1522 research outputs found
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Listening with children: Research, Policy and Practice
Get PDFThis paper explores the related concerns of ethics and method in developing child centred research practice. This paper draws from our report, "Listening to children: Children’s stories of domestic violence” (Hogan and O’Reilly, 2007, commissioned by the National Children’s Office). This research is framed with a vision of children, even those who have experienced violent and fractured childhoods, as being competent subjects in a social world. The main focus of discussion here is the ethical issues involved in including and interviewing children in research which explores sensitive intimate details of their lives. This paper also offers a discussion on methodological dilemmas where key methodological decisions are based on ethical concerns
Self-Organising Object Networks using Context Zones for Distributed Activity Recognition
No full textActivity recognition has a high applicability scope in patient
monitoring since it has the potential to observe patients’ actions
and recognise erratic behaviour. Our activity recognition
architecture described in this paper is particularly suited for this
task due to the fact that collaboration of constituent components,
namely Object Networks, Activity Map and Activity Inference
Engine create a flexible and scalable platform taking into
consideration needs of individual users. We utilise information
generated from sensors that observe user interaction with the
objects in the environment and also information from body-worn
sensors. This information is processed in a distributed manner
through the object network hierarchy which we formally define.
The object network has the effect of increasing the level of
abstraction of information such that this high-level information is
utilised by the Activity Inference Engine. This engine also takes
into consideration information from the user’s profiles in order to
deduce the most probable activity and at the same time observe
any erratic or potentially unsafe behaviour. We also present a
scenario and show the results of our study
Development of an Automated Storage and Retrieval System in a Dynamic Knowledge Environment
Get PDFThis thesis summarises the development of an Automatic Storage and Retrieval
System (ASRS) test-bed at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) within a dynamic knowledge environment.
The ASRS developed consists of control hardware and software communicating over a Fieldbus network. A simulation model of the WIT ASRS (capable of modelling any similar hi-bay storage system) and an order generator were also developed and these are linked to a database and a results spreadsheet.
This ASRS allows for a range of control strategies and order types to be investigated utilising the order generator and the database. There was also a facility developed which allows this mathematical model to run the actual requirements that the ASRS physical model works with, this allows for complete correlation between both models. The development of a mathematical model plus a physical model ensures better understanding of ASRS making the sequence of operations obvious and helping to clarify the broad range of strategies to interested parties.
The best recorded performance was with current dwell point, simultaneous travel, dual control, free-nearest storage and nearest retrieval strategies selected in combination. In general, dual control improved performance (in terms of throughput), simultaneous travel was found to be better than rectilinear travel, dwell point at origin gave very poor results, and a dwell point at current, pick point or deposit point appears best.
Within the Knowledge environment a number of findings were made including: the development of a physical model is hugely beneficial to the acquisition of tacit knowledge by the chief researcher and supervisor and greatly benefits the development of undergraduate students (3 groups). The greater the volume of tacit and explicit knowledge available the faster the up-take for the students in a structured knowledge environment. There are great benefits to the college research centre by having a full time researcher in this area especially when the subject matter becomes complex, the learning curve for students can then be very steep
Priorities, ‘street level bureaucracy’ and the community mental health team
Get PDFIn the United Kingdom a combination of high profile incidents and reports personally critical of mental health policy in general and individual practitioners’ actions in particular (Sheppard 1995) highlight the pressures which operate on mental health professionals in the community (Mechanic 1995a). These pressures are exacerbated by policy contradictions and resource limitations. Consequently community mental health practitioners (e.g. psychiatrists, community psychiatric nurses and social workers) can be sensitive to political and managerial agendas which may have a negative impact on their implementation of individual care programs (Marks ef al. 1994). Using the concept of ’street level bureaucracy’ (Lipsky 1980), this paper examines recent literature. It is argued that practitioners’ reception and implementation of policy is influenced by the need to balance the tension between four elements: the political and policy imperatives, the agenda of local management, the professional and peer cultures in which practitioners operate and the balance of perceived personal advantage. It is further postulated that managers and policy makers may have a vested interest in not scrutinizing practitioners’ implementation of policy too vigorously as a way of deflecting responsibility for its consequences. The ’Care Programme Approach and recent legislative changes regarding community supervision (Department of Health 1995a) highlight the important and sometimes negative consequences for the service user that may result
ICT Trust, Security and Dependability Research Strategy beyond 2010.
Get PDFThis paper, entitled ICT Trust, Security & Dependability Research strategy beyond 2010, will describe the final outputs of the IST SecurIST [1] project, whose objective was to create a clear European level strategy to drive ICT Security and Dependability research beyond 2010. The focus in the paper is on short to medium (up to 3 years) to long-term objectives (~3-10 years). This paper will develop the context of the project, the approach taken, research strategy, setting its objectives and results with reference of various inputs and outputs from a large constituency involved in ICT Trust, Security and Dependability areas that was ultimately co-ordinated by the SecurIST project
EXAMINATION OF THE OPERATIONALISATION OF THE SMALL FIRM LEARNING NETWORK MODEL IN THE FÁILTE IRELAND MERGO CBTLN NETWORK
Get PDFThis paper examines the implementation of the Small Firm Learning Network Model (Foley, Harrington & Kelliher, 2006), in particular, its operationalisation within the mergo Tourism Network. This model emerged from multiple calls for training interventions to be based on helping entrepreneurs to learn rather than imposing prescribed solutions (see for example, Deakins & Freel, 1998, Zinatelli et al., 1996). Irish businesses have called for more flexible, accessible development programmes, with networks emerging as the essential support structure (De Faoite et al., 2004), and network activity positively affects the quality of experiential learning (Deakins & Freel, 1998). This networking philosophy is core to the learning network model, and has been given active support within the Irish tourism context by the Fáilte Ireland County-Based Tourism Learning Networks (CBTLN) initiative.
The Small Firm Learning Network model has been adapted for operationalisation in the mergo CBTLN programme, based in the south-east and the south-west. A single indepth case study is used as a suitable research context. The model and its incumbent learning approach is based on an action learning ethos, involving small business operators and support agencies and incorporating local learning sets, a web community, and a series of learning interventions. Representing a marked departure from traditional training delivery in this sector; the approach has resulted in active and substantial involvement in the network among participating tourism enterprises. As the network facilitates the individual tourism business in developing key capabilities, this approach has an incremental and augmented impact through the larger network, thereby working towards achieving the ultimate objective of improved competitiveness in the Irish tourism sector
Ethical Decision Making in Technology Development: A Case Study of Participation in a Large Scale Information Systems Development Project
Get PDFAdvanced systems engineering has traditionally paid little attention to ethical concerns relative to other technical and non-technical issues. This is particularly evident in systems analysis, design and development methodologies. This paper asks if it is possible that the lack of emphasis upon ethical considerations in development methodologies can result in the failure of advanced technology development projects? In order to explore this contention, the paper sets out the findings of a case study of a large-scale advanced technology project in a multinational engineering company involving the implementation of an enterprise resource planning system. The research examined the extent to which ethical issues emerged in the project and assesses the impact of ethical considerations upon the technology development process and its outcomes. Evidence is presented which shows how ethical concerns clearly impacted upon the outcome of the project, supporting the contention that ethics was a success factor in the case presented. However, it was also clear that the kinds of ethical considerations that emerged were highly complex, and associated with an ‘ethics of care’. The findings suggested that researchers should examine the potential of an ‘ethics of care’ as a way of complimenting the ‘ethics of rights’ currently dominant within engineering ethics
Privacy Considerations in the Selection of Blogging Software
Get PDFThere are several benefits to using weblogs in education to support both collaboration and reflective practice. Results from an initial study which examined the effectiveness of weblogs are discussed. These results have shown that weblogs are useful tools for collaboration and groupwork, but that deep reflection was not evident in weblogs. It is suggested that this may be due to the public nature of weblogs. In the design of a second study, several types of blogging software have been considered, based on the privacy options they can offer. Wordpress is recommended as a suitable blogging tool for both collaboration and reflection. It provides students with the option to password-protect reflective posts to their blog, while leaving the rest of their weblog posts open to the public, thereby providing a means for collaboration with classmates
Socrates the intellectual midwife
Get PDFThe ancient Greek philosopher Socrates (470-399 BCE)
was the son of a midwife. He often used ideas from
childbirth as metaphors for teaching, and these still have relevance today fur tutors and mentors of midwives