The Role of the National Library in Preserving National Written Heritage

The first part presented at the meeting by A. Dipchikova is a brief report of the role of the National library as an institution in collecting, preserving and making accessible the national written heritage. Problems of digitization are examined from the point of view of the existing experience in cataloguing. Special attention is paid to the history and the significance of international standards, the experience in the field of development and maintenance of authority files on national and international level as well as in markup languages. Possibilities of using MARC and XML in the library are discussed. The second part presented here by E. Moussakova is giving an overview of the latest activities of the Library in the sphere of digitisation of the old Slavic manuscripts which are component of the national cultural heritage. It is pointed out that the current work is rather limited within the scope of preparation of metadata than being focused on digital products.

Education in Computer Science and the Role of the Teacher in the Environment of Open Educational Resources

Report published in the Proceedings of the National Conference on "Education in the Information Society", Plovdiv, May, 2013

Role of the educator in social software initiatives in Further and Higher Education:a conceptualisation and research agenda

Higher and further education institutions are increasingly using social software tools to support teaching and learning. A growing body of research investigates the diversity of tools and their range of contributions. However, little research has focused on investigating the role of the educator in the context of a social software initiative, even though the educator is critical for the introduction and successful use of social software in a course environment. Hence, we argue that research on social software should place greater emphasis on the educators, as their roles and activities (such as selecting the tools, developing the tasks and facilitating the student interactions on these tools) are instrumental to most aspects of a social software initiative. To this end, we have developed an agenda for future research on the role of the educator. Drawing on role theory, both as the basis for a systematic conceptualization of the educator role and as a guiding framework, we have developed a series of concrete research questions that address core issues associated with the educator roles in a social software context and provide recommendations for further investigations. By developing a research agenda we hope to stimulate research that creates a better understanding of the educator’s situation and develops guidelines to help educators carry out their social software initiatives. Considering the significant role an educator plays in the initiation and conduct of a social software initiative, our research agenda ultimately seeks to contribute to the adoption and efficient use of social software in the educational domain.

Leader trustworthy behavior and organizational trust:the role of the immediate manager for cultivating trust

Drawing from both trust-building theory and interpersonal trust literature, we investigate how trust between a leader and follower may be leveraged to influence organizational trust. We also explore the mediating mechanisms of this link and test a potential moderator. A cross-sectional, multi-foci design was adopted and participants were 201 employees within a public sector organization. Leader trustworthy behavior was found to predict organizational trust, mediated by trustworthiness perceptions and trust in the leader. Support for the boundary condition was found; namely, when leaders were more senior, the relationship between trustworthy behavior and organizational trust was stronger. The findings suggest that leaders can meaningfully influence organizational trust perceptions through the enactment of trustworthy behavior, although the strength of this effect varied as a function of their position.

A kutatási és fejlesztési tevékenység lehetőségei és korlátai a kkv szektorban A vezető szerepe az innovációban és az innováció értelmezése a kkv szektorban = Opportunities and constrains in the r&d activities of the SMEs: The role of the entrepreneur in the innovation processes and how it is manifasted in their everyday activities

Jelen tanulmány arra keresi a választ, hogy a vállalkozónak milyen szerepe van az innovációban, és az innovációnak milyen különböző értelmezési lehetőségei fedezhetőek fel kis- és középvállalkozási szektorban. Kiindulási pontja a vállalkozó vezető személye és innovatív magatartása, mellyel folyamatosan keresi a fejlődés új lehetőségeit. A vállalkozó az erőforrások kreatív felhasználása és vállalkozói magatartása révén a vállalkozás motorjának tekinthető. A tanulmány alapját kvalitatív mélyinterjúkon alapuló, 14 interjúból álló kutatás képezi, melyek mélyreható elemzése alátámasztotta, hogy az innovációs hajlandóság erősen összefügg a vállalkozói magatartással, és mindkét tényező szorosan köthető a vállalkozás vezetőjéhez. / === / This paper focuses on the entrepreneur’s role in the innovation process and on the way the entrepreneurs interpret the phenomena of innovation and they perceive their role in this process. The paper begins with the presentation of different entrepreneurial models, focusing especially on entrepreneurial management and its linkages to variable forms of innovation. Based on the deep examination of 14 interviews made with Hungarian entrepreneurs, the paper identifies the entrepreneur’s decisive role in the innovation process, furthermore the article confirms the importance of entrepreneurial and risk-taking behavior in innovative organizations.

The Syrian refugee crisis reconsidered: The role of the EU-Turkey Agreement

The aim of the article is to analyse the roots of the current refugee crisis in Syria. The author argues that the most effective way to solve the crisis can only be to re-establish order and stability in Syria and Iraq. However, even with the most recent international attempts to bring the different Syrian actors to engage in proximity talks, re-establishing order in Syria will not be possible in the short term for the international community. Therefore more attention is needed to address the refugee crisis in the neighbouring countries. Due to its geographical location Turkey is the most important host and transit country for Syrian and other migrants. Turkey lacks the appropriate legal system and infrastructure to handle the situation. The author argues that the international community must make a greater effort to provide the refugees with basic necessities. The EU-Turkey agreement is an important step forward, but it lacks a truly comprehensive approach to solve the crisis. Turkey’s foreign policy toward Syria further complicates the challenge arising from the Syrian crisis.

The democratization of higher education in Jamaica: The role of the University of the West Indies

The University of the West Indies (UWI), established in the British colony of Jamaica in 1948, was mandated to serve the “brightest and the best” of the British colonies. Unfortunately, the austerity of Jamaica's economy has not helped to augment an “open door” access to higher education, and UWI is often criticized for not implementing policies to sustain the democratization of higher education; it is accused of functioning as an elitist institution. ^ The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine whether UWI functions democratically as an institution to influence the equity of higher education in Jamaica. A review of the literature reveals many interpretations of the democratization of higher education. Three of Spaulding and Kargodorian's four criteria were utilized to analyze this research. They were (1) equality of access to higher education, (2) equality of participation within the institution of higher education, and (3) equality of educational results. Multiple sources of written data augmented by interviews in Jamaica and Miami were utilized. ^ The analysis revealed that UWI functions in a collaborative relationship with Jamaica's Centralized Educational System as well as with the country's political, economic, and social realms to impact the democratization of higher education. Documentation suggests that, although strong traditional influences continue to exist, UWI has deviated from its original mandate and instead, flexible admittance policies and diversification of expanded programs have contributed to greater accessibility. ^ Despite UWI's reports of improvements which have contributed to more access, UNESCO and some interviewees have not been impressed. A World Bank report on enrollment ratio at the university level in English speaking Caribbean countries reflects less than one percent of the age cohort. The Jamaicans interviewed, especially those from the lower class, felt that their democratic right to receive higher education was not met. UNESCO regards UWI's efforts as just putting a “dent” in the problem. ^ Recommendations include continuing efforts towards developing curricula more relevant to the Jamaican society, increasing distance education in order to ease UWI's load, expanding financial partnerships with private sectors, and extending research in collaboration with large local and foreign private companies. ^

Student perceptions of the school physical fitness testing program: The Fitnessgram

The purpose of this study was to determine fifth grade students' perceptions of the Fitnessgram physical fitness testing program. This study examined if the Fitnessgram physical fitness testing experience promotes an understanding of the health-related fitness components and examined the relationship between individual fitness test scores and time spent participating in out-of-school physical activity. Lastly, students' thoughts and feelings concerning the Fitnessgram experience were examined. ^ The primary participant population for the study was 110 fifth grade students at Redland Elementary School, a Miami-Dade County Public School (M-DCPS). Data were collected over the course of 5 months. Multiple sources of data allowed for triangulation. Data sources included Fitnessgram test scores, questionnaires, document analysis, and in-depth interviews. ^ Interview data were analyzed qualitatively for common broad themes, which were identified and defined. Document analysis included analyzing student fitness test scores and student questionnaire data. This information was analyzed to determine if the Fitnessgram test scores have an impact on student views about the school fitness-testing program. Data were statistically analyzed using analysis of frequency, crosstabulations (Bryman & Duncan, 1997), and Somers'd Correlation (Bryman & Duncan, 1997). The results of the analysis of data on student knowledge of the physical fitness components tested by each Fitnessgram test revealed students do not understand the health-related fitness components. ^ The results of determining a relationship between individuals' fitness test scores and time spent in out-of-school physical activity revealed a significant positive relationship for 2 of the 6 Fitnessgram tests. ^ The results of examining students' thoughts and feelings about each Fitnessgram test focused around 2 broad themes: (a) these children do not mind the physical fitness testing and (b) how they felt about the experience was directly related to how they thought they had performed. ^ If the goal of physical fitness was only to get children fit, this test may be appropriate. However, the ultimate goal of physical fitness is to encourage students to live active and healthy lifestyles. Findings suggest the Fitnessgram as implemented by M-DCPS may not be the most suitable measurement instrument when assessing attitudinal changes that affect a healthy lifelong lifestyle. ^

The role of the health care organization in supporting nurses in the delivery of culturally competent care

This study was designed to explore ways in which health care organizations (HCOs) can support nurses in their delivery of culturally competent care. While cultural competence has become a priority for the federal government as well as the major health professional organizations, its integration into care delivery has not yet been realized. Health professionals cite a lack of educational preparation, time, and organizational resources as barriers. Most experts in the field agree that the cultural and linguistic needs of ethnic minorities pose challenges that individual care providers are unable to manage without the support of the health care organizations within which they practice. While several studies have identified implications for HCOs, there is a paucity of research on their role in this aspect of care delivery. Using a qualitative design with a case study approach, data collection included face-to-face interviews with 23 registered nurses, document analysis, and reports of critical incidents. The site chosen was a large health care system in South Florida that serves a culturally diverse population. Major findings from the study included language barriers, lack of training, difficulty with cultural differences, lack of organizational support, and reliance on culturally diverse staff members. Most nurses thought the ethnic mix was adequate, but rated other supports such as language services, training, and patient education materials as inadequate. Some of the recommendations for organizational performance were to provide the expectations and support for culturally competent care. Implications and recommendations for practice include nurses using trained interpreters instead of relying on coworkers or trying to "wing it", pursuing training, and advocating for organizational supports for culturally competent care. Implications and recommendations for theory included a blended model that combines both models in the conceptual framework. Recommendations for future research were for studies on the impact of language bathers on care delivery, develop and test a quantitative instrument, and to incorporate Gilbert's model into nursing research.

Inter-subjective and transnational racial effects: The role of the United States in the formation and evolution of the collective perception and racial relations in Cuba, 1898–1902

Since the arrival of the first African slaves to Cuba in 1524, the issue of race has had a long-lived presence in the Cuban national discourse. However, despite Cuba’s colonial history, it has often been maintained by some historians that race relations in Cuba were congenial with racism and racial discrimination never existing as deep or widespread in Cuba as in the United States (Cannon, 1983, p. 113). In fact, it has been argued that institutionalized racism was introduced into Cuban society with the first U.S. occupation, during 1898–1902 (Cannon, 1983, p. 113). This study of Cuba investigates the influence of the United States on the development of race relations and racial perceptions in post-independent Cuba, specifically from 1898-1902. These years comprise the time period immediately following the final fight for Cuban Independence, culminating with the Cuban-Spanish-American War and the first U.S. occupation of Cuba. By this time, the Cuban population comprised Africans as well as descendants of Africans, White Spanish people, indigenous Cubans, and offspring of the intermixing of the groups. This research studies whether the United States’ own race relations and racial perceptions influenced the initial conflicting race relations and racial perceptions in early and post-U.S. occupation Cuba. This study uses a collective interpretative framework that incorporates a national level of analysis with a race relations and racial perceptions focus. This framework reaches beyond the traditionally utilized perspectives when interpreting the impact of the United States during and following its intervention in Cuba. Attention is given to the role of the existing social, political climate within the United States as a driving influence of the United States’ involvement with Cuba. This study reveals that emphasis on the role of the United States as critical to the development of Cuba’s race relations and racial perceptions is credible given the extensive involvement of the U.S. in the building of the early Cuban Republic and U.S. structures serving as models for reconstruction. U.S. government formation in Cuba aligned with a governing system reflecting the existing governing codes of the U.S. during that time period.