scholarly journals Assessing old and new individual study desks

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-106
Author(s):  
Holt Zaugg ◽  
C. Jeffrey Belliston
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Individual Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Student Input ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Engaging Student

PurposeThis paper examines student perceptions of new individual study desks (ISDs) and how they improved the students' learning experience.Design/methodology/approachThe study describes the process for developing new ISDs. When about half of the old ISDs were replaced with new ISDs, two parallel surveys were used to understand why students used the ISDs, what their experiences were and any suggested improvements.FindingsResults indicate that the new ISDs were used by students for significantly longer periods of time. They enjoyed the ambiance and amenities of the new desks, including a whiteboard used by over 90% of students. Many students using new ISDs expressed a desire for more new ISDs, so it would not be as hard to find an available one; students using old ISDs called for improvements that would make the old ISDs more like the new ISDs.Practical implicationsThis study has two practical implications. It emphasizes the importance of both engaging student patrons throughout the design process and conducting follow-up assessments to determine if changes make things better.Originality/valueThe value of this study is in understanding the optimal steps for developing new study spaces for students. These steps include integrating student input during development and design, prototyping a change and following up to determine the degree to which a change worked on the changes made.

Energy consultants calculating sustainability for residential buildings

Facilities ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 825-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Andre Søraa ◽  
Håkon Fyhn ◽  
Jøran Solli
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Building Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the role of a particular energy calculator in enhancing the energy efficiency of existing homes by asking how this calculator was developed and how it is domesticated by craftspeople working as energy consultants.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on qualitative interviews with users and producers of the energy calculator (n= 22), as well as participation in energy consultation training.FindingsThe paper finds that, in the energy calculator, there is a striking lack of connection between the domestication and script because of lack of energy consultants’ involvement in the design and implementation process.Practical implicationsThe enrolment of energy consultants as energy calculator users earlier in and throughout the design process could be valuable in making the transition to an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly building sector.Social implicationsThe paper argues for recognition of the role of energy consultants, especially craftspeople, as participants in the design process for tools of governance. This is a call to acknowledge the value of particular skills and experiences possessed by craftspeople doing home consultation.Originality/valueBy understanding the intricate developer–user synchronicity in tools developed for upgrading the building sector, energy mitigation can be made more effective.

scholarly journals Teaching with OER during pandemics and beyond

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 209-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Van Allen ◽  
Stacy Katz
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Open Educational Resources ◽  
Learning Materials ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Student Access ◽  
Subject Areas ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Open Educational Resources (OER) are learning materials openly licensed so that others may retain, reuse, revise, remix or redistribute (the 5Rs) these materials. This paper aims to raise awareness of OER by providing a rationale for using these learning materials and a strategy for educators to get started with OER during the collective crisis and beyond. Design/methodology/approach Using a broad research base and anecdotes from personal experience, the authors make the case that OER improves student access to learning materials and improves the learning experience in both PK-12 and higher education contexts. Findings The authors define and describe the benefits of OER to provide practical suggestions educators can implement during the pandemic and beyond. Practical implications To support educators in finding and using OER, this paper highlights repositories that include a breadth of various learning materials across subject areas and educational contexts. The authors provide specific suggestions for finding, personalizing and contextualizing OER. Originality/value This work not only provides an overview of OER with particular considerations for educators during the COVID-19 pandemic but also makes the case that OER should be integrated into classrooms beyond the pandemic.

Learning from action: a description and evaluation of an experiential learning programme

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Rawlings
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Mental Health Practitioners ◽  
Therapeutic Communities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Effective Learning ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Audit Standards

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the learning from action (LfA) workshop held in Italy in October 2014 and to evaluate how well the workshop achieved its aims. Design/methodology/approach – The researcher joined the workshop as a member, and data were collected through participant observation. Evaluation was carried out using relevant audit standards and a follow-up questionnaire. Findings – The evaluation found that an authentic transient therapeutic community was created, which provided an effective learning experience for participants. Research limitations/implications – The description is a single study based on the findings of a single researcher, as is usual with ethnographic work of this kind. Only a few participants completed the questionnaire. Originality/value – This is the first detailed research description of the LfA programme for training mental health practitioners who work in therapeutic communities. It provides a description of events, comments on how some of these impacted on the researcher-participant and an evaluation of the workshop.

The critical managerial capabilities of medical and nursing managers in an Israeli hospital

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Shetach ◽  
Ohad Marcus
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Culturally Specific ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nursing Managers ◽  
Managerial Capabilities ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the managerial capabilities that are required of medical and nursing managers, in a Christian-affiliated hospital in Israel, in order to promote the job satisfaction of their subordinates. Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered via questionnaires, administered to 107 doctors and nurses of a small Christian-affiliated hospital in Israel, regarding the job satisfaction of the respondents, and their evaluation of the managerial capabilities of their medical and nursing superiors. Correlations and regressions were carried out on the data. Findings – Overall managerial capabilities of medical and nursing managers were shown to be significantly related to how their subordinates felt about their teams and about their work. The results suggest differences between nurses and doctors. When analyzed for the two dimensions of managerial capabilities and the two dimensions of job satisfaction, the results were significant for the nurses, but not significant for the doctors. When tested for Christians vs non-Christians, the results for the nurses were the same as in the sample as a whole; whereas for the doctors, there were differences between the two religious groups. Research limitations/implications – The sample is small and culturally specific, thus limiting the generalization potential of this study. Practical implications – Findings of this research may have practical implications regarding hospitals’ recruitment, promotion, instruction and follow-up policies. Originality/value – This study sheds light on the issue of hospital management and leadership within a specific cultural-religious setting, which has not been previously investigated.

scholarly journals Assessing the accuracy of vendor-supplied accessibility documentation

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura DeLancey
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Section 508 ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
Common Problems ◽  
Accessibility Issues ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – In an effort to ensure vendor compliance with Section 508, some libraries have begun requesting Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs) or other documentation of accessibility compliance. The purpose of this paper is to assess the accuracy of vendor-supplied compliance documentation, and to identify common accessibility issues highlighted by the VPATs. A detailed discussion of vendor responses to each Section 508 checkpoint is provided in the Appendix. Design/methodology/approach – Researchers compared 17 VPATs with the results of an automated accessibility scan to identify inconsistencies and common problems. Findings – Vendors reported being fully compliant with 64 percent of the applicable VPAT items, and partially compliant with a further 24 percent. However, in 16 of 17 cases, there were discrepancies between the information on the VPAT and the results of the scan. Of the total 189 VPAT checkpoints the author scanned, 19.6 percent had errors (meaning the information on the VPAT was inaccurate 19.6 percent of the time). Research limitations/implications – Several VPAT checkpoints could not be automatically verified by the scan. Instead they require manual/visual verification, which the author did not do. Because the author only scanned three pages of each resource, the author was not able to check all content. Practical implications – Vendor-supplied accessibility documentation should not be taken at face value, but requires verification and follow up to ensure its accuracy. This study also identified some of the most common accessibility issues, which will help both librarians and vendors improve their products and services. Originality/value – Other studies have analyzed the accessibility of library resources and specifically vendor databases, but none have assessed the accuracy of vendor-supplied Section 508 compliance documentation.

scholarly journals Visualization and establishment of product design regulations as interactive modules

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-34
Author(s):  
Mikael Blomé
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Production Process ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Different Levels

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the preferable manner for visualizing different product regulations to be used in the training of and communication between people working at different levels in the production process. Many organizations struggle to communicate important and compulsory regulations, but the intended users are often reluctant to use them. Design/methodology/approach – The study has an action research approach, and the visualized regulations were the result of a human-centered design process that considered aspects for successful organizational change. Findings – The action research approach proved to be a successful framework to design the transformation of well-constructed illustrations in interactive guides, communicate and convince managers and users of the potential of the concept, develop a number of different well-functioning guides and establish regulations with illustrative elements and interactivity in a long-term perspective of an organization. Research limitations/implications – Further research is needed to follow-up the usage of visualized regulations to clarify how communication and quality are supported in design and production processes. Practical implications – The study shows how different product regulations should be visualized and established in an organization, with a potential for further dissemination. It is likely that the approach to design and visualize regulations in this study can function in other branches. Originality/value – The study finds a preferable manner for visualizing different product regulations to be used in the training of and communication between people working at different levels in the production process.

The strategic advantages of business war gaming

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
War Games ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This paper demonstrates how strategic business war games provide a learning experience by revealing realistic opportunities and risks while at the same time sharpening the players’ commercial instincts. Bundled services that offered sizeable discounts were the most predictable way of enticing customers to switch to another financial services provider. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Walkability evaluation of building circulation based on user preference

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meiqing Fu ◽  
Rui Liu ◽  
Carol K.H. Hon
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Group Decision ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
User Preference ◽  
User Characteristics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Evaluation Approach ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeBuilding circulation has an important impact on human comfort of buildings and is one of the critical factors in building design. A quantitative walkability evaluation of building circulation can benefit both building design and operation. However, indoor walkability of building circulation is determined not only by objective path features but also by subjective user preference. How to incorporate the preference from a large group of users into the design process is still a challenging issue.Design/methodology/approachThis study proposes a participatory framework of indoor path walkability evaluation based on user preference. Hierarchical indicators are developed to objectively measure indoor path features. Furthermore, group decision-making theory is adopted to aggregate individual user preference into user common preference for determining the relative indicator weights. Finally, integrated walkability scores (IWSs) are calculated to evaluate indoor path walkability quantitatively.FindingsA total of three case scenarios demonstrate that the proposed evaluation framework provides an efficient way for designers and owners to measure user preference quantitatively, analyze building circulations based on user preference and compare the walkability of different building design schemes.Practical implicationsThe developed methods provide an efficient way for designers and owners to measure user preference quantitatively, analyze building circulations based on user preference and compare the walkability of different building design schemes.Originality/valueThis study develops a comprehensive and quantitative walkability evaluation approach that considers both objective path features and subjective user preference derived from user characteristics and walking purposes, which provides an effective way to incorporate user feedback into the building design process and operation.

Co-creating dementia care: manoeuvring fractured reflexivity in service design

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ane Bast ◽  
Maria Taivalsaari Røhnebæk ◽  
Marit Engen
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
User Groups ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into

PurposeThis study aims to theorise and empirically investigate how vulnerable users suffering from cognitive impairments can be involved in service design.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected through an ongoing field study following the processes of designing new forms of dementia care. The data consist of document studies, observations and interviews with actors involved in the service design process.FindingsThe findings demonstrate how the involvement of vulnerable users with cognitive impairment in service design requires the ability to manoeuvre users' “fractured reflexivity”. The design process was found to be constrained and enabled by three interrelated features: cognitive aspects, social aspects and representativeness.Practical implicationsThis paper provides insight into concrete ways of involving vulnerable user groups in service design. The introduced concept – fractured reflexivity – may create awareness of how the involvement of users with cognitive impairment can be difficult but is also valuable, providing a means to rethink what may enable involvement and how to manage the constraints.Originality/valueAlthough design processes rely on reflexivity, there is limited research addressing how reflexivity capacity differs among actors. The authors contribute by exploring how fractured reflexivity may aid the analysis and understandings of intertwined issues related to the involvement of users with cognitive impairment. Therefore, this study initiates research on how service design entails enactments of different modes of reflexivity. The paper concludes with directions for future research avenues on service design and reflexivity modes.

scholarly journals Questioning: a path to student learning experience

2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 474-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilson Ozuem ◽  
Geoff Lancaster
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Classroom Teaching ◽  
Learning Situation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Location ◽  
Knowledge And Beliefs ◽  
Life Issues ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate connections between questioning, learning, achievement and conscious knowledge and beliefs held by tutors and how these are applied in a teaching/learning situation. Design/methodology/approach – The design of this study involved the authors listening to, but not participating in, classroom teaching sessions followed by individual in-depth discussions with tutors and students to ascertain how best to advance learning and achievement. Findings – Responses generated from questioning and dialogue helps tutors realign their teaching in response to the needs of learners including comprehending life issues and solving problems. Tutors should consider “think-pair share strategy” in their delivery. Research limitations/implications – Research was limited to one specific location, the sample was self-selected and limited to tutors who volunteered to take part in the investigation. A greater number of experimental locations with 100 per cent participation would have enhanced the validity of the findings. Practical implications – Learners need to be motivated to ask questions and be encouraged to become involved in discussions. Questioning and dialogue provide a framework for sharing educational objectives with students and charting their progress and this can lead to a better framework for delivery and understanding. Social implications – If tutors can better realign their teaching in response to the needs of learners including comprehending life issues and solving problems then this can lead to a more focused learning experience. Originality/value – The work was based on empirical investigations of tutors and learners in group and individual situations and the findings have been reported.

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