Case Adaptation with Qualitative Algebras

This paper proposes an approach for the adaptation of spatial or temporal cases in a case-based reasoning system. Qualitative algebras are used as spatial and temporal knowledge representation languages. The intuition behind this adaptation approach is to apply a substitution and then repair potential inconsistencies, thanks to belief revision on qualitative algebras. A temporal example from the cooking domain is given. (The paper on which this extended abstract is based was the recipient of the best paper award of the 2012 International Conference on Case-Based Reasoning.

Elementary education in the poor law union of Runcorn from 1870 to 1903

This work is confined to a study of the work of the agencies involved with elementary education in the Poor Law Union of Runcorn: The Runcorn School Board, the Board of Guardians, the Rural School Boards and the Voluntary Bodies. The study of the Runcorn School Board gives a detailed account of the elections of the Board, the appointment of officers, the supply of accommodation, the work of the schools and an analysis of the problems of attendance. A special problem was that of the Canal Boat Children and a chapter is devoted to a description of their social and economic background and the efforts made to educate them. The Chapter on the work of the Board of Guardians deals in detail with the work of the School Attendance Committee, the appointment and work of the School Attendance Officers and an account of the work of the Local Committees is included. The section on the payment of school fees shows how this was organised, but is principally concerned with the efforts of the Guardians to avoid the payment of school fees for children attending the voluntary schools in Runcorn. As little material on the work of the Rural School Board survives the work of each Board is described in so far as material is available, and there is a short account of two schools. The Chapter on the Voluntary Bodies includes an account of efforts made by the Churches to Keep their schools, and a description of the effects of the policy of economy. Studies of schools are included. The conclusion gives a general survey of the work in the area and makes comparisons at regional and national levels

Using Learning Analytics to Assess Student Learning in Online Courses

Learning analytics can be used to enhance student engagement and performance in online courses. Using learning analytics, instructors can collect and analyze data about students and improve the design and delivery of instruction to make it more meaningful for them. In this paper, the authors review different categories of online assessments and identify data sets that can be collected and analyzed for each of them. Two different data analytics and visualization tools were used: Tableau for quantitative data and Many Eyes for qualitative data. This paper has implications for instructors, instructional designers, administrators, and educational researchers who use online assessments

Factors Affecting the Utilisation of Improved Ventilated Latrines Among Communities in Mtwara Rural District, Tanzania.

The Tanzania government, working in partnership with other stakeholders implemented a community-based project aimed at increasing access to clean and safe water basic sanitation and promotion of personal hygiene in Mtwara Rural District. Mid-term evaluation revealed that progress had been made towards improved ventilated latrines; however, there was no adequate information on utilisation of these latrines and associated factors. This study was therefore conducted to establish the factors influencing the utilisation of these latrines. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 375 randomly selected households using a pre-tested questionnaire to determine whether the households owned improved ventilated latrines and how they utilised them. RESULS: About half (50.5%) of the households had an improved ventilated latrine and households with earnings of more than 50,000 Tanzanian Shillings were two times more likely to own an improved latrine than those that earned less (AOR 2.1, 95% CI=1.1-4.0, p= 0.034). The likelihood of owning an improved latrine was reduced by more than 60 percent for female-headed households (AOR=0.38; 95% CI=0.20-0.71; p=0.002). Furthermore, it was established that all members of a household were more likely to use a latrine if it was an improved ventilated latrine (AOR=2.4; 95% CI=1.1-5.1; p= 0.024). Findings suggest adoption of strategies to improve the wellbeing of households and deploying those who had acquired improved ventilated latrines as resource persons to help train others. Furthermore, efforts are needed to increase access to soft loans for disadvantaged members and increasing community participation

Designing and Developing Mobile Based Instruction: A designer’s perspective

Mobile devices are increasingly being used in classrooms and corporations as a means to deliver instructional content. Currently, there is limited research on how to best design and develop mobile based instruction. As a result, the purpose of this research study was to examine students’ perceptions of designing and developing mobilebased instruction by a) interviewing instructional design graduate students in a computer based instruction course who were given the opportunity to construct mobile-based instruction and b) surveying instructional design graduate students to uncover their perceptions of mobile instruction design, usability, and delivery. Results of the survey and qualitative data analysis indicated that usability was a key issue on the mobile device. Users enjoyed quick access, good organization, user control, single column layouts, and large links/buttons. These findings contribute to the literature base on the design and development of mobile based instruction

Agriculture et qualité de l’eau : le dispositif de Lons-le-Saunier Evolution des jeux d’acteurs

La protection de l’eau est devenue un enjeu majeur depuis le renforcement des obligations réglementaires qui imposent le bon état des masses d’eau d’ici 2015. Les gestionnaires de l’eau sont alors contraints de mettre en place des actions préventives, en intervenant sur les pratiques agricoles situées à proximité des captages d’eau potable. Or ces derniers manquent d’expérience pour inciter le changement de ces pratiques sur un territoire. C’est dans ce contexte que le programme de recherche Agriculture Biologique et Périmètre de Captage (ABiPeC), mobilise trois équipes de l’INRA et l’ISARA sur les incitations locales à la conversion en agriculture biologique sur les aires d’alimentation de captage et qu’une étude de six mois a été mise en place à l’INRA de Mirecourt sur le dispositif de protection de l’eau de Lons-le-Saunier, considéré comme un exemple en la matière. Cette étude reconstitue les étapes de construction du dispositif et analyse l’évolution des relations mises en place entre les acteurs. Ce travail a été réalisé par des enquêtes auprès de différentes catégories d’acteurs pour reconstituer les faits et identifier leurs points de vue via une analyse de discours. Les propos recueillis ont permis de comprendre que l’évolution du contexte réglementaire, politique et économique ont régulièrement conduit les acteurs à renégocier le dispositif. Aujourd’hui des tensions entre la ville et les agriculteurs seraient expliquées par l’augmentation du nombre d’acteurs impliqués, qui complexifie les jeux d’acteurs et par le décalage entre eux sur les nouvelles actions à conduire pour protéger l’eau, notamment pour l’agriculture biologique