Browsing by Author "Alahakoon, Champa N. K."

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The division of labour involvement is an ultimate result of the production of palm leaf manuscripts? In relation to the Sri Lankan palm leaf manuscripts
(The Library, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2023) Alahakoon, Champa N. K.
The traditions of writing on palm-leaves in Ceylon began in the 1st century AD, making a highly successful period. However, these materials couldn’t be used in their natural state for writing and required preparation involving the collaboration of skilled craftsmen such as ironsmiths, blacksmiths and carpenters. Palm-leaf manuscript must be consisted of four components: wooden boards (pot kambā), written palm leaves (pat iruwa), string (huya) and the ornament attached to the string (sakiyā). In order to complete these four components, the support of many people is needed. Creating palm-leaf manuscript was a complex skill to master, unlike modern printing of exercise books. This study aimed to explore the Production of Palm-Leaf manuscripts and the intricate labour Division process. The desk research method was utilised with existing documents and previous research over a particular topic. Through this study, it was tried to collect the information from the beginning of preparation of palmleaves and the internal labour contribution until the completion of manuscripts by considering the labour force, equipment, arts and skills that were used to preparing the palm-leaves for writing purposes. According to the published literature, attention has primarily given to the preservation of palm-leaf, the act of writing, their characteristics, available collections, catalogues of palm-leaf manuscripts, and the temples and locations where these manuscripts are stored. However, there is a dearth of writing documentation and discussion regarding the various art, tools, technological aspects, and labour involvement of the palm-leaf manuscript creation process. More specifically, the preparation of the manuscripts, the decorative aspects, the finishing touches, and the diverse roles of artisans and labourers in the production process also have been highlighted as areas that lacked sufficient documentation and discussion. Through this research, a more comprehensive understanding of the rich tradition of palmleaf manuscript production in the country was pursued.
Preliminary analysis on Diploma Students’ Satisfaction in Online Learning during the COVID- 19 pandemic: Sri Lanka Library Association
(Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2023) Alahakoon, Champa N. K.
This study aims to measure the satisfaction, successfulness and challenges faced by the Diploma students of Sri Lanka Library Association during the pandemic period. The survey was conducted using Google forms. Approximately 225 questionnaires were sent to the students via WhatsApp, and 194 (88.5%) responses were received. SPSS software use for the data analysis. The results showed that more than 50% of the students agreed to online education during the lockdown. Students indicated that online mode is secure their health (98%) during this lockdown than having face-to-face classes. The study indicated that 97(49.9%) students were highly satisfied with online teaching, and 36.5% were neutral. The majority of students (78.9%) used smart phones however, the usage of desktops, laptops, and tablets was not highly utilized (19%) for e-learning. Alternatpively, 41.8% tried to find notes through the web page and whatsApp groups, while 23.7% of students sought help from friends to recover the lessons. The challenges reported included not being able to clearly hear the lecture 88 (45.4%), expensive equipment 85(43.8%), poor internet connection 84(43.3%), difficulty in timely logging on 84(43.3%), and feeling of isolation while attending class 82(42.3%). It is recommended to enhance the practical effectiveness of the online course.