by J. Biggs and C. Tang, Maidenhead, England,
Open University Press, 2007, 360 pp., £29.99, ISBN-13: 978-0-335-22126-4

Teaching for quality learning at university

This paper summarizes the current state of the art and recent trends in software engineering economics. It provides an overview of economic analysis techniques and their applicability to software engineering and management. It surveys the field of software cost estimation, including the major estimation techniques available, the state of the art in algorithmic cost models, and the outstanding research issues in software cost estimation.

Software engineering economics

http://robertfeldt.net/publications/lenberg_2015_behavioral_se.pdf

Behavioral software engineering

The effective management of work/life balance (WLB) is an issue increasingly recognized as of strategic importance to organizations and of significance to employees. We argue that an organization's need to attract and retain valued employees in a highly competitive labour market is a strong motivating factor for increased organizational awareness and action with regard to implementation and management of WLB strategies. In this paper, we report the findings of three surveys conducted annually from 1997 to 2000 with organizations in Australia. We explore the range and usage of WLB strategies in Australian organizations and identify the barriers to those strategies. It is evident that, while some achievements have been made over the years, there remain substantial challenges for the uptake and management of WLB strategies.

Achievements and challenges for work/life balance strategies in Australian organizations

Les AA. montrent que les difficultes rencontrees par les individus pour concilier vie de famille et exercice d'une activite professionnelle tendent a devenir une preoccupation importante aux Etats-Unis. Ils etudient les conditions de travail qui offrent une situation minimale de tension entre ces deux spheres de l'existence et examinent les strategies mises en place par les individus pour remedier a ce type de difficulte. Ils presentent un certain nombre de donnees collectees entre 1991 et 1992 dans l'Indiana aupres de 325 femmes enceintes qui exercent une activite professionnelle

Employer characteristics and the provision of family responsive policies

Magnetically active elastomer materials were prepared by incorporating nickel powder in synthetic elastomeric matrices, polychloroprene and nitrile rubber. Cure characteristics, mechanical, electrical and magnetic properties were experimentally determined for different volume fractions of magnetoactive filler. The cure time decreases sharply for initial filler loading and the decrease is marginal for additional loading of filler. The tensile strength and modulus at 100% strain was found to increase with increase in the volume fraction of nickel due to reinforcement action. The magnetic impedance and a.c. conductivity are found to increase with increase in volume fraction of nickel as well as frequency.

Magnetoactive elastomeric composites: Cure, tensile, electrical and magnetic properties

Electrochemical behaviour of PANi/polyurethane antifouling coating in salt water studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

The world has recognized India’s competitive advantage in software services and today India is a magnet for software clients owing to the quality of its skilled software manpower. Organizational climate has been defined as a perception of the psychologically important aspects of the work environment and is recognized as a potential influence on employees’ workplace behavior and job satisfaction (Ashforth, 1985). Climate consists of a set of characteristics that describe an organization, distinguish it from other organizations, are relatively enduring over time and influence the behavior of people in it. Organizational climate influences to a great extent the performance of the employees because it has a major impact on motivation and job satisfaction of individual employees. So the managements of Information Technology companies should strive to create a congenial organizational climate in their organizations for retaining the employees and maintaining high productivity. The study is conducted by collecting primary data from 389 respondents spread over 38 Information Technology companies in India. The study suggests the methods for improving the organizational climate in Information Technology companies.

An Empirical Study on the Organizational Climate of Information Technology Industry in India

The assessment of the suitability of an individual for the profession of medical science is carried out worldwide on the basis of several yardsticks. While a few methods assess domain knowledge of sciences, others focus on evaluating the cognitive aptitude skills of the candidate, while few others assess communicative skills. Though it has been considered that the possession of an aptitude for the profession is a prerequisite, considering its strenuous demands from the candidate, a comprehensive assessment of these areas under the construct of medical aptitude has not been analysed so far, though medical aptitude has been socially defined. This article attempts to develop a comprehensive construct to 'Medical aptitude', meant for the pre-medical student, which has been encapsulated with respect to the areas of its assessment. We did an extensive survey of the literature pertaining to the mode of selection of students towards medical profession and analysed their areas of assessments for admittance. This enabled to identify similarities in the areas of assessment which were then classified under several domains of assessment. Special reference to the keywords involving 'Aptitude' and 'Medical Aptitude' was made. We analysed the definitions to the construct of aptitude from the literature with respect to its relevance in the profession of medical science to be possessed by the pre-medical aspirant-in context. From this, a new construct of medical aptitude was formulated incorporating the existing construct of medical aptitude. Medical aptitude is a comprehensive construct that encompasses the dimensions of a consistent core, a peripheral content and the support of a scaffold. Each of these dimensions have their importance and distinct objective in being assessed in the pre-medical student. A perfect intertwining of these 3 dimensions can prove beneficial in assessing individuals to be fit for the profession of medical science.

Medical aptitude and its assessment.

Teaching and learning practices need to be revisited to revitalize education. The mundane rote learning due to excessive standardization, pedagogical red tape and routinization often become surfeited and such experiences are discussed by students and teachers alike across the globe. The focus has to shift from content and transmission to problem, process and experience-based learning. This calls for dynamic learning which is challenging since creativity takes over control; reaction takes over responsiveness. Enhanced learning practices take over routine learning providing a rich learning experience for students. Difficult situations or problems prepare and prompt deep thinking and the solutions become learning experiences. Thus problems attract our attention and focus on digging deep into energizing thoughts to solve the same. This rationale and the associated dimensions become the fertile ground for problem based teaching and learning practices. This paper explores the revitalization of education through problem based learning practices. The study highlights the need for a shift from theory base to problem based learning. Redesigning conceptual representations to experience-based, problem based and enquiry based learning can promote relational understanding.

/pdf/revitalizing-education-through-problem-based-learning-1yqcfmqu0l.pdf

Kennedy Andrew Thomas

Papers

Magnetoactive elastomeric composites: Cure, tensile, electrical and magnetic properties

Electrochemical behaviour of PANi/polyurethane antifouling coating in salt water studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

An Empirical Study on the Organizational Climate of Information Technology Industry in India

Medical aptitude and its assessment.

Revitalizing Education through Problem Based Learning Practices.