivity and a reduced tax base. Global initiatives against DM include the Diabetes Strategy for Africa compiled by the International Diabetes Federation and World Health Organization. There are several forms of DM with Type 2 being the most common with an estimated 95% of cases. Optimal glycaemic control is essential for the management of DM, potentially allowing the course of the disease to be slowed or halted. The previous medical model of management of chronic disease has changed to an empowerment approach where the person living with the condition is a partner in the management process. This is particularly true of DM where all aspects of life are affected by the condition. During Phase One of this study, a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, contextual approach was utilized to explore and describe the experiences of persons living with DM and of diabetes nurse educators who assist them in Nelson Mandela Bay. During Phase Two, a conceptual framework was created and utilized to develop strategies which professional nurses may use in facilitating self-management by persons living with DM. Persons living with DM experience a definite initial experience on diagnosis of DM but gradually gain an acceptance and acknowledgment of their condition. They have definite views on the concept of self-management and experience both positive and negative factors influencing self-management. They also have definite ideas on how professional nurses may assist them in achieving self-management. These findings were confirmed ii by the experiences of the diabetes nurse educators who formed the second group of participants in this study. The ACE approach to self-management of DM consists of an Action Strategy, a Coordination Strategy and an Education Strategy. The ACE approach makes use of grand and functional strategies implemented on the macro (national), meso (provincial) and micro (local) levels to enable the professional nurse to assist persons living with DM to achieve self-management of their condition. Grand strategies need to be implemented on a macro or meso level to enable the professional nurse to function effectively on a micro level. Assisting the patient has to go beyond merely improving knowledge about the condition but has to include individual goal setting as well as problem solving skills and coping strategies as part of a therapeutic relationship between the professional nurse and the person living with DM. The level of personal responsibility achieved by persons living with DM is affected by the memes which they hold regarding their level of health and their ability to address any barriers to self-management which they may experience. Making use of the process of the therapeutic relationship, the professional nurse is able to positively influence the memes held by persons living with DM and assist them in achieving a greater level of personal responsibility. The therapeutic relationship is potentially influenced by all three of the strategies described above. This study provides insight into the experiences of persons living with DM and of the diabetes nurse educators who assist them in Nelson Mandela Bay. Recommendations regarding the implementation of a National Diabetes Policy on a macro level are made, as well as recommendations for nursing practice, education and research. The strategies which were evaluated by an Expert Panel provide a tool for the professional nurse to use while assisting persons living with DM by facilitating the growth of personal responsibility leading to self-management

Early modern English anxieties: English-Ottoman encounters in The Fair Maid of the West Parts I & II, and The Renegado

The late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries marked a period during which England increased its participation in overseas exploration, trade, and colonization, and was embroiled at home in religious discord and the transference of the English crown from Queen Elizabeth I to King James I and then to King Charles I. Playwrights responded to the sense of uncertainty that emerged from such social and political instability through fictionalized depictions of English-Ottoman encounters in the Mediterranean that involved romance, violence, and religious conversion. This project contains analyses of three such plays: Thomas Heywood’s The Fair Maid of the West Part I (c. 1600) and Part II (c. 1630), and Philip Massinger’s The Renegado (c. 1624), and interrogates the dramatists’ portrayals of conflicts between Ottomans and Europeans in the Mediterranean. This thesis considers how such portrayals signify the anxieties of the early modern English through themes of race, sexuality, gender, class, nation, and religion, and how these intersecting factors contributed to on-stage representations of nascent English identity

Identification of tacit knowledge associated with experience: a Chinese software industry study

This paper reports on a research project that aimed at identifying the professional and personal experience from individuals in the SMEs in the Software (SW) industry sector in China. This study employed an inductive qualitative approach based on a single case study and grounded theory (GT) data analysis. The SW company is a SME that specialises in multimedia SW research and development and is located in Xiamen City (Fujian Province, South of China). Six participants, selected on the basis of their role in SW design and development, were interviewed using a semi‐structured interview script. These in‐depth interviews ranged from 100 to 120 minutes in length. After completing the open coding of the six interview transcripts, the researcher obtained 121 codes and 215 quotations from the interview data. These codes were grouped and organized into a category hierarchy that included 6 main structured categories as the result of axial coding. The results of the study enabled the development of a taxonomy and classification of tacit knowledge related to experience in the different stages of the SW development process. The study also showed that each identified category of tacit knowledge is not necessarily confined to one specific SW development stage or even to a specific role in the process. This emergent theory challenges traditional perceptions that each stage requires very precise types of skills, experience and even types of individuals