ICTs in Education: an Evaluation of the Dublin Inner City Schools\u27 Computerization (DISC) and HP Managed Learning Environment (MLE) Projects

The Dublin Inner-City Schools Computerization (DISC) Projects initiative was established with the aim of achieving equality of access, opportunity and training in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in thirty-eight inner-city schools and innovative use of ICT in the classroom. This report seeks to evaluate the project to include the ICT projects Initiative and a pilot Managed Learning Environment (MLE) called LearningNI (LNI) currently being run by C2k in Northern Ireland (NI). This report finds that while the DISC project overall has been broadly welcomed by many schools, some schools are not engaging with the programme and the objective of integrating ICT into the curriculum has still not been met. The ICT Projects Initiative has been enthusiastically embraced by some schools but it needs to be more curriculum-relevant in order to achieve ICT integration. The MLE had some success but issues of internet connectivity; bandwidth; and school participation need to be addressed. The DISC initiative has now ceased and been replaced by Computers in Learning Communities (CLiC). Suggestions made for the future of DISC/CLiC (CLiC 2011) include reducing the number of schools involved; developing an MLE to support, train and encourage participating teachers; facilitating increased technical support to schools similar to C2k in NI; increased liaison with the Department of Education and Skills (DES) to develop curriculum-relevant software; and a re-launch of the DISC/CLiC programme. This report uses Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as a theoretical framework for research design and analysis

The Reality of Measuring Human Service Programs: Results of a Survey

In the summer of 2013, Idealware created and distributed a survey to learn how human service organizations from their own mailing list are actually using technology to measure and evaluate the outcomes of their programs. The suvey looked at a general overview of outcomes measurement and program evaluation topics, from how frequently they look at data and how much time they spend doing so to what types of metrics the organizations were tracking. To further understand the realities of measuring program effectiveness, Idealware conducted a site visit and interview of three human service organizations in Portland, Maine. The results clearly show that the respondents are struggling to measure their programs

The effect of developmental temperature on morphology, energy metabolism, growth hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone in Long-Evans rats

Long-Evans rats were raised from birth to eight weeks of age at 5°C, 20°C and 30°C. Blood was taken from animals two to eight weeks of age and assayed for growth hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone. The 30°C reared rats were found to have the longest ear, tail and hind limbs, followed by the 20°C reared rats. The 5°C rats were found to have the shortest ear, tail and hind limb. The 30°C and 5°C reared rats were found to have similar masses at the termination of the experiment. The 20°C reared rats had the smallest mass. Differences in size between the three groups when compared on a weekly basis were not found to be related to weekly obtained serum levels of growth hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone. Food consumption was greatest for the 5°C reared rats followed by the 20°C reared rats. The 5°C reared rats were found to have the lowest routine metabolic rate in the 5°C chamber. The 20°C reared rats were found to have the lowest routine metabolic rate in both the 20°c and 30°C chamber. When 30°C and 20°C reared rats were put in the 5°C chamber with the 5°C reared rats, they initially lost mass, however after three weeks in the 5°C chamber they began to gain mass. The 30°C reared rats gained mass at a greater rate than did the 20°C reared rats. The 5°C reared rats continued to gain mass throughout this period. While in the 5°C chamber the total food consumption of the 20°c reared rats was the greatest, whereas the 5°C and 30°C reared rats consumed similar amounts of food

Tiny robots in our pockets: a critical exploration of podcasts

Thesis (M.A.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2015This project is an exploration of the audio platform of podcasting. It is in three parts. The first part is an initial introduction to the medium of podcasting and an introduction to a critical theory of media studies in regard to popular culture. The second part is an exploration of the educational and academic applications of podcasting as well as an examination of aural learning as an important cultural mode of discourse. There are pedagogical implications and examples of utilizing both popular culture and podcasting in the classroom. The third part is a critical examination of selected podcasts that feature discussions of popular culture and how those discussions fit into the critical modes, genres and discourses outlined in the first two parts of this project. This discussion focuses mostly on the critical examination of science fiction films in podcasting. There is a conclusion that wraps up the main ideas and critical theories discussed in the project as well as an epilogue that addresses concerns raised at the defense of this project regarding pedagogy and accessibility. This is the transcript of this project. The actual thesis artifact is a series of three podcasts that are available through the University of Alaska Fairbanks Graduate School Archive and through the website SoundCloud. (https://soundcloud.com/quinn-dreasler/sets/quinns-thesis

Evidence of new public management during the rural electrification scheme

In recent years, much attention has been given to various New Public Management (NPM) initiatives. Hood (1991) suggests NPM emerged as a set of doctrines in the late 1970s. In this paper, we explore NPM during the Rural Electrification Scheme (RES) using archival material from the Electricity Supply Board (ESB). One of the ESB’s key projects was the electrification of rural Ireland, spanning a time period of mid-1940s to late 1970s. This project involved accountants, and emerging and evolving accounting and management practices. It is thus, at first sight, a project which may include elements of NPM

Transforming the Fashion Industry by: The Evolution of Design & Merchandising Education

How do we prepare students for the fashion industry in the face of an ethical awakening when issues of climate change are complicated by political turmoil, social injustice, and food insecurity, where advances in technology ignite concerns over surveillance, data privacy, equity, and dependence? What if those working in the fashion system had a deeper sense of responsibility for their product creation? As the fashion industry shifts, awareness of the ethical implications has become a necessity and responsibility not only for industry professionals but for educators who are teaching the next generation. Fashion design and merchandising curricula may skim the surface of ethical design and strategy but often falls short on how to integrate ethical decision-making into coursework. The authors seek to answer this overarching question: are students who study fashion design and merchandising better prepared after graduation when ethics and entrepreneurship are an integral part of their curricula

The Inbetweeners: Identifying And Quantifying The Unmet Mental Health Needs Of Children And Adolescents In Tallaght

Youth mental health is significant issue nationally as well as within South County Dublin. There is aperception amongst both service providers and parents that many children and young people are beingexposed to increasingly complex stressors and that the range of influences on their wellbeing are agrowing challenge. Whether this is the case or not, we do know that services are under pressure to respondeffectively, quickly and appropriately.This Report is the result of strong inter-agency working, bringing together statutory services with the community and voluntary sector, engaging with hospitals and community based providers, andoffering an opportunity for a number of disciplines and services to share their collective wisdom andinsights to better understand local dynamics.