Designing innovative computer systems is no longer simply a technical issue. There is now a growing awareness that a grounded understanding of the social and organisational context into which these systems are to be deployed, until recently overlooked, may be critical, particularly in the early phases of design. It is in these stages, known as requirements elicitation, capture or analysis, or more generally Requirements Engineering, that researchers have begun to acknowledge both social and technical concerns in the requirements for systems. This thesis aims to mediate between a detailed appreciation of the social organisation of the workplace and the technical structure of information technology. In order to do this, we explore the relevance of recent developments in the social sciences, principally ethnomethodology and interaction analysis, for providing an alternative analytic orientation for requirements capture. In particular, we outline the principal characteristics of an approach that takes into account the details of the moment-to-moment production of work activities and communicative practices. It is argued that attendance to such interactional features will improve requirements practice, and hence will ultimately lead to more sensitive designs for supporting collaborative work. To illustrate this approach, we take as an example the development of particular technologies for a complex work setting - financial trading rooms. Results of the analysis are then used to discuss requirements for systems to support trading. In particular, we consider how issues emerging from this analysis, developed from an ethnomethodological orientation, could inform requirements analysis. In this regard, we investigate approaches to modelling interactional resources, including the use of formal notations developed for sequential and communicating processes, and provide requirements analysts with sensitivities by which to consider naturalistic settings. This forms the basis for mutually dependent investigations: on the system design side, drawing on the model to allow consideration of conflicts introduced by technological choices; and on the social science side, providing an agenda for renewed investigation into the domain. We conclude by discussing the pre-requisites necessary so that approaches in this thesis could be integrated within the software development process.

University of Macau / Faculty of Science and Technology / Department of Electromechanical Engineering

At the late third instar the target neuropils, the lamina and medulla neuropils, wrap around the lobula primordium, a cylinder structure called the central plug which contains a group of lobula neurons near the lateral surface and the lobula complex deep inside. We have shown in this study that the central plug begins to form from the inner proliferation center long before photoreceptor axon innervation and is independent on axon innervation. Evidence is presented here that $\omega g$ signaling is among the intrinsic mechanisms of pattern formation in the central plug: two clusters of $\omega g$-expressing cells are present posteriorly adjacent to the central plug; the putative $\omega g$ receptor, Drosophila frizzled2, and one of the target genes of the $\omega g$ signaling in the leg, Distal-less (D11), are expressed in the central plug. Loss of $\omega g$ activity leads to collapse of the central plug and diminish D11 expression, while ectopic $\omega g$ expression induces expansion of the central plug and ectopic D11 expression. Consistent with its expression at the joints of the three proliferation centers which are the precursors of the three ganglia, $\omega g$ is shown to be required for cell proliferation in the inner proliferation center, the precursor cells for the lobula. Finally we show that $\omega g$ and dpp are both required for development of the central plug. A model is proposed to explain the roles of $\omega g$ and dpp in development of the optic ganglia. In the second part of my dissertation I have described evidence suggesting that $\omega g\sp{IL114}$ and porcupine mutations block Wg secretion by acting at different steps of post-translational events of Wg protein. Analysis of Wg glycosylation defects, and the abnormal cytoplasmic localization of Wg in porcupine animals indicate that Porcupine acts in an early step in the Wg secretory pathway.

This research investigated the effects of embedding knowledge-check questions in temporal locations within video lectures and their impact on students’ perceptions and performance. The students’ perceptions focused on their views on both the video lecture and the knowledge-check questions embedded in temporal locations within the video. These strategic locations are the time intervals between questions. It was hypothesized that when questions are embedded in strategic locations in a longer video, students will score significantly higher in perception and performance scores. This study builds on recent studies on optimal engagement times for video lectures, the use of questions within the lectures, and the use of xAPI analytics to determine video usage patterns. A total of 86 students from six undergraduate classes participated in the study. These classes were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The control group (CG) did not have questions embedded in the video lecture but had practice-test questions after the video lecture. Treatment 1 (T1) and Treatment 2 (T2) had knowledge-check questions embedded in temporal positions within the video at the 2-3 minute and 5-6-minute mark, respectively. There were no significant differences between groups regarding the student perception scores, which included both perceptions on the video lecture and the embedded-knowledge-check questions. There were also no significant differences between the groups with regards to the post-test quiz scores. However, there were significant differences between groups relating to knowledge-check question scores. Furthermore, by running a linear regression, two relationships were discovered 1) between post-test performance scores and time spent engaging with the video lecture, and 2) between knowledge-check scores and time spent engaging with the video lecture. A relationship was not found between perception scores and usage patterns. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / 2019 / November 12, 2019. / eLearning, Embedded Questions, online distance learning, Online learning modules, Video Lectures, xAPI Analytics / Includes bibliographical references. / Vanessa P. Dennen, Professor Directing Dissertation; Motoko Akiba, University Representative; James Klein, Committee Member; Fengfeng Ke, Committee Member.

<p>This thesis proposed and presented technical details of new probabilistic metrics of trust in the links wireless ad hoc networks for unobservable communications. In covert communication networks, only the end nodes are aware of the communication characteristics of the overall path. The most widely used protocols of ad hoc networks was overviewed. The routing protocols of ad hoc networks with trust considerations and select Destination Sequence Routing, a protocol that can be used in distributed ad hoc network settings for path discovery, was also reviewed. It establishes a path through which all packets sent by a source must pass to the destination. The end nodes are responsible for examining the statistics of the received packets and deriving inferences on path feature variations which are used for computing new trust metrics. When a path is judged not trustworthy based on the metrics, the Destination Sequence Routing is informed to undertake a new trusted path discovery between the end points. The thesis added a new feature based on the quality of service parameters of the path to create trust in the links in recognition of attacks.</p>

Abstract Data mining is a relatively new field of research whose major objective is to acquire knowledge from large amounts of data. In medical and health care areas, due to regulations and due to the availability of computers, a large amount of data is becoming available. On the one hand, practitioners are expected to use all this data in their work but, at the same time, such a large amount of data cannot be processed by humans in a short time to make diagnosis, prognosis and treatment schedules. A major objective of this thesis is to evaluate data mining tools in medical and health care applications to develop a tool that can help make timely and accurate decisions. Two medical databases are considered, one for describing the various tools and the other as the case study. The first database is related to breast cancer and the second is related to the minimum data set for mental health (MDS-MH). The breast cancer database consists of 10 attributes and the MDS-MH dataset consists of 455 attributes. As there are a number of data mining algorithms and tools available we consider only a few tools to evaluate on these applications and develop classification rules that can be used in prediction. Our results indicate that for the major case study, namely the mental health problem, over 70 to 80% accurate results are possible. A further extension of this work is to make available classification rules in mobile devices such as PDAs. Patient information is directly inputted onto the PDA and the classification of these inputted values takes place based on the rules stored on the PDA to provide real time assistance to practitioners.

In order to develop a better understanding of the process of development and deployment of automated systems, this thesis examines aspects of project execution and knowledge transfer in the context of a large automation project. <br /><br /> Background issues of project execution are examined, including the challenges of knowledge sharing in project development, as well as a brief discussion of measures of project success. The lifecycle of a large automation project is presented, including aspects of development and the development team, as well as design challenges inherent in the development process of a successful automation project which consisted of approximately 11,000 hours of combined effort by vendor and customer development teams. <br /><br /> Human factors aspects of large automation projects are explored, including an investigation of the workings of a large project team, by examining the cognitive aspects of the project team, as well as ecological aspects of the automation development process. <br /><br /> Using an interview methodology that can be termed the "echo method", project team members were interviewed in order to elicit helpful and unhelpful behaviours exhibited by other team members throughout the project. The results of these interviews are categorized and examined in the context of both knowledge management and social networks. Common themes in interview comments are identified, and related to both the areas of knowledge management and social networks. <br /><br /> Results indicated that team member experience and availability affect overall team performance. However, overlapping capabilities within a team were found to allow the team to adapt to changing circumstances, as well as to overcome weaknesses in team member availability. Better understanding of team interactions and capabilities supports improvements in project performance, ultimately delivering higher quality automation and streamlining the development process.

No description available.

The global diffusion of the Internet and the rise in affordable digital electronic devices has exponentially increased the access to culturally authentic materials (Hadley, 2001). Foreign language educators can take advantage of this wealth of resources to design activities that encourage students to explore a foreign culture online (Bush, 2007). For example, social media users often share snapshots of their daily life and discuss topics related to their home culture. This content can be used to provide students with a regular and frequent exposure to authentic and timely cultural information and to promote intercultural analysis and reflections. The last two decades have seen a growing concern of the role intercultural competence plays in contemporary foreign language education. However, despite the rising awareness that “the study of another language is synonymous with the study of another culture” (Cutshall, 2012, p. 32), integrating cultures into instruction is still not a priority for many language instructors, especially because of the challenges the process may entail. This study aims to address this gap in practice and research by introducing a model that foreign language instructors can use to design pedagogically-structured learning opportunities that guide students’ intercultural explorations and reflections for the development of intercultural competence. Specifically, the study introduces a sequence of Instagram-based activities and aims to explore how completing these activities helps foreign language students to develop intercultural competence through the development of cultural and intercultural awareness of cultural products, behavioral practices, and philosophical perspectives. The study has an explanatory single-case study design where the collective experience of the class with the instructional activity represents one case. Participants are 18 students enrolled in one section of a third-level Italian language course at a large research university in the United States. Students used Instagram to explore posts shared by Italian users and to share with their classmates their cultural and intercultural observations. Moreover, they completed a set of individual reflective online assignments aimed at developing their knowledge and skills for the development of intercultural competence. The general conclusion of this study is that using Instagram for intercultural explorations and reflections can help students to acquire knowledge and develop skills for the development of intercultural competence. Students engaged in the Instagram chat in a process of knowledge sharing and knowledge building that helped them to develop their skills of interpreting and relating and their cultural knowledge of products and practices, especially of the most unfamiliar themes. By completing the individual reflective assignments, students also developed intercultural awareness of products and practices and used their developing skills of discovery to develop awareness and understanding of foreign perspectives. Even if students completed these assignments individually, they agreed on what the core perspectives of Italians are. Some students were also successful in establishing cross-cultural relationships and showed instances of intercultural awareness development of perspectives. Some other students, instead, were hardly able to advance from the surface culture of products and practices and to reflect on the significance that specific products and practices have in different cultures. Students could benefit from more guidance and opportunities for feedback throughout the whole sequence of activities. While detailed instructions and the initial instructional support can help to scaffold students’ observations and analysis, they may not be sufficient to properly sustain the development of knowledge and intercultural competence in a process that becomes increasingly sophisticated. A continuous instructional support can facilitate the development of students’ autonomy for the development of intercultural competence. The study also presents two individual student cases and an overview of students’ reactions to the sequence of activities, which, in general, were positive. The study concludes by addressing its main limits and by discussing its implications for future practice and research. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2018. / April 4, 2018. / Computer-assisted language learning, Culture, Instagram, Intercultural competence, Italian, Social media / Includes bibliographical references. / Vanessa P. Dennen, Professor Directing Dissertation; Michael Leeser, University Representative; Fengfeng Ke, Committee Member; James D. Klein, Committee Member.

The purposes of this study were to investigate the structural relationships among the factors that affect online learners’ satisfaction with the learning experience, and to develop a structural model that explains online learners’ satisfaction. For these purposes, a research model was developed based on the principles of social cognitive theory and the Macro Model of Motivation and Performance, and the findings reported in past research. The study investigated the effects of self-regulation, self-efficacy, task value, and learning design on perceived learning and satisfaction, and the effect of perceived learning on satisfaction. Participants consisted of higher education students who were enrolled in fully online courses in the Spring 2017 semester at a public university in the Southeastern United States. Data analyses were conducted on a dataset that included 1115 responses. Majority of the participants were female (810 students, 72.6%), and pursued an undergraduate degree (838 students, 75.2%). Participants’ age ranged between 18 and 62 with a mean of 24.14 and a standard deviation of 7.99. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to answer the research questions and test the research hypotheses. Assessment of the measurement model revealed that the six-factor model showed a good fit to the data. Assessment of the structural model revealed that eight out of the nine research hypotheses were supported. The results showed that self-regulation, self-efficacy, task value, and learning design had significant direct effects on perceived learning. These four factors explained 66.7% of the total variance in perceived learning. Furthermore, self-regulation, self-efficacy, task value, learning design, and perceived learning had significant direct effects on satisfaction. Contrary to the research hypothesis, the effect of self-regulation on satisfaction was negative. Five factors explained 81.4% of the total variance in satisfaction with the online learning experience. Finally, perceived learning had a mediation effect for the relationships between self-efficacy, task value, learning design, and satisfaction. The results suggested that metacognitive self-regulation, self-efficacy beliefs for interacting with the instructor and peers, task value beliefs, learning design, and perceived learning are important factors to consider in online learning settings in terms of learners’ satisfaction with the learning experience. The results are interpreted and discussed in the light of theory and past research findings. Implications of the research results are shared for instructional designers and online instructors. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2017. / November 3, 2017. / learning design, motivation, online courses, satisfaction, social cognitive theory, structural equation modeling / Includes bibliographical references. / Vanessa P. Dennen, Professor Directing Dissertation; Jonathan L. Adams, University Representative; James D. Klein, Committee Member; Yanyun Yang, Committee Member.