Barriers to electronic mail systems in developing countries

Abstract

Proponents of electronic mail systems (EMS) claim that they increase the productivity and efficiency of operations. Their use has mushroomed in the last five years in industrialized nations. The use of such systems in less developed countries is, however, practically nonexistent. This paper examines the barriers to their use in those countries. These barriers are divided into four categories: technical, economic, political, and social. Some strategies for dealing with those barriers are also presented.     

关于晶闸管控制移相器的综述

晶闸管控制移相器 (TCPS)是电力网络中的新设备之一 ,藉以改善电力系统运行的经济性和可靠性 .本文介绍TCPS的工作原理、结构和功用 ,并提出若干不同类型的TCPS ,简单比较了它们的应用     

One country,two cultures – a multi-perspective view on Israeli chemistry teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning

This paper presents a study focusing on differences in Israeli Jewish and Arab chemistry teachers’ beliefs regarding teaching and learning of chemistry in the upper secondary schools. Israel is a country experiencing the problems of diverse cultural orientation of its inhabitants but applying the same educational system to its diverse cultural sectors. Education includes the same curriculum in chemistry for both the Israeli Jewish and Arab cultural sectors as well as final examinations (matriculation) set centrally by the Ministry of Education. Thus, this study can serve as a striking case for other countries facing similar cultural diversity. The study is based on two different instruments that are both qualitative and quantitative in nature. The qualitative data stem from chemistry teachers’ drawings of themselves as teachers in a typical classroom situation accompanied by four open questions. The data analysis follows three qualitative scales: beliefs about classroom organization, beliefs about teaching objectives and epistemological beliefs. A quantitative study gives insights into teachers’ beliefs about what characterizes good education. The main goal of the present paper is to determine whether both groups of chemistry teachers with different sociocultural background in Israel hold different views about education in general and chemistry education in particular. The findings provide evidence that in Israeli chemistry classrooms, the beliefs of Arabic teachers differ from those of the Jewish teachers, although both groups live in the same country and operate the same educational system.