bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The MAVERIC Survey: A Transitional Millisecond Pulsar Candidate in Terzan 5
Authors: Bahramian Arash , Strader Jay , Chomiuk Laura , Heinke Craig O. , Miller-Jones James C. A. , Degenaar Nathalie , Tetarenko Alexandra J. , Tudor Vlad , Tremou Evangelia , Shishkovsky Laura , Wijnands Rudy , Maccarone Thomas J. , Sivakoff Gregory R. , Ransom Scott
Published: August 2018

Transitional millisecond pulsars are accreting millisecond pulsars that switch between accreting X-ray binary and millisecond radio pulsar states. Only a handful of these objects have been identified so far. Terzan 5 CX1 is a variable hard-X-ray source in the globular cluster Terzan 5. In this paper, we identify a radio counterpart to CX1 in deep Very Large Array radio continuum data. Chandra observations over the last 14 years indicate that CX1 shows two brightness states: in 2003 and 2016 the source was the brightest X-ray source in the cluster (at L
X ∼ 1033 erg s−1), while in many intermediate observations, its luminosity was almost an order of magnitude lower. We analyze all available X-ray data of CX1, showing that the two states are consistent with the spectral and variability properties observed for the X-ray active and radio pulsar states of known transitional millisecond pulsars. Finally, we discuss the prospects for the detection of CX1 as a radio pulsar in existing timing data.
Working in Increasing Isolation? How an International MOOC for Career Professionals Supports Peer Learning across Distance
Authors: Kieslinger Barbara , Tschank Juliet , Schaefer Teresa , Fabian Claudia Magdalena
Published: August 2018

In this contribution we provide an assessment of an international MOOC that was designed specifically for professionals in employment services and career guidance. The six-week course was implemented in the context of a wider spanning project on the study of professional identity transformations and was building on the experience of smaller courses provided in closed organizational settings. By opening up the course and transferring it into a MOOC format, almost 90 professionals from around 20 countries were able to share their work experiences and discuss challenges in their daily work related to demographic change, digitalization and organizational change. Amongst the most active contributors were those participants, who were confronted with an increasing isolation at work: being either placed in remote areas, part of a distributed team or a “functional” island. For them, learning from and with others as part of an online community, becomes increasingly important, as reflected by the participants’ feedback and their comments during the course. The analysis clearly stresses the importance of the exchange of experiences with colleagues and peers. While tutor input was also appreciated, participants especially appreciate the learning from their peers. A MOOC or online community can serve an important role in collaborative reflection and social learning. Given this experience, MOOCs could be offered specifically for certain professions where people work in isolation, either in geographical terms or in terms of the topics they are covering.
Teaching Software Engineering with Gamification Elements
Authors: Schefer-Wenzl Sigrid , Miladinovic Igor
Published: August 2018

Students of software engineering courses in higher education often experience a lack of motivation, partly caused by traditional teaching methods. In our study program we introduced a novel blended learning concept with threefold gamification elements for teaching software engineering. In this paper we present the teaching method mix with particular focus on the integration of three gamification elements to increase students’ engagement.
A Wearable Haptic System for the Health Monitoring of Elderly People in Smart Cities
Authors: Sanfilippo Filippo , Pacchierotti Claudio
Published: August 2018

A sensor-fusion wearable health-monitoring system with integrated haptic feedback was previously introduced by our research group. The system's components are the following: a chest-worn device with an embedded controller board, an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, a temperature sensor, an accelerometer, a vibration motor, a colour-changing light-emitting diode (LED) and a push-button. This multi-sensor device makes possible to collect biometric and medical monitoring data from its wearer. The data provide a real-time indication of the wearer's health state and can also be further analysed later for medical diagnosis. The embedded vibration motor can actuate distinctive haptic feedback patterns according to the wearer's health state. The embedded colour-changing LED provides the wearer with an additional intuitive visual feedback of the current health state, and the wearer can report a potential emergency condition by using the push-button. In this paper, a conceptual case study is presented concerning possible applications for the health monitoring of elderly people in smart cities. The proposed system aims at reducing risk by assessing individual and overall potentially-harmful situations. A data collection and analysis are also presented to demonstrate that the system can provide compelling vibrotactile feedback.
Nature Inspired Feature Selector for Effective Data Classification in Big Data Frameworks
Authors: Subramanian Appavu Alias Balamurugan
Published: August 2018

In high dimensional space finding clusters of data objects is challenging due to the curse of dimensionality. When the dimensionality increases, data in the irrelevant dimensions may produce much noise. And also, time complexity is the major issues in existing approach. In order to rectify these issues our proposed method made use of efficient feature subset selection in high dimensional data. We are considering the input dataset is the high dimensional micro array dataset. Initially, we have to select the optimal features so that our proposed technique employed Social Spider Optimization (SSO) algorithm. Here the traditional Social Spider Optimization is modified with the help of fruit fly optimization algorithm. Next the selected features are the input for the classifier. The classification is performed using optimized radial basis function based neural network (ORBFNN) technique to classify the micro array data as normal or abnormal data. The effectiveness of RBFNN is optimized by means of artificial bee colony algorithm (ABC).
Technology-Supported Teaching and Research Methods for Educators
Authors: Goosen Leilani
Published: August 2018

The purpose of this chapter is to highlight technology-supported teaching and research methods for educators by presenting a case study of a massive open online course (MOOC). The objectives of this chapter will firstly be to provide a comprehensive and timely work, which can serve as an essential reference resource, in the context of a MOOC entitled Ethical Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) Solutions. It will also build on the available literature in the field of instructional technology in developing countries, specifically as applicable in the emerging areas of MOOCs and ICT4D. Finally, future research directions within the domains related to these dynamic topics and fields will be suggested.
Using Feedback on Formative Assessment to Support Student Learning and Improve the Curriculum for Material in a Civil Engineering Module
Authors: Oti Jonathan
Published: August 2018

This chapter reports on the potential of using formative feedback on assessment to support student learning and improve the curriculum for material in a civil engineering module. Under this study, when the students were given the feedback of their assessment on a piece of coursework, they were asked to repeat the coursework taking on board all the comments and feedback provided by the lecturer in exchange for a better mark. The overall result from the quantitative data suggests that students overwhelmingly took the corrections on board and submitted a more improved laboratory report in order to have an improved mark. The students enjoyed the praise, progress, and critique comments on their feedback sheet. Their understanding of the module grew, and their motivation and performance increased. Generalized comments like referencing and citations unified the entire curriculum.
Is Education With Passion (Edutainment) Business and/or Education?
Authors: Pivovarov Maximilian
Published: August 2018

Since 2009, the KidBurg Group has been developing children's educational projects in edutainment format. In total, the network has 18 venues with a total area of more than 33,000 square meters. There are three formats of projects: the city of professions, a museum of entertaining science, and an interactive museum-theater. The life path of KidBurg is of interest: from an entrepreneurial project for its children to a federal player. Children's business was built on “adult” laws with the involvement of real investors. The history of KidBurg will be useful to those who think about starting a business in the field of education. The chapter will touch on the issues of creating a project concept from scratch, of implementing the educational component without the involvement of the school and educators, creating and protecting intellectual property, creating a new culture of leisure and attracting investment. KidBurg has become a new social phenomenon. In this chapter, the authors talk about the role of KidBurg in the development and upbringing of modern children and their parents.
Effect of the Collaboration Between MakerSpace, University, and Elementary Schools on Student STEM Attitudes
Authors: Lyublinskaya Irina , Sheehan Stephanie
Published: August 2018

This chapter examines the effect of a STEM project developed in collaboration between MakerSpace, a public university, and a Title I elementary school on student STEM attitudes and interests in future STEM careers. There is limited research on the Maker Movement and practically no research on whether MakerSpace facilities and expertise can be effectively integrated into a standards-based elementary school curriculum. As part of this study, 5th grade students designed and built birdhouses to make connections between mathematics and science learned in the classroom and world around them. The study was conducted in urban settings, in a school with large percentages of at-risk students. Pre- and post-surveys were administered to measure student STEM attitudes, 21st century skills, and interests in future STEM careers. Results showed significant increase in scores in all these areas after students completed STEM projects. This study illustrates a successful collaboration between MakerSpace and local schools to enhance the standards-based school curriculum.
Business Incubator as a Tool for Developing Regional Network Projects of Cooperation Between Schools and Businesses
Authors: Matyukhina Larisa
Published: August 2018

The chapter describes the work experience of the Penza region (Russia) in support of innovative development in the region. A lot of work is being done in the region to involve young people in innovative technical and entrepreneurial activities. For this purpose, a comprehensive program has been developed in the region, in which schools and business enterprises, universities, and additional education centers cooperate. To coordinate this activity, a special department of youth innovation programs has been established on the basis of the business center. In particular, the objectives of the program include the support of projects of schoolchildren working in cooperation with specialists of enterprises – on the basis of the Centers for Youth Innovation Creativity, during STEM summer schools and other events organized in the region. The chapter describes the mechanisms for supporting techno-entrepreneurial projects of schoolchildren on the basis of a business incubator, and the conditions of the organization, the results, and effects of such activities are analyzed.
Involving Adolescents in Getting Acquainted With the Problems of Regional Business
Authors: Tesakova Aleksandra , Vinogradov Dmitry , Puzyrevsky Valery
Published: August 2018

The game Journalist has established itself as one of the complex forms of intensive additional education, as a way of active and thoughtful acquaintance of high school students with the surrounding world. Participating in the game, adolescents visit modern enterprises as journalists, get acquainted with the problems and successes, specialists, peculiarities of the production of this enterprise, and as a result of this visit, they prepare real journalistic materials that are subsequently published in various media. The chapter describes the experience of playing in Latvia and Russia on the basis of a school, a university, the organization of additional education, the editorial offices of local media, and local self-government bodies; mechanisms of interaction with business during the preparation and conduct of the game; discusses the possible impact of the game on local life, the degree of its openness, public dialogue in solving pressing problems; and the establishment, through the game, of closer links between education and other spheres of public life in a city or region.
Pedagogical Support of the Educational Choice of Senior Students
Authors: Azbel Anastasiya , Ilyushin Leonid
Published: August 2018

The aim of the chapter is the scientific justification and description of the school technology in supporting educational choice of senior students. The chapter uncovers three main directions: the meaning of the educational prospects of senior students as a philosophical, psychological, and pedagogical category; the project implementation technology and criteria for its effectiveness; and an overview of the project information resources, including the methodology for their search. The authors have unique experience in organizing the pedagogical support of the senior students' career choice in a number of innovative schools in cooperation with representatives of various businesses.
Urban Development Modelling
Authors: Gharbi Asma , De Runz Cyril , Akdag Herman
Published: August 2018

Modelling and simulating cities evolution has been lately the focus of scientific studies, in the urban field, as it represents a mean for effectively managing and planning land-development. Consequently, the development of urban models has known a remarkable growth. This model boom was a key driver behind many studies aiming at providing comprehensive reviews of existing urban models through classifying them based on various characteristics. In this context, this chapter reviews the different classification studies, proposes a classification of a set of most popular models based on their modelling-task, strategy, and data, then assume and argue how these three elements can majorly affect the modelling-approach choice-making. Indeed, its overall goal is to deliver a sort of “white paper” aiming at assisting researchers in their seeking for the most adequate modelling-approach for their urban modelling-task specifications.
Swarm Intelligence Based on Remote Sensing Image Fusion
Authors: Gharbia Reham , Hassanien Aboul Ella
Published: August 2018

This chapter presents a remote sensing image fusion based on swarm intelligence. Image fusion is combining multi-sensor images in a single image that has most informative. Remote sensing image fusion is an effective way to extract a large volume of data from multisource images. However, traditional image fusion approaches cannot meet the requirements of applications because they can lose spatial information or distort spectral characteristics. The core of the image fusion is image fusion rules. The main challenge is getting suitable weight of fusion rule. This chapter proposes swarm intelligence to optimize the image fusion rule. Swarm intelligence algorithms are a family of global optimizers inspired by swarm phenomena in nature and have shown better performance. In this chapter, two remote sensing image fusion based on swarm intelligence algorithms, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and flower pollination algorithm are presented to get an adaptive image fusion rule and comparative between them.
Mapping Women's World
Authors: Rouzbehani Khadijeh , Rouzbehani Shirin
Published: August 2018

Feminist geography and geographic information system(GIS) have been the most dynamic research areas over the last decade. Unfortunately, high breast cancer mortality rates have been reported in the northern part of the United states, with recent attention focused on the northern part of the United States. In this article, the authors investigate whether such a high rate of breast cancer is evenly spread in northern parts. The purpose of this article is to provide a more detailed analysis of the breast cancer distribution in the United States by comparing the spatial distribution of breast cancer cases against physical environmental factors using Geographic Information System (GIS). Further, it gives background information to the GIS and its applications in health-related research.
Remote Sensing Techniques and Its Application in Arid Zones of India
Authors: Jain Lokesh Kumar
Published: August 2018

Remote sensing technologies offer the potential for contributing the security to human existence on arid zones in the country in variety of ways. Remote Sensing in agriculture particularly for natural resource management. It provides important coverage, mapping and classification of land cover features. The remote view of the sensor and the ability to store, analyze, and display the sensed data on field maps are make remote sensing a potentially important tool for agriculture. The aerial photography gives two main advantages viz., speedy survey in very large area or remote area and precise description and recording of resources status. Remotely sensed images provide a means to assess field conditions and gave valuable insights into agronomic management. It led to understanding of leaf reflectance and leaf emittance changes in response to leaf thickness, species, canopy shape, leaf age, nutrient status, and water status. Understanding of leaf reflectance has led to quantify various agronomic parameters, e.g., leaf area, crop cover, biomass, crop type, nutrient status, and yield.
Prediction Changes for Nonstationary Multi-Temporal Satellite Images Using HMM
Authors: Ben Abbes Ali , Farah Imed Riadh
Published: August 2018

Due to the growing advances in their temporal, spatial, and spectral resolutions, remotely sensed data continues to provide tools for a wide variety of environmental applications. This chapter presents the benefits and difficulties of Multi-Temporal Satellite Image (MTSI) for land use. Predicting land use changes using remote sensing is an area of interest that has been attracting increasing attention. Land use analysis from high temporal resolution remotely sensed images is important to promote better decisions for sustainable management land cover. The purpose of this book chapter is to review the background of using Hidden Markov Model (HMM) in land use change prediction, to discuss the difference on modeling using stationary as well as non-stationary data and to provide examples of both case studies (e.g. vegetation monitoring, urban growth).
Retrospection of Globalisation Process and the Sustainability of Natural Environment in Developing Countries
Authors: Hameed Shahul
Published: August 2018

Globalization is an inevitable integrating process and vital to the world economy but it generates many challenges towards the integration of “economic independence” of the nation states like (a) economic integration through investment/trade and capital flow, (b) initiating multilateral political interaction between the countries, and (c) diffusion of dominant cultural values and beliefs over other cultures. globalization accelerates structural change, which alters the industrial structure of host countries, for instance the excessive use of natural resources and contributes to the physical environmental deterioration. Further, globalization transmits and magnifies market failures and policy distortions if not properly addressed. The chapter attempts to (a) identify the key links between globalization and environment deterioration, (b) identify some issues in multilateral economic agreements in trade, finance, investments, and intellectual property rights that affect environmental sustainability, (c) identify and review priority policy issues affecting multilateral economic agreements on environment issues.
GIS Approach for Collaborative Monitoring and Prediction of Environmental Noise in Urban Areas
Authors: Juarez Juan H. , Moreno Marco A. , Torres-Ruiz Miguel J.
Published: August 2018

Environmental noise, as well as being a form of environmental pollution that affects mainly urban areas, it is a problem that involves people's quality of life. This paper presents a methodology that takes advantage of the Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) in obtaining georeferenced environmental noise maps and the corresponding statistics for a particular area of interest. The methodology herein presented considers the phases of Data acquisition, Analysis and data processing, and Visualization of the information. The design and development of a Geographic Information System is presented, which consists of a web mapping application, an application for mobile devices, called NoiseMonitor, Geospatial Analysis and Machine Learning methods (Support Vector Machines and Artificial Neural Networks) for acoustic noise prediction using contextual information, that is, some factors around the measurements. A study case is based on Mexico City.
Inter and Intra Cities Smartness
Authors: El Khayat Ghada A. , Fashal Nada Ahmad
Published: August 2018

The rapid advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) contribute to the creation of ‘Smart Cities'/‘Knowledge Precincts' that use data, information and technologies to enable innovative business models. This contributes to the nations' development. For smart cities/knowledge precincts to realize the planned social and economic impact; they have to be well-located and planned. Creating connections among cities also contributes to their smartness. This, calls for concepts of inter and intra smartness contributed in this chapter. The question is: a) how to locate the components of the smart city internally and b) how to locate the smart cities relative to each other and to their communities. Location problems are tackled with optimization and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools. This chapter starts by giving definitions on the topic and then presents a survey on the ‘Smart Cities'/‘Knowledge Precincts' location problems that use optimization and GIS tools and concludes with avenues for future research.
An Open Learning Format for Lifelong Learners' Empowerment
Authors: Leone Sabrina
Published: August 2018

Open, lifelong, and ubiquitous learning, cloud computing, and smart city frameworks are the pillars of the change that is replacing the traditional education and work models and transforming the way crowds of people learn, communicate, collaborate, teamwork, produce value and growth for the entities of which they are part. This chapter presents the updated version of SSW4LL (social semantic web for lifelong learners), an adaptive, modular, flexible, and integrated learning format that has been devised to support the characterization of adult lifelong learners' PLEs by implicit and explicit tools of personalization, in a learner-centered framework. The SSW4LL system, the technological architecture, is presented as a whole made up of components of formal and informal learning environments: Moodle 2.9 integrated with an adaptive mechanism (conditional activities) and some tools of social semantic web, Semantic MediaWiki 2.3, Diigo, and Google+, respectively. The SSW4LL format was successfully validated during the course SSW4LL 2011.
From Digital Natives to Student Experiences With Technology
Authors: Bennett Sue , Corrin Linda
Published: August 2018

This chapter charts the development of the digital native idea and the debate that has surrounded it. It provides an account of the research and conceptual work it has stimulated and suggests future directions research may take in the coming decades.
The Infusion of Technology Within the Classroom Facilitates Students' Autonomy in Their Learning
Authors: Mohan Fariel , Soomarah Garry
Published: August 2018

This experiment investigated whether the infusion of technology in teaching as a scaffolding tool can improve the pass rate of mathematics at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. The use of technology facilitated the building of a virtual classroom which was based on scaffolding, thus aiding students by either peers or the instructor until they are comfortable to move on to the next level. The virtual classroom was used to stimulate discussions on students' knowledge of mathematics ensuring no focus was on the technology nor the instructor. These discussions provide opportunities for the students to discover his/her existing level within the learning community. Within this learning community, everybody was anonymous including the instructor thus motivating the students to comment on the reflective questions. This encouraged students to collaborate and provide prompt feedback. Suggestions obtained from the students into improving the virtual classroom were considered resulting in four virtual classrooms.
Liberating Educational Technology Through the Socratic Method
Authors: Giuseffi Frank G.
Published: August 2018

Technology is now an essential component of classroom instruction. Instructors have come to terms with the realization that their students are “digital natives” who acquire information through an array of technologies. The knowledge that is attained through technology induces schools to develop what has been called one-to-one programs. These programs offer both instructors and students opportunities to understand material in meaningful ways. However, without training, laptops merely become add-ons to traditional lesson plans. In order to raise the level of student participation and teacher expertise, this chapter puts forward the idea that the Socratic method can be the pedagogical bridge between traditional lesson plans and technological platforms. In elucidating this idea, this chapter offers background on the general experience of schools that adopted one-to-one programs. The chapter then offers a brief account of the Socratic method. Lastly, there will be discussion on the relationship between the Socratic method and educational technology.
Online Learning Propelled by Constructivism
Authors: Reid-Martinez Kathaleen , Grooms Linda D.
Published: August 2018

Augmenting communication in and among those in the academic, business, and military communities, the exponential advancement of science and technology has availed vast amounts of information to virtually millions of people around the globe. In conjunction with this knowledge explosion has been a growing concern for the democratization of the learning process, with constructivism driving much of the educational agenda, most particularly in online distance education. This chapter examines the resurgence of the constructivist approach to teaching and learning, its convergence with rapidly changing technological advances, and its relationship to future trends in online pedagogy.
Science Animation and Students' Attitudes
Authors: Arumugam Sivasankar , Nirmala Nancy
Published: August 2018

Drawing and sustaining the interest of learners as well as ensuring better understanding seems to be the main advantages in animation. The technique of capturing successive frames of pictures or positions of toys or models that create an illusion of movement while the movie is shown as a sequence gives life to animation. The invasion of e-resources into the educational arena had opened innumerable avenues for the instructors, administrators, and researchers. This chapter makes an attempt to test the effectiveness of science educational animation over conventional class through an experimental study and also would like to sense the attitude of the learners towards animation classes. The findings support the fact that science teaching through animated lessons stands superior to conventional science classes and students also have positive attitude towards animation. The researcher concludes that animation in its own virtue along with enthusiasm of digital native learners would grow leaps and bounds in the near future in the educational sphere.
3D Printing Applications in STEM Education
Authors: Gwangwava Norman , Hlahla Catherine
Published: August 2018

Using 3D printing technology in learning institutions brings an industrial experience to learners as well as an exposure to the same cutting-edge technologies encountered in real-life careers. The chapter explores 3D printing technology at kindergarten (preschool), in the lecture room (BEng program), and ready-to-use 3D printed products. In educational toy applications, the effect of poor product designs that do not meet the children's dimensional and safety requirements can lead to injuries, development of musculoskeletal disorders, and health problems, some of which may be experienced by the children when they grow up. In order to address the problem of poor design, measurements of anthropometric dimensions from male and female children, aging from 6 to 7 years old, were taken, and concepts for educational toys were then generated. Other practical applications of the 3D printing technology explored in the chapter are lecture room demonstrations, prototyping of design projects, and a web-based mass-customization of office mini-storage products.
Tools, Pedagogical Models, and Best Practices for Digital Storytelling
Authors: Multisilta Jari , Niemi Hannele
Published: August 2018

Sharing photos and short videos with others has become increasingly popular among youth. Although sharing videos is a common activity among youth, schools are not using digital videos for learning. There is a need to study the pedagogical models that could be used in designing classroom activities involving the use of digital videos. In this chapter, digital video storytelling will be discussed in the context of learning. In this chapter, pedagogical models, examples, best practices, and outcomes that illustrate how students become engaged and motivated when using digital storytelling in knowledge creation in cross-cultural settings will be presented. The pedagogical models discussed in this chapter are global sharing pedagogy (GSP) and video inquiry learning (VIL). A review of existing tools and practices for digital video storytelling will be presented. The results show that students can become highly engaged in learning through digital storytelling.
The Vital Importance of Faculty Presence in an Online Learning Environment
Authors: Chang Ni
Published: August 2018

One of the instructional methods, which is favored by students and which could arguably provide high quality educational opportunities, is faculty presence, as it makes possible the interaction between instructor and students and between students and students in a virtual learning environment. Online instructors and academic administrators in higher education cannot simply hold an assumption that quality online courses or student learning could largely depend upon good internet connectivity, high quality equipment, solid content knowledge of instructors, and beautifully designed online courses. The presence of an online instructor cannot ever be neglected or marginalized in online students' learning success. Therefore, it is highly significant to address the roles that instructors play in an online learning environment in order to underscore the crucial importance of faculty presence in the success of student learning.
A Flipped Learning Approach to University EFL Courses
Authors: Ishikawa Yasushige , Akahane-Yamada Reiko , Smith Craig , Murakami Masayuki , Kondo Mutsumi , Kitamura Misato , Tsubota Yasushi , Dantsuji Masatake
Published: August 2018

This chapter reports on a research project in a university English as Foreign Language program in Japan that explored ways to sustain active participation in e-learning tasks that were intended to improve students' scores on the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC). A flipped learning (FL) approach to a blended learning (BL) teaching methodology was adopted. A web-based courseware, ATR CALL BRIX was used. The students used mobile devices to access the courseware before class in order to prepare for in-class teacher-student analysis of their performance on the learning tasks. The teaching methodology integrated the online and in-class tasks in a single learning environment by means of an e-mentoring system used in conjunction with an in-class student self-evaluation task.
Learning Analytics
Authors: Bodea Constanţa-Nicoleta , Dascalu Maria-Iuliana , Mogos Radu Ioan , Stancu Stelian
Published: August 2018

Reinforcement of technology-enhanced education transformed education into a data-intensive domain. As in many other data-intensive domains, the interest for data analysis through various analytics is growing. The chapter starts by defining learning analytics (LA), with relevant views on the literature. A discussion about the relationships between LA, educational data mining, and academic analytics is included in the background section. In the main section of the chapter, the learning analytics, as an emerging trend in the educational systems is described by discussing the main issues, controversies, and problems on this topic. The final part of the chapter presents the future research directions and the conclusion.
Learning With Mobile Devices
Authors: Crompton Helen , Traxler John
Published: August 2018

The concept of learning with small portable computers was developed by Alan Kay in 1972. Since that early conception, scholars, such as Traxler, Sharples, and Soloway are the pioneering scholars who paved the way to a better understanding of the philosophical, pedagogical, and conceptual underpinnings of mobile learning today. In this chapter, an overview is provided to explicate the initial foundations of the emerging field of mobile learning (mlearning). Next, current scientific knowledge is delineated with explicit references to the early scholars. This chapter concludes with a preview of the future research directions in mobile learning.
Mobile Learning in and out of the K-12 Classroom
Authors: Bedesem Pena L. , Arner Tracy
Published: August 2018

Today there is widespread ownership of mobile technology, including mobile phones, tablets, Chromebooks, among school-aged youth. To wit, researchers report that nearly 70% of 8- to 18-year-olds own their own mobile device. In parallel with increased accessibility and usage, researchers in various fields of education have begun to explore how mobile technology can impact teaching and learning. In this chapter, the work of pioneering scholars in the area of emerging technology in K-12 education are discussed. Next, a description is provided of the current scientific knowledge on the ways in which mobile technologies are used by students in K-12 education. Then, important research is reviewed that highlights the added effects of mobile technology to support non-traditional learners. Lastly, recommendations for future lines of investigation and further reading are discussed.
Hybrid Computational Intelligence and the Basic Concepts and Recent Advances
Authors: Dounias Georgios
Published: August 2018

In this chapter, computational intelligence and its major methodologies are introduced, and then hybrid intelligent systems are defined, and the most popular hybrid intelligent approaches are discussed. The increased popularity of hybrid intelligent systems during the last decade is the result of the extensive success of these systems in a wide range of real-world complex problems, but also has to do with the increased capabilities of computational technology. One of the reasons for this success has to do with the synergy derived by the computational intelligent components, such as machine learning, fuzzy logic, neural networks, genetic algorithms, or other intelligent algorithms and techniques. Each of the partial methodologies provides hybrid systems with complementary reasoning and searching methods that allow the use of domain knowledge and empirical data to solve complex problems. The chapter includes recent advances and new findings in the area of hybrid computational intelligence.
Semantic Intelligence
Authors: Koleva Maria K.
Published: August 2018

Semantic intelligence is exclusive for the intelligent complex systems way of response to an ever-changing environment. Its major distinctive property is autonomous comprehension and creation of information. Another exclusive property of semantic intelligence is autonomous discrimination between true and false statements. The semantic intelligence naturally arises in the setting of concept of boundedness where it commences from highly non-trivial interplay between structural and functional properties of a complex system. The major generic property of that interplay is that it renders the relation between structural and functional properties to be non-recursive. In result, this renders the efficiency of semantic intelligence to be provided by efficiency of hierarchical self-organization of a complex system prior to the efficiency of software and to the speed of hardware.
Assistive Technology and Human Capital for Workforce Diversity
Authors: Tran Ben
Published: August 2018

The purpose of this chapter is not on the varieties of the availability of assistive technologies (AT) and their usages based on individuals' specified disability, so that individuals who require the usage of ATs can be of equal playing field compared to those individuals who do not require the usage of ATs. For information regarding AT and the state of AT in the past, present, and future in the United States, ADA and the like refer to Tran's article titled “Assistive Technology.” The purpose of this chapter is beyond the coverage of Tran's “Assistive Technology” article, such that the purpose of this article is on the end results that AT could provide and contribute to the diverse workforce, and the role AT play in relations to workforce development—from an international perspective.
Ergonomic Design of a Driver Training Simulator for Rural India
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Prabir , Vinzuda Vipul
Published: August 2018

Simulator training forms an integral part of driver training in rural India. As the majority of the simulators are imported from the Western world, they do not mimic the actual road conditions of rural India. This often leads to mismatches in the would-be drivers' perceptions of the Indian traffic and creates problems later on in their career, which is manifested in the form of increased driver errors and at times fatal road accidents. This research looked in the user interface of such simulators and usability perspective and came up with two concepts for these drivers that closely resemble the Indian rural traffic scenario.
Mediated Embodiment in New Communication Technologies
Authors: Aymerich-Franch Laura
Published: August 2018

Advanced communication technologies, such as virtual reality or certain types of robots, are able to induce the illusion of adopting a surrogate body as the own body. The sense of owning an artificial body, technologically mediated, in which one perceives to be located, is introduced as mediated embodiment. The concept has not been carefully conceptualized or clearly distinguished from other acceptations of embodiment, coming from a wide range of disciplines. A definition is provided which narrows the concept to accurately describe the experience of embodiment in new communication technologies. In addition, the text gathers the closest constructs related to embodiment in the communication literature, reviews the most important studies on mediated embodiment, provides potential approaches to its study, and outlines the direction that this field of study is taking.
Adaptive Networks for On-Chip Communication
Authors: Vestias Mário Pereira
Published: August 2018

The second generation of network-on-chips (NoC) are dynamic or adaptive providing a new set of benefits in terms of area overhead, performance, power consumption, fault tolerance, and quality of service compared to the previous generation where the architecture is decided at design time. To improve resource efficiency and performance, the NoC must consider adaptive processes at several architectural levels, including the routing protocols, the router, the network interface, and the network topology. This chapter focuses on adaptive networks-on-chip, namely adaptive topologies and adaptive routers.
The Skills of European ICT Specialists
Authors: Sgobbi Francesca
Published: August 2018

After a brief survey of the international literature on skill-related issues that may either support or threaten the further development of ICT-based applications, this chapter provides a picture of the state-of-the-art of the professional skills supplied by ICT specialists in 11 EU countries based on data from the OECD Survey of Adult Skills. The first part of the empirical analysis focuses on the skills profile of ICT personnel from EU countries and examines to what extent the higher skills displayed by ICT specialists depend on a different distribution of demographic characteristics and job characteristics compared to the rest of the workforce. The second part of the empirical analysis focuses on the relationship between skills and wages and tests whether employers recognize an occupation-specific wage premium to ICT specialists. The results of the proposed empirical analyses confirm the existence of significant differences between skill profiles and earnings determinants of ICT specialists compared to other workers.
Utilizing Information Science and Technology in Franchise Organizations
Authors: Chen Ye-Sho
Published: August 2018

Franchising involves grating and receiving business rights. In addition to the popular growth strategy for many businesses, franchising has emerged over the years as a pathway to wealth creation for entrepreneurs. In this chapter, the authors first discuss the information science of franchising, including franchisor/franchisee relationship and the essential indicators needed to pertain and flourish the good relationship and the inevitability of collaborative learning and innovation, which leads to the discussion of the working knowledge development among the franchisor and the fellow franchisees. Second, the authors discuss an attention-based IT infrastructure that will enable the knowledge sharing and dissemination between the franchisor and the franchisee.
State of the Art and Key Design Challenges of Telesurgical Robotics
Authors: Nisar Sajid , Hasan Osman
Published: August 2018

Telesurgical robotic systems allow surgeons to perform surgical operations from remote locations with enhanced comfort and dexterity. Introduction of robotic technology has revolutionized operation theaters but its multidisciplinary nature and high associated costs pose significant challenges. This chapter provides a comprehensive survey of the current progress in the field of surgical robotics with a detailed discussion on various state-of-the-art telesurgical robotic systems. The key design approaches and challenges are identified, and their solutions are recommended. A set of parameters that can be used to assess usefulness of a telesurgical robot are discussed. Finally, guidelines for selection of a suitable surgical system and the future research directions are described.
Energy Conservation in the Era of Ubiquitous Computing
Authors: Haleem P. P. Abdul
Published: August 2018

Widespread availability and affordability of devices and easy accessibility of internet has accelerated the pace of ubiquitous computing. Connectivity to the internet has resulted in an exponential growth in terms of content and traffic available on the internet. When the barriers such as type of devices, location, time, and format have become meaningless in the era of ubiquitous computing; the issue of energy consumption and resultant carbon emission is a matter of concern. Energy consumption is an issue in ubiquitous computing, as the majority of the devices involved will be mobile devices that depend on the limited power offered by the battery inside the device. Carbon emission is a concern due to the combined impact made by the devices hooked over to the internet. This chapter discusses the issues related to energy consumption for various activities when the services offered by the internet are availed. The chapter also discusses the challenges to be overcome to achieve conservation of energy consumed by the internet and devices.
Mobile Application Diffusion and Success
Authors: Hajiheydari Nastaran , Hernandez-Carrion Jose Rodolfo , Ashkani Mahdi
Published: August 2018

The rapid evolution of mobile computing technology has been attributed to the increasing capitalizing by companies on this innovative business medium. The result of conformity between technology advancement and market demand increment for mobility has led to the development of different categories of mobile businesses in recent years. This research reviews the previous related literature to the subject and by deploying meta-synthesis as a systematic quantitative method; a generic model covering important factors contributing to mobile application diffusion is presented. The proposed comprehensive model consists of users' specifications, technical aspects and contextual factors in the first level. This article also represents the logical relationship expected to be valid between these factors as conceptual framework, which could be investigated in future studies. the proposed influencing factors as a generic model can help developers and mobile business analysts to have a comprehensive understanding about the contexts may influence their mobile application success or failure.
Men vs. Women
Authors: Zolait Ali Hussein , Isa Safeya Mohamed , Ali Hala Mahmood , Sundram Veera Pandiyan Kaliani
Published: August 2018

The purpose of this article is to measure the difference between Bahraini men and women in terms of their habits of online shopping and determine factors affecting their buying decision. The researchers adopted a technology acceptance model (TAM) as a research conceptual framework. A questionnaire was developed and distributed randomly to a sample of Bahrainis. Collected data was analyzed to test the research framework and hypotheses using multiple regression analysis. Results show there is a difference between men and women in term of trust, habit, satisfaction, perceived ease of use, and risk. The limitation of research stems from the majority of the participants aged between 18-28 years old, which could not represent all population age group. The article identifies key predictors of the online buying decision, enabling entrepreneurs and practitioners of online business to understand which factors will be useful to draw a rigid strategy for their online presence. Previous studies on online shopping did not give much concern to gender factor, while the current study investigates differences between men and women online shopping habits and reaching new facts about factors that influence the Bahraini buying decisions.