Using E-mail to Foster Collaboration in Distance Education

This paper reports on a case study in which an e-mail system was used as a tool to foster collaboration among a group of students enrolled in an educational management course offered by the Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK). It focuses on a set of interview data and, in analysing the interview data, it takes into account the sociocultural perspective on learning in relation to the use of computer-mediated communication in education. The aim of this study is to draw out implications for improved practices in managing online discussion groups in contexts such as the OUHK.     

B2C Mass Customization in the Classroom

The purpose of this article is to describe an internet‐based mass customization assignment in Operations Management/Supply Chain Management classes where students utilize the Web site of a company that offers a customized product. Students evaluate the user interface, judge the value proposition of the product they demonstrate, and discuss issues of product design, process design and scheduling, inventory management, Supply Chain Management, marketing, and competitors. The students learn about mass customization from both the producer's perspective and the consumer's perspective. Through their own research and the class presentations students are able to develop a better understanding of the implementation requirements and challenges of mass customization. The assignment is highly interactive and has been successfully used in Operations Management and Supply Chain Management courses at under‐graduate and graduate levels and at multiple universities. In addition, practitioners interested in implementing a mass customization process can use the assignment as a brainstorming or benchmarking exercise.     

以太网抄表系统计费器的定制

计费器是抄表单元的核心,实时记录数据流量。本文用HDL语言实现实时性、可靠性要求较高的计费器,遵循Alovan总线规范,把计费器文件定制为NiosⅡ的外设,计费器外设非常方便与NiosⅡ通信,减少中断源的处理,减轻了处理器的负担。该方案具有灵活、易升级、可复用等优点。     

Motivating Teachers to Enact Free-Choice Project-Based Learning in Science and Technology (PBLSAT): Effects of a Professional Development Model

We investigated the effects of a long-term, continuous professional development (CPD) model, designed to support teachers to enact Project-Based Learning (PBLSAT). How do novice PBLSAT teachers view their acquisition of PBLSAT skills and how do expert PBLSAT teachers, who enacted the program 5–7 years, perceive the program? Novice teachers evaluated that they acquired the relevant skills but also expressed worries about enacting the program, due to potential difficulties for teachers. Nonetheless, the teachers enacted the program and identified unforeseen benefits for themselves and their students. We suggest that the CPD model helps teachers develop a sense of personal ownership and customization for the program, through multi-staged support to integrate student free-choice PBL into the formal science curriculum.