Technology teachers' perspectives on the Technology curriculum.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.South Africa‟s new democratic government adopted widespread reforms aimed at transforming the country‟s education system and redressing apartheid inequities. The new curriculum framework based on Outcomes Based Education (OBE) introduced nine new learning areas, including Technology. However, many challenges such as contextual constraints, unqualified teachers, inadequate training of teachers, the lack of resources and varied interpretations of the Technology curriculum were encountered during its implementation that led to several curriculum reviews. It is against this backdrop that this study explores Technology teachers‟ perspectives of their experiences in interpreting and implementing the Technology curriculum in the classroom. The conceptual framework that was adopted enabled an understanding of the term perspective, the philosophical background of perspectives and the kind of knowledge that could be obtained from such. The theoretical framework comprised of Nietzsche‟s (1882) theory of „perspectivism‟ on which this study relies heavily to understand Technology teachers‟ perspectives. Perspectives operate on the general notion that that they are altering all the time. Hence, Nietzsche postulates that there should be no stopping points to arrive at an understanding of a perspective. As a result of this, there were various interpretations obtained to synthesise the data obtained. Nietzsche‟s (1882) theory of affects in „perspectivism‟ namely, coherency, legitimacy and practicality, were used in understanding the perspectives of teachers. Thus, the multiplicity of perspectives used in the study crystallised the understanding of this study. The various interpretations of the data obtained as well as the findings align with Nietzsche‟s proliferation of perspectives for interpretation to be correct. A qualitative research design and an interpretive paradigm were adopted to gather rich, detailed data within the participants‟ real contexts. Four participants were purposefully selected from four different school contexts. A case study methodology was employed to gain insight into Technology teachers‟ perspectives. Data collection techniques utilised in the study included individual semi-structured interviews, a video recording of each teacher‟s Technology lesson, followed by a stimulated interview. The semi-structured interviews were believed to provide in-depth information as well as elicit perspectives that would have historical underpinnings of the participants. Video recording of a Technology lesson followed much later by a stimulated interview would ensure that richer data was generated for better understanding of individual teacher‟s perspectives on the curriculum. The data was sorted using thematic analysis. In the data analysis chapters, nine themes were constructed and analysed with the literature and understood using the conceptual and theoretical framework to assist with the ontology. The main finding in this study is that the Technology curriculum is not only widening the gap between the privileged and underprivileged schools, but is implicated in the reproduction of inequalities in South Africa. The findings reveal that South Africa‟s education system as a whole is plagued by several challenges confronting the teaching of the Technology curriculum, which include the disruption of university preparation of Technology teachers due to constant curriculum changes and the constraints of a rigid curriculum which leave little room for flexibility. Learners‟ use of technological devices is disapproved, a universal Technology curriculum for a diversity of school contexts is set and teacher beliefs and Technology curriculum pedagogy are not synchronised. The Technology curriculum is viewed as unfair in terms of its expectations in poorly resourced schools. Assessment was found to be unrealistic, impractical and irrelevant in the Technology curriculum. Furthermore, the Technology curriculum revealed how learners from underprivileged schools lacked cultural capital which hinders them from competing at a global level, creating even further inequalities. Based on these findings, it is recommended that the Department of Education (DoE) keeps Technology teachers up-to-date about curriculum matters and supports teachers during implementation and ensures that the sharing of resource on wheels be implemented so all schools have access to some resources. It is also recommended that Technology teachers should be part of the curriculum design process and that perhaps schools can be used as centres to keep parents of the community up-to-date with technological developments

DEVELOPMENT OF UKRAINIAN ENTERPRISES AFTER FINANCIAL CRISES

oai:ojs.ecoforumjournal.ro:article/9The article deals with the main tendencies of companies’ development in 2011 and in early 2012. The main factors that influence the activity of trading networks are investigated. The priority directions of formation of an enterprise competitive advantage under new economic conditions are proposed

Light-Activation Influence on the Thermal Analysis of a Resin-Modified Glass-Ionomer

The acid-base and light polymerization reactions in resin modified glass ionomers (RMGI) have been shown to compete and possibly inhibit one another during early RMGI development. Earlier beginning times of light polymerization initiation may limit the acid-base reaction and if time allowed for the acid-base components to react is increased, the extent of light cure reaction may be lesser. The thermal behavior of a commercially available RMGI was investigated in relation to a light initiation regimen using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The relationship between delay in light initiation or no light initiation and the resultant set matrix of the material was determined by subjecting the material to a dynamic temperature scan between 37oC and 300oC at 10oC/min. Different cure groups (n=10 per cure group for an immediate light cure group, 5 min and 10 min delay light cure groups, and a dark cure group) were stored for specific periods of time (30 min, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months; n=10/time group) in an incubator at 100% relative humidity and 37oC. Specimen weight changes due to storage and weight loss due to DSC testing were also computed. The DSC thermograms displayed endothermic peaks reflective of material degradation and thus material structure. All groups of specimens had a characteristic single endothermic peak in the thermograms except the 30 min dark cure specimens which had two endothermic peaks in their thermogram. The endothermic peaks were mainly attributed to the dehydration of bound water in the matrix of the material. Significant differences in endothermic peak enthalpy and peak temperature were observed among the cure and time groups. The results suggest that, in general, the immediately light cured material is of differing structure compared to groups that allow the acid-base reaction to occur either due to delay in light curing or its absence. Additionally, changes in the endothermic peak over time were observed, indicating material maturation occurred and is likely due to changes in the ratio of bound to unbound water in the matrix. Interpretation of weight changes in storage show light curing reduced the moisture sensitivity of the RMGI

DEEP VISUAL RECOMMENDATION SYSTEM

Recommendation system is a filtering system that predicts ratings or preferences that a user might have. Recommendation system is an evolved form of our trivial information retrieval systems. In this paper, we present a technique to solve new item cold start problem. New item cold start problem occurs when a new item is added to a shopping website like Amazon.com. There is no metadata for this item, no ratings and no reviews because it’s a new item in the system. Absence of data results in no recommendation or bad recommendations. Our approach to solve new item cold start problem requires only an image of a new item. A deep learning architecture is used to extract feature vector from an image. Using a distance metric, the distance between various image feature vectors are calculated. Finally, the model recommends most similar items to the users

Understanding the dignity experience and exploring the impact of dignity therapy and guided imagery on patients with advanced disease - a South African perspective

Objectives: This study was conducted to understand the dignity experience of patients with advanced disease from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds in a South African context. In addition, the psychotherapeutic interventions, Dignity Therapy and Guided Imagery (focused on intrinsic dignity), were implemented to enhance the dignity experience of these patients and its impact explored. Method: This was a qualitative study where a semi-structured interview guide was used in the exploration of the understanding of the dignity experience of patients with advanced diseases, receiving home care from two hospices in the North of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. Dignity Therapy and Guided Imagery were subsequently implemented with these patients. Dignity therapy is an appreciative enquiry into the lives of patients to allow them to discuss aspects of their life that matter most, and the legacy and words of advice they would want most remembered. The sessions are audiotaped, transcribed and edited to produce a legacy document that can be given to their family or loved ones, if they so wish. Guided Imagery was implemented to affirm a practical experience of patients' intrinsic dignity and worth as beings. A post intervention patient feedback questionnaire, which involved a quantitative and qualitative component, was used to explore the impact of these interventions on different aspects of psychosocial and existential distress. The qualitative feedback was analysed using content analysis to determine the themes and sub-themes of benefit derived from the bundled interventions. Results: Four major themes defined the dignity experience: physical concerns, psychological concerns and coping mechanisms, social concerns and spiritual concerns and coping mechanisms. These themes and the numerous sub-themes provide an understanding of the total dignity experience of South African patients living with advanced disease. This study provided quantitative and qualitative data illustrating the impact of Dignity Therapy and Guided imagery, which proved to enhance the dignity experience of patients with advanced disease. The beneficial impact of Dignity Therapy and Guided Imagery on the dignity experience of dying patients was documented with confirmations on measures of helpfulness (100%), satisfaction (100%), a heightened sense of dignity (75%), purpose (100%) and meaning in life (92%). Further endorsements were expressed in terms of 83% sharing that it had lessened their sense of suffering, and feelings of anxiety and depression (92%) and improved their will to live (83%). The participants also expressed that the beneficial impact of interventions would spread beyond themselves to help their families (92%) and to benefit their relationship with their healthcare providers (92%). The interventions were shown qualitatively to have a beneficial impact on the Physical, Psychological, Social and Spiritual Domains of the participants' lives and these emerged as the four themes with various sub-themes. Conclusion: With this awareness of the biopsychosocial and existential concerns and psycho-existential coping mechanisms that affect the total dignity experience, healthcare providers can optimise dignity conserving care to improve the quality of lives of patients living with advanced disease. In this small study, Dignity Therapy and Guided Imagery are shown to be relevant, feasible and acceptable, short psychotherapeutic interventions that can be conducted at the bedside by healthcare providers to enhance the dignity experience of patients. A Guided Imagery focused on intrinsic dignity is shown to be a novel beneficial 5-minute intervention that can augment Dignity Therapy, or be used on its own, to affirm and strengthen the experience of the intrinsic worth of patients with advanced disease. Healthcare professionals have an influence in the area of the extrinsic sources of dignity in advanced disease, and can enhance dignity in providing respectful compassionate care. To add to the knowledge on dignity research, this study specifically highlights the need to affirm intrinsic dignity in dying patients, to affirm their personal worth

Who is Deserving of Aid?: The Ethical Implications of Work Requirements

This thesis looks at work requirements in social programs in the United States and how they relate to notions of deservingness. It begins with an introduction about work requirements, a policy tool that stipulates that individuals must spend a specified amount of time working or engaging in work-related activities in order to be eligible for certain benefits, and discusses the parallels to Victorian-era poor laws. It then provides a very high-level description of the four social programs that will assessed in this thesis: Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and housing assistance. Next, it provides an overview of government documents, polls, and public comments in order to characterize different stakeholders’ justifications for supporting and opposing work requirements. This thesis then analyzes these results to determine that government and public sentiments about work requirements vary greatly, and that a significant proportion of the public opposes work requirements and the concept of deservingness, using Kentucky as a state-level example. Finally, this thesis discusses the ethical implications surrounding deservingness and work requirements, and what the results mean for future policy decisions

Study of spectral and NLO properties of (2E)-1-(2, 4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3- (4-hydroxyphenyl) prop-2-en-1-one by DFT

160-170Theoretical calculations of (2E)-1-(2, 4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) prop-2-en-1-one have been performed using Gaussian 09 software package. The geometry optimization and vibrational frequency determinations of the molecule have been developed using DFT/B3LYP/6-31G (d, p). Substituents at aliphatic double bond are Trans to each other. The standard thermodynamic functions: heat capacity (CV), entropy (S), and enthalpy (E) were obtained at B3LYP/6-31G (d, p) level. DFT has been used to calculate the total dipole moment (μ), the mean linear polarizability (α), the anisotropic polarizability (∆α), the first-order hyperpolarizability (β) and the second-order hyperpolarizability () in terms of x, y, z components. Simultaneously UV-Vis absorption spectra, electronic transitions, vertical excitation energies and oscillator strengths of the same molecule were computed with the Time Dependent DFT (TD-DFT) method using the same basis sets. FMO, ESP study were also carried out using the same basis set