Design theory for innovation of classroom-based information systems

This research used design science research methods to develop, instantiate, implement, and measure the acceptance of a novel software artefact. The primary purpose of this software artefact was to enhance data collection, improve its quality and enable its capture in classroom environments without distracting from the teaching activity. The artefact set is an iOS app, with supporting web services and technologies designed in response to teacher and pastoral care needs. System analysis and design used Enterprise Architecture methods. The novel component of the iOS app implemented proximity detection to identify the student through their iPad and automatically link to that student's data. The use of this novel software artefact and web services was trialled in a school setting, measuring user acceptance and system utility. This integrated system was shown to improve the accuracy, consistency, completeness and timeliness of captured data and the utility of the input and reporting systems.

Using Bourdieu in education research: Theory and methods

This workshop will snapshot Bourdieu's sociology. In recognition of Bourdieu's work as a powerful theoretical instrument to speculate the reproduction of social orders and cultural values, the workshop will firstly discuss the core concepts of habitus, capital, and field – the foundational triad of Bourdieu's sociology. Although Bourdieu's original work was built on some quantitative studies, his sociology has been largely qualitatively used in education research. Different from the bulk of extant research, the workshop will secondly showcase some quantitative and mixed methods research that uses a Bourdieusian framework. Mindful of such a framework helping understand social practice at a macro level, the workshop will then make an attempt to think through the macro and the micro by weaving together Bourdieu's sociology with Garfinkel's ethnomethodology. The workshop will conclude with some reflections and communications in terms of how to better realise the full value of Bourdieu in education research.

A grounded theory of living a life with a physical disability in Taiwan

This study explores the experiences of disability for a number of Taiwanese adults with a physical disability. Using a grounded theory approach, their experiences of living a life with a physical disability were gained through in-depth interviews. The resulting grounded theory ‘it is more than just the impaired body’ presents the dynamic interactions between the participants and the context in which they were living their lives and how they managed their lives within that context. With its inclusion of the cultural dimension, a holistic way of understanding the daily lives of those who experience physical disability in Taiwan is provided.

Fractal and complex network analyses of protein molecular dynamics

Based on protein molecular dynamics, we investigate the fractal properties of energy, pressure and volume time series using the multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA) and the topological and fractal properties of their converted horizontal visibility graphs (HVGs). The energy parameters of protein dynamics we considered are bonded potential, angle potential, dihedral potential, improper potential, kinetic energy, Van der Waals potential, electrostatic potential, total energy and potential energy. The shape of the h(q)h(q) curves from MF-DFA indicates that these time series are multifractal. The numerical values of the exponent h(2)h(2) of MF-DFA show that the series of total energy and potential energy are non-stationary and anti-persistent; the other time series are stationary and persistent apart from series of pressure (with H≈0.5H≈0.5 indicating the absence of long-range correlation). The degree distributions of their converted HVGs show that these networks are exponential. The results of fractal analysis show that fractality exists in these converted HVGs. For each energy, pressure or volume parameter, it is found that the values of h(2)h(2) of MF-DFA on the time series, exponent λλ of the exponential degree distribution and fractal dimension dBdB of their converted HVGs do not change much for different proteins (indicating some universality). We also found that after taking average over all proteins, there is a linear relationship between 〈h(2)〉〈h(2)〉 (from MF-DFA on time series) and 〈dB〉〈dB〉 of the converted HVGs for different energy, pressure and volume.

Topological properties and fractal analysis of a recurrence network constructed from fractional Brownian motions

Many studies have shown that we can gain additional information on time series by investigating their accompanying complex networks. In this work, we investigate the fundamental topological and fractal properties of recurrence networks constructed from fractional Brownian motions (FBMs). First, our results indicate that the constructed recurrence networks have exponential degree distributions; the average degree exponent 〈λ〉 increases first and then decreases with the increase of Hurst index H of the associated FBMs; the relationship between H and 〈λ〉 can be represented by a cubic polynomial function. We next focus on the motif rank distribution of recurrence networks, so that we can better understand networks at the local structure level. We find the interesting superfamily phenomenon, i.e., the recurrence networks with the same motif rank pattern being grouped into two superfamilies. Last, we numerically analyze the fractal and multifractal properties of recurrence networks. We find that the average fractal dimension 〈dB〉 of recurrence networks decreases with the Hurst index H of the associated FBMs, and their dependence approximately satisfies the linear formula 〈dB〉≈2-H, which means that the fractal dimension of the associated recurrence network is close to that of the graph of the FBM. Moreover, our numerical results of multifractal analysis show that the multifractality exists in these recurrence networks, and the multifractality of these networks becomes stronger at first and then weaker when the Hurst index of the associated time series becomes larger from 0.4 to 0.95. In particular, the recurrence network with the Hurst index H=0.5 possesses the strongest multifractality. In addition, the dependence relationships of the average information dimension 〈D(1)〉 and the average correlation dimension 〈D(2)〉 on the Hurst index H can also be fitted well with linear functions. Our results strongly suggest that the recurrence network inherits the basic characteristic and the fractal nature of the associated FBM series.

Evaluation of a skin self examination attitude scale using an item response theory model approach

Introduction The Skin Self-Examination Attitude Scale (SSEAS) is a brief measure that allows for the assessment of attitudes in relation to skin self-examination. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the SSEAS using Item Response Theory (IRT) methods in a large sample of men ≥ 50 years in Queensland, Australia. Methods A sample of 831 men (420 intervention and 411 control) completed a telephone assessment at the 13-month follow-up of a randomized-controlled trial of a video-based intervention to improve skin self-examination (SSE) behaviour. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, item–total correlations, and Cronbach’s alpha) were compiled and difficulty parameters were computed with Winsteps using the polytomous Rasch Rating Scale Model (RRSM). An item person (Wright) map of the SSEAS was examined for content coverage and item targeting. Results The SSEAS have good psychometric properties including good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.80), fit with the model and no evidence for differential item functioning (DIF) due to experimental trial grouping was detected. Conclusions The present study confirms the SSEA scale as a brief, useful and reliable tool for assessing attitudes towards skin self-examination in a population of men 50 years or older in Queensland, Australia. The 8-item scale shows unidimensionality, allowing levels of SSE attitude, and the item difficulties, to be ranked on a single continuous scale. In terms of clinical practice, it is very important to assess skin cancer self-examination attitude to identify people who may need a more extensive intervention to allow early detection of skin cancer.

Digital literacy in theory, policy and practice: Old concerns, new opportunities

The increasing ubiquity and use of digital technologies across social and cultural life is a key challenge for educators engaged in helping students develop a range of literacies useful for school and beyond. Many young people's experience of communication and participation is now shaped by almost constant engagements with digital technologies and media, as well as with global digital cultures. This increasing access and use has given many young people the opportunity to engage deeply with global media cultures via popular music, television and film franchises, the worldwide computer games industry, or countless other subcultures that connect fans and interested others from around the world via the internet. 'Digital literacy' is often the term associated with the ability to traverse these, and other, online and offline worlds; the notion has long been synonymous with the idea that digital technologies now mediate perhaps a majority of our social interactions. These forms of engagement with the world have important implications for educators and school systems which have historically recognised only a very narrow set of legitimate literacies.

“It’s in the syllabus”: Identifying information literacy and data information literacy opportunities using a grounded theory approach

Developing innovative library services requires a real world understanding of faculty members' desired curricular goals. This study aimed to develop a comprehensive and deeper understanding of Purdue's nutrition science and political science faculties' expectations for student learning related to information and data information literacies. Course syllabi were examined using grounded theory techniques that allowed us to identify how faculty were addressing information and data information literacies in their courses, but it also enabled us to understand the interconnectedness of these literacies to other departmental intentions for student learning, such as developing a professional identity or learning to conduct original research. The holistic understanding developed through this research provides the necessary information for designing and suggesting information literacy and data information literacy services to departmental faculty in ways supportive of curricular learning outcomes.

Corporate Social Responsibility Assurance: Theory, Regulations and Practice in China

This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the theory, regulations and practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) assurance in China. Built on stakeholder and related theories, it employs a demand-and-supply analytical framework to illustrate the development and current status of China’s CSR assurance market. It finds that government agencies, stock exchanges, accounting standard setters and industrial associations have collectively shaped the current regulatory framework on CSR reporting and assurance in China. Regarding demand, differences in the social and legal environments across such a large country influence the regional development of CSR assurance. Industries under intensive CSR regulations and/or social reporting pressure—for example, the finance, aviation and mining industries—more actively achieve CSR report assurance. Regarding supply, the CSR assurance market in China is shared by accounting firms and professional certification bodies. Different assurance standards adopted by the two streams of assurance providers have different foci, potentially leading to different assurance coverage and emphases.

Smarten up! Applying market design theory to housing supply

PROBLEM Cost of delivering medium density apartments impedes supply of new and more affordable housing in established suburbs EXISTING FOCUS - Planning controls - Construction costs, esp labour - Regulation eg sustainability

A quasi-likelihood method for fractal-dimension estimation

We propose a simple method of constructing quasi-likelihood functions for dependent data based on conditional-mean-variance relationships, and apply the method to estimating the fractal dimension from box-counting data. Simulation studies were carried out to compare this method with the traditional methods. We also applied this technique to real data from fishing grounds in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia

An extension of the continual reassessment method using decision theory

The primary goal of a phase I trial is to find the maximally tolerated dose (MTD) of a treatment. The MTD is usually defined in terms of a tolerable probability, q*, of toxicity. Our objective is to find the highest dose with toxicity risk that does not exceed q*, a criterion that is often desired in designing phase I trials. This criterion differs from that of finding the dose with toxicity risk closest to q*, that is used in methods such as the continual reassessment method. We use the theory of decision processes to find optimal sequential designs that maximize the expected number of patients within the trial allocated to the highest dose with toxicity not exceeding q*, among the doses under consideration. The proposed method is very general in the sense that criteria other than the one considered here can be optimized and that optimal dose assignment can be defined in terms of patients within or outside the trial. It includes as an important special case the continual reassessment method. Numerical study indicates the strategy compares favourably with other phase I designs.

4th International Workshop on Theory and Application of Visualizations and Human-centric Aspects in Processes

This is the fourth TAProViz workshop being run at the 13th International Conference on Business Process Management (BPM). The intention this year is to consolidate on the results of the previous successful workshops by further developing this important topic, identifying the key research topics of interest to the BPM visualization community. Towards this goal, the workshop topics were extended to human computer interaction and related domains. Submitted papers were evaluated by at least three program committee members, in a double blind manner, on the basis of significance, originality, technical quality and exposition. Three full and one position papers were accepted for presentation at the workshop. In addition, we invited a keynote speaker, Jakob Pinggera, a postdoctoral researcher at the Business Process Management Research Cluster at the University of Innsbruck, Austria.

The development of a guideline of care for patients with a Sengstaken-Blakemore Tube insitu in a general Intensive Care Unit using translational change theory

Aims & Objectives - identify and diagnose the current problems associated with patient care with regard to the nursing management of patients with Sengstaken-Blakemore tubes insitu; - Identify current nursing practice currently in place within the ICU and the hospital; identify the method by which the assessment and provision of nursing care is delivered in the ICU

Multi-Hypotheses Tracking using the Dempster–Shafer Theory, application to ambiguous road context

This paper presents a Multi-Hypotheses Tracking (MHT) approach that allows solving ambiguities that arise with previous methods of associating targets and tracks within a highly volatile vehicular environment. The previous approach based on the Dempster–Shafer Theory assumes that associations between tracks and targets are unique; this was shown to allow the formation of ghost tracks when there was too much ambiguity or conflict for the system to take a meaningful decision. The MHT algorithm described in this paper removes this uniqueness condition, allowing the system to include ambiguity and even to prevent making any decision if available data are poor. We provide a general introduction to the Dempster–Shafer Theory and present the previously used approach. Then, we explain our MHT mechanism and provide evidence of its increased performance in reducing the amount of ghost tracks and false positive processed by the tracking system.