Learning from openness : the dynamics of breadth in external innovation linkages

We explore how openness in terms of external linkages generates learning effects, which enable firms to generate more innovation outputs from any given breadth of external linkages. Openness to external knowledge sources, whether through search activity or linkages to external partners in new product development, involves a process of interaction and information processing. Such activities are likely to be subject to a learning process, as firms learn which knowledge sources and collaborative linkages are most useful to their particular needs, and which partnerships are most effective in delivering innovation performance. Using panel data from Irish manufacturing plants, we find evidence of such learning effects: establishments with substantial experience of external collaborations in previous periods derive more innovation output from openness in the current period. © 2013 The Authors. Strategic Management Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Issues in learning an ontology from text

Ontology construction for any domain is a labour intensive and complex process. Any methodology that can reduce the cost and increase efficiency has the potential to make a major impact in the life sciences. This paper describes an experiment in ontology construction from text for the animal behaviour domain. Our objective was to see how much could be done in a simple and relatively rapid manner using a corpus of journal papers. We used a sequence of pre-existing text processing steps, and here describe the different choices made to clean the input, to derive a set of terms and to structure those terms in a number of hierarchies. We describe some of the challenges, especially that of focusing the ontology appropriately given a starting point of a heterogeneous corpus. Results - Using mainly automated techniques, we were able to construct an 18055 term ontology-like structure with 73% recall of animal behaviour terms, but a precision of only 26%. We were able to clean unwanted terms from the nascent ontology using lexico-syntactic patterns that tested the validity of term inclusion within the ontology. We used the same technique to test for subsumption relationships between the remaining terms to add structure to the initially broad and shallow structure we generated. All outputs are available at http://thirlmere.aston.ac.uk/~kiffer/animalbehaviour/ webcite. Conclusion - We present a systematic method for the initial steps of ontology or structured vocabulary construction for scientific domains that requires limited human effort and can make a contribution both to ontology learning and maintenance. The method is useful both for the exploration of a scientific domain and as a stepping stone towards formally rigourous ontologies. The filtering of recognised terms from a heterogeneous corpus to focus upon those that are the topic of the ontology is identified to be one of the main challenges for research in ontology learning.

Institutions and social entrepreneurship:the role of institutional voids, institutional support, and institutional configurations

We develop the institutional configuration perspective to understand which national contexts facilitate social entrepreneurship (SE). We confirm joint effects on SE of formal regulatory (government activism), informal cognitive (postmaterialist cultural values), and informal normative (socially supportive cultural norms, or weak-tie social capital) institutions in a multilevel study of 106,484 individuals in 26 nations. We test opposing propositions from the institutional void and institutional support perspectives. Our results underscore the importance of resource support from both formal and informal institutions, and highlight motivational supply side influences on SE. They advocate greater consideration of institutional configurations in institutional theory and comparative entrepreneurship research.

Is Bologna working? Employer and graduate reflections of the quality, value and relevance of business and management education in four European Union countries

This article focuses on the relevance of undergraduate business and management higher education from the perspectives of recent graduates and graduate employers in four European countries. Drawing upon the findings of an empirical qualitative study in which data was collated and analysed using grounded theory research techniques, the paper draws attention to graduates' and employers' perceptions of the value of higher education in equipping students with discipline-specific skills and knowledge as well as softer 'generic' skills. It also highlights the importance of formal 'work-based' learning within undergraduate curricula in providing students with the skills and experiences required by employers operating within a global workplace. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The impact of university research on corporate patenting

This paper analyses the association between the number of patenting manufacturing firms and the quantity and quality of relevant university research across UK postcode areas. We show that different measures of research `power' and `excellence' positively affect the patenting of small firms within the same postcode area. Patenting by large firms, in contrast, is unaffected by research undertaken in nearby universities. This confirms the commonly held view that location matters more for small firms than large firms. We also investigate specific channels of technology transfer, finding that university-industry knowledge transfer occurs through both formal and informal channels. From a methodological point of view, we contribute to the existing literature by accounting for potential simultaneity between university research and patenting of local firms by adopting an instrumental variable approach. Moreover, we also allow for the effects of the presence of universities in neighbouring postcode areas to influence firms' patenting activity by incorporating spatial neighborhood effects.

ICT adoption by logistics service providers:developing a learning agenda

Recent years have seen innovations in the logistics and freight transport industry in relation to Information and communication technologies (ICT) diffusion. The implementation of such technologies by third party logistics providers (3PLs) allows the real-time exchange of information between supply chain partners, thereby improving planning capability and customer service. However, the logistics and freight transport industry is lagging somewhat behind other sectors in ICT diffusion. In relation to the latter point, it is important to note that the dissemination of ICT in logistics and supply chain management (SCM) is shifting the 3PL industry to an increasingly knowledge-intensive approach. In this process, the role of learning becomes more central and an assessment of the impact of future ICT learning needs for the logistics providers is a strategic imperative. The aim of this paper is to assess the impact of ICT on logistics and freight transport industry in Italy and Ireland, and to identify learning needs for more effective ICT adoption in 3PLs.

A socio-technical perspective on ERP implementation

This paper provides an analysis of ERP implementation in the context of social-technical information systems management theory. The paper provides a discussion of how ERP systems can contribute to the development of a new generation of business management that combines both formal and informal mechanisms. This could be achieved through the use of informal communities of an enterprise that could both collaborate efficiently with a common ERP platform with a certain level of standardization but also have the flexibility in order to provide an agile reaction to internal and external events. © 2012 IADIS.

A quest for helpful feedback to programming coursework

The 2011 National Student Survey (NSS) revealed that 40% of full-time students in England do not think that the feedback on their work has been helpful, even though 66% of these students agreed that the feedback was detailed and 62% of them agreed that the feedback has been prompt. Detailed feedback that is not considered helpful by students means a waste of tutors' time while students continue to struggle with their learning. What do students consider as helpful feedback? What are the qualities of helpful feedback? What are the preferred forms of feedback? How should tutors write feedback so that students will find it helpful? Can ICT help to improve the quality of feedback? In our ongoing search for answers to the above questions, we have trialled the use of a novel online application (eCAF) to assess programming coursework from engineering, mathematics and computing students and, through a survey, have collected their views on the feedback received. The survey reveals that most students prefer electronic feedback as given through eCAF, with verbal feedback ranked second and hand-written feedback ranked even lower. The survey also indicates that the feedback from some tutors is considered more helpful than others. We report on the detailed findings of the survey. By comparing the kinds of feedback given by each tutor who took part in the trial, we explore ways to improve the helpfulness of feedback on programming coursework in a bid to promote learning amongst engineering students.

An eMathTeacher Tool for Active Learning Fleury’s Algorithm

An eMathTeacher [Sánchez-Torrubia 2007a] is an eLearning on line self assessment tool that help students to active learning math algorithms by themselves, correcting their mistakes and providing them with clues to find the right solution. The tool presented in this paper is an example of this new concept on Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) resources and has been implemented as a Java applet and designed as an auxiliary instrument for both classroom teaching and individual practicing of Fleury’s algorithm. This tool, included within a set of eMathTeacher tools, has been designed as educational complement of Graph Algorithm active learning for first course students. Its characteristics of visualization, simplicity and interactivity, make this tutorial a great value pedagogical instrument.

Developing an intervention to equip nurses for acute life threatening events (ALTEs) in hospital:a phenomenological approach to healthcare research

Objectives: To understand staff's experiences of acute life threatening events (ALTEs) in a pediatric hospital setting. These data will inform an intervention to equip nurses with clinical and emotional skills for dealing with ALTEs. Method: A mixed design was used in the broader research program; this paper focuses on phenomenon-focused interviews analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results: Emerging themes included staff's relationships with patients and the impact of personhood on their ability to perform competently in an emergency. More experienced nurses described "automatic" competence generated through increased exposure to ALTEs and were able to recognize "fumbling and shaking" as a normal stress response. Designating a role was significant to staff experience of effectiveness. Key to nurses' learning experience was reflection and identifying experiences as "teachable moments." Findings were considered alongside existing theories of self-efficacy, reflective thought, and advocacy inquiry to create an experiential learning intervention involving a series of clinical and role-related scenarios. Conclusion: The phenomenological work facilitated an in-depth reading of experience. It accentuated the importance of exposure to ALTEs giving nurses experiential knowledge to prepare them for the impact of these events. Challenges included bracketing the personhood of child patients, shifting focus to clinical tasks during the pressured demands of managing an ALTE, normalizing the physiological stress response, and the need for a forum and structure for reflection and learning. An intervention will be designed to provide experiential learning and encourage nurses to realize and benefit from their embodied knowledge.

Local Goals Driven Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning

* This research was partially supported by the Latvian Science Foundation under grant No.02-86d.

'There's a hell of a noise':living with a hearing loss in residential care

Background: hearing loss is common in older age. Research with older people in residential care settings has identified high prevalence of hearing loss and low uptake of hearing aids. Hearing loss in these settings is associated with reduced social engagement. Although hearing aids remain the default treatment for presbyacusic hearing loss, these are not well used. We do not know what other modifiable factors contribute to communication problems for older people with hearing loss living in residential care. Objectives: to explore the factors affecting communicating with a hearing loss in residential care. Methods: an ethnographic study in two residential care homes comprised 19 sessions of observation, and in-depth interviews with 18 residents. Observations explored communication behaviour in everyday interactions, including mealtimes, structured groups and informal group activities. Interviews were informed by the observations and identified reasons for these behaviours and communication preferences. Observational data were recorded in field notes and interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Analysis was conducted using constant comparison methods. Results: hearing loss affected whether residents were able to access social opportunities. Two key themes influenced this (i) contextual issues compounded communication difficulties and (ii) environmental noise restricted the residents' communication choices. Problems were observed at every mealtime and during formal and informal group activities. The use of hearing aids and access to hearing services did not improve social engagement. Conclusions: environmental and social factors are key to maximising communication opportunities. Improvements to communication in residential care settings could be based on changes in these with input from residents and staff. Further work is needed to develop effective communication strategies in residential care.

TQM in e-Learning: a Self-assessment Model and Questionnaire

Organizations are seeking new, integrated systems that enable rapid changes through early identification of opportunities and problems, tracking of progress against plans, flexible allocation of resources to achieve goals, and consistent operations. Total Quality Management (TQM) is an overall business strategy. It means that all activities of the company will be focused on satisfying all stakeholders of the company. TQM can be realised by using the EFQM model. The EFQM model is a tool that organizations may use as a framework for self-evaluation that enables an organization to identify its strengths and areas for improvement and the extent to which its operations and results are in line with the characteristics of an excellent organization. We focus on a training organisation or to the learning department of an organization. So we are limiting the EFQM model to the training /learning activities. We can apply EFQM perfect on the level of an activity (business line) of a company. We selected the main criteria for which the learner can play the role of assessor. So only three main criteria left: the enabling resources, the enabling processes and the (learning) results for the learner. We limited the last one to “learning results” based on the Kirkpatrick model.

Learning from openness:the dynamics of breadth in external innovation linkages

We explore how openness in terms of external linkages generates learning effects, which enable firms to generate more innovation outputs from any given breadth of external linkages. Openness to external knowledge sources, whether through search activity or linkages to external partners in new product development, involves a process of interaction and information processing. Such activities are likely to be subject to a learning process, as firms learn which knowledge sources and collaborative linkages are most useful to their particular needs, and which partnerships are most effective in delivering innovation performance. Using panel data from Irish manufacturing plants, we find evidence of such learning effects: establishments with substantial experience of external collaborations in previous periods derive more innovation output from openness in the current period. © 2013 The Authors. Strategic Management Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Facilitating intuitive-guided learning in a serious game through integration with a learning content management system

Increased global uptake of entertainment gaming has the potential to lead to high expectations of engagement and interactivity from users of technology-enhanced learning environments. Blended approaches to implementing game-based learning as part of distance or technology-enhanced education have led to demonstrations of the benefits they might bring, allowing learners to interact with immersive technologies as part of a broader, structured learning experience. In this article, we explore how the integration of a serious game can be extended to a learning content management system (LCMS) to support a blended and holistic approach, described as an 'intuitive-guided' method. Through a case study within the EU-Funded Adaptive Learning via Intuitive/Interactive, Collaborative and Emotional Systems (ALICE) project, a technical integration of a gaming engine with a proprietary LCMS is demonstrated, building upon earlier work and demonstrating how this approach might be realized. In particular, how this method can support an intuitive-guided approach to learning is considered, whereby the learner is given the potential to explore a non-linear environment whilst scaffolding and blending provide guidance ensuring targeted learning objectives are met. Through an evaluation of the developed prototype with 32 students aged 14-16 across two Italian schools, a varied response from learners is observed, coupled with a positive reception from tutors. The study demonstrates that challenges remain in providing high-fidelity content in a classroom environment, particularly as an increasing gap in technology availability between leisure and school times emerges.