HERIe: A Web-Based Decision-Supporting Tool for Assessing Risk of Physical Damage Using Various Failure Criteria

ABSTRACT

HERIe is a web-based decision-supporting software tool to facilitate the management of collection environments by precise assessment of climate-induced risk of physical damage to vulnerable objects. The software translates the relative humidity and temperature data recorded in the environment of the analysed object into a strain history experienced by it, and estimates the risk of physical damage using selected failure criteria. As all information is pre-calculated for the user, no engagement in complex and time-consuming numerical simulations is required. HERIe is available for testing at herie.mnk.pl. Detailed information on the methodologies used by the software is available at the above website which also contains tutorial climates. The current work aims at refining HERIe by selecting the damage criteria not only from laboratory studies but also from direct monitoring damage accumulation in objects, especially using the acoustic emission method. The software has been expanded to include moisture-induced response of parchment to support managing environments in libraries and archives.     

Eye-tracking verification of the strategy used to analyse algorithms expressed in a flowchart and pseudocode

The results of qualitative and quantitative investigations conducted with individuals who learned algorithms in school are presented in this article. In these investigations, eye-tracking technology was used to follow the process of solving algorithmic problems. The algorithmic problems were presented in two comparable variants: in a pseudocode and flowchart. The eye-tracking data resulted in both qualitative (films registering the gaze paths) and quantitative measures, which allowed the detection and interpretation of the differences in the task-solving strategies between those who found the correct answer and those that did not. The results confirmed a hypothesis that use of the formal notation characteristic of a programming language for presenting algorithms is often a practical difficulty in the process of solving even simple tasks. This study opens a new direction of research; they show that eye-tracking technology can be used to optimise the educational process of learning programming.     

Transnational corporations and education: Current issues and prospects

Two main questions are discussed. First, how might transnational corporations contribute to various forms of education in developing countries? Secondly, what measures should states take in education to help them get better advantage from the transnational corporations? Adopting a pragmatic approach, the paper points out that the most important form of education is often the most overlooked, namely, on-the-job training in a range of occupations from low skilled to top management. Although this is indeed supplemented by in-service training programmes, the latter are not always on offer. In general, transnational corporations are interested in education in their host countries only insofar as it affects their own operations. For their part, host country governments have a difficult task. On the one hand they need to educate their young people to be able to take advantage of the technology and expertise made available by the transnational corporations. On the other hand, they need to give them an education which will help them to preserve their culture, despite absorbing the technology and thereby also the culture of foreign firms. More particularly, host countries seem to lack the specialized training, which is necessary for dealing effectively and advantageously with the transnational corporations. In a final note, the paper considers what might happen if a ‘real’ NIEO were introduced.     

Digital competences of residents in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship in the light of the polish training project “E-active”

Education and Information Technologies - The purpose of the article is to describe the trainings implemented as part of the project “E-Active Residents of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian and...