scholarly journals INTERPRETING THE CONCEPTS OF TECHNOLOGY-SOCIETY TO PUBLIC POLICY: THE POTENTIALS OF SYSTEM DYNAMICS AND COMPUTER GAMES

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-55
Author(s):  
András Nemeslaki ◽  
László Molnár ◽  
Tas Steven Nemeslaki
Keyword(s):  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Computer Games ◽  
System Analysis ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Teaching History ◽  
Strategy Games ◽  
Geographical Expansion ◽  
Concepts Of Technology ◽  
The University

In this paper, we explore how Civilization, and – in a more general approach – computer games can enhance public administration (PA) education for interpreting technology-society concepts (or Science Technology Studies). We pose the research question, how computer games at the early stage of PA studies aligned with  systematic curriculum design make educational experiences and the learning  process more sensitised to system complexity, creativity and understanding the  role of technology. The paper shows an educational experiment where Sid Meier’s  Civilization series is used at the University of Public Service in Budapest. Civilization  is one of the most famous turn-based strategy games, illustrating the complex  causalities of economic development, geographical expansion, technology  innovation, government structure and warfare. The players experience historical  development through the ages of human Civilization – starting to build simple  ancient huts to modern space exploration – and choosing different strategies to  guide their Civilization through the challenges of allocating resources, managing  conflicts, or deploying technological innovations. Civilization has been used in  several classroom experiences for teaching history and complex system analysis.  

Integrating Image Computation in Undergraduate Level Data-Structure Education

1998 ◽  
Vol 12 (08) ◽  
pp. 1071-1080 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudeep Sarkar ◽  
Dmitry Goldgof
Keyword(s):  
Image Processing ◽  
Image Analysis ◽  
Data Structure ◽  
Data Structures ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Real Life ◽  
South Florida ◽  
The University ◽  
Structure Education

There is a growing need for expertise both in image analysis and in software engineering. To date, these two areas have been taught separately in an undergraduate computer and information science curriculum. However, we have found that introduction to image analysis can be easily integrated in data-structure courses without detracting from the original goal of teaching data structures. Some of the image processing tasks offer a natural way to introduce basic data structures such as arrays, queues, stacks, trees and hash tables. Not only does this integrated strategy expose the students to image related manipulations at an early stage of the curriculum but it also imparts cohesiveness to the data-structure assignments and brings them closer to real life. In this paper we present a set of programming assignments that integrates undergraduate data-structure education with image processing tasks. These assignments can be incorporated in existing data-structure courses with low time and software overheads. We have used these assignment sets thrice: once in a 10-week duration data-structure course at the University of California, Santa Barbara and the other two times in 15-week duration courses at the University of South Florida, Tampa.

scholarly journals Accounting Education for Professional Accountants: Evidence from Italy

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanna Lucianelli ◽  
Francesca Citro
Keyword(s):  
Professional Competence ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Accounting Education ◽  
International Accounting ◽  
Future Expectations ◽  
Education Standards ◽  
Accounting Standard ◽  
Regulatory Changes ◽  
The University ◽  
National Governments

In the last years, the worldwide changes in global, political and financial contexts have gradually modified the approaches to the accounting of national governments and international institutions. In this varying scenario, the International Accounting Standard Board (IASB) and consequently national governments have introduced new accounting standards along with related regulatory changes. These issues are of ever-growing importance when considering that the International Accounting Education Standards Board (IAESB) has recently developed “The basis for conclusions document for 2017-2021 IAESB Strategy and 2017-2018 Work Plan” (IAESB, 2017) with the aim of informing the Board’s deliberations on its future strategy and priorities about the future expectations of professional competence. The aim of this paper is to report the findings of an empirical study on this topic and address the following research question: what are professional accountants’ views on quality in accounting education? This primary research question is expanded to consider professional accountants’ beliefs on the present (what is necessary for their workplace) and future (what will be necessary for their workplace) with respect to quality in accounting education. The survey highlights how professional accountants have more expectations than in the past about their skills. The majority of professional accountants have been transforming themselves into business consultants since they are now required to offer more services than accounting and taxation consultancy. Consequently, there is a growing demand for cooperation with the university world in order to broaden the programs of accounting education with new technical competencies for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

University as a vehicle to achieve social innovation and development: repositioning the role of the university in the society

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lwando Mdleleni
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The University

Purpose This paper aims to explore the role of university in promoting, generating and sustaining social innovation (SI). It aimed to understand how higher education institutions have extended their contribution beyond the traditional function of teaching and research to perform in socio-economic problem-solving. It looks at the kinds of contributions which universities potentially make to SI processes, and the effects that this has on the direction and magnitude of SI, and by implication social development. This was done by drawing lessons from a SI project that the University of the Western Cape has been involved in, i.e. Zenzeleni Networks Project. Design/methodology/approach To address the research question with this framework, the author adopted an exploratory research design using a case study. This research is qualitative, exploratory and descriptive, based on a case study built with secondary data. Findings This paper submits that universities can potentially function as key role players in promoting SI initiatives and fostering social transformations. Universities contribute with different kinds of resources and inputs to foster new SI ideas. Originality/value The paper suggests that socially innovative university projects may contribute to community social sustainability maintaining social cohesion by increasing social capital and providing resources for the empowerment of the marginalised communities. In so doing, they contribute to overcome social exclusion and promote more sustainable forms of development at community level. More research is needed on how universities can build community networks with local community partners, who can use the insights of academic research to replicate interventions and move to scale.

Accessibility of Internet Based Electronic Resources: A Content Analysis of Public and Private University Library Websites in Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-33
Author(s):  
Shamima Yesmin .
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Private University ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Electronic Resources ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
University Library ◽  
Library Websites ◽  
The University

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the websites of university libraries to ascertain that libraries are effectively utilizing their respective websites to provide easy access to all electronic resources available in the library. The objective was also to a represent a comparative analysis between public and private university library websites regarding the presence of electronic resources with their easy access via the internet. For the purpose of this study, a research instrument in the form of comprehensive checklist of eighteen e-resources was developed to evaluate their accessibility in the websites of public and private university libraries. Twenty university library websites, comprised of ten top-ranked public and ten top-ranked private universities in Bangladesh, were studied for data collection using content analysis method. The findings demonstrate that the presence of e-resources on selected university library websites is still in its early stage, but it has been growing rapidly. The private university library websites are ahead of public university libraries in terms of the integration of web-resources. It is hoped that the findings of this paper will serve to assist the University librarians and other similar institutions in choosing, selecting and acquiring the most appropriate format of information resources, and making these available to their websites, which will both satisfy the needs of their library users and fit within their library budget.

scholarly journals Developing ESD Competences in Higher Education Institutions—Staff Training at the University of Vechta

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10336
Author(s):  
Lukas Scherak ◽  
Marco Rieckmann
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Staff Training ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Trigger Points ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Limited Opportunity ◽  
Assessment Survey ◽  
The University

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) competences have been widely discussed over the past decade. A number of frameworks have been developed, and the Erasmus+ Project “A Rounder Sense of Purpose” (RSP) set out to establish a profound and practical framework of competences to be used in any European context to enable in-service and pre-service educators to demonstrate their competence in ESD. Over the course of two years at the University of Vechta, staff training was provided using the RSP competences model as a guiding framework. Data were collected through a focus group and a self-assessment survey in order to answer the research question, “Which competences do university teachers need in order to work with the concept of ESD in higher education and how can these be developed in a series of staff training workshops?” The results show that all 12 RSP competences are indeed relevant for higher education teaching, but the potential for developing them into a staff training programme is limited. There are multiple trigger points and settings that are beneficial to and necessary for the development of ESD competences. If those conditions are not met there is limited opportunity for applying ESD methods within higher education.

scholarly journals Curriculum design in theology and development: Human agency and the prophetic role of the church

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Beverley Haddad
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Development Programme ◽  
Theological Reflection ◽  
The Social ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
The University ◽  
The Church

The field of theology and development is a relatively new sub-discipline within theological studies in Africa. The first formal post-graduate programme was introduced at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa during the mid-1990s. In the early years it was known as the Leadership and Development programme and since 2000, as the Theology and Development programme. Over the past twenty years, this programme has graduated over 160 BTh Honours, 100 MTh, and 15 PhD students. This article outlines the history of the programme, addresses its ideological orientation, its pedagogical commitments and preferences in curriculum design. It further argues that theological reflection on “development” must seek to understand the prophetic role of the church in responding to the complexities of the social issues facing the African continent.  Key to this discussion is the contested nature of “development” and the need for theological perspectives to engage this contestation through a social analysis of the global structures of injustice. This requires an engagement with the social sciences. It is this engagement of the social sciences with theological reflection, the essay argues, that has enabled the students who have graduated from the Theology and Development Programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal to assist the church and faith-based organisations to become effective agents of social transformation.

scholarly journals Computer-simulated experiments and computer games: a method of design analysis

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerome J. Leary
Keyword(s):  
Computer Simulations ◽  
Computer Games ◽  
Design Analysis ◽  
Practical Work ◽  
Fourfold Increase ◽  
Science Degree ◽  
Undergraduate Science ◽  
The University ◽  
Method Of Design

Through the new modularization of the undergraduate science degree at the University of Brighton, larger numbers of students are choosing to take some science modules which include an amount of laboratory practical work. Indeed, within energy studies, the fuels and combustion module, for which the computer simulations were written, has seen a fourfold increase in student numbers from twelve to around fifty. Fitting out additional laboratories with new equipment to accommodate this increase presented problems: the laboratory space did not exist; fitting out the laboratories with new equipment would involve a relatively large capital spend per student for equipment that would be used infrequently; and, because some of the experiments use inflammable liquids and gases, additional staff would be needed for laboratory supervision.DOI:10.1080/0968776950030106

scholarly journals Media Exposure as Predictor of Childhood Obesity in Children Aged 7-12 Years in Gurgaon

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kavita Bhatnagar ◽  
Dr. Roopali Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Computer Games ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Media Exposure ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Obesity And Overweight

Childhood obesity is a serious health condition, where kids weigh above the normal weight for their age. This sets an early stage for diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol and various other ailments that are actually related to adulthood. While the problem is global, it is relatively newer in Indian population but unfortunately; it is growing at a rapid rate. Increased consumption of fast food, sugar laden fizzy drinks, lack of physical activity and largely sedentary lifestyle comprising of watching television, playing video or computer games, playing on mobile phones and tablets due to the changing urban lifestyle are the major causes of childhood obesity.200 children aged 7-12 years attending a Public School in Gurgaon, participated in the study. Weight and height were measured and the BMI was calculated. Media exposure was assessed by a questionnaire designed especially for the study. Among all participants, a large number of children were found to be obese and overweight. Prevalence of obesity and overweight was higher in boys than girls. A large number of children had a screen time of more than five hours per day and several watched Television while eating, many children had TV in their bed rooms, most had Internet access and nearly everyone played video games daily. Easy accessibility of TV, smart phones and Internet has a strong relationship with childhood obesity and overweight.

scholarly journals Valuation Studies: A Collaborative Valuation in Practice

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon Haywood ◽  
Johan Nilsson ◽  
Michael Franklin ◽  
Paul Gilbert ◽  
Linus Johansson Krafve ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Common Language ◽  
Strong Emphasis ◽  
University Of Edinburgh ◽  
The University ◽  
Discussion Note

This discussion note provides a perspective on valuation studies by a group of PhD students. Based on impressions from the Valuation as Practice workshop at The University of Edinburgh in early 2014 we were inspired by the example of Kjellberg et al. (2013) to debate how we see, understand, and are inspired by the field of valuation studies. It is the hope of the editors that sharing the concerns of early-stage researchers starting out in a field in flux, may be of use to, and perhaps spur, senior contributors to further develop this emerging research landscape. Using the workshop experience as a springboard, we argue that the domain of valuation studies still relies heavily on influences from the study of economics, with a strong emphasis on processes of quantification and calculation. With apparent pragmatism within the field, concern as to what might be lost by this narrower perspective is raised. Additionally, we call for the exploration of the possibility of a common language of valuation, to better define shared features, and identify as well as manage conflicts within the field.

scholarly journals A Study into the Validity of the Ship Design Spiral in Early Stage Ship Design

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (02) ◽  
pp. 81-100
Author(s):  
Rachel Pawling ◽  
Victoria Percival ◽  
David Andrews
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Ship Design ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
University College London ◽  
The University ◽  
Convenient Model ◽  
Balanced Solution ◽  
Block Approach ◽  
Design Spiral

For many years, the design spiral has been seen to be a convenient model of an acknowledged complex process. It has virtues particularly in recognizing the ship design interactive and, hopefully, converging nature of the process. However, many find it unsatisfactory. One early criticism focused on its apparent assumption of a relatively smooth process to a balanced solution implied by most ship concept algorithms. The paper draws on a postgraduate design investigation using the University College London Design Building Block approach, which looked specifically at a nascent naval combatant design and the issues of size associated with "passing decks" and margins. Results from the study are seen to suggest that there are distinct regions of cliffs and plateau in plots of capability against design output, namely ship size and cost. These findings are discussed with regard to the insight they provide into the nature of such ship designs and different ways of representing the ship design process. The paper concludes that the ship design spiral is a misleading and unreliable representation of complex ship design at both the strategic and detailed iterative levels.

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