[Abstract]: Designing, developing and delivering effective technical education for diverse groups of adult learners is important for both the learners and the future of the technical discipline. The many nuances associated with adult learners, combined with the challenges associated with exploring technically complex topics, make effective technical education difficult to achieve. An understanding of adult learners and teaching, coupled with a robustdevelopment framework can help produce effective teaching strategies and technical texts for diverse groups of adult learners.A literature review focusing on current research regarding adult learners was conducted to investigate some of the nuances of the adult learner. Specifically, thedifferences between adult learning and child learning were explored which lead to research on the role of experience in learning, the different approaches adult students typically take to learning, and the likely diversity in preferred learning styles within groups of adult learners.The literature review also investigated the role of the teacher in adult education, focusing on the need for learning facilitation in adult education. The desirable characteristics of teachers of adults were also investigated leading to an appreciation of the attitudes, attributes and approaches that teachers can take to enhance the learning experience for adults.A conceptual framework for the development and delivery of adult education courses was proposed and explained. The framework was based on established complexproblem solving principles and covered the entire lifecycle of an adult education course fromthe identification of a need for a course through to its delivery (and revision). The framework was based on a top-down approach to educational design. This was articulatedusing a VEE diagram that explained how the lifecycle stages (decision, design, development,and delivery) could build upon one another through concepts such as traceability, ongoingverification and feedback. The principles of adult learning and teaching were integrated intothe framework via the activities associated with the design, development and delivery of courses.The framework, and the information contained in the literature review, has been applied to the development of three different technical courses for three different groups of adult learners. As a result of the application of the framework and the development of thesecourses, a number of technical texts has been written and published to support the courses.The adaptability and success of the framework are evidenced by the ongoing and expanded adoption of the courses to support adult education, the publication record being established by the texts, and the positive student and peer review of the adult teaching strategiesemployed in those courses.It is concluded that the framework and the analyses arising from the literaturereview have the potential to be of value and interest to other teachers responsible for thedesign, development and/or delivery of adult education in technical fields.

This study maps compensation strategies in English as a foreign language used in immediate receptive situations by students of English and other modern languages. By mapping these strategies, language learners’ thinking processes are made visible, which in turn may assist teachers in modifying teaching methods. The study is comparative and highlights the difference in the use of strategies between learners who exclusively study English and learners who study at least one other modern language apart from English. The focus is on two major components of second language acquisition, viz. grammaticality and unknown words in context. Two major strategies have been used: (1) a quantitative analysis, and (2) a qualitative analysis, of sentences and words in context. Data have been collected from two surveys and two sets of recorded introspection with ten informants. This study proposes a classification of receptive compensation strategies including a division of achievement and avoidance strategies. The findings from the comparative study point out the major differences between learners of English only and learners of other modern languages. Finally, a discussion about what these results may imply for teaching is given.

This article studies the signal effects between different distribution channels. In this article, we assume the quality of goods only depends on production cost. The production cost is private information only belongs to manufacturers in direct channel. On the other hand, in indirect channel, production cost is information shared by manufactures and retailers, but the consumers will not know the production cost. Referring to consumer side, the demand of high quality goods is higher than the demand of low quality goods. All information is public to all players except the production cost. Therefore, the manufactures who provide high quality goods must signal their quality to consumers to get high sales volume. This research will verify the signaling effect in direct channel then explore the effect in indirect channel. After proving how the signaling effects work in both channels, we compare the effects among different channels. The comparison could help venders who face the adverse selection problems to make their channel strategies. The research results are as following: 1. No matter direct or indirect channels, the signaling effect get weak with the increase of consumer¡¦s price sensitivity, demand for high end goods and production cost of the goods. 2. The signaling effect in indirect channel is more effective than the effect in direct channel when consumers are with low price sensitivities. 3. The signaling effect in direct channel is more effective than the effect in indirect channel when the cost of goods in the same category is low. Keywords: signaling game; channel strategies; price strategies.

The aim of this thesis is to determine the marketing strategies used in the luxury industry differentiate luxury from premium and research the motivations values and beliefs of luxury consumers. Research was done on five main luxury activities: fashion and leather goods jewelry and watches and perfumes and cosmetics spirits and automobiles. The literature part has been structured in a way to present the evolution of the luxury industry and its development over the course of years. The section then goes onto clearly defining what luxury is and stating the different industries found in the luxury market. The secondary research identified the use of five different marketing strategies in the luxury industry. A survey was then conducted in order to understand consumer s motivations for purchasing luxury goods and their beliefs values and view s on luxury products. Results showed that the majority of survey participants agreed there existed a difference between premium and luxury and that quality and craftsmanship are the biggest motivators for purchasing luxury goods. The survey was carried out worldwide but there was a greater focus on consumers from North America and Europe. Survey participants were categorized into three target groups: management students managers with high disposable income and regular luxury consumers. Based on the findings the author made recommendations for new entrants into the luxury industry according to each marketing strategy.

with Jay Cormier, Editor/Publisher of Connections

U.S. business leaders are experiencing a deficiency within STEM skill sets in newly hired employees, resulting in challenges to business sustainability. The purpose of this case study was to identify strategies used to develop new STEM employees for business sustainability. Participants included 5 IT business leaders who had experience developing new STEM employees in a technology organization in New York. The 3-part theory of knowledge management, knowledge creation, and knowledge transfer was the conceptual framework for this study. Data collection included face-to-face interviews and analyses of company training plans, videos, and internal websites. Methodological triangulation of the analysis technique included organizing, collecting, and comparing data. Data analysis included a generic coding process to identify 3 themes: (a) strategies for organizational effectiveness, (b) strategies for new IT employee enrichment, and (c) strategies for improving business productivity. The results of the study indicated strategies to deliver employee training and development systems leveraging internal knowledge management and transfer could provide business leaders with effective ways to increase productivity and maintain organizational effectiveness. The social implications of the study include the potential to improve the economic strength of the local community because new insights on the development of STEM employees may lead to increased hiring and business sustainability.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

The globalisation processes changed in a short period of time the framework of the world economy competitiveness and bring new opportunities and challenges. In this new scenario, the European enterprises can only compete by taking full advantages of the new opportunity offered by knowledge-based economy. In fact, Europe cannot compete on the base of reducing labour costs, polluting environment or overexploiting raw materials. Indeed European economy productivity and growth should be based on use of frontier technology and ability to produce high-tech goods, manufactures and services (Lisbon Strategy, 2000). In this perspective, innovation is considered to vital importance, to have in Europe enterprises able to compete on a global scale and to take fully advantages of new market opportunities offered by ICT exploitation. EU expect such a transition will boost fast economic growth, creates better jobs, while at same time maintains and improve the European welfare model and the environment protection (Lisbon Strategy, 2000). The thesis wants to compare innovation policy programs in two Italian regions: Emilia-Romagna and Friuli-Venezia- Giulia. The proposal of the work is to analyse how the Regional Innovation Strategy of the two chosen cases were implemented in the last program period 2000-2006. Which structures have been created? How the money was allocated? What can we learn from the past? Which opportunities were missed and what can be done? Are they really innovative? The last part of the thesis is dedicated to compare the Regional Innovation Strategy of the chosen regions. Which differences we can detect? What are the similarities between the two cases? In order to understand this, I will study what characterize an innovative region and which forces drives innovation in a particular region. The thesis will be based on Lisbon Strategy (political perspective) as point of departure to explain the role of innovation and innovation policies as peculiar importance to European social, economic and environmental development. Furthermore, regional innovation strategies (policy perspective) will be discussed to explain how the two chosen European regions have implemented their strategies to boost their development trough innovation. In particular the Regional Innovation System theory (theoretical perspective) will be assessed. The method used is to analyse economic data in the two regions, analysis of documents from EU, national and regional level, comparative analysis of innovation policies in EU, national and regional policy documents. Tables and figures will be presented and used as an element in the work thesis. The expected results of the work are: understanding how the two chosen European regions have implemented their innovation strategies and compare regional innovation strategies of two selected regions (existent similarities and differences). / 0039-3296499184

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