7 research outputs found
Technological Development – Creative Destruction or Destructive Creation?
No full textAbstract: The idea of the paper was inspired by the article of Jagdish Bhagwati in “The Financial Times”, October 16, 2008. The author mentions the possible difference between the non-financial innovation, wthat Joseph Schumpeter famously called “creative destruction”, and the financial innovation that may be considered as one of the reasons of the present global economic crises.
The paper analyses and compares different standpoints to on technological development in the history of economic and philosophic thought, paying more attention to those, who discussed not only the bright sides of technological discoveries, but also the threat that they may cause to the mankind as well. Karl Marx considered technological changes as the roots of collapse of the capitalist system due to the laws of capitalist motion. Thorsten Veblen’s institutionalism asserted that the interactions between technological institutions and ceremonial institutions may be the driving force of changes in the social system. Joseph Schumpeter predicted the possible collapse of the capitalist system as the result of the draining away of the forces of “creative destruction”, that are the basis of the entrepreneurship and the mainspring of the capitalism. John Kenneth Galbraith in his “The New Industrial State” and his other his writings developed the ideas of American institutionalists and his teacher Joseph Schumpeter.
The problems of technological development are widely discussed not only among economists, but philosophers and even writers as well. The English writer Herbert George Wells may be considered regarded as one of the most successful prophets of the technological innovations in the XX century. But in oppositecontrary to another famous prophet – Jules Verne, Wells regardconsidered that such innovations may cause more threat than benefit to the mankind. In a large degreeTo great extent he was right and a large part on inventions were primarily were used in military operations.
Do the people really benefit from the technological development? The paper discusses also the “Ethics of Enough” by the American philosopher Mortimer Jerome Adler, who analyzsed and developed the Aristotle’s exploration of “moral virtue”.
If the present trends in the direction of mankind and the way of thinking will remain unchanged, itthose may bring such problems, that the present global economic crisies may seem a particular compared to them
The role of organizational strategy in the user-centered design of mobile applications
No full textGathering insights on users and the contexts they use mobile applications is at the core of the user-centered design (UCD). Organizations find it strategically important to efficiently and effectively use these insights. With the proliferation of mobile applications, gaining timely and relevant insights is increasingly challenging due to the heterogeneous and dynamic context of use, the abundant availability of information on use behavior and the intense time constraints imposed by the highly competitive mobile market. This paper develops a research model that considers strategy foci as motivators that affect the efficient and effective use of insights on users and context in design practices. We examine the mediating effects of UCD resources, such as time and financial constraints, organizational practices, and UCD competence. To test the model, we conducted a survey with 100 mobile practitioners and used PLS to estimate the model. The model shows that focus on an innovation strategy both directly and indirectly affected data use on user and their context (i.e., mediated by organizational practices and UCD competence) in design practices. Strategies with a focus on cost had no direct effect on the use of user insights but led to negative impacts on UCD competence and organizational practices.</p
Improving Sorghum Biomass and Productivity through Application of Moringa Leaf Juice
No full textGlobally, fourteen types of Moringa species are discovered. Among these species Moringaoleifera and Moringastenopetala potentially use for nutritional purpose, medicinal and feed values. In addition to these, Moringa leaf juice is being use in the form of a foliar spray that causes the plants to be stronger, more resistant to pests and disease and enhances plant growth. Plants treated with Moringa juice spray produce more and larger fruit and consequently have higher yield. The study conducted at “Kewet” district, Shewa Robit site with the objective of evaluating the contribution of Moringa leaf juice on grain yield and biomass production of sorghum. The result indicated that there was no significant difference observed among treatments on grain yield. However, foliar spray of Moringaoleifera with fertilizer and Moringastenopetala with fertilizer was obtained 25% and 34% of grain yield advantage as compare to only chemical fertilization application. Hence, at Shewarobit condition, foliar spray of Moringa leaf juice is not recommended for sorghum grain yield production. However further study is required across different soil type and agro climatology
Reading Ruth : towards a postmodernist, literary and womanist analysis
No full textBibliography: leaves 132-140.This dissertation examines the book of Ruth from a postmodemist, literary and womanist perspective. The main methodology is postmodemist literary criticism, but it employs intertextual and autobiographical approaches as well. Chapter 1 is an exploration of the plot of Ruth and reveals that in order for the end goal of the plot to be achieved "emptiness has to return to fullness." It is shown that Ruth's action (her decision to return with Naomi) is the catalyst that begins the process that ultimately leads to the denouement of the plot. The fact that it is the two women, Ruth and Naomi, who drive the plot forward, indicates that the Book of Ruth is a woman's story. Chapter 2 demonstrates that the significance of narrative time for any literary analysis lies in the fact that the amount of time allowed for the retelling of the events rarely corresponds to the time it took for the events to happen. Since Ruth is a short story, the choice of what to tell, what to omit as well as how long to dwell on details are indeed significant. In other words it is shown that literary time is only spent on those aspects which are crucial for the advancement of the narrative. Since the reader's main goal is to see how the conflicts are resolved, the literary time spent on the resolution of the conflicts is an indication of where the weight of the story needs to lie. In this case, it is certainly with Ruth and Naomi judging from the amount of time spent on dialogues between the two women. They are therefore the ones that contribute to the resolution of the conflicts of the plot. Chapter 3 reveals that in the book of Ruth the narrative voice or the perspective of attitudes, conceptions and worldview are those of a woman. The fact that the book of Ruth is named after a woman; the fact that at the very outset all the males in the story die and it is the women that take over the narrative; the fact that in the end the women of Bethlehem declare that Ruth is better to Naomi than seven sons are just some of the reasons that substantiate the argument that the narrative voice in the book of Ruth was that of a woman. It is also shown that this narrative voice (whether overt or covert) subverts gender and ethnic expectations. Chapter 4 outlines the way in which biblical characters are portrayed. The subsections of chapter 4 deal with the characterisation of each major character: Naomi, Boaz, and Ruth. Chapter 4 is the longest chapter since it is difficult to evaluate characterisation without engaging the other facets of literary criticism as well, such as plot and dialogue
Explaining Regional and Local Government: An Empirical Test of the Decentralization Theorem
No full textDecentralization of policy provision is omnipresent yet we are not able to sufficiently account for the extent of this phenomenon. The decentralization theorem explains the decentralization of policy provision as a trade–off between heterogeneous preferences, inter–jurisdictional spillovers (externalities) and economies of scale. Empirical tests of the theorem have been hampered by a measurement problem on the independent as well as on the dependent variable. This article tackles these problems by using a new dataset which combines a measure of externalities and scale effects of policies obtained from an expert survey with the actual provision of policies across governmental tiers in 40 countries. The analyses show that decentralization of policy provision is not solely determined by functional characteristics of policies but that heterogeneous preferences and other country specific variables such as democracy, economic development and European subsidies, also play a significant role. Hence, this article provides an empirical test of the decentralization theorem
M-learning and student engagement: Factors that support students' engagement in m-learning
No full textMobile learning (m-learning) is learning that takes place in a variety of contexts, within and beyond traditional learning environments, utilising any type of mobile device. The availability of mobile devices with the potential to be used in university education has vastly increased over the past decade, and therefore m-learning has become increasingly common in university settings. M-learning is usually supported by a mobile device which offers some level of mobile connectivity to learning resources or access to communication technologies, or both, and can facilitate or support learning. M-learning thus involves participating in learning activities not confined to a set place or time.
In some institutions, m-learning has been encouraged through initiatives such as laptop programs, but often m-learning occurs incidentally with students utilising laptops and other mobile devices that they have acquired to help them with their studies.
Despite attempts by these institutions to develop such laptop programs, there have been limited resources on how to integrate m-learning into tertiary education for use by lecturers who have the desire to tap into the possibilities of taking advantage of students’ ad hoc access to laptops and other mobile devices. Models with practical applicability to m-learning have been slow to emerge, and very few practical guidelines are available for educators on the effective implementation of mobile devices in university teaching and learning, and lecturers are often left guessing as to what might promote students’ engagement in m-learning.
The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the factors that influence students’ engagement in m-learning, specifically where mobile devices facilitate engagement in both learning activities (M-learning Task Engagement) and interaction with others (Online Social Engagement) in ways that contribute to learning outcomes (e.g. ACER, 2010; Coates, 2006; Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1998). A secondary aim was to identify what motivates students to use laptops for learning. Finally, the study aimed to develop a new m-learning design model and guidelines for lecturers developing learning designs for use in m-learning contexts.
The study included both formal m-learning and laptop programs, and classes where laptop use is ad hoc driven mostly by students’ personal needs. The research was conducted using seven case studies at three Australian universities. In one case, students were participating in a laptop program; in two cases, tablet computers were used in classroom settings; and in four cases, students’ use of laptops was based on student ownership and personal initiative. Data were collected by two surveys: one to gather students’ perceptions of their m-learning experiences and the other focussing on lecturers’ perceptions of m-learning.
The research explored what may motivate students to use their laptops and engage in m-learning. As could be expected, mobility was the key motivator for the use of laptops, and the learning tasks that students found to be most motivating involved accessing information, authoring (e.g. writing, blogging, note taking) and communication. Other categories of motivators identified in this study were: student productivity; performance outcomes; the learning experience; information access; the lecturer; entertainment; and social interaction.
The results of this study indicated that both Online Social Engagement and M-learning Task Engagement were influenced by students’ Goal Orientation. Online Social Engagement was also influenced by Technology Focus, which is learners’ orientation towards utilising technologies for learning. Students’ Perceived Mobility also influenced engagement in m-learning, but specifically in the area of M-Learning Task Engagement.
The results of this research led to a model and guidelines for lecturers planning to implement m-learning in a student-centred learning context which maximises students’ engagement in m-learning. The m-learning design model and guidelines lead lecturers towards considering student motivators for m-learning and the factors that influence students’ engagement in m-learning. The resulting learning designs, that address students’ requirements for mobility, and mesh with their Goal Orientation and Technology Focus, are therefore likely to contribute towards both M-Learning Task and Online Social Engagement in m-learning.
The outcomes of this study have important practical implications for educators and institutions as they provide a planned approach to integrating the use of mobile technologies in the curriculum with the aim of achieving increased engagement in learning
