Syed Ali Tarek | University of Oxford (original) (raw)
Papers by Syed Ali Tarek
Creative Education, 2023
Overview: As student-centred pedagogical methods have increasingly gained attention in recent yea... more Overview: As student-centred pedagogical methods have increasingly gained attention in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of flexible and online delivery modes, making the investigation of the flipped classroom approach in business education timely and relevant. The present study represents a systematic review of the impact of flipped classes on the effectiveness of business education, with a focus on the perspectives of learners. The primary objective of this systematic review is to assess the use of the flipped classroom model in business education and evaluate its associated pedagogical outcomes. By examining the experiences and opinions of business learners in this regard, this study aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse surrounding the effectiveness of student-centred teaching approaches in enhancing engagement, motivation, and academic performance in business education. Review Methods: After screening for inclusion/exclusion criteria, each paper was evaluated using a critical appraisal tool. Data extraction and analysis were completed on all included studies. Results: This systematic review screened 43 titles and abstracts, resulting in eight included studies. The themes identified were academic performance outcomes, simulation as part of the flipped class method, formative and summative, engagement and student satisfaction implementing the flipped classroom. All authors critically appraised the quality of the included studies. Conclusions: Using the flipped classroom in higher education business programmes yielded positive academic outcomes yet resulted in some challenges. Flipped classroom approach holds significant potential to transform business education by providing a student-centred approach that better prepares students to apply their learning in practice. Moreover, the efficacy of the flipped classroom approaches in promoting academic performance. Students' engagement in the flipped classroom model was achieved when academics informed and rationalized the purpose of the flipped classroom model to students. However, no studies in this review identified how to sustain this engagement over the course of a se
In today’s world, education is a basic human right and it is desired that every human being regar... more In today’s world, education is a basic human right and it is desired that every human being regardless of his or her personal and societal circumstances should get a fair chance to get access to education. ‘Inclusive education’ as a concept exists since the mid 19th century which was later translated into various international policy frameworks. Often these international policies had a push impact towards national policy agendas. Majority of the nations that adopted those international policies were hardly successful in achieving ‘inclusive’ learning practices, as because, ‘inclusivity’ has various wider (local) aspects which needs to be considered. A chronological review of relevant international policies and Bangladesh government’s policies is presented in the early segments and then shortfalls of current notions of inclusivity is explored in this paper. A brief overview is given based on the author’s experience of running a tablet based disaster preparedness training in Banglades...
Procedia Economics and Finance, 2014
In this paper I explore how content and interface can be inclusively designed for a tablet device... more In this paper I explore how content and interface can be inclusively designed for a tablet device to deliver disaster preparedness training in a developing country (Bangladesh), where the population is technologically disadvantaged and have widespread literacy issues. Content design for this country has other important aspects such as cultural and linguistic factors, which needs to be considered. This paper presents insights gathered during the content development and deployment phases in the pilot study and a subsequent iteration. This paper argues that disaster preparedness content can be custom-made for a tablet device for a particular locality, allowing technologically disadvantaged users to raise their overall awareness and decision-making ability during a disaster event.
Procedia Economics and Finance, 2014
Technology has shaped education practices in many ways. The computer, the internet, Smartphone an... more Technology has shaped education practices in many ways. The computer, the internet, Smartphone and tablet devices have a great impact on learning and teaching practices. Technology assisted learning has the power to deliver cost effective useful learning experiences to technologically deprived developing or the least developed countries. There have been several projects (OLPC, OTPC, iRead1&2-Ghana) involving technology assisted learning which have indicated brighter prospects of such deployments. However, the use of technology assisted learning to educate people (not necessarily only children) on challenging issues like livelihood, finances, healthcare and disaster preparedness is still under explored in the developing countries. This paper will explore the possibility of using tablet based e-learning in remote locations to provide disaster preparedness training to the mass and will share lessons learned from a pilot study carried out in the rural South West location in Bangladesh. Focus of the paper will be on how the training has used non-formal and informal education to make local people educated and better aware of basic disaster preparedness issues that are often overlooked, such as creating emergency plan, making emergency kit and first aid. This paper will add significant value to existing knowledge by adding field experience of using tablet device in disaster preparedness training and suggesting a place for such training within non-formal and informal educational setting.
This research aimed to explore the ways in which a technological artefact can assist in creating ... more This research aimed to explore the ways in which a technological artefact can assist in creating an inclusive learning environment to provide localised disaster preparedness training for predominantly technologically disadvantaged rural people of Bangladesh, one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. The research was complex and required a multidisciplinary approach. Content selection and interface design in the medium chosen for dissemination was a significant part of the research process, as was conducting the field research to understand how the content could be disseminated among the participants in the chosen locations to improve their disaster awareness. ‘Rapid ethnography' and ‘Participatory action research' were the key research strategies that were used in the fieldwork and interview and observation methods were used to collect the data. A design log, a content specification and two sources of feedback from expert and general user evaluators were used to...
Small-scale Individual Enterprises and Micro Financed Businesses are seen as potential solution t... more Small-scale Individual Enterprises and Micro Financed Businesses are seen as potential solution to eradicate poverty. With philanthropic approach meeting business investment by means of micro financing to empower budging entrepreneurs who lack significant sources of financial assistance it is of great importance to figure out the factors that derives a small business to a thriving business. SIE/MFBs possess different characteristics than the traditional business or even SME. This study looks into this gap of literature and tries to find out additional factors that plays vital role in gaining sustained growth of these SIE/MFB.
With an ultimate urge to eradicate poverty from the third world nations the idea of micro-credit ... more With an ultimate urge to eradicate poverty from the third world nations the idea of micro-credit took birth. In the UK where estimated 3.5m people do not have a bank account or access to credit makes a royal ground for micro credit to play its part to deliver credit to this credit unworthy people to change them forever. Not so widely practiced micro credit is not new in Western world. In the UK the social welfare based system and the traditional credit system often creates a barrier between an entrepreneur and an entrepreneur to be. This paper seeks the view of the Micro credit and its related services status in the UK as per year 2010. A root level questionnaire based survey was conducted and the data was analyzed to comment on the current status and suitable recommendations to overcome the barriers are presented.
Virtual reality (VR) has evolved over the past decade, and as this evolution continues, scope and... more Virtual reality (VR) has evolved over the past decade, and as this evolution continues, scope and significance of using VR in various educational settings are worth exploring. With the availability of low-cost Google Cardboard VR tool and emergence of affordable smartphones, the possibility of creating a participant-centric virtual reality learning environment even in developing countries is not unthinkable. However, there remains a void in the adaptation of the VR based tools in the developing countries. As of today, no initiatives are taken to create a learning setting which would allow less literate and illiterate people to overcome some of the evident curses of illiteracy through planned elevated use of other senses such as vision and sound.
To contribute to this identified void, the author conducted two iterations of small-scale fieldwork where VR based technology was used alongside the author’s existing ‘Training in a Tab' project. In this project, a tablet device based disaster preparedness training was provided to the technologically disadvantaged, predominantly less literate and illiterate group of people. In 2016, a pilot study was conducted at Uthali Village located in the Manikganj district, Dhaka division, Bangladesh followed by a post-pilot scaling study in 2017, conducted in the Teknaf Subdistrict, Chittagong division, Bangladesh.
Findings from the fieldwork suggest VR based system can be compatible with the existing practices and it is possible to use the VR based system to enhance the learning process in a social setting. From a pioneering initiative to integrate VR within a less literate population, this paper contains a brief record of the use of VR in disaster preparedness settings, sets out the rationale for using this in the developing countries, provides an introduction to possible methods that can be used in the fieldwork. The early findings of both studies affirm VR based system’s possibility in stimulating ‘disruptive learning' among the targeted less literate population which can lead towards long-term change in the participants' perspectives on disaster awareness and can make them further interested in learning more about disaster preparedness. Despite the concerns with localised content creation, the findings will be able to guide future researchers who might want to create VR based training for a similar population.
Why 'one size fits all' concept and policies of inclusive education is insufficient to achieve 't... more Why 'one size fits all' concept and policies of inclusive education is insufficient to achieve 'true' inclusivity in a national context. Insight from a tablet based disaster preparedness training programme administered in Bangladesh. Abstract In today's world, education is a basic human right and it is desired that every human being regardless of his or her personal and societal circumstances should get a fair chance to get access to education. 'Inclusive education' as a concept exists since the mid 19th century which was later translated into various international policy frameworks. Often these international policies had a push impact towards national policy agendas. Majority of the nations that adopted those international policies were hardly successful in achieving 'inclusive' learning practices, as because, 'inclusivity' has various wider (local) aspects which needs to be considered. A chronological review of relevant international policies and Bangladesh government's policies is presented in the early segments and then shortfalls of current notions of inclusivity is explored in this paper. A brief overview is given based on the author's experience of running a tablet based disaster preparedness training in Bangladesh over three years' period, that used networked learning concepts to promote 'inclusivity'. This paper also explores, how the training programme needed to broaden its perspectives to accommodate inclusivity. It was found during the training that the current notion and understanding of the term relates to only a fragment of the people to which inclusivity should be aimed. Adult learners are in a disadvantageous position as the national policies hardly mention their needs. Within a group of policies aimed to serve (special) children in education, practitioners are ill informed to support adult learners' in formal, informal and non-formal education sector. Reports on outcome of the alternate education systems consisting of private education and NGO led training in Bangladesh noted that there is a high level of drop outs those who attend any form of training. Majority of the participants lack awareness and urges to learn about something new. Due to monotonous delivery standards the participants are disengaged quickly with the feeling that they have no voice in their learning experience. The participants crave for a system which would acknowledge and value their experience and bridge those experiences to construct something more useful. The disaster preparedness training thus had to adapt to these less explored inclusivity issues to ensure, there is a true wider 'inclusive' participation. This paper reinforces that, there is a need to understand the varied needs of the adult learners to ensure they are well integrated in any format of the education system, especially where cooperative learning takes place. Keywords Inclusive education policy, tablet based disaster preparedness training, tablet based networked learning Inclusive education and international policies Inclusive education can be expressed as a way of reducing barriers to participate in learning in any educational setting. These barriers can be extrinsic or intrinsic in nature. Inclusive education has been defined by academics, international organisations, countries and NGOs from various points of views and there is no single definition that suffices as a comprehensive universal definition. This makes the implementation strategies of the inclusive
In this paper I explore how content and interface can be inclusively designed for a tablet device... more In this paper I explore how content and interface can be inclusively designed for a tablet device to deliver disaster
preparedness training in a developing country (Bangladesh), where the population is technologically disadvantaged
and have widespread literacy issues. Content design for this country has other important aspects such as cultural and
linguistic factors, which needs to be considered. This paper presents insights gathered during the content
development and deployment phases in the pilot study and a subsequent iteration. This paper argues that disaster
preparedness content can be custom-made for a tablet device for a particular locality, allowing technologically
disadvantaged users to raise their overall awareness and decision-making ability during a disaster event.
Technology has shaped education practices in many ways. The computer, the internet, Smartphone an... more Technology has shaped education practices in many ways. The computer, the internet, Smartphone and tablet devices have a great impact on learning and teaching practices. Technology assisted learning has the power to deliver cost effective useful learning experiences to technologically deprived developing or the least developed countries. There have been several projects (OLPC, OTPC, iRead1&2-Ghana) involving technology assisted learning which have indicated brighter prospects of such deployments. However, the use of technology assisted learning to educate people (not necessarily only children) on challenging issues like livelihood, finances, healthcare and disaster preparedness is still under explored in the developing countries. This paper will explore the possibility of using tablet based e-learning in remote locations to provide disaster preparedness training to the mass and will share lessons learned from a pilot study carried out in the rural South West location in Bangladesh. Focus of the paper will be on how the training has used non-formal and informal education to make local people educated and better aware of basic disaster preparedness issues that are often overlooked, such as creating emergency plan, making emergency kit and first aid. This paper will add significant value to existing knowledge by adding field experience of using tablet device in disaster preparedness training and suggesting a place for such training within non-formal and informal educational setting.
Small-scale Individual Enterprises and Micro Financed Businesses are seen as potential solution t... more Small-scale Individual Enterprises and Micro Financed Businesses are seen as potential solution to eradicate poverty. With philanthropic approach meeting business investment by means of micro financing to empower budging entrepreneurs who lack significant sources of financial assistance it is of great importance to figure out the factors that derives a small business to a thriving business. SIE/MFBs possess different characteristics than the traditional business or even SME. This study looks into this gap of literature and tries to find out additional factors that plays vital role in gaining sustained growth of these SIE/MFB.
With an ultimate urge to eradicate poverty from the third world nations the idea of micro-credit ... more With an ultimate urge to eradicate poverty from the third world nations the idea of micro-credit took birth. In the UK where estimated 3.5m people do not have a bank account or access to credit makes a royal ground for micro credit to play its part to deliver credit to this credit unworthy people to change them forever. Not so widely practiced micro credit is not new in Western world. In the UK the social welfare based system and the traditional credit system often creates a barrier between an entrepreneur and an entrepreneur to be. This paper seeks the view of the Micro credit and its related services status in the UK as per year 2010. A root level questionnaire based survey was conducted and the data was analyzed to comment on the current status and suitable recommendations to overcome the barriers are presented.
Voice over IP – the transmission of voice over packet-switched IP networks – is one of the most i... more Voice over IP – the transmission of voice over packet-switched IP networks – is one of the most important emerging trends in telecommunications. As with many new technologies, VoIP introduces lots of opportunities. Lower cost and greater flexibility are among the promises of VoIP for the enterprise.
To deploy a successful VoIP environment no doubt
QoS will be playing the most important role followed by security issues just because of the time-critical nature of VoIP, and its low tolerance for disruption and packet loss,
many security measures implemented in traditional data networks are simply notapplicable to VoIP in their current form.
Security issue is one of the burning topics in VoIP. VoIP based systems can be expected to be more vulnerable than conventional telephone systems, in part because they are tied
in to the data network, resulting in additional security weaknesses and avenues of attack. Confidentiality and privacy may be at greater risk in VoIP systems unless strong controls are implemented and maintained. Internet service is generally less reliable, and VoIP cannot function without Internet connections. Essential telephone services, unless
carefully planned, deployed, and maintained, will be at greater risk if based on VoIP. So while designing the network these issues must be kept in mind.
My thesis also touches the security threats of VoIP networks and possible solutions. As it has a great horizon in creating communication revolution for the future age no doubt it needs to be get legalized and spread through out the globe. Already many countries have started to deploy VoIP based network replacing the existing system. As in our subcontinent the revolution is already started to it will be foolish to stay behind and watch them make fortune while we sit idle. Caretaker government has recently decided to legalize VoIP in Bangladesh. As a developing country no doubt it will create more opportunities especially for the unemployed people of Bangladesh.
My thesis also studies the chances they might get by establishing a SME or call center solution to make quick
fortune and thus help in country’s economy. I have also conducted a survey just to justify how ready we are to embrace the new technology. The results are pretty much self explanatory and need fewer words to be told.
Teaching Documents by Syed Ali Tarek
Creative Education, 2023
Overview: As student-centred pedagogical methods have increasingly gained attention in recent yea... more Overview: As student-centred pedagogical methods have increasingly gained attention in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of flexible and online delivery modes, making the investigation of the flipped classroom approach in business education timely and relevant. The present study represents a systematic review of the impact of flipped classes on the effectiveness of business education, with a focus on the perspectives of learners. The primary objective of this systematic review is to assess the use of the flipped classroom model in business education and evaluate its associated pedagogical outcomes. By examining the experiences and opinions of business learners in this regard, this study aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse surrounding the effectiveness of student-centred teaching approaches in enhancing engagement, motivation, and academic performance in business education. Review Methods: After screening for inclusion/exclusion criteria, each paper was evaluated using a critical appraisal tool. Data extraction and analysis were completed on all included studies. Results: This systematic review screened 43 titles and abstracts, resulting in eight included studies. The themes identified were academic performance outcomes, simulation as part of the flipped class method, formative and summative, engagement and student satisfaction implementing the flipped classroom. All authors critically appraised the quality of the included studies. Conclusions: Using the flipped classroom in higher education business programmes yielded positive academic outcomes yet resulted in some challenges. Flipped classroom approach holds significant potential to transform business education by providing a student-centred approach that better prepares students to apply their learning in practice. Moreover, the efficacy of the flipped classroom approaches in promoting academic performance. Students' engagement in the flipped classroom model was achieved when academics informed and rationalized the purpose of the flipped classroom model to students. However, no studies in this review identified how to sustain this engagement over the course of a se
In today’s world, education is a basic human right and it is desired that every human being regar... more In today’s world, education is a basic human right and it is desired that every human being regardless of his or her personal and societal circumstances should get a fair chance to get access to education. ‘Inclusive education’ as a concept exists since the mid 19th century which was later translated into various international policy frameworks. Often these international policies had a push impact towards national policy agendas. Majority of the nations that adopted those international policies were hardly successful in achieving ‘inclusive’ learning practices, as because, ‘inclusivity’ has various wider (local) aspects which needs to be considered. A chronological review of relevant international policies and Bangladesh government’s policies is presented in the early segments and then shortfalls of current notions of inclusivity is explored in this paper. A brief overview is given based on the author’s experience of running a tablet based disaster preparedness training in Banglades...
Procedia Economics and Finance, 2014
In this paper I explore how content and interface can be inclusively designed for a tablet device... more In this paper I explore how content and interface can be inclusively designed for a tablet device to deliver disaster preparedness training in a developing country (Bangladesh), where the population is technologically disadvantaged and have widespread literacy issues. Content design for this country has other important aspects such as cultural and linguistic factors, which needs to be considered. This paper presents insights gathered during the content development and deployment phases in the pilot study and a subsequent iteration. This paper argues that disaster preparedness content can be custom-made for a tablet device for a particular locality, allowing technologically disadvantaged users to raise their overall awareness and decision-making ability during a disaster event.
Procedia Economics and Finance, 2014
Technology has shaped education practices in many ways. The computer, the internet, Smartphone an... more Technology has shaped education practices in many ways. The computer, the internet, Smartphone and tablet devices have a great impact on learning and teaching practices. Technology assisted learning has the power to deliver cost effective useful learning experiences to technologically deprived developing or the least developed countries. There have been several projects (OLPC, OTPC, iRead1&2-Ghana) involving technology assisted learning which have indicated brighter prospects of such deployments. However, the use of technology assisted learning to educate people (not necessarily only children) on challenging issues like livelihood, finances, healthcare and disaster preparedness is still under explored in the developing countries. This paper will explore the possibility of using tablet based e-learning in remote locations to provide disaster preparedness training to the mass and will share lessons learned from a pilot study carried out in the rural South West location in Bangladesh. Focus of the paper will be on how the training has used non-formal and informal education to make local people educated and better aware of basic disaster preparedness issues that are often overlooked, such as creating emergency plan, making emergency kit and first aid. This paper will add significant value to existing knowledge by adding field experience of using tablet device in disaster preparedness training and suggesting a place for such training within non-formal and informal educational setting.
This research aimed to explore the ways in which a technological artefact can assist in creating ... more This research aimed to explore the ways in which a technological artefact can assist in creating an inclusive learning environment to provide localised disaster preparedness training for predominantly technologically disadvantaged rural people of Bangladesh, one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. The research was complex and required a multidisciplinary approach. Content selection and interface design in the medium chosen for dissemination was a significant part of the research process, as was conducting the field research to understand how the content could be disseminated among the participants in the chosen locations to improve their disaster awareness. ‘Rapid ethnography' and ‘Participatory action research' were the key research strategies that were used in the fieldwork and interview and observation methods were used to collect the data. A design log, a content specification and two sources of feedback from expert and general user evaluators were used to...
Small-scale Individual Enterprises and Micro Financed Businesses are seen as potential solution t... more Small-scale Individual Enterprises and Micro Financed Businesses are seen as potential solution to eradicate poverty. With philanthropic approach meeting business investment by means of micro financing to empower budging entrepreneurs who lack significant sources of financial assistance it is of great importance to figure out the factors that derives a small business to a thriving business. SIE/MFBs possess different characteristics than the traditional business or even SME. This study looks into this gap of literature and tries to find out additional factors that plays vital role in gaining sustained growth of these SIE/MFB.
With an ultimate urge to eradicate poverty from the third world nations the idea of micro-credit ... more With an ultimate urge to eradicate poverty from the third world nations the idea of micro-credit took birth. In the UK where estimated 3.5m people do not have a bank account or access to credit makes a royal ground for micro credit to play its part to deliver credit to this credit unworthy people to change them forever. Not so widely practiced micro credit is not new in Western world. In the UK the social welfare based system and the traditional credit system often creates a barrier between an entrepreneur and an entrepreneur to be. This paper seeks the view of the Micro credit and its related services status in the UK as per year 2010. A root level questionnaire based survey was conducted and the data was analyzed to comment on the current status and suitable recommendations to overcome the barriers are presented.
Virtual reality (VR) has evolved over the past decade, and as this evolution continues, scope and... more Virtual reality (VR) has evolved over the past decade, and as this evolution continues, scope and significance of using VR in various educational settings are worth exploring. With the availability of low-cost Google Cardboard VR tool and emergence of affordable smartphones, the possibility of creating a participant-centric virtual reality learning environment even in developing countries is not unthinkable. However, there remains a void in the adaptation of the VR based tools in the developing countries. As of today, no initiatives are taken to create a learning setting which would allow less literate and illiterate people to overcome some of the evident curses of illiteracy through planned elevated use of other senses such as vision and sound.
To contribute to this identified void, the author conducted two iterations of small-scale fieldwork where VR based technology was used alongside the author’s existing ‘Training in a Tab' project. In this project, a tablet device based disaster preparedness training was provided to the technologically disadvantaged, predominantly less literate and illiterate group of people. In 2016, a pilot study was conducted at Uthali Village located in the Manikganj district, Dhaka division, Bangladesh followed by a post-pilot scaling study in 2017, conducted in the Teknaf Subdistrict, Chittagong division, Bangladesh.
Findings from the fieldwork suggest VR based system can be compatible with the existing practices and it is possible to use the VR based system to enhance the learning process in a social setting. From a pioneering initiative to integrate VR within a less literate population, this paper contains a brief record of the use of VR in disaster preparedness settings, sets out the rationale for using this in the developing countries, provides an introduction to possible methods that can be used in the fieldwork. The early findings of both studies affirm VR based system’s possibility in stimulating ‘disruptive learning' among the targeted less literate population which can lead towards long-term change in the participants' perspectives on disaster awareness and can make them further interested in learning more about disaster preparedness. Despite the concerns with localised content creation, the findings will be able to guide future researchers who might want to create VR based training for a similar population.
Why 'one size fits all' concept and policies of inclusive education is insufficient to achieve 't... more Why 'one size fits all' concept and policies of inclusive education is insufficient to achieve 'true' inclusivity in a national context. Insight from a tablet based disaster preparedness training programme administered in Bangladesh. Abstract In today's world, education is a basic human right and it is desired that every human being regardless of his or her personal and societal circumstances should get a fair chance to get access to education. 'Inclusive education' as a concept exists since the mid 19th century which was later translated into various international policy frameworks. Often these international policies had a push impact towards national policy agendas. Majority of the nations that adopted those international policies were hardly successful in achieving 'inclusive' learning practices, as because, 'inclusivity' has various wider (local) aspects which needs to be considered. A chronological review of relevant international policies and Bangladesh government's policies is presented in the early segments and then shortfalls of current notions of inclusivity is explored in this paper. A brief overview is given based on the author's experience of running a tablet based disaster preparedness training in Bangladesh over three years' period, that used networked learning concepts to promote 'inclusivity'. This paper also explores, how the training programme needed to broaden its perspectives to accommodate inclusivity. It was found during the training that the current notion and understanding of the term relates to only a fragment of the people to which inclusivity should be aimed. Adult learners are in a disadvantageous position as the national policies hardly mention their needs. Within a group of policies aimed to serve (special) children in education, practitioners are ill informed to support adult learners' in formal, informal and non-formal education sector. Reports on outcome of the alternate education systems consisting of private education and NGO led training in Bangladesh noted that there is a high level of drop outs those who attend any form of training. Majority of the participants lack awareness and urges to learn about something new. Due to monotonous delivery standards the participants are disengaged quickly with the feeling that they have no voice in their learning experience. The participants crave for a system which would acknowledge and value their experience and bridge those experiences to construct something more useful. The disaster preparedness training thus had to adapt to these less explored inclusivity issues to ensure, there is a true wider 'inclusive' participation. This paper reinforces that, there is a need to understand the varied needs of the adult learners to ensure they are well integrated in any format of the education system, especially where cooperative learning takes place. Keywords Inclusive education policy, tablet based disaster preparedness training, tablet based networked learning Inclusive education and international policies Inclusive education can be expressed as a way of reducing barriers to participate in learning in any educational setting. These barriers can be extrinsic or intrinsic in nature. Inclusive education has been defined by academics, international organisations, countries and NGOs from various points of views and there is no single definition that suffices as a comprehensive universal definition. This makes the implementation strategies of the inclusive
In this paper I explore how content and interface can be inclusively designed for a tablet device... more In this paper I explore how content and interface can be inclusively designed for a tablet device to deliver disaster
preparedness training in a developing country (Bangladesh), where the population is technologically disadvantaged
and have widespread literacy issues. Content design for this country has other important aspects such as cultural and
linguistic factors, which needs to be considered. This paper presents insights gathered during the content
development and deployment phases in the pilot study and a subsequent iteration. This paper argues that disaster
preparedness content can be custom-made for a tablet device for a particular locality, allowing technologically
disadvantaged users to raise their overall awareness and decision-making ability during a disaster event.
Technology has shaped education practices in many ways. The computer, the internet, Smartphone an... more Technology has shaped education practices in many ways. The computer, the internet, Smartphone and tablet devices have a great impact on learning and teaching practices. Technology assisted learning has the power to deliver cost effective useful learning experiences to technologically deprived developing or the least developed countries. There have been several projects (OLPC, OTPC, iRead1&2-Ghana) involving technology assisted learning which have indicated brighter prospects of such deployments. However, the use of technology assisted learning to educate people (not necessarily only children) on challenging issues like livelihood, finances, healthcare and disaster preparedness is still under explored in the developing countries. This paper will explore the possibility of using tablet based e-learning in remote locations to provide disaster preparedness training to the mass and will share lessons learned from a pilot study carried out in the rural South West location in Bangladesh. Focus of the paper will be on how the training has used non-formal and informal education to make local people educated and better aware of basic disaster preparedness issues that are often overlooked, such as creating emergency plan, making emergency kit and first aid. This paper will add significant value to existing knowledge by adding field experience of using tablet device in disaster preparedness training and suggesting a place for such training within non-formal and informal educational setting.
Small-scale Individual Enterprises and Micro Financed Businesses are seen as potential solution t... more Small-scale Individual Enterprises and Micro Financed Businesses are seen as potential solution to eradicate poverty. With philanthropic approach meeting business investment by means of micro financing to empower budging entrepreneurs who lack significant sources of financial assistance it is of great importance to figure out the factors that derives a small business to a thriving business. SIE/MFBs possess different characteristics than the traditional business or even SME. This study looks into this gap of literature and tries to find out additional factors that plays vital role in gaining sustained growth of these SIE/MFB.
With an ultimate urge to eradicate poverty from the third world nations the idea of micro-credit ... more With an ultimate urge to eradicate poverty from the third world nations the idea of micro-credit took birth. In the UK where estimated 3.5m people do not have a bank account or access to credit makes a royal ground for micro credit to play its part to deliver credit to this credit unworthy people to change them forever. Not so widely practiced micro credit is not new in Western world. In the UK the social welfare based system and the traditional credit system often creates a barrier between an entrepreneur and an entrepreneur to be. This paper seeks the view of the Micro credit and its related services status in the UK as per year 2010. A root level questionnaire based survey was conducted and the data was analyzed to comment on the current status and suitable recommendations to overcome the barriers are presented.
Voice over IP – the transmission of voice over packet-switched IP networks – is one of the most i... more Voice over IP – the transmission of voice over packet-switched IP networks – is one of the most important emerging trends in telecommunications. As with many new technologies, VoIP introduces lots of opportunities. Lower cost and greater flexibility are among the promises of VoIP for the enterprise.
To deploy a successful VoIP environment no doubt
QoS will be playing the most important role followed by security issues just because of the time-critical nature of VoIP, and its low tolerance for disruption and packet loss,
many security measures implemented in traditional data networks are simply notapplicable to VoIP in their current form.
Security issue is one of the burning topics in VoIP. VoIP based systems can be expected to be more vulnerable than conventional telephone systems, in part because they are tied
in to the data network, resulting in additional security weaknesses and avenues of attack. Confidentiality and privacy may be at greater risk in VoIP systems unless strong controls are implemented and maintained. Internet service is generally less reliable, and VoIP cannot function without Internet connections. Essential telephone services, unless
carefully planned, deployed, and maintained, will be at greater risk if based on VoIP. So while designing the network these issues must be kept in mind.
My thesis also touches the security threats of VoIP networks and possible solutions. As it has a great horizon in creating communication revolution for the future age no doubt it needs to be get legalized and spread through out the globe. Already many countries have started to deploy VoIP based network replacing the existing system. As in our subcontinent the revolution is already started to it will be foolish to stay behind and watch them make fortune while we sit idle. Caretaker government has recently decided to legalize VoIP in Bangladesh. As a developing country no doubt it will create more opportunities especially for the unemployed people of Bangladesh.
My thesis also studies the chances they might get by establishing a SME or call center solution to make quick
fortune and thus help in country’s economy. I have also conducted a survey just to justify how ready we are to embrace the new technology. The results are pretty much self explanatory and need fewer words to be told.