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Service learning is a method of teaching where students apply their academic skills and knowledge to address real-life needs in their own communities. Service learning is a pedagogical strategy that facilitates a student's growth in academics, social maturity, critical thinking, and communication, collaboration, and leadership skills. This educational opportunity possesses enormous potential to move higher education in the direction of civic involvement by taking the classroom into the community. Student experienced stronger positive effects on critical thinking, degree plans, sense of control over their own academic success, and preference for higher-order cognitive tasks

This research study was conducted on the prevailing learners’ perceptions and preferences towards Blended Learning in Higher Education. This was a case study involving one private University in Kenya. The purpose of the study was to assess the learners’ perspectives of Blended Learning, identify their experiences and make recommendations for improvement of program design and delivery. The study design adopted a mixed research approach and was situated within Garrison (2008) theoretical framework of Community of Inquiry (CoL). The research addressed the following research objectives: What are the reasons for choosing the Blended Learning program? What are the learners’ perceptions towards the quality of preparation and delivery of blended learning programs? How do learners compare the Blended Learning and traditional classroom learning? What are the suggestions for the future development of Blended Learning? Participants were drawn from cohorts of learners enrolled at different stages of study in the Blended Learning program at the University. A purposive sampling technique was used to identify participants. The participants responded to questionnaire that was emailed to them by their course instructors. The completed questionnaires were subsequently emailed back to the researcher. Analysis of data was done using descriptive and inferential statistics. Pearson-Product moment correlation coefficient was used to describe relationships between variables. The findings from the study indicate that when there is greater social and teaching presence, learner’s satisfaction increases. Provision of support in terms of teaching presence and instructional resources needs to be enhanced. Facilitators of Blended Learning courses have to be more proactive and initiate frequent online discussions to enrich their courses.

The decision to spend on Research and Development (R&D) is very crucial for the growth of any firm. This study explores the determinants of R&D intensities in selected Indian firms that spend on R&D activities. The impact of business house affiliation on R&D activities is also taken as a crucial factor determining R&D activities. The study found that R&D behavior for the period 2003-2009 is different from the year 2010. The year 2010 being the recovery year there has been significant rise in R&D spending among the selected firms. As there are some interrelated variables in the model, the simultaneity in the models is verified with Hausman tests and then two-stage least square method is applied for the empirical estimation and analysis. Outward orientation, profitability, imports of capital goods, advertisement etc. turned out to be important determinants of R&D intensity. Business group affiliation as such has a negative role in R&D intensity except for top-50 business houses in certain year.

The inhibition efficiency of coffee husk extract and extract of Ziziphusspina Christi on the corrosion of aluminum in 0.5 M NaOH solutions was investigated using weight loss method at 25 and 45°C. Surface was examined using energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Experimental investigations showed that coffee husk extract and Ziziphusspina Christi extract reduce the corrosion of aluminum in 0.5M NaOH solutions. The inhibition mechanism was deduced from the temperature dependence of the inhibition efficiency as well as from activation parameters that govern the process. The adsorption of two extracts on the aluminum surface was found to obey Langmuir, Temkin and thermodynamic/kinetic model of adsorption isotherms. The obtained results are consistent with physisorption adsorption.

Abstract Cost efficiency is important as far as the performance of an organisation is concerned. Cost efficiency helps an organisation to maximise output from a given set of inputs and use these inputs in optimal proportions. Consequently, there will be an increase in return on assets and equity and hence profitability of the organisation. However, cost efficiency seems to be low in many primary schools in Uganda. Some schools have suffered insolvency, while others have stagnated, been sold and collapsed. This paper derived from a PhD proposal suggests a framework for studying factors relating to cost efficiency in private primary schools. The study presents the introduction, theories, the statement of the problem, objectives, significance, conceptual framework, related literature and the corresponding hypotheses to be tested. It also suggests the methodology that will be used by the study. The PhD monograph and future articles that will be generated from the proposed study will provide the findings, conclusions and recommendations.

Cloud computing enables highly scalable services to be easily consumed over the Internet on an as-needed basis. A major feature of the cloud services is that user’s data are usually processed remotely in unknown machines that user’s do not own or operate. While enjoying the convenience brought by this new emerging technology, user’s fears of losing control of their own data (particularly, financial and health data) can become a significant barrier to the wide adoption of cloud services. To address this problem, a highly decentralized information accountability framework is proposed to keep track of the actual usage of the user’s data in the cloud. In particular, an object-centered approach that enables enclosing the logging mechanism together with user’s data and policies. The JAR programmable capabilities are leveraged to both create a dynamic and traveling object, and to ensure that any access to user’s data will trigger authentication and automated logging that is local to the JARs. To strengthen user’s control, a distributed auditing mechanism is proposed to be implemented.

Indus-1 is a 450 MeV, synchrotron radiation source in India. Visible light from wide synchrotron radiation spectrum is focused by visible diagnostic beamline for the study of electron beam parameters. The longitudinal profile of electrons is captured (images) and measured by the indigenously developed streak camera system. Image processing software is developed for measurement of bunch length and bunch centroid position of electron beam (visible part). In this paper the algorithm for development of image processing software is discussed and results obtained after measurement under different light condition and with changing background during the natural decay of beam current are discussed.

The purpose of this study is to explore the importance of Kalabagh dam in the perspective of Pakistan. In addition, the study observes different views of the residents which cover all four provinces of Pakistan namely, Sindh, Punjab, Khyber PukhtoonKhawa (KPK) and Baluchistan. The importance of Kalabagh dam in Pakistan is related with electricity generation capacity which will meet the country’s power requirement. There has some reservation regarding construction of the dam. Sindh province objects that their share of the Indus water will be curtailed as water from the Kalabagh will go to irrigate farmlands in Punjab and Khyber PukhtoonKhawa at their cost. KPK province of Pakistan has concerns that large areas of Nowshera (district of KPK) would be submerged by the dam and even wider areas would suffer from water-logging and salinity. Further, as the water will be stored in Kalabagh dam as proposed Government of Pakistan, it will give water level rise to the city that is about 200 km away from the proposed location. Baluchistan is not directly affected by the dam as such, however, most nationalist Balochis claim the dam an instance of Punjab lording it over the smaller provinces. They have however, not included the dam in any of their state. Punjab needs more water to keep up with the growing population and industrial demands on its agriculture, therefore, the dam at Kalabagh would also supply cheap hydro-electric power to the whole country. The results of the study are of value to both academics and policy makers.

We are very happy to announce that from 29tht April 2017, Dr. Wassila Issaadi has joined the team of Elixir Editorial Advisory Board. He/She will carry a special responsibility for dealing with manuscripts based on Electronics and Communication Engineering. The appointment of Dr. Wassila Issaadi as member Editorial Advisory Board strengthens the links and will make it easier for prospective authors to establish contact with the journal.