IT Access Research Articles

E‐assessment: its impplementation and impact on learning outcomes

To remain globally competitive, there is increasing pressure for universities to incorporate a greater use of technology and innovation into their curriculum. In response, many higher education institutions have adopted a blended learning approach, which combines traditional face‐to‐face delivery with online teaching resources, to deliver course content. At Victoria University this is now policy and all units offered by the University are required to have an online presence by the first semester of 2009. Our first‐year core accounting unit is taught in Australia and overseas locations including Hong Kong, Malaysia and Beijing. There are a number of variations of how this blending occurs and the extent to which it is used may be influenced by a number or factors. These include the technical skills and time allocation of the teaching staff, professional IT support, student motivation, internet speed and access, explicit connection to assessment, and ease of use for assessment tasks. Some of these issues were addressed when this unit was moved to the online learning platform of WebCT. This paper documents the design and implementation of e‐assessment and online resources in this introductory accounting unit and monitors its impact on learning outcomes.

Health-related characteristics and preferred methods of receiving health education according to dominant language among Latinos Aged 25 to 64 in a large Northern California health plan

BackgroundLatinos are a fast growing segment of the U.S. health care population. Acculturation factors, including English fluency, result in an ethnic group heterogeneous with regard to SES, health practices, and health education needs. This study examined how demographic and health-related characteristics of Spanish-dominant (SD), Bilingual (BIL), and English-dominant (ED) Latino men and women aged 25–64 differed among members of a large Northern California health plan.MethodsThis observational study was based on data from cohorts of 171 SD (requiring an interpreter), 181 BIL, and 734 ED Latinos aged 25–64 who responded to random sample health plan member surveys conducted 2005–2006. Language groups were compared separately by gender on education, income, behavioral health risks (smoking, obesity, exercise frequency, dietary practices, health beliefs), health status (overall health and emotional health, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, heartburn/acid reflux, back pain, depression), computer and Internet access, and health education modality preferences.ResultsCompared with ED Latinos, higher percentages of the SD and BIL groups had very low educational attainment and low income. While groups were similar in prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol, SD were less likely than ED Latinos to rate overall health and emotional well-being as good, very good, or excellent and more likely to report heartburn and back pain (women only). The groups were similar with regard to smoking and obesity, but among women, SD were more likely to be physically inactive than ED, and BIL were less likely than SD and ED groups to eat <3 servings of fruit/vegetables per day. SD and BIL of both genders were significantly less likely than ED Latinos to believe that health practices had a large impact on health. Compared to ED men and women, SD and BIL Latinos had significantly lower Internet and computer access. As a result, SD Latinos had a greater preference for lower technology health education modalities such as videos and taped phone messages.ConclusionThere are important differences among Latinos of different English language proficiency with regard to education, income, health status, health behaviors, IT access, and health education modality preferences that ought to be considered when planning and implementing health programs for this growing segment of the U.S. population.

Survey of knowledge and perception on the access to evidence-based practice and clinical practice change among maternal and infant health practitioners in South East Asia

BackgroundEvidence-based practice (EBP) can provide appropriate care for women and their babies; however implementation of EBP requires health professionals to have access to knowledge, the ability to interpret health care information and then strategies to apply care. The aim of this survey was to assess current knowledge of evidence-based practice, information seeking practices, perceptions and potential enablers and barriers to clinical practice change among maternal and infant health practitioners in South East Asia.MethodsQuestionnaires about IT access for health information and evidence-based practice were administered during August to December 2005 to health care professionals working at the nine hospitals participating in the South East Asia Optimising Reproductive and Child Health in Developing countries (SEA-ORCHID) project in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and The Philippines.ResultsThe survey was completed by 660 staff from six health professional groups. Overall, easy IT access for health care information was available to 46% of participants. However, over a fifth reported no IT access was available and over half of nurses and midwives never used IT health information. Evidence-based practice had been heard of by 58% but the majority did not understand the concept. The most frequent sites accessed were Google and PubMed. The Cochrane Library had been heard of by 47% of whom 51% had access although the majority did not use it or used it less than monthly. Only 27% had heard of the WHO Reproductive Health Library and 35% had been involved in a clinical practice change and were able to identify enablers and barriers to change. Only a third of participants had been actively involved in practice change with wide variation between the countries. Willingness to participate in professional development workshops on evidence-based practice was high.ConclusionThis survey has identified the need to improve IT access to health care information and health professionals' knowledge of evidence-based health care to assist in employing evidence base practice effectively.

Immigrants, English Ability and the Digital Divide

This study examines the extent and causes of inequalities in information technology ownership and use between natives and immigrants in the United States, with particular focus on the role of English ability. The results indicate that, during the period 1997 2003, immigrants were significantly less likely to have access to or use a computer and the Internet. Moreover, the gap in IT usage widened during that period. Immigrants and natives who live in Spanish-speaking households are less likely than individuals living in English-speaking households to have access to or use IT. Estimates using a measure of predicted English ability show that English ability is positively associated with IT access and use. The results suggest that much of the immigrant-native gap in IT usage is attributable to differences in English ability.

Case analysis on sensory information use in universal designs of aids for better IT accessibility for the visually disabled

Case analysis on sensory information use in universal designs of aids for better IT accessibility for the visually disabled

The gap between citizens and e-government projects: the case for Jordan

Providing better services for citizens and responding to their growing demand for online needs have been major drivers for implementing e-government in developed countries. Many developing countries have also launched their e-government projects claiming that they are based on citizen-centric strategies. However, most developing countries have low internet penetration levels and their citizens do not have the capacity to use advanced e-services. Therefore, it can be questionable how these e-government projects are customer-centric. Are they responding to people's needs or just focusing on citizens' IT access? This research paper investigates Jordan's deployment of e government and examines how citizen-centric it is.

Fault Zone Drilling in the Backstop to the Mediterranean Ridge Accretionary Complex off Crete, Greece

Scientific drilling and the installation of downhole seismic instrumentation to observe seismicity at a low-magnitudea low-magnitudelow-magnitude detection threshold are powerful tools to monitor denselyare powerful tools to monitor densely powerful tools to monitor densely to monitor densely populated areas in Southern Europe, such as the Athens such as the Athens metropolitan region, to minimize societal and environmental to minimize societal and environmental dangers, which millennia ago destroyed entire cultures, two of the seven wonders of the world (Colossus of Rhodes 224 BC, Lighthouse on Pharos 365 AD) and several historical sites in the circum-Mediterranean. The EasternThe Eastern Mediterranean hosts one of the most prominent retreating convergent margins worldwide that was capable of gener-of gener- gener-ating M>8 earthquakes (365 AD, western Crete) anding M>8 earthquakes (365 AD, western Crete) and M>8 earthquakes (365 AD, western Crete) and exhaustive volcanic eruptions (1650 BC, Santorini) in historic times.The Hellenic Subduction Zone (HSZ) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea represents a mature subduction zone where African crust is thrust (i.e., subducted) beneath Eurasiaandwhereawidebackstopareaofpartlyoldaccreted and whereawidebackstopareaofpartlyoldaccreted a wide backstop area of partly old accreted strata (marine), partly HP/LT rocks (the exhumed island ofthe exhumed island ofexhumed island of Crete as forearc high), an extensional submerged landward forearc (Cretan Sea), and a volcanic arc and backarc basin (Aegean Sea) evolved. The HSZ is an ideal natural laboratory to study collisional processes which are well recorded overrecorded overrecorded over the past ca. 35 million years, including an intermittent stage of micro-continent collisions between about 30 Ma and between about 30 Ma andMa andand 20 Ma, followed by breakoff of the subducting slab, and incipient collision with the passive African margin today (Thomson et al., 1998). The island of Crete represents a horst structure developed within the last 5 million years in the central forearc, and it provides excellent onshore access to and it provides excellent onshore access toit provides excellent onshore access toprovides excellent onshore access to the internal structure of the forearc at various levels (for overall geodynamic situation in map view, see Fig. 1).

The influence of information technology access on agricultural research in Nigeria

Examines the relationship between accessibility to information technology and research publications among users of agricultural libraries in Nigeria. A self‐constructed questionnaire, which had a reliability coefficient of 0.90, was used to collect data. A total of 150 questionnaires were distributed and a response rate of 78.7 per cent was obtained. Data were analyzed using the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient and the student t‐test. Results showed that there was no significant association between accessibility and research publications. The finding is discussed in the context of information technology benefits in developing countries generally. Suggestions are proffered on how to improve the benefits of IT access.

Purposeful Self: Accessing Sensory Motifs as Empowerment in Flow States and Clinical Interventions

The idea is presented that each human being has an inherent life purpose operating as a basic guide. As we live true to this purpose, we experience harmony, joy, and empowerment. IT access and experience life purpose, we need to attend to our sensory systems (i.e., visual, auditory, and kinesthetic) as manifest in flow states. An individual's purpose is primarily expressed in what may be called a sensory motif, a unique way of combining and organizing his or her senses manifesting that person's unique character. Sensory motifs are highly visible in flow states. Use of sensory motifs as clinical interventions is illustrated in five clinical cases. It is concluded that to live with purpose and meaning in one's life involves discovering and gaining access to one's sensory motif.