Exploring the uses of mobile phones to support informal learning

This paper explores how a group of undergraduate students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) use their mobile phones to perform informal learning activities related to the content of their courses outside the classroom. The paper also addresses the usefulness of informal learning activities to support students’ learning. The study adopts an exploratory case study design and uses multiple methods of data collection including questionnaires, interviews and diary entries. Main findings suggest that students performed informal learning activities mostly from home, interacting mainly with classmates. It also shows that students were in control of their informal learning activities without teachers’ input. However, it was found that students used only a limited number of applications but these were considered useful to their learning. The paper contributes to a discussion of the implications of training and instructor support to help students to take more advantage of mobile phone applications to support informal learning. Recommendations for further research are discussed.     

Understanding the rise of e-participation in non-democracies: Domestic and international factors

While it has often been suggested that information and communication technologies (ICTs) provide an important means of increasing citizen participation (which is at the core of democratic government), few commentators have expected non-democracies to create online environments in which citizens can take an active part in political processes. In recent years, however, some non-democracies have begun to outperform countries with long-standing democratic traditions in terms of e-participation development. According to the 2010 United Nations (UN) e-government survey, Bahrain outranks France, Kazakhstan beats Sweden and Malaysia ranks higher than Germany. This article sets out to understand the recent rise of e-participation initiatives in non-democracies. Drawing on comparative longitudinal data from the UN e-government surveys, we tested the assertion that international drivers of change are competing with the dominant focus on domestic factors, especially in the non-democratic world, and are influencing the patterns of reform. The empirical analysis demonstrated important differences between the drivers of change in democratic and non-democratic countries and found economic globalization to be the strongest predictor of e-participation initiatives in non-democratic countries. In conclusion, we argue that economic globalization alters the context of e-participation and necessitates a re-examination of many of its premises and tenets.     

中国足协处罚权研究

中国足协的处罚权是其参与体育治理的重要手段,相较于法定性强、形态有限的行政处罚, 更具专业性和针对性。为了保障其良性运转,维护相对人的诉讼权利,司法权的适度介入已成为理论界的共识。但我国传统的行政主体理论不能回应这种社会公权力发展的现实需要,并对其作出合理解释。因此,亟需重构我国的行政主体理论,赋予中国足协行政主体地位,构建司法审查规则,即法院审查足协处罚权时应当遵循仲裁优先原则、穷尽内部救济原则、法律审查原则;在审查范围上,除了审查足协处罚行为,还应当附带审查处罚规则。     

Interactive cube for effective demonstration of virtual periodic table

Education and Information Technologies - Virtual Periodic Table (VPT) is an effective software tool to present elements in a conceivable three-dimensional (3D) mode. VPT is used to assist users in...