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Universities; Role; Futures (of Society); Internet; Telecommunications; Information Technology; Information Networks; Models; School Community Relationship; Community Development; Change Agents; Innovation; Stakeholders; Neighborhoods; Expertise; Shared Resources and Services; Barriers; State Regulation

Abstract:
Based on a request for information (RFI) submitted to The University Community Next Generation Innovation Project (Gig.U), the paper describes a model for universities to develop next generation broadband infrastructure in their communities. In the our view universities can play a critical role in spurring next generation networks into their communities through use of their physical infrastructure to extend high-speed Internet access and sharing their expertise and resources to support engagement and participation by community members, businesses, and institutions. We propose a network model that integrates both high-capacity fiber deployments to community anchor institutions along with community-driven wireless mesh deployments, a device-as-infrastructure network architecture that operates using commonly available WiFi equipment, to create connectivity for local neighborhoods. The model enables universities and communities to (1) provide affordable, scalable broadband access to end-users; 2) empower and engage community members through a collaborative deployment process; and 3) create a sustainable ecosystem of connectivity to further drive community development. In addition to expanding next-generation high-speed Internet access, the model allows for the creation of a community-wide intranet to develop local applications and serve as a platform for community data collection and research to better understand challenges relating to mobility, health, safety, urban management, and education. The paper also provides recommendations for universities to engage and identify local stakeholders and needs, build and finance network infrastructure, and for engaging community members in the build-out of wireless mesh networks. (Contains 4 figures and 2 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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 ERIC Full Text (1033K)

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Syntax; Information Systems; Reference Materials; Databases; Agriculture; Indexing; Classification; Information Retrieval; Bibliographic Databases; Users (Information); Search Strategies

Abstract:
Purpose: The paper aims to assess the utility of non-agriculture-specific information systems, databases, and respective controlled vocabularies (thesauri) in organising and retrieving agricultural information. The purpose is to identify thesaurus-linked tree structures, controlled subject headings/terms (heading words, descriptors), and principal database-dependent characteristics and assess how controlled terms improve retrieval results (recall) in relation to free-text/uncontrolled terms in abstracts and document titles. Design/methodology/approach: Several different hosts (interfaces, platforms, portals) and databases were used: CSA Illumina (ERIC, LISA), Ebscohost (Academic Search Complete, Medline, Political Science Complete), Ei-Engineering Village (Compendex, Inspec), OVID (PsycINFO), ProQuest (ABI/Inform Global). The search-terms agriculture and agricultural and truncated word-stem agricultur- were employed. Permuted (rotated index) search fields were used to retrieve terms from thesauri. Subject-heading search was assessed in relation to free-text search, based on abstracts and document titles. Findings: All thesauri contain agriculture-based headings; however, associative, hierarchical and synonymous relationships show important inter-database differences. Using subject headings along with abstracts and titles in search syntax (query) sometimes improves retrieval by up to 60 per cent. Retrieval depends on search fields and database-specifics, such as autostemming (lemmatization), explode function, word-indexing, or phrase-indexing. Research limitations/implications: Inter-database and host comparison, on consistent principles, can be limited because of some particular host- and database-specifics. Practical implications: End-users may exploit databases more competently and thus achieve better retrieval results in searching for agriculture-related information. Originality/value: The function of as many as ten databases in different disciplines in providing information relevant to subject matter that is not a topical focus of databases is assessed. (Contains 5 figures and 6 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Foreign Countries; Computer Science Education; Computer System Design; Interaction; Training Methods; Curriculum Implementation; Evaluation Methods; Validity; Engineering Education; Educational Innovation; Educational Policy; Learning Theories; Competency Based Education; Educational Technology; Computer Software; Computer Software Evaluation; Instructional Design; Databases; Student Surveys; Teacher Attitudes; Questionnaires; Student Attitudes; Skill Development; College Instruction; Teaching Methods; College Students; Course Descriptions; Instructional Effectiveness; Interviews

Abstract:
Training professionals to design and produce interactive systems requires the use of well thought-out training scenarios. Indeed, it is essential to consider pedagogical forms whose objective is providing learners with field experience. It is also necessary to motivate learners to learn about subjects that sometimes seem distant from their immediate concerns and to renew their interest in these subjects. This article presents a tool, called GRASP, that helps design pedagogical devices. This tool was first evaluated through three educational initiatives implemented in two universities in the north of France. These initiatives were analyzed to enhance the tool. Then, a second evaluation was conducted to validate the tool more widely. The first part of this article presents the scientific context. Then the design tool, the evaluation protocol, and the three devices built using this tool and their evaluation are introduced. Some of the lessons learned during the initiatives are described. Next, the second evaluation, conducted with more teachers, is presented. Finally, the conclusion highlights the perspectives opened by these initiatives. (Contains 12 figures, 9 tables and 6 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Science History; Innovation; Science Instruction; Interviews; Older Adults; Oral History; Video Technology; Secondary School Science; Chemistry; Computer Software; Computer Uses in Education; Teaching Methods; Technological Advancement

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The 20th century saw some of the most important technological and scientific discoveries in the history of humankind. The space shuttle, the internet, and other modern advances changed society forever, and yet many students cannot imagine what life was like before these technologies existed. In the project described here, students take a firsthand look at the history of science through the eyes of those who lived it. They use digital recorders to interview senior citizens in their communities and create podcasts of their interviews. (Contains 3 online resources.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Foreign Countries; Distance Education; Teacher Student Ratio; Faculty Workload; Teaching Conditions; Grading; Automation; Databases; Spreadsheets; Computer Literacy; Integrated Learning Systems; Information Systems; Educational Technology; Feedback (Response); Effect Size; Computer Software

Abstract:
Growing enrollment in distance education has increased student-to-lecturer ratios and, therefore, increased the workload of the lecturer. This growing enrollment has resulted in mounting efforts to develop automatic grading systems in an effort to reduce this workload. While research in the design and development of automatic grading systems has a long history in computer education, only a few attempts have been made to automatically assess spreadsheet and database skills. This paper has three purposes: (1) to describe the design of an assessment in the "Information Systems" course at the Open Polytechnic to assess students' spreadsheet and database skills, (2) to describe the development of an automatic grading system to assess spreadsheet and database skills, and (3) to compare automatic with manual marking to determine if automatic grading system is a feasible method of reducing workload. The automatic grading system we developed uses Excel's user-defined functions to automatically check whether a feature or a function has been used. Since the outcomes from user-defined functions are scrambled, students verify their own answers by entering the results from these functions into an online quiz. As a result, there is no need for the lecturer to download, open, and check the actual software application. The system recognizes correct answers from these scrambled inputs and allocates marks. This system is integrated into the Moodle learning management platform and linked to the students' academic record database. The main difference between the automated grading system for the assessment of spreadsheet and database skills described in this paper and existing systems is that the latter systems require the actual software application to be submitted for marking. The system described in this paper does not require markers to handle the application. Instead, it automatically checks the application while students are working on it, but grading is not performed until students answer specific quiz questions. Practical experience with the automatic grading system has shown that the system significantly decreases turnaround time for the grading of assignments, while providing instant feedback to students on the correctness of their answers. At the same time, the system reduces the workload of the lecturer, freeing lecturers from administration and the time-consuming tasks of checking individual aspects of the spreadsheet and database applications. This allows them to allocate time to student support and other more creative activities. In addition, the automatic grading system allows for a much finer probing of individual aspects of the spreadsheet and database applications, with no additional work required by student or lecturer. The methods of marking were evaluated to address the main research question of whether there were significant differences between a human and an automated grading system. A comparison between the methods of marking (human and the automatic grader) based on data from 11 trimesters indicated no significant difference in the average marks and mark distributions in the case of the spreadsheet application. The comparison also showed that although the difference in the average marks in the case of the database application was significant, it did not mean that the effect of the method of marking was meaningful or important, as illustrated with the effect size. Nonetheless, monitoring of the automatic grader results is recommended. (Contains 6 figures and 2 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Music Education; Intellectual Property; Innovation; Music Teachers; Internet; Performance; Music Activities; Commercialization; Racial Bias; Experiential Learning; Audio Equipment; Educational Theories; Creativity; Technological Advancement; Futures (of Society)

Abstract:
Change growing from technological innovation occasions both excitement and apprehension for all educators. This is especially so in music education. For music educators, as many new wants as new worries accompany these changes. In this article, the author argues for the critical engagement of the music education profession to amplify positive change. This is a pragmatic view of technological change that emphasizes agency within the interplay of wants, needs, values, and practices as people change and are changed by technological innovation. To that end, and to better understand the possibilities and problems inherent in the present, the author reexamines larger trajectories of change over the past century. To do so, the present musical world is conceptualized as postperformance, a term used to capture the gradual decoupling of music from live performance via sound recording and the subsequent rise of the Internet and new media. In regard to learning, the present moment is framed through the lens of "ubiquitous learning", a paradigm for learning transformed by the Internet and mobile computing. An understanding of today's world is built on an examination of the changing locus of musical experience from performance to recording to postperformance, with attention to parallel changes in education. The second half of this article more fully connects the possibilities and problems inherent in ubiquitous learning approaches to music in a postperformance world. This interplay is explored in speculation as well as through the presentation of early evidence that new learning in music is occurring with and without music educators' participation. Three emergent concerns for music educators are then explored: (1) new avenues for racism in the digital age; (2) the influence of commercialism and proprietary culture; and (3) the constraints of intellectual property. (Contains 3 notes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Academic Libraries; Library Services; Technological Advancement; Context Effect; Futures (of Society); Influence of Technology; Change; Prediction; Electronic Publishing; Electronic Libraries; Information Networks; Research Needs; Multimedia Materials; Librarian Teacher Cooperation; College Faculty

Abstract:
For nearly two decades, librarians have been noting and writing about transformational change in collection development and subsequently predicting future directions for libraries in terms of building digital collections. This paradigm shift caused by the incorporation of more and more electronic resources into existing library collections and the profound impact on collection development decisions by this incorporation were predicted by many authors in the library literature. Through a literature review and a survey, transformation of traditional print collection development and acquisitions as they are impacted by academic libraries' movements toward collections in electronic formats were investigated. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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 ERIC Full Text (453K)

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Libraries; Metadata; Information Management; Standards; Internet; Information Services; Access to Information; Technological Advancement; Information Technology; Shared Resources and Services; Media Adaptation; Futures (of Society)

Abstract:
Libraries have been increasingly concerned with data creation, management, and publication. This increase is partly driven by shifting metadata standards in libraries and partly by the growth of data and metadata repositories being managed by libraries. In order to manage these data sets, libraries are looking for new preservation and discovery systems, as well as opportunities to connect local metadata with the Web. This article looks at some potential benefits and problems that data brings, and considers some ways to get started with new data management and publication tools. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Programming; Programming Languages; Computer Science Education; College Curriculum; Novices; Misconceptions; College Seniors; Computer Software; Teaching Methods; Student Attitudes; College Instruction; Knowledge Level; Questionnaires; Qualitative Research; Interviews; Information Systems

Abstract:
This study examines how Information Systems Engineering School students on the verge of their graduation understand the mechanism of exception handling. The main contributions of this paper are as follows: we construct a questionnaire aimed at examining students' level of understanding concerning exceptions; we classify and analyse the students' responses to the questionnaire in order to determine their level of understanding of the mechanism; and we discuss the students' reflections concerning exceptions. The students were required to demonstrate their understanding of various aspects of Java exception handling: exception throwing and catching, fluency of code in the presence of exceptions, multiple catch clauses, common and different reactions to the various exceptions, passing an exception up the calling chain, proper use of the exception hierarchy, re-throwing an exception, and overriding a method which throws exceptions. The results obtained reveal that almost all the participants understood the basics of throwing and catching an exception, but only a few demonstrated the highest level of understanding of the exception mechanism. As the level of understanding required to address the questionnaire problems increased, the number of study participants who were able to answer correctly decreased substantially. In fact, most of the study participants were not familiar with all the possibilities encompassed by the exception mechanism and so were not able to use them properly. The students' reflections were classified into the following categories: perceptions concerning the benefits of using exceptions; perceptions concerning the complexity of the exception mechanism; and issues concerning the development environment. According to the results obtained we recommend several modifications to the curriculum with the aim of improving the students' ability to properly utilize the advanced properties of exceptions to produce higher quality software. (Contains 4 figures and 1 table.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Laboratories; Client Server Architecture; Program Design; Program Implementation; Performance Factors; Design Requirements; Computer System Design; Courseware; Information Networks; Information Systems; Online Systems; Robotics; Human Factors Engineering; Educational Technology; Best Practices

Abstract:
The design and implementation of remote laboratories present different levels of complexity according to the nature of the equipments operated by the remote laboratory, the requirements imposed on the accessing computers, the network linking the user to the laboratory, and the type of experiments the laboratory supports. This paper addresses the design and implementation of remote laboratories employing web technologies, both at the client and the server side. These types of remote laboratories are called WebLabs, and can be deployed over different networks such as the public internet, campuswide networks, or high-speed private networks. Although most published works on WebLabs focus on their functional and operational aspects, nonfunctional requirements related to security, quality of service, and federated operation of WebLabs have received little attention. This paper addresses how these requirements can be incorporated into WebLab design, and discusses the most appropriate web technologies to fulfill such requirements. (Contains 4 tables and 12 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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