Open Access Journals at Aalborg University
Not a member yet
6616 research outputs found
Sort by
Mathematics for Sustainable Development (MATH4SDG): A Capacity Building Project in Uganda and Tanzania
Get PDFMathematics for Sustainable Development, MATH4SDG, is a capacity building project funded by the NORHED
II programme under the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) involving the mathematics departments at the University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Makerere University (Uganda), and the University of Bergen (Norway). The project aims to enhance mathematics education and research in Tanzania and Uganda. Central to MATH4SDG is 11 PhD-students, with four in secondary mathematics education and seven in applied mathematics and statistics. All PhD-students are supervised by both Norwegian and local supervisors. Another component involves outreach to schools and research collaboration workshops with local industry and governmental organizations. By aligning university mathematics programmes with the needs of these stakeholders, graduates become more attractive to employers and the workforce benefits from a strong foundation in mathematics and its applications thus aiding in the digital transformation for sustainable development. MATH4SDG contribute to educating much needed schoolteachers and enhance the proficiency in mathematics. 
Working in a Problem-based Manner with Mathematics and Crafts Gives Meaning to Mathematics at Danish Vocational Schools
Get PDFStudents at Danish vocational schools often struggle with learning mathematics and finding it relevant. In response to this, the project KLUMP (“competence lifting of mathematics teachers at vocational schools”) offered professional development of mathematics teachers and craft teachers through facilitating collaboration on creating teaching materials bridging mathematics and the craft. Five teams were established consisting of one mathematics and one craft teacher in the following areas: carpenter, blacksmith, mason, mechanics, and electrician. The teachers joined KLUMP voluntarily, and the school management supported KLUMP by coordinating time schedules and joining project seminars. The teachers selected relevant topics, where they developed, tested, evaluated, and refined their teaching material. The teachers received inspiration in workshops on, e.g. emergent modelling, inquiry- and problem-based learning, and concepts such as self-efficacy. A central theme is Jaworski’s notion about learning communities. KLUMP found that the frameworks of a “bridge” between mathematics and crafts and emergent modelling were easy for the teachers to use. The students were happy when they experienced the bridge. Structures such as timetable planning, teacher allocation, and institutional support were essential for KLUMP to become successful. 
Collaborating Courses through Problem-Based Blended Learning: Analysis of Students’ Perspectives
Get PDFThis study explores students' perspectives on the integration of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Blended Learning (BL) in a collaborative course environment. By examining a cohort of undergraduate students across two interdisciplinary courses, the research aims to understand how these pedagogical approaches influence student collaboration, engagement, and perceived learning outcomes. Data were collected through surveys and one-to-one semi-structured interviews, revealing that students generally appreciated the flexibility and interactive nature of BL and active learning of PBL. However, few students faced challenges with team coordination, time management, and guidance intensity during the PBBL implementation. The study concludes with recommendations for educators to enhance collaborative learning through strategic course design
Proposal of an audit-based model for implementation of energy management in SMES
Get PDFEnergy Management has become a matter of utmost importance for organizations worldwide, many of which are implementing energy management solutions to comply with regulations, improve their usage, and enhance their reputation with their customers. Typically, in SMEs - small and medium-sized enterprises, the culture of Energy Management is incipient, leading to energy waste due to poor strategic and operational management. This research aimed to develop a model to support the implementation of an energy management program based on audits. A conceptual model was developed for conducting audits, analyzing the electricity consumption of equipment, using the multicriteria method Promethee-ROC to rank recommendations from the IAC - Industrial Assessment Centers database, proposing performance indicators, and finally, analyzing the performance of the proposed model and its applicability. The procedural model was developed using the Process Approach methodology to construct a model that will assist in the audit process, analysis, recommendations, and decision-making. A case study was conducted in a small plastic injection company, where the model was tested and refined. As a result, the company obtained a ranking of recommendations according to its reality, along with a set of indicators and tips for implementing an EMS based on ISO 50001 and literature. The manager's perception of the process was also evaluated, yielding results all above good in terms of usability, feasibility, and usefulness for the proposed model
Model Evaluation of Post-M&A Success Metrics in the German Biopharmaceutical Industry
Get PDFPurpose: This study evaluates the success metrics of post-merger and acquisition (M&A) activities in the German biopharmaceutical industry, focusing on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It examines how metrics such as economies of scale, economies of scope, market share, clinical success rate, and efficient allocation of personnel and resources affect post-M&A revenue.
Design/Methodology: The study uses partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze data from a survey of 384 biopharmaceutical SMEs in Germany. The survey targeted senior management involved in M&A processes, with the analysis assessing the reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the success metrics, and the statistical significance of the structural path coefficients.
Findings: The results indicate that efficient allocation of personnel and resources, as well as clinical success rate, significantly impact post-M&A revenue. In contrast, economies of scale, economies of scope, and market share do not significantly affect revenue. The study also emphasizes that while M&A activities can lead to operational efficiencies and cost savings through synergies, these benefits alone do not ensure revenue growth without effective resource management and innovation. Internal efficiencies and clinical outcomes are more critical than market expansion strategies.
Originality/Value: The study introduces a novel methodology for evaluating different success metrics in post-M&A performance within the biopharmaceutical industry using PLS-SEM. The combination of success metrics and their impact on post-M&A revenue is identified as a relatively unique research contribution
Erotics in Lacan's Schema L
Get PDFLacanian theory of the subjective is based on the idea that Desire is a lack that arises in the subject in the process of introduction into the symbolic world of society where all interactions are mediated by language. The subject is evicted from the immediacy and intimacy of the world of the Mother and pushed into the symbolic world of the Father. The loss translates into a condition of lack and constitutes desire as a feature/faculty of the psyche. Desire resides in the unconscious where access to it is interpolated by language. Lacanian theory of the subject provides concepts allowing us to understand the mechanisms of desire and how they play out internally within the psyche as well as socially between subjects. A principal axis of these interactions is speech - connecting the individual to the social aspect of the psyche - the Big Other. Other such axes realize the function of imagination, sublimation and unconscious construction of a path of desire navigating the subject toward the Real. The Real is the lost world of the Mother, which had been once present at the time of birth, and which the subject attempts to recover. They are represented and described graphically in Lacan's Schema L where the main points of interest relate to language. The chief goal of the paper is to demonstrate how erotic experience participates in the structure of the subject and how it fits into the interactions of Schema L. Specifically, the erotic experience is found on the axis of interaction of the Real with object a (objet petit a). In order to relate erotics to performance arts (and dance specifically), we will situate the latter within Schema L as well
Serial Drama as a Catalyst for Gender Equality: Introducing Gender Equality through Media Pedagogy
Get PDFIn this article, the editors highlight the pressing need for the educational reinforcement of gender equality as a principle in European societies. Media has been central both to the organisation of gender equality initiatives and activities and to the resistance to it. While media is often cited as the cause or agent of anti-gender rhetoric, it is also leveraged for the promotion of gender equality as evidenced in the increasing visibility of and attention to gender issues across various media including TV and film, broadcasting, social media and the press. The editors attend specifically to serial drama as a tool and catalyst for the promotion of gender equality. Focusing on young people as key stakeholders in gender equality and change agents for an equitable world, the introduction and contributions to the issue identify some of the challenges that educators face in teaching gender equality and proposes several valuable tools and techniques for using serial dramas addressed to or watched by young people
An infinite spectrum of colours 2: Teaching gender issues through Prisma: The Video Essay
Get PDFThis text outlines and contextualizes the methodological and stylistic choices underpinning the video essay An Infinite Spectrum of Colours. Teaching Gender Issues Through Prisma, whose theoretical implications are further developed in the homonymous essay included in this special issue. Focusing on the representation of coming out in the television series Prisma (Amazon Prime Video, 2022-2024), it discusses the montage strategies, aesthetic decisions, and intertextual references employed to construct a critical and pedagogical discourse on non-binary and fluid gender identities. By embracing the video essay as a form of cinécriture, the text reflects on its potential as a tool for research, teaching, and media education—capable of combining analytical rigor with emotional engagement
Yes, Yes in Yellow: Memes and What They Tell Us About (Queer) Use of Data Visualization
Get PDFData visualizations are used by an increasing number of people for a wide variety of purposes. Yet, existing literature on data visualizations is dominated by only a narrow set of uses (typically: analysis and communication). In this paper, I advocate for expanding the study of visualizations beyond these (normative) uses. Drawing on queer and feminist theory, I argue that Sara Ahmed's conception of "queer use" is applicable to the visualization context. Then, as a case study, I demonstrate how framing visualization memes as queerly used visualizations can offer new opportunities to study the rhythm in which visualizations are read. I conclude with an invitation to examine queer use of visualizations further by summarizing three other queer uses of visualization that may be fruitful to explore
Matching reuse models to hospitals: Reframing value-chains for reusable medical products
Get PDFIn the transition towards a circular economy, also critical sectors such as the healthcare sector need to be reviewed. A large portion of hospital waste consists of low-value, disposable consumables. Currently, the circular design strategies of reuse, maintenance, and repair in healthcare are predominantly applied to high-value products. This study proposes four reuse value-chain models specifically for small, low-cost medical consumables. Reuse models are distinguished on reprocessing location (internal or external) and product usage (shared or personal). Business model evaluation and value propositioning are used to gain understanding of the models and a co-creation session with a MedTech company verified these understandings. Our research sought to support manufacturers of reusable medical products by addressing the importance of the fit between the reuse model and the hospital’s context (location, infrastructure, staffing, organisational structure, product volume and type). These context features, as well as the hospital’s interest in reusable products should be documented in the tendering documents of the purchasing process. Internal reprocessing makes the hospital more self-sufficient but requires additional staffing for reprocessing and quality control. External reprocessing decreases the hospital’s workload, but requires the involvement of additional service partners. For all reuse models, continuous communication and collaboration (feedback, training and guidance) between the hospital and value-chain partners are vital.