Analyzing and Comparing Online Learning Experiences through Micro-Level Analytics

Learning analytics collects and uses observations of interactions, which allow course instructors to search for the underlying patterns of a student’ learning progress and to accordingly optimize the student’ learning progress at a micro-level. Understanding the online learning experience through the learning analytics approach is essential to inform future pedagogical decisions in online learning design. This paper attempts to define the concept of an online learning experience in three dimensions. In addition, the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) is suggested as a supplement to Web log analysis (WLA) to collect data on cognitive involvement and learning emotion as well as to collect behavioral interaction data. Then, using Clow’s learning analytics cycle as a framework, this paper demonstrates how the identified cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of the online learning experience can be captured and reported in the online learning experience dashboard for each individual student. In addition, the online learning experience data between two courses were compared to find evidence of different learning experiences when courses are designed with different learning tasks. The main finding from this paper is that ESM enables us to capture online learners’ psychological dimensions of learning experiences and provides rich information on each learner’s progress in an online course

When better worlds collide: historical essays on the politics of international development and social science

This thesis is on politics, but of a very particular type. Tied to our very perceptions of existence and ways of life, it stems from deeper differences and entanglements. Exacerbated by post-Cold War globalisation, said politics is explored here in the contexts of international development. Positing a better worlds problem, it asks how to realise a better world amidst a conflicting plurality of them. Whose ideas matter? Is it more reason or might that define whose better world is right? Structured into three essays, it trials a historical approach using development's English-language academic historiography as an intellectual history archive. Capturing better worlds as ontological, moral, and epistemological systems or logic scaffolds, essay one thus finds a growing liberal scientific positivist scaffold underlying historical development journal articles. In contrast, essay two traces distinctly Marxist scientific positivist scaffolds underwriting Cold War-era development history books. Finally, essay three adds a new post-structuralist scaffold that manifests in post-Cold War postdevelopment theory. Constituting the most extensive study of the Anglophone development historiography to date, these essays produce three overarching findings. First is the dominant influence of the three observed scaffolds, which reflect the politics surrounding their own places and times. Resulting in a highly fragmented and polemical historiography, its visions privilege local over global priorities; more about a Western New Left than a purported Third World. The second finding thus illustrates an embedded development. Resituating its theories in society highlights their production in Western social science for consumption around the world. Extended to the third finding of a development game, it highlights a politics inextricable from development theory as well as its underlying social sciences. Culminating in a larger metaphysical geopolitics at play, it ties to a politics of science, knowledge, truth, and expertise—including the political role of the university. The thesis thus closes by outlining a larger programme across interdisciplinary, international, and theory-practice divides. Ultimately, it entails returning with greater hindsight to the start: the search for a way to navigate our deeper entanglements and rising tempers in the twenty-first century

Design of compact frequency synthesizer for self-calibration in RF circuits

A compact frequency synthesizer based on a phase locked loop (PLL) is designed for the self-calibration in RF circuits. The main advantage of the presented frequency synthesizer is that it can be built in a small silicon area using MOSFET interface trap charge pump (ITCP) current generators. The ITCP current generator makes it possible to use small currents at nano-ampere levels so that small capacitances can be used in the loop filter. A large resistance, which is required to compensate for the reduced capacitances, is implemented using an operational transconductance amplifier (OTA). An ITCP current generator is used as a tail current source for the OTA in order to realize a small transconductance. The presented frequency synthesizer has the output frequency range from 570 MHz to 600 MHz with a 100 KHz frequency step. Total silicon area is about 0.3 mm2 using AMIS 0.5 ??m CMOS technology, and the power consumption is 26.7 mW with 3 V single power supply

Real-Time Robot Software Platform for Industrial Application

In this study, we present the requirements of a real-time robot software (SW) platform that can be used for industrial robots and examine whether various kinds of existing middleware satisfy them. Moreover, we propose a real-time robot SW platform that extends RTMIA to various industrial applications, which is implemented on Xenomai real-time operating system and Linux. The proposed SW platform utilizes the timer-interrupt based approach to keep strict period and the shared memory for convenient usage, on which the shared variable is designed and used. We verify the proposed platform by showing that the robot task and the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) program are performing with interlocking each other on the presented platform

Determinants of Behavioral Intention to Use South Korean Airline Services: Effects of Service Quality and Corporate Social Responsibility

Since the introduction of corporate social responsibility (CSR), it has become an important duty of companies and organizations. In addition, academic and industry researchers have attempted to explore the effects of corporate social responsibility on firm performance. To this end, this study examined how corporate social responsibility and service quality are notably associated with customer satisfaction and behavioral intention to use by employing a structural equation modeling method. A research model with nine constructs was introduced and the findings revealed that economic, social, and environmental responsibility, as well as in-flight service quality, significantly determined customer satisfaction, while there were notable connections between customer satisfaction and behavioral intention to use. However, service quality at airports did not have a significant effect on satisfaction. The practical and theoretical implications of the current study are discussed

Antecedents of Behavioral Intention to Use Mobile Telecommunication Services: Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility and Technology Acceptance

The concepts of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and user experience have been identified as core determinants of the success of service providers. Accordingly, practitioners and researchers have investigated the effects of service providers’ CSR and user experience on behavioral intention to use a particular service. Based on the importance of these concepts, the current study integrates subjective dimensions of CSR with the technology acceptance model (TAM) to explore whether the CSR efforts of mobile telecommunication services providers and the service acceptance of their customers have significant effects on behavioral intention to use a service. We apply structural equation modeling and find that two factors from the TAM (i.e., usefulness and ease of use) as well as economic, social, and environmental responsibility are significantly related to customer attitude and satisfaction. Moreover, our results show that there are significantly positive relationships between customer attitude and behavioral intention to use a service, as well as between customer satisfaction and intention. Practical and theoretical implications along with notable limitations of the current study are presented

Comparative Analysis of Lunge Techniques: Forward, Reverse, Walking Lunge

The study aims to find the basis for the efficiency of lunge and risk of injury by comparing mechanical variables in various lunges (forward lunge, reverse lunge, and walking lunge). Four participants who were familiar with the three lunge movements were recruited to achieve the purpose of the study. The resultant hip joint moment, resultant knee joint moment, and resultant knee joint force were analyzed during the three lunge movements. Eight muscle of lower extremity were also analyzed using EMG. In conclusion, reverse lunge movement was found to be favorable in achieving the primary goal of lunge exercise, which is the development of gluteus maximus and quadriceps femoris, as it resulted in higher agonist muscle activities with relatively low momentary maximum knee shearing force compared to the other lunge techniques