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1 – 10 of 255
Article
Publication date: 25 June 2019

Wei He, Yichao Shi and Dewei Kong

The construction industry is characterized by a long construction period, high cost and many uncontrollable factors. The owners and contractors are increasingly focusing on the…

Abstract

Purpose

The construction industry is characterized by a long construction period, high cost and many uncontrollable factors. The owners and contractors are increasingly focusing on the efficiency of their construction and costs in pursuit of greater economic benefits. However, current methods used in the construction period and cost optimization analysis with multiple constraints the have their own limitations. Therefore, this study aims to propose a combination of genetic algorithm (GA) and building information modeling (BIM) to construct a five-dimensional construction duration-cost optimization model with the advantages of optimization and simulation for optimization.

Design/methodology/approach

This design first analyzed the characteristics of changing construction period and cost and then improved the genetic mechanism and the data processing method in the GA according to the aforementioned characteristics. Then, BIM technology was combined with GA to testify the feasibility of the model in the practical engineering project.

Findings

The result proved that this new method was reasonable and effective in dealing with the complicated problem of period and cost. GA accelerated the optimization process and yielded a reliable Pareto solution. BIM technology simulated the construction process before construction to increase the feasibility of the construction scheme.

Originality/value

This method not only can rapidly provide the best construction period/cost decision to the architect according to the previous working period/cost or contract data that can meet the demands of the architect but also visualize the construction and give a dynamic schedule of the project.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology , vol. 17 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 October 2007

Lai Fong Li, Shirley Leung and Gladys Tam

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on The Chinese University of Hong Kong Library's development of its web‐based Information Literacy Tutorial and how it was incorporated…

2016

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on The Chinese University of Hong Kong Library's development of its web‐based Information Literacy Tutorial and how it was incorporated into the mandatory Student IT Proficiency Test.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper outlines the current trends faced by academic libraries in Hong Kong and the need to provide web‐based e‐learning tutorials on information literacy skills to support diverse ways of learning. It describes the implementation of the web‐based tutorial at The Chinese University of Hong Kong as the courseware of the information literacy section in the IT Proficiency Test.

Findings

The reference librarian's teaching role is expanding as information literacy instruction becomes increasingly valued by university administrators and faculty. The inclusion of information competencies as a graduation requirement provides opportunities to incorporate information literacy into the curriculum and foster collaboration between faculty and librarians.

Originality/value

This paper provides information on Hong Kong academic libraries and is useful for librarians planning to develop an interactive e‐learning platform on information literacy.

Details

Library Management, vol. 28 no. 8/9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-5124

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 May 2012

John Elliott

The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of lesson study for the development of a science of teaching cast in the form of John Dewey's “laboratory model” of learning…

3401

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of lesson study for the development of a science of teaching cast in the form of John Dewey's “laboratory model” of learning to teach.

Design/methodology/approach

The early sections compare the “laboratory” with the “apprenticeship” and “rationalist” models of learning to teach, which emphasise the primacy of practice and theory respectively. The unity of theory and practice embodied in the “laboratory model” is outlined, linking the development of teachers’ theoretical understanding with the development of their practice. A distinction between pedagogy and teaching is drawn. The later sections examine the potential of lesson study to develop as a teachers’ based pedagogical science, particularly when informed by variation theory. The paper concludes by suggesting ways in which different theories of learning can be integrated into learning study, and points to ways in which particular studies can contribute to the systematic construction of pedagogical knowledge.

Findings

There can be no pedagogy without casting teaching as an experimental science, in which pedagogical theories are appropriated, tested and further developed as a source of pedagogical principles. Pedagogy therefore consists of a science of teaching in which teachers actively participate in knowledge construction. Lesson study when informed by an explicit learning theory, such as variation theory, provides a strong basis for the development of a practitioner‐based science of teaching.

Originality/value

The paper creates original links across disparate work in the field of teaching and learning.

Details

International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, vol. 1 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-8253

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 October 2001

Gabriele Lakomski and Colin W. Evers

Considers Willower’s theory of inquiry and his stance on science and epistemology which is derived from Dewey’s pragmatist philosophy. Argues that Willower’s naturalism, following…

2184

Abstract

Considers Willower’s theory of inquiry and his stance on science and epistemology which is derived from Dewey’s pragmatist philosophy. Argues that Willower’s naturalism, following Dewey’s understanding, remains incomplete because Dewey did not have at his disposal the required causal neurobiological detail of human learning and cognition. Such detail has recently become available, and Dewey’s biological metaphors are now being cashed out in relation to the causal mechanisms of inquiry, with interesting consequences for Willower’s theory of inquiry. Concludes the article by exploring the notion of reflective inquiry in relation to human cognition, research methodology and organizational cognition.

Details

Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 39 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-8234

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 January 2018

Hei-hang Hayes Tang and Chak-pong Gordon Tsui

The purpose of this paper is to examine the way in which higher education participation is democratized in the entrepreneurial city of Hong Kong by the policy innovation that…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the way in which higher education participation is democratized in the entrepreneurial city of Hong Kong by the policy innovation that encompasses internationalization. There is a dearth of empirical studies about transnational education in Hong Kong, except for a few which examine students’ perceptions of transnational education from a user perspective, situated in marketized conditions (Leung and Waters, 2013; Waters and Leung, 2013a, b). The minimal volume of existing research has ignored the innovative aspects of democratizing higher learning by internationalization, namely, the operation of international degrees by overseas universities on offshore campuses. This policy innovation by transnational institutions is significant in an era of the globalization of higher education, as access to higher education cannot be otherwise realized given the local education policies.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing documentary research, this paper presents and assesses the growth of community college international education at The University of Hong Kong and its unique facets, juxtaposing it with the marketized context of East Asian higher education. It engages in specific reviews surrounding the operational mode and academic collaborations of the international educational programs and practices at the Hong Kong University’s School of Professional and Continuing Education.

Findings

This documentary research finds that the internationalized academic profession of partner universities enables curriculum design, pedagogy, teaching ideas and assessment methods to be informed by a diversity of international academic cultures and indigenous knowledge. Through this policy innovation, international education is institutionalized in such a way that it takes Hong Kong students beyond the community college context, which is relatively localized. It also illuminates the way in which the “ideoscape” of American community colleges and international partnerships with Australian and British universities have been manifested in the Hong Kong education hub for transnational student flows and intellectual exchanges across the Asian region.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the academic literature of higher education studies, particularly in the areas of massification and democratization, as well as their connection with internationalization and policy innovation. It also delineates various forces that are propelling the development of higher education’s internationalization and massification.

Article
Publication date: 1 November 1989

David M. Reid and L.C. Hinkley

Strategic planning is portrayed as a dynamic process by whichcompanies tend to identify future opportunities and link thatrecognition with a concerted effort to grow or acquire…

1455

Abstract

Strategic planning is portrayed as a dynamic process by which companies tend to identify future opportunities and link that recognition with a concerted effort to grow or acquire the resources so that a business can take advantage of its strengths in the light of a changing situation. Although a great deal of research has been carried out on the subject, much of the work has focused on the substance of planning as a practice not subject to the laws of cultural adaptation. This article, however, attempts to assess the impact of culture.

Details

Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 7 no. 11/12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-4503

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 June 2013

Huk Yuen Law

The purpose of this paper is to explore the way of how teaching in general and teaching of mathematics in particular can be reinvented by drawing on the perspective of pragmatism…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the way of how teaching in general and teaching of mathematics in particular can be reinvented by drawing on the perspective of pragmatism. Drawing on long‐standing traditions of John Dewey’s “laboratory model” of learning to teach and Charles Peirce’s semiotic view of scientific inquiry, the design of the lesson study can be reframed or extended through the methodological orientation to reinvention.

Design/methodology/approach

The theoretical framework of reinvention for lesson study, following a pragmatic approach, might offer a methodological orientation for mathematics teachers to foster increased self‐awareness in improving their own practices. The conceptualisation of such an orientation, which leads to the reinventing of teaching in mathematics classrooms, begins with an examination of two pragmatic theories: Dewey's concept of experience and Peirce's concept of practical belief and judgement. The methodological orientation for reinvention grounded on these concepts will then be outlined and elaborated.

Findings

Reinvention is a productive “triad of change” through which new possibilities of facilitating the student's learning can be created. Teachers will experience such change by experimenting with their students. In the context of teaching mathematics, reinventing teaching involves the action of an agent carrying out the conversions of mechanisms which bring forth a change of language, the transformation of gaze, and the moulding (the metamorphosis) of the individual who does the act of teaching.

Originality/value

The paper offers a theoretical framework of reinvention for lesson study through which teachers’ self‐awareness can be enhanced by improving their own practices. Through the undertaking of pedagogical experiments, teachers are becoming more aware of the need to learn from the learners in order to teach more effectively through the reinvention and unlearning of their own teaching.

Details

International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, vol. 2 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-8253

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 May 2023

Nor Farizal Mohammed, Norziana Lokman, Norazida Mohamed and Norsuhaily Abu Bakar

From 2000 to 2021, the Malaysian corruption perception index demonstrated a declining tendency, identifying Malaysia as a highly corrupt nation. Corruption in the nation has…

Abstract

Purpose

From 2000 to 2021, the Malaysian corruption perception index demonstrated a declining tendency, identifying Malaysia as a highly corrupt nation. Corruption in the nation has become a social cancer that has impacted the workplace and political climate. Using Dewey’s (1937) theory of education and social change, this paper argues that anti-corruption education is a tool for reforming the corruption culture of a nation. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to explore and understand the current anti-corruption education in Malaysian educational institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

The results of this study were derived from a qualitative content analysis of 20 Google News articles, an interview with the sole implementation agency, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and a literature assessment of MACC publications. Due to a dearth of preceding study and journal publications on the topic, this type of qualitative content analysis of news has been applied in prior studies.

Findings

The results indicate that anti-corruption education has been implemented in the primary, secondary and higher education institutions in Malaysia. Nonetheless, the concept and implementation are inadequate, superficial and insufficient. The analysis advises more inclusive techniques for delivering anti-corruption education for social transformation.

Originality/value

Prior research has focussed on laws and regulations to prosecute the corrupt, but has underrated the ability of education to alter the corruption culture. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first journal paper, written on anti-corruption education in Malaysia. This study sets the way for further anti-corruption education studies in the future. This line of research will provide insights for the nation’s policymaking, which aims to create a nation free of corruption and capable of sustaining itself.

Details

Journal of Money Laundering Control, vol. 27 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1368-5201

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 May 2007

Anthony (Tony) Ferguson, Frederick Nesta and Colin Storey

The purpose of this paper is to present the experiences of three western librarians in adapting their management styles for working and living in a new culture.

1692

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the experiences of three western librarians in adapting their management styles for working and living in a new culture.

Design/methodology/approach

Three university library directors who have been working as expatriates in Hong Kong for 2 to 18 years were asked to comment on their own personal experiences in moving to a new culture, a new language environment, and new management challenges.

Findings

Moving to a new culture can be difficult for the expatriate and his family but work environments have many similarities. Developing an understanding of the local professional culture and working within is vital to success.

Practical implications

The paper presents some guidelines for librarians who may be seeking a career abroad.

Originality/value

There is very little literature on librarians, particularly those in management, who have chosen to continue their careers abroad. This paper provides first‐hand experiences and demonstrates that librarianship shares a certain commonality and that management skills can be adapted to new cultures.

Details

Library Management, vol. 28 no. 4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-5124

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 February 2019

Cheuk-Hang Leung and Hin Yan Chan

In light of the concerns of declining value education in higher education and the debates on the role of general education in current university setting, the purpose of this paper…

Abstract

Purpose

In light of the concerns of declining value education in higher education and the debates on the role of general education in current university setting, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the relation between general education and moral and civic education by examining the effectiveness of a compulsory classics reading general education program in cultivating civic literacy in Asia-Pacific context.

Design/methodology/approach

Mixed-method approach in the form of survey assessment and focus group studies was employed to examine the degree of students’ development in abilities and virtues relevant to civic literacy in the course.

Findings

Data analyses reveal a promising development on students’ civic literacy in the classics reading general education course. Statistical analysis on surveys indicated students experienced a significant development on democratic skills and critical thinking, acquisition of civic knowledge and cultivation of democratic virtues after taking the course. Focus group analysis illustrated a relation between classics reading and students’ acquisition of knowledge of socio-political institutions, cultivation of open-mindedness and sense of tolerance for diversity and willingness of seeking reasonableness and engaging in social debates.

Originality/value

This paper discusses the successful experience of a newly formulated General Education program in Hong Kong. The program is the first attempt in East Asia to launch values education through the teaching and learning of classics in Asia-Pacific context. This could be an example of launching values education at the level of undergraduate education for other local universities.

Details

Asian Education and Development Studies, vol. 8 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-3162

Keywords

1 – 10 of 255