685 research outputs found
Is Lilongwe Technical College ready to manage an Electronic Library?
E-library is a relatively new concept in technical colleges in Malawi. Over the past three decades, Technical College libraries have been traditional in nature despite the world of information and communication is going through a period of supreme and accelerating transformations. To stay abreast with the latest changes in technologies, the Malawi’s technical educational institutes have now started adopting agile services such as e-libraries to utilize on the internet technology to provide a variety of information resources and services to the scholarly community. The e-library initiative at Lilongwe Technical College was championed by African Development Bank (AfDB) under Higher Education and Science Technology (HEST) Project with an overall goal of fusing Information Communication Technologies (ICTS) in information service delivery, as a basic ingredient for information availability, accessibility and dissemination. Being a new development at the college, a quantitative survey was instituted with the aim of exploring the readiness of Lilongwe Technical College (LTC) in managing such a digital archive as the e-library. Among other aspects, the study closely looked at what are the contents of an e-library, benefits of e-library initiatives in technical colleges, anticipated challenges and suggested solutions in managing the electronic library at LTC. A questionnaire with closed ended questions was used to elicit responses from purposively selected 9 participants (Library staff and ICT instructors/Technicians). The data collected were later analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. The frequencies (f) and percentages (%) which were created using SPSS were then exported to MS Excel to produce charts and MS. Word to produce tables. Our findings revealed that library staff and ICT instructors/Technicians had little knowledge on the contents of an electronic library as they only indicated e-books as the major contents of an e-library. Saving storage space and 24/7 access to the library resources among others were the perceived benefits of an e-library initiative at the college. Finally, managing an electronic library at LTC will be associated with the following major challenges: inadequate government funding, poor state of ICT infrastructural development at the college, lack of laws, policies and strategies to guide the selection and acquisitions of e-resources, problems with long term preservation and access to e-resources; and copyright and licensing issues are of a great concern in a virtual environment. The study has set out strategies to counter deal with these challenges in order to answer the question: “is Lilongwe Technical College ready to manage an e-library?
Bridging Gender Disparities in Mathematics Achievement through Computer Based Learning
The purpose of this paper was to establish the influence of computer based learning (CBL) in Mathematics on learners’ achievement level in relation to gender. Specifically, the study sought to find out if there is any significant difference in achievement between boys and girls when exposed to CBL among secondary school students in Bungoma North District, Western Province, Kenya. This study was based on the theory of situated learning which states that learning as it normally occurs is a function of the activity, context and culture in which it occurs (Lave, 1988). The study adopted an experimental design where pre-test and post-test control group was used. The target population of the study was 1,173 form three secondary school students from Bungoma North District, Kenya. Purposive sampling was used to select schools with and without computers after which simple random sampling was used to select nine schools for the study. The study used a sample size of 240 respondents. Purposive sampling was used to select students who were computer literate then simple random sampling was applied to choose the respondents of the study. Mathematics achievement tests were used to collect data from the respondents. In data analysis both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Descriptive statistics involved means, while inferential statistics utilized independent samples t-test. It was found out that there was no significant difference between boys and girls in Mathematics achievement when exposed to CBL. The paper therefore made the following recommendations: gender digital divide to be addressed, develop and use interactive Mathematics programmes, rural electrification to be continued, teachers to be equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to use the CBL technology, computer studies to be made compulsory in secondary schools. All this recommendations aim at bringing CBL into classroom to give every student, especially girls, a competitive edge in mathematics achievement. Keywords: Achievement, Bridging, Computer Based Learning, Gender Disparit
The Availability, Adequacy and Improvisation and the Use of Instructional Resources for Teaching Mathematics in Secondary Schools in West Pokot District, Kenya
This study examined the factors that influence the use of instructional resources/materials in the teaching of mathematics in secondary schools. Among the instructional materials that were investigated in their use are: Textbooks and mathematical tables. The study focused on their use in terms of their availability, adequacy and improvisation. The research design that was used in the study is descriptive survey. The research instruments included questionnaire, interview schedules and document analysis. The sampling techniques that were used in this research are stratified, simple random and purposive sampling. The respondents comprised 24 mathematics teachers and 372 form two students. Four teachers were interviewed. Data analysis was done by use of descriptive statistics. The study revealed that the selected instructional materials are not adequate. The main recommendations are that school administrators, teachers, students and parents should be sensitized on the importance of provision of instructional materials adequately. Keywords: Availability, Adequacy, Improvisation, Use and Instructional Resources (textbooks and mathematical tables)
Insertion as an alternative to workfare: active labour-market schemes in the Parisian suburbs
Many governments have tightened the link between welfare and work by attaching conditionality to out-of-work benefits, extending these requirements to new client groups, and imposing market competition and greater managerial control in service delivery – principles typically characterised as ‘workfare’. Based on field research in Seine-Saint-Denis, we examine French ‘insertion’ schemes aimed at disadvantaged but potentially job-ready clients, characterized by weak conditionality, low marketization, strong professional autonomy, and local network control. We show that insertion systems have resisted policy attempts to expand workfare-derived principles, reflecting street-level actors’ belief in the key advantages of the former over the latter. In contrast with arguments stressing institutional and cultural stickiness, our explanation for this resistance thus highlights the decentralized network governance of front-line services and the limits to central government power
GWAS meta-analysis of over 29,000 people with epilepsy identifies 26 risk loci and subtype-specific genetic architecture
Epilepsy is a highly heritable disorder affecting over 50 million people worldwide, of which about one-third are resistant to current treatments. Here we report a multi-ancestry genome-wide association study including 29,944 cases, stratified into three broad categories and seven subtypes of epilepsy, and 52,538 controls. We identify 26 genome-wide significant loci, 19 of which are specific to genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE). We implicate 29 likely causal genes underlying these 26 loci. SNP-based heritability analyses show that common variants explain between 39.6% and 90% of genetic risk for GGE and its subtypes. Subtype analysis revealed markedly different genetic architectures between focal and generalized epilepsies. Gene-set analyses of GGE signals implicate synaptic processes in both excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the brain. Prioritized candidate genes overlap with monogenic epilepsy genes and with targets of current antiseizure medications. Finally, we leverage our results to identify alternate drugs with predicted efficacy if repurposed for epilepsy treatment
Cultural differences in postnatal quality of life among German-speaking women - a prospective survey in two countries.
Assessment of quality of life after childbirth is an important health-outcome measurement for new mothers and is of special interest in midwifery. The Mother-Generated Index (MGI) is a validated instrument to assess postnatal quality of life. The tool has not been applied for making a cross-cultural comparison before. This study investigated (a) responses to the MGI in German-speaking women in Germany and Switzerland; and (b) associations between MGI scores on the one hand and maternity and midwifery care on the other
Pedagogical Factors Affecting Integration of Computers in Mathematics Instruction in Secondary Schools in Kenya
The paper reports findings of a study which sought to examine the pedagogical factors that affect the integration of computers in mathematics instruction as perceived by teachers in secondary schools in Kenya. This study was based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). A descriptive survey design was used for this study. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were used to select a sample of 200 teachers that was drawn independently and randomly from the stratum of secondary schools. Questionnaires, interview and observation schedules were used to collect data from respondents. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics frequencies and percentages and inferential statistics including one way analysis of variance and regression analysis. The results indicate that mathematics teachers’ use of computer technology is significantly related to pedagogical factors such as knowledge and skills in computer, perceived usefulness, access to hardware and software and technical support and pedagogical routine practice. The study provides a basis upon which recommendations on appropriate remedies can be formulated to enhance the integration of computers in mathematics instruction by teachers. This also provides a guideline for the selection of sound instructional approaches in mathematics instruction in secondary schools. Keywords: ICT pedagogy, instructional software, mathematics classroom
Self-assembling behavior in decane solution of potential wax crystal nucleators based on poly(co-olefins)
The control of the precipitation and gelation of long chain paraffins from oil remains an enduring technological challenge regarding the processing and recovery of refined fuels and waxy crudes. Wax crystal modifiers based on polyethylene -poly(ethylene-propylene) (PE-PEP) diblock copolymers function as efficient nucleators for wax crystals in middle distillate fuels. These diblock polymers self-assemble in oil to form expansive platelike aggregates consisting of a PE core cloaked behind the amorphous PEP brush layer. The PE core thus promotes nucleation of solubilized long chain alkanes. Additional candidate structures for wax crystal nucleators include linear and star copolyolefins where the composition variation signals the alteration between crystalline and amorphous segments. This study focuses upon the self-assembling behavior in solution of these materials. The characteristics of the single chains and the aggregates formed at lower temperatures were determined via small-angle neutron scattering. Both plates and needlelike structures were found. The placement of the amorphous and crystalline blocks in the arms of the star shaped polymers was found to influence the architecture of the self-assembled micelles. As a point of comparison a commercial copolymer of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) was also investigated. The EVA material was found to be relatively "undisciplined" in comparison to the structurally more uniform anionically prepared counterparts
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