A Framework and an Instructional Design Model for the Development of Students\u27 Computational and Algorithmic Thinking

The authors herein, describe their efforts towards designing technology-enhanced instruction for teaching Computational and Algorithmic Thinking. This study examined students’ development of Computational and Algorithmic Thinking, by utilizing the framework of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge and the instructional design model of Technology Mapping. Different technological tools were used for both groups of participants; the experimental and the control group. In particular, the experimental group used educational robotics and the control group used a 3D interactive programming environment. Both groups were 8th graders coming from different secondary education schools in Cyprus. A pre-post test research design was adopted in each classroom intervention. To check whether the interventions facilitated students’ development and understanding of Computational and Algorithmic Thinking concepts and competencies, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was then conducted. According to the results, the framework of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge and the approach of Technology Mapping, which guided the design of the instructional intervention were effective in terms of fostering students’ development and understanding of Computational and Algorithmic Thinking competencies and concepts, respectively

One-Year Water-Stable and Porous Bi(III) Halide Semiconductor with Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Performance

Hybrid metal halide semiconductors are a unique family of materials with immense potential for numerous applications. For this to materialize, environmental stability and toxicity deficiencies must be simultaneously addressed. We report here a porous, visible light semiconductor, namely, (DHS)Bi2I8 (DHS = [2.2.2] cryptand), which consists of nontoxic, earth-abundant elements, and is water-stable for more than a year. Gas- and vapor-sorption studies revealed that it can selectively and reversibly adsorb H2O and D2O at room temperature (RT) while remaining impervious to N2 and CO2. Solid-state NMR measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations verified the incorporation of H2O and D2O in the molecular cages, validating the porous nature. In addition to porosity, the material exhibits broad band-edge light emission centered at 600 nm with a full width at half-maximum (fwhm) of 99 nm, which is maintained after 6 months of immersion in H2O. Moreover, (DHS)Bi2I8 exhibits bacteriocidal action against three Gram-positive and three Gram-negative bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains. This performance, coupled with the recorded water stability and porous nature, renders it suitable for a plethora of applications, from solid-state batteries to water purification and disinfection

How quality management can help in process control : case studies from Cyprus

In this big, competitive world that we live in, almost no company can survive without adopting a scientific approach and specific methodologies and Quality tools. A lot has been written around the world about the Quality Improvement tools and process control, their kinds, their purpose of use, the way and place that they are applied, advantages, application difficulties, case studies and other. The success of any application, of any quality tool or application of design tool lies in certain facts that vary from each industry and place, as well as the means that are allocated. However, there are always similarities in parameters, difficulties and methodologies, such as the human factor, education and others. These common reference points aim to present the current paper based on case studies and applications within Cyprus industries and organisations during the last twenty years from the author. The paper will report which Quality/ process Improvement Tools have been applied, where, witch methodology have been applied, the degree of success and ways for better implementation. The paper will concentrate on those tools which were used in the process control in a variety of organizations. The main purpose of this paper is not to present scientific research work or something new but to present case studies from the island of Cyprus (1.5 million population) from small to medium size organizations (SMES). Companies of this size can benefit from those cases from the practitioners point of view. It is important to report common findings, problems and suggestions that are based on long-term experience from applications of Quality Tools in many organisations. It will also demonstrate the means that have been used, as well as the choices that are available and finally what exists in the market

The use of quality function deployment to help adopt a total quality strategy

This paper compares the requirements of the International Quality Assurance Management System Standard ISO 9000 with the philosophies offive of the leading quality gurus: Crosby, Deming, Feigenbaum, Ishikawa and Juran. A quality function deployment (QFD) matrix is used for this purpose. The 20 requirements of ISO 9000 are idented as the 'what' on the vertical axis, and the main points of thefive gurus as the horizontal 'hows'. The relationships are studied in the body of the matrix. The roof of the 'house of quality' is used to analyze the correlation between the philosophies of the gurus. Consideration is then given as to how the model presented can be customized to allow companies to use this approach to help develop a total quality strategy. © 1995, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved

Factors affecting a senior management culture change for total quality metamorphosis

A three-year joint research study focuses on the in-depth investigation of the quality parameters that are necessary to bring about change in senior management (SM) culture for improved leadership quality, as well as factors of “how” to succeed in its implementation. Analysis reveals overall agreement on the most important success factors, which are presented in this paper. This enables the development of an analytic model (one based on quantitative results and one based on qualitative results) for a CEO's culture change implementation process, required to achieve total quality metamorphosis (TQm) and SM leadership. © 1998, MCB UP Limite