Domestic architecture of the Sinhalese elite in the age of nationalism

Domestic architecture of the Sinhalese elites in Sri Lanka remained as unchartered territory until recently. Having focused on the period of nationalism, which indeed is an area in oblivion (both historically and architecturally), this research established that the elite are in a position to better represent/evoke the shifting political/social/cultural forces (i.e. periodic changes) through their architecture within the Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) society. This was the foremost research question tackled. Moreover, the works of the architects Geoffrey Bawa and Valentine Gunasekara were singled-out for being two most varying trajectories aimed at the elite; the background study of post-independence architecture having led the way. How they represented the aspirations of two differing elite groups - the 'governing elite' and the 'political-class' - was then confirmed having placed them against the extant elitist theories. Moreover, the cultural strands of the Ceylonese elite to survive from pre-colonial and colonial situations were identified, and how the articulations became evident in their domestic architectures was assessed through case studies. On the other hand, as broader aims, the applicability of the outcome of the main research question to contexts other than Sri Lanka, communities other than the Sinhalese, or time periods that draw their meanings for being historically/architecturally significant, were established. Other than the foregoing unique contributions to knowledge, the enquiry into the area of elitism was significant

Usage of electronic resources by librarians of Sri Lankan universities

The study investigates the usage of the e-resources available through CONSAL (Consortium of Sri Lankan Academic Libraries) and other means for the LIS professionals of the Sri Lankan public universities. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data from 99 librarians working in the Sri Lankan public universities. Findings revealed that 65% frequently use open access material for their research, and the majority (33%) use them for their research, 60% believed that the available e-resources fulfilled their needs. Inability to access the databases from home, absence of some full text articles, lack of relevant material and lack of access to archival material were identified as common barriers to use the e-resources. The study recommends improving access from homes, adding more LIS material and increase training to cover as many LIS professionals to increase the usage. The study is limited to the usage of the e-resources by the Librarians during 2014 and 2015 after the formulation CONSAL

The Stigma of Not Pot English in Sri Lanka: A Study of Production of /o/ and /O/ and Implications for Instructions

The inability to differentiate the English vowels /o/ and / O/ has become a stigmatized marker of a lower prestige and widespread dialect of Sri Lankan English. This lower prestige (LP) dialect is often referred to with the derogative phrase “Not pot English”. This study aims to investigate the production of the vowel contrast by native Sinhala speakers of English. To this end, speech samples of three adult learners were analyzed. The findings of the study are discussed according to hypotheses of the Speech Learning Model, which suggests that the existent L1 specific phonetic categories hinder the formation of new L2 sound categories. Here, sounds that are similar, but not identical to L1 sounds are considered to be the most difficult to acquire. Also, the percentage of L1 use and the age of second language acquisition seem to have influenced the production of the vowels. Finally, in order to address this pronunciation issue, an instructional framework to teach pronunciation is proposed

Disaster Risk Assessment And Mitigation Strategy For Tropical Cyclone Induced Storm Surge Hazard And Coastal Impacts Of Climate Change In Sri Lanka

Associated with extreme winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge, land-falling tropical cyclones have the potential to cause enormous damage and losses to coastal areas of Sri Lanka. In particular, much of the damage and loss of life results from coastal flooding due to cyclone induced storm surge. Moreover, climate change impacts are likely to exacerbate the impacts of such coastal hazards on existing and future coastal communities and development. Whilst some impacts such as possible sea level rise are gradual and occur over a long time-frame, extreme weather events can occur at any time and can have a significant impact on the coastline. Accordingly, this paper describes an assessment of the risk of the storm surge hazard to the vulnerable communities of Sri Lanka, particularly in view of the coastal impacts of climate change. The storm surge hazard assessment utilizes a database of historical events of tropical cyclones in the North Indian Ocean region. A statistical analysis of the past events has been carried out to identify storm surge scenarios with appropriate recurrence intervals representing short-, medium-, and long-term timescales. A numerical model comprising a parametric cyclone model and a hydrodynamic model based on shallow water equations have been employed to simulate cyclone wind velocity and pressure fields as well as coastal inundation due to the storm surges corresponding to each scenario. An appropriate mitigation strategy for the storm surge hazard based on the aforementioned risk analysis is also outlined. The risk assessment and mitigation strategy described in the paper will be useful in the formulation of disaster management policies, development of preparedness plans, allocation of resources for disaster risk reduction, and in education and awareness activities in regard to the tropical cyclone induced storm surge hazard

Research and development on traditional water lifting devices: endless piston water pump

This paper deals with the research and development work carried out on a traditional water lifting device known as the Rope Pump, with a view to increase its pumping rate and efficiency. The research work resulted in developing and modifying the traditional device to a considerable extent. The newly designed pump, named as the Endless Piston Water Pump (EPWP) delivers 100% more water at the expense of 50% less energy than the traditional pump. Moreover, the EPWP may be installed in boreholes as well as in open wells. The above improvement is possible because the EPWP remedies two shortcomings in the Rope Pump, -namely, the escape of water between rope knot and riser pipe and the slip of the rope on the main pulley

Empowering 8Ò in practice: information literacy programme for law undergraduates revisited

The purpose of this paper is to review an information literacy programme offered for undergraduates in a Faculty of Law inSri Lanka. Constructive Alignment Theory of Biggs (2002) and the Empowering 8Ò Information Literacy Model were used todesign the programme. Effectiveness of the programme was measured by comparing the pre and post test marks of the students,and the feedback of the students and staff. It was determined that by following the programme, the students received declarativeknowledge on a variety of tools and techniques required to become successful in an academic environment. Library and facultymembers gained first hand insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the information usage of the students andunderstanding the reasons for the weaknesses so that they could address the issues appropriately. It also determined that, severalcritical success factors, other than an appropriate curriculum, are essential for an IL programme to thrive. The programme isunique since it is the first evident IL programme designed and delivered in Sri Lanka using an IL model

Use of electronic resources by the academics: a case study from University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of electronic resources (e-resources) by the academic staff of University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka. The study aimed to determine their awareness and perceptions towards the e-resources, training, and the factors affecting the usage. Convenient sampling method was used to select a sample of 37 academics from a population of 431. The study adopted both quantitative and qualitative approaches, by using a questionnaire and a discussion. The study revealed that the majority often uses Internet to fulfill their information needs, they have learnt about the availability of the e-resources from their colleagues, majority is self-trained in using the e-resources, and is confident on their searching skills. The majority find that their information needs are only partially fulfilled by the e-resources provided by the library. Lack of access to archival materials, absence of full text, absence of remote access and lack of training are the key challenges they encounter. Findings could be used to inform the future subscription to e-resources, developing infrastructure to improve access, and to focus the Information Literacy programs, and to develop rigorous marketing strategies to promote the e-resources. This is the first detailed study on the use of e-resources by the academics of University of Jaffna, and made a significant contribution to the understanding of the usage trends and the factors affecting the usage. The findings and recommendations could benefit similar academic institutions in developing countries like Sri Lanka

Information seeking trends among the Law course entrants in two Sri Lankan universities: a comparative study

This comparative study is an attempt to understand the pre-university library experiences of two groups of Law course entrants in two universities. The study concentrated on the use of the school library before entering the university, some social media and the communication preferences, and established that both groups have effectively used the school libraries. Yet, there are variations between the groups in using the other information sources such as websites, smart phones, select social media, etc. The study recommends offering a well-planned support programme covering the available resources and services, paying special attention to the use of e-resources, online catalogue, e-mail and social media for their academic purpose

Performance evaluation of solar water pumps

Water pumping with solar power is not very popular in Sri Lanka mainly due to their poor performance despite having most favourable climatic conditions .for the same. The controlled tests carried out with a typical solar water pumping system indicated that photo voltaic modules consistently attained the performance levels specified by the manufacturers, while the pump performed at noticeably lower levels. Further, the high initial cost of solar water pumping systems when compared to alternative sources is a major obstacle in the widespread use of this renewable energy technology