Conclusion and Future Work in E-Reading Context

Author(s):  
Azza A Abubaker ◽  
Joan Lu

This research is an attempt to examine the effect of reading processes on designing e-texts for children using Arabic script. In addition, it aims to develop a model for designing acceptance that will have the power to demonstrate acceptance and usage behaviour of the e-school text using a schoolbook for primary schools in Libya. Alternatively, dealing with the research problem led to the specification of the following research objectives, which were achieved through four inter- related surveys: to build an e-reading strategy for a schoolbook based on users' cognitive and behaviour processes, to define the typographical variables that affect reading Arabic texts from the screen such as font size, font type, background color, line length and text format from a literature survey, to provide a standard that can help keep children's concentration on the text, to create a guideline that could help designers when designing e-Arabic texts for children, to examine in-depth the challenges of reading Arabic e-texts, to study the efficiency of Arabic text reading and the factors impacting the efficiency of reading and comprehension, to understand children's behaviour when reading from a screen. The aim of this chapter is to discuss the study's contribution to knowledge and provide recommendations for future research.

Author(s):  
Azza A Abubaker ◽  
Joan Lu

Selecting an optimal layout of academic text for display on screen was affected by several factors such as; type of material, subject or readers` age. In this study researcher assumed that each reading strategy requires a specific layout. Thus, the study starts with an understanding of the way that students interact with the text in both formats [electronic and paper]. Findings from this phase were linked with three common typography variables to provide standards for optimal design. In this chapter, the findings of this research are interpreted in the light of the theoretical perspective of the study by linking it with the objectives of the study already set out in chapter one. The first section is devoted to debating the outcomes related to the use of the Internet and eBooks by children at school and at home. This is identified as the first layer of the children's usability of online text, suggesting a further analysis of the children's experience of the e- text with a focus on the reading processes of the schoolbook in both versions [paper and online]. The third section is devoted to discussing the results related to readable Arabic font size and type. Section four is concerned with the findings from testing the effect of line length on reading speed and comprehension of Arabic text; whereas, the fifth section is devoted to debating the outcomes related to the new method for presenting Arabic texts.


Author(s):  
Janusz Kirenko ◽  
Piotr Alfred Gindrich

In order to address the main research problem, the authors determined the correlation between personal predictors, i.e. the level of self-esteem measured by Fitts’ Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, the styles of coping with stress examined by Endler & Parkers’ Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, the intensity of social support measured by Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire, and the level of educational aspirations of parents of children with disabilities, assessed by K. Parental Aspirations Questionnaire. The research involved 247 mothers and fathers of children with visual, auditory, motor and intellectual disabilities. Only full families were investigated. The research relied on multiple step-wise regression analysis, factor analysis, and path analysis for mothers and fathers separately. The high level of aspirations for the education of children with disabilities was dependent on the positive self-esteem of both mothers and fathers. The article presents a discussion of the results, study limitations, practical implications and future research areas.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 596-601
Author(s):  
Xinxin Hao ◽  
Xiaoxue Li ◽  
Jingchen Zheng

AbstractObjectiveThis study aims at establishing the self-leadership development model (SLM) of China Emergency Medical Team (CEMT) members as a supplement to current selection standards of CEMT members.MethodsRaw dataset was obtained through two ways: in-depth interviews and documentary materials (memoirs and articles). The in-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 12 CEMT members, all of whom have participated in multiple disaster relief activities and have been CEMT members for more than two years. This paper followed a grounded theory methodology dealing with all data.ResultsBased on tasks, the SLM-CEMT consists of three basic parts: (1) making plans; (2) action; and (3) outcomes. Different parts involve various self-leadership strategies, of which five are the original dimensions of previous research (goal-setting, visualizing successful performance, self-talk, self-reward, and self-correcting feedback) and three are new dimensions (role clarity, self-initiative, and self-vigilance).Conclusions:The SLM-CEMT, with the three new parts, provides a new look at screening CEMT members as well as pondering on future research. Based on the SLM-CEMT, administrators could screen more qualified CEMT members. For the limitations, future work will be on the generalization and confirmation of this model.HaoX,LiX,ZhengJ.Screening China Emergency Medical Team (CEMT) members: a self-leadership perspective.Prehosp Disaster Med.2018;33(6):596–601.


2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 1135-1147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joao Quariguasi-Frota-Neto ◽  
Andrew Reade ◽  
Azadeh Dindarian ◽  
Andrew Gibson

Purpose – In 2011, a governmental initiative driven by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills invited the British Standards Institute (BSI) to write and publish a publicly available specification (PAS) for the reuse of waste electrical and electronic equipment entitled PAS 141. The specification's ambitious goals, chief among them to reduce the amount of e-waste generated in the UK, has prompted debate as to whether they are realistic and the extent to which they can be influenced by the certification. The purpose of this paper is to propose a comprehensive framework that can be used in future research to enhance understanding of the mechanisms by which the introduction of PAS 141 certification could lead to the fulfillment of its goals, that is, successful uptake. The authors believe this framework can serve as a roadmap for those interested in the investigation of this novel certification and its effect on the market for reusable electrical and electronic products. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on interviews with reuse organizations and first hand experience as a participant in the steering group that elaborated the certification being investigated, i.e. PAS 141. Findings – It is uncertain whether PAS 141 will fulfill its promises, which are, in the view of the authors, rather ambitious, e.g. reduce e-waste. Furthermore, more research is needed to examine the effect that the introduction of the certification has on the materialization of its goals, and on the complex inter-relationship that exist between the goals and what the authors define as intermediary necessary conditions. Research limitations/implications – This is the first attempt the outline the research needs that arise from the introduction of PAS-141, and the authors believe that there are other equally important questions that are yet to be presented and examined. Practical implications – This paper proposes 28 hypotheses which will help future work to empirically establish: the possibility of PAS-141 attaining its goals and the main necessary conditions for that to happen. This information is pivotal to determine whether the certification is working and to pinpoint opportunities for improvement. Social implications – This works contributes to the understanding of the role of certification on the market of reused products, which employs a large number of people, and in particular, whose coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. Originality/value – Although certification in general has been widely investigated in prior research, scant attention has been paid to certification in the context of electronic products. To the best of the knowledge, this is the first paper of its kind, as it is the first to examine certification in that context.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 290-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Pawsey ◽  
Jayanath Ananda ◽  
Zahirul Hoque

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the sensitivity of economic efficiency rankings of water businesses to the choice of alternative physical and accounting capital input measures. Design/methodology/approach Data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used to compute efficiency rankings for government-owned water businesses from the state of Victoria, Australia, over the period 2005/2006 through 2012/2013. Differences between DEA models when capital inputs were measured using either: statutory accounting values (historic cost and fair value), physical measures, or regulatory accounting values, were scrutinised. Findings Depending on the choice of capital input, significant variation in efficiency scores and the ranking of the top (worst) performing firms was observed. Research limitations/implications Future research may explore the generalisability of findings to a wider sample of water utilities globally. Future work can also consider the most reliable treatment of capital inputs in efficiency analysis. Practical implications Regulators should be cautious when using economic efficiency data in benchmarking exercises. A consistent approach to account for the capital stock is needed in the determination of price caps and designing incentives for poor performers. Originality/value DEA has been widely used to explore the role of ownership structure, firm size and regulation on water utility efficiency. This is the first study of its kind to explore the sensitivity of DEA to alternative physical and accounting capital input measures. This research also improves the conventional performance measurement in water utilities by using a bootstrap procedure to address the deterministic nature of the DEA approach.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12469
Author(s):  
Beata Poteralska

Effective development of technological innovations requires efficient management at the stages of their generation, realisation, and their implementation. For this aim, concepts such as foresight, technology assessment, and organisational capabilities assessment can be applied; however, so far they have been used mainly individually or sometimes combined but to a very limited extent. Moreover, they are not used comprehensively, but only selectively, e.g., at some stages of the innovation processes. The research problem undertaken in the paper concerns the effectiveness of the integration of these concepts: future research (mainly foresight), technology assessment, and organisational capabilities assessment for the needs of supporting innovation processes. The paper is aimed at presenting an original approach assuming the integration of the aforementioned triad. The proposed approach has been developed individually by the paper’s author on the basis of (1) state of the art analysis comprising both theoretical approaches and practical examples of individual and combined application of the concepts analysed, and (2) the author’s practical experience resulting from research projects conducted collectively. The research result comprises an original matrix approach where the individual concepts of the triad are applied in a way enabling their mutual complementation at all successive stages of the innovation process. The approach proposed comprises modules referring to the succeeding stages of the innovation process, namely generation, realisation and application of technological innovations. The areas of the approach application and possible directions of its further development are presented.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 23-34
Author(s):  
Petra Trávníčková

Abstract Introduction: In recent years, teaching is no longer perceived only as a job, but as a profession. The study focuses on student’s view on the teacher’s profession, which is important in the context of becoming a teacher. During their university studies, student teachers are at the beginning of their professional careers. Their attitudes, values and principles are still evolving. Methods: Building on previous studies, qualitative methodology was applied. The main goals of the research were to describe the changing views of student teachers on the teacher’s profession, and to compare their views in the first and third years of study. Therefore, thematic writing was chosen. Results: The results show that the student teacher’s views change significantly during their university studies. While in the first year, student teachers focus more on the importance of childhood, their own practical experience and the teacher’s influence on a child’s life; in the last year of bachelor´s study, the emphasis is on the teacher’s personality, teaching professionalism and on the teacher as a learner can be observed. This paper can provide evidence that university education for kindergarten teachers is important and it most likely influences their future work. Discussion: The research findings show that it is appropriate to pay attention to how views about the teacher’s profession change. This could broaden the view of the development of the teacher profession concept and could also be a useful tool for modifying the content of future teachers’ education. Limitations: A certain limit of research can be sen in using one method. It would certainly be appropriate to supplement the research with interviews with participants. In my future research I will focus on this issue. Conclusion: 1. The student teachers’ views change significantly during their university studies, 2. The focus moves from their practical experience to the didactic theory. 3. There is a shift from focusing on personality of teachers to their abilities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-108
Author(s):  
Maša Đurišić ◽  
Vesna Žunić-Pavlović

Introduction. It has long been established that school climate can influence the course and outcomes of education, but the findings of previous research are inconsistent as to which elements of school climate are crucial for positive outcomes. This paper provides a more detailed insight into the individual contribution of the dimensions and determinants of school climate for adaptive functioning of students. Objective. The objective of the research was to consider the patterns of the relationship between the quality of school climate and its determinants (program, process and material) and adaptive characteristics of students. Methods. The research was conducted in five primary schools in Belgrade. The Charles F. Kettering, Ltd. - CFK School Climate Profile was used to assess school climate, and the TRF Adaptive Functioning Profile was used to assess adaptive characteristics of students. Both questionnaires were completed by primary school teachers. Results. Positive correlations were found between the quality of school climate, program, process and material determinants, on the one hand and, on the other hand, adaptive characteristics of students. Based on the results of regression analysis, the program determinants of school climate were singled out as the only significant predictor. Conclusion. The results of this research confirm that a good school climate, and especially school programs and practices in the domain of learning and teaching, can contribute to adaptive characteristics of students. Based on the obtained results, the paper describes the implications for future research and practice in this field.


10.2196/21105 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e21105
Author(s):  
Arpita Mallikarjuna Kappattanavar ◽  
Nico Steckhan ◽  
Jan Philipp Sachs ◽  
Harry Freitas da Cruz ◽  
Erwin Böttinger ◽  
...  

Background A majority of employees in the industrial world spend most of their working time in a seated position. Monitoring sitting postures can provide insights into the underlying causes of occupational discomforts such as low back pain. Objective This study focuses on the technologies and algorithms used to classify sitting postures on a chair with respect to spine and limb movements. Methods A total of three electronic literature databases were surveyed to identify studies classifying sitting postures in adults. Quality appraisal was performed to extract critical details and assess biases in the shortlisted papers. Results A total of 14 papers were shortlisted from 952 papers obtained after a systematic search. The majority of the studies used pressure sensors to measure sitting postures, whereas neural networks were the most frequently used approaches for classification tasks in this context. Only 2 studies were performed in a free-living environment. Most studies presented ethical and methodological shortcomings. Moreover, the findings indicate that the strategic placement of sensors can lead to better performance and lower costs. Conclusions The included studies differed in various aspects of design and analysis. The majority of studies were rated as medium quality according to our assessment. Our study suggests that future work for posture classification can benefit from using inertial measurement unit sensors, since they make it possible to differentiate among spine movements and similar postures, considering transitional movements between postures, and using three-dimensional cameras to annotate the data for ground truth. Finally, comparing such studies is challenging, as there are no standard definitions of sitting postures that could be used for classification. In addition, this study identifies five basic sitting postures along with different combinations of limb and spine movements to help guide future research efforts.


Author(s):  
Sofía Flores Solórzano ◽  
Rolando Coto-Solano

Abstract: Forced alignment provides drastic savings in time when aligning speech recordings and is particularly useful for the study of Indigenous languages, which are severely under-resourced in corpora and models. Here we compare two forced alignment systems, FAVE-align and EasyAlign, to determine which one provides more precision when processing running speech in the Chibchan language Bribri. We aligned a segment of a story narrated in Bribri and compared the errors in finding the center of the words and the edges of phonemes when compared with the manual correction. FAVE-align showed better performance: It has an error of 7% compared to 24% with EasyAlign when finding the center of words, and errors of 22~24 ms when finding the edges of phonemes, compared to errors of 86~130 ms with EasyAlign. In addition to this, EasyAlign failed to detect 7% of phonemes, while also inserting 58 spurious phones into the transcription. Future research includes verifying these results for other genres and other Chibchan languages. Finally, these results provide additional evidence for the applicability of natural language processing methods to Chibchan languages and point to future work such as the construction of corpora and the training of automated speech recognition systems.  Spanish Abstract: El alineamiento forzado provee un ahorro drástico de tiempo al alinear grabaciones del habla, y es útil para el estudio de las lenguas indígenas, las cuales cuentan con pocos recursos para generar corpus y modelos computacionales. Aquí comparamos dos sistemas de alineamiento, FAVE-align e EasyAlign, para determinar cuál provee mayor precisión al alinear habla en la lengua chibcha bribri. Alineamos una narración y comparamos el error al tratar de encontrar el centro de las palabras y los bordes de los fonemas con sus equivalentes en una corrección manual. FAVE-align tuvo mejor rendimiento, con un error de 7% comparado con 24% de EasyAlign para el centro de las palabras, y con errores de 22~24 ms para el borde de los fonemas, comparado con 86~130 ms con EasyAlign. Además, EasyAlign no pudo detectar el 7% de los fonemas, y al mismo tiempo añadió 58 sonidos espurios a la transcripción. Como trabajo futuro verificaremos estos resultados con otros géneros hablados y con otras lenguas chibchas. Finalmente, estos resultados comprueban la aplicabilidad de los métodos de procesamiento de lengua natural a las lenguas chibchas, y apuntan a trabajo futuro en la construcción de corpus y el entrenamiento de sistemas de reconocimiento automático del habla.


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