bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermal-Infrared Pedestrian ROI Extraction through Thermal and Motion Information Fusion
Authors: Fernández-Caballero Antonio , López María , Serrano-Cuerda Juan
Published: April 2014

This paper investigates the robustness of a new thermal-infrared pedestrian detection system under different outdoor environmental conditions. In first place the algorithm for pedestrian ROI extraction in thermal-infrared video based on both thermal and motion information is introduced. Then, the evaluation of the proposal is detailed after describing the complete thermal and motion information fusion. In this sense, the environment chosen for evaluation is described, and the twelve test sequences are specified. For each of the sequences captured from a forward-looking infrared FLIR A-320 camera, the paper explains the weather and light conditions under which it was captured. The results allow us to draw firm conclusions about the conditions under which it can be affirmed that it is efficient to use our thermal-infrared proposal to robustly extract human ROIs.
You Are How You Eat? Femininity, Normalization, and Veganism as an Ethical Practice of Freedom
Authors: Dean Megan
Published: April 2014

In this paper I argue that the practice of veganism is, or can be, a Foucauldian ethical practice of freedom. I begin by sketching out the problematization of alimentary practices within a normalizing patriarchal framework, which some feminists argue is dominant within contemporary North American society. Within this problematization, eating—for many women—is a way to manage the body’s appearance and bring it into conformity with feminine norms, and also an ongoing opportunity to exercise the will over unruly bodily desires. I then consider the narratives of women who claim that veganism helped them to relinquish disordered eating habits, temper the emotional and psychological turmoil that surrounded their alimentary practices, and mitigate antagonism toward their own bodies. In short, the practice of veganism appears to have reproblematized eating for these women. Thus, I suggest, veganism can be an ethical practice of freedom: it can loosen the tight grip of patriarchal normalization as constituted in and through disordered eating habits, and constitute subjects that are “a little less governed” by this form of power. I conclude by considering objections to this thesis, and in particular, the concern that veganism is linked to healthism, another worrying form of normalization.
Gender and (Un)Sustainability—Can Communication Solve a Conflict of Norms?
Authors: Franz-Balsen Angela
Published: April 2014

In theory, and even more in the practice of sustainability communications, the gender dimension of sustainability has been neglected relative to other fields of the science. The aim of this paper is to show the relevance of gender as an analytical category for research and the importance of gender competence as an indispensable skill for professional sustainability communicators. Understanding how gender norms have contributed to inhibiting sustainable development is key to well-targeted means to communicate visions of sustainable ways of life. Traditional norms of masculinity are clearly in tension with the ethical, ecological and social implications of Sustainable Development, whereas the norms of femininity work against empowerment and participation of women. Current changes in gender relations and gender identities in the western world do not automatically solve this conflict of norms. Therefore, sustainability communication must and can contribute to shaping the social construction of gender towards new “sustainable” norms and ideals for the various gender identities in western societies. In order to achieve this, gender mainstreaming (GM) needs to be implemented in the field of sustainability communication, from capacity building for communicators to project design and research. Gender and diversity competence is to become a professional requirement, assuring that traditional “doing gender” is avoided, cultural diversity respected and structural inequalities are made visible. Visions of sustainable societies should include changes in gender relations. The argument is based on sociological studies, gender theories, gender policies, and environmental and sustainability communication studies, empirically supported by biographical studies and media analyses over the last twenty years in Western Europe, mainly Germany.
Sustainable Wastewater Management: Is it Possible to Regulate Micropollution in the Future by Learning from the Past? A Policy Analysis
Authors: Metz Florence , Ingold Karin
Published: April 2014

This paper applies a policy analysis approach to the question of how to effectively regulate micropollution in a sustainable manner. Micropollution is a complex policy problem characterized by a huge number and diversity of chemical substances, as well as various entry paths into the aquatic environment. It challenges traditional water quality management by calling for new technologies in wastewater treatment and behavioral changes in industry, agriculture and civil society. In light of such challenges, the question arises as to how to regulate such a complex phenomenon to ensure water quality is maintained in the future? What can we learn from past experiences in water quality regulation? To answer these questions, policy analysis strongly focuses on the design and choice of policy instruments and the mix of such measures. In this paper, we review instruments commonly used in past water quality regulation. We evaluate their ability to respond to the characteristics of a more recent water quality problem, i.e., micropollution, in a sustainable way. This way, we develop a new framework that integrates both the problem dimension (i.e., causes and effects of a problem) as well as the sustainability dimension (e.g., long-term, cross-sectoral and multi-level) to assess which policy instruments are best suited to regulate micropollution. We thus conclude that sustainability criteria help to identify an appropriate instrument mix of end-of-pipe and source-directed measures to reduce aquatic micropollution.
Transnational Comparison of Sustainability Assessment Programs for Viticulture and a Case-Study on Programs’ Engagement Processes
Authors: Santiago-Brown Irina , Metcalfe Andrew , Jerram Cate , Collins Cassandra
Published: April 2014

This article documents and compares the most prominent sustainability assessment programs for individual organisations in viticulture worldwide. Certification and engagement processes for membership uptake; benefits; motives; inhibiting factors; and desirable reporting system features of viticultural sustainability programs, are all considered. Case-study results are derived from nine sustainability programs; 14 focus groups with 83 CEOs, Chief Viticulturists or Winemakers from wine grape production organizations from five countries (Australia, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States); 12 semi-structured interviews with managers either currently or formerly in charge of the sustainability programs; researcher observations; and analysis of documents. Programs were categorized by their distinct program assessment methods: process-based, best practice-based, indicator-based and criterion-based. We found that programs have been created to increase growers’ sustainability, mainly through the direct and indirect education they receive and promote, and the economic benefit to their business caused by overall improvement of their operations. The main finding from this study is that the success of each of these programs is largely due to the people driving the programs (program managers, innovative growers and/or early adopters) and the way these people communicate and engage with their stakeholders and peers.
Metalloporphyrin Symmetry in Chiral Recognition and Enantioselective Catalysis
Authors: Simonneaux Gérard , Srour Hassan , Maux Paul , Chevance Soizic , Carrie Daniel
Published: April 2014

Symmetry plays a fundamental role in chiral recognition and enantioselective catalysis. Porphyrins possess a number of structural features that make them attractive for the stereocontrol of chiral recognition and metal-catalyzed asymmetric reactions. This article is a brief account of our studies on chiral recognition and enantioselective catalysis by optically active metalloporphyrins. Some of the studies on chiral recognition and asymmetric catalysis by metalloporphyrins performed by others have also been included when useful.
Defining a self-evaluation digital literacy framework for secondary educators: the DigiLit Leicester project
Authors: Hall Richard , Atkins Lucy , Fraser Josie
Published: April 2014

Despite the growing interest in digital literacy within educational policy, guidance for secondary educators in terms of how digital literacy translates into the classroom is lacking. As a result, many teachers feel ill-prepared to support their learners in using technology effectively. The DigiLit Leicester project created an infrastructure for holistic, integrated change, by supporting staff development in the area of digital literacy for secondary school teachers and teaching support staff. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how the critique of existing digital literacy frameworks enabled a self-evaluation framework for practitioners to be developed. Crucially, this framework enables a co-operative, partnership approach to be taken to pedagogic innovation. Moreover, it enables social and ethical issues to underpin a focus on teacher-agency and radical collegiality inside the domain of digital literacy. Thus, the authors argue that the shared development framework constitutes a new model for implementing digital literacy aimed at transforming the provision of secondary education across a city.Keywords: digital literacy framework; professionalism; radical collegiality; secondary education; transformation(Published: 10 April 2014)Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2014, 22: 21440 -http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v22.21440
The softening of human bladder cancer cells happens at an early stage of the malignancy process
Authors: Ramos Jorge R , Pabijan Joanna , Garcia Ricardo , Lekka Malgorzata
Published: April 2014

Various studies have demonstrated that alterations in the deformability of cancerous cells are strongly linked to the actin cytoskeleton. By using atomic force microscopy (AFM), it is possible to determine such changes in a quantitative way in order to distinguish cancerous from non-malignant cells. In the work presented here, the elastic properties of human bladder cells were determined by means of AFM. The measurements show that non-malignant bladder HCV29 cells are stiffer (higher Young’s modulus) than cancerous cells (HTB-9, HT1376, and T24 cell lines). However, independently of the histological grade of the studied bladder cancer cells, all cancerous cells possess a similar level of the deformability of about a few kilopascals, significantly lower than non-malignant cells. This underlines the diagnostic character of stiffness that can be used as a biomarker of bladder cancer. Similar stiffness levels, observed for cancerous cells, cannot be fully explained by the organization of the actin cytoskeleton since it is different in all malignant cells. Our results underline that it is neither the spatial organization of the actin filaments nor the presence of stress fibers, but the overall density and their 3D-organization in a probing volume play the dominant role in controlling the elastic response of the cancerous cell to an external force.
Dimerisation, rhodium complex formation and rearrangements of N-heterocyclic carbenes of indazoles
Authors: Guan Zong , Namyslo Jan C , Drafz Martin H H , Nieger Martin , Schmidt Andreas
Published: April 2014

Deprotonation of indazolium salts at low temperatures gives N-heterocyclic carbenes of indazoles (indazol-3-ylidenes) which can be trapped as rhodium complexes (X-ray analysis). In the absence of Rh, the indazol-3-ylidenes spontaneously dimerize under ring cleavage of one of the N,N-bonds and ring closure to an indazole–indole spiro compound which possesses an exocyclic imine group. The E/Z isomers of the imines can be separated by column chromatography when methanol is used as eluent. We present results of a single crystal X-ray analysis of one of the E-isomers, which equilibrate in solution as well as in the solid state. Heating of the indazole–indole spiro compounds results in the formation of quinazolines by a ring-cleavage/ring-closure sequence (X-ray analysis). Results of DFT calculations are presented.
Electronic Education and Lifelong Learning
Authors: Wang Victor X. , Russo Marianne Robin , Dennett Susan K.
Published: April 2014

Due to de-institutionalization and open system, it is inappropriate to equate education with youth education. In the new century, education has been delivered electronically to accommodate lifelong learning. It has become a reality that the four walled classrooms have been used to complement and supplement E-learning. No need to argue that electronic education has become the norm for most universities and organizations including governmental agencies. For any providers of education to remain highly competitive, they must engage in electronic education by “breaking down” the four walls of the traditional classroom. Lifelong learning has become the impetus resulting in the extensive and intensive application of electronic education.
Millennial Adult Learners in the 21st Century
Authors: Reio Jr. Thomas G. , Hill-Grey Keisha
Published: April 2014

Millennials and their learning needs are in general misunderstood. Little research on how millennials prefer to learn, work, and live has contributed to unproductive, contradictory notions about this generation to the detriment of all. More research is clearly needed to better understand the current and future behaviors of millennials. A wide array of advancing technologies and their direct applications to online and face-to-face learning contexts are explored as means to engaging millennials more in adult learning endeavors. Best practices in employing technologies in the classroom, such as promoting interactivity and social presence through blogs and YouTube, are highlighted in online contexts and through course design. How technology impacts those who have not had exposure to technology is explored as well.
Technology as Integral to a New Paradigm of Adult Education
Authors: Parker Judith E.
Published: April 2014

Technology and adult education are often discussed as two separate subjects, yet just as it is impossible to live one day without the impact of technology, it is impossible to discuss adult education without considering technology. The growth of the field of adult education and the evolution of modern technology as well as the theorists and practitioners who were instrumental in moving the fields will be considered in this article as the foundation for a paradigm shift in adult education. Since effective adult education involves not only information dissemination but communication and collaboration among its participants, online learning activities and entire online courses influence how the field itself is viewed. This new paradigm will be explored in the current and future world of adult teaching and learning.
Assessment and Learning Partnerships in an Online Environment
Authors: Griffin Patrick , Care Esther , Robertson Pam , Crigan Judith , Awwal Nafisa , Pavlovic Masa
Published: April 2014

This chapter shows how the online environment is used to promote quality teaching within a research project conducted by the Assessment Research Centre at the University of Melbourne. The project investigates how teacher teams use assessment data to inform teaching decisions and extensive efforts are made to check their learning through performance assessment procedures that monitor their discipline and pedagogy skills development. Teachers from the project are involved in a professional development course. The ways in which they adopt the knowledge, skills, and attitudes addressed by the course are tracked, along with assessment data from their students. The online environment is used to deliver the professional development course and to deliver online assessments for students and teachers. The authors are careful to ensure that the online experience for both teachers and students reinforces the ideas of the project. These include the notions of developmental approach rather than deficit, evidence rather than inferential decision making and collaboration rather than isolation.
Online Professional Development for Adults
Authors: Bradley J. Bernard , Rachal John , Harper Lin
Published: April 2014

Online professional development programs for adults are increasing in frequency. Numerous scholarly articles have been written that offer polemical or anecdotal evidence supporting the effectiveness of andragogically facilitated non-formal professional development courses, including those conducted online. However, few empirical studies have been conducted to validate their usefulness, especially those offered via the Internet. Such non-formal educational programming may be most conducive to both implementing and empirically testing a more purist definition of andragogy (Pratt, 1988; Rachal, 2002; Bradley, 2011). This chapter explores the theoretical frameworks of andragogy, as well as existing experimental or quasi-experimental research studies, with a view toward creating more learner-centered non-formal educational transactions that meet the unique needs of adult learners. Lastly, suggestions for both practitioners and researchers alike are offered to help build the body of evidence-based research and extend practical advice to educators when designing and facilitating virtual learning programs for adults that emphasize professional development.
3D Virtual Classroom Simulations for Supporting School Teachers' Continuing Professional Development
Authors: Sampson Demetrios G , Kallonis Pavlos
Published: April 2014

3D Virtual Worlds provide realistic three-dimensional environments accessible through the web that can offer engaging, interactive, and immersive experiences. This can create new opportunities for teaching and learning. Yet, the possible use of 3D Virtual Worlds in formal education is a major challenge for school teachers, even for those who are experienced and keen on using digital technologies. In this chapter, the authors present a 3D Virtual Classroom Simulation appropriately designed and implemented using SLOODLE for supporting a module for teachers' continuing professional development based on the Synectics “making the strange familiar” instructional strategy, aiming towards acquiring appropriate competences for teaching within 3D Virtual Worlds and for developing innovative educational practices.
Teacher Professional Development Using Mobile Technologies in a Large-Scale Project
Authors: Shrestha Prithvi
Published: April 2014

Mobile technologies have been influencing the field of education including language learning for almost a decade. The literature on mobile technologies for education reports a number of case studies that examine various aspects of mobile learning. However, the use of mobile technologies for teacher professional development, particularly in developing economies, is rarely reported. This paper presents a case study of the English in Action (EIA) project, a UK government funded English language development project in Bangladesh, and its use of mobile technologies which not only provides teachers with the ‘trainer in the pocket' that helps them achieve pedagogical changes in the classroom but also serves as a tool for improving their own English language competence. The article, in particular, reports on the design and implementation of audio and video teacher professional development materials for MP3 players and mobile phones. It also highlights implications for similar projects intending to deploy mobile technologies.
Enabling Professional Development with E-Portfolios
Authors: Lygo-Baker Simon , Hatzipanagos Stylianos
Published: April 2014

Portfolios have been used for assessment in higher education as an alternative to exams and assignments. E-portfolios offer staff a digital technology that can be both a personalised learning space, owned and controlled by the learner, and a presentation tool which can be used for formal assessment purposes. However, this can result in a tension between process and product, where e-portfolios become electronic repositories of resources that simply tick boxes for career progression. The paper reports on a project that investigated the use of e-portfolios by teaching practitioners developing a critical portfolio of evidence for an award-bearing academic development programme. An e-portfolio had been adopted to address criticisms that conventional assessment fails to take account of the context in which teaching practitioners operate. The project aimed to enable teaching practitioners to access and gain familiarity with pedagogically sound e-portfolio opportunities. In addition, it aimed to foster a reflective approach, promote critical thinking focused on learning and teaching and enhance continuing professional development.
ARTI
Authors: Dawson Kara , Cavanaugh Cathy , Ritzhaupt Albert D.
Published: April 2014

Action research is recognized as a powerful tool for professional development and teacher preparation (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009; Zeichner, 2003) and teachers require powerful professional development to effectively integrate technology (Hew & Brush, 2007). ARTI (Action Research for Technology Integration) is an online tool designed to support the merger of action research and technology integration. This chapter provides an introduction to ARTI followed by a discussion of its theoretical foundations. Next, the conceptual design of ARTI is described in terms of the three main purposes for its development which are to provide: (1) an online scaffold for teachers to inquire about their technology integration practices, (2) a mechanism to synthesize action research information from multiple teachers, and (3) a mechanism to capture evidence of student learning within technology integration inquiries. Finally, examples of ARTI implementation, implications and future possibilities for the tool in teacher preparation are discussed.
Design of an Online Continuing Education Module
Authors: Strohecker Jennifer L. , Athens Wendy
Published: April 2014

This chapter details the design of an online continuing education module (Quarterly Education Module, QEM) intended to educate more than one thousand clinicians in a large western U.S. healthcare system about Herbal and Dietary Supplement (HDS)-drug interactions and induce them to bridge the patient-physician communication gap. Despite the importance and relevance of the QEM and its successful pilot, this fully-developed QEM has a delayed launch due to the departure of its administrative champion. The core instructional objective was a behavior change: Clinicians must ask patients about HDS use when taking a medical history and document this use in the medical record. HDS use is prevalent among Americans and sales are increasing. When taken in conjunction with prescription medications, HDS-drug interactions are common and may result in unexpected and serious patient harm. Patient's failure to report HDS use to their medical provider, and a provider's failure to ask specifically about HDS use, further complicate the picture.
Design Guidelines for Self-Assessment Support for Adult Academic Distance Learning
Authors: Blanco Maria Menendez , van der Veer Gerrit C. , Benvenuti Laura , Kirschner Paul A.
Published: April 2014

This contribution focuses on adult distance learning. Based on experiences at the Open University of the Netherlands we investigate specific problems that our students have with self-assessment and metacognition while studying. Starting from a literature review and complementing this with available student data from our teaching research center, we developed a conceptual framework that was iteratively adjusted and assessed by a questionnaire study and interviews. This allowed us to develop design guidelines for self-assessment support in distance learning environments. These guidelines were reviewed by experts. The input from the experts was used to modify the guidelines and iterate until they were considered complete. Tangible designs (i.e., mock-ups) for each of the self-assessment methods were proposed. These tangible designs were prototyped for later evaluation. Finally, we provide our conclusions and propose recommendations for actual application and systematic design.
Developing ITV Best Teaching Practices and Effective Professional Development Programs
Authors: Keengwe Jared , Bieber Leslie Ann , Schnellert Gary
Published: April 2014

The purpose of this study is to explore the characteristics of an effective State Interactive Video (ITV) program relating to teacher qualifications and strategies, student research and involvement, organization, economical benefits, and technical support. Evidence from this study suggests that ITV instructors need more organization and preparation than is typically required for face-to-face teaching in a traditional classroom and the ability of ITV instructors to adapt and learn new technology-based teaching techniques is critical for student academic success. These findings are beneficial to school administrators planning to design and implement sound ITV pedagogical and professional development programs and practices to enhance student learning.
The Public Library in an Aging Society
Authors: Donkai Saori , Mizoue Chieko
Published: April 2014

This chapter describes the present conditions of our aging society, with a particular focus on Japan as a typical example of such a society. In Japan, one in every four individuals is over 65 years of age, and one in eight is over 75 years of age. Further, based on this demographic change to an older population, this chapter discusses a new library service designed to enhance the lives of elderly citizens. The authors explore this new service from the viewpoint of lifelong learning, utilizing the results of recent government surveys and some case studies, such as those done at the Izumo City Hikawa Library and the Akita Prefectural Library in Japan. Although the elderly have been placed within the category of “disabled library patrons,” in recent years, it has become more common to consider the elderly, as a whole, as an individual service category. We should, in the near future, pay more attention to supporting elderly citizens at public libraries to engage them in the development and maintenance of their own communities.
Using an Observation Cycle for Helping Teachers Integrate Technology
Authors: Fuller Julia S. , Bachenheimer Barry A.
Published: April 2014

The purpose of this chapter is to present a simulated case study for class discussion about supporting teachers with technology integration. The study frames the authors' definition of educational technology by focusing on research-based technology training and follow-up observation cycles for facilitating teachers' application of technology into instruction. Readers should consider the importance of utilizing professional development to support teachers via technology training geared toward integration of specific digital tools and instructional strategies. The instructional design of the study includes a focus on adult learning assumptions (Knowles et al., 1998) and elements found in the professional development literature: (a) content focus, (b) active learning, (c) coherence, (d) duration, and (e) collective participation (Desimone, 2009). Additionally, the use of observation cycles (Danielson, 2007) in this case study emphasizes collaborative planning and feedback opportunities for helping teachers integrate technology, as well as promotes further analysis of the case.
Adult Learning Influence on Faculty Learning Cycle
Authors: Skibba Karen
Published: April 2014

The purpose of this chapter is to share results of a qualitative research study that investigated how faculty members learn to teach adult learners using online course delivery. In this study, experienced faculty members needed to learn anew and rethink pedagogical strategies when designing and teaching online delivery formats. Faculty members who are learning to teach are also adult learners who learn through experience. Research themes emerged from interviews regarding how instructors learned to teach adult learners online: (a) adapted to market demand, (b) anchored by adult learning strategies, (c) experimented in online laboratory, (d) evolved from trial and error to collaboration, and (e) rethought pedagogical possibilities. Understanding how faculty members learn to teach adult students online offers great potential to identify the challenges that faculty members face and how they meet these challenges to improve teaching practice. Implications for online professional development practices are discussed.
More than Changing Classrooms
Authors: Robertson Lorayne , Hardman Wendy
Published: April 2014

The transition from the lecture hall to the online teaching environment requires more than a change of venue – it requires role changes as well as a shift in focus from delivering content toward designing a learning environment where students can build skills for learning and collaboration. The research described in this chapter employs a case-study method to capture the perceptions of a small cohort of university professors participating in a synchronous e-training program to prepare them for synchronous e-teaching. Participating professors possessed a range of diverse prior experiences with teaching and e-teaching, creating unique training challenges. Data include the video-recorded training sessions as well as focus group and individual interviews held one year post-training. The findings indicate that, although the intended training focus was not the primary outcome realized, this study provides some insights into planning and delivering e-training for similar transitions to synchronous online teaching for tertiary instructors.
Reflections on Personal Experiences of Staff Training and Continuing Professional Development for Academic Staff in the Development of High Quality Support for Disabled Students in Higher Education
Authors: Hurst Alan
Published: April 2014

Despite the progress made in the development of policy and provision for disabled students in Higher Education since the issue first received attention in the UK in 1974, there is still some way to go before a state of genuine inclusion is reached. The key to further improvement and enhancement of quality is seen to lie in training for staff. After presenting evidence showing the need for more and better training, a number of issues relating to initial training and continuing professional development are discussed. A number of sample tasks for inclusion in staff development sessions are described.
No Adult Left Behind
Authors: Salter Linda
Published: April 2014

With an aging population and the increasing role of virtual technologies in education, educators and educational institutions need to be informed about contemporary and predicted demographics regarding older adults as learners as well as what is currently understood about learning later in life. Although recently increasing, there has been a lack of attention paid to this demographic group. A literature review reveals that “older” students are often those age 25 to 30, while the fastest growing segment of the population is much older. Truly “older” learners can and should be accommodated in the virtual environments that are becoming more and more common in higher and continuing education. The purpose of this chapter is to offer guidance for adult learning professionals tasked with accommodating older adults in virtual environments.
Partnerships between University and Adult Education Providers
Authors: Witte Maria Martinez , Ahmed Azzam Abd-El Naby , Witte James E.
Published: April 2014

Lifelong learning can be enhanced through the establishment of academic and societal community partnerships. Adults face a multitude of challenges and roles that impact their ability to succeed in a teaching and learning environment. The motivation to pursue learning experiences will also vary and needs to be accounted for when working with the individual adult education learner. Post-secondary institutions can serve to bridge education, research, training, and service to the community. This chapter discusses current practices and advances within partnerships that have been established between university and adult education providers.
Professional Development Opportunities Provided by Consortia
Authors: Robinson Tami Echavarria
Published: April 2014

Continuing education for librarians and library staff is a need all libraries must consider for the effective professional development of their human resources and the functioning of their libraries. Similar concerns regarding the needs and barriers to obtaining ongoing continuing education are found across different types of libraries and in different regions of the country. Although studied separately and in different regions of the country, among concerns of library school media specialists documented in studies, results are similar to those revealed in a survey of Inland Northwest Library Council (INCOL) librarians in public, academic, and special libraries. Consortia offering continuing education are not well documented in the literature, but examples that exist reveal a feasible, collaborative, effective resource as a means to provide for these needs in member libraries. The history of these consortia is not only important as a means of documentation of their existence, but more so of their value and usefulness proven over a long time period. INCOL, in the Inland Northwest region of the Pacific Northwest of the United States, is a model of such a consortium that continues to be relevant after more than 30 years of offering ongoing continuing education to its constituency.
Providing Professional Development Opportunities to Staff in Tough Economic Times
Authors: Sacco Kathleen L.
Published: April 2014

Libraries today have been feeling budget crunches due to decreases in funds and increases in materials costs and salaries of their employees. There are also pressures on libraries of all types to respond to new technologies and modes of knowledge acquisition. Because of these constant changes, library staff and administrators must work together to develop comprehensive, sustainable training programs that benefit both employees and the library as a whole. Administrators can foster this by developing their libraries into learning organizations. This chapter will outline how library administration can keep costs in check while providing a vibrant professional development program for their employees.
The E-Learning Cycle and Continuous Improvement for E-Entrepreneurs
Authors: Creed Andrew , Zutshi Ambika
Published: April 2014

The purpose of this paper is to explore the integration of learning, continuous improvement and innovation theories as a basis for enhancing the education of e-entrepreneurs. Conceptual development of emerging interdisciplinary literature is combined with example analysis to develop the Circle of E-learning uniquely augmented by hermeneutics, action research and the creative destruction cycle of innovation using applied examples of e-entrepreneurship. Four R's are discussed in the Circle of E-learning; Review, Revise, Reconstruct, and Reveal. Observations for each of the 4R's are made regarding continuous improvement of the education of e-entrepreneurs. Findings are that the procedural pivot points indicated by the 4R's can be helpful for administrators and educators to improve operations and outcomes in management and professional development situations.
Moving Beyond the One-Shot for Professional Development
Authors: Blakesley Elizabeth
Published: April 2014

Conference presentations and vendor demonstrations are valuable, and these options often seem more economical as well. However, the benefits that can be gained for an individual and the institution from attending an intensive institute cannot be underestimated. Among the benefits of an intensive institute are gaining more in-depth knowledge about the topic, learning and collaborating more through the extended schedule, greatly enhanced opportunities for networking and learning from peers, and taking part in a learning community. This chapter will discuss these benefits and others. Just as research shows that semester-long courses can be more effective for developing information literacy skills than one-shot library instruction sessions, intensive institutes can provide a much richer professional development opportunity than an hour-long conference presentation. For adult learners, this type of environment can be much more valuable for short-term and long-term benefits.
Is Presence of Community of Practice Dimensions Sufficient for Community-Based Teacher Professional Development?
Authors: Murugaiah Puvaneswary , Ming Thang Siew , Azman Hazita , Nambiar Radha
Published: April 2014

Professional development programmes that include teacher collaboration can help teachers meet their professional needs and control their professional lives. They can voice their needs and expectations to peers who share similar experiences. Moreover, teachers can discover new teaching roles and opportunities, develop new skills and find motivation in being a member of a group (Burbank & Kauchak, 2003; Hawkes, 2000). With the affordances provided by Web technologies, the potentiality of online communities of practice (CoPs) as a means of improving teacher professional development has become a reality and is gaining popularity. The Online Continuing Professional Development for Teachers (e-CPDelT) project aimed to develop three online CoPs; that is, English, Mathematics and Science communities among twenty Malaysian Smart school teachers. This paper examined the key CoP dimensions, as expounded in Wenger's (1998) framework, and investigated whether their presence is sufficient for successful CoP among teachers in the English cohort. The findings revealed that although the key CoP dimensions were present, there were several factors inhibiting their participation in the community-based cohort. It can be implied that it is crucial to consider these factors in developing teacher online CoPs in Malaysia.
Improving Workforce Education and Adult Learning
Authors: Wang Victor X. , Allen Jeff
Published: April 2014

Workforce education and adult learning cannot and should not be separate. These two closely interrelated fields continue to produce a sustainable competitive advantage in a competitive and global 21st century workforce. This chapter highlights some of the major concepts used to improve workforce education and adult learning in the hope that future researchers can replicate and continue to generate new knowledge when change reshapes the nature of the adult learner's work. The authors have addressed existing and emerging concepts in these two fields, from a very different perspective than most articles of this nature, to assist in redefining workforce education and adult learning in the 21st century. It is hoped that everyone, including those in key leadership positions, will take a renewed interest in these vitally important fields and seek to leverage the respective theories, models, and frameworks to produce a more productive citizen of the world.
Online Learning Community
Authors: Sari Eunice , Lim Cher Ping
Published: April 2014

This chapter describes the role of the online learning community named OLC4TPD (Online Learning Community for Teacher Professional Development) in building professional capacity of Indonesian teachers. OLC4TPD was contextually built to address the challenges of teacher professionalism in Indonesia, which has contributed significantly to students' learning outcome. As an independent informal online learning community, OLC4TPD plays a unique role in schools' professional learning community. The authors investigate the role of OLC4TPD from different pillars that hold the professional learning community edifice. The four pillars are (1) collaborative teamwork, (2) teacher capacity, (3) leadership capacity, and (4) professional development. The chapter explains this unique role by showcasing several authentic examples on how OLC4TPD has improved professional capacity of teachers and teacher educators in an Indonesian context.
Teacher Professional Development through Virtual Campuses
Authors: Jimoyiannis Athanassios , Gravani Maria N. , Karagiorgi Yiasemina
Published: April 2014

This chapter acknowledges the increasing impact of eLearning and the associated rise of Virtual Campuses (VCs) for Teacher Professional Development (TPD). On the basis of reported literature, in particular, deficiencies identified in Bell's (1991) traditional “individual”, “group,” and “school development” approaches, the authors propose an alternative model for TPD delivered through VCs. In support of this “new” model, key issues underlying the VC paradigm in terms of the design and implementation of such environments are further discussed. In particular, the authors argue about the value and complications behind the adoption of this model and suggest principles supporting the design of such type of environments.
The Impact of New Technologies on Professional Development
Authors: Meltzer Sarah T.
Published: April 2014

Professional development in schools is not a new concept; however, the impact of new technologies in the past two decades has shown it is important to incorporate research-based strategies in order to be effective. While strategies for curriculum-focused trainings may have been effective in the past, technology-focused training must take a different approach in the 21st century. Effective professional development will positively impact student achievement and is critical for sustainable school reform. This chapter addresses the importance of developing a new learning environment conducive to supporting professional development in technology. Key strategies necessary to support students' needs in the 21st century are explained. Without an emphasis on specific activities and opportunities throughout the phases of planning and implementation, professional development will not be sustainable and student achievement will not be impacted.
Towards More Socio-Culturally Sensitive Research and Study of Workplace E-Learning
Authors: Remtulla Karim A.
Published: April 2014

This article advocates workplace adult education and training researchers and scholar practitioners interested in career and technical education (CTE), adult education and technology, and who are attempting social and cultural critiques of workplace e-learning. The emphasis on the technological and artefactual in workplace e-learning research and study are not producing the expected learning outcomes from workplace adult education and training to the degree anticipated. Given increasingly global and diverse workforces, the research and study of workplace e-learning as a socio-culturally ‘negotiated' space may be an alternate approach toward a more socially and culturally informed understanding of adult learning from workplace e-learning.
Improving Efficiency in Robot Assisted Belt Grinding of High Performance Materials
Authors: Uhlmann Eckart , Heitmüller Florian
Published: April 2014

In gas turbines and turbo jet engines, high performance materials such as nickel-based alloys are widely used for blades and vanes. In the case of repair, finishing of complex turbine blades made of high performance materials is carried out predominantly manually. The repair process is therefore quite time consuming. And the costs of presently available repair strategies, especially for integrated parts, are high, due to the individual process planning and great amount of manually performed work steps. Moreover, there are severe risks of partial damage during manually conducted repair. All that leads to the fact that economy of scale effects remain widely unused for repair tasks, although the piece number of components to be repaired is increasing significantly. In the future, a persistent automation of the repair process chain should be achieved by developing adaptive robot assisted finishing strategies. The goal of this research is to use the automation potential for repair tasks by developing a technology that enables industrial robots to re-contour turbine blades via force controlled belt grinding.
Aerodynamic Part Feeding Technology - Flexible High-Speed Part Provision for Mass Production
Authors: Knüppel Konja , Nyhuis Peter
Published: April 2014

Manufacturing companies in high-wage countries can pursue two strategies to make up for their competitive disadvantage due to the unfavourable cost structure. They can either resort to an individualisation of the products or make use of economies of scale in production by high numbers. Only very few companies however are able to reconcile both strategies. One way to meet these requirements is in the use of flexible, automated systems. Here, the feeding process for automated, flexible assembly systems often represents a bottleneck. Conventional feeding systems come up against their limits. They are often only able to achieve the required output as redundant systems, and they are limited in their flexibility and set-up capability due to the mechanical design.
Innovative solution approaches in this field can be offered by the aerodynamic orientation technology and the aerodynamic separation technology. In contrast to conventional feeding systems, these processes, due to their basic operating principle, already have high potential with regard to variant neutrality, flexibility and output.
Aerodynamic part orientation technology takes advantage of the asymmetry of workpieces in order to orientate them with the aid of air impulses. In the case of aerodynamic part separation technology, workpieces are separated from a pile of material by an air vortex and individually transported out of the system.
It has been shown that these technologies, due to their functional principle and the simple mechanical construction as compared to conventional systems, offer greater flexibility, are less prone to failures and can in some cases more than double the output.