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Books in Social sciences and humanities

To MOOC or Not to MOOC
How Can Online Learning Help to Build the Future of Higher Education?
1st Edition
May 11, 2015
Sarah Porter
English
Scarcely a week goes by without coverage in the UK and international media about the latest MOOC revelation. Despite some significant initiatives in the dotcom era, online learning has somehow never delivered on its promise to revolutionize education. To MOOC or not to MOOC explores the history of MOOCs and analyses the current MOOC context by describing six institutions and the story of their engagement with MOOCs. Looking at each of the different type of institution in turn, it analyses the processes behind their decision to engage with online learning and MOOCs, how the MOOC project is managed and led, and discusses issues such as quality assurance, governance and partnerships. Chapters draw together and analyse the data and draw out advice for institutions, to help them make choices about how to respond to MOOCs and other high-impact changes in digital education. The book contains checklists and planning tools to support strategy and planning, and concludes with a future look at MOOCs exploring some of the possible trends that may impact upon higher education, such as business models, data and analytics, learning design and competitors in the MOOC marketplace.
The Encyclopedia of Mass Spectrometry
Volume 9: Historical Perspectives, Part B: Notable People in Mass Spectrometry
1st Edition
May 6, 2015
Keith A. Nier + 2 more
English
Volume 9: Historical Perspectives, Part B: Notable People in Mass Spectrometry of The Encyclopedia of Mass Spectrometry briefly reviews the lives and works of many of the major people who carried out this development, providing insights into the history of mass spectrometry applications through the personal stories of pioneers and innovators in the field. The book presents biographies of notable contributors, including Nobel Prize winners J. J. Thomson, Francis W. Aston, Wolfgang Paul, John B. Fenn, and Koichi Tanaka, along with other luminaries in the field, including Franz Hillenkamp, Catherine Clarke Fenselau, Alfred O. C. Nier, and many more, discussing not only the instruments and their uses, but also providing interesting information on the careers, characters, and life stories of the people who did the work.
Peacekeeper's Handbook
International Peace Academy
1st Edition
April 30, 2015
Sam Stuart
English
Peacekeeper's Handbook is a ready reference for the planning and conduct of peacekeeping operations, both within the framework of the United Nations and in a regional or multinational setting. Topics covered include standing operating procedures, operational handling and techniques, logistics, and communications, along with preparation and preparedness and the role of civilian police in peacekeeping operations. Planning and procedures for medical services for international peacekeeping operations are also considered. This guidebook is comprised of 14 chapters and begins with an overview of the theoretical concept of international peacekeeping, followed by a discussion on the main organs of the United Nations, their functions in relation to international peace and security, and their powers and their responsibilities. The following chapters focus on the principles on which the policy on UN peacekeeping is based; the skill and technique requirements for the chief aspects of a peacekeeper's duties; and the organization and procedures for the logistics support of a UN operation at the level of UN Headquarters, Force Headquarters, and National Contingent. The organization and structure of the communications system within a UN Force are then described, along with the organization and procedure employed by the UN and its Forces/Missions to facilitate good public relations and an effective press information service. This text concludes by outlining the main principles and procedures in establishing a medical service. This handbook will be a valuable resource for diplomats, military officers, policymakers, academicians, students, and those interested in dispute settlement and conflict management.
European Social Policy, Today and Tomorrow
Pergamon International Library of Science, Technology, Engineering and Social Studies
1st Edition
April 30, 2015
Michael Shanks
English
European Social Policy, Today and Tomorrow discusses the future of the European Community focusing on nine member-countries. The book discusses that if the members of the European Community were to survive and prosper, they should develop a viable social policy focusing on the problems and priorities of the common man. The text also explains the need for a clearer definition of the relative role of the member-states. The book describes the process leading to European integration and social policy, and compares the achievements that have resulted in terms of full, better employment together with improvement of living and working conditions. The text gives special attention to the employment situation and the inception of the European Social Fund, with an emphasis on the freedom of workers to move around the Community in search of better opportunities for themselves. A chapter also emphasizes the role of community participation and industrial democracy toward a meaningful process of shared decision-making. The book argues that the different social systems can be harmonized through the establishment of the First European Social Budget, which tracks date of expenditures covering health, sickness, unemployment, and occupation diseases. The selection then evaluates problems of poverty, health, environment, as well as inflation and social justice. The text evaluates as well the institutions that are established to address the problems. The book then proposes several changes toward a more responsive, evolving European Community. Diplomats, government policymakers, migrant workers, foreign career service officers, and historians will find this book thought-provoking and helpful.
Prospects for Peace
1st Edition
April 30, 2015
Frank Barnaby
English
Prospects for Peace is an eight-chapter text that focuses on the issues and controversies in the so-called global peace. The first chapters provide a framework of the issues of global peace, the increasing probability of nuclear war, global militarization, and the spread and use of nuclear weapons. These topics are followed by discussions of legal policies concerning nuclear weapon, particularly nuclear war fighting weapon in Europe. A chapter examines the unimaginable consequences of nuclear war. The last chapter emphasizes the prospects for peace, including nuclear weapon disarmament and the control of military science.
The Physical Environment
The Physical Environment
1st Edition
April 30, 2015
D. M. Jones + 1 more
English
This volume covers such issues as sound and vibration, the thermal environment, and the visual environment. It contains conmmentaries from the leading authorities in the field.
Paths to Peace
The UN Security Council and Its Presidency
1st Edition
April 30, 2015
Davidson Nicol
English
Paths to Peace: The UN Security Council and its Presidency documents the works, experiences, and roles of the former presidents of the UN Security Council, which is one of the principal organs of the UN. This book first characterizes the council, including the evolution of its practice and the scope of consensus. This text then describes the scope of power of a president of the council, which is followed by papers presenting a reflection of a former president on his presidency. An intimate and internal view of the presidency by a former Director of the Security Council, Division of the UN Secretariat is then presented. Other papers tackle various experiences of former presidents, particularly in dealing with several nations. This text will be invaluable to those working in the United Nations and aim to learn from the experts, as well as to those academicians and professionals interested in public administration.
Handbook of Digital Currency
Bitcoin, Innovation, Financial Instruments, and Big Data
1st Edition
April 29, 2015
English
Incorporating currencies, payment methods, and protocols that computers use to talk to each other, digital currencies are poised to grow in use and importance. The Handbook of Digital Currency gives readers a way to learn about subjects outside their specialties and provides authoritative background and tools for those whose primary source of information is journal articles. Taking a cross-country perspective, its comprehensive view of the field includes history, technicality, IT, finance, economics, legal, tax and regulatory environment. For those who come from different backgrounds with different questions in mind, The Handbook of Digital Currency is an essential starting point.
The Economics of Screening and Risk Sharing in Higher Education
Human Capital Formation, Income Inequality, and Welfare
1st Edition
April 21, 2015
Bernhard Eckwert + 1 more
English
The Economics of Screening and Risk Sharing in Higher Education explores advances in information technologies and in statistical and social sciences that have significantly improved the reliability of techniques for screening large populations. These advances are important for higher education worldwide because they affect many of the mechanisms commonly used for rationing the available supply of educational services. Using a single framework to study several independent questions, the authors provide a comprehensive theory in an empirically-driven field. Their answers to questions about funding structures for investments in higher education, students’ attitudes towards risk, and the availability of arrangements for sharing individual talent risks are important for understanding the theoretical underpinnings of information and uncertainty on human capital formation.
Entity Information Life Cycle for Big Data
Master Data Management and Information Integration
1st Edition
April 20, 2015
John R. Talburt + 1 more
English
Entity Information Life Cycle for Big Data walks you through the ins and outs of managing entity information so you can successfully achieve master data management (MDM) in the era of big data. This book explains big data’s impact on MDM and the critical role of entity information management system (EIMS) in successful MDM. Expert authors Dr. John R. Talburt and Dr. Yinle Zhou provide a thorough background in the principles of managing the entity information life cycle and provide practical tips and techniques for implementing an EIMS, strategies for exploiting distributed processing to handle big data for EIMS, and examples from real applications. Additional material on the theory of EIIM and methods for assessing and evaluating EIMS performance also make this book appropriate for use as a textbook in courses on entity and identity management, data management, customer relationship management (CRM), and related topics.

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