Academic literature on the topic 'Organization for Training Guide Dogs'

Introduction: Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB) breeds, raises, and trains dogs to serve as guides for people with visual impairments (i.e., those who are blind or have low vision). Their puppy raising program enlists volunteers to foster puppies for a year or more, providing socialization, basic skills training, and comfort, so they will grow into confident dogs. The volunteers must ultimately return these dogs to Yorktown Heights, New York, to begin training. For raisers, the emotional toll of this parting can be great. Methods: Utilizing the 2017 GEB Puppy Raiser Survey data, this study analyzed factors that might affect emotional grief and the decision to continue to raise puppies. Cross-tabulation and ordinal regression analyses examined the associations of puppy raiser demographics (i.e., gender, age, marital status, and employment), organizational integration (i.e., number of dogs raised for GEB, perceptions on how well GEB supports raisers in returning a dog, belief that they are part of the GEB community, and formation of friendships), and goal attainment (perceptions on how well GEB communicated progress in training, whether they raised a dog accepted for guide training, and whether they attended a graduation ceremony) with self-reported emotional difficulty, recovery time, and likelihood of raising another puppy. Results: Although the demographics of the raiser had minimal effect on emotional difficulty, recovery time, and likelihood of raising again, factors that measured organization integration and goal attainment were associated with grief and continued participation. Discussion: Raiser demographics are not strong predictors of grief and continued raising; however, a welcoming organization that communicates effectively will inspire volunteers’ commitment. Implications: With a growing need for assistance dogs and puppy raisers, identifying and addressing the challenges that these volunteers face is critical if skilled and dedicated raisers are to be recruited and retained.

Context Change management is a discipline guiding how organizations prepare, equip, and support people to adopt a change to drive organizational success and outcomes successfully. Objective To introduce the concept of change management and create a primer document for athletic training educators to use in the classroom. Background While Lean and Six Sigma methodologies are essential for achieving a high-reliability organization, human resistance to change is inevitable. Change management provides a structured approach via different theoretical methods, specific principles, and tools to guide organizations through growth and development and serves an essential role during process improvement initiatives. Synthesis There are several theories or models of change management, 3 of which are specifically relevant in health care. Kotter and Rathgeber believe change has both an emotional and situational component and use an 8-step approach: increase urgency, guide teams, have the right vision, communicate for buy-in, enable action, create short-term wins, and make-it-stick [Kotter J., Rathgeber H. Our Iceberg is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Circumstances. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press, 2006]. Bridges' Transitional Model focuses on the premise that change does not influence project success; instead, a transition does [Bridges W. Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1991]. Lewin's model suggests that restraining forces influence organizations and that driving forces cause change to happen [Lewin K. Problems of research in social psychology. In: Cartwright D, ed. Field Theory in Social Science: Selected Theoretical Papers. New York, NY: Harpers; 1951]. Recommendation(s) Whether athletic trainers approach change management in a leadership role or as a stakeholder, newly transitioning professionals and those seeking leadership roles should value and appreciate change management theories and tools. Moreover, while no best practice statement exists relative to the incorporation of change management into a curriculum, addressing the subject early may allow immersive-experience students an opportunity to use change management during a process improvement initiative, facilitating a greater appreciation of the content. Conclusion(s) Athletic training curriculums should consider including change management course content, whether separately or in combination with other process-improvement content, thereby familiarizing athletic trainers with a common language for organizational and professional change.

In comparing the guide dog movements in the United States and England, there are several similarities. Among these are the charitable and non-governmental nature of the enterprise, techniques of training, residential requirements, and minimal costs to obtain a guide dog. A major difference is that in England there is one school with seven centers, while in the United States there are ten competing schools. In England, twice as high a proportion of blind people use guide dogs. Structural and cultural reasons are explored to explain these differences. Among the structural differences are the organization and enterprise, involvement of graduates in educational and fund-raising activities, and greater commitment to the team after graduation. Two innovations in the United States are the move toward geographically regionalized schools that begin to resemble the British centers, and the move to domiciliary or at-home, non-residential programs. This latter development has also taken hold in the British system.

Civil and patriotic education is a priority of education at the present stage of society development. Traditional forms of work (lectures, lesson, class hours) does not allow to generate inner attitude in students, so the new methods and techniques, providing an active position of schoolchildren and experience of socially approved independent work, are in necessity. Excursions in the school museum conducted by trainees can be regarded as a form of such work. But the organization of excursions or preparation of the exhibition requires forming of appropriate competences in schoolchildren. Teachers working in this area have experienced a number of scientific and methodological, methodical and organizational difficulties. The temporary creative team has analyzed existing practices in this field, has taken into account the shortcomings, and has used the best practices of educational institutions. The methodology and technology training of tour guides for museums in educational organizations are summarized in the program "Young Tour Guide School". The article presents additional educational program for school museums tour guides, developed by experts of Center for children and youth tourism and excursions in Yaroslavl region, staff of Agency for Tourism in Yaroslavl region, and scientists from leading universities of Yaroslavl. The program includes curriculum, methodical and didactic support. The authors have developed assessment criteria of the effectiveness of this educational program, which allows monitoring the educational activity. The article describes two possible models of implementation of the program and outlines the prospects for its development and improvement. Additional educational program "Young Tour Guide School", submitted in the article, has been tested and has proven its effectiveness for the formation of experience of independent public action of students.

PurposeTraditional subject indexing and classification are considered infeasible in many digital collections. This paper seeks to investigate ways of enhancing social tagging via knowledge organization systems, with a view to improving the quality of tags for increased information discovery and retrieval performance.Design/methodology/approachEnhanced tagging interfaces were developed for exemplar online repositories, and trials were undertaken with author and reader groups to evaluate the effectiveness of tagging augmented with control vocabulary for subject indexing of papers in online repositories.FindingsThe results showed that using a knowledge organisation system to augment tagging does appear to increase the effectiveness of non‐specialist users (that is, without information science training) in subject indexing.Research limitations/implicationsWhile limited by the size and scope of the trials undertaken, these results do point to the usefulness of a mixed approach in supporting the subject indexing of online resources.Originality/valueThe value of this work is as a guide to future developments in the practical support for resource indexing in online repositories.

WILDLIFE rescue has become part of Australian urban society. Injured and sick animals are common in all cities and their surrounding suburbs. The majority of these are common human commensals that have been dogs, cats, and cars, or have struck overhead wires or windows. Near coasts, it is common to find birds entangled in fishing line (with or without hooks) or fouled by other rubbish that is the jetsam of human society. Rescuing these animals, whether or not there is any conservation value or not, makes people feel good. Since the 1980s, organizations, such as Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) in New South Wales, have proliferated and process tens of thousands of distressed animals annually. WIRES, for example, processed 56 500 animals in 2009/10. Many of these were threatened fauna, with the WIRES’ web site stating they handle 130 species on average each month. Birds are the most common group processed. There are 2000 WIRES volunteers, all of whom have been required to undertake training in the handling of wild animals. Although oiled birds, whales entangled in shark nets or stranded on beaches are often in the headlines, rescuing them requires professional skills and logistical support outside the scope of “wildlife rescuers” and are

Little is known about the ways in which puppy raisers engage in disaster preparedness for their puppies (or “guide dogs in training”). The aim of this research is to understand disaster preparedness among service dog puppy raisers. A web-based survey was distributed to people raising puppies in a service dog training program (n = 53 complete survey responses). Questions in the survey included items about disaster preparedness and plans for canine safety in hazards events. Out of those who said they had an evacuation plan for their puppy in training, 59% stated they would put the dog in their vehicles for evacuating to safety in the event of a hurricane or other disaster. The odds of first-time puppy raisers who considered evacuation for Hurricane Irma in 2017 was 15.3 times the odds of repeat raisers. Over half the raisers reported that they did not have a disaster kit. Additionally, 82% of respondents indicated that having a service puppy in training makes them feel safer. These results can be used as a foundation for service dog organizations in disaster preparedness among their puppy raiser volunteers and in designing recruitment messages for new volunteers.

ABSTRACT The State of Washington developed DRILLTRAC, a training and competency program for managing oil spills and drills. DRILLTRAC represents an organizational commitment to stand-up a well qualified team at spills of all levels in order to fulfill a fundamental trust responsibility to protect public health, safety and the environment. The agency intends to hold itself to the same high standards that are expected from the regulated community. In addition, through the development of a well qualified team, the agency will be able to assist those unregulated spillers with providing an initial spill management team. DRILLTRAC consists of training and testing, required performance demonstrations at drills and spills, seeded staff to coach performance, response auditing and finally training and outreach to the community. The Program centers around a manual that is based on the 2000 Field Operations Guide (FOG), but is greatly enhanced with coaching tips, information flow diagrams and guidance on what actions need to be taken between the meetings. The manual is available on-line. During the first month it became available, the manual was downloaded over a thousand times. Some of the key training points under DRILLTRAC are:How do you ensure adequate staffing?How do you resolve conflict within unified command?How are critical decisions made by unified command documented?How does a trustee organization ensure that the interests of the state are consistently and adequately protected through the incident command system?How do you develop and measure an aggressive response?How do you ensure that the process being followed leads to the development of an aggressive, objective driven Incident Action Plan?How do you ensure consistent drill evaluation and drill design? This paper will discuss the development of the program, the goals and some of the points of organizational resistance in the implementation. DRILLTRAC builds confidence, accountability and mutual trust in spill management. It is mission driven for the state of Washington.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of organizational factors on individual decision-making under conditions of uncertainty and time pressure. A method to assess the impact of individual and organizational factors on individual decisions is proposed and experimented in the context of triage decision-making process. Design/methodology/approach The adopted methodology is based on the bias-variance decomposition formula. The method, usually applied to assess the predictive accuracy of heuristics, has been adjusted to discriminate between the impact of organizational and individual factors affecting heuristic processes. To test the methodology, 25 clinical scenarios have been designed and submitted, through simulations, to the triage nurses of two Spanish hospitals. Findings Nurses’ decisions are affected by organizational factors in certain task conditions, such as situations characterized by complete and coherent information. When relevant information is lacking and available information is not coherent, decision-makers base their assessments on their personal experience and gut feeling. Research limitations/implications Discriminating between the influence of organizational factors and individual ones is the starting point for a more in-depth understanding of how organization can guide the decision process. Using simulations of clinical scenarios in field research does not allow for capturing the influence of some contextual factors, such as the nurses’ stress levels, on individual decisions. This issue will be addressed in further research. Practical implications Bias and variance are useful measurements for detecting process improvement actions. A bias prevalence requires a re-design of organizational settings, whereas training would be preferred when variance prevails. Originality/value The main contribution of this work concerns the novel interpretation of bias and variance concepts to assess organizational factors’ influence on heuristic decision-making processes, taking into account the level of complexity of decision-related tasks.

Objectives The main purpose of this article is to evaluate the correlation between the distraction index (DI) and Norberg angle values in distracted hips (distraction Norberg angle, DNA) at 4 months of age and the official hip score based on the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) grid at 12 months of age. Methods For dogs (n = 215) from two guide dog training organizations, the DI and DNA were measured by a single expert on distraction radiographs performed at 4 months of age. The FCI score was determined by the same expert at 12 months of age on a standard hip-extended view.Statistical analysis included receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and concordance correlation coefficient calculation. Results The mean DI was 0.48, the mean DNA was 86.5° and 59.5% of hips had an A FCI score. The concordance correlation coefficient of DI and DNA was 0.78. The DI threshold for D- and E-scored hips that was associated with the least misclassification was 0.58 (sensitivity [Se] = 0.6, specificity [Sp] = 0.82). The DNA threshold that was associated with the least misclassification was 85° (Se = 0.83, Sp = 0.68). Clinical Significance DNA has a fair correlation with DI at 4 months and reflects hip passive laxity. D and E FCI scores at 12 months cannot be reliably predicted from the 4 months value of DI or DNA but 96% of hips with DI < 0.58 at 4 months had an A, B or C FCI score at 12 months of age. Similarly, 98% of hips with DNA > 85° at 4 months had an A, B or C FCI score at 12 months of age.

Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina Veterinária
Cada vez mais a sociedade atual tenta fornecer meios que facilitam e melhoram a qualidade de vida dos seres humanos. Os cães de assistência são um desses meios. Os cães-guia auxiliam pessoas cegas, os cães para surdos auxiliam pessoas com dificuldades de audição graves e os cães de serviço auxiliam pessoas com problemas motores, orgânicos ou mentais. Este tipo de cães passa por um processo de aprendizagem através de um treino especializado de acordo com o tipo de utilizador, sendo o reforço positivo e o clicker as técnicas mais utilizadas para se obter tais objetivos. Além disso, a escolha das raças e os seus temperamentos são de extrema importância, pois está em causa a segurança de um ser humano com incapacidades. O objetivo principal deste trabalho foi caraterizar os cães de assistência em Portugal, tendo sido feitos 2 tipos de questionários, um às associações que treinam cães de assistência e o outro aos utilizadores desses mesmos cães. Foram feitos inquéritos a 3 associações e a 32 utilizadores espalhados pelo País. Verificou-se que a raça mais utilizada é a Labrador Retriever devido à sua personalidade calma, à sua memória e à sua destreza física. Também se aferiu a importância da esterilização de todos os cães de assistência assim como a sua vacinação. Finalmente averiguou-se que os utilizadores destes animais se sentem mais confiantes, seguros, com melhor autoestima e conseguem socializar-me com maior facilidade com a sociedade em geral, após estes animais fazerem parte das suas vidas. Também sentem uma ligação muito forte com o seu cão de assistência, pois cada vez mais a lei permite que este tipo de cães acompanhem os seus utilizadores em qualquer local público, sejam transportes ou estabelecimentos comerciais.
ABSTRACT - Today´s society increasingly tries to provide a way to ease and improve the quality of the human being life. Assistance dogs is one of them. Guide dogs help blind people, hearing dogs assist people with severe hearing difficulties and service dogs help people with mobility, organic or mental problems. This type of dogs undergo a learning process using a specialized training in accordance with the type of users. Positive reinforcement and clicker techniques are the most used to achieve those aims. Moreover, breed and temperament choice is of utmost importance as the safety of people with disabilities is at stake. The main objective of this study was to characterize assistance dogs in Portugal in order to achieve that goal, two types of questionnaires were made, the first one to associations that train assistance dogs, and the another one to assistance dogs users. Inquires were made to three associations and 32 users throughout the country. It was found that Labrador Retriever is the most used breed due to its relaxed personality, its memory and its physical ability. The importance of neutering/spaying and vaccination was also accessed for all dogs. Finally we found that dog users feel more confident, secure, with better self-esteem and manage to socialize easier with society in general, after these animals were envolved in their lifes. In our days, law‟s allow these type of dogs to accompany their users in any public place, whether transport or commercial facilities, therefore enabling establishment of very strong connection with their owners since they share almost all their daily tasks.

Annotation: This thesis deals with the importance of guide dogs for the visually impaired people. It is divided into theoretical and practical part. The theoretical part defines and classifies the types and degrees of visual impairment and the most common eye diseases. It discusses the position of the blind in society, means of communication and assistance. It focuses on the history and methods of training of the guide dogs and suitable breeds, according to organizations engaged in training of dogs at home and abroad, the thesis also mentions international organization of these training centers. The research is based on the results of the survey among people utilizing the services of a guide dog. Through interviews, it was analyzed, how important the guide dog is for the participants and how it affects the quality of their life.

碩士
國立雲林科技大學
文化資產維護系
105
The movement of the revitalization of Xi-luo historic district, under the efforts of government, local organizations and residents, has gradually revived the historic district and has a great achievement in the recent years, especially in the renovation and preservation of old buildings. The historic district has become a cultural and creative market and attracts many tourists. Louyoung Cultural & Education Foundation, established in 1995, has worked with the revitalization of Xi-luo historic district for a long time. The Foundation leads the transformation of the historic district and devotes to promote Xi-luo cultural tourism. Besides, the Foundation started the training of Xi-luo tour guides 17 years ago and it has accumulated more than 420 trainees since then. However, the number of trainees who completed the training does not stay to serve as originally expected and it shows the issue of guide personnel training. The methods of this research include literary study, participative observation and in-depth interview. The study objects are trainees and instructors of the training, tour guides and administrators of the foundation. There are three aspects discussed in this research, including the training system, the content of the training and the running of the training. In addition, the effectiveness of the training programs will be analyzed and evaluated. This research has three conclusions as follows. First, the training system can be strengthened from interviews of the trainee recruitment, classified training, implement of the checking system, establishment of the reward system and the integration and connection of resources. Second, the content of the training could equally emphasize on professional knowledge and guiding technics and it also subsumes diversified and flexible courses, edition of standard teaching materials or trainee self-edited teaching materials. All mentioned above is to create an all-round learning environment for trainees. Third, in the aspect of the running of the training, the trainees should develop a close friendship and keep motive for participation. These trainees can leader study groups and make use of communicated network, such as Line and Facebook. This research is to understand the effectiveness of training programs and contribute to the planning and improvement of training programs. Besides, it could serve as a reference resource of guide personnel training for non-profit organization in the future.

Practical aid to understanding vision impairment on page xxvii unable to be scanned. Please see http://www.rnzfb.org.nz/eye-conditions for this information.
The relationship between guide dog handlers in New Zealand and their guide dogs was investigated to identify the reasons why some partnerships are successful while others are not. A two-part study was designed to explore the match between the handler and the dog to improve the outcome of the matching process. A focus group discussion with people who had a range of visual acuity and experience with mobility aids was conducted as a preliminary measure to help develop the survey questionnaire that was used in the second part of the study. Fifty current and/or previous handlers, who had used a total of 118 dogs, were interviewed about their prior expectations and the outcome of the partnerships. Results indicated that the majority of matches were successful, and quality of life was improved for most participants because of using a dog. Around a quarter of the matches were considered unsuccessful, although not all mismatched dogs were returned. Mismatches arose predominantly from problems concerning the dogs' working behaviour followed by the dogs' social/home behaviour. However, dogs were also returned for health problems and a few were returned for personal issues concerning the handler. Compatibility between the handler and the dog, and the fulfilment of expectations were positively associated with better matches. Factors relating to mobility, including a handler's ability to control a dog, made the biggest contribution to success, but non-work related issues, such as companionship and enhancement of social interactions were also significant. Other factors that appeared to be associated with a good outcome included an accurate assessment of workload, having a good relationship with the guide dog instructor, and having a little useful vision - especially if this deteriorated over the time a dog was used. Other findings suggested that the use of a dog improved travel performance, regardless of how well the participants' perceived their travel ability to have been before the dog was acquired, and that second dogs were less favoured than the first ones. These results have permitted a series of recommendations to be proposed to the guide dog industry regarding characteristics of handler and dog that are important for a successful match.

The goal of training is to improve employee performance, and ultimately support organizational success. However, training does not always effectively transfer to workplaces to positively affect work practices, particularly because of disconnect between behaviourist approaches and contemporary work arrangements. The transfer of training to the workplace remains problematic. The present article is motivated by the need to challenge the status quo of training design and draw greater attention to learning design, beyond the confines of behaviourism. The aim of the article is to provoke critical discussion around learning theories and training design. We propose Knowles' adult learning principles and Mezirow's transformative learning theory, useful guide for the learning design of training. The learning design of a university-based safety management systems training course in aviation is discussed from the vantage point of the proposed guiding philosophy. Six specific strategies are presented supported by the evaluation of the course effectiveness conducted after the first iteration.

Emerging technology has changed the focus of corporate learning systems from task-based, procedural training to knowledge-intensive problem-solving with deep conceptual learning. In addition, the deployment of open systems and distributing processing are adding new stresses to learning systems that can barely keep pace with the current rate of change. Learning environments to address these challenges a reviewed within a framework of the conventional learning curve, in which different learning elements are required to support different levels of expertise. An adaptive development model for creating and sustaining a learning environment is proposed that consists of the iterative application of three phases: (1) analysis and reflection, (2) architecture inception and revision, and (3) alignment. The model relies on the notion that analysis deals as much with synthesis and learning as it does with decomposition. We conclude that the concept of a “learning environment” provides a viable construct for making sense of the array of systems designed to support knowledge management, document management, e-learning, and performance support. A learning environment with a well-defined architecture can guide the convergence of multiple systems into a seamless environment providing access to content, multimedia learning modules, collaborative workspaces, and other forms of learning support. Finally, we see future learning environments consisting of networks of databases housing content objects, elegant access to the content, ubiquitous virtual spaces, and authoring tools that enable content vendors, guilds, and universities to rapidly develop and deliver a wide range of learning artifacts.

This chapter covers the dissemination of IPT across cultures and in resource-poor countries such as Uganda and Ethiopia. Two important organizations are described: the World Health Organization and the International Society of Interpersonal Psychotherapy, a multidisciplinary, nonprofit, noncommercial international organization that is committed to the advancement of IPT through research, training, and dissemination. The principles of adapting IPT to different cultural contexts are straightforward, although IPT clinicians must proceed carefully in approaching cultures to which they do not belong. This chapter describes the development and results of IPT programs adapted for use with depressed patients in Uganda. As IPT proved easily transplantable to Uganda, it is likely to fit into many cultures with relatively minor adjustment. Implementation of IPT for humanitarian reasons is growing at an impressive pace.

This chapter provides a practical guide on the process of translating learning and training materials with a focus on eLearning in a corporate setting. The information shared was gained from years of experience creating learning materials for students from different cultures and countries and with different learning abilities. The translation process can be complex, particularly if there are a number of materials to translate as well as a variety of material types. Since the translation process is the last piece in the material creation process, it is important that the process run smoothly to ensure deadlines are met. This chapter provides detailed guidelines for creating and translating learning materials that assist in effective knowledge transfer to a diverse audience.

The Bell Online Institute (BOLI) represents a radical change to the way Bell Canada provides internal training to its 27,000 employees. BOLI specializes in Web-based training, one type of technology enabled (distance) learning. Web-based training is a significant departure from the more traditional classroom-based practices at the Bell Institute for Professional Development, which is the organization that oversees all employee training at Bell Canada. This case study examines the use of Web-based training at Bell Canada in the context of business process reengineering. We present a theoretical context and a practical guide to how technology enabled learning changes the business processes in an organization. The study defines the processes that are required to deliver Web-based training, the value to the internal and external business practices of the organization, and the costs for each process. The wider applications of this case study are identified and will be of interest to those in other organizations that are moving from classroom delivered training to distance delivery. This case study describes changes in the organization that result from reengineering, including the impact Web-based learning has on training plans, student needs assessments, the ability to provide specialized curricula, training students and instructors in using new technologies, and establishing a principle of continuous improvement. Alternative ways of achieving project objectives are presented, along with organizational impact, technology alternatives, and cost-benefits.

This chapter traces the origin of the concept of work in five staged sections. The first section examines the question, what is work? Work originally referred to “doing,” that is, work organization, synergy, and energy. The second section develops the Greek word family for work into a dynamic model of doing. The third section shows how nature guides working change through energy exchange. It examines how a work as re-organization model would function in nature's jurisdictional domain of guiding energy exchanges. Nature's laws provide guidance for self-governing latitude to energy jurisdictional domains' evolutionary change. The fourth section examines policymaking as human guidance imitating nature. Policymaking limits individual self-governance to guide a specified social community of people (polis) doing work. Policymaking is explored to see how humans use policymaking to govern themselves and their cultural social groups including governments by using nature's use of laws as guidance. Policymaking is also a form of laying down basic parameters of work as re-organization through energy exchanges in the ambient environment. Policies are human artifacts designed help a social group work well together. Part five presents an issue analysis as an invited Organization Development consultant to help find ways for the Sri Lankan government, the University of Moratuwa, and the apparel and textile industry to work together in their extreme makeover of human resource development of their apparel and textile industry. Action training and research, stakeholder management, and wicked problem issue analysis are the organization development methods used to demonstrate this field theory of work re-organization through energy exchange.

This chapter focuses on the development of integrative health services and programs within a large integrated health network and the design and implementation of an integrative nurse training program with the goal of advancing nursing care through integrative approaches. Opportunities for integration within current strategic organization initiatives are offered as a method for the adoption of system-wide integrative health services. Integrative nursing roles and responsibilities from executive leadership to direct care provider level are described. The Integrative Nurse Health Coach role is specifically outlined as it applies to the health system environment. A financial structure for sustainability is outlined as a guide for application within a health system.

Valuable sources of knowledge within an organization will remain local if knowledge sharing process is not managed appropriately. The purpose of this chapter was therefore to determine the factors that influence effective knowledge sharing in higher education institutions in South Africa. Data collection was largely based on critical review of literature relating to knowledge sharing and its determinants in HEIs. Institutional theory, theory of reasoned action, and socio-technical theory were used as underpinning theories to guide the study. The findings revealed factors that complicates the knowledge sharing process including lack of infrastructure, unwillingness to share knowledge, lack of trust, lack of incentives, low level of awareness, lack of training, lack of effective organizational culture. This chapter, therefore, recommends that these institutions can address some of the barriers to successful knowledge sharing if they leverage on these factors. The chapter further proposed an integrated conceptual framework for effective knowledge sharing within HEIs in South Africa.

Research over the past few decades has identified that organizations have been faced with social/ economic pressure to utilize information technology and to facilitate communication via technological modes. These technology drive communications, under media richness theory, have been found to impact group cohesion and performance. The communications that are dependent on media richness are affected by individual user characteristics. Further group impacted by technology driven communication often experience varying levels of individual member agreeability, which further affect cohesion and performance. The individual users who participate in group projects must communicate, and ultimately can have different performance and cohesion outcomes based on the mode of communication used. This study identifies significant differences between groups, using specific media to communicate cohesion, the change in cohesion, agreeability and performance. Over the past few decades, organizations have faced increased pressure to utilize information technology (IT) to expand markets, to support increased communication between constituents, to streamline organizational decision making, and to improve employee productivity. Unfortunately, the results are contradictory as to the success IT has had in helping organizations achieve these goals. On one hand, several studies have reported beneficial returns on investment with the aforementioned implementation of information technology (Bourquard, 2004; Chienting, Jen-Hwa Hu, & Hsinchun, 2004; Dehning & Richardson, 2002; Hinton & Kaye, 1996; McGrath & Schneider, 2000; Violino, 1998; Willcocks & Lester, 1991). On the other hand, research also seems to suggest that technology can sink an organization when IT is not in alignment with the strategic goals of the organization (Arlotto & Oakes, 2003; Hinton & Kaye, 1996; PITAC, 1999; Violino, 1998; Willcocks & Lester, 1991). Adding to this dilemma, the marketplace has been turning to global expansion, becoming more demographically diverse, and relying more on the use of workgroups and teams (Stough, Eom, & Buckenmyer, 2000). These work teams historically have performed in homogenous settings and have met primarily face-to-face (FTF). These teams typically used little technology to interact. Lawler, Mohrman, & Ledford (1992) found that organizations that use teams more often have a positive outcome in decision making, employee trust and employee tenure. Considering the advances in communication media over the past twenty years, information technology has become a part of the everyday operations of most businesses. The requirement of the employee to use this technology has become essential to organizational success. With the organizational dependence on the employee to use information technology, plus the increased use of teams in the workplace, organizations may fail to provide workers with the support and training needed to develop cohesive groups resulting in improved performance and member satisfaction (Sarbaugh-Thompson & Feldman, 1998; Yoo, 2001). Several studies have concluded that teams that communicate successfully have had positive team performance (Rice, 1979; Tuckman, 1997; Zaccaro & Lowe, 1988). However, the independent variables considered in the aforementioned research vary greatly and seem to show inconsistency in identifying indicators that could be used to help with the implementation of technology that supports team performance. This study looks at face to face (FTF) and virtual teams, the personality trait of agreeability and the impact of specific communication technology on cohesion and performance. We use the media richness theory to facilitate our literature review and to guide the development of our hypotheses.

The purpose of this presentation is to show elements associated to the study and analysis of pedagogical practices used by mathematics teachers, taking into consideration different approaches and conceptions derived from theories related to the role of the math teacher. The project highlights the need to use different strategies to analyze the processes occurring in the activities and tasks organized and implemented by the teacher. One of the main tasks in teacher training is to promote the capacity to noticing on the pedagogical activity, where noticing is understood as an inherent process to improve the quality of classroom management. In addition, different analysis models should be compared using examples and experiential practices and the different theories and research projects developed in this field related to this type of analysis. Knowing what happens in the classroom is a task inherent to the math teacher. For sure, if the teacher does not understand or is even able to perceive what is happening in the class, improvement actions are very difficult to implement. Consequently, math teachers must develop the capability of analyzing their pedagogical activity and the related elements. It is not about isolating variables and looking for causal relationships, but rather about understanding the teacher’s activity as the center of the multiple situations occurring in the classroom, which may be known more in depth, if the attention is focused on the organization, ordering, and execution of the tasks planned by the teacher. It must also be understood that the competence of analyzing mentioned here is not an isolated activity without an effect. Such analysis must be approached from an active perspective where scenarios are generated to mitigate complex situations or to value an approach different than the one happening in the classroom. Being aware that there are many aspects to analyze (most likely almost everything that happens is analyzable), we must take a stand on which situations are highly related to what happens in our classroom and which could eventually happen. With such a wide spectrum, some questions that need to be addressed are: What is important in the math education activity and who defines what is important? What elements are of interest to math teachers? How does the analysis conducted relate to the different models of the teacher's knowledge? How does our previous experience influence the assessments we make? How do we distinguish elements of interest to analysis? What is the relationship between reflecting and analyzing? At what stages of the teacher’s activity is an analysis required? What is the ultimate purpose of analyzing teaching activities? What competencies or skills are related to the analysis? What types of analysis are appropriate (content, cognitive, media, among others)? How can we balance the actions derived from the analyses we conduct? From all these questions the most important one that can guide the study of this reflection would be: What should be assessed in pedagogical activities and what is the objective of analyzing such pedagogical activities in math education?

Attention to safety and health are of ever-increasing priority to industrial organizations. Good Safety is demanded by stockholders, employees, and the community while increasing injury costs provide additional motivation for safety and health excellence. Safety has always been a strong corporate value of DuPont and a vital part of its culture. As a result, DuPont has become a benchmark in safety and health performance. Since 1990, DuPont has re-engineered itself to meet global competition and address future vision. In the new re-engineered organizational structures, DuPont has also had to re-engineer its safety management systems. A special Discovery Team was chartered by DuPont senior management to determine the “best practices’ for safety and health being used in DuPont best-performing sites. A summary of the findings is presented, and five of the practices are discussed. Excellence in safety and health management is more important today than ever. Public awareness, federal and state regulations, and enlightened management have resulted in a widespread conviction that all employees have the right to work in an environment that will not adversely affect their safety and health. In DuPont, we believe that excellence in safety and health is necessary to achieve global competitiveness, maintain employee loyalty, and be an accepted member of the communities in which we make, handle, use, and transport products. Safety can also be the “catalyst” to achieving excellence in other important business parameters. The organizational and communication skills developed by management, individuals, and teams in safety can be directly applied to other company initiatives. As we look into the 21st Century, we must also recognize that new organizational structures (flatter with empowered teams) will require new safety management techniques and systems in order to maintain continuous improvement in safety performance. Injury costs, which have risen dramatically in the past twenty years, provide another incentive for safety and health excellence. Shown in the Figure 1, injury costs have increased even after correcting for inflation. Many companies have found these costs to be an “invisible drain” on earnings and profitability. In some organizations, significant initiatives have been launched to better manage the workers’ compensation systems. We have found that the ultimate solution is to prevent injuries and incidents before they occur. A globally-respected company, DuPont is regarded as a well-managed, extremely ethical firm that is the benchmark in industrial safety performance. Like many other companies, DuPont has re-engineered itself and downsized its operations since 1985. Through these changes, we have maintained dedication to our principles and developed new techniques to manage in these organizational environments. As a diversified company, our operations involve chemical process facilities, production line operations, field activities, and sales and distribution of materials. Our customer base is almost entirely industrial and yet we still maintain a high level of consumer awareness and positive perception. The DuPont concern for safety dates back to the early 1800s and the first days of the company. In 1802 E.I. DuPont, a Frenchman, began manufacturing quality grade explosives to fill America’s growing need to build roads, clear fields, increase mining output, and protect its recently won independence. Because explosives production is such a hazardous industry, DuPont recognized and accepted the need for an effective safety effort. The building walls of the first powder mill near Wilmington, Delaware, were built three stones thick on three sides. The back remained open to the Brandywine River to direct any explosive forces away from other buildings and employees. To set the safety example, DuPont also built his home and the homes of his managers next to the powder yard. An effective safety program was a necessity. It represented the first defense against instant corporate liquidation. Safety needs more than a well-designed plant, however. In 1811, work rules were posted in the mill to guide employee work habits. Though not nearly as sophisticated as the safety standards of today, they did introduce an important basic concept — that safety must be a line management responsibility. Later, DuPont introduced an employee health program and hired a company doctor. An early step taken in 1912 was the keeping of safety statistics, approximately 60 years before the federal requirement to do so. We had a visible measure of our safety performance and were determined that we were going to improve it. When the nation entered World War I, the DuPont Company supplied 40 percent of the explosives used by the Allied Forces, more than 1.5 billion pounds. To accomplish this task, over 30,000 new employees were hired and trained to build and operate many plants. Among these facilities was the largest smokeless powder plant the world had ever seen. The new plant was producing granulated powder in a record 116 days after ground breaking. The trends on the safety performance chart reflect the problems that a large new work force can pose until the employees fully accept the company’s safety philosophy. The first arrow reflects the World War I scale-up, and the second arrow represents rapid diversification into new businesses during the 1920s. These instances of significant deterioration in safety performance reinforced DuPont’s commitment to reduce the unsafe acts that were causing 96 percent of our injuries. Only 4 percent of injuries result from unsafe conditions or equipment — the remainder result from the unsafe acts of people. This is an important concept if we are to focus our attention on reducing injuries and incidents within the work environment. World War II brought on a similar set of demands. The story was similar to World War I but the numbers were even more astonishing: one billion dollars in capital expenditures, 54 new plants, 75,000 additional employees, and 4.5 billion pounds of explosives produced — 20 percent of the volume used by the Allied Forces. Yet, the performance during the war years showed no significant deviation from the pre-war years. In 1941, the DuPont Company was 10 times safer than all industry and 9 times safer than the Chemical Industry. Management and the line organization were finally working as they should to control the real causes of injuries. Today, DuPont is about 50 times safer than US industrial safety performance averages. Comparing performance to other industries, it is interesting to note that seemingly “hazard-free” industries seem to have extraordinarily high injury rates. This is because, as DuPont has found out, performance is a function of injury prevention and safety management systems, not hazard exposure. Our success in safety results from a sound safety management philosophy. Each of the 125 DuPont facilities is responsible for its own safety program, progress, and performance. However, management at each of these facilities approaches safety from the same fundamental and sound philosophy. This philosophy can be expressed in eleven straightforward principles. The first principle is that all injuries can be prevented. That statement may seem a bit optimistic. In fact, we believe that this is a realistic goal and not just a theoretical objective. Our safety performance proves that the objective is achievable. We have plants with over 2,000 employees that have operated for over 10 years without a lost time injury. As injuries and incidents are investigated, we can always identify actions that could have prevented that incident. If we manage safety in a proactive — rather than reactive — manner, we will eliminate injuries by reducing the acts and conditions that cause them. The second principle is that management, which includes all levels through first-line supervisors, is responsible and accountable for preventing injuries. Only when senior management exerts sustained and consistent leadership in establishing safety goals, demanding accountability for safety performance and providing the necessary resources, can a safety program be effective in an industrial environment. The third principle states that, while recognizing management responsibility, it takes the combined energy of the entire organization to reach sustained, continuous improvement in safety and health performance. Creating an environment in which employees feel ownership for the safety effort and make significant contributions is an essential task for management, and one that needs deliberate and ongoing attention. The fourth principle is a corollary to the first principle that all injuries are preventable. It holds that all operating exposures that may result in injuries or illnesses can be controlled. No matter what the exposure, an effective safeguard can be provided. It is preferable, of course, to eliminate sources of danger, but when this is not reasonable or practical, supervision must specify measures such as special training, safety devices, and protective clothing. Our fifth safety principle states that safety is a condition of employment. Conscientious assumption of safety responsibility is required from all employees from their first day on the job. Each employee must be convinced that he or she has a responsibility for working safely. The sixth safety principle: Employees must be trained to work safely. We have found that an awareness for safety does not come naturally and that people have to be trained to work safely. With effective training programs to teach, motivate, and sustain safety knowledge, all injuries and illnesses can be eliminated. Our seventh principle holds that management must audit performance on the workplace to assess safety program success. Comprehensive inspections of both facilities and programs not only confirm their effectiveness in achieving the desired performance, but also detect specific problems and help to identify weaknesses in the safety effort. The Company’s eighth principle states that all deficiencies must be corrected promptly. Without prompt action, risk of injuries will increase and, even more important, the credibility of management’s safety efforts will suffer. Our ninth principle is a statement that off-the-job safety is an important part of the overall safety effort. We do not expect nor want employees to “turn safety on” as they come to work and “turn it off” when they go home. The company safety culture truly becomes of the individual employee’s way of thinking. The tenth principle recognizes that it’s good business to prevent injuries. Injuries cost money. However, hidden or indirect costs usually exceed the direct cost. Our last principle is the most important. Safety must be integrated as core business and personal value. There are two reasons for this. First, we’ve learned from almost 200 years of experience that 96 percent of safety incidents are directly caused by the action of people, not by faulty equipment or inadequate safety standards. But conversely, it is our people who provide the solutions to our safety problems. They are the one essential ingredient in the recipe for a safe workplace. Intelligent, trained, and motivated employees are any company’s greatest resource. Our success in safety depends upon the men and women in our plants following procedures, participating actively in training, and identifying and alerting each other and management to potential hazards. By demonstrating a real concern for each employee, management helps establish a mutual respect, and the foundation is laid for a solid safety program. This, of course, is also the foundation for good employee relations. An important lesson learned in DuPont is that the majority of injuries are caused by unsafe acts and at-risk behaviors rather than unsafe equipment or conditions. In fact, in several DuPont studies it was estimated that 96 percent of injuries are caused by unsafe acts. This was particularly revealing when considering safety audits — if audits were only focused on conditions, at best we could only prevent four percent of our injuries. By establishing management systems for safety auditing that focus on people, including audit training, techniques, and plans, all incidents are preventable. Of course, employee contribution and involvement in auditing leads to sustainability through stakeholdership in the system. Management safety audits help to make manage the “behavioral balance.” Every job and task performed at a site can do be done at-risk or safely. The essence of a good safety system ensures that safe behavior is the accepted norm amongst employees, and that it is the expected and respected way of doing things. Shifting employees norms contributes mightily to changing culture. The management safety audit provides a way to quantify these norms. DuPont safety performance has continued to improve since we began keeping records in 1911 until about 1990. In the 1990–1994 time frame, performance deteriorated as shown in the chart that follows: This increase in injuries caused great concern to senior DuPont management as well as employees. It occurred while the corporation was undergoing changes in organization. In order to sustain our technological, competitive, and business leadership positions, DuPont began re-engineering itself beginning in about 1990. New streamlined organizational structures and collaborative work processes eliminated many positions and levels of management and supervision. The total employment of the company was reduced about 25 percent during these four years. In our traditional hierarchical organization structures, every level of supervision and management knew exactly what they were expected to do with safety, and all had important roles. As many of these levels were eliminated, new systems needed to be identified for these new organizations. In early 1995, Edgar S. Woolard, DuPont Chairman, chartered a Corporate Discovery Team to look for processes that will put DuPont on a consistent path toward a goal of zero injuries and occupational illnesses. The cross-functional team used a mode of “discovery through learning” from as many DuPont employees and sites around the world. The Discovery Team fostered the rapid sharing and leveraging of “best practices” and innovative approaches being pursued at DuPont’s plants, field sites, laboratories, and office locations. In short, the team examined the company’s current state, described the future state, identified barriers between the two, and recommended key ways to overcome these barriers. After reporting back to executive management in April, 1995, the Discovery Team was realigned to help organizations implement their recommendations. The Discovery Team reconfirmed key values in DuPont — in short, that all injuries, incidents, and occupational illnesses are preventable and that safety is a source of competitive advantage. As such, the steps taken to improve safety performance also improve overall competitiveness. Senior management made this belief clear: “We will strengthen our business by making safety excellence an integral part of all business activities.” One of the key findings of the Discovery Team was the identification of the best practices used within the company, which are listed below: ▪ Felt Leadership – Management Commitment ▪ Business Integration ▪ Responsibility and Accountability ▪ Individual/Team Involvement and Influence ▪ Contractor Safety ▪ Metrics and Measurements ▪ Communications ▪ Rewards and Recognition ▪ Caring Interdependent Culture; Team-Based Work Process and Systems ▪ Performance Standards and Operating Discipline ▪ Training/Capability ▪ Technology ▪ Safety and Health Resources ▪ Management and Team Audits ▪ Deviation Investigation ▪ Risk Management and Emergency Response ▪ Process Safety ▪ Off-the-Job Safety and Health Education Attention to each of these best practices is essential to achieve sustained improvements in safety and health. The Discovery Implementation in conjunction with DuPont Safety and Environmental Management Services has developed a Safety Self-Assessment around these systems. In this presentation, we will discuss a few of these practices and learn what they mean. Paper published with permission.

BIM uses are complex specific processes in architecture, engineering, construction, and operation mediated by Building Information Modeling technologies. Several initiatives are dedicated to detailing these uses in a standardized way, enumerating and describing them in terms of scope, benefits, process maps, required competencies, associated technology, and theoretical framework. Examples of these efforts are Penn State's Computer Integrated Construction Research Program (MESSNER et al., 2019), buildingSMART (2021), and BIM Excellence Organization (SUCCAR; SALEEB; SHER, 2016). This study presents the approach to educate, evaluate and assist Model Uses using templates (Model Use Templates - MUT) of the BIM Excellence Initiative (BIMe). The BIM use is called Model Use in BIMe terminology. In three years, starting in 2021, the initiative intends to detail all the domain model uses listed by the organization (BIMe, 2020). The domain model uses are organized in the series of capture and representation, planning and design, simulation and quantification, operation and maintenance, monitoring and control of buildings and infrastructures. In terms of domain model uses, there is the linking and extending series of BIM integrated to Facility Management, interfaced with the Internet of Things, linked to Enterprise Resource Planning, etc. The initiative developed a Construction Domain Model Use Template (MUT) and applied it as a demonstration for Clash Detection or MUT 4040. This summary will describe the template, its application to Clash Detection, and guidance on how to transform it into a template class to teach Clash Detection with BIM. The MUT consists of an extended description, software list, activity flow, and bibliography. This content is available in the BIM Dictionary associated with the equivalent term (https://bimdictionary.com/en/clash-detection/1). The extended description includes the corresponding term's definition, the detailed description, purpose, and an available online media-list. The detailed description presents the different types of use (e.g., hard, soft, time-based) and benefits. The software list lists platforms and environments used in the model use development. For each platform or environment, there is a list of the vendor or developer, the corresponding technical functionality, the applicable discipline, the software description, the availability of the software in the cloud or location, differentiation of versions, the link to the official website, the model use code that the software can support, specific functionalities associated with the use and availability of a plugin or extension. The activity flow is described using a process map and details in up to 3 hierarchical levels for each macro activity. All the terminology adopted in the MUT is semantically aligned to the various projects and initiatives of BIM Excellence, bringing consistency to the meaning. In the case of MUT 4040, that is, the application of the template for the model use of Clash Detection, the short description is a “Use of the Model representing the use of 3D Models to coordinate different disciplines (e.g., structures and air-conditioning) and to identify/resolve possible conflicts between virtual elements prior to actual construction or fabrication”. The extended description presents the Clash Detection as automated or semi-automated procedures to identify design errors in 3D models, where objects occupy the same space or are too close to violating spatial restrictions. Time-based interferences are conflicts involving temporary objects that compete for the same space at the same time. The benefits are listed, for example, like better project coordination and quality; conflict reduction in the workplace; acceleration of design and delivery processes; and cost reduction through productivity increase. The available online media does not represent the entire process involved in Clash Detection and are generally restricted to confronting models on specific platforms. We advocate that the activity flow should structure the class of model uses in BIM education. In this way, there is a holistic and representative approach to practice. Thus, we advise escaping this model's understanding in a restricted and instrumental way, as it already occurs in most of the online media found. We propose to organize the class program by the macro stages of the activity flow, covering: (i) creation of the strategy for the clash detection in the project in question; (ii) preparation of specific models for federation; (iii) identification of federation environments or model integration; (iv) federation or integration of models; (v) checks for interference in the federated or integrated model; (vi) analysis of the conflicts identified; and (vii) referral to conflict resolution. The details of each of these activities in the template can guide the teacher on how to proceed or prepare educational content. The bibliography listed in the template covers the theoretical framework to support the class in terms of books, scientific articles, and BIM guides. One can develop the class at the level of graduation, extension, or continuing education. Being an undergraduate class, it can be mandatory or elective. Items (i) to (iii) make up the theoretical part of the class, and the rest are essentially practical content. Thus, two types of competency assessment are possible: knowledge and skills. Knowledge can be developed through discussions and seminars. Skills covered are associated with execution or domain skills, according to Succar, Scher, and Willams (2013). Execution skills are associated with learning model verification platforms and collaboration environments. The execution competence generates an instrumental skill that can be provided through individual online training with tutorials. Domain skills are essentially technical (analysis and simulation) and functional (collaboration). These skills must be instigated in a participatory and collaborative way in practical exercises involving cycles of verification of the federated model and adjustments of complementary projects' models. As a suggestion for support material, the teacher should prepare a dataset including models with errors in file naming disobeying conventions, errors in the control elements impacting the overlapping of models, errors of omission or duplication of elements in the models, and errors of data schema in terms of categorization of elements and classification of content. The models must also include issues of all types (hard, soft, and temporal interferences). Errors must be plausible to be identified by different types of verification: visual or script. YouTube presentation: https://youtu.be/cMPaw_kOZtQ

The International Standards Organization (ISO) standard 31000 (Risk Management – Principles and Guidelines) provides guidance on the development of a systematic approach to managing risk within an organization. Using ISO 31000 as a guide, Enbridge Pipelines has enhanced its existing release-focused risk-informed decision-making approach and risk management process. The development of this enhancement has involved engagement of all levels of management and staff, and has required consideration of corporate cultural change, staff communication and training, development of performance measures, and management reporting. This paper provides a high level overview of the ISO 31000 standard as it pertains to its use in the development of the Enbridge Pipelines operational risk management framework, the roadmap for implementation of the framework, and discusses the challenges, successes, learnings, and early results of implementing the framework in a large multi-national pipeline company.

Accident investigation reports and related documents provide a wealth of information for rail professionals, even across different modes of transportation. This information can be used to improve operations, maintenance, safety, training, and emergency response. It can also guide the procurement and design of new equipment and infrastructure. At the same time, the historical nature of the information as well as the volume available and variety of sources can be a barrier to effective use. This paper will provide an introduction to some of the sources of transportation accident data and reports, including the variety of topic-specific information and special reports that are available. The discussion will include less-considered sources of accident information including foreign transportation safety boards as well as specialized federal and state agencies. Accidents that were investigated and reported on by more than one organization are also discussed.

Abstract The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) supports a number of local community initiatives to encourage public involvement in decisions regarding environmental waste management and remediation. Native American tribal communities, in most cases, operate as sovereign nations, and thus have jurisdiction over environmental management on their lands. This paper provides examples of initiatives addressing Native American concerns about past radioactive waste management practices — one addresses uranium mining wastes in the Western United States and the other, environmental contamination in Alaska. These two projects involve the community in radioactive waste management decision-making by encouraging them to articulate their concerns and observations; soliciting their recommended solutions; and facilitating leadership within the community by involving local tribal governments, individuals, scientists and educators in the project. Frequently, a community organization, such as a local college or Native American organization, is selected to manage the project due to their cultural knowledge and acceptance within the community. It should be noted that U.S. EPA, consistent with Federal requirements, respects Indian tribal self-government and supports tribal sovereignty and self-determination. For this reason, in the projects and initiatives described in the presentation, the U.S. EPA is involved at the behest and approval of Native American tribal governments and community organizations. Objectives of the activities described in this presentation are to equip Native American communities with the skills and resources to assess and resolve environmental problems on their lands. Some of the key outcomes of these projects include: • Training teachers of Navajo Indian students to provide lessons about radiation and uranium mining in their communities. Teachers will use problem-based education, which allows students to connect the subject of learning with real-world issues and concerns of their community. Teachers are encouraged to utilize members of the community and to conduct field trips to make the material as relevant to the students. • Creating an interactive database that combines scientific and technical data from peer-reviewed literature along with complementary Native American community environmental observations. • Developing educational materials that meet the national science standards for education and also incorporate Native American culture, language, and history. The use of both Native American and Western (Euro-American) educational concepts serve to reinforce learning and support cultural identity. The two projects adopt approaches that are tailored to encourage the participation of, and leadership from, Native American communities to guide environmental waste management and remediation on their lands. These initiatives are consistent with the government-to-government relationship between Native American tribes and the U.S. government and support the principle that tribes are empowered to exercise their own decision-making authority with respect to their lands.