As the world perches on the dawn of a new millennium, the strides humankind has made in the advancement of information and communications technologies such as the World Wide Web (WWW) and Internet, have surpassed even the greatest of expectations. Technology is a force that is reshaping the way we live. In the field of Public Administration it is being given increased prominence as a social restructuring force which has immense potential to assist with the delivery of public services. One of the areas in which it is having a notable impact is in the field of education. This study investigates the role of World Wide Web (WWW) technologies in the delivery of education at South African Tertiary institutions. An overview of the experiences of practitioners in the higher education arena in using Web-based technologies is provided. Both the problem-areas as well as positive aspects of Web-based teaching are reviewed. Specific emphasis is placed on the benefits of using the WWW to support resource-based, student-centred learning as envisaged in the Education White Paper 3: A Programme For The Transformation Of Higher Education and Technology-Enhanced Learning in South Africa: A Strategic Plan. Lecturers from fifteen South African tertiary institutions were surveyed. From the results of the survey the extent of usage (currently and in the immediate future) of specific WWW features for course delivery are determined. Possible problems that exist in our institutions, which may be impeding the implementation of Web-based courses, are also highlighted in the analysis of the survey. Lastly, the survey provides some insights into the key aspects of Web-based courses that are important in supporting student-centred learning. The following recommendations are suggested, bearing in mind the limited sample size with which the survey was conducted: • Lecturers designing Web-based courses should make a concerted effort to move away from the use of the Web to merely support delivery of lectures and to incorporate WWW features that would support a more dynamic, interactive, student-centred approach to course delivery. • Management at the departmental, faculty and institutional level should be encouraged to create the possibility for and invest in adequate training of both academic and support staff to support WWW-based course delivery. • Heads of academic units (Departmental Heads) should support lecturers in the adoption of WWW technologies by creating a psychological and physical space to experiment and try out new ideas. • Tertiary institutions should investigate possible collaboration with external partners in the private sector, e.g. vendors of information and communication technologies as a means of alleviating the high financial costs associated with implementing Web-based courses. • The design of Web-based courses should be based on a student-centred learning approach in which the learner is able to select an individualized path in the learning process, and achieve the learning objectives at his/her own pace. Further, the Web course should include the following features to support such an environment: Hosting of students' Web pages; interactive platforms to promote synchronous communication; online drill and testing; course management functions; tracking facilities; and features to provide a secure environment to maintain integrity of students' work and other confidential information. / Thesis (MPA)-University of Durban-Westville, 1999.

Today information is very expensive and useful. If you want to get wanted information when you need it, get information in wanted form and get information which you expected, you need an information system. The main purpose of this project is to create web-based information system of patients with heart disease, which let store, modify information about patients and their medical testing. There will be a possibility to generate reports for the period you want or for the wanted patient. The point of this information system is to store information, process necessary information faster, to facilitate and make faster personnel work. Medical testing results can be put into the database in two ways: from specific file or from interface. Other part of master‘s work is research named „SQL performance speed in Java and PL/SQL stored procedures“. PL/SQL is the procedural language extension to SQL and it encapsulates SQL statements in procedural logic. Starting with Oracle8i, Oracle supports Java in the database. Java stored procedures also can encapsulate SQL statements that run within the database via procedural logic. In this paper you can find the answer for the question, where do I have to put the SQL, Java or PL/SQL stored procedures.

The microstructure of the brain at the cellular level provides crucial information for the understanding of the function of the brain. A large volume of high-resolution brain image data from 3D microscopy is an essential resource to study detailed microstructures of the brain. Accordingly, we have worked on obtaining high-resolution image data of entire mouse brains using the Knife-Edge Scanning Microscope (KESM). Furthermore, to disseminate these high-resolution whole mouse brain data sets to the neuroscience research community, we developed a web-based brain atlas, the KESM Brain Atlas (KESMBA). To visualize the data sets in 3D while using only a standard web browser, we employed distance attenuation and Google Maps API. The KESMBA is a powerful tool to analyze and share the KESM mouse brain data sets, but the image loading was slow because of the number of raster image (PNG) tiles and the file size. Moreover, since Google Maps API is governed by a commercial license, it does not provide enough flexibility for customization, extension, and mirroring. To solve these issues, we designed and developed a new KESM mouse brain atlas that uses a vector graphics format called Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) instead of PNG, and OpenLayers API instead of Google Maps API. The SVG-based KESMBA using OpenLayers allows faster navigation and exploration of the KESM data, and more overlay of layers with the 4 times reduced file size compared to PNG tiles. Due to the reduced file size, the SVG-based KESMBA using OpenLayers is 2.45 times faster than the original atlas. By enhancing the performance, the users can more easily access the KESM data. We expect the SVG-based KESMBA to accelerate new discoveries in neuroscience.

<p>Since there was a need for an Educational Management Information System (EMIS) in the Ministry of Education in Afghanistan, we designed and implemented a prototype for use in the ministry and investigated the appropriateness of using Agile methods for producing the EMIS. The prototype consisted of a database containing data about schools and a Dari interface which was used by educational planners, managers and policy makers of the ministry for decision making and planning. Agile methods are relatively new in software engineering and have an approach and development guidelines which strive for user satisfaction and early incremental delivery of software. We adapt them to local conditions due to their collaborative client-developer approach. The interface, a key component, is easy to use and e cient. The key research result is an evaluation concerning the appropriateness of using Agile Methods for developing the EMIS. Focus groups and surveys were used to develop the prototype and accomplish the study.</p>

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Taiwan. Breast cancer has the highest morbidity rate in females. Early detection in Taiwanese women is hampered by their inadequate knowledge of risk factors, their biased perceptions of mammography and by their low intentions to carry out recommended preventative strategies. Although the Internet has become a powerful tool to disseminate health information, health information offered on the web frequently is not theoretically-based or patient-centered. Effken's (2003) Informatics Research Organizing Model (IROM) and the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) (Prochaska & Diclemente, 1982; Rakowski, Dube, & Goldstein, 1996) were used to guide the design and evaluation of a tailored web-based program aimed at improving effective breast cancer detection in Taiwanese women. This study used a pretest-posttest design to examine the impact of a tailored, web-based educational intervention on Taiwanese women's perceptions of and intentions to obtain mammography, as well as their satisfaction with the website. One hundred twenty eight Taiwanese women were randomly assigned to one of two groups: tailored intervention (TI) or standard intervention (SI). The TI group received tailored educational materials (i.e. tailored messages, case studies, personal testimonies, and mammography information). The SI group received an educational brochure developed by the Bureau of Health Promotion, Department of Health (DOH). A Stage of Adoption of Mammography Question (SAMQ) and Decisional Balance of Mammography Inventory (DBMI) were administered before and after the educational intervention. A Website Users Satisfaction (WUS) and Demographics Inventory (DI) were administered after the intervention. All materials and instruments were delivered and assessed via a website. ANCOVAs, Chi-Square tests and t-tests were utilized to test the hypotheses. Results of the study revealed that the TI group differed significantly from the SI group in terms of perceptions of, and intentions to obtain, mammography, as well as in satisfaction with the website. The results of this study contribute to our knowledge of how a health education website can change women's mammography-related perceptions and intentions if theoretically-based and tailored interventions are emphasized.

Traditionally manufacturing job shops either have a process layout or a product layout. The advantages of one type of layout tend to be a disadvantage for the other. Hybrid cellular constructs represents a novel fusion of process and product layouts. In this thesis, hybrid cellular constructs specifically Hybrid Flow Shops and Reoriented andamp; Reshaped Cells are clearly described in terms of their structure, key features, and modes of operation. An engineering procedure is illustrated by cases and particular manufacturing circumstances where each concept would be most useful are identified. This thesis then defines the lean practices that are compatible with the structure in question and identifies what practices are incompatible. It suggests how to modify lean practices to fit and at least obtain some benefits for the incompatible ones. Finally, a procedure for design of logistics management systems for assembly cells and lines is presented.

This thesis presents the results from a survey of transit agencies on web-based feedback tools and their role in enabling communication between agencies and riders. Motivation for the survey stems from the growing importance of web-based feedback tools in improving transit services. Web-based feedback can improve transit agencies' knowledge of issues relating to their systems while enhancing the transit riding experience. As the availability of Internet and smartphones increases among transit users, the tools available to gather feedback have grown in response. Web- and smartphone-based tools are instrumental in collecting a wide range of feedback, including commendations and complaints, maintenance issues, transit services, safety and security, long-term planning and other transit operations related issues. At the same time, transit agencies must determine how to best respond and manage the growing presence of information on the web relating to their agencies performance. Through a web-based survey administered to 130 transit agencies in the United States and Canada, information was gathered on the current and planned use of web-based tools by transit agencies. The overall survey results show that most transit agencies focus on sorting and responding to unsolicited feedback being collected primarily through social media, email, and online forms. Additionally, transit agencies see the benefits of web-based customer feedback, noting that the key to managing their systems into the future will involve developing agency-wide digital feedback plans that allow automation and integration across all feedback channels. Finally, transit agencies also noted that the primary downside to web-based feedback involved a lack of staff resources to support their systems. This thesis provides further analysis focusing on three questions regarding the survey results: - How can agency size, based on unlinked trips, influence the survey responses collected from agencies regarding their use of web-based feedback tools? - What variables from the survey can influence a transit agencies ability to provide web-based feedback tools to their riders? - What factors might contribute to differences in transit agencies rider access estimates to Internet and smartphones? While the results show that larger agencies are able to offer more web-based feedback tools to their riders, there were problems with transit agencies incorrectly estimating their riders’ access to Internet and smartphones. This could cause issues regarding agencies ability to understand which web-based tools they should implement to engage their riders. This thesis details one portion of an overall project, which will provide framework for agencies to assess their needs and resources to determine how to create their own effective customer feedback systems in relation to what web-based feedback tools will most benefit themselves and their riders.

Desarrollar un sitio Web de calidad es una tarea imprescindible para todas aquellas empresas que desean brindar servicios a través de la Web. Por lo tanto, medir la calidad de los sitios que están siendo utilizados es de vital importancia para todas aquellas organizaciones que pretenden posicionarse en Internet. En relación a los portales bancarios, la información publicada en ADEBA, expresa que unos 4 millones de personas operan con los bancos a través de la computadora, lo que muestra un crecimiento respecto de años anteriores. En este contexto, es imprescindible que los portales bancarios sean de calidad. Además, de permitir que el sector financiero se vea beneficiado al suministrar información sobre los servicios ofrecidos y las personas puedan disponer de éstos sin restricciones espacio-temporales. Por lo expuesto, es de interés evaluar y analizar la calidad de los sitios bancarios que operan en la provincia de Corrientes, República Argentina. Considerando que existen pocos trabajos orientados al diseño y desarrollo de modelos de calidad aplicados a la generación y evaluación de portales bancarios y qué los existentes fueron diseñados y aplicados en diferentes países (Brasil, España, y otros), se contempló de relevancia estudiar las características propuestas por cada uno de ellos, a los efectos de la elaborar una propuesta integradora, aplicable a sitios Web bancarios en la Argentina. En este sentido, se presentó un estudio comparativo de algunas propuestas para el dominio bancario y que son expuestas en este trabajo final (Capítulo 3), cuyo objetivo es determinar las características más relevantes entre las propuestas seleccionadas y establecer cuales pueden contemplarse cuando se realiza la evaluación de sitios Web bancarios.

We know that education can be an arduous process. Countries use different approaches based on societal acceptances, but effective education always requires enormous efforts. Whether success is achieved, depends on the development of a rigorous and progressive curriculum, while at the same time providing all students the opportunity to learn” (Ravitch, 2010, p. 225). The purpose of this study was to analyze the success at which web-based curriculum is being utilized to meet the needs of at-risk students by providing them with the opportunity to recover lost credit as a means to keep them on the path to high school graduation. The institutions studied were select institutions that are identified by the Indiana Department of Education as recognized alternative education providers as well as select known public school corporations, in East Central Indiana, who are using web-based curriculum credit recovery programs. This researcher investigated the effectiveness of this credit recovery strategy as a tool to improve academic achievement and ultimately high school graduation. Additional information was sought on the challenges experienced in terms of support from the key stakeholders in breaking way from a traditional school setting when addressing the needs of students who are in jeopardy of failing to graduate. Data was obtained from the Indiana Department of Education and looked at graduation rates, dropout rates, as well as End of Course Assessment results. A survey was distributed to the survey population in an effort to gather a deeper understanding of the successes and failures schools were experiencing in an effort to break away from the status quo, leverage the advances of modern technology in an effort to provide students with multiple opportunities to realize academic success. The literature review compiled research on the current opinions for the utilization of web-based curriculum programs, the national attention being directed at public education as a key element in the economic slump of the American economy, and the economic impact on local and national economies for students who do not complete high school. Student achievement data collected from the survey population revealed positive trends on graduation rates, dropout rates, and performance on the Algebra I and English 10 End of Course Assessment. Recommendations for positive implementation of web-based credit recovery programming were discussed. Future research on this subject was recommended and ideas included a possible longitudinal study on a select group of at-risk students to identify strengths and weaknesses of this type of program. / Department of Educational Leadership

Objectives: To investigate factors influencing consumption of traditional foods (e.g., wild game, fish) and concerns about environmental contaminants among schoolchildren of the Mushkegowuk Territory First Nations (Moose Factory, Fort Albany, Kashechewan, Attawapiskat, and Peawanuck). Study Design: Cross-sectional data collection from a Web-based Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (WEB-Q). Methods: Schoolchildren in grades 6-12 (n = 262) responded to four of the WEB-Q questions: (1) Do you eat game? (2) How often do you eat game? (3) How concerned are you about the environmental contaminants in the wild game and fish that you eat? (4) I would eat more game if...[ six response options]. Data were collected from 2004-2009. Hierarchical log-linear modelling (LLM) was used for analyses of multi-way frequency data. Results: Of the school children answering the specific questions: 174 consumed game; 95 reported concerns about contaminants in game; and 84 would increase their game consumption if it were more available in their homes. LLM revealed significant differences between communities; schoolchildren in Moose Factory consumed game ???rarely or never??? at greater than expected frequency, and fewer than expected consumed game ???at least once a day.??? Schoolchildren in Kashechewan had greater frequency of daily game consumption and few were concerned about contaminants in game. Using LLM, we found that sex was an insignificant variable and did not affect game consumption frequency or environmental contaminant concern. Conclusion: The decreasing importance of the traditional diet was most evident in Moose Factory, possibly due to its more southerly location relative to the other First Nations examined.