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Differences between L2 listening and reading
No full textWith technology being an increasingly important presence in modern life, children, adolescents and L2 learners are exposed to more and more digital materials, such as audio books, interactive posters with sound files and videos, and TED talks, in classrooms and daily life. These digital audio-visual materials are increasingly becoming a major source of information and learning (Khabbazbashi, Chan, & Clark, 2022). Herring (2019) argues that education is now operating within a communication paradigm that is “fundamentally multimodal”. The affordances of new digital platforms (e.g., Google classroom, Zoom, Microsoft Teams) mean that L2 learners can now more easily collaborate with their peers to complete group work at home. Such a shift means that L2 listening comprehension is playing a more prominent role in social and educational contexts. Nevertheless, it has not received as much attention as reading comprehension has in second language acquisition, assessment, and pedagogical research, especially in relation to the processes involved in L2 listening (Field, 2008, 2013). Furthermore, listening comprehension is often conflated with reading comprehension and operationalized in a similar way in pedagogical and assessment practice (van Zeeland & Schmitt, 2013). To contribute to the discussion of how the processes of L2 reading and listening comprehension differ, this chapter provides an overview of cognitive models of L2 reading and listening, and discusses how input modality may affect the process of comprehension, followed by a discussion of the differences between L2 reading and listening. Based on the account of the nature of L2 reading and listening, the chapter will discuss the implications for task design by contrasting some key characteristics in reading and listening texts and their impact on comprehension
“Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer:” ChatGPT in tourism and hospitality
Get PDFPurpose: ChatGPT has been receiving mounting research attention recently. However, its application and challenges to adopt for tourism and hospitality businesses remain relatively unexplored. To address this research gap, this study aims to systematically assess the application of ChatGPT and its challenges within the domain of tourism and hospitality. Design/methodology/approach: This study conducts bibliometric and content analyses of papers retrieved from Web of Science and Scopus. Particularly, it systematically reviewed the tourism and hospitality research to identify critical applications of ChatGPT in the context of tourism and hospitality. In addition, this study identified challenges associated with the application of ChatGPT in this context. Findings: It has been revealed that the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, in tourism and hospitality research is ascending, with an opportunity to advance the existing knowledge in customer service research. In addition, the results suggest an ongoing interest in assessing the role of AI and language modeling for tourism education and human resource management. Research limitations/implications: The results are constrained by the used search keywords and electronic databases. Additionally, this study covered only papers published in English. However, the findings shed light on existing knowledge concerning ChatGPT’s transformative potential, identify areas for further exploration and offer guidelines for practice in the tourism and hospitality industry. The findings also revealed various challenges that various stakeholders should keep a closer eye on to ensure the effective and safe use of ChatGPT accordingly. Originality/value: This study initiates a discussion on ChatGPT’s role in tourism and hospitality and underscores the importance of comprehensive AI integration within the sector.</p
Exploiting extended reality under the Manufacturing as a Service paradigm
Get PDFThe advent of new technologies and concepts such as Extended Reality (XR), Cloud Manufacturing, Digital Twin, Industrial Internet of Things is completely changing the manufacturing landscape. Innovative digital tools are available to increase the competitiveness and efficiency of companies. The XR can support the Smart Operator in production, maintenance and training activities. Similarly, Manufacturing as a Service, which is a variation of Cloud Manufacturing, can make corporate architectural systems more flexible and scalable. In this paper, some preliminary results relating to the European 5G-ERA project and the synergistic work that the companies CAL-TEK, TWI and HAL Robotics are conducting is shown. An XR-oriented architecture is proposed, whose usefulness is emphasized by the use of the MaaS concept, and the implementation of a Mixed Reality application is shown, to support an on-site operator. Future developments concern the implementation of a Virtual Reality application for the off-site operator, and the use of the 5G-ERA middleware to exploit the potential of the MaaS paradigm.
Steps toward an integrated soil water tension and osmotic tension sensor
Get PDFThe two most important abiotic plant stressors that impact plant development and crop yields are water stress and salinity stress. These issues are particularly important in arid and semi-arid regions. According to a 2019 research paper, “thirty crop species provide 90% of our food, most of which display severe yield losses under moderate salinity.” Moderate salinity is defined as extracted pore-water salinity in the range of 4–8 dS m−1. Currently, commercially available soil moisture and bulk soil electrical conductivity sensors can estimate in situ soil pore-water electrical conductivity with suitably calibrated soil moisture and electrical conductivity models for a wide range of soil types and growing media. With knowledge of the pore-water electrical conductivity it is possible to estimate osmotic tension. Furthermore, there are commercially available dielectric tensiometers that provide soil water tension measurements from the water content of a porous matrix component that is in equilibrium with the water capillary forces in the surrounding soil or growing media. Combining soil moisture and soil water tension measurements enables water retention curves and the hydraulic properties of a soil to be determined. However, the overall ability of a plant to extract water from a soil or substrate is typically dominated by water tension and osmotic tension. Currently, while the technology blocks exist in different commercial offerings, the combination of a water tension and osmotic tension in an integrated sensor does not exist. A key benefit of the porous matrix in a dielectric tensiometer is that electrical measurements include a component of extracted water from the soil or growing media. With the appropriate dielectric characterization of the porous matrix, there should be no need for soil-specific calibrations. The aim of the paper is to outline the measurement processing that could be implemented into an integrated water tension and osmotic tension sensor
Mental health experiences among undergraduate nursing students in a New Zealand tertiary institution: a time for change
Get PDFNursing students in undergraduate programmes exhibit comparable, sometimes higher, levels of poor mental health and substance use compared to the general population; however, this area remains under-researched in New Zealand. The study involved 172 nursing students enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing programme at one tertiary institution in Auckland, New Zealand. Employing a mixed-methodology approach, a 29-question survey comprising both open and closed questions was administered to explore the students' experiences with mental health and substance use, as well as their access to support services. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 29 descriptive statistics, while a general inductive approach guided the qualitative analysis. A significant proportion of participants (75%) reported experiencing emotional distress during their studies, with anxiety being the most prevalent (78.5%). A smaller percentage disclosed substance use (8.1%) including excessive alcohol use, cannabis use, nicotine use, vaping cannabis and some refusal to reveal substance use. Surprisingly, less than 1% (n = 0.6) utilised institutional support services. Three qualitative themes were identified including emotional distress and associated effects, emotional and psychological impacts on nursing students' academic journey and tertiary support systems. The findings highlight the urgent need to address the mental health and addiction challenges experienced by nursing students, given their potential adverse effects on academic success and overall well-being. Urgent action is needed to integrate mental health training into the curriculum and provide faculty support. In this study, the underutilisation and inadequacy of institutional support services signal a need for institutional reforms to provide access and personalised mental health support to nursing students. Providing essential skills and support for student success contributes to the overall well-being of the nursing workforce
Exploring the perceptions and experiences of older people on the use of digital technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study
Get PDFBackground: Physical inactivity is an ongoing problem throughout the lifespan. For older people, inactivity has a negative impact on wellbeing, which worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital technologies can be employed to encourage uptake of social and physical activity through remotely delivered interventions to improve wellbeing, however, we need to understand older people’s perceptions and experiences of using digital technologies before implementing these interventions. Aims: To explore the perceptions and experiences of older people on the use of digital technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 community dwelling older people from Hertfordshire, United Kingdom who were all programme participants in a remotely delivered mind-body physical activity programme called Positive Movement. Interviews were conducted before programme participation. The audio recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Four themes emerged from the data. The perceived impact of COVID-19 on social contact, perceived impact of COVID-19 on mental wellbeing, using digital platforms for health or exercise and using digital platforms for social contact. Discussion: Participants reported reduced social contact due to COVID-19. Most participants reported using digital technologies for social inclusion rather than health reasons, and there were mixed views on the willingness to use digital technologies for physical activity. Conclusion: Digital technologies offered a lifeline during COVID-19 to maintain social contact and their use was found acceptable by older people. Digital platforms such as Zoom can be further employed to conduct remotely delivered interventions with the aim to increase uptake of social and physical activity interventions within this population.</p
Professionals’ perspectives on barriers for timely antenatal care for ethnic minority women
Get PDFBackground Antenatal care (ANC) is important to promote health and well-being of women and babies. Women from ethnic minority backgrounds are likely to start ANC later and to attend fewer appointments than recommended compared to white women. These women and their babies are more likely to experience negative health outcomes. This study explored the perspectives of maternity care professionals on barriers for timely ANC initiation for ethnic minority women in the UK (UK) and The Netherlands. Methods We conducted qualitative semi structured in-depth interviews with 19 healthcare professionals (eight and eleven from the UK and The Netherlands respectively) including nurses, midwives, general practitioners and obstetricians. All interviews were conducted virtually on Teams or Zoom and were recorded, transcribed and analysed using a thematic approach using ATLAS.ti version 9 software. Results Maternity care professionals in the UK and The Netherlands perceived more or less similar barriers for ethnic minority women for timely ANC initiation. As reflected in the accounts, these barriers operated at individual and health system levels, and included negative interactions with antenatal care providers, women’s and community’s lack of trust in the health system, differences in spoken language between women and professionals, cultural differences, role of family and wider networks, and difficulties in reaching care. Perceived measures to facilitate access included skill development of healthcare professionals; educating women and building awareness in the community about how to navigate the healthcare system; integration of preventative psychosocial care into maternity services and continuity of care. Conclusions Similarity in perceived barriers and mitigation measures indicated the potential for developing and implementing targeted cross-country interventions to facilitate timely ANC initiation for ethnic minority women in high-income European countries. Key messages • Maternity care professionals in the UK and The Netherlands perceived similar barriers for ethnic minority women for timely ANC initiation. • There is potential for developing targeted cross-country programmes and services to support mothers from ethnic minority backgrounds to start antenatal care on time
On the application of machine learning techniques to map porosity across carbon fibre reinforced polymer layers
Get PDFCarbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites are extensively used in the Automotive industries due to their excellent structural and mechanical properties. However, the occurrence of porosity within these materials can significantly affect their performance and durability. Porosity, defined as void inclusion, often occurs during the manufacturing process for these materials. Even for small amounts of porosity, this defect can alter the composite’s mechanical properties by reducing its inter-laminar shear strength. It is therefore important to characterise and accurately map this defect, characterising the porosity distribution within CFRP layers. In this work, a Finite Element method that accounts for circular cross-section pores subjected to an ultrasound excitation is developed. This simulated data is then used to apply a Machine Learning (ML) technique such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) to characterise the porosity within the CFRP sample. This technique leverages the capabilities of ML algorithms to analyse and interpret ultrasound data for porosity detection. By training the ML model on a dataset of ultrasound images and corresponding porosity measurements, the model can learn patterns and features indicative of porosity. Results obtained for the simulation data are presented and discussed. The application of CNN in processing ultrasound data has shown exceptional potentials in identifying and quantifying porosity. Results obtained after applying this technique to real ultrasound data measured with an immersion tank are also presented. CNN technique shows interesting capabilities for extracting defects such as porosity from complex ultrasound data. This work contributes to a vast project that aims at underpinning the design of more efficient composite structures
Desistance and children: setting the scene
Get PDFSince the late 1990s, ‘desistance’ – understanding how people move away from offending – has become a significant research focus and ‘increasingly ubiquitous’ in central policy (Maruna and Mann, 2019). Since 2014, with the introduction by the Youth Justice Board of a new assessment framework, desistance thinking has been progressively transplanted to youth justice in England and Wales from the adult justice system. Given that the desistance evidence base is primarily rooted in the experiences of adults who have a history of criminal behaviour, one might have expected this development to have been accompanied by some debate. Yet, discussion or examination of the relevance of desistance thinking to children in the justice system remains scarce, comprising a significant and important gap in scholarship. While there is a limited, albeit developing, international knowledge base about the desistance pathways of children, these studies have typically focused only on children defined as ‘serious’ or ‘persistent’ ‘offenders’. With desistance thinking increasingly applied across the spectrum of youth justice sanctions in England and Wales, it has become necessary to understand, and question, the relevance of desistance thinking with a much broader group of children. This is particularly pressing in light of the growing proportion of out-of-court disposals within youth justice caseloads, which comprise nearly half of supervision cases in some areas. And even among children on court-ordered community sentences, nearly 80 per cent now either have no or a minimal history of recorded offending (Youth Justice Board/MoJ, 2023). How might desistance theories apply given that most children’s offending ‘careers’ are limited to adolescence (Moffitt, 1993) and, thus, desistance is largely normative? Our starting point is that children’s distinct needs, by virtue of their young age and ongoing development, together with their typically normative offending, raise important questions about the relevance and meaning of desistance thinking to their pathways away from crime. In light of this, our core guiding questions are: * What helps children to move away from offending, and in what ways, if at all, does this vary by ethnicity, class and gender? * To what extent is the concept and theorisation of desistance helpful when applied to children or does it, alternatively problematise rather than normalise children’s behaviour? * How is desistance thinking currently understood and implemented in youth justice policy and practice? * What are the implications of the answers to these questions for youth justice theory, research, policy and practice? The collection has been initiated by the National Association for Youth Justice (NAYJ), the only individual charity which campaigns exclusively for the rights of, and justice for, children in trouble with the law. The NAYJ believes that children who come to the attention of criminal justice agencies should be viewed individually according to their stage of development and treated as a child first and foremost (National Association for Youth Justice, 2019). The editors of this collection are all members of the NAYJ’s Board of Trustees. Given that the charity is based in England and Wales, we have not attempted to give the book an international focus. However, it is likely that many of the chapters will be of international interest given that the role of desistance theory within youth justice is not restricted to a single jurisdiction. Given the focus of the NAYJ’s work, our philosophical position that children should be treated as distinct from adults, and the relative dearth of literature specific to desistance and children, the book deliberately, and unapologetically, restricts itself to discussion of individuals in conflict with the law who are under 18. In line with the ethos of the NAYJ, and international standards of children’s rights, we refer throughout to these individuals as children, and the terms ‘youth’, ‘juvenile’ and ‘young offender’ are deliberately eschewed
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