Reading and spelling error analysis of native

This study was an investigation of reading and spelling errors of dyslexic Arabic readers (n=20) compared with two groups of normal readers: a young readers group, matched with the dyslexics by reading level (n=20) and an age-matched group (n=20). They were tested on reading and spelling of texts, isolated words and pseudowords. Two research questions were the focus of this study: What are the reading and spelling profile errors of dyslexic native Arabic speakers? What is the effect of the Arabic orthography on these types of errors? The results of the reading error analysis revealed a clear contribution of the uniqueness of the Arabic orthography to the types of errors made by the three different groups. In addition, the error profiles of the dyslexic readers were similar to the error profiles made by the younger reading-level-matched group in percentages and in quality. The most prominent types of errors were morphological and semiphonetic, which highlighted the contribution of the Arabic orthography to these types of errors. Consistently, the profile of the spelling errors was similar in percentages and quality among the dyslexics and the reading-level-matched group but different from the age-matched group on the spelling measures. The analysis of the spelling errors revealed that the dominant type of error was mostly phonetic due to the limited orthographic lexicon. In addition, the Arabic orthography also contributed to these types of errors because many spelling mistakes were made due to poor knowledge of the spelling rules. The results of the reading and spelling errors are discussed from a reading development point of view. Further, two models are suggested, one for reading and one for spelling, to illustrate the cognitive processes that underlie the reading and spelling mistakes in this type of orthography.     

Perceptions of Information Literacy Skills among Undergraduate Students in the Social Media Environment

This study assessed information literacy perceptions of undergraduate students at Sultan Qaboos University in their use of social media. A quantitative approach was used to collect data from undergraduate students. The study consisted of 1,142 completed questionnaires by randomly selected participants. The results demonstrated overall moderate levels of perceptions toward the evaluation of information, information ethics, legal issues, and privacy issues. In evaluation of information, credibility of information was considered as an important factor to decide whether to use information for academic purposes. This study signifies the importance of understanding perceptions of information literacy among undergraduate students in a specific socio-cultural context. The results can also be generalized to similar academic institutions worldwide. It is also hoped that the study's findings will assist in developing contextual training programs or information literacy quizzes to promote information literacy in the social media environment.     

Metacognition research and theory: Analysis and implications for instructional design

Metacognition, a construct with strong empirical and theoretical foundations, is integral to successful learning. Research on metacognition has provided convincing evidence supporting its importance in the instruction and learning processes. In this article, research on several aspects of metacognition are briefly reviewed and analyzed, examples of metacognitive strategies are provided, and implications for instructional design are described.     

Toward Educational Requirements Model for Mobile Learning Development and Adoption in Higher Education

Mobile learning (M-learning) is a learning paradigm that utilizes the advantages of mobility and wireless technologies in the learning and education process. It can be characterized by the ability to support and provide strong interaction between learners and instructors, offering high levels of learning motivation, collaboration, and flexibility to the learning activities. Despite the increased popularity of M-learning, there is no complete and well-defined set of educational requirements for M-learning in higher education which considers both instructional design and M-learning design. Therefore, this paper proposes a new educational requirements model for M-learning development and adoption in higher education. This set of requirements has been built from a literature study with focus on standards for learning and mobile application software quality and guidelines. This work presents the results of applying the proposed set of educational requirements on three different M-learning systems. Instructional designers and educational software developers may find the requirements useful in the development of M-learning systems. The effort described is part of an Omani-funded research project investigating the development, adoption and dissemination of M-learning in Oman.     

PPP合同的风险及新的转移方式

本研究试图论证基于平衡的风险分担原则在解决公私合作伙伴关系(PPP)项目风险分担问题上是最有效的,并提出实施该原则的建议.为了满足公共部门和私人部门的不同利益和目标,PPP项目应建立一个可行及有利可图的风险分担机制.一个有效的风险分担机制既是项目文件准备的重要部分,也是PPP合同成功不可或缺的一部分.风险分担可用风险矩...     

Attitudes of special education teachers towards using technology in inclusive classrooms: a mixed‐methods study

The purpose of this mixed‐methods study was to explore special education teachers’ attitudes towards using technology in inclusive classrooms in Oman. The sample consisted of 428 special education teachers working in Omani public schools (250 teachers of students with learning disabilities (LD), 90 teachers of students with intellectual disability and 88 teachers of students with hearing impairment). Participants responded to the attitudes towards computers questionnaire. For the qualitative section of this study, three semi‐structured group interviews were conducted with a group of special education teachers: 15 teachers of students with hearing impairment, 15 teachers of students with intellectual disabilities and 15 teachers of students with LD). Also, the teachers responded to a survey of educational technology which encompassed seven questions about computer technology. Results of the study indicated that the special education teachers’ attitudes towards using computers were generally positive. The most notable positive attitudes were in the following subscales: special education considerations, staff development considerations, computers use in society, and computers and quality of instruction issues. The analysis of variance results showed that experience and type of disability did not have a significant effect on teachers’ attitudes towards technology.     

New approaches to facilitate learning from youth: Exploring the use of Photovoice in identifying local watershed issues

In urbanized areas, incorporating residents’ concerns and priorities into the stormwater management debate has focused on adults rather than youth. This study used Photovoice, a tool that includes photographs taken by youth, to uncover youth concerns and perceptions about their local watersheds. This study consisted of a comparative study of two watersheds. Twenty students produced 468 photographs. Although both groups of students shared common themes regarding stormwater and pollution, these themes differed in level of concerns over local environmental issues, sentiments with particular features in their local watersheds, and concerns about local watersheds. From a methodological perspective, Photovoice provided a way of capturing youth perspectives and to identify important features and issues in their respective local watersheds.     

Engaging Actively with Issues in the Responsible Conduct of Science: Lessons from International Efforts Are Relevant for Undergraduate Education in the United States

Numerous studies are demonstrating that engaging undergraduate students in original research can improve their achievement in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and increase the likelihood that some of them will decide to pursue careers in these disciplines. Associated with this increased prominence of research in the undergraduate curriculum are greater expectations from funders, colleges, and universities that faculty mentors will help those students, along with their graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, develop an understanding and sense of personal and collective obligation for responsible conduct of science (RCS). This Feature describes an ongoing National Research Council (NRC) project and a recent report about educating faculty members in culturally diverse settings (Middle East/North Africa and Asia) to employ active-learning strategies to engage their students and colleagues deeply in issues related to RCS. The NRC report describes the first phase of this project, which took place in Aqaba and Amman, Jordan, in September 2012 and April 2013, respectively. Here we highlight the findings from that report and our subsequent experience with a similar interactive institute in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our work provides insights and perspectives for faculty members in the United States as they engage undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral fellows, to help them better understand the intricacies of and connections among various components of RCS. Further, our experiences can provide insights for those who may wish to establish “train-the-trainer” programs at their home institutions.     

Identification and control of a small-scale helicopter

Designing reliable flight control for an autonomous helicopter requires a high performance dynamics model.In this paper,a nonlinear autoregressive with exogenous inputs （NLARX） model is selected as the mathematical structure for identifying and controlling the flight of a small-scale helicopter.A neural network learning algorithm is combined with the NLARX model to identify the dynamic component of the rotorcraft unmanned aerial vehicle （RUAV）.This identification process is based on the well-known gradient descent learning algorithm.As a case study,the multiple-input multiple-output （MIMO） model predictive control （MPC） is applied to control the pitch motion of the helicopter.Results of the neural network output model are closely match with the real flight data.The MPC also shows good performance under various conditions.