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Descriptors:
Measures (Individuals); Agriculture; Farm Management; Foreign Countries; Indigenous Knowledge; Environmental Education; Climate; Innovation; Case Studies; Prediction; Extension Education; Information Technology; Rural Areas; Information Sources; Meteorology; Weather

Abstract:
Purpose: New innovative ways of communicating agrometeorological information are needed to help farmers, especially subsistence/small-scale farmers, to cope with the high climate variability experienced in most parts of southern Africa. Design/methodology/approach: The article introduces an early warning system for farmers. It utilizes short messaging system (SMS) to convey weather information and basic agronomic advice to 12 small-scale farmers in Makhado Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa. This case study demonstrates the usefulness of incorporating weather information on day-to-day farm management activities. Coded rainfall forecasts for light (0-5mm), medium (5-20mm) and heavy rainfall (greater than 20mm) were distributed three times a week to individual farmers and extension officers. Accompanying the forecasts were possible agricultural activities for the week. Findings: Extensive training of the farmers and extension officers is a pre-requisite for full comprehension of the coded SMS early warning system. The recommendations on farming conditions are not always adhered to due to farmers' indigenous knowledge and other factors like access to labour. Practical implications: Weather and climate information distributed to farmers has the potential to add value to the farming methods employed, hence positively impacting on rural food security. Originality/value: The article demonstrates that agrometeorological information must be packaged in such a way as to assist farmers and should be disseminated timeously and appropriately to maximize its utility or adoption. (Contains 6 tables and 2 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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Physical Activities; Obesity; Information Technology; Video Games; Physical Activity Level; Eating Habits; Nutrition; Food; Health Behavior; Children; Adolescents; Marketing

Abstract:
Children and adolescents in the United States and in many countries are projected to have shorter life spans than their parents, partly because of the obesity crisis engulfing the developed world. Exposure to electronic media is often implicated in this crisis because media use, including electronic game play, may promote sedentary behavior and increase consumption of high-calorie foods and beverages that are low in nutritional value. Electronic games, however, may increase children's physical activity and expose them to healthier foods. We examine the role of electronic games in the pediatric obesity crisis and their contribution to more favorable health outcomes. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Program Effectiveness; Teacher Attitudes; Cues; Information Technology; Space Utilization; Qualitative Research; Higher Education; Personal Narratives; Inquiry; Computer Simulation; Virtual Classrooms; Teaching Methods; Games; Computer Uses in Education; Role Playing; Ownership; Foreign Countries

Abstract:
This paper will present a study that explored the perceived impact of spatial practice in "Second Life" (SL) on teaching and learning from the point of view of participants in higher education (lecturers, developers and researchers). Narrative inquiry was used to access stories and experiences of space and spatial practice from staff perspectives. The findings indicated that ownership, spatial violation and replication were the concerns raised by participants in relation to spatial practice. However, participants also suggested that an understanding of social cues, spatial negotiation and spatial consideration were important issues to address for effective teaching to occur in SL. The findings of this study suggest that there remains relatively little in-depth understanding of the way space is implicated in learning in SL and that spatial practice also requires further research, in order to better understand their pedagogical implications when using SL as a learning space. (Contains 2 tables and 2 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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Descriptors:
Physics; Foreign Countries; Science Teachers; Scores; Textbooks; Undergraduate Students; Information Technology; Technology Integration; Cognitive Ability; Vocabulary Development; English for Special Purposes; Multimedia Instruction; Scientific Concepts; Recall (Psychology); Second Language Learning; Second Language Instruction

Abstract:
This study investigates whether the integration of ICT in education can facilitate teaching and learning. An example of such integration is computer assisted language learning (CALL) of English technical vocabulary by undergraduate physics students in Rwanda. The study draws on theories of cognitive load and multimedia learning to explore learning in a one-computer classroom in an environment where textbooks and multiple computers are not available. Two groups of students attended a 4-week English-language technical vocabulary course (eight three-hour sessions) taught by two ESP trained science teachers. One group (n = 13) was taught using computer-mediated multimedia to present technical vocabulary on-screen. The other group (n = 19) received blackboard presentations employing traditional methods to help students internalize the same vocabulary. Post-test scores of the two groups were compared. The results show that the effect of multimedia on the recall of the concepts taught is large (Cohen's "d" 0.95). (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.) 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:
Access to Computers; Educational Technology; Evidence; Secondary School Teachers; Curriculum Development; Foreign Countries; Geography Instruction; Geographic Information Systems; Information Technology; Online Surveys; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Education; Computer Software

Abstract:
A number of studies suggest that integrating Geographical Information Systems (GIS) into Geography teaching in schools has been and is challenging, and it seems that much of the early promise for the technology supporting learning in Geography has not been realised. This paper examines the progress made in Northern Ireland in implementing GIS in secondary schools. The deployment of a centrally procured entry-level GIS, in the context of a programme of centralised provision of information and communication technology (ICT) services to all schools, is examined and the results of an online survey of 85 Geography teachers provides an insight into how effective that provision has been. This combination of a regional strategy on GIS, curriculum changes and increased access to computers seems to have ensured that GIS is being used in many Geography classrooms. There is evidence that a range of GI systems are being used in schools and in a number of different ways, but mostly for teacher rather than for pupil use at present. Teachers expressed a need for coordinated training in order to make full use of the hardware and software available. (Contains 2 tables, 2 figures, and 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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Cooperative Learning; Learning Activities; Expertise; Cooperation; Information Technology; Interpersonal Competence; Group Behavior; Group Dynamics; Concept Mapping; Pretests Posttests; Group Activities

Abstract:
Traditionally, research on awareness during online collaboration focused on topics such as the effects of spatial information about group members' activities on the collaborative process. When the concept of awareness was introduced to computer-supported collaborative learning, this focus shifted to cognitive group awareness (e.g., information about group members' knowledge and expertise) and social group awareness (e.g., information about group members' contributions to the group process). In this article, we show how both cognitive and social group awareness affect coordination of collaborative activities in the "content" (e.g., cognitive learning activities) and "relational" space (e.g., maintaining a positive group climate) of collaboration. Furthermore, we describe how cognitive and social group awareness tools (i.e., tools designed to enhance cognitive or social group awareness) may help learners coordinate their activities in both spaces. We present a conceptual framework that shows how group awareness affects coordination in both dialogical spaces and the effectiveness of collaboration. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.) 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:
Educational Environment; Educational Technology; Information Technology; Electronic Learning; Undergraduate Students; College Students; Handheld Devices; Written Language; Telecommunications; Questionnaires; Literacy; Foreign Countries; Higher Education

Abstract:
Nowadays, teaching and learning have been shifted from traditional classrooms to technology-supported learning environment. By offering a convenient, efficient and financially affordable information technology learning environment, mobile learning is a topic that is of considerable interest for education audiences owing to the pervasive nature of text messaging. This study investigated tertiary students' use of text messaging in mobile learning and related areas such as their literacy levels and years of using text messages. Given the use of such technology in classrooms today, this study is timely and makes its contribution to what is naturally scant literature in this area. Data were gathered by way of a questionnaire and text message exercises. Fifty-three students participated in this study. The results shed light on whether or not text messaging is positively or negatively related to students' self-rated reading and writing attainment. Also revealed is whether or not there are differences between students at different levels, that is, whether first-year undergraduate students use text messaging differently, and if so in what ways, than undergraduate students who are nearer the end of their studies and postgraduate students. This article offers insight into the implications of successful mobile learning upon a contemporary account of practices and how we educators might use text messaging in mobile learning. (Contains 5 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:
Theory Practice Relationship; Cooperation; Foreign Countries; Research Design; Research and Development; Case Studies; Interviews; Information Science; Libraries; Library Science; Librarians; Information Technology; Technology Uses in Education

Abstract:
The purpose of this article is to suggest commons-based peer production as a form of work that can help bridge the gap between research and practice in LIS. The research design is based on two in-depth and longitudinal qualitative case studies of collaborative projects involving LIS academics and practitioners in Italy. Analysis of interviews and texts was conducted to study the interplay between sociotechnical aspects of work organization and the activities of the actors. The results suggest similarities between the collaborative projects analysed and peer-production activities. This study relies on two cases which cannot be considered either typical or representative of collaboration between LIS academics and practitioners in Italy. The paper offers the opportunity to stimulate a discussion on collaboration between researchers and practitioners in LIS, and on the potential applicability of peer production to support new forms of collaboration in small-scale, distributed, and unfunded or underfunded projects. (Contains 2 tables and 7 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:
Information Services; Information Seeking; Educational Attainment; Semi Structured Interviews; Economic Status; Internet; Information Technology; Information Sources; Information Needs

Abstract:
This exploratory study examines the information seeking and use behaviors of a group of US retired or near-retirement investors from everyday life information seeking and serious leisure perspectives. Although primarily qualitative, it also collects and analyzes quantitative data to describe retired investors' information preferences and use. Semi-structured interviews and journaling are used to examine the information seeking behaviors of a diverse group of investors and to assess the impact that personal characteristics, such as sex, socio-economic status, and educational attainment have on their behaviors. Findings suggest that the female investors studied were less likely to create information intensive fields and that this tendency is exacerbated by low educational attainment. Furthermore, the male investors studied were more likely to adopt Internet technology for their investing information seeking regardless of their educational attainment. Recommendations are made for improving information services to this important segment of the population. (Contains 1 table, 8 figures and 1 note.) 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:
Awards; Community Colleges; Certification; Allied Health Occupations; Fire Protection; Police; Maintenance; Welding; Business Administration; Information Technology; Building Trades; Employment Qualifications; Employment Opportunities

Abstract:
Certificates are nondegree awards for completing an educational program of study after high school. Typically, students finish these programs to prepare for a specific occupation. And they do so in a relatively short period of time: Most certificates take less than a year to complete, and almost all are designed to take less than 2 years. Among the questions about certificates that one will need to have answered are the following: (1) What occupations can certificates prepare me for?; (2) What are some benefits and drawbacks to getting a certificate?; and (3) How can I find a program that's right for me? This article answers these and other questions about certificates and certificate programs. The first section of the article describes certificates and some of the occupations that require them. The second section explains some potential benefits and drawbacks to these educational awards. The third section offers advice on evaluating certificate programs. The final section provides additional sources of information. (Contains 7 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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