Object of the research – problems of collaboration and personal contacts at secondary school. Hypothesis: There is some concern about culture of students` personal contacts. Negative features of national character can exert influence on students` unwillingness to learn in cooperation. Strained relations between teachers and law level of collaboration have a negative effect upon upbringing process. Not good enough relations between teachers and students impede to achieve the better progress in learning. Purpose of research – to investigate influence of communication culture and it`s components on upbringing process in sociological – pedagogical aspect. Goals: to analyze scientific publications about communication especially at school; about source of problems connected, with communication culture in Lithuanian schools; about personal contacts and collaboration culture; about active teaching methods. To investigate teachers` regulations of communication and collaboration with students and teachers. To analyze influence of communication culture on students` learning results. To give practical recommendations to the teachers of Kazlu Ruda administration schools about contacts and importance of collaboration culture for learning and upbringing process. The opinions of respondents are found out by using questionnaire in this research. There were 2 questionnaires formed for teachers and for students. It was done the pilotage before the basic research. Then there were... [to full text]

abstract: As robots are increasingly migrating out of factories and research laboratories and into our everyday lives, they should move and act in environments designed for humans. For this reason, the need of anthropomorphic movements is of utmost importance. The objective of this thesis is to solve the inverse kinematics problem of redundant robot arms that results to anthropomorphic configurations. The swivel angle of the elbow was used as a human arm motion parameter for the robot arm to mimic. The swivel angle is defined as the rotation angle of the plane defined by the upper and lower arm around a virtual axis that connects the shoulder and wrist joints. Using kinematic data recorded from human subjects during every-day life tasks, the linear sensorimotor transformation model was validated and used to estimate the swivel angle, given the desired end-effector position. Defining the desired swivel angle simplifies the kinematic redundancy of the robot arm. The proposed method was tested with an anthropomorphic redundant robot arm and the computed motion profiles were compared to the ones of the human subjects. This thesis shows that the method computes anthropomorphic configurations for the robot arm, even if the robot arm has different link lengths than the human arm and starts its motion at random configurations. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S.Tech Mechanical Engineering 2013

The United Nations Counterterrorism and Human Rights Committees’ current collaborative practices have failed to reduce global terrorists’ activities and human rights abuses associated with counterterrorism activities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and compare collaborative processes between the committees in combatting terrorism and human rights violations associated with counterterrorism. The researched was centered around two key questions: The similarities and differences with information sharing processes and the impacts of the committees’ collaborative processes on terrorists’ activities and human rights violations. For this study, the pragmatic paradigm theoretical framework was used, focusing on the descriptive exploratory design. Secondary data was used as a source. Additionally, face-to-face and telephonic interviews with subject matter experts were conducted. Eclectic coding was used as the primary coding methodology to integrate other coding methodologies in the analysis process. The research concluded that the current multidisciplinary collaborative process used by the United Nations Counterterrorism Committee and Human Rights Committee creates inefficiencies that enable terrorists’ activities to adapt while reinforcing their terrorist message. Strategically integrating the interdisciplinary process within both committees could expand each committee’s awareness and efficiency in specified areas while positively reducing terrorist activities and human rights violations. Developing an appreciation and understanding beyond one’s individual expertise while melding expert considerations is the basis of the interdisciplinary process that can positively effect social change for a more stable international forum.

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How do we design for a local community while respecting heritage and touching their hearts? We know through our minds and we understand through our hearts. Consciousness touches minds and experience touches hearts. Since phenomenology is the study of both consciousness and experience, this phenomenological architectural thesis is designed to touch both minds and hearts. Instead of replacement, we need embracement in order to root one's social identity. Only then we will elevate cultural heritage in any context, for example African. This thesis includes a case study of light followed by a 'pataphysical design proposal for Tapestry: a new library at Mzuzu University in Malawi. The library proposal is introduced through poems and visual information in the following sets: metaphysical, physical, 'pataphysical. Through the inquiry in haiku writing style, this poetry collection evaluates corners, windows, light, intensity, form. Not only we propose an exciting and unique library design, but we also discover that dignity is the key to unlocking the spirit of light in any project, regardless of its form. / Master of Architecture

Learners experiencing barriers to learning often require intervention and support from multiple professionals with different areas of expertise. Collaboration between professionals is important in avoiding fragmented and incoherent service delivery. Transdisciplinary service delivery allows for maximum integration among the various role players. Disciplinary boundaries are transcended through a process of skills transference and sharing of roles and provide child-centred, coordinated and collaborative support. This study investigates professionals in the Western Cape’s perceptions of a transdisciplinary service delivery approach for supporting learners experiencing barriers to learning. A sequential mixed method approach was utilized to gain an in depth understanding of professionals’ perceptions. Data were collected in two phases. During the first phase, a quantitative questionnaire was sent to various professional categories in the Western Cape who are expected to provide services to learners experiencing barriers to learning. The aim of the quantitative study was to provide background information for the second phase in which professionals’ perceptions of a transdisciplinary approach for supporting learners experiencing barriers to learning were obtained through eight focus group discussions. Four focus groups consisted of professionals who had not previously been exposed to a transdisciplinary approach. These professionals attended a two hour informative workshop on a transdisciplinary service delivery approach prior to the focus group. The remaining four focus groups consisted of professionals who had previously been exposed to transdisciplinary service delivery. Data were systematically analysed through a hybrid process of inductive and deductive analysis. Findings indicate that professionals providing services to learners experiencing barriers to learning perceive a transdisciplinary approach as useful and much needed for services provided both in schools and in private practice. Certain aspects of the transdisciplinary approach are perceived as more or less valuable, depending on the context and specific category of learning barrier. Although professionals acknowledge all aspects of the approach as valuable, multiskilling and role release are viewed as most needed. The transference of skills among therapists, teachers, parents and caregivers is perceived to contribute to effective and feasible service delivery. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Learners experiencing barriers to learning often require intervention and support from multiple professionals with different areas of expertise. Collaboration between professionals is important in avoiding fragmented and incoherent service delivery. Transdisciplinary service delivery allows for maximum integration among the various role players. Disciplinary boundaries are transcended through a process of skills transference and sharing of roles and provide child-centred, coordinated and collaborative support. This study investigates professionals in the Western Cape’s perceptions of a transdisciplinary service delivery approach for supporting learners experiencing barriers to learning. A sequential mixed method approach was utilized to gain an in depth understanding of professionals’ perceptions. Data were collected in two phases. During the first phase, a quantitative questionnaire was sent to various professional categories in the Western Cape who are expected to provide services to learners experiencing barriers to learning. The aim of the quantitative study was to provide background information for the second phase in which professionals’ perceptions of a transdisciplinary approach for supporting learners experiencing barriers to learning were obtained through eight focus group discussions. Four focus groups consisted of professionals who had not previously been exposed to a transdisciplinary approach. These professionals attended a two hour informative workshop on a transdisciplinary service delivery approach prior to the focus group. The remaining four focus groups consisted of professionals who had previously been exposed to transdisciplinary service delivery. Data were systematically analysed through a hybrid process of inductive and deductive analysis. Findings indicate that professionals providing services to learners experiencing barriers to learning perceive a transdisciplinary approach as useful and much needed for services provided both in schools and in private practice. Certain aspects of the transdisciplinary approach are perceived as more or less valuable, depending on the context and specific category of learning barrier. Although professionals acknowledge all aspects of the approach as valuable, multiskilling and role release are viewed as most needed. The transference of skills among therapists, teachers, parents and caregivers is perceived to contribute to effective and feasible service delivery. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Many studies have focused on whether or not different kinds of strategies used towards radical right parties give them more or less electoral support and power. This study, however, sets out to center the MP’s subjective views on how the strategies and different approaches are being used and experienced in parliamentary committees in the Swedish Riksdag. The purpose of the study is to gain new and more detailed information of the motivations used for the strategies from the MPs subjective views of the Swedish Democrats (SD). The different types of strategies studied are excluding strategies such as ignore, cordon sanitaire, demonise and defuse. The including strategies which are examined are adapt and collaborate. Vote technical disidentification is a theoretical contribution to strategies being used from this study and shows how MPs blame other parties for voting more on SD than their own. Semi- structured interviews with MPs from five parties, including SD, in three different parliamentary committees with a total number of 15 participants, which are used as the material. The result of the study suggests that there are some differences in the approaches of the different MPs, and the difference lies mostly in between and within parties and not so much among the different committees. The MPs have some differences in their subjective conception of the SD where some have a tough approach against them while others have a softer understanding to them socially but none except for one MP want formal collaboration with them. In broad terms, the political right has some tendencies to use inclusion strategies and the political left uses the exclusion strategies more broadly and not the inclusion at all, according to the result. Informal approaches to take distance from SD, used more by the political left. The perception of the strategies and approaches being used differs a lot from between the MPs from SD and the rest of the MPs in the study. A more hard, unfair and undemocratic is the perceptions of the MPs from SD of the strategy and approaches while the others do not see them as commonly used.

Over the past years, there has been a consistent call from Government and industry for South African tertiary institutions to deliver more graduates in the fields of science and technology. This, however, is no mean feat for universities, as the pool of prospective candidates delivers very few students with the necessary academic literacy abilities, and very few students who passed mathematics and science at the right levels to succeed in science higher education. This puts tertiary institutions under mounting pressure to accept students who are under-prepared and to support these students appropriately. The plight of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institutions like the University of South Africa (UNISA) is even more desperate, as they are often left with those students who are either unable to gain entrance into, or to afford the study fees of, residential universities. These students are often in greater need for face-to-face interaction than are their counterparts at residential universities, yet they generally receive very little of this. The intervention examined and critiqued in this study is an attempt at raising the academic literacy levels of first-year students at UNISA in the fields of science and technology by means of a 60-hour face-to-face workshop programme. As its foundation, it uses the principles of collaborative learning and authentic material design. It also treats academic literacy abilities as interdependent and holistic. This study starts with a broad overview of the context. This is followed by a review of the literature. This review focuses on concepts such as collaborative learning, academic literacy, English for academic purposes, English for specific purposes and English for science and technology. Thereafter, a needs analysis is done in which students’ Test for Academic Literacy Levels (TALL) pre-test results, as well as a sample of their assignments, are examined. In addition, the workshops in this intervention programme are analysed individually. To determine the effectiveness of the academic literacy intervention, students’ pre- and post-TALL results are scrutinised, and a feedback questionnaire filled in at the end of the year is analysed. Subsequently, recommendations are made as to how the workshop programme could be improved. Findings show that the academic literacy intervention did improve students’ academic literacy levels significantly, though the improvement is not enough to elevate students from being considered at-risk. However, with fine-tuning the existing programme, the possibility exists that students’ academic literacy levels might be further improved. This calls for a careful examination of the areas in which students’ performance did not improve significantly. Student feedback indicated a positive attitude towards the entire intervention programme, as well as a marked preference for collaborative learning and face-to-face interaction. In the redevelopment of the current workshop programme, such preferences would have to receive attention, so as to integrate students’ wants, together with what they lack and what they need, in subsequent interventions. In conclusion, the limitations of this study are discussed, and recommendations are made for future research, as the current study must be seen as only the beginning of a process of action research that could lead to a sustainable intervention programme in future. Copyright / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Unit for Academic Literacy / Afrikaans / unrestricted

La presente tesi teorica propone il MOPC index per misurare quanto i manager abbiano generato una comunità multinazionale di gestione aperta di un generico processo considerando congiuntamente l’affiliazione, la connettività interna, la forza e la multinazionalità. A tal fine ho impiegato il SAOM-Behavior valutando la collaborazione internazionale di processo ed annessa propensione come variabili multiple i cui valori e co-evoluzione dipendono dalla co-influenza tra le collaborazioni internazionali fasiche, tra le medesime e le rispettive propensioni fasiche e tra queste ultime. L’intensità relazionale dipende dal modello mentale condiviso, generatosi a livello di team internazionale, su una certa fase del processo mentre la propensione è funzione dell’orientamento e dell’attitudine alla collaborazione internazionale fasica. Il MOPC index è stato applicato alla comunità multinazionale di innovazione aperta e di gestione aperta introducendo due indici teorici: MOIC index e MOMC index. Infine ho teorizzato la catena del valore del manager (MVC) impiegando il processo innovativo e gestionale; considerando le collaborazioni internazionali sui due processi con annesse propensioni, si ho analizzato la collaborazione internazionale sulla MVC, la relativa propensione e la loro co-evoluzione. Cosi facendo, ho introdotto il MMC index per misurare la comunità multinazionale manageriale e, mediante questo, la multinazionalizzazione d’impresa da una prospettiva relazionale manageriale. / This thesis presents the theoretical MOPC index to measure how much the managers generate a multinational open process community by considering the affiliation, the internal connectivity, the strenghtness and the multinationality. I employed the SAOM-Behavior by evaluating the international process collaboration and the respective propensity as multiple variables whose value and co-evolution depend on the co-influence between the international collaborations phasic, between the same and the respective propensities phasic and between them. The intensity of these relationships depends on the International phasic team mental model sharing (TMMS) while the propensity’s one depends on the orientation and the attitude. Then the MOPC index has been applied to measure the multinational open innovation community and the multinational open management community by introducing the MOIC index and the MOMC index. Finally, I introduced the managerial value chain (MVC) as composed of the innovative and the management process. By integrating the international collaborations related to the two processes and their propensities It’s possible to measure the international MVC collaboration, the correlated propensity and their co-evolution. In doing so, I introduced the MMC index to determine the multinational managerial community’s degree and use it to evaluate the firm’s multinationalization by a managerial relational perspective.