There are many recognised forms of teacher professional development ranging from simply reflecting on a lesson recently taught to enrolling in a formal course at university. This study set out to examine the perceived effectiveness of one mode of professional development, a spaced learning activity(SLA). The SLA was selected for a number of reasons. Firstly, current government economic and industrial policy includes an emphasis on the training and retraining of the Australian workforce as an economic necessity. Within this policy, teacher professional development is considered to improve the quality of teaching and to raise professionalism. Secondly, the literature in the area suggests that professional development activities have the potential to improve the quality of teaching by enhancing teachers' knowledge and skills. Thirdly, an SLA appeared to incorporate many characteristics of effective professional development which are identified in the literature, for example, allowing time for critical reflection and for internalising concepts. This study sought to determine the effectiveness of an SLA as a training strategy and in enhancing teachers' knowledge, beliefs, classroom practice and students' learning outcomes and also to identify characteristics of an SLA which assisted and inhibited its effectiveness. Perceived costs and benefits of participation to the individual teacher were also evaluated.. The study was carried out at Marist College, Canberra , a Y7-12 single sex secondary school with an enrolment of approximately 1100 boys. The study involved twenty five teachers who participated voluntarily in a pilot collegial group programme at the school during 1993. The term "collegial group" is used for a small group of professionals who meet on a regular basis to learn together and to support one another in their on-going professional development. Adie (1988:4) explains that collegial groups are designed to assist in supporting, learning, problem solving, planning and performing. The twenty five volunteers were divided into three groups. Each group determined its own 'focus1 and met on an average of five occasions over six months, for meetings ranging from two to four hours. The foci selected by each group were: Increasing student motivation Increasing student responsibility for learning. Excellence in Teaching course. Meetings usually provided an opportunity for individual feedback on teaching changes tried, some input on the focus area, discussion of its practicality and a commitment to try something new and to report back at the next meeting. Some groups also included discussion of specific teaching and learning 'problems', where the group would offer solutions. A variety of data collection techniques were employed in the study. A questionnaire was conducted before the programme commenced to ascertain participants' expectations and concerns about the programme and anticipated effects of participation on their teaching knowledge, beliefs and practice and on their students' learning outcomes. A questionnaire was also administered at the end of the programme. The post-study questionnaire sought participants' perceptions about how well their expectations for the programme had been met, any differences participation had made to their teaching knowledge, beliefs and practice, and to their students' learning outcomes and whether these differences constituted improvements. Further questions covered: the benefits and costs to individuals of participation in the programme; the benefits participants perceived that other non-participatory colleagues could derive from a future programme; and the perceived value of the activity as a mode of professional development. The questionnaire also included a table covering organisational factors of the programme and elicited participants' responses about the degree to which each assisted and inhibited progress. In addition to the questionnaires, structured interviews were conducted with the participants after the completion of the programme asking similar questions about their perceptions of its success. Analysis of a variety of data collected through pre and post-programme questionnaires as well as interviews clearly indicates that this mode of delivery was perceived by the participants to be an effective form of professional development from the perspective of changing teaching knowledge, beliefs and practice, and as a refocussing or confirming activity by providing stimulus to an individual's professional development. Further data collected support the organisational characteristics of this SLA and provide some suggestions for changes. Finally, the findings clearly show that the benefits to individuals of participation are perceived to outweigh the costs, further supporting the effectiveness of this mode of professional development.

La multiplication des services Internet et la hausse de leur utilisation entraînent des charges importantes sur les services Internet. Ces charges peuvent de plus varier dans le temps, souvent de manière imprévisible. Cependant la qualité de service de ces applications doit toujours rester dans des limites acceptables, les utilisateurs pouvant choisir le service utilisé en fonction de la qualité de service perçue. Par ailleurs, l'impact économique et écologique de ces services peut devenir problématique, principalement à cause de la consommation électrique des serveurs. Les fournisseurs de services Internet cherchent donc à minimiser les coûts de fonctionnement, tout en préservant la qualité de service fournie aux utilisateurs. Plusieurs approches existent pour administrer des services Internet. Cependant, la plupart ne considèrent qu'un aspect de qualité de service, ne s'adaptent pas seules à toutes les variations de charge, ou se contentent d'une approche "au mieux" (best-effort), sans garantie de la qualité de service fournie. Dans cette thèse, nous proposons un contrôle adaptatif de services Internet, fournissant à la fois des garanties de performance et de disponibilité de service, tout en minimisant le coût de fonctionnement des services. Les contributions de cette thèse sont les suivantes. Tout d'abord, un modèle analytique de prédiction des performances, de la disponibilité et du coût d'un service Internet en fonction de charges et de configurations variables du service, est proposé. Puis une quantification de l'utilité du service Internet, en termes de niveaux de performance et de disponibilité et en termes de coût, est définie. Ensuite, une méthode de planification de capacité, permettant de calculer la configuration optimale d'un service Internet pour garantir des contraintes de qualité de service et minimiser le coût du service est proposée. Enfin, un contrôle adaptatif de services Internet est fourni pour prendre en compte tout type de variation de charge des services Internet et ceci via un calibrage en ligne automatique des modèles et planification de capacité sous-jacents. L'approche proposée est implantée dans un prototype fonctionnel appelé MoKa. MoKa a été appliqué avec succès pour le contrôle d'un service Internet de vente en ligne constitué de serveurs Web et de serveurs de bases de données. Les expériences menées ont montré que le service contrôlé par MoKa était capable de s'adapter en ligne à diverses variations de charge et continuait ainsi de garantir les contraintes de qualité de service tout en effectuant des économies de ressources significatives.

<p>This essay reviews vocabulary samples from three different textbooks, which are readers for the basic course in English at an upper secondary school in Sweden. The aim of the study is to determine whether the word samples from the readers’ word lists consist mostly of high- or low frequency words and if the words denote any particular semantic fields. Moreover, the possible use of word frequencies in second language acquisition is also examined. The method used in ascertaining the quality of the words is comparing the word samples to the BNC (the British National Corpus) and analysing how frequently they occur in written and spoken modern English. The results are based on the findings from the analysis made in this study and also compared to current research in the fields of linguistics and language acquisition. The results exhibit both overrepresentation- and absence of words in particular semantic fields. For instance, words from the semantic field concerning ‘food and cooking’ were found to be somewhat predominant. The findings also include support for the use of word frequencies in language acquisition, especially in terms of how words are translated from English into Swedish in the textbooks’ wordlists. The only Swedish synonym given was in some cases item of the least frequent usage in modern English, according to the BNC. <strong> </strong></p><h1> </h1><h1> </h1><p> </p>

Les services Web sont des applications logicielles avec des implémentations hétérogènes, dont les interfaces et les incarnations peuvent être définis, décrits et découverts sur un réseau. Une orchestration de tels services Web fournit un flux de contrôle centralisé pour les services composites, qui peuvent invoquer d'autres services en utilisant une série de constructions (séquentielle, parallèle, avec des timeouts par exemple). L'objectif de cette thèse est d'étudier l'effet des paramètres de Qualité de Service (QoS) dans la performance et les obligations contractuelles de ces orchestrations. Tout d'abord, nous générons un modèle précis pour étudier la QoS probabiliste multi-dimensionnelle dans les services Web. Lorsque la dépendance des données est présente dans les orchestrations, les conditions pour assurer la monotonie sont nécessaires et sont intégrées. Nous présentons une algèbre riche pouvant gérer plusieurs dimensions de la QoS et fournir une composition de contrat probabiliste. Une conséquence de cela est l'entrelacement des paramètres de QoS en spécifications fonctionnelles des orchestrations, qui peut fournir d'autres fonctionnalités intéressantes comme l'ordonnancement causal d'un flux de contrôle d'orchestration. Ensuite, nous étudions les effets de ces modèles de QoS sur la gestion améliorée des SLAs (Service Level Agreement). Les applications de cette architecture de gestion de la QoS sont diverses et comprennent la prise en compte de la variabilité au sein de la gamme de produits, des progiciels mathématiques pour la prise de décision, des techniques de simulation avancées pour quantifier les contrats et des protocoles de négociation améliorés. Certaines de ces techniques sont implémentées au dessus d'Orc, un langage de programmation concurrente ayant des constructions pour gérer plusieurs aspects de spécifications d'orchestration.

This essay reviews vocabulary samples from three different textbooks, which are readers for the basic course in English at an upper secondary school in Sweden. The aim of the study is to determine whether the word samples from the readers’ word lists consist mostly of high- or low frequency words and if the words denote any particular semantic fields. Moreover, the possible use of word frequencies in second language acquisition is also examined. The method used in ascertaining the quality of the words is comparing the word samples to the BNC (the British National Corpus) and analysing how frequently they occur in written and spoken modern English. The results are based on the findings from the analysis made in this study and also compared to current research in the fields of linguistics and language acquisition. The results exhibit both overrepresentation- and absence of words in particular semantic fields. For instance, words from the semantic field concerning ‘food and cooking’ were found to be somewhat predominant. The findings also include support for the use of word frequencies in language acquisition, especially in terms of how words are translated from English into Swedish in the textbooks’ wordlists. The only Swedish synonym given was in some cases item of the least frequent usage in modern English, according to the BNC.

La sclérose latérale amyotrophique (SLA) est une maladie neurodégénérative fatale du sujet adulte caractérisée par la perte sélective des motoneurones (MN) rapides, des paralysies musculaires et un hypermétabolisme lipidique. L'exercice physique pourrait être envisagé comme traitement thérapeutique de la SLA. Sur les souris SLA, des protocoles de course différents ont des effets contradictoires en fonction de leur intensité. Dans ce contexte scientifique, nous avons comparé les adaptations neuromusculaires de souris sauvages et SLA SOD1 G93A soumises à un entraînement à la course sur tapis roulant et à la nage en piscine à courant que nous avons développée. Dans nos conditions expérimentales, la nage recrute préférentiellement les unités motrices rapides et active les MN de large surface, contrairement à la course qui recrute préférentiellement les unités motrices lentes (activation des MN de surface réduite et induction de transitions de fibres musculaires rapides vers lentes). Seule la nage retarde l'apparition des symptômes et allonge la durée de vie des souris SLA. Elle limite la mort des MN dans la moelle épinière lombaire et maintient l'intégrité des muscles squelettiques. Ces effets de la nage sont corrélés à l'adaptation du métabolisme énergique menant à une augmentation de l'utilisation du glucose et à la préservation des réserves lipidiques. Nos données mettent en évidence une relation entre l'activation et la protection des unités motrices rapides sensibles à la SLA. La détermination des mécanismes de neuroprotection induits par la nage dans les souris SLA nous permettrait de proposer de nouvelles voies thérapeutiques médicamenteuses aux patients atteints de SLA.

Per tal de millorar la qualitat del treball col·laboratiu dels alumnes amb l'ordinador cal parar atenció a la natura de les seves interaccions durant els processos de lectura i escriptura. En aquesta investigació presentem i il·lustrem un mètode d'anàlisi relativament nou basat en l'anàlisi funcional de la llengua. A més de l'anàlisi interpersonal també és interessant investigar com les transcripcions reflecteixen la manera com es construeix la situació d'ensenyament i aprenentatge així com les normes i negociacions dels estudiants per donar forma a la interacció a cada moment.La tesi s'ha estructurat en set parts diferents. La primera, dividida en cinc capítols, dóna una visió de les investigacions actuals sobre la interacció a l'aula i l'aprenentatge de llengües en contextos CALL. Aquest marc teòric es descriu a partir d'un enfocament sociocultural de l'aprenentatge així com des de la lingüística aplicada.A la segona part de la tesi es presenta el seu objectiu principal així com les preguntes d'investigació. Malgrat que les nostres dades sorgeixen de dues situacions diferents -estudi de cas i entrevistes a professors- hem de dir que la informació més rellevant per a la tesi surt de la primera d'elles.La tercera part té a veure amb la metodologia. En aquesta part s'intenta explicar com vam explorar diferents corrents per poder establir un sistema de categories adequat per a l'anàlisi de les dades emergents a l'estudi de cas: anàlisi del discurs, anàlisi de la conversa, tipus de conversa a partir del projecte SLANT (Spoken Language and New Technologies) i en especial el sistema d'anàlisi funcional basat en els estudis de Halliday i Hassan. A la quarta part de la tesi es descriu l'estudi de cas per investigar el tipus d'interacció d'una parella d'alumnes de 2nd d'ESO durant el procés de treball col·laboratiu basat en una tasca amb una aplicació informàtica concreta: una WebQuest de Ciències Naturals en Anglès. L'estudi para una especial atenció a les dinàmiques socials i cognitives dels alumnes relacionades amb els processos de lectura i escriptura. També es té en compte el rol del professor com a dissenyador de la situació d'aprenentatge basada en l'ús de l'ordinador i com a observador participatiu en les activitats centrades en els aprenents. Per a l'obtenció de dades es van enregistrar les interaccions verbals i no verbals dels alumnes i del professor amb vídeo així com els seus moviments a la pantalla de l'ordinador. Posteriorment es va transcriure tota aquesta informació i se li va aplicar el sistema funcional d'anàlisi de la llengua adaptat al nostre estudi.A la cinquena part la investigació es centra en tres entrevistes a professors de llengua anglesa per conèixer les seves creences i opinions sobre el treball col·laboratiu dels alumnes i l'ús de les TIC. Personalment crec que és justament aquesta projecció pragmàtica la que dóna sentit a qualsevol investigació dins l'àmbit educatiu. Com a autor d'aquesta tesi el meu desig és que aquesta publicació ofereixi al lector noves perspectives dins la investigació de la interacció dels alumnes treballant amb una llengua estrangera a través d'una aplicació informàtica interdisciplinària. L'estudi de cas i les entrevistes a professors amb les seves qüestions i mètodes específics, intenten proporcionar més informació sobre els processos i condicions per poder dissenyar i crear aplicacions informàtiques que promoguin ambients d'aprenentatge autònom i col·laboratiu. / This thesis has been structured into seven distinct parts. The first part, divided into five chapters, provides an overview of current research on classroom interaction and foreign language learning in CALL contexts. This theoretical framework is described and located in socio-culturally based ideas of learning.In the second part of the thesis a description of the main goal and research questions are provided. Although I collect data from two different situations -case study and teachers' interviews- I must say that the most relevant findings for my main research question come from the former one.The third part deals with methodology. In this part I try to explain how different approaches to establish a suitable set of categories to analyse the case study data were explored. It specially introduces and describes the emergence of a new analytic framework: the functional analysis system.In the fourth part I describe the case study investigating the nature of a pair of students' interaction -2nd of ESO- during four sessions in the process of a collaborative task-based work assisted by a computer application: a Science WebQuest in English. The study pays special attention to the social and cognitive dynamics in the students' collaborative reading and writing processes. Another focus is also to consider the role of the teacher as a designer of the computer-based learning situation as well as participant in student centred learning activities. In the fifth part some interviews to know about teachers' beliefs and opinions on collaborative work and the use of ICT are presented. Personally, I think pragmatism is what really makes sense to this research. As the author of this thesis, I hope this publication offers the reader new insights into research on students' interaction and foreign language teaching and learning throughout an interdisciplinary computer application. The case study and the teachers' interviews with their specific research questions and methods, are aimed at providing more information about the processes and conditions for designing and creating computer applications that foster collaborative and autonomous learning environments.

Communicative strategies not only play an important role in communication but they also contribute to second language acquisition. Communicative strategies (CS) can help to keep the communication channel open, encourage hypothesis formation and automatization. The overall aim of this essay is to find out whether there is a relationship between Chinese English learners’ attitudes toward the use of communicative strategies and the reported frequency of using them in actual communication. Forty Chinese English majors are selected randomly to participate in this investigation. They were divided into two different groups according to their different level of language proficiency. The main methods of this essay are two questionnaires and an interview.   Based on the framework of achievement strategies and reduction strategies and through the investigation of the relationship between the attitude toward communicative strategies and the reported frequency of using them in communication, three tentative conclusions have been drawn. Firstly, a learner’s attitude of CS has some influence on the use of CS. Secondly; Chinese learners of English tend to use reduction strategies most often. Finally, Chinese learners seldom use achievement strategies although they tend to believe the important role of achievement strategies in communication. What is more, this essay also analyzes the two groups of students’ different attitudes and different reported frequency of using CS and finds some reasons for those differences. After the above analyses, the essay categorizes three main factors which affect learners’ attitudes and their reported frequency of using CS. It includes the learner itself, the learning context, and the communication context.

Customized cellular material is a relatively new area made possible by advancements in rapid manufacturing technologies. Rapid manufacturing is ideal for the production of customized cellular structure, especially on the meso scale, due to the size and complexity of the design. The means to produce this type of structure now exist, but the processes to design the structure are not well developed. The manual design of customized cellular material is not realistic due to the large number of features. Currently there are few tools available that aid in the design of this type of material. In this thesis, an automated tool to design customized cellular structure is presented.

<p>This paper is a study within the general area of Second Language Acquisition (SLA), focusing on second language learning in formal (class room) settings. The main questions discussed in this essay are firstly, whether social factors matter while learning a second language, secondly, to what extent attitudes towards the second language matter and thirdly, what attitudes students actually have towards studying a second language.</p><p>The paper compares both students and teachers in the UK and Sweden. To be able to make this comparison I travelled to the UK and followed a class at the University of Wolverhampton that study Swedish.</p><p>This paper has benefited from both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative part consists of a questionnaire that was handed out to the students in both England and Sweden. For the qualitative part of my research I made use of the structured interview form, which is a method that has a compact nest of questions and where the sequence of questions is decided before the interview. I interviewed two students and one teacher in each of the countries that this paper covers.</p><p>The social factors that this paper recognises are age, gender, social class and ethnic identity. Furthermore, the essay examines the impact of students’ motivation and attitudes while studying and learning a new language. It has been demonstrated that motivation has a major role to play while learning a second language. It can be argued that the more motivated students are the more and better they will learn. According the students in question their opinions are that you have to have a good teacher while learning languages, i.e. a teacher that can encourage you and make you develop. On the other hand the teachers in question said that the students must be interested in learning second languages otherwise it is pointless since they will not develop.</p><p>The findings of the present paper are analysed in the light of previous research published in this field.</p>