Semantic ontologies for multimedia indexing (SOMI)

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Issam Bendib ◽  
Mohamed Ridda Laouar ◽  
Richard Hacken ◽  
Mathew Miles
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Digital Libraries ◽  
Keyword Spotting ◽  
Multimedia Indexing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Error Training ◽  
Automated Speech Recognition ◽  
Semantic Associations ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The University

Purpose – The overwhelming speed and scale of digital media production greatly outpace conventional indexing methods by humans. The management of Big Data for e-library speech resources requires an automated metadata solution. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual model called semantic ontologies for multimedia indexing (SOMI) allows for assembly of the speech objects, encapsulation of semantic associations between phonic units and the definition of indexing techniques designed to invoke and maximize the semantic ontologies for indexing. A literature review and architectural overview are followed by evaluation techniques and a conclusion. Findings – This approach is only possible because of recent innovations in automated speech recognition. The introduction of semantic keyword spotting allows for indexing models that disambiguate and prioritize meaning using probability algorithms within a word confusion network. By the use of AI error-training procedures, optimization is sought for each index item. Research limitations/implications – Validation and implementation of this approach within the field of digital libraries still remain under development, but rapid developments in technology and research show rich conceptual promise for automated speech indexing. Practical implications – The SOMI process has been preliminarily tested, showing that hybrid semantic-ontological approaches produce better accuracy than semantic automation alone. Social implications – Even as testing proceeds on recorded conference talks at the University of Tebessa (Algeria), other digital archives can look toward similar indexing. This will mean greater access to sound file metadata. Originality/value – Huge masses of spoken data, unmanageable for a human indexer, can prospectively find semantically sorted and prioritized indexing – not transcription, but generated metadata – automatically, quickly and accurately.

Making the point? The audiovisual/digital media dissertation

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-118
Author(s):  
Coral Houtman ◽  
Maureen Thomas ◽  
Jennifer Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Film Theory ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Practice Based Research ◽  
The University ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
And Training ◽  
Practical Recommendations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the advantages of education and training in creating the “Audiovisual/Digital Media Essay” (AV/DME), starting from visual and cinematic thinking as a way of setting up, developing and concluding an argument. Design/methodology/approach – Recognising the advantages to education and training of the “AV/DME” this paper explores ways of enabling visually disciplined students to work on film theory within their chosen medium, and to develop arguments incorporating audiovisual sources, using appropriate academic skills. It describes a hands-on BA/MA workshop held at Newport Film School (May 2011) and subsequent initial implementation of an examinable DME. The paper contextualises the issue in the light of practice-led and practice-based research and of parity with written dissertations. Drawing on analysis of in-depth interviews with students and tutors, it makes practical recommendations for how to resource, staff and support the implementation and continuation of the AV/DME and/or dissertation. Findings – The paper feeds back from both students and staff on the running of an initial AV/DME workshop and finds that the Film School Newport is suited to running the AV/DME and suggests a framework for its support. Research limitations/implications – The study needs to be followed up when the students complete their full dissertations. Practical implications – The AV/DME needs sufficient technical and human resources to support student learning. Originality/value – The paper provides a clear and original framework for teaching, supporting and assessing the AV/DME. This framework can be disseminated beyond the University of Wales Newport, and can be used to teach the AV/DME in further contexts and to wider groups of students.

scholarly journals International entrepreneurship education for pre-service teachers: a longitudinal study

2020 ◽  
Vol 62 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 825-841
Author(s):  
Arantza Arruti ◽  
Jessica Paños-Castro
Keyword(s):  
Personal Development ◽  
Entrepreneurship Education ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Language Competence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Risk Takers ◽  
Current Characteristics ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The University

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore whether participating in an entrepreneurship education programme with short-term international placements can help pre-service teachers to identifying the characteristics of entrepreneurial competence from a wide definition of entrepreneurship (Lackéus, 2015) rather than from a business centred definition, to be developed by entrepreneur teachers.Design/methodology/approachA three-year longitudinal qualitative study was carried out. In-depth interviews were conducted using open-ended questions with 17 pre-service teachers from the University of Deusto (Spain). They were participating in a European project with short-term international placements at five different European higher education institutions.FindingsThere is no consensual definition of the term entrepreneurship, which varies depending on the context. Entrepreneurship could be considered to be both a mindset and a lifestyle. The characteristics of entrepreneurs that were mentioned the most included: being creative, team players, open-minded, innovative, passionate, motivated, hard-working and risk-takers; being able to overcome challenges; having initiative; being proactive, organised and persevering; having leadership skills, communication skills, the ability to adapt; having a positive attitude and, being decision-makers. Short-term placements contribute to personal development, improved foreign language competence, increased awareness and understanding of other cultures, and acquiring entrepreneurship competence.Originality/valueResearch on the characteristics of teacherpreneurs is still in its early stages. The vast majority of studies focus on entrepreneurs and teachers of entrepreneurship education programmes aimed at those who wish to start up new businesses. This study contributes to a better understanding of the term entrepreneurship, to identifying the current characteristics of teacherpreneurs, and to outline certain variables that could be considered during pre-service teachers training plans. It also proposes further research into in-service teacherpreneur education.

Evaluation of the accessibility of archival cartographic documents in digital libraries

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1062-1081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Kuzma ◽  
Albina Moscicka
Keyword(s):  
Digital Library ◽  
Digital Libraries ◽  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Goals ◽  
Metadata Record ◽  
Archival Documents ◽  
Access To Data ◽  
The University ◽  
The Way

Purpose This paper aims to present the authors’ attempts to evaluate the access to archival maps available in digital libraries. Its aim was to pinpoint the factors determining the effectiveness of access to old maps and to evaluate which Polish libraries provide resources in such a way as to give the users the best chance of finding the materials necessary for their research. Design/methodology/approach The presented research focussed on archival documents from academic libraries accessible from the Polish Digital Libraries Federation and available from Europeana Collections. The evaluation criteria were established along with features that determine the level of difficulty of access to data describing archival documents. The research took into account the way of recording the data about archival documents in metadata. The authors have also analysed the quantity of available resources and the consistency of metadata record. Findings The results of the research have demonstrated that one-third of the analysed libraries deserve a positive evaluation. The digital library of the Warsaw University and the Jagiellonian Digital Library received the best scores in terms of the description of archival documents. Considering the number of resources, the Jagiellonian Digital Library and the Digital Library of the University of Wrocław are positively distinguished. Originality/value The method of evaluating the access to archival maps has been developed. The criteria and features necessary for this evaluation and the way of their interpretation have also been defined. The future goals leading to the improvement of the access to the archival maps have been also presented.

scholarly journals Management information system adoption at the farm level: evidence from the literature

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo Giua ◽  
Valentina Cristiana Materia ◽  
Luca Camanzi
Keyword(s):  
Digital Libraries ◽  
Diffusion Of Innovations ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Management Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Farm Level ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Smart Farming ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Technology Industries

PurposeThis paper reviews the academic contributions that have emerged to date on the broad definition of farm-level management information systems (MISs). The purpose is twofold: (1) to identify the theories used in the literature to study the adoption of digital technologies and (2) to identify the drivers of and barriers to the adoption of such technologies.Design/methodology/approachThe literature review was based on a comprehensive review of contributions published in the 1998–2019 period. The search was both automated and manual, browsing through references of works previously found via high-quality digital libraries.FindingsDiffusion of innovations (DOIs) is the most frequently used theoretical framework in the literature reviewed, though it is often combined with other innovation adoption theories. In addition, farms’ and farmers’ traits, together with technological features, play a key role in explaining the adoption of these technologies.Research limitations/implicationsSo far, research has positioned the determinants of digital technology adoption mainly within the boundaries of the farm.Practical implicationsOn the practical level, the extensive determinants’ review has potential to serve the aim of policymakers and technology industries, to clearly and thoroughly understand adoption dynamics and elaborate specific strategies to deal with them.Originality/valueThis study’s contribution to the existing body of knowledge on the farm-level adoption of digital technologies is twofold: (1) it combines smart farming and existing technologies within the same category of farm-level MIS and (2) it extends the analysis to studies which not only focus directly on adoption but also on software architecture design and development.

scholarly journals Academic Labour, Digital Media and Capitalism

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 599-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Allmer
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
Social Achievement ◽  
Inclusive Approach ◽  
Academic Information ◽  
Post War ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this article is to contextualise universities historically within capitalism and to analyse academic labour and the deployment of digital media theoretically and critically. It argues that the post-war expansion of the university can be considered as medium and outcome of informational capitalism and as a dialectical development of social achievement and advanced commodification. The article strives to identify the class position of academic workers, introduces the distinction between academic work and labour, discusses the connection between academic, information and cultural work, and suggests a broad definition of university labour. It presents a model of working conditions that helps to systematically analyse the academic labour process and to provide an overview of working conditions at universities. The article furthermore argues for the need to consider the development of education technologies as a dialectics of continuity and discontinuity, discusses the changing nature of the forces and relations of production, and the impact on the working conditions of academics in the digital university. Based on Erik Olin Wright’s inclusive approach of social transformation, the article concludes with the need to bring together anarchist, social democratic and revolutionary strategies for establishing a socialist university in a commons-based information society.

The functions of the National Archives of South Africa regarding universities’ records and archives

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nkholedzeni Sidney Netshakhuma
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
The South ◽  
Content Type ◽  
National Archives ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
The University

Purpose This paper aims to assess the functions of the National Archives of South Africa regarding universities’ records and archives by comparing the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and the University of Venda’s (Univen) implementation of the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa Act, No. 43 of 1996 (NARSSA) provisions 11 and 13, with the view of recommending best practice. Design/methodology/approach The quantitative research methodology was adopted. The data collection tool was a questionnaire completed by 34 heads of divisions, departments and units from the Wits and Univen, supplemented by a document review. Thus, the study population comprised universities’ heads of divisions, departments and units. Findings The National Archives of South Africa is not playing a role in providing advice to universities on how to manage their records and archives to fulfil their teaching, learning and research mandate, protect them from litigation and preserve their corporate memory such as records with national and international significance. Most of the respondents were not aware of the NARSSA provision 11 on the custody and preservation of records, and provision 13 on the management of public records. NARSSA lacks provision specifically for the management of university records. NARSSA appears vague about the management of university records, as it does not explain the legal definition of university records. Research limitations/implications This is a comparative case study limited to Wits and Univen. The shortcoming of this study is that the author did not provide relevant and detailed information for the article reader to fully understand the functions of the NARSSA provisions 11 and 13 regarding university records and archives at Wits and Univen, respectively. Practical implications The study recommends the South Africa legislature to review the NARSSA regarding records and archives’ role in the university. The researcher’s view is that reviewing existing NARSSA provisions 11 and 13 would provide universities with the responsibility of managing some of their national and international records. This might improve the management of records and this, in turn, would enhance the preservation of records. Originality/value This paper appears to be the first to review the functions of the National Archives of South Africa regarding the South African university’s records and archives.

scholarly journals Slums and prosperity: a complex, dynamic pathway of intervention

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 314-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aisha Abubakar ◽  
Ombretta Romice ◽  
Ashraf M. Salama
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Personal Interest ◽  
Complex Dynamic ◽  
Developing Regions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Local Experience ◽  
Mapping Process ◽  
The One ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The University

Purpose Slums have existed as long as cities have and are a growing context in the developing world. The challenge is in their efficient, effective and inclusive management. The purpose of this paper is to frame slums in the broad aim of urban development and the pursuit of prosperity, as active players and positive contributors in every right – a slum-prosperity framework. First, however, they need to be comprehensively defined in a non-exclusive, structured, dynamic and heuristic way; a previous publication was set to resolve this challenge. Design/methodology/approach Guided by a synthesized operative model for prosperity, such a definition for slums is used to precisely relate their characters to the pursuit of prosperity through a mapping process, whereby these characters are linked to potentials for prosperity, improvement goals, resources and intervention plans. Findings Both slums and prosperity are fuzzy, complex and variable terms; the only possibility to deal with them both is to break them down into simple and manageable yet operative units and establish the most influential and effective links between them to organize intervention according to patterns of change in both slums and city. Research limitations/implications An intervention agenda like the one proposed here, that gives room for contextual and temporal urban complexities, has the potential to augment urban practice and help curb the slum phenomenon. A final paper (forthcoming) will illustrate the application of both the comprehensive definition of slum and the implementation of a pathway toward prosperity. Originality/value The proposal in this paper is derived as part of research conducted for the award of a PhD at the University of Strathclyde Glasgow. This was in general set to contribute to the proactive and inclusive improvement of slums and cities. The proposal is further derived from the authors’ involvement and personal interest in developing regions and is designed on local experience and on wider expertise in urban renewal.

The contemporary definition of university social responsibility with quantifiable sustainability

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 888-909 ◽  
Author(s):  
Issam Kouatli
Keyword(s):  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Cloud Service ◽  
Venn Diagram ◽  
Cloud Service Provider ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Green Cloud ◽  
Active Research ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The University

Purpose The university social responsibility (USR) is still in embryonic stage compared to corporate social responsibility (CSR) which is still debatable by researchers. The purpose of this paper is to propose the contemporary dimension (on top of teaching and research dimensions) of USR in most educational institutes. Based on this new definition, a proposal of a mechanism to quantify USR sustainability was presented. Design/methodology/approach Based on a review of the theme of the CSR with the inter-related recent research on USR with researchers perspectives, characteristics of USR were identified and incorporated in the proposed newly definition of USR. The new definition takes into account the interrelationship of university–corporate communication and create shared value (CSV) principle, as well as the knowledgeability and sustainability. Findings Based on the review of most active research in the USR development and the concluded contemporary definition of USR, this paper proposes a new extended version of sustainability suitable for educational institutes, where it is composed of different zones, and each zone was defined in terms of value of sustainability with associated knowledgeability in each zone. The Green Cloud project was taken as a vehicle to demonstrate collaboration between a university and cloud service provider located in Middle East (Dubai). Sustainability quantification was provided with hypothetical numbers to illustrate the technique. Research limitations/implications This paper is focused on University-specific social responsibility rather than general CSR. The proposed contemporary definition of the USR is a hybrid of a mutated latest research on CSR as well as cascaded recent development on USR. The view of this new definition can have different arguments depending on the ideology (communitarianism as opposed to individualism) adopted by specific university admiration of the objective of social responsibility which is sometimes driven by the political and strategic views of countries and the regions. However, the proposed sustainability zone-split between the CSV type of projects and the reputation values (described via hypothetical example) can minimize the gap between the two ideologies. Originality/value This paper attempts to provide a universally acceptable definition of the USR based on different points of views of researchers and tries to accommodate both ideologies toward social responsibility into one coherent framework. The sustainability Venn diagram was extended and made suitable for educational institutes. This approach facilitates the mechanism of quantifying the value of sustainability of a university or educational institutes. Hypothetical “Green Cloud” project was used as a mechanism to show the quantification process.

scholarly journals Theorising and Analysing Academic Labour

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-77
Author(s):  
Thomas Allmer
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
Social Achievement ◽  
Inclusive Approach ◽  
Academic Information ◽  
Post War ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this article is to contextualise universities historically within capitalism and to analyse academic labour and the deployment of digital media theoretically and critically. It argues that the post-war expansion of the university can be considered as medium and outcome of informational capitalism and as a dialectical development of social achievement and advanced commodification. The article strives to identify the class position of academic workers, introduces the distinction between academic work and labour, discusses the connection between academic, information and cultural work, and suggests a broad definition of university labour. It presents a theoretical model of working conditions that helps to systematically analyse the academic labour process and to provide an overview of working conditions at universities. The paper furthermore argues for the need to consider the development of education technologies as a dialectics of continuity and discontinuity, discusses the changing nature of the forces and relations of production, and the impact on the working conditions of academics in the digital university. Based on Erik Olin Wright’s inclusive approach of social transformation, the article concludes with the need to bring together anarchist, social democratic and revolutionary strategies for establishing a socialist university in a commons-based information society.

Are university libraries in Bangladesh ready to be digital?

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nafiz Zaman Shuva
Keyword(s):  
Digital Libraries ◽  
Private Universities ◽  
Private University ◽  
Information And Communications Technology ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Government ◽  
The University

Purpose – The core purpose of the study is to find the existing status of digital libraries (DLs) in university libraries of Bangladesh and to see whether university libraries of Bangladesh are ready to convert their traditional libraries into digital ones. Other purposes include: to explore the status of adoption of subscription-based e-resources among the university libraries in Bangladesh; to assess the level of information and communications technology skills of library and information science (LIS) professionals working in the university libraries; and to illustrate the government initiatives on digitization/DL development. Design/methodology/approach – The current study used the mixed methods, i.e. qualitative and quantitative. A questionnaire was prepared to assess the existing status of DL systems in university libraries of Bangladesh and to meet other purposes of the study. The population of the study included the heads of the public and private university librarians in Bangladesh. Several phone contacts were made for this study. A good number of e-mail addresses of the librarians of public and private universities in Bangladesh were collected over the phone. The study was conducted from June 2012 to September 2012. Of the 50 identified respondents, the author received 30 completed questionnaires. The heads of 18 public universities and 11 private universities and one international university responded to this study. Two responses were received by post. Therefore, the response rate for the current study is 60 per cent. Findings – As part of the government’s pledge to build “Digital Bangladesh”, several initiatives have been taken that are related to digitization, information development and developing repositories and e-services for citizens. However, not much initiative has been taken to develop nationwide DLs in Bangladesh. In terms of e-resource usage scenario, public university libraries are better in offering e-resources to its students and faculty members than private university libraries in Bangladesh. Finally, it turned out that the majority of the university libraries in Bangladesh are not ready to be digital. Lack of funds, lack of infrastructural support and lack of skilled LIS professionals are the main reasons hindering the development of DLs in the university libraries of Bangladesh. Originality/value – This study will help DL researchers around the world in getting information on the status of DLs in Bangladesh. The Government of Bangladesh, policymakers, university authorities and LIS professionals in Bangladesh will highly benefited from this research. No study to find DL readiness of the universities has so far been conducted.

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