Design, make and appraise (DMA) activities form a major component of the relatively new primary curriculum area of technology education. This case study is a descriptive and interpretative account of one teacher's attempt at implementing a DMA program in a class of children in their first year of formal schooling. The study seeks to discover and explore some of the factors and structural and organisational issues that arise during the implementation of a DMA program. The research aims to expand the knowledge base of the DMA strand of technology education as the teacher attempted to grapple with the problem of translating the theoretical technology education curriculum statements into practical realities in the classroom. This study highlights the importance of the teacher, her organisation and planning and selection of appropriate teaching strategies. / Group work, continuous assessment and the provision of adequate and appropriate resources were also found to be important contributing factors. Three further issues were found to emerge from the study. Firstly there was a weak link between the children's designing stage and their making and appraising stages. Secondly, DMA has the potential to assist schools to work towards a more gender-neutral curriculum in which both girls and boys have equal access. Special education children were found to be assisted by involvement in DMA activities. And thirdly, the setting of DMA tasks was seen to be an issue that could cause difficulties. Finally, a number of implications for teachers arose out of these findings and they have the potential to improve DMA teaching and learning.

Education is the best investment for human capital. The demand for higher education has created a complex milieu with interesting players. One of the most interesting developments is the growth of the for-profit postsecondary sector. A perennial misfit beside the established non-profit institutions, it has become one of the dominate forces in the world of higher education.

Abstract The purpose of restructuring the company into financial difficulties the company can make by corporate restructuring procedures, the company has re-rehabilitation may be an opportunity to make a comeback. Although the corporate restructuring law conception fine, but the actual success of corporate restructuring are too low, and the case company is one of the successful cases. To understand the success of the process of corporate restructuring cases in this study will use the case study method. With access to several key players in the restructuring process, the interview will collate the case a key factor in the success of corporate restructuring. The study reached the following conclusions. First, the case is due to corporate restructuring with banks' own liquidity problems operational difficulties, resulting in companies facing financial problems. Second, faced with staff that the process of restructuring, legal cases, and re-engineering business for the company who are not familiar with such challenges. Third, the restructuring strategy includes: communicating with stakeholders, dealing with litigation, research and development into new products, expand business and markets. Fourth, the case company to create value is developed and patented new products, new market development. Fifth, the case is due to the success of corporate restructuring were re-, re-engineering supervisor with the operators of perseverance, staff cohesion and trust of customers, legal affairs are handled properly and expand the market and new product development.

With the increasing number of enterprises which provides e-business via Internet and the complex of information system, Information Security becomes more and more important to a company. Information Security not only can improve a company¡¦s information system but also can protect its information asset. It becomes a basic element for e-business. In addition, since information today goes beyond boundaries, a company may face the threat of being attacked by hackers or virus all the time. Maintaining system operation and protecting internal information become an essential issue to a company. Due to this new trend, Information Security Service Industry becomes one of the newly developed industries. At present, a company has the urgent need of adopting information technology to increase competitive advantages. The importance of Information Security is increasing day by day. This research mostly focuses on Taiwan Information Security Service Industry which is still lack of research literatures. The research uses a local Information Security Service company as its research target. Case study, field observation, and reading company¡¦s related materials help to understand how entrepreneurs analyze environment and evaluate opportunities, required resources, threats, and key success/failure factors. The research mainly focuses on how environment and opportunities analysis, entrepreneur team and organization structure, product strategy and operating model, consumers and market, product competitive advantage and implementation influence a company¡¦s success.

This thesis would be trivial if it did not aim to assist organisations to continuously improve their activities and sustain long-term profitability in today’s competitive market. It reports the development of a knowledge transfer model within MNCs with the major focus on knowledge flow within international Lean and Six Sigma teams. The model highlights the inhibitory and facilitatory factors in knowledge transfer processes. To remain among the leaders in the market, firms must continuously strive for better performance. This often implies the best management practices such as continuous improvement processes. Lean and Six Sigma are two well-known approaches which are strategically important for businesses. The adoption and deployment of both Lean and Six Sigma, however, cannot be successful without a robust knowledge management structure, especially when deployed in an international dimension where subsidiaries and HQ constantly interact to maintain a high performance level. For many decades, efforts to develop knowledge management in multinationals have been important. Some of the well-know authors in this field are Davenport and Prusak, Szulanski, Minbaeva, Gupta and Govindarajan, and Holden. Although there have been many attempts to understand the phenomenon of knowledge management in multinationals, there are limited studies reported in the literature regarding knowledge transfer in international Lean and Six Sigma teams within MNCs in the broad triad of developed, underdeveloped and developing countries. Moreover, a number of knowledge transfer models have been proposed and described in many other research studies, but none is fully adaptable to the context of these international teams because of their lack of specificity to this particular field of practice. In fact, besides working within an international team, Lean and Six Sigma project leaders in MNCs are often seen as internal consultants, providing their services to two different categories of individuals: people with basic Lean and Six Sigma knowledge and those with no Lean and Six Sigma knowledge. Hence there is a need for a strong communication system to maintain good information flow and understanding in such international firms. This research thus investigated the existing phenomenon of knowledge transfer in Lean and Six Sigma teams within MNCs through a single case study carried out in four main regions Asia (Malaysia), Europe (France, Germany, the UK), Latin America (Argentina, Brazil) and the USA. It emphasised evaluating and comparing how (1) Lean and Six Sigma knowledge was developed, transferred and implemented in these different units, and (2) how the team members interacted together in order to successfully deploy Lean and Six Sigma projects internationally. This enabled the researcher to identify and understand the difficulties behind the success of knowledge transfer effectiveness in such teams. This study was conducted in three phases. In the preliminary phase, the literature review enabled the researcher to identify the gaps and establish the conceptual framework that helped the presentation of the phenomenon. Definitions of knowledge and knowledge management are put forward to highlight the characteristics of these concepts and to show how a good understanding of the complexity of ‘knowledge’ itself can improve knowledge absorption. An evaluation of the development of Lean and Six Sigma methodologies in MNCs was conducted. Secondly, the framework guided the researcher through interviews with Lean and Six Sigma experts and document analysis which resulted in a selection of frameworks. Finally, the resulting insights from the data analysis using expert knowledge, understanding, interpretation and experience enabled the refinement and validation of the proposed conceptual framework. A final model was then recommended to help Lean and Six Sigma project leaders and managers to effectively communicate and internalise, implement and innovate knowledge within their area of practice. This model contributes to knowledge in the area of international business, management practices and knowledge management within MNCs by incorporating new factors that affect knowledge transfer processes. To begin with, it suggests ensuring a balance between subsidiary autonomy and HQ–subsidiary networking for effective communication flow while investing more time in developing trust and understanding culture since cross-cultural differences appeared also to be seen as a positive asset for organisations, offering new opportunities for learning new ways of doing things and thus leading to innovation. Secondly, it proposes reinforcing the relationship base (common interest, individual commitment, trust, credibility and respect) in teams for better interaction, decision-making and change management. Thirdly, it emphasises training for knowledge development and internalisation, mentoring and coaching, and IT compatibility for ‘knowledge leveraging’. Knowledge transmission channels such as IT compatibility systems and mentoring and coaching enabled non-duplication of a piece of knowledge in the sense that it minimises the reinvention of knowledge that already exists elsewhere in the network. This thesis provides a constructive basis for further research within the field of both knowledge management and continuous improvement methodologies (Lean and Six Sigma) within MNCs and the researcher’s goal is to expand its analytical generalisation. Although DAS was specifically using Lean and Six Sigma as continuous improment methodologies, the company was the most appropriate case for this study as it has shown remarquable results in the deployment of continuous improvement methodologies (Lean Six Sigma). This success is mainly due to their capacity in improving organisational effectiveness by expanding knowledge transfer within their MNC through networking in international teams and geographically disperced units. Besides, they have a strong organisational culture which they try to align with other unit’s cultures. Other MNCs using continuous improvement teams can thus draw on this example to improve their organisational effectiveness.

The Fitness and Health Promotion (FHP) program is a relatively new program in the faculty of Health and Life Sciences and Community Services at Conestoga College in Ontario. The FHP program is designed to train and prepare individuals as qualified fitness and health consultants working in the fitness and lifestyle industry. Graduating students have the skills to complete standardized exams for accreditation. Although assessment is an essential component in higher education, the educators who are required to do it may not always understand it well. This single case study investigated the development and use of assessment tools and strategies in this higher education context through interviews with thirteen participants from three different stakeholder groups. In addition, this case study describes the perceptions around assessment of these stakeholders: educators, administrator and students. Professional development and training should be implemented for all stakeholder groups to resolve misunderstandings around assessment tools and strategies and to optimize feedback activities.

Chapter 16 describes the clinical case of an adult male who meets diagnostic criteria for pedophilia and who has acted on his pedophilic interests on several known occasions. It addresses important historical and clinical characteristics of the case, as well as treatment efforts and indicators of risk. It also discusses the application of empirically supported practices and clinical science to the assessment, treatment, and risk management of this client, highlighting what is known from the scientific literature, and future directions that will aid in the clinical care of individuals with pedophilic diagnoses.

Participating in organized sports activities can result in developmental benefits to the adolescent. Increased fitness, self-esteem, competency, academic success and increased recognition by peers are few of the benefits cited by researchers. Participation can also provide opportunities for developmental liabilities to occur. Researchers have cited liabilities such as stress, anxiety and physiological injury. Developmental benefits and liabilities have been the foci of the controversy that has existed over adolescents participating in interscholastic sports programs in the middle and junior high school. Although research has studied the impact of interscholastic sports on the high school and collegiate athlete, few studies have investigated the impact of interscholastic sports on the middle school athlete. This qualitative case study of four middle school athletes investigated the benefits and liabilities of participating on an interscholastic team to the adolescent athlete. Based on the literature, four domains were identified as benefits and two domains were identified as liabilities. These six domains were achievement, competency, fitness, self-esteem, sports injuries, stress and anxiety. Interviews were held with students, coaches and parents. These interviews were based on domain specific questions. A journal was kept, and a document review of achievement, attendance and medical records was completed. The study revealed a pattern of improved grades, increased skill levels in the sport, improved fitness, and increased self-esteem. The students experienced injuries and moments of stress and anxiety. / Ed. D.

This study describes the planning, teaching, and challenges of one classroom teacher during writing time in two second grade classrooms. The study looks at how this teacher planned for and implemented a writing curriculum in which computers played a role and what this teacher did in an attempt to influence children's development as writers. Data collected included four formal interviews with the teacher and observations over a period of two semesters of the teacher as she worked in the classroom and computer lab during writing time. The constant comparative method as described by Maykut and Morehouse (1994) was used to analyze the data. Analysis revealed that this teacher's approach was influenced by state standards and policy guidelines, as well as her early experiences with literacy. In the lab, she focused on helping students develop keyboarding skills through keyboarding exercises, a computer game, and occasional word-proceeding of writing pieces done in the classroom. In the classroom she used a routine that consisted of three pre-writing activities. These involved students in reading materials related to the topic, brainstorming ideas they recalled, mapping relationships among brainstormed ideas, and writing group and individual accounts of their reading. Her approach to teaching in the city was quite similar to the approach she used in the county school. It differed insofar as in the county school she introduced the students to using the computer to conduct information searches about topics in the official state curriculum. Among the challenges she identified in her teaching were time and management problems. Based on these findings, the study identified four foci that might contribute to more effective use of computers in writing instruction. These include the teacher conceptions of literacy, effective planning, effective implementation and classroom management. / Ph. D.

One of the core aims of education is to prepare students who have the ability to leverage their learning beyond the classroom. This is particularly important during the transition between school and work, a period where recent graduates are expected to apply what they have learned in an educational context to address real-world problems. In engineering programs, capstone courses are typically designed to facilitate this process. By asking students to synthesize and apply both technical knowledge and professional skills in a practical application, these courses have come to play a pivotal role in preparing students for work. However, for capstone courses to be effective at accomplishing what they were designed to do, students must be able to transfer what they have learned in capstone into the workplace. Existing scholarship on transfer tends to focus on identifying the mechanisms by which transfer occurs, typically through experimental studies. Yet, few studies have thoroughly examined the transition between capstone and work, and even fewer have begun to ask what knowledge, skills, and attributes (KSAs) are transferring between the two contexts. The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to understand the nature of transfer between capstone and work among recent engineering graduates entering the workforce. Using Actor-Oriented Transfer as a theoretical lens, this study prioritized participants' interpretations of what transfers between the two contexts instead of the researchers' perception of what should be transferring. The perspectives of eight recent graduates from mechanical engineering and engineering science programs at four institutions were analyzed in the study. Using weekly reflective journals and interviews that took place three, six, and twelve months after beginning employment, data was analyzed to (1) identify instances of successful transfer and (2) determine what factors enable or inhibit transfer between capstone and work. Four types of KSAs emerged from the analysis: interpersonal skills, analytical skills, strategizing skills, and disposition. Additionally, the cross-case analysis revealed that four main factors influence transfer: access to support and resources, project structure, contextual differences, and attitudes. This study highlights the nature of transfer between capstone and work and draws attention to the primary types of transfer and factors that affect transfer between these two contexts. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of shifting the narrative away from experimental studies of transfer by prioritizing participant perceptions through a qualitative multi-case methodology. The results of this study have implications for researchers, instructors, and employers with an interest in the success of engineers during their critical transition from school to work. / Doctor of Philosophy / One of the core aims of education is to prepare students who have the ability to leverage their learning beyond the classroom. This is particularly important during the transition between school and work, a period where recent graduates are expected to apply what they have learned in an educational context to address real-world problems. In engineering programs, capstone courses are typically designed to facilitate this process. By asking students to synthesize and apply both technical knowledge and professional skills in a practical application, these courses have come to play a pivotal role in preparing students for work. However, for capstone courses to be effective at accomplishing what they were designed to do, students must be able to transfer what they have learned in capstone into the workplace. Though many studies on transfer exist in current literature, few studies have thoroughly examined the transition between capstone and work, and even fewer have begun to ask what knowledge, skills and attributes (KSAs) are transferring between the two contexts. The purpose of this study was to understand the nature of transfer between capstone and work among recent engineering graduates entering the workforce. Using a multi-case study design, this study prioritized participants' interpretations of what transfers between the two contexts instead of the researchers' perception of what should be transferring. The perspectives of eight recent graduates from mechanical engineering and engineering science programs at four institutions were analyzed in the study. Using weekly reflective journals and interviews that took place three, six, and twelve months after beginning employment, data was analyzed to (1) identify instances of successful transfer and (2) determine what factors enable or inhibit transfer between capstone and work. Four types of KSAs emerged from the analysis: interpersonal skills, analytical skills, strategizing skills, and disposition. Additionally, the analysis revealed that four main factors influence transfer: access to support and resources, project structure, contextual differences, and attitudes. This study highlights the nature of transfer between capstone and work and draws attention to the primary types of transfer and factors that affect transfer between these two contexts. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of using interviews and other qualitative methods to study transfer. The results of this study have implications for researchers, instructors, and employers with an interest in the success of engineers during their critical transition from school to work.