title: Modelling attribute non-attendance in choice experiments for rural landscape valuation

authors: Scarpa, Riccardo

subjects: attribute non-attendance

abstract: Non-market effects of agriculture are often estimated using discrete choice models from stated preference surveys. In this context we propose two ways of modelling attribute non-attendance. The first involves constraining coefficients to zero in a latent class framework, whereas the second is based on stochastic attribute selection and grounded in Bayesian estimation. Their implications are explored in the context of a stated preference survey designed to value landscapes in Ireland. Taking account of attribute non-attendance with these data improves fit and tends to involve two attributes one of which is likely to be cost, thereby leading to substantive changes in derived welfare estimates.

text: Modelling attribute non-attendance in choice experiments for rural landscape valuation Non-market effects of agriculture are often estimated using discrete choice models from stated preference surveys. In this context we propose two ways of modelling attribute non-attendance. The first involves constraining coefficients to zero in a latent class framework, whereas the second is based on stochastic attribute selection and grounded in Bayesian estimation. Their implications are explored in the context of a stated preference survey designed to value landscapes in Ireland. Taking account of attribute non-attendance with these data improves fit and tends to involve two attributes one of which is likely to be cost, thereby leading to substantive changes in derived welfare estimates.

year: 2009

title: Capturing Situational Context in an Augmented Memory System

authors: Alallah, Jehan Shoie

abstract: Bookmarking a moment is a new approach being introduced to capture past experience and insert information into an augmented memory system. This idea is inspired from the concept of the bookmark in web browsers. Semi-automatic bookmarking different moments when time is limited and revisiting these moments before inserting them into an augmented memory system will help people to remember their past experience. An exploratory study was conducted to discover and shape the design requirements for a system called CatchIt. It aims to understand end-users’ needs to capture their personal experience, which is an important and complex issue in the case of capture and access of personal experiences. CatchIt is a system to bookmark the significant moments during the day before enriching them, and entering them into the augmented memory system called Digital Parrot. The conceptual design of CatchIt will be the main aim of this study. The primary requirements were derived from the scenarios and analysis of the findings of five different study stages were designed to inspect these: unobserved field visit, shadowing, using indictors, Wizard of Oz and using technology. Thirty participants were involved in field visit, survey and follows up interview. Each stage had different tasks to be performed and the findings of each stage contributed to understanding different parts of user needs and system design requirements. The results of this study indicated the system should automatically record the context information, especially the time and location since they were typically neglected by the participants. Different information such as textual and visual information should be manually recorded based on the users’ setting or situations. A single button is a promising input mechanism to bookmark a moment and it should be fast and effort- less. The result showed no clear correlation between learning style and type of the information that had been captured. Also, we found that there might be a correlation between passive capture and false memories. All these findings were used to provide a foundation for further work to implement the bookmark system and evaluate this approach. Some issues raised in this study need further research. The work will contribute to a greater understanding of human memory and selective capture.

text: Capturing Situational Context in an Augmented Memory System Bookmarking a moment is a new approach being introduced to capture past experience and insert information into an augmented memory system. This idea is inspired from the concept of the bookmark in web browsers. Semi-automatic bookmarking different moments when time is limited and revisiting these moments before inserting them into an augmented memory system will help people to remember their past experience. An exploratory study was conducted to discover and shape the design requirements for a system called CatchIt. It aims to understand end-users’ needs to capture their personal experience, which is an important and complex issue in the case of capture and access of personal experiences. CatchIt is a system to bookmark the significant moments during the day before enriching them, and entering them into the augmented memory system called Digital Parrot. The conceptual design of CatchIt will be the main aim of this study. The primary requirements were derived from the scenarios and analysis of the findings of five different study stages were designed to inspect these: unobserved field visit, shadowing, using indictors, Wizard of Oz and using technology. Thirty participants were involved in field visit, survey and follows up interview. Each stage had different tasks to be performed and the findings of each stage contributed to understanding different parts of user needs and system design requirements. The results of this study indicated the system should automatically record the context information, especially the time and location since they were typically neglected by the participants. Different information such as textual and visual information should be manually recorded based on the users’ setting or situations. A single button is a promising input mechanism to bookmark a moment and it should be fast and effort- less. The result showed no clear correlation between learning style and type of the information that had been captured. Also, we found that there might be a correlation between passive capture and false memories. All these findings were used to provide a foundation for further work to implement the bookmark system and evaluate this approach. Some issues raised in this study need further research. The work will contribute to a greater understanding of human memory and selective capture.

year: 2011

title: The Māori language curriculum for New Zealand schools: Spiral lesson/ lesson sequence design

authors: Johnson, Diane

subjects: Māori language teaching

abstract: A draft curriculum document for the teaching and learning of te reo Māori as a subject in mainstream schools in New Zealand (that is, in schools other than Kura Kaupapa Māori schools) was designed and trialled in 2004 and 2005. That draft is currently being reworked in line with the advice of those who trialled the document as well as that of a team of advisers set up by the Ministry of Education. The revised curriculum document will be submitted to the Ministry of Education in May 2006. As is the case with all new curriculum documents, the implementation phase will be critical. The extent to which this flexible, outcomes-focused curriculum document will genuinely inform new approaches to teaching and learning will depend not only upon the good will of teachers and communities, but also upon their ability to interpret the curriculum and to use it in a way that informs the design of language programmes, including the planning of units of work and of lessons and lesson sequences. In balancing language development and language practice, a communicative core and spiral approach is recommended, an approach in which there are core lessons (where the focus is language development) and spiral lessons (where the focus is language practice). In an earlier issue of this Journal (Johnson, 2003), one of us discussed core lesson design. Here, the design of spiral lessons is discussed and exemplified in the context of an outcomes-based curriculum.

text: The Māori language curriculum for New Zealand schools: Spiral lesson/ lesson sequence design A draft curriculum document for the teaching and learning of te reo Māori as a subject in mainstream schools in New Zealand (that is, in schools other than Kura Kaupapa Māori schools) was designed and trialled in 2004 and 2005. That draft is currently being reworked in line with the advice of those who trialled the document as well as that of a team of advisers set up by the Ministry of Education. The revised curriculum document will be submitted to the Ministry of Education in May 2006. As is the case with all new curriculum documents, the implementation phase will be critical. The extent to which this flexible, outcomes-focused curriculum document will genuinely inform new approaches to teaching and learning will depend not only upon the good will of teachers and communities, but also upon their ability to interpret the curriculum and to use it in a way that informs the design of language programmes, including the planning of units of work and of lessons and lesson sequences. In balancing language development and language practice, a communicative core and spiral approach is recommended, an approach in which there are core lessons (where the focus is language development) and spiral lessons (where the focus is language practice). In an earlier issue of this Journal (Johnson, 2003), one of us discussed core lesson design. Here, the design of spiral lessons is discussed and exemplified in the context of an outcomes-based curriculum.

year: 2005