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Now more than ever, adult learning plays an integral role in every economy and society, and Singapore is no exception. We are confronted by significant structural changes such as changing global value chains, rapid advancement of digital technologies, and seismic demographic shifts that are transforming the way people live, work and connect with one another. The future will be characterised by its complexity and volatility, with an increasing pervasiveness of digital technologies both at work and in our everyday life. This demands that we learn throughout life – and particularly so as adults, to pick up new skills, and adapt to new technologies and contexts quickly.
Adult learning research has much to offer to support the building of this future, in ways that complement human ingenuity and support sustainable growth. Therefore, in July 2019, the Singapore National Research Foundation (NRF) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) appointed a Taskforce to propose a coordinated and forward-looking adult learning research agenda that can contribute strategically to national priorities. The Taskforce comprises 13 academic and policy personnel from Singapore's six Autonomous Universities, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), NRF, SSG and the Ministry of Education (MOE).
Over a period of nine months, the Taskforce studied the adult learning research landscape extensively, and consulted with more than 100 local and international researchers. They include some of the most prominent researchers in adult learning and related fields internationally. Four Subgroups were also set up to deliberate in-depth on specific research areas. The Future of Adult Learning Research Symposium, organised in November 2019, generated even more new ideas for taking the adult learning research agenda forward.
Bringing all the ideas together, the Taskforce has summarised them into four key recommendations that are aimed at breaking new grounds in adult learning research. The recommendations include not only priority research areas with potential to demonstrate scientific excellence and contribute to national priorities, but also new models and approaches for connecting the research and user communities to strengthen research translation and impact.
Click below to download the report and annexes.
New Perspectives, Directions and Approaches: Recommendations for the Future of Adult Learning Research in Singapore
Annex 1: Approach to the Recommendations and Process of Deliberations
Annex 2: Towards the Science of Adult Learning [Subgroup Report]
Annex 3: Innovative Technologies for Adult Learning Research [Subgroup Report]
Annex 4: Learning Cultures × Smart Cities [Subgroup Report]
Annex 5: Future of Human Capabilities in a Digital Economy and Society [Subgroup Report]
Annex 6: Report on Deliberations at the Future of Adult Learning Research Symposium [Symposium Report]
About the Future of Adult Learning Research Symposium
The Future of Adult Learning Research Symposium took place on 14 and 15 November 2019 to discuss specific research topics as well as tackle the broader challenge of research translation. A group of local and international researchers, from a diverse range of academic disciplines, were invited to join us and contribute their expertise in strengthening the proposed research agenda.
1. Prof Geoffrey Cohen
Geoffrey Cohen is Professor of Psychology at Graduate School of Education, Department of Psychology, Stanford University. Much of his research examines processes related to identity maintenance and their implications for social problems. One primary aim of his research is the development of theory-driven, rigorously tested intervention strategies that further our understanding of the processes underpinning social problems and that offer solutions to alleviate them. Two key questions lie at the core of his research: "Given that a problem exists, what are its underlying processes?" And, "Once identified, how can these processes be overcome?" One reason for this interest in intervention is his belief that a useful way to understand psychological processes and social systems is to try to change them. He is also interested in how and when seemingly brief interventions, attuned to underlying psychological processes, produce large and long-lasting psychological and behavioural change.
The methods that his lab uses include laboratory experiments, longitudinal studies, content analyses, and randomized field experiments. One specific area of research addresses the effects of group identity on achievement, with a focus on under-performance and racial and gender achievement gaps. Additional research programs address hiring discrimination, the psychology of closed-mindedness and inter-group conflict, and psychological processes underlying anti-social and health-risk behaviour.
Synopsis for "A Key to Unlocking Educational Potential"
The social psychological approach focuses on the power of the social situation and the way that it is interpreted or subjectively construed by the people in it. Applied to education, it asserts that we should focus on the feelings that situations created in learners' minds and, more specifically, the degree to which they support or thwart their sense of belonging there. This talk will address social psychological processes shaping learner success and concrete, science-backed strategies for unleashing learners' potential and creating learning contexts where all feel they belong.
2. Prof George Siemens
Prof George Siemens is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas Arlington and he leads the development of the Center for Change and Complexity in Learning (C3L) at the University of South Australia. He is the founding President of the Society for Learning Analytics Research. In 2008, he pioneered the first massive open online course (MOOC). He is an eminent scholar on technology, networks, analytics, and how human and artificial cognition impact knowledge development and society, who has delivered keynote addresses in more than 35 countries on the influence of technology and media on education, organizations, and society. His work has been profiled in provincial, national, and international newspapers (including NY Times), radio, and television. He has served as PI or Co-PI on grants from NSF, SSHRC (Canada), Intel, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Boeing, and the Soros Foundation. He has advised government agencies in Australia, European Union, Canada and United States, as well as numerous international universities, on digital learning and utilizing learning analytics for assessing and evaluating productivity gains in the education sector and improving learner results.
Synopsis for "Sensemaking and Culture: Ways of Being in a World of AI"
Today's complex global business environment requires individuals to continually advance their knowledge. Entire companies, even industry, can change in the span of a few short years. To stay competitive organizations and individuals need to rethink their knowledge infrastructure and increase their engagement with learning sciences researchers. Given the forecast growth of AI, concerns arise in terms of which types of cognitive work should be done by machines and which should be done by humans. How do people best learn in times of uncertainty? For researchers, there are many insights from fields of learning sciences and learning analytics that can provide initial guidance. The current research landscape, however, is incomplete. Significant questions remain around the role and impact of innovative technologies in supporting adults in lifelong learning and in reskilling to acquire new competencies due to automation. This presentation will review the growing influence of AI in knowledge processes and suggest the critical research areas needed at the intersection of human and artificial cognition.
3. Prof Lee Kwan Min
Kwan Min LEE (Ph.D., Stanford) is the inaugural Korea Foundation Professor in CKS and New Media, and the Director of UX (User Experience) Lab at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Previously, Lee was the founding director of Interaction Science Research Center and the founding WCU (World Class University) Professor of the Department of Interaction Science at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), S. Korea. Lee also directed Samsung Electronics' User Experience (UX) Group and the Creative Lab (C-Lab) as one of the youngest vice presidents in the Samsung corporate history. At Samsung, Lee led developments of new products and services for its visual display (VD) division through: user experience (UX) planning and strategy, open innovations and outside partnerships, and internal incubations of creative projects at C-Lab. Prior to SKKU and Samsung, Lee had taught at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California (USC) for 12 years. At USC, Lee was one of the youngest tenured professors. Lee specializes in UX (User Experience) research and design, social and psychological effects of ICT, and human machine interaction.
His research findings have been covered by Washington Post, BBC News, USA Today, and other major news agencies. Lee's research funding exceeds 12 million US dollars. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation (USA), the Annenberg Foundation, the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (S. Korea), Samsung Electronics, and Hyundai Motors. Lee holds multiple international (USA, EU, and S. Korea) patents in smart display interfaces, remote controller, gesture control, and multi-media production.
Synopsis for "Experiences of Human-Machine Interaction, Explicated"
In this talk, Prof Lee will explicate the nature of human machine interaction with a special focus on the meaning of virtuality in social interaction with machines. Two characteristics of virtuality (Para-authenticity vs. Artificiality) and three domains of human experiences (physical, social, and self) will be provided to explain the concept of social presence which is at the center of human-machine interaction. The presentation will explain fundamental mechanisms through which technology users can feel social presence during their interaction with machines. Lastly, the presentation will detail three ways of creating strong social presence in human machine interaction. Implications for future adult learning mediated/created by machines will be discussed as a conclusion.
4. Prof Michael Thomas
Michael Thomas is a professor of cognitive neuroscience at Birkbeck, University of London. He has been Director of the University of London Centre for Educational Neuroscience since 2010 (http://www.educationalneuroscience.org.uk/). This cross-institutional research centre aims to advance translational research between neuroscience and education, and develop practical applications within education. In 2003, Michael established the Developmental Neurocognition Laboratory within Birkbeck's world-leading Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development. He is author of over 120 scientific papers, books, and chapters. The focus of his laboratory is the use of multi-disciplinary methods to understand the brain and cognitive bases of cognitive variability, including intelligence and developmental disorders. Within educational neuroscience, his work includes understanding the role of inhibitory control in children's science and math learning; investigating the influence of cell phone use on adolescent brain development; linking findings on sensitive periods in brain development to their educational implications; and building links between genetics, environment and education in children's developmental outcomes. Michael is a Chartered Psychologist, Fellow of the British Psychological Society, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science.
Synopsis of "The Educational Neuroscience of Adult Learners: Lessons from Adult Literacy Acquisition"
The presentation will describe the dialogue through which neuroscience can offer insights to education with respect to neural mechanism of learning. In a lifespan perspective, change in the plasticity of these neural mechanisms may alter the nature of learning from childhood to adulthood. In a recent collaboration between the University of London Centre for Educational Neuroscience and the World Bank, we considered the cognitive neuroscience evidence with respect to adult learning in literacy programs in the developing world. The presentation will describe the lessons from the project for adult learning more broadly, as well as areas where there is still insufficient research evidence, particularly concerning the level of practice adults require to reach automaticity in a new skill compared to children, and the ultimate level of proficiency that can be achieved beginning at different ages.
5. Prof Nancy Law
Dr Nancy Law is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong. She served as the Founding Director for the Centre for Information Technology in Education (CITE) for 15 years from 1998. She also led the Science of Learning Strategic Research Theme at the University of Hong Kong (2013-2017). She is a Fellow of the International Society of the Learning Sciences. She is known globally as a learning scientist with a strong record and expertise in the integration of digital technology in learning and teaching to promote student-centred pedagogical innovations. She received a Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme Award by the HKSAR Research Grants Council in 2014 in recognition of her research in scalability of technology-enhanced learning innovations.
She is currently spearheading large projects to implement and refine multilevel network models of innovation as sociotechnical co-evolution. Under her leadership, an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology was awarded a 5-year Theme-based Research Scheme funded project on Learning and Assessment for Digital Citizenship in 2016. She has served on policy advisory boards/working groups related to ICT in education for the University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong SAR government and other community, government groups and institutions. She has also been contributing as expert consultant to the European Commission, UNESCO and OECD on technology-enhanced learning. She is associate editor for the International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning and the Nature Research Journal on Science of Learning.
Synopsis for "In Search of Well-Being: Humans with Advanced Augmented Capabilities in a Super-Connected World"
It is generally acknowledged that technological developments and human knowledge have been advancing in exponential rates. We are already living augmented lives in that we are reliant on the mobile and wearable devices for many aspects of our everyday activities, for work, learning, socializing, entertainment, health monitoring, etc. Many of these advanced technology products that were unimaginable a decade ago for the general public have now become very accessible in terms of cost, ease of use, channels of purchase and information. Such rapid advances come as a result of the super-connectivity that human society has never been exposed to until the recent decades, and this super-connectivity is also increasing at exponential rates.
For a long time, national and supranational policy discourse related to technological advances (and the knowledge age) have mainly focused on economic competition, the need for building the necessary human resource capacity, and technological business infrastructures. However, the biggest impending challenge to any country or system may not be the speed of uptake or creative applications of the technology, but whether we are able to anticipate the implications of super-augmented and super-connected humans at the societal level. Super-connectivity has its advantages but may also bring uncontrollable disruptions that may threaten the fundamental values and well-being of our society. In this talk, the presentation will detail a complex system model to explore possible futures of a society of super-connected, super-augmented citizens, and how different sociotechnical infrastructures and strategies may affect the course of these futures.
6. Prof Wu Feng
Professor Wu Feng helms the Graduate School of Education, Business-Education Research Centre of Peking University as the Director, and is also active as the Chairman of Human Resources Education Committee of Chinese Adult Education Association. His research areas include e-learning, human resource development and lifelong education. He has published three monographs, translated four books from English to Chinese, and edit four books. He has hosted two national social science research programs, and hosted over 30 other programs. He has published over 70 articles in journals such as Chinese Social Science, Educational Research, Peking University Journal, HRDI and so on. He has won several prizes such as the first-level research prize of Peking University, the Teacher Award of Peking University. He has hosted MOOC named Learning Engineering and Management, which have 20,000 online students, and the MOOC has won the prize of Chinese National Online Course approved by Chinese Ministry of Education.
Synopsis for "The Role and Contributions of Corporate Universities and Organisational Learning"
This presentation will discuss the role and contributions of corporate universities and organizational learning vis-à-vis cities, cultures, and digitalization.
7. Assoc Prof Allison Friederichs
Dr Allison Friederichs is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and an associate teaching professor at the University of Denver's University College.
In the academic sector, Allison serves as a curriculum design consultant, and she delivers keynote presentations and workshops on topics around brain-based teaching and curriculum development. Allison also provides train-the-trainer facilitation to private-sector companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. And her work has been published in academic and trade publications, including UPCEA's Unbound and ATD Magazine.
Allison is a professor for The Great Courses and Audible, currently working on courses in the areas of business writing and consulting.
Synopsis for "Neuroandragogy and Social Ecology"
In her presentation, Dr Friederichs will explore the theoretical foundations of the current state of andragogy, including connections among some of the major theories undergirding social learning and current neuroscientific evidence about how the adult brain learns. She will discuss the role of social learning for adults and suggest three conditions that are necessary for ensuring learning is taking place when teaching, including methods for creating these conditions.
8. Dr Carlo Giovannella
Dr Carlo Giovannella is the President, Association for Smart Learning Ecosystems and Regional Development Professor, Multimodal Interfaces and Systems & Learning Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata. Having graduated in Physics, Dr Carlo can be considered a "Designer for the experience" mainly focused on smart communities, social innovation and technology enhanced education (TEE), that he covers at 360°: visions, processes, methods, tools ad environments. He is also an expert in interaction design, computer-mediated communication, design and management of processes, process and product innovation. Since 2015, has been elected President of the ASLERD (Association for Smart Learning Ecosystems and Regional Development).
Synopsis for "Getting Smart in People Centred Territories: Frameworks of Reference"
By macro-investigating the nature of a city/territory, we try to understand the reasons why it may become an attractive singularity of the history or, in other words, to make emerge a framework that defines its level of smartness: the people centered ASLERD pyramid of wellbeing.
Such generalized framework, applicable to all ecosystems including the learning ones, allows for a bottom-up evaluation of the ecosystem smartness.
The bottom-up monitoring of the smartness can be considered also as the first step to co-design the process toward its continuous growth and implies the development of adequate competences among the citizens; and, thus, the definition of a competences framework together with a possible endorsed open badge certification scheme.
Design for "people centered" smart cities/territories implies also the understanding of the meaningfulness of human experiences and requires the definition of a third framework: the experiential one, to be used as guideline also for a technology enhanced design for the experience.
The effects produced by the use of the above interconnected frameworks can be enhanced by triggering learning and behaviours through fun and gamification, by the spreading of an "affording" data literacy, by the engine of the forth helix (the social sharing) that can be also strategically stimulated (e.g. by means of hacktowns) and may lead also to people in place centered and meaningful touristic experiences.
9. Assoc Prof Liaw Sok Ying
Associate Professor Liaw Sok Ying, is a registered nurse, an Associate Professor and the Director of Education at the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies (ALCNS), National University of Singapore (NUS). She has been involved in a number of educational initiatives at ALCNS, including the development and implementation of simulation-based interprofessional education and virtual interprofessional simulation. She was one of the inaugural members of the NUS interprofessional education committee to promote interprofessional learning among dental, medical, nursing, pharmacy and medical social work healthcare students.
Synopsis for "VR Use in Nursing"
An interdisciplinary team comprising educators, content experts from different healthcare fields, educational researchers and computer technologist came together to design and build scenarios in a 3-D virtual reality to provide interprofessional team training on team-based patient care delivery. This virtual learning was undertaken by students from six healthcare courses (medicine, nursing, pharmacy physiotherapy, occupational therapy and social work) and from three Singapore educational institutions. The opportunities for the healthcare students in Singapore to engage in team-based patient care delivery could develop their 21st century competencies on communication and collaboration skills. These skills are essential for them to be able to work together with mutual understanding and respect in sharing responsibilities and making decision with one another to provide optimal patient care.
10. Ms Olga Strietska-Ilina
Olga Strietska-Ilina is a Senior Skills and Employability Specialist at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland. She is a Team Leader of the work area 'Skills Strategies for Future Labour Markets', focusing on anticipating skills needs for the Future of Work, skills for trade and economic diversification, skills for environmental sustainability and climate action, and skills for technological change and digitalisation.
Before 2008, Olga worked on skills forecasting for the European Centre for Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop). Earlier on, she was Head of the Czech National Observatory of Employment and Training and taught International Relations at the Central European University (CEU).
Olga holds post-graduate degrees in Economic and Social Sciences from the University of Manchester, Society and Politics from the CEU, and History and Ethnography from the Moscow State University named after Lomonosov.
She has published extensively on future skills, education, training, and broader social and cultural issues. She is an author of many policy papers discussed at the G20 and BRICS ministerial meetings. She is the main author and editor of several books, including "Skills and Jobs Mismatches in Low- and Middle-Income Countries" (ILO, 2019), "Skills for a Greener Future" (ILO, 2019), "Skills Needs Anticipation Systems and Approaches" (ILO, OECD et al, 2017), "Parallel Cultures" (Routledge, 2017 2nd edition) and "A Clash of Transitions: Towards a Learning Society" (Peter Lang Publishing 2007).
Synopsis of "Skills for Thriving in a Digital World"
Technological, climate, work organisation change will disrupt the demand for skills. Digitalisation and robotisation affect the composition of tasks and skills in all economic sectors. Even with overall positive net employment effect, technological change will impact all levels of skills. The disadvantages that low-skilled workers currently face on the labour market are likely to be exacerbated.
Digital skills alongside other technical skills can spur productivity and innovation, particularly in STEM occupations. In addition to high skills, specific vocational education skills will be required to deploy, operate and maintain new technologies. In order to facilitate resilience to change and the adaptive capacity to continually improve skills over the life cycle, these technical skills will need to be complemented by a range of non-cognitive social and behavioural skills. The appropriate combination of technical and core work skills will provide workers with sound future employment prospects, as they will be able to move easily between jobs.
The future of work will require a two-fold adjustment of the skills development systems. First, these systems will need to deliver the foundational skills that allow people to embrace changing technological opportunities and prepare them for further learning. And second, they will need to facilitate dynamic learning over the life cycle to ensure that people keep pace with digitalization and other factors of change. Investing in people's capabilities was identified as a key pillar of a human-centred agenda proposed by the Global Commission on the Future of Work. Policy innovation in governance and funding will be a key determinant of success in the implementation of lifelong learning.
11. Assoc Prof Rebekah Lim Wei Ying
Rebekah is Associate Professor and Director of the Teaching & Learning Centre at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). She leads the Centre in areas of academic development of lecturers, academic support for learners, and Scholarship of Teaching & Learning. Her research interests include professional identities, teacher learning and technology-enabled pedagogy; areas in which her research grant awards and publications are based on. Her other awards include the Hewlett Packard Innovation in IT in Education, Dean's commendation for research award, and the teaching excellence award 2011 & 2013. She has served as consultant to both local schools and international bodies, such as the Commonwealth of Learning, and more recently Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization, Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Graduate Study & Research in Agriculture (SEAMEO SERCA) in areas of professional development and technology-enabled learning.
Rebekah is co-presenting the paper "Unpacking Adult Learning: Potential of Visualization Systems" with Assoc Prof Sourav S Bhowmick.
12. Assoc Prof Rabindra Ratan
Dr Rabindra Ratan is an Associate Professor and AT&T Scholar at Michigan State University's Department of Media and Information. He is also an affiliated faculty member of the MSU Center for Gender in a Global Context, the MSU Department of Psychology, and the MSU College of Education's program in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology. Ratan received his Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, his M.A. in Communication from Stanford University, and his B.A. in Science, Technology and Society, also from Stanford University.
Dr Ratan conducts research on the effects of human-technology interaction, examining how media technologies (e.g., avatars, agents, automobiles) influence meaningful outcomes (e.g., persuasion, education, health/safety). He has authored over 25 peer-reviewed articles in publication venues such as Media Psychology, the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Communication Research, Computers in Human Behavior, Games and Culture, The Information Society, Sex Roles, Body Image, PsychNology, New Media & Society, CSCW, and HICSS.
Dr Ratan loves teaching, especially large classes, where he tries to make the discussion engaging and interactive for as many students as possible. He has received multiple teaching awards, including the 2017 MSU Teacher Scholar Award and 2015 MSU AT&T Instructional Technology Award, and he was also a 2014-2015 MSU Lilly Teaching Fellow. He experiments with new technologies and teaching approaches, including rapping and riding a skateboard in class to keep students' attention.
Synopsis of "Experiences of Human-Machine Interaction, Applied"
Following Dr Lee's explication of the theoretical foundations underpinning our current understanding of human-machine interaction, Dr Ratan will apply some of these concepts within the context of adult learning. In particular, this talk will focus on the potential of video games, avatars, and agents/AI to promote learning outcomes. Dr Ratan will talk about the differences between serious games (e.g., games designed to teach specific concepts) and entertainment games, which also tend to have notable learning outcomes. He will then describe how avatars – people's mediated self-representations –can be designed to influence users' behaviours in ways that are undetected yet enhance creativity and learning. Then he will explain how humanlike characters driven by AI – such as pedagogical agents – can be designed to transform social interaction in ways that increase acceptance, liking and persuasion, thereby enhancing learning. Finally, he will describe how these three topics (games, avatars and agents) can be connected through gamification to improve adult learning/collaboration in Singapore. The fundamental takeaway from this talk is that virtual experiences must be developed through interdisciplinary collaborations with designers trained in media effects research (not just engineers). Good engineering requires good design, good design requires good theory, and good theory requires scientific research.
13. Assoc Prof Sourav S Bhowmick
Sourav S Bhowmick is an Associate Professor in the School of Computer Science and Engineering (SCSE), Nanyang Technological University. He leads the data management research group (DANTe) in SCSE. His research areas include data management, human-data interaction, data analytics, computational social science and network biology. He has published more than 90 papers in top-tier venues such as VLDB, SIGMOD, WWW, SIGIR, ACM MM, Bioinformatics, Biophysical Journal, and VLDB Journal. He has received Best Paper Awards at ACM CIKM 2004 and ACM BCB 2011 for papers related to evolution mining and biological network summarization, respectively. His work on inuence maximization was nominated for the best paper award in ACM SIGMOD 2015. Sourav regularly serves as a reviewer for data management, data mining, and bioinformatics conferences (e.g., SIGMOD, VLDB) and journals (e.g., TODS, VLDB Journal, Bioinformatics). He has served as a program chair/co-chair, keynote and tutorial speaker for several international conferences and workshops. Sourav is a co-recipient of the VLDB Service Award in 2018 from the VLDB Endowment for his contribution in designing an e_cient PVLDB proceedings management framework. Recently, he has co-authored books on \Summarizing Biological Networks" and \Human Interaction with Graphs", which are published by Springer-Verlag (May 2017) and Morgan & Claypool (August 2018) publishers, respectively. He cannot resist the temptation of wasting his time by tinkering with paints and brushes.
Synopsis of "Unpacking Adult Learning: Potential of Visualization Systems"
With more than a billion users, YouTube is one of the most used video-sharing sites in the world. It has become a widely popular educational resource for both formal and informal learning. A recent Training and Adult Education (TAE) Landscape Survey conducted by IAL concluded that about 60% of adult educators used recorded video of training activities, contents, such as YouTube in their training related work. A YouTube video has primarily two components: the video content and discussions associated with the video. In particular, the insights gained from the discussions associated with a YouTube video can be invaluable for learning. In this talk, we present a novel end-to-end visualization system called KANDINSKY to support multi-faceted visualization of discussions associated with a YouTube post. In Kandinsky, the social discussion landscape is visualized using a collection of colorful circles and concentric circles, which are inspired from the famous abstract arts called \Squares with Concentric Circles" and \Several Circles" by Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944). KANDINSKY can serve as a platform for online learning by facilitating not only understanding of discussions associated with a video but also comprehending behaviours of learners participating in the discussions.
Following the novel visualization KANDINSKY offers, this talk explores the types of online data in adult learning and education where KANDINSKY can potentially be applied. The study of adult learning is often based on the precepts of adults needing to know, adults having more varied experiences to share, adults having task-centric orientation to learning, and adults being more responsive to internal motivators (Knowles, 1989, 1990). To advance our understanding of these precepts, large-scale online data in the form of open-ended end-of-course feedback and adult learning needs have been collected and analysed. In this talk, we present the basis of these two types of online data, and our findings that reveal nuances to the precepts advocated by Knowles. We further posit that visualization systems such as KANDINSKY can help educators to more efficiently understand the needs of adult learners and learning such that interventions can be developed in a more-timely manner.
14. Assoc Prof Tan Ern Ser
Dr Tan Ern Ser is Associate Professor, Department of Sociology; Academic Convener, Singapore Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences; and Academic Adviser, Social Lab, Institute of Policy Studies, at the National University of Singapore. He received his PhD in Sociology from Cornell University, USA. He is author of "Does Class Matter?" (2004) and "Class and Social Orientations" (2015). He is also Adviser for Socioeconomic Research and Chairman, Research Advisory Panel, HDB. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 2013.
Synopsis for "Adult Learning: Different but not Unequal"
The presentation will focus on the sociocultural context of adult learning in Singapore. The presentation will share some of the key findings of a 2008 survey comparing the then future seniors, seniors, and older seniors in Singapore. While the data are somewhat dated, they could be used to distil some possible hypotheses for future research on adult learning in Singapore. Specifically, the survey dealt with the learning strategies of adults, among other topics. It asked, for instance, whether adult learners prefer to read instruction manuals or have someone knowledgeable coach them. To bring the audience to the present, the presentation will detail some observations on the learning pattern of young adults as related to the culture of learning in Singapore, and its possible implications for skills upgrading and retraining in Singapore.
15. Assoc Prof Tan Seng Chee
Dr Tan Seng Chee is an Associate Professor with the Learning Sciences & Technologies academic group, National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU). He obtained his BSc (Hons) from the National University of Singapore in 1989 under the sponsorship of PSC Local Merit Scholarship. He completed his Master's in Education from the National Institute of Education in 1997 and his Ph.D. (Instructional Systems) from the Pennsylvania State University in 2000 under the NTU Overseas Graduate Scholarship. He has been working on integrating technologies into education in different positions, as an assistant director in the Ministry of Education, as the Head of the Learning Sciences & Technologies academic group, and as Acting co-director of the Centre for Research & Development in Learning at NTU. His research interests include Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, knowledge building, and the use of technologies in education. His recent publications include "Knowledge Creation in Education" and "Pushing the frontier: A cohesive system-wide approach to integrating ICT into education".
Synopsis for "Dialogic Instructions Supported by Technologies"
This short presentation aims to illustrate how learning, innovation, and technology are considered holistically by foregrounding learning in the design and use of technology for learning. This case study was conducted with a group of 14 students who registered for a Master's level course in NIE. Unlike a monologic lecture delivery method, the dialogic approach engages students in collaborative meaning-making and empowers the students with shared control over the key aspects of classroom discourse. It is also informed by learning as knowledge creation where knowledge artefacts (e.g., students' notes) mediate learning and capture students' ideas in the making. Once the instructional and learning approach is decided, various technologies were used to support this approach, including the use of spreadsheet to help visualize maps of inquiry, Knowledge Forum to support collaborative meaning-making, and concept mapping to encourage individual meaning-making. Learning analytics was used to provide feedback to the students. The students took some time to adapt to this mode of learning but many of them saw the benefits eventually. Students' views about learning also changed at the end of the course.
Symposium Highlights
View the symposium proceedings on 14 and 15 November 2019 below.
Please contact us at foalr_secretariat@ial.edu.sg for any queries.
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KURT SHORE
In: ARTISTS
Kurt Shore began writing songs at 12, professionally recording at 15, and entered into a recording contract at 19 by a subsidiary of ABC/Dunhill, New London Records. As lead singer, keyboardist and songwriter of the duo, Dialogue, the album was released and "Think Father, Think" that made it Top 40. Dialogue was an innovative multi-media touring shows of the time combining pop songs with theatre, comedy, original films, and classical music. Kurt founded Kajem Studios, helped develop acts such as Cinderella, Bricklin and Pretty Poison. He produced, co-engineered, and arranged the Top 5 Billboard hit, "Catch Me, I'm Falling" by Pretty Poison, as well as other songs on their hit album.
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KURT SHORE - SOCIAL MEDIA

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: android - notification not showing android api 23 and above This is my code for showing notifications, it's working on Android below API level 23 but it's not working on API level 23+.
CharSequence contentText = msg;
Intent intent = new Intent(context, MainActivity.class);
intent.putExtra("msg",msg);
PendingIntent contentIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(context, 0, intent, PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT);

NotificationCompat.Builder b = new NotificationCompat.Builder(context);

b.setAutoCancel(true)
    .setDefaults(Notification.DEFAULT_ALL)
    .setWhen(System.currentTimeMillis())
    .setSmallIcon(getNotificationIcon())
                        .setContentTitle(context.getString(R.string.app_name))
    .setContentText(contentText)
    .setDefaults(Notification.DEFAULT_LIGHTS| Notification.DEFAULT_SOUND)
    .setContentIntent(contentIntent)
    .setContentInfo("Info");

NotificationManager notificationManager = (NotificationManager) context.getSystemService(Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
Random rd = new Random();
notificationManager.notify(rd.nextInt(75), b.build());

private int getNotificationIcon() {
    boolean useWhiteIcon = (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.LOLLIPOP);
    return useWhiteIcon ? R.drawable.ic_launcher2 : R.mipmap.ic_launcher;
}

I've made white icon for launcher .
What's wrong with this code ?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Tap The Thumbnail Bellow to See Related Gallery of "Wood Vent Hood That You Might Want To See HomesFeed For Hoods Idea 7"
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text:
Adam Engst 1 February 2016
TidBITS Membership Ad-Removal Challenge Finished
Two months ago, in "Become a TidBITS Member and Banish Banner Ads from Our Site" (7 December 2015), I proposed that if TidBITS membership revenues could increase by roughly $5,000, we'd eliminate graphical banner ads from our Web site for everyone. The December numbers were ever so slightly lower ("TidBITS Membership Ad-Removal Challenge Update," 4 January 2016), and although we're pleased that the January numbers were up, it wasn't enough.
TidBITS picked up about 50 more memberships in January compared to last year, and some members renewed at a higher level, for an overall increase of about $1,900. Plus, we were surprised and honored to receive an anonymous $500 donation. Even so, because the funds received were a bit less than half the challenge amount, we'll continue with our current approach, which is to remove ad banners from the site only for logged-in TidBITS members.
I'm pondering a few reasons that might explain the results of this challenge:
This was a "greater good" situation, in that the people who paid to become TidBITS members in support of the challenge did so to help everyone who comes to our Web site, not specifically to derive benefit for themselves (although personal benefit was the effective outcome, given that members don't see the banner ads). People may not have been sufficiently interested in bolstering the greater good in this way.
Along those lines, it's possible that most regular TidBITS readers aren't that perturbed by the ads on our site. The current design has only two slots — a leaderboard at the top and a rectangle on the right, and they may not be obtrusive enough to drive people to action.
Taking that line of reasoning further, it's conceivable that TidBITS readers see low-key advertising as a business model to support, and feel that it's better to have sites like TidBITS displaying ads as a positive example of how to integrate advertising into a site. Of course, the logical conclusion in that case would be to click the banner ads whenever you see them, since we earn money only when they're clicked.
Could the rise of ad blockers have played a role? For those using an ad blocker, hiding ads might not have seemed important in the decision of whether or not to become a TidBITS member. I have no sense of how many of our readers use ad blockers.
Regardless, we're moving ahead with a full site redesign, and while it will have space to show banner ads to those who aren't TidBITS members, it won't be one of those designs where ads are more important than content.
Inside TidBITS TidBITS Memberships
Comments About TidBITS Membership Ad-Removal Challenge Finished
Donald V Hertzler
I became a paying member of Tidbits a few years ago - not to get rid of the adds but to support a Mac information source that I found helpful. The truth is, the adds were a source of additional information - software that is available for the Mac. I wouldn't want to read MacWorld w/o advertisements. I get ideas about what might be helpful from the advertisements. I tend to skip advertisements in most journals (and on TV), but not in a journal devoted to the Mac. My guess is that most people who pay, don't do it to get rid of the advertisements.
Adam Engst
I'm glad to hear the ads were helpful - I too miss the days of the print magazines and their ads, which were often as useful as the editorial for people trying to wrap their heads around the Mac industry.
With banner ads, we don't have a lot of control over what appears, unfortunately, and it's likely to be different for different people.
WILLIAM COLVIN
B. Jefferson Le Blanc
I, too, joined to support TidBITS; the lack of ads is a bonus but not the main reason I pay.
Some people may just read the TidBITS e-mail newsletter and visit the site infrequently. In any case, as far as ads go, TidBITS is an example of best practices. Some sites, like MacUpdate, have degenerated in recent years and are now drenched in advertising which they coyly call offers, as if that fools anyone. Sadly they are following CNet's example of worst practices: Anything For a Buck. Fortunately, I use a Mac and don't have to visit CNet very often. They ruined a really good Mac software site a few years ago when they scooped up Version Tracker. RIP
Another Mac news site I really like is MacIssues. It was developed by Topher Kessler, who used to manage the old Mac troubleshooting site MacFixit. But MacFixit was also gobbled up by CNet and unceremoniously shut down.
Michel Hedley
Like the others I wanted to support Tidbits as it had supported me over the years in helping maximise my computing system and keeping me abreast with Mac/Apple news.
I don't mind the advertisements as there are not many and I actually made purchases because of them.
Most of the Mac magazines have disappeared and that makes Tidbits more valuable than ever.
nicky y schleider
i don't have a problem with ads. i understand that businesses need to make money, and i prefer ads to paid subscriptions in many cases for reasons i won't go into. i do mind ads that pop up when i'm trying to read something. very often, i just stop reading and delete whatever it was.
I became a supporting member of TidBits because it's a source of information that I find valuable. As with Wikipedia, or some public radio stations, I contribute funds because I want those services to continue -- I would miss them if they ceased to exist. The banner ads on TidBits were not excessive, or an irritation to me, although I do use ad blockers elsewhere to stop the more obnoxious stuff.
Although the TidBits member discounts was not the primary motivation for my membership, I have made occasional use of the discounts. And it seems that the discounts are beneficial in three ways -- good for the member, good for Tidbits, and a good way of calling attention to (and bringing sales to) products useful to the typical TidBits reader.
David Redfearn
As others commenting here, I joined Tidbits because I value the content - not to avoid a few advertisements. A few advertisements don't bother me at all - and I would be willing to Whitelist the Tidbits site in my Ad Blocker program if advertisements reappeared even for members. I understand how difficult it is to get users to pay (even a little) for content - and if a few advertisements helped keep the site going and healthy, I would support that. I pay for other sites, but I think Tidbits has the best value proposition.
Randy Spydell
I too, have no problem with ads. However, please draw the line at auto-start videos. They are among the most annoying part of the modern web. I understand ClickToFlash is supposed to control them, but I can't seem to get it to work reliably.
I do miss the days of being able to escape from the technology, feel the paper between my fingers and stare off into space digesting an article's suggestions, or imagining that product's features and their possible application for me.
Now, a reasonable balance between the focussed article's text and some on-screen ads is just fine. Keep up the good work.
Oh goodness yes - auto-start videos are an abomination. I don't believe any of the systems we use to put ads on our site will do them, but if any ever show up, please let me know so I can stomp them out of existence.


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If you've experienced a fire or any kind of smoke in your home, it's essential that your piano be thoroughly checked out by a professional piano technician. Exposure to high temperatures, water and humidity are detrimental to your musical instrument. Many times, the effects aren't seen until weeks later when the piano starts to show the results of these extremes, such as: mold, felts separating, sticking keys, pin block separating, etc. Time is of the essence and for our fire and flood customers. Pick up of your piano that day or no later than the next day is guaranteed. We work with your insurance company to handle all the paperwork needed, ensuring your valuable investment is either repaired or replaced to your satisfaction!
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text:
Lying Levett Funnels Taxpayer Dollars Into Friend's Pocket
People of Rockdale, once again Eric Levett and his administration have proven their corruption knows no bounds. The wrong4Rockdale site was emailed some disturbing information after we exposed Eric Levett's scam to funnel taxpayer dollars into his friend, Michael Myers', pockets. In our last post "Eric Levett Squandered Over a Million Dollars of Taxpayers Money", Eric Levett went before the Rockdale County Commissioners and asked for a contractor position (Michael Myers) to handle the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office official social media account and other special projects. (Such as Eric Levett's
personal re-election campaign Facebook page.) A quick review of Michael Meyers' application file from 2016 shows that he should have been charged with Stolen Valor rather than being given a job.
Michael Meyers claimed that he attended Basic Infantry School in Ft. Benning, GA and was "Honor Graduated" in 1998, yet there are no records of any honors received
Meyers claimed to have served in the Army National Guard. When in fact, he never served on active duty and therefore never received a DD214.
Michael Meyers blatantly lied about his education. He claimed on his resume that he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Information Management from Western Governors University in 2015. When in fact, he was still attending school for his bachelor's degree at the time of his application in 2016. (Which he admitted to on his county application.)
Michael Meyers showed that he was a liar before Eric Levett even hired him. Eric Levett hired this man in violation of Rockdale County Sheriff's Office policies. Eric Levett and George Levett were even personal references for Michael Meyers. Eric Levett even lied to the public and hired Michael Meyers stating in 2014, "I will not tolerate cheating and have zero-tolerance for any level of untruthfulness". This wasn't the case when Eric Levett hired his friend. (See web link)
https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/rockdale-deputies-fired-resigned-disciplined-for-cheating/A1kCxXk8OsZ9uyXGx8zTCP/
The document below is from the Rockdale County backround investigator's pre employement notes.
Several sources confirmed that they were targeted and forced to resign after blowing the whistle on Eric Levett's unethical practices. Michael Meyers is just one of many employees who was hired by Eric Levett while policy dictated that they be denied employment. Many current employees are still working for the sheriff even though policy dictated that they should not be hired at all. These employees being hired have resulted in inmate deaths, deputies involved in criminal activity and multiple lawsuits waged against Rockdale County. (Which the taxpayers will ultimately foot the bill for.)
After seeing all this information, what is truly insulting is that Eric Levett has re-hired Michael Meyers and pulled the wool over the taxpayers and Board of Commissioner's eyes by embedding Michael Meyers salary into the 2020 fiscal budget. Now the question that needs to be asked, is how much of taxpayer money is being spent to pay Eric Levett's friend Michael Meyers to run a rudimentary Sheriff's Office Facebook page and the sheriffs re-election Facebook page?
People of Rockdale, how much more do you need to see that Eric Levett's incompetence and his corrupt practices of cronyism is costing real lives? It's no secret there are now three deaths in the jail that are heavily contributed to unqualified people being placed in positions they should not have been hired for in the first place.( Stay tuned for future posts.) This is clear proof that Eric Levett is Wrong for Rockdale!
Document below is Michael Meyer's Rockdale County online application file and a Interview Document Eric Levett conducted with Michael Meyers.


text:
Chase Utley to make everyone feel feelings as Dodgers come to Philly
Twenty-four other players will most likely join him.
By Justin Klugh@justin_klugh Aug 16, 2016, 4:48pm EDT
Share All sharing options for: Chase Utley to make everyone feel feelings as Dodgers come to Philly
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
The Phillies
Probably downplaying the emotional weight of a certain flint-eyed infielder returning home for the first time since being moved by management to another team, as if pen on paper and money changing hands could ever remove him from this city. As if it could even come close to removing him.
The Dodgers
Damn it, Justin, you weren't going to fade into an impassioned Utley interlude in the first paragraph. You promised people. You made assurances. And here we are. Who even is on the Dodgers? Chase Utley and not Yasiel Puig are my only answers right now. Who knows. Who cares.
Howie Kendrick: The non-Utley middle infielder on the Dodgers is 10-for-his-last-20 with a home run and five doubles. When Phillies pitchers start making mistakes, and they will, Kendrick will be there to drive them into the gap.
Corey Seager: The last time these teams met, the Phillies beat the Dodgers, knocked them out of first place, and Seager got tagged by a pitch on the wrist, worrying all eight of the Dodgers fans. He seems okay, though, in the middle of a six-game hit streak and all.
Joc Pederson: Where's the "K" at the end of this guy's name? Oh, I see it; in fact, I see four of them in his last 17 AB. This joke is made irrelevant by the fact that he also has seven hits, five of which were for extra bases (and two home runs).
Ryan Howard: The big man was gearing up for seeing his old friend again this week, knocking a double, a home run, five hits, and eight RBI in his limited AB over the last seven days.
Aaron Altherr: This Heavy Hitters mainstay continued his 2016 "Not F****** Around" Tour with six hits in his last five games.
Freddy Galvis: Why does Freddy Galvis have two home runs in his last 16 AB?
Kenta Maeda vs. Vince Velasquez
Maeda hasn't lasted seven innings in a start since over a month ago. But that hasn't stopped him from winning that sweet, sweet cash.
Rob Segedin PH for Kenta Maeda who struggled to get thru 5 IP tonight. But that struggle is rewarded -- another $250K bonus for 130 IP
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) August 10, 2016
No one knows what he would get for beating the Phillies. Maybe Utley will wink at him.
Meanwhile, Pete Mackanin became critical of his starter the last time Velasquez pitched against the Dodgers, saying the 24-year-old didn't use his change-up enough. He talked to Velasquez about it. VV "didn't quite agree."
Pete Mackanin criticized Vince Velasquez about not throwing the changeup last night. Threw it 18% of the time. Season average is 11.1%.
— John Stolnis (@FelskeFiles) August 10, 2016
Scott Kazmir vs. Jake Thompson
Sure you want to trot Scott "Kazmir" out there for this one, Dave Roberts? You don't think Chase Utley will take that as a personal affront to his legendary walk-up song? Oh right; I keep forgetting that Chase is just coming to Philadelphia, not playing for the Phillies for the next three days.
When you melt down in your big league debut, the threshold for a "bounce back" game is significantly lower. That's why everyone is thrilled Thompson lasted five innings and gave up only three runs in his last start; because it wasn't the ball-bashing affair that resulted in his first start that helped get him his current 8.68 ERA. Remembering that, perhaps Thompson will use the momentum only achieved by pitchers who log four strikeouts in a single inning to go for the gusto.
Bud Norris vs. Jerad Eickhoff
Not sure what Eickhoff is doing when he's forced to go through an opposing lineup for the third time, but whatever it is, it doesn't fool anyone. Eickhoff can cruise through the early innings, but that fifth or sixth frame rolls around (He's got a 12.71 sixth inning ERA) and he starts getting battered like a pitch thrown to Chase Utley at Citi Field.
Fresh out of Rancho Cucamonga with a rehab start, Bud Norris is ready to go in the finale. They made him wear a Dora the Explorer book bag down in the minors. Welcome back, Bud.
Editor's Note: FanDuel is SB Nation's exclusive daily fantasy partner. New players win cash in their first league or get their entry fee refunded! Offered in partnership with FanDuel. Here's the link.
Rise and Phight: 1/27/2023 It's a big weekend for Philadelphia


text:
Giving to UNB
Class Gifts
Faculty & Staff Giving
Create a Scholarship
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Recognition & Giving Circles
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Trust & Endowment
Opportunities Fund
Integrated Health Initiative
Projects by Faculty or Campus
The McKenna Institute
UNB Home
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Gifts-in-Kind Policies
Build a lasting legacy
Match your passions and dreams with the University of New Brunswick's plans for the future by making a named gift donation.
Create a legacy for yourself, a loved one, a colleague, your company or your organization.
A named gift donation is special. It requires a significant commitment and it provides significant rewards. By making a named gift you will be creating a long-lasting reminder of your commitment to the University for all to see and celebrate, now and in the future.
There are many naming opportunities to select from. Whatever option you choose, you will become an integral part of one of Canada's great public institutions.
Invest in students
Named Scholarships/Bursaries (minimum: $10,000 endowment) or Named Prizes/Awards (minimum: $5,000 endowment): Make a difference in the life of gifted and deserving students with a named academic award. You'll help the university attract top local, national and international students.
Named Annual Funds-Scholarships (minimum: $500) or Named Annual Funds-Prizes (minimum: $250): Named Annual Funds provide yearly support for a scholarship or prize. Donations will be distributed the same fiscal year the gift is provided. A multi-year commitment is required.
Invest in faculty
Named Departments, Centres & Institutes (minimum: $5 million endowment): Help an academic unit at UNB achieve a new level of excellence. Your gift will lead to new successes in research and teaching.
Named Chairs (Minimum: $2.5 million endowment): Named Professorships (minimum: $1 million endowment): Invest in exceptional scholars and researchers by creating an endowed chair or professorship. Help UNB attract and retain the best faculty.
Named Visiting Lecture Series (minimum: $100,000 endowment): Bring outstanding national and international scholars to the University to share their knowledge and experience.
Invest in places
New Buildings (minimum: $1 million): Create a living symbol of your commitment to excellence. Gifts begin at 30 per cent of the total cost of renovation or construction, or $1 million, whichever is greater.
Existing Buildings (minimum: variable): Help develop new teaching, research or student areas at the University. Gifts should have a significant impact on the programs resident in the existing building, or cover at least 50 per cent of renovations.
Other Architectural Features (minimum: variable): Make a unique gift to the University--a fountain, ornamental buildings, landscaping, trees, benches or other similar features. Gifts should cover the cost of the project and a maintenance fund.
Laboratories, Classrooms and Lounges (minimum: $50,000): Make a direct impact on research, teaching or student life by supporting a laboratory, classroom or student lounge.
Special opportunities: There are many other opportunities to help UNB. If you haven't seen one that appeals to you, then contact us. We'll listen to your ideas and try to make them a reality while working towards a stronger, more successful UNB.


Sony just announced their new addition to their X Headphone Line, the MDR-X05 headphones. The design is pretty stylish and lightweight, with red and grey colors. The headphones were created by Simon Cowell in collaboration with Sony Music Entertainment.
When Sony started this project, they wanted to create the best sounding headphones in the world, in other words they are trying a shot at the Monster Beats' throne. The MDR-X05 headphones are all about high-quality sound and portable design, but without a proper marketing campaign, it would be a real quest to "beat" Monster's headphones.
These X headphones were created using Sony Audio Engineering, a 40mm drivers and high acoustic seal. They will work great with every music player in the world, especially with Apple's products, because the X Headphones feature the 3-button control remote (the microphone, the track and volume controls). The 3-button control remote is also compatible with AndroidTM smartphones.


text:
Q: Issue with condition If with Ajax request I want to send to server with ajax two kind of information with two button inside a form, like this:
<form action="" method="post" onsubmit="return post2();">
 <div>
   <input type="submit" id="green" value="1">
   <input type="submit" id="red" value="3">
 </div>
</form>

Ajax part:
<script type="text/javascript">
    function post2() {
          var green = document.getElementById('green').value;
          var red = document.getElementById('red').value;
      if (green || red) {
            $.ajax ({
              type: 'post',
              url: 'server_action.php',
              data: {
                user_green:green,
                user_red:red
              }
            });
        }
          return false;
      }
</script>

But it fire once. Information sent is only green or only red, then it stop working. I would like to avoid creating two forms with two functions in ajax. Is possible switch from green to red and viceversa with the same form and function?


So, I'm missing Vienna, and thus have Billy Joel's "Vienna" and Matt Costa's "Vienna" songs stuck in my head simultaneously, plus my own musical plea that has for some reason not yet been published. I miss my cozy kitchen and my cat. I miss my Austrian family and lifestyle. I miss Austrian bathrooms – weird, but absolutely true. I even miss my crazy, animal-charades playing neighbors, which is really saying something. But I realize it can be beneficial to have a break and some time away from where you call home. Perspectives can be changed, horizons can be broadened, new ideas can be had. I've thought of aspects about our life in Vienna I hadn't before, specifically about how I would do life better this time around. Or rather, how I would just do life differently.
As I pondered this topic, Amanda, fellow expat blogger and Netherlands soccer supporter over at Expat Life With a Double Buggy did another link-up on this very subject in the form of an expat bucket list. Perfect timing!
When Will and I finally found a place to live in Vienna and I had a kitchen to call my own, I immediately learned how to make a Schnitzel, one of Vienna's most famous (and most delicious) dishes. I was so terribly excited about my homemade Schnitzel I think I asked Will a hundred times over dinner if he, A. liked it and B. thought it was better than all of the Schnitzels he had ever eaten in any restaurant. Kind of an unfair question, because he had to say yes, and he also wanted to actually eat his dinner, but I was over the moon about this very Austrian accomplishment. Then the honeymoon phase of moving to Vienna ended, and I kind of lost the excitement and desire to cook other Austrian dishes. Shame on me, I know. But I'm going to do better this time around, especially with baby Elliott on the way. If he's going to grow up learning two languages and two cultures, then he needs to experience two entirely different food styles as well. So when I get back, it's going to be Creation Station in my kitchen. Apfelstrüdel, Erdäpfelsalat… It's happening.
I have a bike. And Will has a bike. We rode them a lot last summer but I was always way behind him. When we were in college, he always rode back and forth to his classes as well as other places, so he picked up the ease of riding again instantaneously when he hopped on his bike in Vienna. He looks really cool when he rides because he looks like he knows what he's doing. I, on the other hand, have the same look on my face and hold my body the same way as when I ride on top of a horse. The horse, feeling my fear, wants me off his back as soon as possible and will do whatever it takes to make that come true. I think that's how my bike feels about me. I haven't wiped out yet, but my bike and I don't really have a great understanding of each other like everyone else around us, and I think my bike doesn't really want that understanding. But someday – someday! My bike and I will ride around Vienna with nothin' to it, and I'll be cool like my husband and the other cyclists.
He's so coordinated he can snap a picture AND ride a bike at the same time.
Will has been to two or three already and I've never really had the burning desire to go. I know there's a lot of standing involved, and honestly I just want to sit down. Can't we all stand up together when something exciting happens and stay seated the rest of the time? He's also gone when it's cold, and standing for 90 minutes in the Vienna cold sounds like it would not rate in my top 10 experiences. However, all of our friends love soccer, and I don't really know anything about it – not on their level anyway. I always get the teams confused which often results in an unintentional offense against someone's beloved team, and then I get lectured for the next several minutes as to why this team is the best and this team is the absolute worst – and so on and so forth. So I'd like to fix that and actually know what I'm talking about before I cheer for the wrong color around the wrong person again. And I've heard there's nothing like the atmosphere of a Fußball match and I'd like to see what that's like.
The only team I remember.
I'm not exactly sure how we haven't done this either. We both love Mozart and talk all the time about how we'd like to go for a date night. We've just never made it happen, probably because unfortunately, the concerts are fairly pricey. Also because we don't talk to the wandering Mozarts throughout the city. Beware the wandering Mozarts.
We don't own a car and don't really plan to… ever. But I do think I should know how to get around if we did end up getting a car, or if some kind of emergency came up and people were relying on me to drive. Most cars in Vienna are manual though and that worries me since I only know how to drive an automatic. Should be interesting.
I can't wait to do this. I've got my stroller, I'll have my baby, we'll have Vienna… It'll be so beautiful. I really want to pick a park that's our park and go there all the time and make friends. Maybe Elliott will make a tiny baby friend and then that baby's mom will become my friend and we'll have playdates and it'll be amazing! Not sure if that's how reality works, but, you never know. I'm just excited about park walks with my baby.
A Dirndl is a traditional Austrian dress. They're not worn in daily life (at least not in Vienna), but are often worn at parties and festivals. I'd like to try one on and maybe wear it for a day to an Austrian festival.
It's my dream. Simple as that.


doesn't involve costly equipment or a ton of time?
• Enjoy long range health?
Next, you need only match up your goal to one of these five programs.
term health or a combination of all of these.
Type of walk: Moderate; 45-60 minutes, daily.
Calories expended: 2,000-2,500 per week.
more quickly from physical exertion.
Calories expended: 800-1,000 calories per week.
Calories expended: 500-3,000 calories per week.
keeping them as close as possible to your trunk.
improve self-esteem and ad years to your life.
Type of Walk: Consistent walks; 30+ minutes, daily.
Calories expended 2,000 per week.
* Have it all! Mix up all four.
week for 30 weeks and is back to her thin self once again!
walking workout a positive experience, invest in proper footwear.


This article by NordicBAN's MD Claes Mikko Nilsen was published first on Slush News (16.11.2018).
Slush is one of the world's largest startup investor events, attended by over 1600 investors, of which 30% are business angels. Angels play an important role funding startups, but are hard to attract to startup conferences. Slush has been able to crack this and become one of the most important meeting points for business angels. How has this been done?
Business angels in the Nordics are typically individuals with a background as an entrepreneur or corporate manager. The median investment* per angel is 20.000€, group investment 200.000€ and the acquired stake 2% per angel. Only 20% of the visible angels are full-time investors, and the rest invest more part-time or as a hobby. This majority usually invests when a friend asks to join a co-investment and don't necessary actively look for investments themselves. Startups often face the situation that they are competing against the spare time of an individual, who has readiness to make startup investments, but also has; grandkids, hobbies, and so on. These individuals don't have to make startup investments and especially not pay expensive tickets to attend startup conferences where they are bombarded by new (big risk) investment opportunities.
It is still hugely important to inspire these individuals to attend startup events and channel their skills, networks and capital to support startup growth goals. And this is something Slush has succeeded with, as almost 500 angel investors purchased their investor ticket to attend the 1+ 2 day startup conference.
Below why Slush is so valuable for angels.
This might come as a surprise, but for the majority of business angels finding new investment opportunities is not the main reason to attend Slush, or any other startup conferences. Typically conferences are attended by more experienced angels that have a larger startup portfolio, and in their main interest is to meet "next level" investors, who might become potential new co-investors, even exit channels.
Therefore Investor Day is perfect for this. Those with investors tickets meet up the day before the main conference. This is especially important for the international investors (70% non-locals!), which want to meet local investors and discuss the latest startup updates and receive the last minute tips about which startups to meet.
Slush Investor Day will have very little main stage presentations, so that investors can focus on what's most important, which is networking. The matchmaking platform allows investors to book 1-on-1 investor meetings in advance to optimize the amount of new connections.
Investor Day also educates investors about the latest startup investing best practices in industry focused workshops. Investors can also apply to join round-tables, which mixes different level investors and is hosted by an expert.
As you can note, Investor day plays an important role and fits the need for many angels seeking new co-investors and exit channels. When a relation has been made, there is a good chance international investors can be introduced in more detail to an angel's startup portfolio. Many of the investors have never seen a main-stage keynote as they use all they time in the meeting area matching with as many of the +2600 startups attending. Slush has built their matchmaking platform themselves, which is today one of the best in the world allowing filtering and to book meetings.
Matchmaking platform: Filter startups and investors according to industry, location, names, etc.
All the side events: One of the main things at Slush. The goal is to attend as many interesting (read private) side events. Public side events listed here www.slush.org/event and as an example, FiBAN's Investor Sauna.
How to get the best out of Slush as an angel?
Slush understands the need special interest for angels and the higher barrier to purchase the ticket. Therefore Slush has a separate price for angel ticket (595€) compare to the normal "Investor" ticket 795€, still including the same benefits. The most valuable change this year done by Slush is that all the Investor tickets are cheaper than the "Other attendees" ticket (€895). This is a very important symbolic change and sends a very positive signal that Slush focuses primarily on matching startups and investors.
Register early and update your profile: Of course you do, but as a reminder, visible investors will receive invitations to private events already a few weeks before.
Book investor-to-investor meetings for Investor Day: To make sure you meet all the next-level investors (international), you need to book them for private 1-on-1 meetings. You don't want to mingle with just friends you already know.
Response to the startup meeting requests: Your matchmaking platform will be filled with meeting request, please give a quit no if you can't make it. Startup need to book their calendars!
Scan through all the side events: There is no use of showing up unprepared.
Physical evidence: Investors still do visit cards so why don't you pimp yours and bring them along.
And one more thing: Leave some space for random meetings.
Please register your Slush angel ticket here. As soon as your profile has been approved, you will be able to update your profile and pay the ticket. You can also find our summary about the activity of visible Nordic angel networks here. See you at Investor Day! Read Claes' thoughts on what was cooking in the Nordic angel ecosystem last year here.
Claes Mikko is an angel network expert who has has been part of developing Slush's Investor Day. He is the Managing Director of Nordic Business Angel Network and previously co-founded and built the Finnish national angel network FiBAN. He is part of the Rising North's Steering Board and listed as one of the Nordic100 tech scene influencers.


Gulf Fluor is an Abu Dhabi based chemical manufacturing company determined to meet the growing demand for Aluminium Fluoride in the Arabian Gulf, and covering part of the import requirements of the neighboring regions. Since its establishment in 2008, and after following a thorough analysis confirming the technical and economic viability of the project, Gulf Fluor has announced the construction of a fluoride complex in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi. With an investment of over 1.5 billion UAE Dirhams, Gulf Fluor has built a state of the art facility that meets world standards in design, safety, optimization and environment.
Along with the efforts of H.E. Hamad Al-Khaili to materialize the vision of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed to support and expand the downstream and upstream industries in the UAE, Gulf Fluor began its commercial production of Aluminium Fluoride by the fourth quarter of 2014.
Contributing to the economy and well-being of UAE, Gulf Fluor has met all the requirements for its operations and has set up strategic partnerships with leading European technology companies that provide the company with the most advanced, cutting edge solutions for Aluminium Fluoride, Hydrogen Fluoride and Sulphuric Acid plants.
The Gulf Fluor Industrial complex consist of a Sulphuric Acid plant with a production capacity of 140,000 MT (metric tons) per year, Hydrogen Fluoride plant with a capacity of 54,000 MT (metric tons) per year, and Aluminium Fluoride plant with an annual capacity of 60,000 MT (metric tons), in addition to a waste water treatment plant.
The Aluminium Fluoride plant is the only plant of its kind in the Middle East region and it is considered one of the largest Aluminium Fluoride in the world and the largest single unit plant.
With its proximity to some of the world's largest aluminium producers, this industrial complex is located in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi ( ICAD II), just 30 Km from the heart of Abu Dhabi. The Industrial City of Abu Dhabi homes many light to medium manufacturing, engineering, and processing industries, and covers 11 Sq. Km with marine access and provides Gulf Fluor with a variety of convenient services, all contributing to our competitive advantage in the region.
In addition to having its own jetty, Gulf Fluor will soon be able to service its clients all over the world due to its globally centralized location.


text:
layout: post
title: Library Hours for Thanksgiving Break
categories:
- Serendipity
tags:
- hours
- Snell Library
- thanksgiving break
status: publish
type: post
published: true
meta:
  _edit_last: '1'
---
Snell Library has special hours over Thanksgiving break. Please note the changes in the Library's regular schedule due to the holiday.

Wednesday, November 23rd: 7:45am – 5pm

Thursday, November 24th - Saturday, November 26th: CLOSED

Sunday, November 27th: 12pm – 12am

Regular 24/7 Library hours will resume Monday, November 28th.

Thank you for cooperating with the Library's scheduling changes.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


"The official Facebook page for singer Sabriel. mgmt@sabrielmusic.com"
Las Vegas born singer and songwriter Sabriel began her creative career at an early age as a dancer, which led her to the nationally acclaimed Las Vegas Academy for performing arts. From that point on, the transition from movement to music came easily as she grew to love connecting with others through art. Since birth, her parent's love for artists such as Prince, Stevie Wonder, D'angelo and Erykah Badu resonated with her, especially as she began to experiment with writing lyrics and melodies. Musical influences from the past mixed with a craving for discovering artists that would send her on emotional journeys helped her find her own voice.In 2011, at age 16, the decision to solely go forward with music was made. With a little help from her friends, she co-wrote and recorded her first EP. Following that, she found herself in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas in the middle of its rebirth, singing at local coffee shops, bars and the world famous breakfast joint, Eat. The local community embraced her, leading to 2 consecutive spots at Life Is Beautiful Festival with acts including Kanye West, Outkast and The Roots. Her set continuously drew hundreds, swelling as the set went on to thousands. As her career progressed, she found herself opening for artists such as Sheryl Crow and Mayor Hawthorne and traveling to Austin to perform during SXSW. In 2015, she focused on songwriting, working on projects for television and motion pictures, followed by a year of writing, producing and recording her self-titled, phonetically spelled EP, shä brē el, released in August of 2016. She hopes to not only connect with audiences sonically, but also visually with self-made stage design in her upcoming performances.


text:
Avionics and Aviation Support
Communications and Networks
Power and Propulsion
Surveillance, Reconnaissance and EOIR
Sustainment, Logistics and Advanced Services
Naval Power Systems - Danbury, CT
Naval Electronics - Laurel Technologies - Washington Navy Yard, DC
Naval Electronics - Laurel Technologies - Germantown, MD
Naval Electronics - Laurel Technologies - Johnstown, PA
Naval Electronics - Laurel Technologies - Largo, FL
Naval Electronics - Laurel Technologies - Chesapeake, VA
Naval Power Systems - Marlo Heat Transfer Solutions - High Ridge, MO
Naval Electronics - Pivotal Power - Bedford, Nova Scotia
Naval Power Systems - Milwaukee, WI
Naval Power Systems - Fitchburg, MA
Land Systems - St Louis, MO
Land Systems - West Plains, MO
Global Enterprise Solutions - Polson, MT
DRS Technologies Canada- Ottawa, Ontario
Naval Electronics - Laurel Technologies - Twin Cities, MN
Naval Electronics - Laurel Technologies - San Diego, CA
Airborne & Intelligence Systems- Fort Walton Beach
DRS to Supply Sensors for Japanese Next-Generation Weather Satellites
ARLINGTON, VA, February 11, 2015 -- DRS Technologies, Inc., a Finmeccanica Company, announced today that it provided multiple sensors on two of the latest Japan Meteorological Agency's next-generation weather satellites. Both satellites, referred to as Himawari-8 and Himawari-9, were built by the Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.
More about the contract
DRS has thirty-two sensors in each satellite, ranging from the visible band (470nm) to the long-wave infrared band (13.3um), giving the systems the ability to make observations with greater frequency and in more spectral bands than the satellites they were designed to replace.
"DRS is pleased to be a part of this amazing advance in weather forecasting technology," said Sally Wallace, president of DRS Technologies' C4ISR business group. "Our Cypress, California team is a world leader in the development of sensor technologies which are employed with multiple uses around the globe," she continued.
The Himawari-8, which was recently launched, and Himawari-9, scheduled to launch in 2016, will observe weather conditions from geostationary orbit at 140 degrees east longitude. The satellites will provide unprecedented precision in monitoring clouds and other weather conditions, along with volcanic ash and atmospheric aerosols, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency website.
About DRS Technologies
DRS Technologies is a leading supplier of integrated products, services and support to military forces, intelligence agencies and prime contractors worldwide and is a two-time recipient of the Defense Security Service Award for Excellence in Counterintelligence as well as three James S. Cogswell Awards for Outstanding Industrial Security Achievement. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica SpA, which employs approximately 70,000 people worldwide.
Learn more about DRS
Michael Mount
Senior Director, Public Affairs
mmount@drs.com
More Leonardo DRS Press
$89 Million Army Contract for Continued Production of Infrared Weapon Sights
Supplying Advanced Thermal Imagery Technology for Remote Combat Vehicle Weapon Stations
$67 Million U.S. Army Contract Awarded for Second-Generation Infrared Sights for Combat Vehicles
Up to $800 Million in Defense Contracts Awarded for Ground Combat EO/IR Systems
Advanced Sensors to be Provided for Interim U.S. Army Aircraft Missile Warning System
Leonardocompany.com
User Agreement/Disclaimers
©2020 Leonardo DRS


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WYBA High School Rec League Power Rankings Week 2
If you want to see last week's rankings, click here.
1. Nets (3-0, last ranking: #1)-
The Croak-and-Murray coaching combo is paying off so far this season, winning both games this weekend against the Sonics and Rockets by large margins. Star players Jimmy Smith Jr. and Colin Murray continue to play well, and the young rookies like Nate Porack and Joe Smith continue to excel. This weekend the Nets take on the Nuggets (1-2) and the Wizards (3-0).
2. 76ers (3-0, last ranking: #4)-
Pete Mirabile's 76ers surprised many around the League, winning both games last weekend against the Magic and the Lakers. Led by David Driscoll and Jack Lavanchy, the 76ers have proven themselves worthy of recognition at this point. Lets see if the Sixers can continue their success when they face off against the Knicks (1-2) and the Celtics (1-2).
3. Wizards (3-0, last ranking: #5)-
After defeating the Nuggets and the Knicks, the Wizards improved to 3-0. Led by studs Drew Stanton and Zack Rogers, the undefeated Wizards have shown that they are more than capable of dominating the competition. They have a challenge ahead of them this weekend; however, when they take on the Celtics (1-2) and the Nets (3-0).
4. Lakers (1-2, last ranking: #2)-
The Lakers took a bit of a stumble this weekend, despite the efforts of Mike Rando, possibly the best player in the league. The Lakers dropped both games this weekend to the Celtics and the 76ers. One might make the case that Sunday's loss to the 76ers should not count against them, seeing as they only had four players; however, this can be seen as a lack of commitment by some. Their next games are against the Spurs (2-1) and the Sonics (1-2).
5. Spurs (2-1, last ranking: #10)-
The only team in the league with a 2-1 record, the Spurs had a total turnaround this weekend, winning both their games against the Mavericks and the Magic. The major reason for the rebound would have to be Mike Cabral, who after a dismal showing the first weekend, scored the majority of his team's points this past weekend. They play the Lakers (1-2) and the Knicks (1-2) this weekend.
6. Magic (1-2, last ranking: #3)-
The Magic stumbled a bit this weekend, losing to the 76ers and the Spurs. However, this team has some talent on the roster, namely Aidan Lancaster, who can dominate on both offense and defense. Despite the talent, the Magic struggled on the boards last weekend, struggling to grab rebounds on both sides of the court. Maybe a change of fortune is in store for the Magic when they take on the Sonics (1-2) and the Rockets (1-2) this weekend.
7. Knicks (1-2, last ranking: #9)-
Tom "The Dark Knight" Demarais and the rest of the Knicks split their games this weekend, winning against the Celtics and losing to the Wizards. Coach Greg Zanello's Knicks have some potential this year, they just have to find some consistency in their game, and Demarais' supporting cast needs to contribute just a little bit more. They have their work cut out for them this weekend: their next two games are against the 76ers (3-0) and the Spurs (2-1).
8. Celtics (1-2, last ranking: #8)-
The C's were another team this weekend that split their games, beating the Lakers and losing to the Knicks. Star players Robbie Alessandro and Steve Kelliher played well, and they improve every game. Just a little more consistent play from the bench and some stingier defense, and this team will improve even more. Their work will be cut out for them though, their next two games this weekend are against the Wizards (3-0) and the 76ers (3-0).
9. Sonics (1-2, last ranking: #6)-
Despite picking up a dominant force in Chris Collins, the Sonics did not impress last weekend, losing to the Nets and winning by way of forfeit over the Mavericks. High hopes were set for Carl Plaut's Sonics after this pickup, and they have yet to prove themselves. That being said, all they have to do is figure out some team chemistry and they should be set. Plaut's Sonics go up against the Magic (1-2) and the Lakers (1-2) this weekend.
10. Rockets (1-2, last ranking: #10)-
Another of the many teams to split games last weekend, beating the Nuggets and losing to the Nets. Standout player Brendan Donovan carries the load for the Rockets; yet, if this team wants to thrive, he will need some help from his teammates. Head coach James Connell's Rockets play the Mavericks (0-3) and the Magic (1-2) this weekend.
11. Nuggets (1-2, last ranking: #7)-
The Nuggets certainly disappointed this weekend, losing both their games to the Rockets and the Wizards. The major problem with this team would be the lack of a superstar on the roster. Despite having several decent players, the Nuggets have no major stars to turn to to carry them through tough stretches. Maybe they can turn it around when they take on the Nets (3-0) and the Mavericks (0-3) this weekend.
12. Mavericks (0-3, last ranking: #12)-
This team is struggling mightily so far this year, losing to the Spurs and the Sonics (by forfeit) last weekend. The worst part about this team is the lack of commitment, no even being able to field a team last Sunday. Maybe standouts Matt Cotter and Chris Bender can turn it around this weekend when they go up against the Rockets (1-2) and the Nuggets (1-2).
WYBA


How can United Nations peace missions be strengthened? Over 100 states are discussing that very question in New York.
Representatives of over 100 states are meeting in New York today to discuss how peace missions can be strengthened, both with the necessary resources and through political support. Gaps in the training peacekeepers receive are to be closed, and the proportion of women in peace missions is to be increased. Around 60 states are sending ministers to the meeting, the fifth in this format.For Foreign Minister Heiko Maas it is an important event: after all, crisis prevention and peacebuilding are key focuses of Germany's Security Council membership.
They provide support when peace agreements are concluded, protect the civilian population, ensure humanitarian access and help with the development of rule-of-law institutions: more than 100,000 peacekeepers from 123 countries are working in 14 peace missions around the world, all under the auspices of the United Nations.
UN peace missions are vital instruments for stabilising countries in conflict situations and creating enduring conditions for peace and security. Germany is one of the largest contributors to the United Nations and also provides personnel for peace missions. German police officers and soldiers are currently involved in nine of the 14 missions worldwide.
In the afternoon, the Security Council will be discussing the situation in Mali and the future of the UN MINUSMA mission. The aim is to work with the Government and armed forces of Mali to further improve the situation in the country.
The Foreign Minister's trip is important for another reason, too: France, Germany's close partner, has held the presidency of the UN Security Council in March, so this peacekeeping conference is taking place in the final phase of the French presidency. Germany will take over the presidency at the beginning of April.
The two countries coordinated closely to fix the priorities for their presidencies in successive months. This is a project which breathes life into the Treaty of Aachen and the strong Franco-German friendship at international level, too. Working together like this, the two countries want to contribute to peace and security.