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The diploma thesis titled "The impact of quality of information on fulfilling the infor- mation needs of users of the "Aspekty náhradní výchovy (ANV.cz)" domain-specific portal" analyzes the information needs of web portal users and evaluates the quality of the in- formation contained therein using a variety of different methods. The thesis summarizes concepts of information of quality and information needs, describes the issues of measuring quality of information and elaborates on the motivation and possibilities of research on in- formation needs and increasing quality of information. The first part of the thesis defines the terms of information behavior, information need and quality of information. This chapter describes the aforementioned concepts, the possibilities of their research, measurement and evaluation and suggests the general relationship between quality of information and fulfil- ling information needs. This part also lists other possible methods of identifying information needs which were not used in the thesis. The second part describes the web portal ANV.cz, especially the circumstances of its creation and development, with an emphasis on its current state and the description of its technical solutions. This part also establishes and describes the various portal user target groups. The...

This study conducted at the University of Central Florida was completed to inform the Ed. D. in Education program within the College of Education and Human Performance. The main purpose of the study was to determine the Dissertation in Practice (DiP) project types that should be allowed for use as the capstone requirement based on a needs analysis of K-12 schools and school districts. The secondary purpose was to inform the instructional design of the program to ensure the necessary skills and knowledge required are included in the program. The study was conducted in the University of Central Florida's Ed. D. in Education program and employed a qualitative approach to a needs analysis. Interviews were conducted with two distinctly different participant groups. The first group was comprised of administrators and teacher-leaders identified by a superintendent of a rural school district in Central Florida as "highly effective". The second group of participants was comprised of current Ed. D. students working in K-12 education with more than 10 years' experience. This research identified specific project types that best support school improvement and should therefore be integrated into the Ed. D. in Education program as allowable project types for use as the Dissertation in Practice. The results also identified qualities of highly effective administrators and teacher-leaders that may be considered by program faculty for inclusion in the design and implementation of the curriculum for the Ed. D. in Education program. Implications of this research include using the results to inform instructional practices and the allowable DiP projects for the Ed. D. in Education program. As this study was a needs analysis that serves as a basis for program instructional decisions, the results of this study may inform other Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) member institutions how to modify or enhance their programs as well. The focus on this study was exclusively on K-12 education. However many students enrolled in the program work in business, government, or non-profit settings. This research could be replicated to determine improvement project types that are commonly implemented in those settings in order to better meet the needs of all students enrolled in the Ed. D. in Education program.

No / Part 1 of this article identified the demands of female soccer and the specific areas of development required to optimize performance and reduce the risk of common injuries. Increases in aerobic capacity, strength, and lower limb control were required to improve performance and reduce the risks of common injuries. The aims of part 2 are to provide examples of evidence-based integrated strategies to address the issues identified in part 1 and to ensure not only enhanced performance but also a reduced incidence of common injuries in female soccer players.

Ruapehu is an active volcano located on the North Island of New Zealand, with the most recent major eruptions occurring in 1945, 1969, 1975, and 1995/96. Ruapehu is also home to the three major North Island ski areas, Whakapapa, Turoa, and Tukino. Because of the high frequency of eruptions, there is a significant volcanic hazard at the ski areas particularly from lahars which can form even after minor eruptions. Most recently, lahars have affected Whakapapa ski area in 1969, 1975, and 1995/96. The most significant risk at Turoa is from ballistic bombs due to the proximity of the top two T-Bars to the crater. Ash fall has also caused disruption at the ski areas, covering the snow and causing damage to structures. There is yet to be a death at the ski areas from a volcanic event; however the risk at the ski areas is too high to be completely ignored. The ski areas at Whakapapa and Turoa are currently operated by Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL), who have been significantly improving their commitment to providing volcanic hazard training for their staff and preparing for handling a volcanic eruption. RAL is joined by the Institute of Geological Sciences (GNS) and the Department of Conservation (DoC) in trying to mitigate this risk through a range of initiatives, including an automated Eruption Detection System (EDS), linked to sirens and loudspeakers on Whakapapa ski areas, as well as by providing staff training and public education. The aim of this study was to provide RAL with recommendations to improve their staff training and warning system response. Staff induction week at both Turoa and Whakapapa ski areas was observed. Surveys were distributed and collected from staff at both ski areas, and interviews were conducted with staff at Whakapapa ski area. Data obtained from staff interviews and surveys provided the author with insight into staff's mental models regarding a volcanic event response. A simulation of the warning system was observed, as well as a blind test, to collect data on the effectiveness of training on staff response. Results indicated permanent and seasonal staff were knowledgeable of the volcanic hazards that may affect the ski areas, but had differing perspectives on the risk associated with those hazards. They were found to be confident in the initial response to a volcanic event (i.e. move to higher ground), but were unsure of what would happen after this initial response. RAL was also found to have greatly improved their volcanic hazard training in the past year, however further recommendations were suggested to increase training effectiveness. A training needs analysis was done for different departments at the ski areas by taking a new approach of anticipating demands staff may encounter during a volcanic event and complementing these demands with existing staff competencies. Additional recommendations were made to assist RAL in developing an effective plan to use when responding to volcanic events, as well as other changes that could be made to improve the likelihood of customer safety at the ski areas during an eruption.

Since the 1990s, the number of courses of Spanish for Specific Purposes (SSP), especially Business Spanish, has increased rapidly in institutions of higher education in the U.S. Ideally, the design of these courses is based both on an analysis of the learners’ needs and on a specific business-related purpose. However, instructors of Business Spanish may not be specialists in this area and may lack the means or the time to perform a needs analysis (NA) to prepare the course syllabus and materials. Consequently, choosing the Business Spanish textbook ends up being the first step in designing the course, and for the reasons stated above, this choice tends to be based on the instructor’s needs rather than those of the learners. In this dissertation, I subjected four Business Spanish textbooks to an in-depth analysis (Littlejohn, 1998) in three stages. This analysis includes their approach to specificity (from narrow to wide), and how the business-related learners’ needs (language- and skill-based) are addressed. Results from these four analyses reveal that the authors adapted four different language teaching approaches and methods. Their wide-angled approach to specificity and different viewpoints of the target learners’ business-related needs are based on (1) their beliefs on the nature of language and language teaching, (2) the position of the course in the macro curriculum (macro-specific purpose), and (3) their respective target audiences. A two-step evaluation of Business Spanish textbooks is recommended to instructors based on the macro-specific purpose of their courses and the micro-specific purposes of communicative activities.

Reconceptualization is needed for English language teaching as a response to English-as-an-international language (EIL) contexts. Correspondingly this will lead to what is called “an ecological approach” that invites accommodation of language-learning instruction to the local needs within discourse communities. In this research, the researcher will investigate the English for specific purposes (ESP) needs of business students to explore how best to address their expressed needs through subsequent tutoring. The ecological approach along with vocabulary teaching approach may look deeply into students’ needs. To assess their needs, a questionnaire was developed and administrated to international students in the College of Business and Public Administration (CBPA) at California State University, San Bernardino to investigate what students feel are their strengths as well as needs, in order to succeed in their business studies.

Ruapehu is an active volcano located on the North Island of New Zealand, with the most recent major eruptions occurring in 1945, 1969, 1975, and 1995/96. Ruapehu is also home to the three major North Island ski areas, Whakapapa, Turoa, and Tukino. Because of the high frequency of eruptions, there is a significant volcanic hazard at the ski areas particularly from lahars which can form even after minor eruptions. Most recently, lahars have affected Whakapapa ski area in 1969, 1975, and 1995/96. The most significant risk at Turoa is from ballistic bombs due to the proximity of the top two T-Bars to the crater. Ash fall has also caused disruption at the ski areas, covering the snow and causing damage to structures. There is yet to be a death at the ski areas from a volcanic event; however the risk at the ski areas is too high to be completely ignored. The ski areas at Whakapapa and Turoa are currently operated by Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL), who have been significantly improving their commitment to providing volcanic hazard training for their staff and preparing for handling a volcanic eruption. RAL is joined by the Institute of Geological Sciences (GNS) and the Department of Conservation (DoC) in trying to mitigate this risk through a range of initiatives, including an automated Eruption Detection System (EDS), linked to sirens and loudspeakers on Whakapapa ski areas, as well as by providing staff training and public education. The aim of this study was to provide RAL with recommendations to improve their staff training and warning system response. Staff induction week at both Turoa and Whakapapa ski areas was observed. Surveys were distributed and collected from staff at both ski areas, and interviews were conducted with staff at Whakapapa ski area. Data obtained from staff interviews and surveys provided the author with insight into staff's mental models regarding a volcanic event response. A simulation of the warning system was observed, as well as a blind test, to collect data on the effectiveness of training on staff response. Results indicated permanent and seasonal staff were knowledgeable of the volcanic hazards that may affect the ski areas, but had differing perspectives on the risk associated with those hazards. They were found to be confident in the initial response to a volcanic event (i.e. move to higher ground), but were unsure of what would happen after this initial response. RAL was also found to have greatly improved their volcanic hazard training in the past year, however further recommendations were suggested to increase training effectiveness. A training needs analysis was done for different departments at the ski areas by taking a new approach of anticipating demands staff may encounter during a volcanic event and complementing these demands with existing staff competencies. Additional recommendations were made to assist RAL in developing an effective plan to use when responding to volcanic events, as well as other changes that could be made to improve the likelihood of customer safety at the ski areas during an eruption.

Magister Educationis - MEd / A qualitative research study, supplemented by a policy and contextual analysis was conducted to evaluate the skills development planning process for Human Resources managers at the NMMU. The findings of the study indicate a need for the NMMU to implement effective skills development planning practices to ensure relevant skills are developed in the Human Resources department. The findings further highlighted the need for a Human Resources strategy and model to guide the skills planning process.

Allt fler organisationer väljer att förbättra och förnya sin verksamhet genom att använda informationssystem. Verksamheter idag har blivit allt mer beroende av IT- stöd i form av system samt webbapplikationer, eftersom det automatiserar och effektiviserar arbetsprocessen. Verksamheter med ett fullt fungerande IT-stöd leder, lyfter och styr företaget framåt i utvecklingen. Nyttan av ett IT system kan mätas då systemet är anskaffat och befinns i en förvaltningssituation. I förvaltningssituationer används IT system vilket kräver att dessa underhålls och omskapas efter verksamhetens utveckling. Studien syftar till att kartlägga alla IT-system och webbapplikationer för Tele2 Butikerna AB samt för varje system identifiera användare, accessroller, funktioner, förvaltningsresurser och förbättringsområden. Detta har utförts genom att skapa en nulägesanalys och en behovsanalys av verksamheten med hjälp av flera olika metoder. I examensarbetet har dokumenterade metoder använts för skapande av nulägesanalys och behovsanalys, vilka har stått i grund för de metoder som behärskar genom uppsatsens gång. Kartläggningen bestod främst av datainsamling via intervjuer med de anställda ute i butikerna samt på huvudkontoret. Slutligen har en rapport överlämnats till Tele2 som motsvarar önskemålen från uppdragsgivaren. / Increasing numbers of organizations are choosing to improve and innovate through the use of information systems. Businesses today have become more dependent on IT support such as systems and web applications as it automates and streamlines the work process. Organizations with a fully functional IT support leads, lifts and controls the company forward in development. The benefits of an IT system can be measured when the system is acquired and placed in a management situation. IT systems are used in management situations which require maintaining and re-engineering for business development. The study aims to identify all IT systems and web applications for Tele2 Butikerna AB and also for each system identify users, access roles, system functions, management recourses and possible improvements. This has been done by creating a situation analysis and a needs analysis of the business with help from different methods. The thesis contains documented methods that has been used for the creation of the situation and needs analysis. These have been the basis during the thesis approach. The survey consists of data collection through interviews with the employees in the stores and at headquarters. Finally, a report has been submitted to Tele2 corresponding to the wishes of the client.