The paper aims to investigate the impact of e-books on attitude towards reading among elementary school students. The paper also reflects on issues related to readings and…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to investigate the impact of e-books on attitude towards reading among elementary school students. The paper also reflects on issues related to readings and e-books.
Design/methodology/approach
Experimental method of research was used to carry out the study. Experiment was conducted on fourth-grade students in an international school in Kuwait. The control group consisted of nine students. The experimental group had 16 students: eight read the book under the “read-to-me” feature and the other half read the book alone. Students in the two groups were assigned readings randomly and their reactions were studied and compared using different methods.
Findings
The experiment demonstrated that students enjoyed reading the electronic medium more than the paperback alternative. The difference, however, was not significant. In addition, difference between the comprehension levels of the three conditions was also insignificant. Students did, however, finish reading the paperback book in a significantly shorter time.
Research limitations/implications
A pilot study would have been desirable and also the number of questions asked in the comprehension test could have been expanded. The authors were also not able to explore the possibility of using an automated tool to record the reading time. The two reading instruments used (iPads and iPods) might have affected the students’ understanding and enjoyment of the book, although no noticeable differences were found.
Practical implications
The experiment indicted that one of the apparent benefits of reading the e-book was its built-in picture dictionary, as the book used in the study incorporated a lot of word coinage in his texts. Lessons learnt from the study can benefit in enhancing features of e-books and designing reading programmes to help build more positive attitude towards reading among children.
Originality/value
Little research has been reported in the literature on investigation of e-books towards reading attitude particularly using empirical studies or experimental research. Most literature focuses on availability of e-books and their features. This study makes a good contribution to the literature on this important aspect of research and makes available useful practical information as well.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore college students' use of electronic reading strategies in reading e‐books and the features provided by e‐book systems. Both academic reading…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore college students' use of electronic reading strategies in reading e‐books and the features provided by e‐book systems. Both academic reading and leisure reading are evaluated from students' responses.
Design/methodology/approach
Both qualitative and quantitative data are collected. In total, eight college students volunteered for in‐depth interview to express their strategy in reading e‐books. Reading strategies employed by college students are summarized. A set of questionnaire items to assess electronic reading strategies and e‐book features for both academic and leisure reading is used for collecting quantitative data. To determine differences between academic reading and leisure reading, pair‐t is used among 201 respondents.
Findings
Interview data reveal that students use various strategies in reading e‐books. These reading strategies are categorized into “Use of prior experiences”, “Comprehension and decision making”, and “Self‐regulation and self‐monitoring”. From 26 questionnaire items for assessing students' need of reading strategies, 16 are found significantly different between academic reading and leisure reading (p<0.05). The necessity level of many e‐book features is significantly higher for academic reading than for leisure reading (p < 0.05).
Research limitations/implications
Research on students' use of strategies in electronic reading is needed in the rich information world. In this study, the assessment of necessity level of using various electronic reading strategies and features provided by e‐book systems assessed from students' responses might be helpful for design of e‐book systems. However, further research on different reading audiences and specific domains may shed light on more guidelines for implementation and application.
Originality/value
It is hoped that the findings of this study will provide suggestions for the innovation of reading supports embedded in e‐book systems.
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Anita Nigam and Carole Janisch
To facilitate teacher–researcher collaboration in order to implement an informational writing research project using the framework of Browse, Collect, Collate, and Compose…
Abstract
Purpose
To facilitate teacher–researcher collaboration in order to implement an informational writing research project using the framework of Browse, Collect, Collate, and Compose embedded within the writing workshop.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was conducted using a qualitative (Merriam, 1998) method of inquiry, more specifically, case study research design. A researcher and a practitioner came together to explore problems related to authentic use of expository genre and collaborated to help fourth graders write informational books.
Findings
The development of an authentic informational book was in contrast to the inauthentic purposes whereby students studied expository writing as preparation for statewide testing of student writing achievement. The study advocates the usage of authentic literacy contexts where students can enjoy writing for personal purposes.
Practical implications
Collaboration between classroom teachers of writing and researchers contributes to the theoretical and practical knowledge base of the teacher and researcher. Overall literacy development is enhanced when students read and write out of their own interest. Students use trade books as mentor texts to compose and create their informational books. The value of seeing fourth graders as researchers and making an informational book serves the authentic purpose of writing.
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The use of either sulfur‐or phosphorus‐containing additives in lubricants had its beginning prior to 1920. However, it was not until the late 1930's that metal dithiophosphates…
Abstract
The use of either sulfur‐or phosphorus‐containing additives in lubricants had its beginning prior to 1920. However, it was not until the late 1930's that metal dithiophosphates, specifically Zinc dialkyl dithiophosphates, began to receive attention as lubricating oil anti‐oxidants and bearing corrosion inhibitors. The anti‐wear characteristics which have put them in the forefront in the last few years, while known then was not required in the internal combustion engines of the time. The current high performance V‐8 engines used with multi‐viscosity graded oils puts great emphasis on all the three functions of anti‐oxidant, bearing corrosion inhibitor and particularly anti‐wear agent.
The purpose of this paper is to review the content and contributions of the book by Sayles and Chandler entitled Managing Large Systems: Organizations for the Future. The paper…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the content and contributions of the book by Sayles and Chandler entitled Managing Large Systems: Organizations for the Future. The paper seeks to uncover the elements of the nature and elements of project organizing presented in the book.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents the main ideas in the book, along with a few important issues to organization theory, including interdependence, timing, and the role of project management.
Findings
The paper demonstrates that the book by Sayles and Chandler presents an early attempt of formulating a theory of project organization. The embryonic theory is based on insights about the importance of interdependence and time in understanding different forms of project organizing and the role of project management.
Originality/value
The present paper is especially concerned with the ideas presented in the book that relate to time and timing in project organization. Although these issues are well addressed in the book by Sayles and Chandler, they are currently pressing, yet typically ignored in much project management research. Previous research has given limited attention to the insights presented in this book published more than 40 years ago. In that respect, the ideas presented in the book by Sayles and Chandler seems to have had more impact on organization theory than on project management, although, the book as such is undoubtedly a study of project organizing and the management of projects. This observation thus sheds some new light on the conventional thinking, and somewhat simplified idea, about the unidirectional relationship between organization theory and project management.
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Mervi Luonila and Maarit Kinnunen
To make sense of the relationship between the festival attendance and the aims in arts festival management, the purpose of this paper is to explore the key characteristics for…
Abstract
Purpose
To make sense of the relationship between the festival attendance and the aims in arts festival management, the purpose of this paper is to explore the key characteristics for success and analyze the perceptions of the future in arts festival productions.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative study uses interviews with festival managers and empathy-based stories (MEBS) written by members of festival audience. Discourse analysis is employed for answering the questions: What are the characteristics of a successful festival, and what could ruin it?
Findings
The paper highlights the importance of interaction with the audience orchestrated by the festival organization. Such interaction co-constructs a more holistic festival experience valued by both parties, which supports the sustainability and future success.
Research limitations/implications
The research data are limited to one country, and music festivals dominate the data.
Practical implications
Among managers, there is a need to consider audiences as consumers and as producers in the current competitive climate in the arts and cultural field and clarify the role of the audience as a partner in the networked festival production by placing the attendee at the core of the strategic planning process of arts festivals.
Originality/value
The research combines the views of the demand-and-supply side. It adds to the knowledge in arts and festival management by exploring the relationship between attendance and the aims of arts festival management in general, and the key characteristics of success in the arts festival context in particular. MEBS offers new interesting opportunities for future research in qualitative festival research.
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Martin John Broad, Marian Matthews and Kerry Shephard
The Internet is becoming more widely used by academic institutions to support the learning and teaching activities of students and academic staff. Whilst this is a very efficient…
Abstract
The Internet is becoming more widely used by academic institutions to support the learning and teaching activities of students and academic staff. Whilst this is a very efficient mechanism, it is, arguably, important that there are adequate controls in place to ensure that the information is not libellous, defamatory, inaccurate, illegal or inappropriate. The interactivity of the Internet, the immediacy of access to its contents and the public accessibility to much of its information, however, do provide a different operating environment and therefore different audit and control issues arise. This paper discusses the roles and concerns of a range of stakeholders and suggests that the control mechanisms might be failing, or might not be adequately policed in practice. A number of examples are provided where the manner in which controls are put in place do not operate effectively, or where there may be control loops that are open‐ended. For each of the stakeholder groups that are identified, an account is given of the use to which the Internet is put and where regulation currently exists or may be desirable.
Andrew Dudash and Jacob E. Gordon
The purpose of this case study was to complement existing weeding and retention criteria beyond the most used methods in academic libraries and to consider citation counts in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this case study was to complement existing weeding and retention criteria beyond the most used methods in academic libraries and to consider citation counts in the identification of important scholarly works.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a small sample of items chosen for withdrawal from a small liberal arts college library, this case study looks at the use of Google Scholar citation counts as a metric for identification of notable monographs in the social sciences and mathematics.
Findings
Google Scholar citation counts are a quick indicator of classic, foundational or discursive monographs in a particular field and should be given more consideration in weeding and retention analysis decisions that impact scholarly collections. Higher citation counts can be an indicator of higher circulation counts.
Originality/value
The authors found little indication in the literature that Google Scholar citation counts are being used as a metric for identification of notable works or for retention of monographs in academic libraries.
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Natalia Aversano, Johan Christiaens, Paolo Tartaglia Polcini and Giuseppe Sannino
Taking into consideration the lively debate about recognition, measurement, and disclosure criteria for heritage assets (HA) in financial reporting, the purpose of this paper is…
Abstract
Purpose
Taking into consideration the lively debate about recognition, measurement, and disclosure criteria for heritage assets (HA) in financial reporting, the purpose of this paper is to examine the comment letters submitted by governmental organizations regarding the consultation paper (CP) on HA in order to understand what is the position of the governmental organizations in relation to critical issues of the accounting and financial reporting of HA.
Design/methodology/approach
From a methodological point of view, a content analysis was performed. First, the responses were classified according to level of agreement with the 13 items included in the CP on HA; second, the arguments adduced by respondents in supporting or contradicting the proposed approaches and definitions have been investigated.
Findings
The majority of responses came from countries with relevant differences in culture, administrative traditions and accounting systems. Governmental organizations strongly agreed with the recognition of heritage items as “assets” in financial reporting, while conflicting positions on measuring bases were identified.
Originality/value
This study is one of the few studies based on the content of the comment letters received in response to the CP on HA. The present study can also give an idea of the content of the future IPSAS on HA. Moreover, it is the first study attempting to enrich the debate on governmental organizations’ participation to the IPSAS standard-setting process.