4101 research outputs found
Sort by
Factors associated with player satisfaction and educational value of serious games
No full textComputer games are well-established forms of entertainment which have been shown to promote the development of important cognitive skills. This has also seen their evolution into games supporting training and education, known as serious games. In order to investigate those factors that would be important when developing these types of games, we conducted a 2-year study on undergraduate game development students. Seventy-four students participated in the study. They were asked for their views on three web-based serious games (Cancer Game, Darfur is Dying and Elude). A series of study questionnaires were used to collect data on their playing experience, satisfaction with the games and how well they acquired subject-specific knowledge after playing them. The students’ views on the games’ entertainment and educational value were mixed. Two games (Cancer Game and Darfur is Dying) were able to increase players’ knowledge as a result of playing them but to differing extents. Suggested improvements to the games focused on providing more appropriate background information on the subject within the game and giving the player better feedback on how to play it. When the results were compared to existing heuristics on game development improvements to the design of the game interface, game mechanics and game playability were identified. The need to incorporate learning outcomes into the games and that they be outcome based is also important pedagogical factors. In this initial study, we have suggested a series of heuristics which the authors believe will be important to developers of serious game
Effective removal of tetracycline antibiotics from water using hybrid carbon membranes
No full textAntibiotic residues in drinking water have become a global problem, especially in developing countries. However, effective purification of antibiotics contaminated water remains a great challenge. We investigated the use of carbon nanomaterials with different structures and surface functionalities and found that a 15 m thick graphene oxide (GO) and activated carbon (AC) membrane effectively removed 98.9% of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) from water by vacuum filtration. Structural analysis indicated that the AC nanoparticles were uniformly inserted into the GO interstitial sites, diminishing AC nanoparticle aggregation. The tightly aggregated GO nanoflakes were loosened by the encapsulated AC nanoparticles, leading to the formation of numerous tiny pores (~3–10 nm) that acted as channels for fluid passage, whereas the carbons and chemical groups on the GO surface adsorbed TCH. We also investigated the adsorption efficiencies of pure GO, AC, carbon nanotube (CNT), and CNT/AC and GO/CNT hybrids, but GO/AC demonstrated the best results
A comparative investigation on various platinum nanoparticles decorated carbon supports for oxygen reduction reaction
No full textBackground: Fuel cells have a very low emission of greenhouse gases such as CO2, SOx etc with high efficiencies and are non-polluting energy sources. One of the current challenges is to develop inexpensive and efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) materials. Extensive research has been conducted to develop platinum (Pt) loaded carbon nanomaterials for ORR applications. However, the literature is rife with inconsistencies owing to varying synthesis conditions of Pt nanoparticles, variation of carbon supports materials and indeed the ORR experiments.Method: A comparative electrochemical analysis of various carbon supports, including commercial PtCB, pristine and Pt loaded carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), graphene oxide (GO) and graphene nano platelets (GNP) has been conducted, to ascertain their electrochemical response towards oxygen reduction reactions under identical experimental conditions.Results: The reduction potential (least negative) and the peak current densities for the materials follow the order of MWCNTs>GNP>GO, with the performance of pristine MWCNTs (3 mA/cm2) comparable to that of N- and B-doped MWCNTs. Furthermore, low-loading of platinum nanoparticles on the carbon supports, carried out via microwave-assisted polyol synthesis, lead to an increase in the peak reduction current density significantly at lower reduction potentials. Although the same synthesis process is used; the MWCNTs, GO and GNP support samples have different metallic Pt loadings. A comparison of ORR current densities mass normalized to Pt loading shows that Pt/MWCNTs have the highest linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) reduction current density of 900 A/g, much higher than 510 A/g of the commercial Pt-carbon black supports, and is followed by Pt/GNP and Pt/GO which have the LSV value of 500 A/g and 200 A/g LSV, respectively
Enhancing growth and welfare through debt-financed education
No full textUsing an overlapping generations (OLG) model, we show how relatively small open economies can enhance their growth through educational subsidies financed via public debt and reduce their fertility rate. We show that subsidising education through public debt leads to an A-Pareto improvement of all generations. Even if a country is a net borrower in the international capital market, we show that this subsidy policy can help, under certain conditions, to improve its net borrowing position. This has strong implications for the calculation of the 3% deficit to Gross Domestic Product ratio set by the European Union because the analysis implies that public expenditures for education should be subtracted from the government deficit before applying the deficit criterion
Study of energy savings and sustainable practices adoption in telecommunication services
No full textThe concerted efforts of keeping up with the environment and mitigating the consequences of climate change should focus more towards reducing carbon oxides and other greenhouse gases emissions within stipulated regulations. One of the ways to achieve this is through adoption of sustainable practices within industries and organisations by encouraging more of energy saving practices and reduction of carbon footprint within all production, commercial and service related functions. Nigeria, an emerging economy nation, is identified with higher emission of greenhouse gases due to downstream gas flaring combined with rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and commercialisation activities. This research paper examines the potential impacts of energy saving within Nigerian telecommunications industry, and highlights how the cell sites base stations within the industry have great challenges and threats towards the climate change from the amount of energy generated and used within the system. The paper conducts a literature study on general energy overview, usage, impacts and concepts towards the benefits of energy saving practices. The overview, concepts and benefits of energy savings and renewable energy technology were also reviewed. Further investigations within the concept of energy saving towards using sustainable methods for addressing the climate change issues was also carried out. The research used a sustainability ranking procedure with both economic and environmental analysis to conduct a sustainability assessment on some identified renewable energy technologies such as wind, solar, geothermal. The result of the analysis of the research was able to come up with about €16.4B of potential energy savings cost within the fifteen years of operation if the recommended alternative energy could be used. This sustainability assessment had been conducted towards providing recommendations for more sustainable, suitable, alternative and affordable strategies for replacing or complementing conventional methods of powering telecoms industries in future
The influence of data protection and privacy frameworks on the design of learning analytics systems
No full textLearning analytics open up a complex landscape of privacy and policy issues, which will influence how learning analytics systems and practices are designed. Research and development is governed by regulations for data storage and management, and by research ethics. Consequently, when moving solutions out the research labs implementers meet constraints defined in national laws and justified in privacy frameworks. This paper explores how the OECD, APEC and EU privacy frameworks seek to regulate data privacy, with significant implications for the discourse of learning, and ultimately, an impact on the design of tools, architectures and practices that now are on the drawing board. A detailed list of requirements for learning analytics systems is developed, based on the new legal requirements defined in the European General Data Protection Regulation, which from 2018 will be enforced as European law. The paper also gives an initial account of how the privacy discourse in Europe, Japan, South-Korea and China is developing and reflects upon the possible impact of the different privacy frameworks on the design of LA privacy solutions in these countries. This research contributes to knowledge of how concerns about privacy and data protection related to educational data can drive a discourse on new approaches to privacy engineering based on the principles of Privacy by Design. For the LAK community, this study represents the first attempt to conceptualise the issues of privacy and learning analytics in a cross-cultural context. The paper concludes with a plan to follow up this research on privacy policies and learning analytics systems development with a new international study
"You Sort of Go Down a Rabbit Hole ... You're Just Going to Keep on Searching": A Qualitative Study of Searching Online for Pregnancy-Related Information During Pregnancy (vol 19, e194, 2017)
No full textObservations in a Set Situation: Children’s Experiences in Worktown/Bolton
No full textThis chapter examines Mass Observation’s study of children’s beliefs, attitudes and behaviour in 1930s Bolton. Moving forwards to the 21st century, it compares the Mass Observation study with contemporary theories and policies relating to children, particularly the areas of well-being and play. The 80 year period witnessed changes in the industrial landscape of the town; education processes; average standard of living; family and community structures, all impacting on childhood. These developments have also impacted on the way children play, and where, seeing a well-documented shift from ‘playing out’ on waste ground and parks to ‘playing in’ with the digital age offering a virtual playground. The authors conclude that it is necessary to see children in their own time, as they are, and not as adults remember or desire them to be
Real-Time Orchestration System for Intelligent Electricity Networks RENEWABLE ENERGY IMPACT
No full textThe share of decentralized power generation is increasing, which causes general changes and challenges for the conventional power system. Hence, distribution system operators (DSO) need new technologies to ensure the stability of the entire electrical power system. As a feasible solution for structuring power networks, the Clustering Power System Approach (CPSA) has been introduced, providing an innovative and reasonable way of decentralisation for future-oriented power systems. With this approach, based on the Cluster Fractal Model, the stabilization of the power systems can be realized in a bottom-up direction from decentralized generation units in distribution grids to the upstream transmission grids. However, to accomplish smart operations in such decentralized and intelligent electricity networks an appropriate strategy for the interoperation between cluster areas is needed. To realize this concept this paper proposes a real-time orchestration system as a core functionality of Smart Grid Cluster Controllers (SGCC) to run the distribution control and management functions. Hereby, the characteristic needs of such functions inside or between clusters can be taken into account. Structural or hierarchical dependencies of the functions can also be considered. Lastly, the SGCC is implemented on different hardware platforms
LEAP Online - beyond academic skills
No full textThis session will showcase the transformation of BISSTO to LEAP Online. The new platform will include expanded content in the following sections: My Academic Engagement; My Personal Development; My Digital Literacy and My Student Engagement. The new content will be presented in an engaging way with videos, activities and trackable assessments based in Moodle. Students will be awarded a digital badge for passing the assessments which shows on their Moodle profile, enabling tutors to track their students' engagement with the skills tutorial. LEAP Online will also have differentiation within each section to ensure that content is provided to more able students to stretch their development further.The workshop will demonstrate how LEAP Online can contribute to and support academic skills and scholarship modules and the personal tutorial system. We would also welcome ideas for content and activities that would help you deliver your skills modules and tutorials. In the session, you will learn about LEAP Online expanded content and badged assessments and how LEAP Online can be used in skills modules and tutorials