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Power consumption is a top priority in high-performance asynchronous circuit design today. The purpose of this study is to provide a spatial correlation-aware statistical dual-threshold voltage design method for low-power design of template-based asynchronous circuits.

In this paper, the authors proposed a statistical dual-threshold voltage design of template-based asynchronous circuits considering process variations with spatial correlation. The utilized circuit model is an extended Timed Petri-Net which captures the dynamic behavior of the asynchronous circuit with statistical delay and power values. To have a more comprehensive framework, the authors model the spatial correlation information of the circuit. The authors applied a genetic optimization algorithm that uses a two-dimensional graph to calculate the power and performance of each threshold voltage assignment.

Experimental results show that using this statistically aware optimization, leakage power of asynchronous circuits can be reduced up to 3X. The authors also show that the spatial correlation may lead to large errors if not being considered in the design of dual-threshold-voltage asynchronous circuits.

The proposed framework is the scheme giving a low-power design of asynchronous circuits compared to other schemes. The comparison exhibits that the proposed method has better results in terms of performance and power. To consider the process variations with spatial correlation, the authors apply the principle component analysis method to transform the correlated variables into uncorrelated ones.

The purpose of this study is to quantify the supply chain flexibility for an Indian soap manufacturing firm and to measure its performance. The authors made an attempt to find key strategic and operational decision-making dimensions for developing effective supply chain flexibility environment.

The authors have extracted 11 supply chain flexibility dimensions through extensive literature review. The authors used a decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) to make causal analysis and prioritizing the dimensions. After DEMATEL analysis three major supply chain flexibility dimensions that seem to have significant amount of influence on supply chain performance of the firms were retained for further consideration. The authors have developed an excel-based template for quantitative assessment of flexibility performance indicators.

This study provides key enablers for the successful implementation of flexibility concepts in Indian soap manufacturing firms and gives a view how to measure the performance through designing template based on real data. This template can be used in other firms also by simply modifying the key attributes.

A flexibility index has been defined here with the purpose of assessing the level of flexibility vis-a-vis what is desired and is meant to be evaluated from time to time, to assess if the firm is improving its flexibility or not. The index assumes importance in view of the fact that it has been prepared based on feedbacks of both the upper and the lower management people of the firm engaged in policymaking and operations.

Chapter 2 explains and demonstrates a systematic and science-based approach to the design of instructional systems. These design characteristics are related to the attributes of an effective curriculum discussed in Chapter 1. The consequences of the lack of a conceptual framework and its effects upon learning are discussed.

This curriculum design process employs a systematic approach in which each component of the curriculum is designed to reflect the optimal model for configuring the engagement, experience, and environment for the intended learning. Multiple sciences, theories, and research findings are used to inform and order each component into an effective and efficient learning process. As these components communicate the content and articulate the structure of learning, this approach optimizes the ability of the curriculum to capitalize upon the known or suspected qualities of the human perceptual system.

In this system of curriculum design, both the content and structure of the curriculum emerge from the collective intelligence of the discipline. The curriculum designer translates that disciplinary content and structure into learning objects (content) or events (structure) that drives and constrains the learner’s ability to achieve the learning, as conceived by the discipline. In this model of curriculum design, three dimensions of curriculum design differentiate the contribution to the learning processes of the learner. The dynamic interaction of three instructional dimensions enables the learner to engagement, participate in the learning, and benefit from the characteristics of the learning environment.

These three dimensions function as design variables and differentiate each dimension of the curriculum by the characteristics of the intended learning, the processes of instruction, and the consideration of the predispositions of the learners. The theories most concerned with the psychophysics of learning are used to organize and articulate the learning engagement components (learning outcomes and objectives) of the curriculum. The instructional theories plan the strategies that will be used to deliver the intended learning as identified and organized in the learning objectives to engineer a compelling learning experience. The sociological theories structure the learning activities to produce an efficient, consonant, and synergistic learning environment. Together, the use of these theories as design templates constitutes an evidence-based approach to the systematic design of the curriculum. These theories are transformed into design templates.

The design of the learning environment is also configured to engineer the learning environment to accommodate the cultural dispositions programmed into all learners. Cultural factors supply powerful drivers and constraints for human behavior and can be differentiated in the learning environment to promote and enhance learning. Cultural behaviors and mores are developed over hundreds of years and refined to ensure the continuation of a society and its “way of life.” These cultural traditions have effectively promoted and enhanced social behavior by programming each with cognitive strategies to ensure their success as a member of their social group. Individuals are unlikely or unable to discard these traditions when they enter a learning environment.

Library work is increasingly being explored from the perspective of design. Still, little work has actively explored specific aspects of design as they relate to library cataloging. The purpose of this paper is to dive deeper into the relationship between library cataloging and design by exploring a specific aspect of design – the concept of repertoire, or the use of previous experiences and bodies of knowledge during current work.

To examine catalogers’ use of repertoire, this paper employed a juxtaposition of field observations of professional library catalogers’ work processes with elements of “think-aloud” protocols.

The researchers identified three major types of repertory knowledge that were demonstrated by catalogers: internally embedded repertory knowledge; externally embedded repertory knowledge; and seeking out new knowledge using other sources. Additionally, certain trends were noted concerning which repertory knowledge was utilized for which particular task. Determining subject and genre headings were noted for relying quite extensively on internal repertoire such as personal knowledge and institutional knowledge, along with external sources, such as personal notes and local examples.

This paper adds to a growing body of work calling for design approaches in libraries and related information settings, and breaks ground by applying the previously unexplored concept of repertoire to librarianship, specifically library cataloging, which offers a new perspective on cataloger’s judgement.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a step-by-step procedure, referred to as transaction formalism protocol (TFP) that the transaction development personnel will use to formalise transactions (communications) in the domain of infrastructure management. The protocol is developed at two levels of abstraction: TFP specification and TFP tool. This paper presents the TFP specification in detail and introduces the TFP tool briefly. The specific focus of this paper is on the development process of the protocol specification.

A four-step approach is used to develop the TFP; including, identify and select existing standards, benchmark standards, link and build on these standards, and develop TFP. To develop the protocol, the function modelling standard, integration definition function modelling (IDEF0) is used. The IDEF0 treats each step of the protocol as a function.

The TFP specification and TFP tool are developed using the proposed methodology. The TFP specification specifies inputs, controls, mechanisms, tools/techniques, and outputs required in each step, whereas the TFP tool defines forms for each step of the protocol that the transaction development personnel will use to define transactions in the domain of infrastructure management.

The development of the TFP would enable the transaction development personnel (including transaction analysts, transaction designers, software developers, process modellers, and industry experts) to formalise transactions effectively and efficiently for the development of ICT-based collaboration systems.

The proposed protocol incorporates shortcomings of existing standards. In contrast to other design standards that focus on either design or design cum implementation of the work processes and communications, the proposed TFP includes transaction monitoring and improvements in addition to the design and implementation of communications. Unlike other standards, the TFP is a detailed step-by-step procedure to ease its usability and understandability.

This paper aims to present a new model of marketing analysis that is capable of using the embedded knowledge that sits untapped in the history of marketing thought to solve contemporary marketing problems – the conceptual-historical analytical research model (CHARM).

This paper outlines the evolution of historical analysis methods (HAM), along with critiques and enhancements of the prior processes offered by Savitt (1980), Nevett (1991) and Golder (2000). From these foundations, the paper outlines the components of the model of historical analysis, detailing the development of the analytical template design. It also details the four-step process of engaging structured revisits of past knowledge for contemporary problem-solving.

The CHARM for problem-solving in marketing is a knowledge-gathering system that informs marketing decisions addressing contemporary problems. This is achieved through the use of embedded knowledge from a corpus of historical texts.

This paper provides a method for future researchers to apply for replicable examination of historical texts and to assist intercoder reliability for multi-author history projects through the application of structured templates.

The CHARM for problem-solving in marketing is a knowledge-gathering system that informs marketing decisions addressing contemporary problems. This is achieved through the use of embedded knowledge from a corpus of historical texts.

The CHARM process applies a systematic protocol for engaging qualitative sources for historical analysis through preset data collection templates, structured analysis frameworks and definitional understanding templates for improved replicability. This paper presents a new model of approaching historical analysis through a problem-solving lens, whereby historical sources become the foundations for the solution to a problem, rather than just the literature review that identifies the presence of gap.

This paper revisits the debate regarding myriad measurement bases and begins a new discussion within a public sector environment. It does this by considering the under‐researched technical aspect of measurement within Neely et al.'s measures design template framework.

Using the full population from Australia's largest state, New South Wales (NSW), the annual reports of all local councils were analysed over a seven‐year period. In addition, interviews were conducted with a sample of councils representing all geographical areas of the state.

Under the auspices of the modified Neely et al.'s measures design template, additivity problems associated with valuing infrastructure, property, plant and equipment (IPPE) were found to result in the production of unreliable performance indicators – in this case, the capital expenditure ratio (CER).

The limitations include the research using an untested model; local councils in only one Australian state and one performance indicator analysed. Future research will examine the behavioural aspects of local councils as a result of being judged on an inappropriate indicator.

This paper considers two research issues – the imposition of private sector ideas to public sector entities and problems associated with combining myriad measurement bases to produce performance indicators used for decision making in local government. By introducing the CER as an exemplar within Neely et al.' measures design template, problems associated with combining myriad measurement bases to produce performance indicators used for decision‐making provide an unique insight into local government reporting.

The purpose of this research is to describe the development of an indexing template to guide the indexing of images using keywords. The template is designed to be used for indexing the image collection held at The Children's Society.

A facet matrix based on analysis of existing studies was used to identify the most popular user query facets from user studies in the literature. A total of 33 archivists were surveyed regarding indexing practice and indexing wish‐lists. The results of these investigative activities were synthesised to produce an indexing template.

The results of this study suggest that indexing general entities and activities could be more comprehensive than is currently the case. A practical indexing template is proposed for organisations wishing to index image collections.

This article reports a project undertaken on behalf of The Children's Society to design an image indexing system for use with their photographic collection. Its method of enquiry is based on an application and interpretation of the Shatford‐Ensor matrix.

Set-based design (SBD) is a lean tool widely adopted for improving design processes and providing value maximization to clients. The purpose of this paper is to present the development and testing of a lean simulation game that incorporated point-based and SBD principles. The objective of the game was to enhance learning of lean design management among construction students.

After a thorough and comprehensive literature review consisting of secondary data in journal papers, books, thesis references and primary data in the form of interviews with lean practitioners, the simulation game prototype was developed. The testing of the game was carried out with a study group. Data were collected during the gameplay with the help of a questionnaire survey on a confidence scale and Likert scale and assessed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, histogram, one-sample t-test and false discovery rate (Benjamini–Hochberg) correction method.

The data collected both pre- and post-simulation showed an increase in average confidence in understanding from 3.33 to 3.89, a 16.7% rise. The data was further interpreted by using Wilcoxon signed-rank test, indicating that the post-simulation learning experience was significantly better than the pre-simulation one. Promising positive results were obtained for the questions on game design, engagement and understanding of point-based design and SBD concepts.

The simulation game helps bridge the gap between knowledge building and real-life by effectively imitating the process. The game facilitates a dynamic and critical approach toward developing new educational simulation games and their successful incorporation in propagating lean principles in the construction industry.

In 2004, the Council for Higher Education (CHE) required a curriculum responsiveness to the teaching and learning of literacies at the programme level, which needed to be addressed across all disciplines. This study aims to describe a situated higher education (HE) collaboration project between mechanical engineering and the Department of Applied Language Studies (DALS) at Nelson Mandela University from 2010 to 2014. The collaboration project aimed to develop the literacies levels of engineering students, reduce the first-year attrition rate and prepare engineering students to meet the high graduate attribute expectations of a competitive workplace amid employer concerns that engineering graduate communication competencies were lacking and insufficient.

The collaboration study used a mixed-method approach, which included student and lecturer questionnaires, as well as an interview with one engineering lecturer to determine his perceptions of the collaboration practices instituted. As the sample was purposeful, two mechanical engineer lecturers and 32 second-year mechanical engineering students from 2012 to 2013 were selected as the study’s participants, as they met the study’s specific needs. From the questionnaire responses and transcribed interview data, codes were identified to describe the themes that emerged, namely, rating the collaboration practices, attitudes to the course, report feedback provided and report template use.

Most of the student participants viewed the collaboration practices positively and identified their attitude as “positive” and “enthusiastic” to the language/engineering report collaboration initiative. The report feedback practices were viewed as improving writing skills and enabling the students to relate report writing practices to workplace needs. The engineering lecturers also found that the collaboration practices were enabling and improved literacy levels, although time was identified as a constraint. During the four-year collaboration period, the language practitioner increasingly gained report content knowledge, as well as unpacking the specific rhetorical structures required to produce the report text by co-constructing knowledge with the mechanical engineering lecturers.

Studies have shown that language practitioners and discipline lecturers need to change their conceptualisation of academic discourses as generic transferable skills and autonomous bodies of knowledge. Little benefit is derived from this model, least of all for the students who grapple with disciplinary forms of writing and the highly technical language of engineering. Discipline experts often tend to conflate understandings of language, literacy and discourse, which lead to simplistic understandings of how students may be inducted into engineering discourses. Therefore, spaces to nurture and extend language practitioner and discipline-expert collaborations are needed to embed the teaching and learning of discipline-specific literacies within disciplines.

For the collaboration project, the language practitioner and mechanical engineering lecturers focused their collaboration on discussing and negotiating the rhetorical and content requirements of the Design 3 report as a genre. To achieve the goal of making tacit knowledge and discourse explicit, takes time and effort, so without the investment of time and buy-in, interaction would not be sustained, and the collaboration would have been unproductive. As a result, the collaboration project required regular meetings, class visits and negotiations, as well as a language of description so that the often tacit report discourse conventions and requirements could be mutually understood and pedagogically overt to produce “legitimate texts” (Luckett, 2012 p. 19).

In practice, peer collaboration is often a messy, complex and lengthy process, which requires systematic and sustained spaces to provide discourse scaffolding so that the criteria for producing legitimate design reports are not opaque, but transparent and explicit pedagogically. The study also describes the organisational circumstances that generated the collaboration, as establishing and sustaining a collaborative culture over time requires planning, on-going dialogic spaces, as well as support and buy-in at various institutional levels to maintain the feasibility of the collaboration practice.

Literacy and discourse collaboration tends to reduce role differentiation amongst language teachers and specialists, which results in shared expertise for problem-solving that could provide multiple solutions to literacy and discourse learning issues. This finding is important, especially as most studies focus on collaboration practices in isolation, whilst fewer studies have focused on the process of collaboration between language practitioners and disciplinary specialists as has been described in this study.