The current trend of learning is towards distant learning. Using distance learners¡¦ learning portfolios recorded by Web Site can help teachers understanding the learning state of students. Teachers can encourage or supervise students through Email based on their different behavior. Eventually, we hope to enhance students¡¦ participation and interest when they are attending distant learning. We develop learning support mechanisms using portfolios in order to help teacher understanding the learning status of students conveniently and easy to apply mechanisms in distant learning environment. Finally, we will assess the effects of mechanisms to prove it can help students positively. The results will drawing in two parts. First, students accepted encouragement and supervision from teachers were enthusiastically than students don¡¦t accepted encouragement and supervision from teachers when attended each unit of test and synchronous conference. Second, according the questionnaire appears both groups of students agreed that teacher should encourage or supervise them according their learning behavior. In a word, students really need help from teacher at the right moment. And our research have proved that distant learning environment need provide convenient mechanisms for teachers.

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / In compliance with the Constitution, the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 requires that every child attend school from age 7 (or grade 1) to age 15 (or grade 9, whichever occurs first). The Western Cape Education Department (WCED), the constitutional custodian of education in the Western Cape Province, requires that all informal institutions accommodating learners of school-going age register their learners for an educational curriculum. It is an essential requirement that all learning institutions (religious or otherwise) provide the necessary academic support for their learners.

Final thesis deals with the Ministry of Education Strategy document prepared for educational policy of the Czech Republic till 2020 and possibilities of fulfilling its vision, which includes ensuring quality education accessible to everyone, oriented to student with the maximum use of its educational potential. The thesis is focused on the possibility of strengthening the traditional importance and impact of school for the whole society and the need for changes in the methods and forms of education that are used in the traditional way for decades without regard to the needs of a changing society. The issue is examined in the context of directors of elementary and secondary schools with regard to their level of knowledge and understanding of the document and their overall approach to the proposed interventions. The research finds if headmasters know what is expected from them and what conditions they see as an effective implementation and if they recognized challenges standing in front of them. It is also the base for the drafting of the implementation process and the possible fulfillment of their goals. KEY WORDS: The quality of education, equality, support mechanisms, evaluation, director

Turkey wants to encourage renewable electricity generation to reduce dependence on imported natural gas and meet its highly growing power demand. The government’s objective is to increase the share of renewable resources in electricity generation to at least 30 percent by 2023, and the specific target for the installed wind energy capacity is 20 GW by that date. Fortunately, Turkey has an enormous wind energy potential to exploit for electricity generation. When from “good” to “outstanding” wind clusters are taken into account, the overall technical wind power generation capacity in Turkey is calculated to be nearly 48 GW. In this context, this thesis investigates whether policy instruments in the Turkish regulatory frame contribute to economic viability for wind power projects or not. The financial results point out that an electricity price of 7.3 USD cent/kWh, which is the guaranteed price for wind power generation by current regulations, does not make a typical onshore wind power plant located in a “good” windy resource economically viable. However, when locally produced wing blades and turbine towers are used in the project, the purchase price increases to 8.7 USD cent/kWh, and the project becomes economically viable. As a result, the local content element introduced in recent regulations promotes wind energy investments and helps government to reach its renewable target for 2023. / text

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2016-08-17T12:14:52Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação_AlexNery_V18 (VFinal_Biblioteca).pdf: 3946748 bytes, checksum: 139ad5265a5a9bfe6cb97a591113354a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-17T12:14:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação_AlexNery_V18 (VFinal_Biblioteca).pdf: 3946748 bytes, checksum: 139ad5265a5a9bfe6cb97a591113354a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-27 / FACEPE / Contexto – Tem-se observado que o interesse em conduzir estudos empíricos vem aumentando na comunidade de Engenharia de Software, permitindo melhorar a qualidade das pesquisas e acelerar a adoção de novas tecnologias no mercado de software. Para fomentar pesquisas empíricas nesse contexto, é essencial entender os ambientes, diretrizes, processos, ferramentas e outros recursos disponíveis para conduzir tais estudos. Objetivo – Esta pesquisa tem o objetivo de identificar mecanismos de suporte (metodologias, framework, ferramentas, guias, processos, etc.) utilizados para planejar e conduzir estudos empíricos na comunidade de Engenharia de Software Empírica. Além disso, espera-se mapear outras evidências importantes na área, como os métodos empíricos mais utilizados e a evolução, ao longo dos anos, do uso de estratégias e mecanismos de pesquisa empírica. Método – Foi adotado o Estudo de Mapeamento Sistemático, conduzido de acordo com guias e diretrizes de Engenharia de Software Baseada em Evidências. Resultado – Foram identificados 375 mecanismos. Este trabalho fornece um catálogo com informações de todos os mecanismos e em quais estratégias empíricas são aplicados. Serão abordados os mecanismos mais utilizados para guiar os principais métodos empíricos. Este trabalho também discute outras informações relevantes da comunidade de Engenharia de Software Empírica. Observou-se que a maioria dos mecanismos utilizados como referência para guiar estudos empíricos é adotado de outras áreas científicas. Além disso, muitos estudos não aplicam estratégias empíricas e / ou não citam referências para apoiar sua pesquisa. Experimento e estudo de caso são os métodos empíricos mais aplicados. Conclusão – Esta pesquisa evidenciou que a realização de estudos empíricos na Engenharia de Software tem aumentado ao longo dos anos. No entanto, ainda há lacunas a serem preenchidas, como o desenvolvimento de novos ambientes e recursos para auxiliar atividades específicas nessa área. Portanto, um catálogo de mecanismos de suporte, onde e como foram aplicados, é um trunfo importante para a comunidade de Engenharia de Software. Tal recurso pode promover a realização de estudos empíricos, no sentido de auxiliar a escolha sobre quais estratégias e guias usar em uma pesquisa. Além disso, foram identificadas novas perspectivas e lacunas que podem orientar a definição de outras pesquisas voltadas para a melhoria e disseminação de estudos empíricos na área. / Context – It is possible to observe that empirical studies are gaining recognition in the Software Engineering research community, allowing improve quality of researches and accelerate the adoption of new technologies in the software market. In order to foster empirical research in this context, it is essential understand the environments, guidelines, process, tools, and other mechanisms available to conduct such studies. Objective – This research aims to identify support mechanisms (methodology, framework, tool, guidelines, process, etc.) used to plan and to conduct empirical studies in the Empirical Software Engineering community. In addition, it is expected to map other evidence of this area, as the most widely used empirical methods and the evolution of the use of empirical strategies and mechanisms along the years. Method – The method adopted was the Systematic Mapping Study conducted according to guidelines of Evidence-Based Software Engineering. Result - A total of 375 mechanisms were identified. This work provide a catalog with information of all the identified mechanisms and the empirical strategies in which they were used to support. And also describes the most used support mechanisms to guide the main types of empirical strategies in Software Engineering. This study also discusses relevant findings of the Empirical Software Engineering community. It was observed that the most mechanisms used as a reference to guide empirical studies are not specific to this area. Besides, many studies did not apply empirical strategies and/or did not cite any resource to support their research. Experiment and case study are the empirical strategies most applied. Conclusion – This research showed that the performance of empirical studies in Software Engineering has increased over the years. However, there are still gaps to be filled, as the development of support mechanisms to specific activities in this area. Therefore, the list of support mechanisms, where and how they were applied is an important asset to the Software Engineering community. Such asset can foster empirical studies aiding the choice regarding which strategies and mechanisms to use in a research, as well as pointing out examples where they were used, mainly to newcomers researchers. Also, were identified new perspectives and gaps that foster other research for the improvement and dissemination of empirical research in this area.

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2016-08-17T12:23:47Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação_AlexNery_V18 (VFinal_Biblioteca).pdf: 3946748 bytes, checksum: 139ad5265a5a9bfe6cb97a591113354a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-17T12:23:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação_AlexNery_V18 (VFinal_Biblioteca).pdf: 3946748 bytes, checksum: 139ad5265a5a9bfe6cb97a591113354a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-27 / FACEPE / Contexto – Tem-se observado que o interesse em conduzir estudos empíricos vem aumentando na comunidade de Engenharia de Software, permitindo melhorar a qualidade das pesquisas e acelerar a adoção de novas tecnologias no mercado de software. Para fomentar pesquisas empíricas nesse contexto, é essencial entender os ambientes, diretrizes, processos, ferramentas e outros recursos disponíveis para conduzir tais estudos. Objetivo – Esta pesquisa tem o objetivo de identificar mecanismos de suporte (metodologias, framework, ferramentas, guias, processos, etc.) utilizados para planejar e conduzir estudos empíricos na comunidade de Engenharia de Software Empírica. Além disso, espera-se mapear outras evidências importantes na área, como os métodos empíricos mais utilizados e a evolução, ao longo dos anos, do uso de estratégias e mecanismos de pesquisa empírica. Método – Foi adotado o Estudo de Mapeamento Sistemático, conduzido de acordo com guias e diretrizes de Engenharia de Software Baseada em Evidências. Resultado – Foram identificados 375 mecanismos. Este trabalho fornece um catálogo com informações de todos os mecanismos e em quais estratégias empíricas são aplicados. Serão abordados os mecanismos mais utilizados para guiar os principais métodos empíricos. Este trabalho também discute outras informações relevantes da comunidade de Engenharia de Software Empírica. Observou-se que a maioria dos mecanismos utilizados como referência para guiar estudos empíricos é adotado de outras áreas científicas. Além disso, muitos estudos não aplicam estratégias empíricas e / ou não citam referências para apoiar sua pesquisa. Experimento e estudo de caso são os métodos empíricos mais aplicados. Conclusão – Esta pesquisa evidenciou que a realização de estudos empíricos na Engenharia de Software tem aumentado ao longo dos anos. No entanto, ainda há lacunas a serem preenchidas, como o desenvolvimento de novos ambientes e recursos para auxiliar atividades específicas nessa área. Portanto, um catálogo de mecanismos de suporte, onde e como foram aplicados, é um trunfo importante para a comunidade de Engenharia de Software. Tal recurso pode promover a realização de estudos empíricos, no sentido de auxiliar a escolha sobre quais estratégias e guias usar em uma pesquisa. Além disso, foram identificadas novas perspectivas e lacunas que podem orientar a definição de outras pesquisas voltadas para a melhoria e disseminação de estudos empíricos na área. / Context – It is possible to observe that empirical studies are gaining recognition in the Software Engineering research community, allowing improve quality of researches and accelerate the adoption of new technologies in the software market. In order to foster empirical research in this context, it is essential understand the environments, guidelines, process, tools, and other mechanisms available to conduct such studies. Objective – This research aims to identify support mechanisms (methodology, framework, tool, guidelines, process, etc.) used to plan and to conduct empirical studies in the Empirical Software Engineering community. In addition, it is expected to map other evidence of this area, as the most widely used empirical methods and the evolution of the use of empirical strategies and mechanisms along the years. Method – The method adopted was the Systematic Mapping Study conducted according to guidelines of Evidence-Based Software Engineering. Result - A total of 375 mechanisms were identified. This work provide a catalog with information of all the identified mechanisms and the empirical strategies in which they were used to support. And also describes the most used support mechanisms to guide the main types of empirical strategies in Software Engineering. This study also discusses relevant findings of the Empirical Software Engineering community. It was observed that the most mechanisms used as a reference to guide empirical studies are not specific to this area. Besides, many studies did not apply empirical strategies and/or did not cite any resource to support their research. Experiment and case study are the empirical strategies most applied. Conclusion – This research showed that the performance of empirical studies in Software Engineering has increased over the years. However, there are still gaps to be filled, as the development of support mechanisms to specific activities in this area. Therefore, the list of support mechanisms, where and how they were applied is an important asset to the Software Engineering community. Such asset can foster empirical studies aiding the choice regarding which strategies and mechanisms to use in a research, as well as pointing out examples where they were used, mainly to newcomers researchers. Also, were identified new perspectives and gaps that foster other research for the improvement and dissemination of empirical research in this area.

Concerns about anthropogenic climate change, fossil fuel depletion, energy security, and damage to our ecosystems are acting as a catalyst for action in many sectors of industry and society. One key sector which has been identified as crucial for addressing these issues is the building sector. Therefore, in the UK context, with the aim of reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the requirements for new homes in terms of their energy efficiency are becoming ever more stringent, leading to the introduction of the zero carbon homes standard from 2016. Alongside this, broader priorities for sustainable development have been established in the UK, with a focus on the creation of sustainable communities. These are communities which support the diverse needs of residents and provide a good quality of life whilst protecting the natural environment. The literature suggests that the volume housebuilding sector is failing to meet housing demand in terms of either quantity or quality. Furthermore, it is apparent that the sector is failing to respond to voluntary stimuli for the delivery of zero carbon homes. Thus, it is with an overall aim of supporting the delivery of zero carbon homes and sustainable communities that this thesis has been undertaken. The UK Government suggested in 2011 that self-build homes, in which the occupant is involved in either building or commissioning the home, are more likely to be affordable, energy efficient and innovative than open market housing. Self-build housing accounts for only around 10% of new homes built in the UK, and group self-build is a small proportion of this. The UK Government has an aspiration to double the size of the self-build sector, with an expansion in the group self-build sector, over the decade to 2021. Literature on the self-build sector is limited, and that on the group self-build sector even more so. Indeed, gaps in knowledge in terms of the motivations for and benefits of group self-build exist. There are also gaps in knowledge in terms of the barriers to group self-building and ways in which the expansion of the sector could be best supported. Furthermore, existing literature on drivers for and barriers to zero carbon homebuilding is limited and fails to gather opinions from the broad range of professionals involved in the delivery of new homes. With the aim of addressing these gaps in knowledge, three complementary studies were conducted with an element of focus on the region of Cornwall, in South West England. With the aim of exploring opinions of professionals involved in the delivery of new homes regarding zero carbon homebuilding, a series of 34 semi-structured interviews was undertaken within the first study (Perceptions of zero carbon homebuilding). The second study was undertaken with the aim of investigating professional and expert opinions on the suitability of group self-build as a development model for zero carbon homes and sustainable communities (Self-build perceptions). This investigation employed the Policy Delphi method, an iterative, non-contact group research process in which data was gathered from participants through three rounds of online questionnaire surveys. This second study was formed of two concurrent studies; one employed a panel of national participants within England, the other a panel of regional participants within South West England. The third and final study aimed to explore the experience-based opinions of group self-builders through a series of 11 in-depth interviews (Group self-build reflections). The three studies are presented independently. However, each subsequent study is built upon the knowledge gained in the previous study. Within the final chapter of the thesis, the results are brought together and triangulated through a consideration of how the findings coalesce to cast light on the three central concepts of zero carbon homes, sustainable communities, and group self-build housing. The findings from this research identify and elucidate a number of themes of drivers for and barriers to zero carbon homebuilding. Themes of drivers include: legislative, economic, social responsibility, individual, and industry. Themes of barriers include: economic, skills and knowledge, industry, legislative, and cultural. Multiple potential support mechanisms for the delivery of zero carbon homes were also identified. The findings highlight the need for a cultural shift in the housebuilding industry, reducing the over-reliance on volume housebuilders. A broad range of benefits and motivations for group self-building have been identified and explored. However, whilst a strong appetite for environmentally sustainable development amongst group self-builders is established, this research casts some doubt on the central assertion that group self-build homes will be more energy efficient than speculatively built homes. Differences between the individual and group self-build sector were exposed both in terms of the motivations and the barriers faced. This thesis demonstrates how the benefits of group self-build housing serve to help create sustainable communities, and how they also serve to address some of the barriers to zero carbon homebuilding. The findings of this research demonstrate that group self-build housing offers a significant number of potential benefits towards the delivery of zero carbon homes and the creation of sustainable communities.

Universities around the world are increasingly engaging in activities of technology transfer, intensifying knowledge flows of academic-based research to firms. It is expected that these institutions play an active role in the development of the local economy. In fact, there was a sharp rise in patenting activities by universities over the last years. Moreover, universities have used different mechanisms to support university-industry technology transfer, as for example the implementation of regulatory frameworks and the creation of internal organizations aimed at facilitating interactions with firms. Although prior studies have comprehensively increased our understanding of the ways in which academic knowledge is disseminated, several important questions remain open. In this sense, the purpose of this dissertation is to investigate how university technologies are disseminated to firms, also examining the relationship between idiosyncratic attributes of universities, their regional context and university-industry technology transfer. The essays in this dissertation build on the knowledge spillover and technology transfer literatures, addressing different dimensions of the diffusion of academic knowledge. The dissertation consists of a general introduction, three essays, and a conclusion. The first essay relies on US patent databases, whereas the second and third use data in the context of Brazilian universities. Each essay, from a different perspective, explores dimensions that have not yet been addressed by prior literature. Investigating the dissemination patterns of technological knowledge embedded in university inventions is critical to understanding how and under circumstances scientific research disseminates and is deployed by firms. Along this line, this dissertation contributes to the field of innovation and technology management in several ways. / Universidades ao redor do mundo estão cada vez mais envolvidas em atividades de transferência de tecnologia, intensificando os fluxos de conhecimento da pesquisa acadêmica para empresas. Espera-se que essas instituições desempenhem um papel ativo no desenvolvimento da economia local. De fato, houve um crescimento significativo nas atividades de patenteamento por parte de universidades nos últimos anos. Além disso, as universidades têm utilizado diversos mecanismos para apoiar atividades de transferência de tecnologia, tais como a implementação de regulamentações e a criação de organizações internas destinadas a facilitar as interações com empresas. Embora estudos passados tenham ampliado de forma abrangente a nossa compreensão sobre a disseminação do conhecimento acadêmico, várias questões fundamentais permanecem em aberto. Desse modo, o objetivo desta tese é investigar como tecnologias acadêmicas são disseminadas para empresas, examinando também a relação entre atributos idiossincráticos das universidades, seu contexto regional e atividades de transferência de tecnologia. Os capítulos que seguem se baseiam nas literaturas de spillovers de conhecimento e transferência de tecnologia, abordando diferentes dimensões da difusão do conhecimento acadêmico. Esta tese consiste em uma introdução geral, três capítulos e uma conclusão. O primeiro capítulo baseia-se em dados de bases de patentes americanas, enquanto o segundo e terceiro usam dados no contexto de universidades brasileiras. Cada capítulo, de uma perspectiva diferente, explora dimensões que ainda não foram abordadas pela literatura. A investigação dos padrões de disseminação do conhecimento tecnológico embutido em invenções acadêmicas é fundamental para o entendimento de como e sob quais circunstâncias a pesquisa científica é disseminada e utilizada por empresas. Desse modo, esta tese contribui para o campo da inovação e gestão da tecnologia de diversas maneiras.