bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toward An Effective Virtual Learning Environment
Authors: Valentin Marie A. , Muyia Helen M. , Kim Junhee , Valentin Celestino
Published: September 2015

In this chapter, the authors present an Effective Virtual Learning Model and answer the research questions, What is the perception of social presence on virtual learning? What role does social presence play in student engagement in virtual learning? and, What are the social presence factors influencing the effective learning environment? The method used to answer the pending research questions was the integrative literature review utilizing a six-step format. Authors conducted a literature review search utilizing the descriptors of virtual learning and social presence. From there articles were identified, selected, and synthesized according to the research questions. This research was informed by the Community of Inquiry Framework as the theoretical foundation from which the results were concluded. Based on results of emerging themes, the authors present the Effective Virtual Learning Model as a foundational basis for theory, research, and more importantly, practice.
Democratic Potentials of UN Climate Change Conference Host Government Websites
Authors: Candano Catherine
Published: September 2015

E-government discourse implicates state-produced Websites to enable opportunities and citizen spaces on policy issues, subject to demands to be inclusive, engaging, and free from commercial interests. Policy-making for a global issue like climate change takes place at the inter-governmental United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC). It becomes critical to examine if and how the governments hosting this restrictive global policy-making space may engage citizens through their online presence—host country conference outreach Websites. The chapter explores relational underpinnings between states and citizens in such Websites by examining the values privileged by designers using mixed methods. Among UNCCC Websites from 2007 to 2009, the Danish government Website's enhanced features may have contributed to potential inclusivity for the inter-governmental process online compared to previous government's efforts. However, findings have shown such interactive Website's inherent design aspects may potentially shape the manner that climate conversations are limited in an assumed democratized space online.
‘Talking Tools'
Authors: Wiklund-Engblom Annika , Hiltunen Kasper , Hartvik Juha , Porko-Hudd Mia , Johansson Marléne
Published: September 2015

The study presented is part of a work-in-progress project of developing a mobile application for smartphones, Talking Tools (TT). The first context TT is developed for and tested in is sloyd education [Swedish: slöjd], a compulsory subject taught in Finnish schools. In sloyd learners design and manufacture unique artifacts in various materials (textiles, wood, metal, and electronics). The process-based work flow of sloyd lends itself well to this kind of educational tool, which aids multimodal documentation, communication, and instruction. The empirical study targets what student teachers (N=11) microblogged about and the character of the blog posts during a sloyd project. A sociocultural perspective of appropriating new tools for learning is used as a theoretical frame, as well as views on multimodality and transmedia. Their sloyd process is discussed in terms of transmedia storybuilding, as learners build their own story as a flow of content through their documentation and interactions.
Program Administration and Implementation of an Online Learning Initiative at a Historically Black College University
Authors: Harkness S.Suzan J.
Published: September 2015

In the pages to follow, this case study describes the organization, policy development, strategic initiatives, implementation, and assessment of establishing online learning initiatives at an urban land-grant historically black college university (HBCU). The chapter describes a collaborative effort by university administration and faculty to facilitate a strategically measured approach to online learning. In addition to institutional collaboration, this chapter discusses how an external partnership with Quality Matters provided structure and a best practices model. The chapter lays a blueprint for thought and action for establishing online learning at a small- to medium-size college or university. The case describes a strategic approach that spanned a period of four years (2009-2013), whereby online learning grew incrementally in a measured fashion through a collaborative approach among faculty, administrators, and external partners. The outcome provides a strong foundation upon which online learning may flourish, while at the same time describes complications of sustainability.
Professional Development Needs and Resources for Government Document Librarians
Authors: Caro Susanne
Published: September 2015

Few accredited library science programs offer more than one class on government resources or librarianship. As a result, government documents librarians often receive limited formal education focused on federal, state, or local government resources. The majority of professionals working with these materials drew from a number of additional resources, including networking, listserves, conferences, and webinars, to supplement their knowledge, stay abreast of changes in the field, and contribute to the professional community. As with other areas of librarianship, access to these options is limited by economic factors. Individuals working with government materials face reduced budgets for travel, registration, and lodging. Limited staffing makes taking time off for conferences difficult, and additional duties make it challenging for many librarians to find time to engage in classes or webinars. This chapter looks at previous surveys and the results of a new survey to determine the current obstacles, needs, and opportunities for government documents librarians.
The Professional Development School
Authors: Rock Tracy , Heafner Tina L.
Published: September 2015

This chapter examines the differences and similarities in learning outcomes between the two espoused approaches to service-learning in teacher education: an elementary school service-learning approach called the teachers as leaders of change model and a high school service-learning approach named the tutoring for change model. The purpose in comparing both models is to highlight the distinct learning outcomes that are associated with the manner in which service-learning is structured. Given the benefits of service-learning, the authors contend that service-learning in the PDS context has the potential to improve the overall quality of teacher preparation. However, benefits vary depending on the model organization. The authors describe structural differences in the models as three thematic outcomes: a) reasons for valuing, b) likelihood of future implementation, and c) attitudes on community participation. They recommend that decisions regarding program goals be aligned early in PDS organizational planning to effectively embrace unique service-learning benefits.
Optimizing Conditions for Learning and Teaching in K-20 Education
Authors: De Simone Christina , Marquis Teresa , Groen Jovan
Published: September 2015

A long debate in education has been whether to separate the study of children's pedagogy from the study of adults' andragogy or whether it is better to bring the two under one umbrella. In this chapter, the authors propose a third, and hopefully, more fruitful view. Their contention is that in order to understand teaching and learning, one needs to examine the conditions or contexts under which teaching and learning occur. Thus, the goal is to address the question “How does one optimize the conditions for all learners and, by the same token, optimize the conditions for all teachers?” Understanding conditions or contexts helps one to view learning and teaching as part of a larger whole. Contexts affect people, resources, place, and time. This position goes beyond the “fixing” of an individual learner, whether child or adult, and an individual teacher. In this chapter, the authors discuss the following: a) optimizing conditions for all learners and b) optimizing conditions for all teachers. They do so by framing the discussion around several key principles from educational psychology, learning sciences, and adult education.
Hard to Believe It All Started on a Napkin!
Authors: Ahlgrim-Delzell Lynn , Zakas Tracie-Lynn , Browder Diane , Rhyne Jane
Published: September 2015

In an effort to investigate and identify effective instructional practices for students with moderate-to-severe intellectual disability, university researchers partnered with a local, public school system. This new knowledge generated by this partnership has impacted thousands of teachers and students locally, nationally, and internationally. This chapter provides a historical description of the partnership from both the public school and university perspectives over the past 13 years. Specifically, this chapter describes why the partnership was formed, what it took to get it started, how it was organized and reorganized over time, the actions needed to sustain it, and the impact upon the individuals who participated in the partnership. The authors present both the benefits and challenges of the partnership in hopes that such a rich description will encourage and inform others to replicate this partnership. The chapter ends with suggestions for future directions for the partnership and research on school-university partnerships.
Professional Development for Teaching Writing in a Digital Age
Authors: Gillis Victoria , Marshall Megan
Published: September 2015

This chapter addresses the issue of professional development as it relates to teaching writing in a digital environment. The goals of this chapter include describing the genres of digital writing tools currently in use, along with their affordances and constraints and the means by which teachers use these tools professionally. The authors explore leveraging affordances of digital writing tools to communicate with stakeholders and reflect on practice, and also describe effective professional development linked to the teaching of writing using digital tools. Finally, the authors address recommendations for future research.
Professional Development 1.5
Authors: Taylor D. Bruce , Vintinner Jean P. , Wood Karen D.
Published: September 2015

Technology is shaping and reshaping K-12 teaching and learning across grade levels and subject areas. The emergence of Information Communications Technologies have changed the nature of literacy including what it means to read and write. Despite these transformations, schools have been slow to integrate technology in meaningful ways. New curricula like the Common Core have attempted to bridge the gap between teaching and learning and the use of technology; however, teacher professional development has yet to catch up with these changes. The focus of this chapter is on two models of teacher professional development used to engage and prepare inservice teachers for using digital technologies and Web 2.0 tools in their writing instruction. The authors explore the challenges and benefits of both models and discuss what they have learned about teacher professional development around technology and writing. They argue that while neither model is a “best way” of approaching teacher professional development, elements of both are beneficial in meeting the needs of teachers.
Co-Development of Professional Practice at a Professional Development School through Instructional Rounds and Lesson Study
Authors: Suh Jennifer M. , King Lesley A. , Weiss Andrea
Published: September 2015

This chapter examines the co-development of professional practices for both clinical faculty and teacher candidates at a Professional Development School through instructional rounds and lesson study. In particular, the authors highlight the nature of the transformative partnership of a collaborative network composed of two university teacher educators, a school-based site facilitator, and clinical faculty who co-designed and implemented a clinical model to enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics methods for elementary teacher candidates and faculty. The model of instructional rounds (City, Elmore, Fiarman, & Teitel, 2009) and lesson study (Lewis, 2002; Lewis, Perry, & Murata, 2006; Fernandez & Yoshida, 2004) were used in an elementary mathematics methods course at a Professional Development School to support teacher candidates in becoming reflective practitioners alongside clinical faculty. The chapter explores the following research questions: (1) In what ways did the targeted Instructional Rounds and Lesson Study impact the development of teacher candidates and clinical faculty's professional practice? (2) How does the co-development model for professional development enhance the transformative partnership at the Professional Development School?
Promoting Multiculturalism in Technology Based-Education
Authors: Pavlis-Korres Maria , Barriocanal Elena García
Published: September 2015

In multicultural education and especially in the education of special groups (Roma, immigrants, etc.), the compatibility between educator and learners directly affects the efficiency and the outcome of the educational programs. This chapter presents a framework for the e-education of educators of special groups based on and aiming to improve their compatibility with their learners, code named “the ESG Framework,” as well as a case study on educators of Roma in Greece, through which the efficiency of the ESG Framework was confirmed. The ESG Framework, standing in the crossroads of learning technology, multicultural education, and adults' education, combines the necessary elements from all these main fields. In each phase of its structure, the ESG Framework provides clear guidelines to be followed by designers, developers, administrators, and instructors for the effective and measurable improvement of compatibility between educators of special groups and their learners.
Leveraging Asynchronous Online Instruction to Develop Elementary School Mathematics Teacher-Leaders
Authors: Polly Drew
Published: September 2015

This chapter describes how the author leveraged asynchronous online instruction to develop elementary school teacher-leaders' knowledge of elementary school mathematics content and pedagogies in a graduate program in the United States. This chapter provides the theoretical framework of learner-centered professional development and explains how the six courses in the program embody the framework and support teachers' development of knowledge and skills related to mathematics teaching and learning. This chapter also shares the findings of a study that evaluated teacher-leaders performance on five student-learning outcomes in the program as well as feedback on course evaluations and end-of-program surveys. Data analysis indicated that every teacher-leader demonstrated proficiency on each student-learning outcome. Implications for the design of asynchronous online programs are also shared.
Developing Faculty to Effectively Use Mobile Learning Technologies in Collegiate Classes
Authors: Newman Richard E. , Miller Michael T. , Grover Kenda S.
Published: September 2015

Mobile devices have become a common accessory for many college students, and with the habits and tendencies that have formed from frequent use, colleges have begun to incorporate mobile devices into the delivery of education. As mobile learning has grown as a teaching strategy, some faculty have found it difficult to adapt to open access to computing, and others have simply attempted to ignore the new reliance on technology. Department chairs are uniquely situated to bridge the world of technology and the contemporary campus, and through strategic and intentional faculty development, they have the potential to successfully bring mobile learning to higher education. Throughout the chapter, strategies outline how to use adult learning to build faculty development programs that encourage the effective use of m-learning as an instructional strategy.
It's Not All Fun and Games
Authors: Kelly Hope , Johnson Margeaux C.
Published: September 2015

This chapter explores the design and development process for the iLOOK game, a grant-funded educational game about information literacy at a large public university. This case is presented through the eyes of Leslie Anderson, a young librarian who is passionate about the subject matter but lacks the technical skills and managerial experience to implement her vision. It describes the challenges and successes of coordinating the project across departments with varying cultures. The key players include: a library content team, a computer science programming lab group, a humanities undergraduate research group, and an expert on educational games. Enthusiastic about the potential of games to enhance undergraduate students' ability to access, evaluate, and use information, the partners began working on the grant with campus-wide support. However, they quickly ran into issues.
Introduction to Technology Integration and Leadership
Authors: Hartsell Taralynn , Wang Shuyan
Published: September 2015

An effective technology leader is a public advocate of the mission-driven use of technology, capable of providing guidance in various aspects of using technologies such as technology plans, professional development, dissemination of pertinent information, and other related responsibilities. This chapter defines technology integration and technology leadership that support the central themes of the book, followed with a synopsis of the issues described in the proceeding chapters. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce readers to the discussions that will emerge throughout the book and link the topics raised back to the central themes of effective technology integration and its leadership.
Using Second Life to Support Student Teachers' Socio-Reflective Practice
Authors: Burgess Melissa L.
Published: September 2015

Two congruent, yet converging phenomena are taking place in teacher preparation programs. The first centers on the integration and use of social technologies in collaborative learning, and the second focuses on the shifting of student-teacher reflective practices from private activities to interactive and social practices. The catalytic nature of social technologies provides opportunities to explore relationships between discourse and interactivity. Our global society pleads for educational institutions to prepare teachers who can navigate between cultures, deal with uncertainty, and share and question real-life issues toward structured dialogues, which, in turn, will elicit critical reflection. This mixed-methods analysis fuses social technology use with the Multi User Virtual Environment (MUVE), Second Life, with the social practice of reflection among student teachers during their field experience placements.
Going 1:1 with Laptop Computers in an Independent, Co-Educational Middle and High School
Authors: Milman Natalie B. , Hillarious Marilyn , O'Neill Vince , Walker Bryce L.
Published: September 2015

This chapter describes some of the findings from a QUAL + QUAN concurrent mixed method study that examined the first-year implementation of a one-to-one (1:1) laptop initiative in a suburban, independent, co-educational middle and high school in the United States. Overall, the 1:1 laptop implementation was viewed as a positive learning experience for students, teachers, staff, and the school administration. Nevertheless, several problems developed over the course of implementation. These were: technical problems, issues with student distraction and off-task behavior, inappropriate uses of technology, as well as challenges to pedagogical and classroom management, and inclusion of teachers' voices in implementation decisions. They are introduced in addition to several possible solutions. The chapter closes with suggestions for future research, such as the need to research 2:1 and 3:1 mobile technology initiatives, which are sure to become a part of the 21st century teaching and learning landscape.
Padlet Walls, Weeblies, and Twitter
Authors: Blady Shannon , Henkin Roxanne
Published: September 2015

This chapter takes a close look at how digital tools were integrated into a professional development experience for writing teachers and the ways in which digital tools were then integrated into the literacy practices of a seventh-grade English class. The authors, Roxanne and Shannon, are director and co-director respectively, of the San Antonio Writing Project (SAWP), a chapter of the National Writing Project (NWP). Following NWP's teachers-teaching-teachers model, the site provides opportunities for teachers to share their expertise and teaching practices with other teachers in the area. Over a handful of years, Roxanne and Shannon observed a major shift in technology use by teachers during the summer institute. Among other affordances, digital tools became more collaborative and user-friendly. Not only were teacher participants using these tools for their daily learning experiences, but they also modeled effective instructional practices that integrated technology. Shannon and Roxanne set out to see how Shannon's middle school students could use these tools in her English class and later reflected on other SAWP teachers' experiences as they explored various digital tools with their students.
Social Inclusion and the Digital Divide
Authors: Kim Seang-Tae
Published: September 2015

It is becoming more important to better utilize various resources as digital convergence and informatization progresses. Therefore, it is a necessity to show the qualitative differences regarding digital divide, and relevant policies and efforts need to be strengthened to narrow the digital divide. In this regard, the overall improvement of information literacy of the public is required as it can increase the convenience in citizens' everyday lives and can create added value. It is, therefore, necessary to continue the development of policies and projects to narrow the digital divide. The Korean government plans to keep strengthening its support with policies to legislate regulations that narrow the digital divide and provide fair opportunities to access information and to improve information literacy. The efforts to narrow the digital divide and effective policies to achieve the goal must be continued to relieve social conflict and integrate the society. This is explored in this chapter.
Twitter Chat as an Informal Learning Tool
Authors: Guidry Kevin R. , Pasquini Laura A.
Published: September 2015

This case study focuses on Twitter as an informal learning tool. Specifically, the authors examine user-created Twitter chats using one specific chat, #sachat, as a case study. #sachat is a weekly one-hour chat held on Twitter and populated by higher education professionals in the field of student affairs (e.g. college admissions, advising, housing, new student orientation). The authors contrast this chat with other ways in which student affairs and higher education professionals are using Twitter. Using methods of computer-mediated discourse analysis, they then discover and elicit defining characteristics of #sachat. Finally, the authors offer thoughts on why this chat seems to be successful as an informal learning resource, how it compares to other uses of Twitter by professionals, and implications for other communities interested in using Twitter or similar tools to create informal learning.
Challenging Traditions
Authors: De Stefani Magdalena
Published: September 2015

In this chapter, the author presents the case of Mariana, a Uruguayan non-native speaking teacher of English working at Lake Primary School in Uruguay. This chapter describes an action research process during which the author and a colleague reconstructed the experience of introducing a new approach to the teaching of emergent literacy with six-year-olds. In order to generate data, apart from holding a series of interviews and class observations, they engaged in Cooperative Development sessions (Edge, 2002, p. 18) using the framework to engage in “a mixture of awareness-raising and disciplined discourse” as a further means of facilitating the understanding of professional development processes. During and after the data generation period, the author analysed the data and shared the interpretations with her colleague, who examined them critically, adding her own views and clarifying as necessary. In the midst of the explorations of pedagogical experiences, the author and her colleague allowed other discourses to emerge, and were thus able to draw conclusions regarding Mariana's identity as a non-native speaking teacher, her ability to deal with change and innovation, her relationship with peers, as well as her newly-discovered roles as researcher, leader, and change agent.
Barriers to Emerging Technology and Social Media Integration in Higher Education
Authors: Adi Ana , Scotte Christina Gasser
Published: September 2015

With technological innovation and social media infiltrating every field of activity, it was only a matter of time until universities and faculty would need to embrace the technological challenge. This chapter offers three case studies of social media training delivery in universities and researcher centres in the UK, USA, and Bahrain. These case studies cover the use of emerging technologies in higher education research, teaching and policy, and associated first- and second-order barriers to their implementation. Results and impact of the training sessions, including questions asked and feedback provided by participants are also discussed. The chapter emphasizes the increasing interest in training in emerging technologies for educators and affiliated university staff, but also highlights the challenges faced when promoting tools and platforms not supported by either the IT infrastructure of the universities or the policies in place.
International Student Collaboration and Experiential Exercise Projects as a Professional, Inter-Personal and Inter-Institutional Networking Platform
Authors: Vargas-Hernández José G.
Published: September 2015

There have been an increasing number of international collaboration agreements among universities, college, etc., to promote educative exchange programs, internationalization of teaching, research, and curricula, among other things. This paper has the aim to analyze and to reflect on the experiential exercise from the point of views of instructor and students attending University Center of Economic and Managerial Sciences at University of Guadalajara and participating in the “X-Culture International Student Collaboration Project” as a professional, inter-personal and inter-institutional networking platform.
Information Literacy among Undergraduate Students in Nigeria
Authors: Igun Stella E. , Odafe Jessa Precious
Published: September 2015

This paper examined information literacy skills among undergraduate students in Nigeria. The scope of the study covered two departments in Delta State University, Abraka namely: Library and Information Science and Guidance and Counselling. The study was limited to final year students of the two departments. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study and the population was 517. 103 or 20% of the population of 517 were sampled for the study. 97 questionnaires were retrieved and used for the study. Simple percentage and frequency count statistical tool was used to analyze the data. The study found out that ability to use information effectively to accomplish a task, ability to recognize the needed information, ability to access the needed information effectively and efficiently and ability to evaluate information critically are the information literacy skills possessed by some of the undergraduate students in Nigeria. The study recommended that information literacy education and electronic/digital information skills should be included in the curriculum of the undergraduate students in the universities.
Information Literacy Awareness, Perception and Skills Assessment Using Students of National Open University in Southwest Nigeria
Authors: Igwe Kingsley N. , Ndubuisi-Okoh Elizabeth O.
Published: September 2015

This study was carried out to find out the level of information literacy (IL) awareness, perception and skills of students of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). It was based on the fact that IL instruction course is missing in the curriculum of NOUN, thus, it is therefore a necessity to ascertain awareness and perception levels of the students about IL issues well as their skills assessment test. Survey research method was adopted involving 197 respondents that were found during visits to the four study centres for data collection. Questionnaire was used for data collection, which was administered, properly filled, returned, and used for data analysis with descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that NOUN students have poor level of awareness and perception about IL, as a result of rejection level in seven out of ten statements. However, the other accepted three see IL issues as antidote to poor IL skills of students. Generally, the IL assessment test shows that a greater percentage of the students, when summed together lack IL skills. Avenues through which they acquired IL skills were analysed as well as the challenges affecting their IL skills development. Recommendations were made among which are integration of IL Instruction into the curriculum of NOUN and provision of adequate and functional human, infrastructural and information resources for result-oriented service delivery in the libraries.
The Roles of Professional Organizations in School Library Education
Authors: Farmer Lesley
Published: September 2015

International guidelines for school libraries and school librarians exist. However, the role of professional library associations in school librarian education has been largely overlooked. This exploratory study examines the role of professional library associations in Brazil, Honduras, Nepal, and the United States (specifically California) relative to school librarian pre-service education and in-service professional development. The associations are analyzed in light of communities of practice and the contingency theory of socialization. The findings demonstrate how professional library associations provide culturally relevant professional development that melds professional expertise and socialization.
Impact of Social Media on Information Professionals
Authors: Jain Priti
Published: September 2015

Social Media has opened new platforms for information professionals. It has provided diversified channels of information generation, dissemination, and collaboration. Increased user expectations place pressure on information professionals to acknowledge this trend and consider adopting these new channels of service provision. The main objective of the chapter is to discuss the impact of Social Media on information professionals. The specific objectives are to determine the new prospects and opportunities from the emergence of Social Media, identify the major challenges associated with it, reveal the emerging roles of 21st century information professional, and to establish new skills and competencies for the information professionals. Finally, the chapter puts forward recommendations on how Social Media can be utilized to its optimal potential in order to deliver enhanced library services to user community. The chapter is based on an in-depth review of literature and the author's own points of view.
Cultivating Leaders from Within
Authors: Wynne Carlise Womack
Published: September 2015

This chapter examines the practice of internal recruitment and internal advancement of administrative personnel within higher education. The purpose of this chapter is to determine the perceived success of one campus's approach to internal promotion from the view of the promoted. Additionally, the chapter discusses the rationales for promotees' views in relation to current literature and provides a contextual analysis of best practices related to internal promotion within higher education forums. The data analysis indicates that even within a single campus, practices vary widely, with little consistency or predictability. There is a correlation between the perceptions of job efficacy to support and access to mentoring from higher-level administration.
An Honor to Train
Authors: Schmidt Steven W.
Published: September 2015

One's identity is often closely tied to one's profession. It is one of the first questions typically asked when meeting someone new. It is often how we introduce ourselves and often included in introductory-type information when asked. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the professional identity of civilian (non-enlisted) U.S. Army trainers. Professional identity is a dynamic concept; developed and refined by a professional's interaction with the environment and with reflection and examination of that interaction. To examine the concept, participants in this study were asked to describe what it meant to them to be trainers for the Army. Results indicate that Army trainers have a strong connection to the Army and are a deep commitment to their students; many of whom are soldiers. Training soldiers for potentially dangerous missions motivates these trainers to provide quality instruction to their learners. Based on study findings, conclusions were drawn, and implications for researchers and practitioners in the field of human resource development (HRD) were presented.
What Do Library Workers Want From Professional Conferences?
Authors: Hines Samantha Schmehl
Published: September 2015

What do library workers want from professional conferences? This question was the subject of a nationwide online survey administered to a randomly selected audience of library workers. Survey results showed that most library workers attend conferences, and their preferences were for face-to-face, topical events. The primary consideration for event attendance according those responding to the survey was the content presented. Issues of cost were also highly important to respondents, although funding for professional development was reported to be generally stable or even increasing. Of lesser interest to potential conference attendees were issues of location, vendor interaction, or the opportunity to perform committee work. Some future trends predicted include a growing acceptance of virtual events, a declining importance on location-based events like state library association conferences, and a need to review the roles of vendors and exhibitors in conferences.
Influence of Globalisation on Teaching and Learning
Authors: Issa A. O. , Igwe Kingsley N.
Published: September 2015

This chapter examines the influence of globalization on teaching and learning and the poor state of Information Literacy skills (IL) of students owing to the neglect of IL programmes in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Conceptualizing IL and situating it within the framework of the Nigerian higher institutions, the chapter discusses the implementation of IL programmes in these institutions and the likely attendant challenges. It concludes on the poor state of IL skills of students, which is due to the lack of implementation of IL programmes in higher institutions of learning in Nigeria. It recommends, among others, that administrators and planners of tertiary education in Nigeria should begin to see IL as more of an academic issue, rather than being a library thing, and urges regulatory agencies of these institutions to become more responsible in embracing contemporary issues like the IL programmes.
Global Examples of Approaches to Teacher Education in the 21st Century
Authors: McLoughlin Catherine , Nagabhushan Prathiba
Published: September 2015

The field of teacher education has been evolving for several decades, and current approaches to teacher education aim to prepare preservice-teachers to teach diverse populations and develop a range of skills, dispositions, and attributes. Emerging models of teacher preparation recognize the disconnect that has occurred between theory and practice, as opposed to developing student teacher skills and knowledge of learning processes as they occur in both formal and informal settings. The current focus, teacher education (“training” is now a pejorative term) signals a significant shift in the field over the last three or four decades. Increasingly, there is a recognition that new teachers need theoretical, technological, content, and pedagogical knowledge skills to manage the realities of the 21st-century digital classroom and the capacity to connect theory to practice. There is a growing emphasis internationally on the need to create effective and systemic school-university partnerships to prepare teachers for the profession. The focus of the chapter is to outline the features of successful models of teacher education in Finland and Singapore and to highlight the value of an Australian partnership model that is school-based while bridging the theory-practice divide.
What's In It for Me?
Authors: Grassian Esther , Trueman Rhonda
Published: September 2015

Virtual worlds offer synchronous (simultaneous) real life participation through virtual reality, combining the two to provide convenient and low-cost options for librarians' professional development. This chapter explores the use of virtual worlds for meetings, training, conferences, discussions, mentoring, networking, and peer-to-peer information sharing, with a focus on the 3D virtual world of Second Life. Definitions of “professional development” and “virtual worlds” precede discussion of the issues surrounding the use of this type of environment for a variety of training events and activities to support and encourage ongoing expansion of knowledge, innovation, and creativity among librarians. This chapter also includes information about planning and implementing professional development sessions in this arena, along with information on effective methods for publicizing these activities for parties interested in using virtual worlds for professional development. For those interested in attending professional development opportunities in virtual worlds, the chapter provides information on how to discover and choose useful activities and events in virtual worlds.
The Development and Change of Teachers' Strategic Knowledge in Teachers' Online Community of Practice
Authors: Feng Tao , Wang Lu , Zhou MengYa
Published: September 2015

To obtain the development and change of teachers' strategic knowledge in teachers' online community of practice (TOCP) in China, content analysis, video case analysis and statistical analysis methods were adopted to study 45 teachers (15 novice teachers, 15 key teachers, and 15 experienced teachers) from three participating schools during three phases. The development and change of different teacher groups' strategic knowledge and the general characteristics of their strategic knowledge have been concluded respectively. It can be concluded that TOCP has changed teachers' professional learning model, constantly improved their strategic knowledge and positively influenced different teacher groups' strategic knowledge.
Computational Modelling and Simulation to Assist the Improvement of Thermal Performance and Energy Efficiency in Industrial Engineering Systems
Authors: Gaspar Pedro Dinis , da Silva Pedro Dinho , Gonçalves João Pedro Marques , Carneiro Rui
Published: September 2015

Computational modelling is nowadays a powerful tool for project and design of engineering systems, anticipating and/or correcting problems that may lead to inefficiencies. This chapter describes three distinct computational tools with different mathematical and numerical models. The computational tools are used with the purpose of improving the thermal and energy performance of cold stores. All tools are applied to the same agrifood company. First, Computational Fluid Dynamics is used to optimize velocity and temperature fields for the interior a cold room. Afterwards, an energy analysis and thermal load simulation is performed to the cold store facility to reduce its thermal loads. Finally, a statistical prediction model based on empirical correlations is used to predict the energy performance of the cold store and compare it to an average behaviour. The numerical results indicate the improvement of the thermal performance and consequently of food safety, as well as considerable energy savings that can be achieved in cold stores by the combined use of different modelling techniques.
On Simulation Performance of Feedforward and NARX Networks Under Different Numerical Training Algorithms
Authors: Lahmiri Salim
Published: September 2015

This chapter focuses on comparing the forecasting ability of the backpropagation neural network (BPNN) and the nonlinear autoregressive moving average with exogenous inputs (NARX) network trained with different algorithms; namely the quasi-Newton (Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno, BFGS), conjugate gradient (Fletcher-Reeves update, Polak-Ribiére update, Powell-Beale restart), and Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. Three synthetic signals are generated to conduct experiments. The simulation results showed that in general the NARX which is a dynamic system outperforms the popular BPNN. In addition, conjugate gradient algorithms provide better prediction accuracy than the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm widely used in the literature in modeling exponential signal. However, the LM performed the best when used for forecasting the Moroccan and South African stock price indices under both the BPNN and NARX systems.
Reliability Analysis of Slope Using MPMR, GRNN and GPR
Authors: Subburaman Dhivya , Jagan J.  , Dalkiliç Yıldırım , Samui Pijush
Published: September 2015

First Order Second Moment Method (FOSM) is generally for determination of reliability of slope. This article adopts Minimax Probability Machine Regression (MPMR), Generalized Regression Neural Network (GRNN) and Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) for reliability analysis of slope by using FOSM. In this study, an example of soil slope is given regarding how the proposed GPR-based FOSM, MPMR-based FOSM and GRNN-based FOSM analysis can be carried out. GPR, GRNN and MPMR have been used as regression techniques. A comparative study has been carried out between the developed GPR, MPMR and GRNN models. The results show that MPMR gives better performance than the other models.
Simulation Based Construction Project Schedule Optimization
Authors: Bügler Maximilian , Borrmann André
Published: September 2015

Construction projects require a multitude of procedures and resources for the high diversity of building concepts. Most of such projects are unique in their design and need individual schedule planning to be realized. In order to develop the required schedules, several complex decisions need to be made and several different factors need to be taken into account, including cost, make span, safety, resource sparsity, delivery schedules and geometric constraints. The problem of scheduling the involved processes in an optimal way is called the resource constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) and several solution algorithms are available. In addition, simulation based techniques can be used to address more complex constraints and objectives. This chapter presents an overview of traditional optimization procedures for the RCPSP and bridge the gap to simulation based techniques, which are described in detail.
Stochastic Drought Forecasting Exploration for Water Resources Management in the Upper Tana River Basin, Kenya
Authors: Wambua Raphael M. , Mutua Benedict M. , Raude James M.
Published: September 2015

This chapter presents the trend of drought as a stochastic natural disaster influenced by the climate variability for the upper Tana River basin in Kenya. Drought frequency, duration and intensity in the upper Tana River basin have been increasing over the years. To develop measures for mitigating impacts of drought, the influencing hydro-meteorological parameters and their interaction are necessary. Drought definitions, fundamental concepts of droughts, classification of droughts, types of drought indices, historical droughts and application of artificial neural networks in analyzing impacts of drought on water resources with special focus on a Kenyan river basin is presented. Gaps for more focused research are identified. Although drought forecasting is very vital in managing key sectors such as water, agriculture and hydro-power generation, drought forecasting techniques in Kenya are limited. There is need therefore to develop an effective drought forecasting tool for on-set detection, classification and drought forecasting. The forecasting is necessary for decision making on matters of drought preparedness and proper water resources planning and management.
Structural Non-Linear Models and Simulation Techniques
Authors: Delgado Jorge M. , Henriques Antonio Abel R. , Delgado Raimundo M.
Published: September 2015

Advances in computer technology allow nowadays the use of powerful computational models to describe the non-linear structural behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. However their utilization for structural analysis and design is not so easy to be combined with the partial safety factors criteria presented in civil engineering international codes. Trying to minimize this type of difficulties, it is proposed a method for safety verification of RC structures based on a probabilistic approach. This method consists in the application of non-linear structural numerical models and simulation methods. In order to reduce computational time consuming the Latin Hypercube sampling method was adopted, providing a constrained sampling scheme instead of general random sampling like Monte Carlo method. The proposed methodology permits to calculate the probability of failure of RC structures, to evaluate the accuracy of any design criteria and, in particular, the accuracy of simplified structural design rules, like those proposed in civil engineering codes.
Modeling for Self-Optimization in Laser Cutting
Authors: Hermanns Torsten , Thombansen Ulrich , Nießen Markus , Jansen Ulrich , Schulz Wolfgang
Published: September 2015

Laser based cutting processes comprise a significant part of industrial manufacturing. To ensure a high level of cutting quality the process parameters have to be kept at the right values and within defined tolerances. In this context, the position of the laser beam focus is one of the most important parameters. However, due to thermal heating of optical elements the focal position shows a transient behavior. The handling of this focus shift is aggravated by the fact that the focal position is not directly detectable during processing. In this chapter an introduction in the topic of laser cutting is given. Subsequently, a closed mathematical formulation of laser fusion cutting is presented before a reduced model is developed that allows the determination of a focus shift by an experimentally accessible surrogate criterion. The theoretical predictions are finally validated by experimental results.
Simulations and Modeling of TFET for Low Power Design
Authors: Kumar Sunil , Raj Balwinder
Published: September 2015

In Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) technology, scaling has been a main key for continuous progress in silicon-based semiconductor industry over the past four decades. However, as the technology advancement on nanometer scale regime for the purpose of building ultra-high density integrated electronic computers and extending performance, CMOS devices are facing fundamental problems such as increased leakage currents, large process parameter variations, short channel effects, increase in manufacturing cost, etc. The new technology must be energy efficient, dense, and enable more device function per unit area and time. There are many novel nanoscale semiconductor devices, this book chapter introduces and summarizes progress in the development of the Tunnel Field-Effect Transistors (TFETs) for low power design. Tunnel FETs are interesting devices for ultra-low power applications due to their steep sub-threshold swing (SS) and very low OFF-current. Tunnel FETs avoid the limit 60mv/decade by using quantum-mechanical Band-to-Band Tunneling (BTBT).