bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Benefits of Technology Transfer for a University
Authors: McGinn John
Published: July 2017

The University of Limerick is only 20 years old, but from the start it has been an important channel for technology transfer. Transfer is achieved in several ways, but mainly through academic and research programmes. It is assisted by the University's strategy to be relevant to the economic needs of the country; to be European in outlook; and to look to partnerships internationally, especially with the USA and Japan. Setting his comments in the framework of the key objective of the University's programmes – to address the challenges and constraints that face the future development of the national economy – John McGinn shows how the many efforts of the University of Limerick in the field of technology transfer are benefitting the University and its graduates, as well as industry and the growing Irish economy.
The UK's Regional Research Laboratory Initiative
Authors: Tiler Christine
Published: July 2017

This article examines the development of a series of newly created research centres in the UK. They are of interest because of the novelty of their mission – to conduct research into the techniques and methods of handling large-scale datasets and, over a three-year period with Research Council support, to develop a portfolio of activities and customers able to sustain the Centre when core funding has expired. Christine Tiler examines the range of experience encountered by the Laboratories and draws out key factors which influenced their development. She pays particular attention to those factors which affected their ability to transform themselves into self-funding research and development organizations.
Continuing Education and Company Growth
Authors: Yunzu Li
Published: July 2017

Continuing education is a means of promoting technological development in an enterprise. In the past ten years, Wuhan Iron and Steel Company (WISCO) has achieved significant success in this field. From 1986 to 1990, WISCO ran 573 seminars and classes for advanced studies. Participating specialized staff totalled 18 302. In that period, 127 research projects produced successful results, and 85 of them led to instant economic benefits amounting to 38.46 million Yuan. Li Yunzu describes WISCO's approach to continuing education. He stresses the importance of focusing continuing education programmes on the economic development of the enterprise. Full consideration should be given to seminars and advanced courses on special topics, the development of new technology and improving the quality of employees. It is also necessary to establish a pattern of continuing education that integrates education, research and production.
Continuing Engineering Education in PR China
Authors: Bing-Xing Wu , Chui-Chan Han , Feng Gao
Published: July 2017

This article describes the importance of continuing engineering education at Luoyang Mining Machinery Plant, a heavy engineering company in Henan. The plant's links with Luoyang Industrial Institute and Shanghai Jiao Tong University are described. The article describes the retraining needs of the various age groups within the company, pointing out that the knowledge of many engineers educated during the 1950s is almost obsolete, while those who graduated in the 1960s were affected by the Cultural Revolution. The numerous methods of continuous education employed at the plant are described and the importance of international links are stressed.
What Can Higher Education Realistically Expect from Industry?
Authors: Williams Gareth
Published: July 2017

The article outlines the reasons for increased HE–industry collaboration and points out some of the limitations of such collaboration. It argues that cultural differences between academia and industry may be less important than differences in ethos between different disciplines. Finally, the article argues strongly for increased use of part time professorships and lectureships as a means of fostering links between business and universities.
HE–Industry Collaboration in Northern Portugal
Authors: Pereira L. Chaínho
Published: July 2017

After describing the collaboration established between the University of Minho and industrial enterprises in the Minho region, the author discusses the R&D activities of the University and the mechanisms adopted to reinforce collaboration with the commercial sector. Special attention is paid to the role of university–industry interface institutes in promoting technology transfer within the Minho region.
Micro-Electronics and Technological Knowledge Transfer
Authors: van Putten Anton F.P. , Nispel Prosper
Published: July 2017

Modern society has become totally dependent on products and systems based on micro-electronics. To help Europe to become more competitive with Japan and the USA, an overwhelming number of micro-electronics (ME) and technological knowledge transfer programmes are offered to the market. First, an overview of existing infrastructures which have knowledge transfer programmes is presented. A brief review of national and international transfer programmes is given and it is asked whether this is the best way to proceed and to spend valuable resources. It is suggested that there is a continuing need for knowledge transfer and grouping programmes together into larger (inter)national institutes.
Trends in Cooperation between Industry, R&D Centres, and Universities
Authors: Otala Matti
Published: July 2017

Industry is experiencing fundamental changes in its operations, structure, mores and economies. These changes are caused by intensification of international competition; restructuring of several large economic blocks; changing societal values; and new organizational paradigms. The following is a terse, condensed summary of what the author sees as twelve major changes affecting the European research establishment in the coming years. This is a strictly private view, based on personal experience gained from working in European, US and Japanese industries, and several European universities and research centres.
Campus Quality and Productivity
Authors: Clements Kenneth
Published: July 2017

The Canadian University Productivity Awards programme is designed to recognize examples of projects which lead to cost reductions and boost employee morale and university image. The article describes some recent winners (including the formation of a real estate company by the University of British Columbia). The award has a number of major corporate sponsors.
Sourcing Technology—Industry and Higher Education in Germany and the UK
Authors: Cheese John
Published: July 2017

With pressures on companies to tap into a seemingly ever-expanding range of relevant technologies, sourcing issues and the appropriate mix between in-house R&D and external sources more specifically have become key management challenges. This article looks first at the approaches adopted by large German and UK companies based on the results of interview surveys. It then examines the national structure for innovation support in Germany, looking particularly at the position of universities and polytechnics in the network, drawing comparisons with the UK scene to highlight some of the problems. Finally, the author describes the Faraday Programme as a specific UK proposal to address some of the difficulties in industry-university interaction, emphasizing the more general principles it embodies.
Open Learning in Hong Kong
Authors: Murby Stephen
Published: July 2017

As Hong Kong draws inexorably closer to 1 July 1997 and its transfer from a British Territory to a Special Administrative Region of PR China, it faces crucial questions about its manpower requirements and skills levels. This article outlines some of the key features of Hong Kong's manpower profile over the period 1993–2000 and stresses the need for industry-based upgrading of the industrial workforce. Significant features of this manpower profile include strong growth in workers with tertiary qualifications, a shift from manufacturing to service employment, and a decline in demand for unskilled workers, leading to unemployment and resultant social problems.
Report: Language Needs in Industry
Authors: Royall Frédéric , Martin Gillian
Published: July 2017

In January 1991 a language needs analysis was initiated at the University of Limerick. Two surveys were conducted with the objective of investigating the provision of languages to engineering and science students and the extent to which languages are used and/or promoted in exporting companies. Four groups were targeted: engineering and science students; language teachers/lecturers in Irish third-level colleges; managing directors of exporting companies; and engineers and scientists.
‘Making the Match’ Skill Supply—Demand Gap in Canada
Authors: Rush James C. , Evers Frederick T.
Published: July 2017

The acquisition and development of skills required to function in the world of work are of obvious importance to any society. More than ever, a country's competitiveness depends on the skills of its workforce. What do we know about required skills? Which skills are truly important? How are these skills developed? What are formal organizations doing about skill development? In Canada, the ‘Making the Match’ research project, started in 1985, has been seeking answers to these questions.
Rethinking Industry—University Cooperation in Europe
Authors: Otala Leenamaija , Otala Matti
Published: July 2017

In the March 1993 issue of Industry and Higher Education, Matti Otala identified and briefly summarized major trends in cooperation between industry, R&D centres and universities. These trends were seen in the context of the fundamental changes which industry is experiencing in its operations, structure, mores and economics – changes which are the effects of intensifying international competition, shifting societal values, new organizational ideals, and the restructuring of several world-economic blocks. This follow-up article looks specifically at the practical impacts of these changes on university–industry relationships and focuses on the increased need to ‘recycle’ employees who have lost their skills competence, and the opening up of the universities for more and larger research projects. The authors argue that the competitiveness of European industry is at stake and highlight measures which must be taken to ensure its survival.
Organizations as Students — The Challenge for Education
Authors: Aslanian Carol B.
Published: July 2017

‘For many colleges, business as usual will mean no business with business.’ The old notion that distinct boundaries exist between the world of education and the world of commerce no longer applies. Increasingly, each is taking on part of the other's traditional role. Carol Aslanian, drawing on her experiences as Director of Adult Learning Services for The College Board in the USA, sets out the new cultural and attitudinal approaches that must be put into practice if industry and education are to cooperate fruitfully in the field of education and training. She focuses on the characteristics of the organization as ‘student’, the competition offered to colleges by companies' own in-house training courses and resources, and the ways in which colleges need to adapt if they are to keep a foot in the door of corporate education.
Implementing Lifelong Learning through Industry—University Partnership
Authors: Otala Leenamaija
Published: July 2017

Lifelong learning is an individual initiative and a concern of businesses, but to be successful it needs a framework which universities and other public educational institutions can provide. That framework should include operating principles and the infrastructure for providing and distributing adult education. Implementation of the framework is dependent on practical cooperation between enterprises and universities and other educational institutions. Lifelong learning needs are based on analysing business visions and strategies. Company core competencies are developed through lifelong learning programmes of core employees. Lifelong learning programmes support the present and future operations of the company, as well as providing employees with assets which help them adapt to future work requirements. This article sets out the key principles of lifelong learning and assesses how these can be successfully implemented in practice.
Involving Postgraduates in University—Industry Partnerships
Authors: Powles Margaret
Published: July 2017

The Australian Postgraduate Awards (Industry) Scheme is a government initiative in its fourth year of operation. Its objectives are to build a long-term relationship between higher education institutions and industry through research undertaken by PhD and Masters research students on projects related to industry needs, and to prepare high-calibre students for industry and/or research. This article puts the Scheme in its policy context, and summarizes the major findings from surveys of the participants – the academic and industry partners, and the students themselves. Their views are presented on: the Scheme's capacity to stimulate new linkages; its benefits and the constraints; facilities and resources on campus and company sites; and satisfaction with supervision arrangements under the partnership.
Study Abroad and Subsequent Employment
Authors: Teichler Ulrich
Published: July 2017

This article examines in detail the advantages to students of study abroad and its importance in their subsequent suitability for employment. While accepted wisdom holds that study abroad is by definition a good thing, various research findings suggest that the greater wisdom lies in a more cautious view. Here, Ulrich Teichler details results from extensive surveys of former students who participated in the European Union's ERASMUS programme. He summarizes students' experiences of the study abroad period and its general costs and administration and then assesses the implications of the responses to the surveys in terms of the relationship between study abroad and subsequent career. He concludes, among other things, that while study abroad is obviously significant in the transition from education to a career requiring international competencies, there is no evidence to suggest that ERASMUS students have a better chance than others of a ‘high-flying’ career path. Furthermore, the apparent partial lack of consistency in the specific applicability of study abroad to subsequent career raises the question of whether study abroad should be structured in a more targeted way so that it has more predictable and systematic impacts on employment.
Development of a University-Related Incubator in a Transition Economy
Authors: Kurzydlowski Krzysztof J. , Jones Christopher C. , Campbell Allison K.
Published: July 2017

Two previous articles in Industry and Higher Education have discussed the foundation of the Enterprise Development Center at Warsaw University of Technology (September 1992) and the Polish Higher Education–Business Forum (December 1993). Here, the authors assess the experience and significance of these maturing organizations in the context of the great challenges facing successful technology commercialization and entrepreneurship in a transition economy. They argue in particular that the business incubator system can provide a substantial contribution to commercial and economic growth in Poland.
Science Parks and Regional Technology Strategies
Authors: Charles David , Hayward Sally , Thomas Damien
Published: July 2017

The authors draw on international comparative research undertaken for the European Commission and other organizations in recent years to examine the regional strategic dimension of science park development in several European countries. They begin with a short review of the nature of regional technology policy, and then discuss the different models of science parks, considering whether the models reflect an evolutionary process or a deeper institutional variety across Europe. They then present several contrasting case studies, illustrating their embeddedness within different regional contexts. The paper concludes with a discussion of the future direction of science parks and the implications for public policy at the national, local and, most importantly, at the European level.
Special Focus: The Latin American University and R&D
Authors: Vessuri Hebe
Published: July 2017

The three case studies that follow in this special focus on Latin America arise from the UNESCO/COLUMBUS project on ‘The Higher Education Contribution to R&D in Latin America’. In this introductory article, Hebe Vessuri discusses some of the findings of the research carried out in that project and presents an analytical summary of the major issues and challenges facing Latin American universities in evolving the culture and conditions for an R&D effort that will underpin their countries' economic and social development. Among the issues she picks out are evaluation systems and quality criteria; the establishment of research priorities; institutional restructuring and strategic thinking; and the essential elements in a consensus among the major universities, the state and industry, which the most influential universities must take a lead in establishing.
Higher Vocational Education in China in Response to the Changing Needs of the Labour Market beyond 2000
Authors: Cheung Eleanor
Published: July 2017

The People's Republic of China (PRC) announced its ‘Open Door’ in 1980. Foreign investors have started up their enterprises in China largely with the help of imported expertise — top executives, management personnel, and even technicians in these companies are, with the exception of a few senior managers assigned by Chinese partners, very predominantly expatriates. In addition, educational institutions in the PRC have long been criticized for their failure to provide expertise for economic growth. Reforms in higher vocational education are needed in order for China to cope with her economic growth beyond 2000.
Conference Report
Authors: Massaquoi J.G.M.
Published: July 2017

Conference on University–Industry–Science Partnership (UNISPAR), Accra, Ghana, 14–15 September 1995.
Technology Transfer from R&D Institutions to SMEs
Authors: Grøvlen Mons , Aarvak Knut
Published: July 2017

TEFT is a Norwegian national technology transfer programme which is geared towards small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The main objective of the programme is to increase contact between SMEs and technological R&D institutions. Central to TEFT is a corps often regionally based Technology Attachés who are primarily responsible for running the programme in their regions, and whose main task is to initiate technology projects. Some two hundred projects per year are initiated, with SMEs as the employing organizations and the R&D institutions responsible for operations. About 200 projects have now been concluded. Cooperative efforts between firms and research organizations and Technology Attachés have worked well, and the indications are that similar results may be expected from the ongoing projects.
Innovation by Degrees
Authors: Neailey Kevin
Published: July 2017

The innovative ability of an individual is only partly inherent. With an appropriate balance of education, training and experience, this ability can be developed. This paper describes a new research degree – the Engineering Doctorate – which can provide this balance. The basic principles of the EngD are described, as are the benefits and industrial relevance of the programme. Its main features are a requirement for innovation in the application of knowledge to industrial business and a high level of flexibility. It is also shown to be suitable for engineers at all career stages from fresh graduate to director level.
The Development and Establishment of Technology in South Africa
Authors: du Preez N.P. , van Eldik P. , Möhr M. , van der Watt H.H.
Published: July 2017

In a two-part analysis (Part 2 follows on pp 27–31), the authors discuss the key results of a South African project conducted during 1996 which focused on the factors relating to the development and establishment of technology in a country. The study investigated through a detailed questionnaire survey and a literature survey the various factors that promote the development and establishment of technology by comparing their perceived importance with the actual role they currently play in South Africa. This paper, Part 1, concentrates on the role of higher education. The importance of academic institutions in supplying high-level human resources was rated very highly (90.47%) but the role it is currently playing in reality was rated at 52.8%. Closely connected with this, the availability of high-level skilled technological people was given an importance of 89% while the current reality was rated at only 43%. This clearly shows that the South African higher education system is performing poorly in addressing these vital needs. The availability of entrepreneurs with innovative and creative skills to participate in the development and diffusion of technology was given an importance rating of 84.3% against a current situation of 42.2%, again indicating South Africa's weak performance. The results of the survey and the consequent recommendations are important to all developing countries with newly industrial economies.
TCS in Action
Authors: Dixon M. L. E.
Published: July 2017

In the context of the respective needs of companies, universities and individual graduates in the partnership process, this paper describes a TCS Programme involving Welsh Water, a major UK utility provider, Lusis Business Solutions, an IT company, and the Department of Computer Science of the University of Wales, Swansea. The author presents a case study of a project to control coagulation in water treatment through a neural network, illustrating how the structure of the partnership was used to facilitate and produce a successful outcome. Finally he summarizes the key benefits of the Programme experienced by the various participants.
TCS in Action
Authors: Grocott Duncan , Brunn Paul
Published: July 2017

The authors describe a TCS Programme involving the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology and GPT Ltd, the UK's largest supplier of telecommunications equipment. The paper reports on the ways in which the partnership introduced problem-solving and cost-saving techniques to both technical and managerial aspects of the company's operations, and highlights not only these benefits to the company but also the advantages and opportunities which the Programme afforded the academic partner and the TCS Associate himself.
Evolution of Academic—Industry Technology Transfer in the USA
Authors: Berneman Louis P. , Denis Kathleen A.
Published: July 2017

The dramatic rise of activity in academic–industry technology transfer in the USA, and its increasingly significant impact, lead the authors to examine changes, trends, and recent developments in transfer activities. They examine a variety of issues related to the policies, awareness, personnel and nature of licensing. They hypothesize that academic–industry technology transfer has been evolving in such a way as to indicate a recognition of the economic role of academic institutions which has been called the ‘Second Academic Revolution’.
Partnerships, Configurations and Dynamics in the Creation and Development of SMEs by Researchers
Authors: Mustar Philippe
Published: July 2017

This paper analyses the nature of high-tech firms created by academic researchers and the key factors that lead to their successful evolution. The author bases his remarks on a survey of 250 French high-tech companies with their origins in public research centres. He argues against the stereotypical representation of the academic as a poor entrepreneur and identifies common characteristics and expertise required by academic research workers and managers of high-tech SMEs. He demonstrates that the spin-off companies which have developed most successfully have been those with the greatest ability to bring into play a wide range of resources and skills, working through partnerships and networks, at local, national and international levels.
The Impact of Research and Education on Industry
Authors: Shinn Terry
Published: July 2017

This paper provides a comparative analysis of the relationship of science and technology research capacity and the development of education systems to industrial performance. In an exploration which maps developments over the last 150 years, the author takes as his subjects for study six countries – three with outstanding industrial achievement (Germany, Japan, and the USA) and three whose growth has been less impressive (England, France, and Russia/USSR). Although, the author argues, industrial performance is on the whole not linked directly either to research or education, he finds a strong association between economic development and the ways in which various policies and systems have allowed research and education to interact with industry. The analysis points up what have historically proved to be either positive or inhibiting mechanisms in the promotion of industrial innovation. The paper concludes by placing this analytical review in the context of the future development of industry–research–education interactions and a critical summary of key contemporary theories concerning the sociology of innovation.
Creating a Climate for University Spin-Offs
Authors: van der Sijde Peter , van Tilburg Jaap
Published: July 2017

UNISPIN is a project designed to promote university spin-off companies among the universities and regions of Europe. In this context, a university spin-off is a company that uses technology developed in a higher education institution for its start-up. From the experience of the UNISPIN scheme, it is clear that one of the most important prerequisites for a spinoff programme in an institution is the existence of an entrepreneurial climate. In this paper, the authors first discuss the development of an entrepreneurial climate and the spin-off potential of universities. They then look at UNISPIN and its approach before analysing effective ‘tools’ for the creation of a positive culture and the implementation of a systematic programme for the creation of university spin-off companies.
The Impact of Industrialization on Human Resource Development in Malaysia
Authors: Abdullah Moha Asri
Published: July 2017

Over the last three decades, many countries in the Asia Pacific have experienced phenomenal economic growth and rapid industrialization. Malaysia has been no exception. Rapid economic growth has shifted the base of its economy from agriculture to the manufacturing sector. This process of industrialization has had considerable impact on the demand for labour in various economic sectors and thus carries with it significant implications for human resource development. This article examines the relationship between industrialization and the education and training system in the context of the growth in demand for various skills, trends in workforce participation, labour shortages and prospects in specific sectors, and changes in occupation, wage levels and productivity. Against this background the author assesses the implications for human resource development issues and strategies and points up future challenges for the country's education and training policies.
Toward Sustainable Energy Futures
Authors: Pasztor Janos
Published: July 2017

All energy systems have adverse as well as beneficial impacts on the environment. They vary in quality, quantity, in time and in space. Environmentally sensitive energy management tries to minimize the adverse impacts in an equitable manner between different groups, in the most cost-effective ways.

Many of the environmental impacts of energy continue to be externalized. Consequently, those energy systems which can externalize their impacts more easily are favoured, while others remain relatively expensive. The lack of full integration of environmental factors into energy policy and planning is the overriding problem to be resolved before a transition towards sustainable energy futures can take place.

The most pressing problem in the developing countries relates to the unsustainable and inefficient use of biomass resources, while in the industrialized countries, the major energy-environment problems arise out of the continued intensive use of fossil fuel resources. Both of these resource issues have their role to play in climate change.

Although there has been considerable improvement in pollution control in a number of situations, most of the adverse impacts will undoubtedly increase in the future. Population growth will lead to increased demand, and there will also be greater use of lower grade fuels.

Climate change and the crisis in the biomass resource base in the developing countries are the most critical energy-environment issues to be resolved in the immediate future. In both cases, international cooperation is an essential requirement for successful resolution.
The Politics of the European Environment Policy
Authors: Boehmer-Christiansen Sonja
Published: July 2017

An attempt is made to isolate the political dimension in European environmental policy. This dimension is additional to purely environmental and socio-economic considerations in the election of specific environmental objectives and instruments. Given the vague and complex nature of most environmental problems, the 'environment' is easily deployed as a vehicle for transferring power from the national to the European level. It is concluded that environmental policy is likely to emerge from Brussels when three of the four main EC/EU institutions succeed in making 'the environment' serve the primary goal of political integration. As this invariably means taking legislative and administrative powers away from national institutions, opposition to political integration sought on environmental grounds appears to be growing. The non-uniform nature of both environmental problems and of the socio-economic-political impacts of EC regulation is being recognised.
Twenty-First Century Power Generation - Fuel Cells, A Review
Authors: Fry Martin R.
Published: July 2017

This Paper describes the principles of the fuel cell as a power (and usually heat) generation device, including a discussion of the supporting system, or Balance of Plant - an essential necessity for commercial applications. It goes on to describe the variety of fuel cell types, their status and potential applications.

Reference is then made to the major international participants in fuel cell R&D and the rapidly growing UK programme, supported both by the DTI and EPSRC.

Finally, an attempt is made to project timescales for the emergence of commercial products, with due recognition for the barriers to development and the rapid progress towards reduced environmental impact being made by conventional alternative power sources.
Non-Isothermal Desorption of Carbon Dioxide from Polish Coals with Different Texture
Authors: Nodzenski Adam
Published: July 2017

The process of gas evolution from coal depends to a great extent on coal texture, and specially on the structure of its pores. A transport of sorbate from within a grain to its external surface, and therefore the evolution of gas desorbed from coal depends on the structure of pores. Results of the investigations of nonisothermal desorption of carbon dioxide from several Polish coals were given in the article. A comparison of nonisothermal desorption curves obtained under the same conditions for coals with different pore volumes and pore volume distributions showed that the-process of gas evolution depends on the porous structure of coal. Basing on the analysis of experimental data, a possibility of the differentiation between outburst-prone coals and those which are believed not to lead to outbursts was shown. The properties of capillary structure characteristic for outbursts-prone coals were determined.
Risks of Seven UK Electricity Generation Options Part 1: Routine Operation
Authors: Ball D. J. , Roberts L. E. J.
Published: July 2017

This paper examines, on a full fuel cycle basis, routine operational risks associated with the generation of electricity by seven options available to the United Kingdom. These options are tidal power, on-shore and off-shore wind, nuclear power, and coal, oil and gas-fired power. To facilitate comparison, risk estimates are normalised per GWa of electricity produced. Risks to the workforce and the public are considered as distinct items.

So far as occupational risks are concerned, it is concluded that when such risks are combined for each cycle, they range from about 0.1 to 0.2 to a maximum of about 1 to 2 fatalities per GWa, with tidal power and gas lying at the lower end of this range, and coal and off-shore wind at the higher end.

With the exception of the renewable cycles, for which significant public health risks of the type included within the remit of this project were not identified, the estimation of risks to the public presents many challenges. For example, while individual radiation doses to the public from the nuclear (and fossil) cycles are found to be insignificant compared to those from natural background radiation, collective doses may appear otherwise when integrated over thousands of years and continental or global populations. However, the meaning of such estimates in terms of health cannot be assessed, and in any event the estimates pale into insignificance when compared with those resulting from exposure to natural radiation were this to be calculated on the same basis.

The problem of comparing public risks associated with the nuclear and fossil cycles is further compounded on considering the copious quantities of solid, liquid and gaseous waste products which are generated, particularly by the fossil cycles. These waste streams contain heavy metals, carcinogens and known respiratory irritants, but neither the short-term nor long-term public health implications can be quantified at present with confidence.

Despite the uncertainties, our broad conclusion is that the routine operational risks of all these cycles are comparatively modest for modern, well-run systems and that the more important factors in energy choice are likely to entail considerations of security of supply, employment, optimum utilisation of the nation's resources and wider environmental considerations.
Writing and Reading With Art
Authors: Azevedo Nair Rios , Gonçalves Maria José
Published: July 2017

Especially in a time of economic and social crisis, besides poverty and social segregation, immigrants face an additional difficulty to get integrated in a new society: lack of oral and written knowledge of the language of the country they are now living in. This paper describes an on-going research project – Writing and Reading with Art (WRAP) that has been implemented within a community of African preliterate adults. The project focuses on basic literacy acquisition (reading and writing) as an essential tool for these immigrants to favor their cultural and social integration, as well as their capacity to engage in their everyday life. Based on Paulo Freire’s approach to literacy, the project uses artwork to convey an aesthetic experience where both learners and educators share meanings and contextualize knowledge. Furthermore, the article argues that the same methodological approach can be used in different contexts with different target groups.
Implementing Writing Support Circles With Adult Learners in a Nonformal Education Setting
Authors: Plakhotnik Maria S. , Rocco Tonette S.
Published: July 2017

Most students come to their graduate programs with academic writing skills insufficient to excel in their studies. A lack of academic writing skills among graduate students has been a problem in a college of education at a large southeastern public research university where the project described in this article was implemented. To address this lack of academic writing skills, a new service, Writing Support Circles (WSCs), was designed and implemented for a small group of Latina students supported by a grant as a pilot program. WSCs are a series of workshops intended to create a community of learners who work together on improving their academic writing with guidance of a facilitator. The purpose of this article is to share the author’s experiences with designing and implementing WSCs with adult learners in a nonformal education setting at a university.
The Temporary Community: Student Experiences of School-Based Outdoor Education Programmes
Authors: Smith Erin F. , Steel Gary , Gidlow Bob
Published: July 2017

This paper reports on a New Zealand study that obtained firsthand narrative accounts from a group of Year 10 (14 to 15 years old) secondary school students who were provided with 27-exposure disposable cameras on which they were asked to take a series of photographs to record what a residential school camp was like for them. Follow-up individual photo-elicitation interviews with the 32 self-selected respondents (21 female, 11 male) revealed that school camp is an enjoyable, socially different experience where students are able to spend time with their friends and develop their peer networks in a temporary community. Researchers are encouraged to use photo-elicitation interviews when their research objectives traverse the changing preoccupations of adolescents or of other groups during their life courses, and practitioners should consider developing programmes that incorporate the social youth development outcomes salient to adolescent participants.
Relationships Matter: Adolescent Girls and Relational Development in Adventure Education
Authors: Sammet Kara
Published: July 2017

Relational processes are well known to play a central role in human development. This qualitative, descriptive case study examined relational issues of early adolescent girls that arose during a two-week adventure education expedition. Interviews were conducted with 12 ethnically and socioeconomically diverse girls. Results revealed the importance of relationships to girls' experiences on course and that relational aggression affected students' overall course experience. The structure and culture of the course encouraged girls to develop authentic relationships with their peers and to reject engaging in relational aggression. Two students resisted these programmatic interventions. Students who embraced these programmatic interventions reported feeling more trustful of peers, more able to share their feelings and opinions, and more optimistic about making new friendships.
Inspiring Courage in Girls: An Evaluation of Practices and Outcomes
Authors: Whittington Anja , Mack Erica Nixon
Published: July 2017

Adventure-based programs focusing on adolescent girls' development often claim that they cultivate courage in girls; however, very little research has examined whether they accomplish this goal or how they accomplish this goal. An evaluation was conducted on one such program, Passages Northwest, to examine the efficacy of adventure-based experiential education programs for girls. One hundred girls participated in the evaluation. Using a Likert-type scale and open-ended questions on pre- and post-program questionnaires, we examined (a) whether the girls increased their courage through their participation, (b) how the girls defined courage, (c) how the girls were courageous during their adventure program, and (d) how they planned to apply these skills to their everyday lives. The analysis of the data indicates that girls increased their physical and expressive courage and developed moral courage through their participation. Best practices used to inspire courage in girls are recommended.
Experiencing Philosophy: Engaging Students in Advanced Theory
Authors: Blenkinsop Sean , Beeman Chris
Published: July 2017

In this paper, we will argue, predominantly using examples tested in the crucible of our own teaching, that there is a place for experiential education in the teaching of advanced theoretical ideas. As experiential educators trained as philosophers of education and working in faculties of education, we regularly encounter students with little or no history, experience, even aptitude in engaging philosophical texts and concepts, and as such, finding ways to better enter those discussions is an important pedagogical project. In this paper, we will describe three experiences that we have designed over the course of our attempts to respond to the aforementioned challenge. In the first example, John Dewey and the Sticky Rope, the activity has been constructed to help in understanding a particular philosophical text. The second activity, A Question of Framing, is designed to help make sense of an educational discussion on a particular aspect of pedagogical practice. The final activity, Martin Buber's Encounter on a Knife-Edged Ridge, is a material incarnation of a written metaphor of the philosopher's own creation. We conclude this paper by suggesting that our experiences using these activities and a myriad others offer insight into how experiential educators might consider the use of the visceral and somatic experience as a means to enter and engage in deeply philosophical and theoretical content.
Fostering Trust in Outdoor Leaders: The Role of Personal Attributes
Authors: Shooter Wynn , Paisley Karen , Sibthorp Jim
Published: July 2017

This study examined trust development between participants of outdoor education programs and outdoor leaders. Participants were college students enrolled in outdoor education courses. Using a factorial survey design, the technical ability, interpersonal ability, benevolence, integrity, and gender of an outdoor leader was displayed randomly in a series of scenarios. Along with these leader attributes, the scenarios included two hypothetical situations that occur in outdoor education settings. Participants also completed a measure of dispositional optimism. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling, which revealed that displays of a leader's technical ability, interpersonal ability, benevolence, and integrity each influenced trust scores positively. Implications for future research and for outdoor leadership practice are discussed.
Experiential Learning: Dissolving Classroom and Research Borders
Authors: McClellan Rhonda , Hyle Adrienne E.
Published: July 2017

During a summer cruise to Mexico and Central America, students earned academic credit for doctoral-level coursework in qualitative research approaches and data collection and analysis. This study explored how participants, 16 doctoral students at a midwestern university, perceived experiential education and its effect upon their understanding of qualitative research. Data included participants' observation field notes and reflective journaling. Analysis revealed three major themes: learning in a foreign context, experiencing how to work with a research team, and grappling with qualitative research.
A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Kato Donald B.
Published: July 2017

A case report of a patient who developed water intoxication during carbamazepine therapy is described. The discontinuation of carbamazepine, along with supportive care, resulted in spontaneous diuresis and the resolution of both the laboratory and clinical signs and symptoms of water intoxication.

A review of the literature regarding carbamazepine-associated water intoxication and a discussion of the mechanism of its antidiuretic effect is presented.
An Aid in Selecting the Brand, Size and Other Strategic Choices for a Hotel
Authors: Morey Richard C. , Dittman David A.
Published: July 2017

The “go/no-go” decision for a candidate property, i.e., whether or not to actually acquire the site, choose the brand (flag), build and operate the hotel, requires the explicit consideration of the interconnectedness of the many myriad elements affecting the property's potential profits. The many facility design decisions (number and mix of rooms, capacity for F&B operations etc.) as well as other strategic choices (e.g., size of marketing program, level of service aimed for) must recognize the site's competitive features and interactions with the above. Also, the particular design and operational features for a given property will affect its different revenue streams, fixed and variable costs, efficiency and profits. The authors consider developers contemplating acquiring a given site, choosing a brand, building and operating a new hotel. They offer a normative approach for this type of decision which arrives endogenously at possibly attractive options for the brand, design and strategic choices for the site. The final decision as to which option to actually use, if any, should be based on subjecting the above identified scenarios, as well as others, to traditional feasibility analyses where judgment and expert opinion are applied. The authors' implementable approach integrates a “best practices” benchmarking methodology with regression analysis to yield a mathematical programming optimization model. A key advantage of this approach lies in its contrast to conventional approaches for site selection which often ignore the more detailed design and strategic choices. The approach deals explicitly with the complex interfaces between marketing and operations management as the endogenous site and competitive environmental factors interact with the endogenous brand and facility design choices. By identifying attractive options to be further explored (that might otherwise be overlooked), several types of errors are avoided: i) an incorrect “go/no go” decision could be recommended for the site in question; ii) even if the right decision to proceed is made, the forecasted level of annualized profits could be in error, leading to an incorrect priority for the activity; iii) the incorrect brand and facility design choices could be made for the site. Other key advantages of the suggested approach are that 1) various substitution possibilities (between more or less capital, labor, materials etc.) are considered; 2) not only is the best brand and configuration identified, but also a ranking of other brands is available if the “best” brand is not available; 3) the “best practices” at other specific sites (which serve as the basis for the recommendations) are identified, thereby enabling management (possibly through site visits) to isolate the actual cultures, processes and procedures to be transported and emulated at the candidate site. This paper illustrates the approach for two different sites.
Research: Franchising and Strategic Decision Making
Authors: Roberts Chris
Published: July 2017

The linkage between the strategic choice to franchise, consensus and organizational performance is empirically tested among top management teams (TMTs) in 44 hotels. The study results show that limits on managerial discretion imposed by franchising do direct the focus of strategic decision making. In achieving organizational performance, independent hotels focused more on reaching team consensus on core capabilities and franchised firms rely more upon team consensus on goals and means.
Research: A Factor Analysis of Internal Service Constructs in the Lodging Industry: The Employee Factors
Authors: Mount Daniel J.
Published: July 2017

Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry's Extended Model of Service Quality has received a great deal of attention in various disciplines. Nearly all the work on this model has addressed either the dimensionality of the consumer service perceptions or the way in which the model measures quality. Only one work has been identified that addressed the internal components of their model. It is critical that organizations understand the internal factors that affect the delivery of a high quality service experience. This research subjects the internal constructs identified by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry to a factor analysis study in the lodging industry. This research found that the employee factors did not function as proposed. New factors are identified based on exploratory factor analysis anda comparison of the two models is presented.