bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychological impacts of packaging aesthetics of chocolate and its effects on consumer purchasing decision
Authors: Liu Chenxi
Published: October 2024

This essay investigates the psychological impacts of packaging aesthetics on consumer purchasing decisions, specifically in the chocolate industry. The global chocolate market is highly competitive, necessitating brands to distinguish themselves through effective packaging strategies. This study explores three key elements of packaging aesthetics: color, background image, and information label, and their influence on consumer behavior. This research contributes to understanding how packaging aesthetics can be optimized to influence consumer choices in the chocolate market.
Review of Causes, Prediction, and Prevention of Systemic Risk
Authors: Cao Ruan
Published: October 2024

In financial market, people always ignore or underestimate the potential risk of systemic risk until black swan events emerged as an irretrievable crisis. In order to analyze and prevent from crisis that generated by systemic risk, this paper collates and presents detailed review of the causes, prediction, and mitigation of systemic risk by gathering and sifting current theoretical and empirical research. It explores the complexity and interdependence of financial systems and emphasizes how systemic risk is created via endogenous risk generation via the investment decisions of financial institutions and regulatory and market failures. Moreover, it underlines the strong demand of through legislative changes, the importance of enhanced market discipline, and well-crafted government interventions. Deliberative risk governance is presented as a practical and necessary strategy when it comes to addressing stakeholders in the risk management process to achieve legitimacy and consensus. The research ends by advocating for a comprehensive strategy for risk management to strengthen the resilience of the global financial system and reduce the probability of future potential crisis.
Unlocking the Reversal Anomaly in the A-share Market: Insights from Marginal Funds of Institutional Investors
Authors: Pu Shi
Published: October 2024

Fama's Efficient Market Hypothesis (1970) posits that all valuable information is swiftly reflected in stock prices in mature markets. However, anomalies like momentum and reversal effects persist in China's A-share market. This study investigated the short-term reversal effect using turnover rates and institutional investor marginal funds. Significant reversals were found in high-turnover stocks due to speculative trading and deviations from intrinsic value. Institutional investors played a crucial role in correcting mispricing. The Institutional Holding Change Ratio (IHCR) demonstrated that institutional investors' marginal funds strongly explain the reversal anomaly and act as a style factor with positive returns. This research highlights the impact of institutional and individual investor behaviors on market efficiency and investment strategies.
Research on Strengthening China's Economic Losses from Ship Oil Pollution Based on Compensation Mechanisms
Authors: Gai Meiyi
Published: October 2024

The oil pollution compensation system in China was established late, and the design of the legal system is not perfect, which exposes many problems in the practice of claim settlement. This paper analyzes the present situation and problems of compensation mechanism for oil pollution damage from ships in China, and draws lessons from the legislative experience of Canada and the United States, and puts forward some suggestions for improvement. The specific contents include the legislative status and existing problems of compensation for oil pollution damage from ships in China, the relevant legislative status of representative countries, the comparison of three major international compensation systems, and the legislative choice and specific system suggestions of China. By using the method of literature analysis, this paper systematically analyzes the legislative status, advantages and disadvantages of compensation for oil pollution damage from ships in various countries through the study of relevant legal documents and practical cases at home and abroad. Through comparative study and drawing lessons from international experience, it is suggested that China adopt a dual-track compensation mechanism.
Effectiveness of Forehand Near Net Short Ball Tactics in Table Tennis and The Performance of College Level Athletes in Hunan, China
Authors: Zhao Ge
Published: October 2024

This research the effectiveness of forehand short ball tactics near the net on the performance of Hunan college table tennis players and its relationship with coach evaluation. By analyzing background factors such as age, gender, and coaching years of coaches, their evaluation of athletes' frequency of tactical use, anticipatory reactions, ball control, and decision-making adaptations was explored. The study found that coaches generally believed that the tactic had a limited effect on improving core skills, and that gender had a significant impact in evaluating the effectiveness of tactics and athlete performance. Based on the research results, suggestions for improving tactical training for table tennis players are put forward in order to improve the actual application effect of tactics.
Foreign Exchange Risk Analysis and The Futures Hedging Strategy Construction--- The Case Study of Amazon
Authors: Teng Ye
Published: October 2024

This paper explores the foreign exchange risk encountered by Amazon.com Inc. and proposes corresponding futures hedging strategies. With global market uncertainties, foreign exchange risk significantly impacts the financial performance of multinational companies like Amazon. The paper analyzes Amazon's foreign exchange risk factors, highlighting that the primary risks stem from international business revenues and holdings of foreign currency cash equivalents and marketable securities. Based on these risk factors, the study proposes several potential hedging strategies, including forward market hedging, futures hedging, and exchange rate options hedging. Forward market hedging mitigates risk by agreeing to exchange currencies at a predetermined rate in the future; futures hedging avoids counterparty default risk through standardized contracts; and exchange rate options hedging offers flexibility by allowing the exercise to be abandoned if the exchange rate moves favorably. The paper further develops a specific futures hedging strategy based on several key assumptions, including efficient market hypothesis, zero transaction costs, unlimited liquidity, and the absence of risk-free arbitrage opportunities. The strategy involves shorting futures contracts; if the exchange rate declines at maturity, the hedge is successful and profitable; if the exchange rate rises, the hedge is unsuccessful, resulting in a loss. The findings suggest that using futures contracts for hedging enables Amazon to stabilize its financial performance in case of market uncertainties, protecting it from adverse impacts of foreign exchange risk. Despite discrepancies between actual sales data and forecasts, the hedging strategy still demonstrates its effectiveness in maintaining financial stability.
The Bond Market: A Pillar of Risk Management and Economic Stability
Authors: Du Xiaoxi
Published: October 2024

This essay investigates the utility of the bond market in risk management, corporate finance, and economic forecasting. It explores how the bond market’s inherent characteristics of safety, stability, and liquidity make it a crucial component of the global financial system. By examining the issuance of debt instruments, such as bonds, and their role in maintaining corporate control while accessing capital, the essay highlights the advantages of debt financing. Moreover, it underscores how these attributes help corporations manage financial risks and optimize their capital structure. Furthermore, the bond market’s predictive power is analyzed through key indicators like the yield curve and credit spreads, which provide early warnings of economic downturns. The yield curve, in particular, is known for its ability to forecast recessions when it inverts. Credit spreads, the difference between yields on corporate bonds and government securities, also serve as a barometer for economic health and investor sentiment. To bring these theoretical insights into a practical context, the essay includes case studies, such as Apple Inc.’s strategic use of debt. Apple's case demonstrates how a company can leverage debt to finance growth while preserving equity and maintaining financial flexibility. These examples illustrate the tangible benefits and strategic importance of the bond market in corporate finance. The essay concludes with suggestions for leveraging the bond market’s predictive capabilities, emphasizing the need for continuous monitoring and analysis of bond market signals to inform economic and financial decision-making. It also explores future research directions in the evolving financial landscape, considering how technological advancements and regulatory changes may impact the bond market's role in global finance.
A Literature Review of Phonetic Transfer
Authors: Zhao Wenbo
Published: October 2024

Phonetic transfer stands out as a vital part of language transfer in second language acquisition. This paper renders a pithy literature review apropos of current studies concerning the phenomenon of phonetic transfer that is arguably contemplated from three phonetic transfer error pertinent aspects: segment, phonology and prosody for the purpose of gaining new insight for the future research.
The Impact of Carbon Emissions Trading on Corporate Environmental Performance--A Hybrid Study Based on PSM-DID and Dual Machine Learning
Authors: Chen Mengqi , Chen Shixing , You Jingyi
Published: October 2024

In the context of "dual carbon", the green economy has gradually become the mainstream trend of economic development. As the main force of social production, the environmental governance behaviour of enterprises is crucial to China's economic transformation. Based on the panel data of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2011 to 2021, this study empirically examines, analyses the mechanism of action, and analyses the heterogeneity of enterprises using the PSM-DID model and the dual machine learning DML model. It is found that the carbon trading pilot policy significantly and positively affects firms' environmental performance, especially for non-state-owned enterprises, non-high-tech and manufacturing industries. In terms of spatial distribution, enterprises in the eastern and central regions are more significantly affected by the carbon trading pilot policy. In addition, the study also finds that executives' green awareness plays a partial mediating role in carbon trading's influence on firms' environmental performance through mediation effect analysis. Finally, the article puts forward recommendations for the government, enterprises and executives to promote the further application and effect of the carbon trading pilot policy in the enhancement of corporate environmental performance.
L’Argentina di Javier Milei «Hoy comienza una nueva era»
Authors: Rosti Marzia
Published: October 2024

L’obiettivo del saggio è illustrare i principali cambiamenti che la presidenza di Javier Milei, leader della giovane coalizione di destra radicale LLA (La Libertad Avanza), iniziata il 10 dicembre 2023, rappresenta per l’Argentina. A tal fine, il testo ripercorre alcuni aspetti della campagna elettorale, individua le principali cause socioeconomiche all’origine del consenso per Milei ed evidenzia i tratti significativi della cerimonia e del suo discorso di assunzione del mandato presidenziale. Infine, ripercorre sinteticamente alcune delle riforme promosse nei primi mesi del suo governo, che rappresentano importanti cambiamenti per il Paese tra luci, ombre e continuità.
PROVISIONAL STENTING IN LEFT MAIN STEM DISEASE: LONG-TERM OUTCOMES AND IMPACT ON SIDE BRANCH PERFUSION
Authors: KHATTAK SN , RAJA F , WALEED M , KHAN A
Published: October 2024

Left main stem disease (LMSD) is a severe form of coronary artery disease (CAD) that involves a significant risk of mortality if not treated effectively. Traditionally, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been the primary method for revascularization in LMSD. However, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), especially provisional stenting using drug-eluting stents (DES), has gained popularity for its minimal invasiveness and comparable clinical outcomes. Provisional stenting allows treatment of the main vessel with additional side branch stenting only when needed, reducing complications and stent usage. Objective: The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the long-term outcomes of provisional stenting in patients with LMSD, focusing on its impact on side branch perfusion, in-stent restenosis (ISR), and major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital specializing in cardiology between January 2023 and December 2023. A total of 284 patients who underwent provisional stenting for LMSD were included. Fractional flow reserve (FFR) and quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) were used to assess side branch perfusion, with follow-up data including clinical outcomes such as ISR, MACE, and survival rates. Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify predictors of poor outcomes, and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated to compare outcomes based on side branch perfusion status. Results: The study found that 77.5% of patients achieved adequate side branch perfusion (FFR > 0.80) after provisional stenting, while 22.5% had impaired perfusion (FFR ≤ 0.80). The incidence of MACE was 10.6%, and ISR was reported in 7.0% of patients during the one-year follow-up period. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a significant survival benefit for patients with adequate side branch perfusion (Log-Rank p < 0.001). Age and diabetes mellitus were significant predictors of MACE. Conclusion: Provisional stenting in LMSD provides favourable long-term outcomes, particularly in terms of side branch perfusion and reduced MACE. However, a subset of patients, particularly those with diabetes, may require additional interventions. Future studies should focus on improving outcomes in patients with impaired side branch perfusion and exploring the role of advanced imaging techniques in optimizing stenting strategies.
The fern flora of Ghat and adjoining localities in Chamoli district (Garhwal Himalaya)
Authors: Pande H. , Joshi Pragya , Pande P.
Published: October 2024

The paper deals with the fern flora of Ghat, a botanically rich area of Chamoli district in Garhwal Himalaya. A total of 86 species belonging to 36 genera and 22 families from the area are being reported in this communication.
TREND IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE WORLD
Authors: Izembay I.
Published: October 2024

The article discusses current trends and prospects for the development of artificial intelligence technology. International research data and ratings of leading trends in the digital economy are analyzed. The volume of the global market for AI technologies and the leading countries in terms of the amount of investment in this area have been studied. The purpose of this article is to consider how artificial intelligence can improve the process. The article analyze various techniques that make positive changes to the practice of artificial intelligence and discuss the potential benefits, challenges and ethical issues associated with this development. Using examples of the successful implementation of artificial intelligences, the article shows how technology is changing the way of learning and people are thereby helping to reach new heights.
ОСНОВНЫЕ МЕТОДЫ УПРАВЛЕНИЯ ПРОЕКТАМИ В КАЗАХСТАНСКОЙ ПРАКТИКЕ
Authors: Мезенцев И.
Published: October 2024

Данная статья исследует основные методы управления проектами в казахстанской практике на примере проекта создания шахматной школы. В рамках исследования рассматриваются основные этапы управления проектом, такие как планирование, организация, выполнение и контроль. Также анализируются основные инструменты и методы управления проектами, применяемые в казахстанской практике. Результаты исследования могут быть полезны для управляющих проектами в Казахстане и других странах, а также для специалистов в области управления проектами. Тема «Основные методы управления проектами в казахстанской практике» имеет большую актуальность, особенно в контексте реализации проектов в различных областях, включая образование. Разработка и запуск шахматной школы в Казахстане может быть интересным и полезным проектом, который требует эффективного управления.
HARNESSING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR ADVANCED THREAT DETECTION IN NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURES
Authors: Alin G. , Konsbayev A. , Abdikaparov N.
Published: October 2024

As cyber threats grow increasingly sophisticated, traditional security measures are falling behind in the face of these evolving attacks. This article highlights the role of Smart Sentinel, a cutting-edge threat detection system that utilizes Artificial Intelligence (AI) to strengthen network defenses. Unlike conventional security solutions, Smart Sentinel employs machine learning algorithms to continuously learn and adapt, enabling it to detect anomalies and potential threats in real-time. By analyzing a variety of data sources, including network traffic and user behavior, the system establishes a baseline of normal activity and continually enhances its threat detection capabilities. Key features such as anomaly detection, behavioral analysis, real-time response, and adaptive learning contribute to an improved security posture, reduced false positives, enhanced operational efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Smart Sentinel represents a significant breakthrough in cybersecurity, providing organizations with a proactive and resilient defense against the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape. Key features such as anomaly detection, behavioral analysis, real-time response, and adaptive learning contribute to Smart Sentinel’s effectiveness in protecting organizations against cyber threats. Anomaly detection: Smart Sentinel identifies unusual patterns and activities that deviate from established norms, alerting security teams to potential threats. Behavioral analysis: Smart Sentinel goes beyond simply detecting anomalies by analyzing user and system behavior to identify suspicious patterns that may indicate malicious intent. Real-time response: Smart Sentinel’s real-time response capabilities enable it to take immediate action upon detecting a threat, such as isolating compromised systems, blocking malicious IP addresses, or generating alerts for human intervention. Adaptive learning: Through continuous monitoring and analysis, Smart Sentinel continuously learns and improves its ability to discern between normal and malicious activities, reducing false positives and improving overall security posture. Smart Sentinel’s impact on organizations is multifaceted: Enhanced security posture: Smart Sentinel proactively identifies and mitigates emerging threats, strengthening an organization’s overall security posture. Reduced false positives: Smart Sentinel’s adaptive learning capabilities minimize the number of false positives, preventing alert fatigue and allowing security teams to focus on genuine threats. Operational efficiency: Smart Sentinel automates routine tasks, freeing up security teams to focus on strategic initiatives and improve operational efficiency. Cost-effectiveness: Smart Sentinel optimizes cybersecurity investments by automating threat detection and response, reducing the need for costly manual intervention and minimizing the potential for financial losses from successful cyberattacks.
The Web of Identity
Authors: Koole Marguerite
Published: October 2024

In this paper, the reflexive relationship between social interaction and understanding of self in online learning networks is examined. In keeping with constructionism, we acknowledge the significance of social interaction in learning and identity formation. It is through identification with and differentiation from others that individuals are able to establish their sense of self. Therefore, a sense of self is inherently connected to one's sense of belonging within a community (-ies). Building on the work of Goffman (impressions management) and Foucault (technologies of the self), a model of identity and community formation is introduced: the Web of Identity (WoI). According to the WoI model, community members rely on technical, structural, political, cultural, and idiosyncratic perspectives coupled with performance strategies in a continuous cycle of internalization, understanding, enactment, and revision of their individual identities. We discuss how individuals construct their identities through relational dialogue and interaction in which they express, share, and build upon their histories, practices, and goals. It is an ongoing reciprocal process that constantly changes both personal and collective narratives. The combined perspectives and strategies guide the individual's behaviour, but do not completely restrict it. The individual is free to choose how to perform and may choose performances that support or contravene accepted social practices. Ideally, this process guides the individual towards cognitive resonance, a process in which he/she behaves in accordance with his/her internalized conceptions of society and self. If an individual's actions do not resonate with social expectations, accepted practices, and self, the individual may modulate his/her actions or may cause shifts in accepted practices, expectations, or self identity. Such shifts filter through the WoI performance strategies. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research in identity formation in online learning networks. We recommend study of current social networks and learning management systems to identify existing mechanisms that permit expression of WoI strategies. In addition, we recommend research into how social software systems can be developed or facilitated to encourage strategy use. Since, it is through these performances that the individual enacts his/her identity, we wish to know how, in actual practice, strategy use will affect conceptions of self and community in educational environments.
The Ideals and Reality of Participating in a MOOC
Authors: Mackness Jenny , Mak Sui Fai John , Williams Roy
Published: October 2024

'CCK08' was a unique event on Connectivism and Connective Knowledge within a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) in 2008. It was a course and a network about the emergent practices and the theory of Connectivism, proposed by George Siemens as a new learning theory for a digital age. It was convened and led by Stephen Downes and George Siemens through the University of Manitoba, Canada. Although the event was not formally advertised, more than 2000 participants from all over the world registered for the course, with 24 of these enrolled for credit.
The course presented a unique opportunity to discover more about how people learn in large open networks, which offer extensive diversity, connectivity and opportunities for sharing knowledge. Learners are increasingly exercising autonomy regarding where, when, how, what and with whom to learn. To do this, they often select technologies independent of those offered by traditional courses. In CCK08 this autonomy was encouraged and learning on the course was distributed across a variety of platforms.
This paper explores the perspectives of some of the participants on their learning experiences in the course, in relation to the characteristics of connectivism outlined by Downes, i.e. autonomy, diversity, openness and connectedness/interactivity. The findings are based on an online survey which was emailed to all active participants and email interview data from self-selected interviewees.
The research found that autonomy, diversity, openness and connectedness/interactivity are indeed characteristics of a MOOC, but that they present paradoxes which are difficult to resolve in an online course. The more autonomous, diverse and open the course, and the more connected the learners, the more the potential for their learning to be limited by the lack of structure, support and moderation normally associated with an online course, and the more they seek to engage in traditional groups as opposed to an open network. These responses constrain the possibility of having the positive experiences of autonomy, diversity, openness and connectedness/interactivity normally expected of an online network. The research suggests that the question of whether a large open online network can be fused with a course has yet to be resolved. Further research studies with larger samples are needed, as is an investigation into the ethical considerations which may need to be taken into account when testing new theory and practice on course participants.
Blogs and Forums as Communication and Learning Tools in a MOOC
Authors: Mak Sui Fai John , Williams Roy , Mackness Jenny
Published: October 2024

This paper presents the findings of research carried out into the use of blogs and forums as communication and learning tools in Connectivism and Connective Knowledge (CCK08), a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that was run between September and December 2008. The course was unique in many ways: it included a small credit-bearing course within a network; it was completely open and very large, and it included a unique aggregated network of blogs, which was one of the reasons why an unusually large number of online interactions took place in blogs rather than just in forums. The research used a survey and email interviews to explore a number of themes identified in the postings in the course which included: the importance of conceptual connections, personal connections, personal autonomy, media affordances and approaches to learning. The research identified three distinct clusters of respondents, with the following preferred modes of interaction: (1) blogging, (2) using the forums, (3) using both blogging and forums. A number of other modes of interaction were also used by the respondents. Many respondents used both blogs and forums for at least some of the time in the course.To a large extent, blogging and forum use correlated with specific individual learning styles and media affordances: the use of blogs was associated with the ability to create personal space for personal learning, quiet reflection and developing personal relationships with bloggers and others. The use of forums was associated with fast paced challenging interaction, relationships based on sharing of ideas, more open discussion and more links to the discussed themes and bigger picture. However, the research also identified three dimensions (home>  < short-loop, and engagement> < reflection) within which the new media provided different and new opportunities for participating in learning networks. Respondents used these to explore and develop their own affordances for learning in varied and even surprising and novel ways, sometimes using blogs or forums for particular purposes, but sometimes using them almost interchangeably. The research points to a maturing of media users in online learning. These users are developing their own personal learning networks, and using the new media in innovative and nuanced ways.
“Fairy Rings” of Participation
Authors: Makriyannis Elpida , DeLiddo Anna
Published: October 2024

Individuals participate in many different ways in online communities. There is an extensive body of research describing participation as a key metaphor in communities of practice and stressing that participatory mobility is influenced by underground multidirectional activities, directed away from the notion of periphery to the centre practices and taking the shape of expansive swarming and multidirectional pulsations. This article describes an ongoing observational study proposing a model that attempts to determine how users participate in online communities and what influences them to alter the way in which they participate. We performed daily observations on user participatory behaviour in 50 online communities using public domain – anonymous data available in the communities. The specific communities were selected because they are related to learning and support learning activities within their networks. The data observations collected were analysed using Compendium, a hypermedia knowledge mapping and sense-making tool, to represent and structure the data, make complex cross data queries, test hypotheses and build representation of real examples to support our claims. Initial findings indicate that users connect, participate, contribute and collaborate on a shared objective, transferring information and pooling knowledge within and between communities in four different modes. During their online journey, users switched between modes of participation or even remained in one specific mode, implying that the way in which users participate in an online community is not just related to the mode of participation and the level of engagement with the community but it is also due to hidden reasons or motivations, an invisible network of interactions of elements that affect the willingness of the user to participate. This layer is not immediately evident in the user actions but can be inferred by analysing user reactions. It is argued that user participation in online communities occurs in two layers; the “visible” layer of participation with the different modes; and the “invisible” layer of element interactions, similar to formations observed in nature when a radically spreading underground network of fungi activity results in a ring or arc formation of mushrooms, also known as a “fairy ring”. These underground multidirectional activities influence participation and participatory mobility. Following an open scientific inquiry approach and an open research paradigm we plan to share these observations with a wider audience of practitioners, researchers and theorists for all to test or contest our arguments, and to enrich, question, or support our model.
A Personal Perspective on the Structure of Post-graduate Work-based Learning Programme at an English University
Authors: Raistrick Claire
Published: October 2024

This paper critiques a work-based learning (WBL) programme at an English university. This post-graduate diploma for regulatory professionals is enacted via a tri-partite arrangement between learners, their public-sector employer and the university. Prompted by my need, in a new role, to understand more about WBL I explore the literature surrounding WBL, in particular the complexities of the inter-relationships between acquisition of academic knowledge and practical learning. What is the source of knowledge, how is it obtained and who holds it are fundamental questions. I find that WBL is aligned with a social constructionist epistemology whereby knowledge is built-up by the practitioner through exposure to practice; however, discipline-based propositional knowledge is still vital as a basis for the development of practical knowledge. In considering the programme's practices I acknowledge my perspective as a module leader and highlight elements contrasting with a constructionist epistemology. I address questions that include whether WBL is fully employed and might use of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) be beneficial. The dichotomous nature of knowledge is discussed as is recently upgraded thinking on ‘Mode 2' knowledge, and the concept of learning as social participation. The epistemology of practice is framed and I show how knowledge becomes coherent only through practice. I question whether this programme's concept of WBL is sufficiently well-defined and identify two areas where change might be explored: firstly, the two controlling actors might consider involving learners more explicitly and, secondly, closer alignment to the principles of WBL is suggested. Allowing learners to steer, and using technology to support learning, perhaps via a virtual community of practice may be found to be worthwhile. Such use of TEL should incorporate the ontological considerations illustrated in this paper: namely, co-construction of learning and foregrounding the contextualised creation of individuals' knowledges by blending propositional with practical knowledge. Lewin's (1951) field theory may be helpful in facilitating change. Equally, Parchoma's (2006) consideration of potential forces which may drive or restrain adoption of e-learning may be useful to reveal the mix of forces operating in this programme's situated context. The complexity and messiness of establishing a WBL programme is evident and reflection, by the university and partner organisation, is advocated.
Magical expertise
Authors: Rissanen Olli , Palonen Tuire , Hakkarainen Kai
Published: October 2024

A social network analysis among 120 Finnish magicians was carried out through assessing several variables: individual attributes; magicians' competence (expertise), various interactions (mentoring, advice seeking, collaboration), as well as the individuals' perceived status (respect and admiration) and social position. Competence in the skills needed in the domain is the result of a large amount of practice, and institutional education is mostly missing. The tricks of the trade are learned form the more experienced members, or created by magicians themselves. Mediating tricks takes place only inside trusted sub-groups or sometimes the magicians sell the tricks or presentations to each other. The data for the study were collected via questionnaire. The response rate was 81%. The results indicate that social network among magicians was rather sparse. There is, however, some activity on the community level related to advice seeking, support giving, and informal communication. All network dimensions are related to each other, i.e., there are many multiplex network ties among magicians. The analysis indicated that the magical networks shared characteristics of classical networks in terms of power distribution of networking linkages; there were a large number of participants with a few or no linkages at all whereas a small percentage of key actors were extremely well connected with participants of the network. Consequently, peer evaluation indicators measuring support, advice and admiration varied a great deal between the magicians. Based on the cluster analysis, the magicians can be classified as "Community core" (4), "Masters" (9), "Background persons" (13), "Practitioners" (72), and "Soloists" (18), and unclassified (4). Community core is a group consisting of a few prestigious, experienced magicians keeping up the magical network, intensively supporting other magicians on the field, providing advice to other community members. Masters are highly respected magicians who are guiding other magicians but not as intensively as the Community core. Soloists are rather well known and highly respected but not so much engaged in giving advice as Masters or the Core. Practitioners constitute the biggest group that is not very tightly connected to the rest of the group, and, presumably, not so well known in the field. It is concluded that age or seniority does not explain magician competencies as assessed by their peers; while all of the most highly regarded magicians had gone through more than two decades of practice, ages of the most prestigious magicians varied a lot and included some relatively young participants.
Just what is being reflected in online reflection?
Authors: Ross Jen
Published: October 2024

This paper argues that new literacies are required when reflective practices in higher education move online. Online reflective writing is profoundly influenced by wider cultural understandings of blogging and personal disclosure and risk online. We can see in current blogging practices a convergence of the rise of the concept of personal branding (Peters 1997, Lair et al 2005), and what Scott describes as the “cultural tendency to seek out confessional narratives of self-disclosure” (2004, 92). This convergence exposes a number of tensions: between self-promotion and authenticity, between accusations of narcissism and pressures to confess, and between moral panics around privacy and safety and a growing sense that online invisibility equates to personal and professional negligence, and that the more presence the better. As students negotiate the management of personal, academic and sometimes also professional voices in blogs and reflective e-portfolios, they bring in to play literacies which are new not in their substance but in their modality. The paper emerges from an ongoing research project exploring how students and teachers negotiate issues of identity, authenticity, ownership, privacy and performativity in high-stakes online reflection in higher education. It draws on data from 14 interviews with students and lecturers from three university programmes in the UK which have a high-stakes reflective component. These are a subset of the data generated as part of my project (31 interviews and 15 reflective artefacts from across 8 programmes covering face-to-face, online, undergraduate and postgraduate contexts, and subject areas including education, social work, built environment, health, and law). I propose a set of (often conflicting) norms and expectations widely associated with blogging. These cluster around themes of authenticity, risk, pretense, commodification, othering and narcissism. I explore how these are reflected in the assumptions and practices of students and teachers, and go on to argue for greater attention to be given to the nature of online reflective writing, and a more explicit and critical engagement with the tensions it embodies.
The challenge of supporting networked personal inquiry learning across contexts
Authors: Scanlon Eileen , Kerawalla Lucinda , Gaved Mark , Jones Ann , Collins Trevor , Mulholland Paul , Blake Canan , Petrou Marilena , Littleton Karen
Published: October 2024

Supporting learning across different contexts can be challenging. Defining formal, informal and non-formal learning is the subject of continuing debate as each can be difficult to describe. We report on a study that evaluated the effectiveness of a Personal Inquiry toolkit on supporting personal inquiries into the sustainability of the food cycle, carried out across the contexts of home and an after school club in a UK secondary school. The toolkit consisted of a web-based Sustainability Investigator that could be accessed from any location, together with a selection of data-gathering tools such as environmental sensors (e.g. temperature probes) and cameras. It was designed to support students through the process of carrying out inquiries within the club and between the club and their home. Our main focus here is on describing how the Sustainability Investigator supported students' inquiries that were conceived and designed within the club and conducted at home. The 30 students (aged 12-14 years) chose to investigate home food storage, packaging and preservation. Our focus is on exploring the nature of the semi-formal club context and how this mediated students' use of the Sustainability Investigator. Analysis of our field notes, log files of students' use of the Sustainability Investigator, together with video and audio recordings of club sessions and interviews with teachers and pupils, suggest that while the pupils' use of the tool kit across contexts was sporadic and varied between students, they successfully completed personally relevant inquiries and developed positive attitudes to the process .This was different to the predictable, sustained and consistent use of the tool kit identified in our previous studies when the students used it (again successfully) to support their inquiries in a formal classroom setting (e.g. Scanlon et al. 2009). Three main features of the school club context that mediated the ways in which the Sustainability Investigator was used by the students across contexts were: 1) the students' aims and priorities, 2) affordances and constraints of the technology, and 3) institutional priorities. We use this example of a study of learning across contexts to suggest implications of the work for the potential of a Personal Inquiry toolkit to support learning across the life course.
Social network dynamics in international students' learning
Authors: Taha Nashrawan , Cox Andrew
Published: October 2024

The potential for the internationalisation of UK HE to bring diverse viewpoints and perspectives into the curriculum has not been fully realised. One of the many obstacles to this may be our lack of understanding of how international students use and build social networks for learning, information sharing and support, and how this impacts on engagement and learning. The literature suggests various ways in which network positions and learning might be associated. In this study we used a range of tools including social network analysis (SNA), observation, interviews and photographic evidence to investigate the social networks developing in a class with a very diverse make up. We wanted to discover how the network develops and what shapes this. We found that the network shape was less immediately visible than might have been anticipated. Programme of study and language were found to have a strong effect on who talked to whom. In class networks were strongly influenced by the timing and character of the assessment, but pre-existing ties outside the classroom were significant for on-going affective support. Isolation in the network tended to be linked to where the person lived and cultural factors. Based on these findings we develop a detailed plan for a curriculum redesign. We propose a more intense and complex form of group work. The topic and approach of the assignment would stress a multi-cultural approach and group make up would be determined by the tutor, based primarily on mixing nationalities. We also propose that students share their products online with wider communities, in some part bringing their external networks into play and visibility in the classroom, certainly giving centrality to network related skills as a classroom issue. In addition, we propose using a social bookmarking tool to minimise isolation of some individuals in the network. Future work will be to implement and evaluate these interventions.
Who's taming who? Tensions between people and technologies in cyberspace communities
Authors: Thompson Terrie Lynn
Published: October 2024

It would seem that for many people, spaces on the web have become an integral part of their lives. This may include seeking out learning opportunities in online communities. There is much said about how technology is changing our lives. Web 2.0, which includes the much heralded social media, is creating the most recent buzz. How do people negotiate the materiality of screens and settings; discussion boards, RSS feeds and chat forums; passwords and Facebook profiles? This paper draws on conceptual and analytical tools from Actor Network Theory (ANT) to explore how the inter-actions between web-technologies and self-employed workers shape work-learning practices in an online community. Community can describe a gathering of people online that is self-managed, organic, driven by a shared interest, and highly social. These collectives form because someone is interested in a topic and searches for like-minded others. These online spaces may also be purposefully nurtured by professional associations, workplaces, or businesses. This research project focuses on spaces such as these-spaces outside the auspices of formal online courses. The paper begins by examining the promises of web technologies, the importance of foregrounding objects in qualitative research studies, and the co-constitutive relationship between human and nonhuman actants. An overview of the way that I use ANT sensibilities in order to analyze my data is presented. Because ANT emphasizes the interactions between actors, things are always the effect of a network of relations between an array of heterogeneous entities (Singleton, 2005). Learners are therefore participants in networks of practices and learning emerges as an effect of the network. Thus, online communities are not containers for online activities but rather networks of relations in constant flux. Findings suggest that participating "in" an online community is a series of journeys and passages. The data also highlights how these passages, or moves, towards stabilizing tenuous actor-networks are countered by unpredictable disruptions, creating ongoing (dis)orderings that transform networks. As participants in this study attempt to "tame" the technology, the technologies-in-use are doing their part to tame other actants. However, these relationships do not reflect two separate camps of humans here and non-humans there, but rather, hybrids or socio-technical constructions-a blending. The paper concludes with questions about the politics of technology that emerge from uncertainties around delegation, invisible practices, and necessary literacies.
Supporting the learning and networking experiences of doctoral students
Authors: Thomson Chris , Allan Barbara
Published: October 2024

This study explores the impact of a Graduate Virtual Research Environment (GVRE) on the learning and networking experiences of research students. The GVRE was established to support and enhance research skills and employability training across a university. It provides an extensive range of resources including video reflections based on the experiences of students and staff; GVRE members are encouraged to comment and engage in discussions on these resources. Our work is framed using social theories of learning and the role of communities in the support and development of research students. In particular, we are interested in exploring the challenges involved in developing communities and networks for students whose main focus is their individual research. The GVRE was made available to over 600 students and in this research we explore its impact on the experiences of research students. In particular, we investigate four questions: (a) what impact does the students use of the GVRE have on the development of their research skills; (b) what impact does membership of the GVRE have on the networks and communities of research students; (c) how do research students view the relationships between their research skills training programme, their individual research and the GVRE; and (d) how do research students currently use social media. We use an interpretivist approach and our data sources include site statistics, responses to a questionnaire and also feedback from a focus group. Our findings indicate that networking remains an issue and students suggested approaches to facilitating this using the GVRE: (1) A clearer pathway from skills need identification to skills acquisition; (2) Rewards for activities around networking - possibly through credit on the training scheme; (3) Activities that would involve research directly. Feedback on the GVRE indicated that it is valued by research students as it facilitates the development of their research skills. In terms of marketing the GVRE to research students important factors identified were: the ease of access to the site, the overview it gives of the PhD process; and the value of the site to students around the defining moments of their studies when the students felt they needed additional advice and guidance.
A model for leveraging social learning technologies in corporate environments
Authors: Yap Robin , Robben Joost
Published: October 2024

How are you leveraging your social learning technologies to engage your employees? This research-in-progress paper will provide a model to assist in determining how social learning technologies in the workplace can be leveraged to engage, build relationships, and enhance the learning of individuals in corporate environments. An exploration of how trust and human resource development theories can contribute to the development of social capital in organizations and the web technologies that bind them frames this model. Two concurrent case studies in Canada and in the Netherlands are currently being conducted to identify the viability of this model in the workplace.