Information communication technologies and distance education in Sri Lanka: a case study of two universities

Sri Lanka's participation rates in higher education are low and have risen only slightly in the last few decades; the number of places for higher education in the state university system only caters for around 3% of the university entrant age cohort. The literature reveals that the highly competitive global knowledge economy increasingly favours workers with high levels of education who are also lifelong learners. This lack of access to higher education for a sizable proportion of the labour force is identified as a severe impediment to Sri Lanka‟s competitiveness in the global knowledge economy. The literature also suggests that Information and Communication Technologies are increasingly relied upon in many contexts in order to deliver flexible learning, to cater especially for the needs of lifelong learners in today‟s higher educational landscape. The government of Sri Lanka invested heavily in ICTs for distance education during the period 2003-2009 in a bid to increase access to higher education; but there has been little research into the impact of this. To address this lack, this study investigated the impact of ICTs on distance education in Sri Lanka with respect to increasing access to higher education. In order to achieve this aim, the research focused on Sri Lanka‟s effort from three perspectives: policy perspective, implementation perspective and user perspective. A multiple case study research using an ethnographic approach was conducted to observe Orange Valley University‟s and Yellow Fields University‟s (pseudonymous) implementation of distance education programmes using questionnaires, qualitative interviewing and document analysis. In total, data for the analysis was collected from 129 questionnaires, 33 individual interviews and 2 group interviews. The research revealed that ICTs have indeed increased opportunities for higher education; but mainly for people of affluent families from the Western Province. Issues identified were categorized under the themes: quality assurance, location, language, digital literacies and access to resources. Recommendations were offered to tackle the identified issues in accordance with the study findings. The study also revealed the strong presence of a multifaceted digital divide in the country. In conclusion, this research has shown that iii although ICT-enabled distance education has the potential to increase access to higher education the present implementation of the system in Sri Lanka has been less than successful.

Observed relationships between maize yield and climate in Sri Lanka

The present study evaluated the effects of climate variability on maize (Zea mays L.) yield in Sri Lanka at different spatial scales. Biophysical data from the Department of Agriculture (DOA) in Sri Lanka for six major maize-growing districts (Ampara, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Hambantota, Moneragala, and Kurunegala) from 1990 to 2010 were analyzed. Simple linear regression models were fitted to observed climate data and detrended maize yield to identify significant correlations. The correlation between first differences of maize yield and climate (r) was further investigated at 0.50° grid scale using interpolated climate data. After 2003, significantly positive (p < 0.01) yield trends varied from 154 kg ha–1 yr–1 to 360 kg ha–1 yr–1. The correlations between maize yield and climate reported that five out of six districts were significant at 10% level. Rainfall had a consistent significant (p < 0.10) positive impact on maize yield in Anuradhapura, Hambantota, and Moneragala, where seasonal total rainfall together with high temperature (“hot-dry”) are the key limitations. Further, the seasonal mean temperature had a negative impact on maize yield in Moneragala (“hot-dry”), the only district that showed high temperatures. Badulla district (“cold-dry”) reported a significant (r = 0.38) positive correlation with mean seasonal temperature, indicating higher potential toward increasing temperatures. Each 1°C rise in seasonal mean temperature reduced maize yield by about 5% from 1990 to 2010. Overall, there was a reasonable correlation between district maize yield and seasonal climate in most of the districts within the maize belt of Sri Lanka.

Crossbred cow adoption and its correlates: countable adoption specification search in Sri Lanka's small holder dairy sector

Considerable specification choice confronts countable adoption investigations and there is need to measure, formally, the evidence in favor of competing formulations. This article presents alternative countable adoption specifications—hitherto neglected in the agricultural-economics literature—and assesses formally their usefulness to practitioners. Reference to the left side of de Finetti's (1937) famous representation theorem motivates Bayesian unification of agricultural adoption studies and facilitates comparisons with conventional binary-choice specifications. Such comparisons have not previously been considered. The various formulations and the specific techniques are highlighted in an application to crossbred cow adoption in Sri Lanka's small-holder dairy sector.

High prevalence of undernutrition and low dietary diversity in institutionalised elderly living in Sri Lanka

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial and not-for-profit sectors. The authors wish to thank the participants, administrators and caregivers of the homes for elders for their enthusiastic cooperation and also the Nutrition Research Team of the Department of Applied Nutrition, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, for their valuable assistance during the course of the study. The authors also wish to thank Mr. S. Rahanan for coordination and the assistance given in data collection especially in Tamil speaking participants. K.M.R designed and managed the study, interpreted the data and drafted the manuscript. M.P.P.M contributed to the data collection, data analysis and coordination of the study. M.W, K.G.J and J.A.L assisted in data interpretation and critical revision of the manuscript. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest of any kind involved in this study or this publication. Ethical clearance for this study was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (ERC/13-037).

Geographic Structure of Plasmodium vivax: Microsatellite Analysis of Parasite Populations from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Ethiopia

Genetic diversity and population structure of Plasmodium viva-V parasites call predict the origin and Spread of novel Variants Within a population enabling Population specific malaria control measures. We analyzed the genetic diversity and population Structure of 425 P. vivax isolates from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Ethiopia using 12 trinucleotide and tetranucleotide microsatellite markers. All three parasite populations were highly polymorphic with 3-44 alleles per locus. Approximately 65% were multiple-clone infections. Mean genetic diversity (H(E)) was 0.7517 in Ethiopia, 0.8450 in Myanmar, and 0.8610 in Sri Lanka. Significant linkage disequilibrium Was maintained. Population structure showed two clusters (Asian and African) according to geography and ancestry Strong clustering of outbreak isolates from Sri Lanka and Ethiopia was observed. Predictive power of ancestry using two-thirds of the isolates as a model identified 78.2% of isolates accurately as being African or Asian. Microsatellite analysis is a useful tool for mapping short-term outbreaks of malaria and for predicting ancestry.

Processes of feelings in a society with a violent past : A qualitative study of the communication for Societal healing in the Truth Commissions in East Timor, Sri Lanka and Ghana between 2002-2011

The research investigates in what extent and how communication for meeting feelings is provided in Truth Commission work. It examines if and in what way feelings are addressed in the communication officially published by the Truth Commissions in East Timor, Ghana and Sri Lanka, occurring between 2002-2011. The research is also looking at the healing processes in a time perspective to find out if there is a communication for Societal healing to be continued in a longer term. My conclusion is that two cases of three in my research, the TRCs in Ghana and East Timor, have communication clearly directed to meet feelings caused by the war. One of the three cases (East Timor) has a communication with a clear ambition to heal over a longer period, to continue after the existence of the Truth Commission. The research suggests that communication with a clear ambition to reach out widely in the society, a communication directed to meet and process feelings over a longer period, can make Societal healing more effective. It also concludes that, in the future, Societal healing, as a field in conflict resolution, will be more based on representational media than today, provided through web communication.

Genesis of metasomatic sapphirine-corundum-spinel-bearing granulites in Sri Lanka

The goal of the present study is to understand the mechanism of mass transfer, the composition and the role of fluids during crustal metasomatism in high-temperature metamorphic terranes. A well constrained case study, a locality at Rupaha, Sri Lanka was selected. It is located in the Highland Complex of Sri Lanka, which represents a small, but important fragment of the super-continent Gondwana. Excellent exposures of ultramafic rocks, which are embedded in granulites, were found at 10 localities. These provide a unique background for understanding the metasomatic processes. The boundary between the ultramafic and the granulite rocks are lined with metasomatic reaction zones up to 50cm in width. Progressing from the ultramafics to the granulite host rock, three distinct zones with the following mineral assemblages can be distinguished: (1). phlogopite + spinel + sapphirine, (2). spinel + sapphirine and (3). corundum + biotite + plagioclase. In order to assess the P-T-t path, the peak metamorphism and the exhumation history were constrained using different thermobarometers, as well as a diffusion model of garnet zoning. A maximum temperature of 875 ± 20oC (Opx-Cpx thermometer) and at the peak pressure of 9.0 ± 0.1 kbar (Grt-Cpx-Pl-Qtz) was calculated for the silicic granulite. The ultramafic rocks recorded a peak temperature of 840 ± 70oC (Opx-Cpx thermometer) at 9 kbar. Coexisting spinel and sapphirine from the reaction zone yield a temperature of 820 ± 40oC. This is in agreement with the peak-temperatures recorded in the adjacent granulites and ultramafics rocks. The structural concordance of the ultramafic rocks with the siliceous granulite host rock further support the suggestion, that all units have experienced the same peak metamorphism. Diffusion modeling of retrograde zoning in garnets from mafic granulites suggests a three-step cooling history. A maximum cooling rate of 1oC/Ma is estimated during the initial stage of cooling, followed by a cooling rate of ~30oC/Ma. The outermost rims of garnet indicate a slightly slower cooling rate at about 10-15oC/Ma. The sequences of mineral zones, containing a variety of Al-rich, silica undersaturated minerals in the reaction zones separating the ultramafic rocks from the silica-rich rocks can be explained by a diffusion model. This involves the diffusion of Mg from ultramafic rocks across the layers, and K and Si diffuse in opposite direction. Chemical potential of Mg and Si generated continuous monotonic gradient, allowing steady state diffusional transport across the profile. The strong enrichment in Al, and the considerable loss of Si, during the formation of reaction bands can be inferred from isocon diagrams. Some Al was probably added to the reaction zones, while Si was lost. This is most likely due to fluids percolating parallel to the zones at the boundary of the rock units. This study has shown that not only pressure and temperature conditions but most importantly PH2O and the concentration of the chlorine and fluorine in aqueous fluids also control the mass transport in different geological environments.