IPRC - 2016

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/157

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A Review of Data Mining Methods for Educational Decision Support
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Kasthuriarachchi, K.T.S.; Bhatt, C.M.; Liyanage, S.R.
Data mining is a computer based information system which is devoted to scanning huge data repositories, generate information and discover knowledge. It attempts to uncover data patterns, organize information of hidden relationships, structure association rules and many more operations that cannot be performed using traditional computer based information systems. Therefore, data mining outcomes represent a valuable support for decisions making in various industries and education is one domain that can benefit from data mining. Application of data mining in education is living in its spring time and preparing for a hot summer season. Educational data mining emerges as a paradigm oriented to design models, tasks, methods, and algorithms for exploring data from educational settings. Educational Data Mining develops and adopts statistical methods, machine- learning and data mining methods to study educational data generated basically by students and educational instructors. The main goal of applying data mining in education is largely to improve learning by enabling data driven decision making for improve current educational practices and learning materials. Educational knowledge discovery, in data mining point of view can be seen as a similar process of applying the general knowledge discovery and data mining process and in experimental point of view, it can be seen as an iterative cycle of hypothesis formation, testing and refinement which not just turn data into knowledge but, also to filter the mined knowledge for decision making. There are many applications in education arena that have been resolved using data mining. There are more research studies have also been conducted under various educational problem categories and also there are a number of frequently used data mining methods use in Educational Data Mining. Various open source and commercial tools are available to apply data mining methods on the educational data. This study focuses on the identification of various educational problem domains where data mining methods can be applied and to study the suitability of the available data mining methods and the tools to perform Educational Data Mining in Sri Lankan Educational Institutes. The knowledge discovered by this review is expected to generate meaningful insight and provide guidance for important decisions made by educators.
The Most Effective Barrier, do Undergraduate Students Encounter When Taking Online Courses Offered by University
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Wehigaldeniya, D.; Arachchige, O.; Pitigala, G.
As the popularity of the Internet grows, so does the potential for online learning. A great deal of evidence exists which shows that no significant differences should be expected regarding the effectiveness of well-designed online learning compared with well-designed in-person learning (Clark, 1983). The advent of new technologies are providing educators with opportunities to create a variety of effective learning environments, however, many adults students still prefer traditional, academic settings. The purpose of this study is to analyze student barriers to the online courses in the University. This research further aimed to understand which students will face barriers when attempting to learn online, what are those barriers and ultimate aime is to identify how we can help individuals in their learning? The main objective in this study is to identify most effective barrier faced by undergraduate students when taking online courses offered by university. Research sample unit based on infinite universe. It may be changing every time. Therefore, researcher choose snowball sampling method. The purpose of collecting this demographic data was to increase external validity for generalizability applications. According to above research design the researcher has to get four objectives for this study. The methodology applied in the four heading such as source of data. After that the researcher has selected study samples and collected primary data under the observation method. Furthermore researcher has identified independent and dependent variables. Finally analysis this data factor lording method, a frequency by ANOVA. To gain a better understanding about online course retention rates, participants were asked to respond to an item about their experience with online education. Items were meant to distinguish groups of students by their experience with online learning. By dividing research study participants into groups, the researcher was better able to grasp the differences between perceived and actual barriers to online education.
Eliminating female Aedes mosquitoes by spiking blood meals with toxicants as a sex separation method in the context of the sterile insect technique and Incompatible Insect Technique
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Ranathunga, R.M.T.B.; Gunathilaka, P.A.D.H.N.; Udayanga, N.W.B.A.L.; Wijegunawardena, N.D.A.; Abeyewickreme, W.
Ivermectin and spinosad have longevity reducing effects in several insect species, including disease transmitting mosquitoes after feeding blood contaminated with above toxicants on hosts. Therefore, this approach could play an enormous role in mosquito control operations by its use in the female elimination process during mass-rearing, enabling the release of only sterile males in the context of the sterile insect technique (SIT) and incompatible insect technique (IIT) with Wolbachia bacterium. Blood meals of cattle origin were spiked with diffeerenct concentrations (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 ppm) of Ivermectin (Ivotec, 1% w/v) and Spinosad (Spinosyn, 12% w/v) and offered to a batch of adult Ae. aegypti (n = 300) and Ae. albopictus (n = 300) having 1:1 sex ratio in order to obtain an optimal dose for quick and total female elimination. After 24 hours all remaining females and males were aspirated out and transferred in to new cages separately. An additional blood meal with the initially fed concentrations of ivermectin and spinosad was provided after 24 hours, followed by a 48-hour observation of mortality. This experiment was repeated by feeding cattle blood containing a mixture of ivermectin and spinosad in 1:1 ratio from each concentration. Spiked blood with 8 ppm ivermectin and spinosad killed all the fed females of Ae aegypti and Ae. abopictus within 24 to 48 hours. It was observed that the number of fed females gradually increased, when decreasing the toxicity in combination of ivermectin and spinosad (1:1) in blood for both species. Male mortality did not show any significant differences during the study. Mixed feeding of blood with 8 ppm ivermectin and 8 ppm spinosad have shown as the viable treatment to eliminate female Ae aegypti and Ae. abopictus from laboratory colonies.
Growth of Electrodeposited n-Cu2O Thin Films with Tunable Band Edge Position
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Kafi, F.S.B.; Jayathilekea, K.M.D.C.; Wijesundera, R.P.; Siripala, W.
Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) is one of the best candidate for low cost photovoltaic applications due to its optoelectronic properties. Cu2O based solar cell devices have already been reported but the efficiency of the devices are very low compare to the theoretical efficiency limit of 20 %. One of the major drawbacks of the PV devices made with Cu2O is the unfavorable band edge positions of the semicondcutors in contact. Indeed, the possibility of relative band edge shifts of Cu2O with suitable interfacing materials will pave the way for interface engineering to improve the efficiency of Cu2O based devices. In this study we have investigated this possibility of using electrodeposited n-type cuprous oxide thin films deposited using an acetate bath containing 0.1M sodium acetate and 0.01M cupric acetate at various pH values. In order to fabricate Au/n-Cu2O Schottky junction, thin Au layers having the area of 2X2 mm2 were sputtered on these Cu2O films and then these samples were employed with capacitance-voltage measurements to study the flat band potential variations with the pH of the Cu2O film deposition baths. It was observed that pH value of the Cu2O film deposition bath is very sensitive to the flat band potential and observed the flat band potential shift of about 450 mV in the negative direction, as the pH of the deposition bath was changed from 6.2 to 5.5. This result gives a direct evidence that the surface of n-Cu2O film can be modified with the deposition bath pH. The observed shift in the flat band potential is very useful to match the band edge positions of the p-type semicondcutors in contact to fabricate high efficient Cu2O base PV device. National Research council is gratefully acknowledged for the financial assistance through the research grant NRC 15-41.
T-Moms for Restaurants
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Medhavi, Y.A.U.; Wijegunasekara, M.C.
The aim of this study was to identify the drawbacks of a restaurant order management system and suggest a solution. Several such systems were studied and it was identified that customers waiting time to receive an order is considerably high. This is because during peak hours the waiter staff is not sufficient and the service offered is not to the required standard. In addition, the paper menus can be flimsy, hard to navigate, and outdated. To reduce customer’s wait times, management must ensure sufficient staff to present during peak hours and that they are properly trained to provide excellent customer service. These staffing issues can lead to substantial costs for the business. As a result, the Tablet based Menu and Order Management System (T-MOMS) was implemented to resolve these problems using mobile devices. The T-MOMS contains four systems, a mobile application for customers and three web based systems for the admin panel, kitchen and cashier. The order is taken by a mobile device namely, a tablet placed on the restaurant table which acts as a waiter. The mobile application is started by a waiter by logging into the system and assigning the table number and a waiter identification. The waiter identification and table number are saved in the application until that particular waiter logs out. The mobile application has four subsystems namely, display subsystem, assistance subsystem, commenting subsystem and ordering subsystem. The display subsystem displays the complete restaurant menu by categories, special offers’ information and allows the customer to browse all the currently available menu items by category. The assistance subsystem allows the customer to call a waiter for any assistance needed. The commenting subsystem allows customers to create user accounts for adding comments and share experience on Facebook/Twitter. The ordering subsystem allows to select the desired items and make the order. Once the customer makes the order, first he will be able to view the order information that he has ordered including the payment with/without tax and service charge. After the customer confirms the order, the order is transmitted to the kitchen department via Internet for meal preparation. The kitchen web system displays all order information that are received from the tablets. This include the customer details, table number, the waiter identification and the details of the order. After the order is prepared, the waiter will deliver the order to the customer. At the same time, the cashier web system receives the details of the delivered order and the bill is prepared. The web based admin panel system allows the restaurant’s management to add/view/remove/ update menu items and waiters, view reservation information and their cooking status/payment status, update service charge/tax, viewing revenue information over a time period. The T-MOMS system consists of a central server and a database. All ordering and expenditure information is stored in a central database. Eclipse and PHPStorm used as the IDEs. Mainly used languages are HTML, JavaScript, PHP, JAVA, XML. The menu application is designed to be used on 7" tablets as well as it will be supported on smaller screen sizes. As future development, features such as restaurant statistics should be implemented, paying the bill directly through the menu application should be created.
Effective Study Skills Instruction in English for Academic Purpose (EAP): Facilitating Positive Mindset for Student-Centered Learning in Tertiary Education
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Edirisinghe, N.
Transition from secondary education to tertiary education pose a major challenge to many students who undergo not only a change in the medium of instruction but also a pedagogical shift from traditional Teacher Centered Learning (TCL) in the classroom to Student Centered Learning (SCL). In Sri Lanka, English language, generally perceived negatively as ‘kaduwa’, being the current Academic Lingua Franca further discourages many students who have previously studied in their mother tongue, Sinhala or Tamil. Particularly, during the first semester of the academic year, as cited in Hassanbeigi et al (2011), students often encounter problems related to concentration, memory, note taking, test strategies, test anxiety, motivation and attitude, reading and selecting major ideas, organizing and processing information and time management which result in underachievement and failure. In this context, the research aims to determine the implications of effective Study Skills instruction to foster positive academic mindset towards SCL in First-year students. In this action research, a sample group of 150 first-year students from Higher National Diploma in English course of Advanced Technological Institute- Kegalle, a statutory tertiary education body, were selected from two batches. Initially a Study Skills self-assessment test was given to the participants followed by a series of lectures conducted on note taking, critical reading and essay writing and presentation skills. Simultaneously, scores of two assignments given for two course modules in the first-year first semester were evaluated. The same procedure was repeated for the participants for the next batch followed by practice sessions with more emphasis on collaborative learning. At the end of each semester, a post self-assessment test was conducted along with face to face interviews with six lecturers of the particular modules. Majority of the participants perceived Study Skills as a positive step in enhancing academic performance and self-confidence of students. While Study Skill instruction with lectures failed to bring a significant change in the assignment scores, with practice sessions including collaborative learning activities the participants managed to improve considerably. Therefore, it was evident that Study Skill instruction coupled with collaborative learning is more effective in creating a positive attitude towards learning in SCL environment and enhancing academic performance of the students in their first semester of the academic year.
An Investigative Study of the Conflict Resolution Approaches Included in Dhammapada
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Sobhitha Thero, Karandagolle
People of the many countries in the world are involved in internal and external conflicts that are interpersonal and ethnic, economic and social. Therefore, modern scholars have introduced so many conflict resolution theories, such as Human Need theory, Principled Negotiation theory, Community Relation theory, Identity theory, Inter-Cultural Miscommunication theory and Conflict Transformation theory to avoid those conflicts. The Lord Buddha has always paved the way to solve problems that are interpersonal and ethnic economic and social throughout his preaching' In the Dhammapada there are ways and methods which help to resolve conflict for the purpose of benefitting society. Especially the Lord Buddha has composed the stanzas attractively, regarding resolving the conflict which has raised interpersonal conflicts between various people, groups and states. Those methods help to experience happiness, do day-to-day activities with an awakened mind, not be shaken by sadness and be involved in winning and losing. So, we can understand that Dhammapada highlights conflict resolution rather than giving advice. For an example, “Nahi verena verāni-sammantīdha kudācanaṃ Averenacasammanti-esadhammo sanantano” (Yamaka Vagga 5 stanza) ‘Hatred never ceases through hatred in this world, through love (mettā) alone they cease. This is an eternal law.’ Two women avenged themselves in the course of two successive births. In their third birth however, they were compelled to meet the Buddha, who pacified them by preaching to them and advising them not to retaliate. On that occasion Lord Buddha solved that conflict as mediator by using a transformation approach. It is the same as the modern approach called conflict transformation theory. In that way we can find out the conflict resolution approaches in Dhammapada. I specifically try to show that the approaches in Dhammapada are similar to traditional and modern approaches or filled with concepts and theories which can be used for conflict resolution beyond traditional and modern approaches. I examine the Dhammapada to try to adduce optimum treatments and ways to avoid conflicts raised in society and understand primary sources of conflicts. In addition one of the main purposes of this research is to use the Dhammapada to investigate new approaches which help to prevent people from engaging in conflict and suffering.
An Error Analysis of Japanese Business Letters Written by Undergraduates Learning Japanese as A Foreign Language in The University of Kelaniya
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Balasooriya, B.A.D.N.
The technique of writing Japanese business letters is very helpful for students who learn Japanese as a foreign language, especially if they wish to work for a Japanese company. With the aim of improving knowledge on business Japanese, a new Japanese course called “Business Japanese” was started in Kelaniya University in 2014. But the area of writing business letters is identified as a difficult area for students to master, although there are many books about techniques of business writing in Japanese. Most of the time students tend to memorize the examples that are given in text books and if they memorize it incorrectly that mistake will be made by them repeatedly. So this paper aims to specifically extract the errors found in the business letter writings of students, examine the frequency of errors and to point out often committed errors. In this paper, examples of errors made by undergraduates who are specializing in Japanese language, in writing Japanese business letters were collected, analyzed, and evaluated. The data were collected from a course taught in the first semester of 2016, and consisted of errors in internal and external letters written as practice on the use of honorific expressions. Many types of errors related to word choice were found. In particular, inappropriate combinations of recipient name and honorific title, inappropriate combinations of verbs and objects, mixing of respectful and humble language, and insufficient understanding of fundamental Japanese constructions were prevalent. Other types of mistakes included inappropriate layout, incorrect use of abbreviations, and incorrect use of Arabic and Japanese numerals. There was a tendency to make the same mistakes repeatedly, and it was concluded that the guidance offered by textbook examples is insufficient and that systematic training in formal written Japanese is desirable.
A Study on the Contribution of Medical Faculties’ Library Services and How Does it Fulfil the Requirements of Medical Students’ Necessersities: A Case Study on University of Kelaniya and University of Sri Jayawardhanapura
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Kumara, T.U.
The main objective of this study is to identify the library services provided by the Medical Faculty libraries. Other objective of this study are to examin the collection of books in libraries to check the quality and quantity of resources necessersities of the students who are using libraries, to identify the way of providing information regarding newly introduced books, to indentify the mutual understanding between students and officers at libraries, to study the service in the magazine section, and to examin the readers’ attitudes. The samples consisted of the medical students of University of Sri Jayewardenepura and University of Kelaniya.Questionnaiers were distributed as a main part of data collection method.Secondary data were gathered by using of internet resources, books, magazines and articles and data were analyzed using Excel. It was revealed that a large amount of students of the medical faculties are using faculty libraries to gain the information. Also it was recorded that students are highly referring the. Printed media to obtain the knowledge than the electronic media. Moreover, the capacity and fastness of lending sections of said libraries are not sufficient to fulfill the students’ requirements. The Magazine section was used by less number of students. However, it was also it was revealed that the students had satisfied attitudes towards the libraries. This study made recommendations as; expanding the opening hours to create an effective information services, increasing the quantity of books at lending sections, implementing the consultations programmes for readers, and improving the internet facilities.
Prevalence of NS-1 Status of Clinically Suspected Dengue Patients in a Selected Out-Patient Setting
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Kodikara, K.; Jayathilake, S.; Kumarasinghe, B.; Muhandiramlage, T.; Gunesakera, D.; Fujii, Y.
Dengue infection is one of the rapidly emerging arboviral infections in the world. It is a cause of significant morbidity and mortality especially in developing countries. Although most dengue infections are asymptomatic, dengue fever can be manifested with or without complications. Early diagnosis of dengue is important both clinicians and the patients, where appropriate management of dengue patients reduces both morbidity and mortality. Traditionally dengue infection is clinically suspected with full blood count aided by clinical features although dengue infection cannot be confirmed by either of these methods. Confirmatory tests for detection of the dengue virus are by virus isolation or by nucleic acid detection. which are not suitable for routine diagnosis. NS-1 rapid antigen test has become available for early detection of dengue NS1 antigen, which can be performed at the point of care. Estimate the prevalence of NS1 positivity in dengue suspected patients with acute febrile illness in a selected study setting Blood samples from clinically suspected patients within the first five days of fever were sent for NS1 diagnosis to the molecular laboratory in the department of Biochemistry Faculty of Medicine Ragama. Clinical diagnosis was made by a medical officer. Serum was used for the NS1 diagnosis using Inbios Diagnostic kit (USA). 22.2% of samples were tested positive for NS-1 antigen in a total of 54 samples collected. There were 53.7% males. 9.2% patients were below 10 years of age, 37% patients between 11-20 years of age, 20.3% patients between 21-30 years and 31.4% patients above 31 years of age. 30 % of patients between 11-20 years were NS-1 positive. 36.3 % of patients between 21-30 years of age and 11.7% patients above 31 years of age were also NS-1 positive. NS-1 antigen prevalence was highest among patients between the ages of 11-30 years. Initial clinical assessment of dengue infections is of low specificity as the disease manifests as an undifferentiated febrile illness. Therefore, the inclusion of an antigen test will improve the specificity of diagnosis in a similar out-patient setting which will enable clinicians to make decisions on the further management of the condition.
Key Factors Effecting the Customer Adoption to Internet Banking: A Case Study on a Private Banks
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Raja, R.
Banking industry in Sri Lanka plays a vigorous role in managing financials assets of the country. This conventional type of banking consumed a considerable amount of time of the customers as well as the bank. The cost involved in conventional banking is much higher than the digital banking. Internet banking is now catching the banking industry at a rapid phase by eliminating and transforming the conventional banking activities to a web based online system. The increased of competitive gravities and the speed of the technology changers are leading to a speedy growth of internet banking. As to face the competitiveness of the bank, it introduced customer’s internet banking service. However, adoption of internet banking shows a low user rate. The objective of the study was to identify key factors that effecting customer adoption of internet banking and the relationship between each of the factors. Through literature review five factors identified they are customer perception and conduct, technology readiness marketing and promotions, service quality and risk. Due to several limitations research was conducted among the internal and external customers users and nonusers of the internet banking. To cover the entire country Colombo region, North region, Greater Colombo, Central Colombo, Southern regions were selected. 100 questionaire was posted and 60 complete response were gathered from the above region. The method used for the study is the quantitative method questionnaire survey was posted. The finding done through a structured questionnaire and results were analyzed through SPSS software. The results shows that customer perception and technology readiness were not significant and it had a weak relationship with internet banking marketing promotions, service quality have moderate positive relationship with internet banking and risk had moderate negative relationship. Banks should make more attention to improve customer perception and conduct and technology readiness to have a relationship with internet banking, awareness programmers should be introduced for customer about the benefits of internet banking, bank should implement proper customer inquiries promptly, security plays a major role in internet banking and dual password should be introduced. The study further revels when the risk is low adoption of internet banking is high because it had a negative relationship.
To Review Safety of the Internet and Privacy of New Production Methods
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Perera, L.C.P.; Ekanayaka, E.M.P.M.B.
At present 40% of the world population use internet daily. The percentage keeps on increasing day by day. According to the Alexa ranking, Google.com, youtube.com, facebook.com, Baidu.com, Yahoo.com, and Wikipedia.org are the widely used websites and search engines today. Moreover, there are uncountable number of active accounts existing in the internet. At times, apart from personal details of users, those accounts also include sensitive data. Several policies of creating passwords such are using number of digits, using symbols, using upper case letters and lower case and need to update passwords within several period of time are in use throughout the world. The main objective of this is to prevent and minimize the chances of attacks such as Hacking, Hijacks, Trojans and Key loggers. Nevertheless, there are high risks of account passwords being hacked and gaining unauthorized access to accounts due to some practices of users which include saving passwords on the browsers and using very simple and guessable passwords. Most of the time users tend for these practices due to the difficulty in remembering complex passwords and unwillingness to type passwords over and over again. This issue could be addressed through high security password encryption and decryption software and developing high security Password Saver Software (All in one Password)
Effect of Concentration of Cd2+ on the Material Properties of CdTe Thin Films Electrodeposited via a Two Electrode Electrolytic Cell
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Wedisinghe, K.C.; Atapattu, H.Y.R.; de Silva, D.S.M.
Cadmium telluride (CdTe) is a vital semiconductor material which can absorb most of the electromagnetic radiation of solar energy spectrum to yield more efficient solar cells. Among the thin film fabrication methods, electrodeposition is an emerging technique to produce good quality CdTe materials using either two or three electrode system. This study was performed using the two electrode electrolytic system to investigate the effect of Cd2+ concentration on the material properties of CdTe thin films to enhance its photovoltaic activities. Electrodepositions of CdTe were carried out in an aqueous electrolyte which was prepared utilizing analytical grade CdSO4 as the cadmium and TeO2 as the tellurium precursors. Fluorine doped tin oxide coated conducting glass (1×3 cm2) and high purity carbon electrode were used as the working (cathode) and counter electrodes (anode) respectively in the electrolytic cell used for the depositions. The concentration of TeO2 was maintained around 1 mmol/L throughout while varying the CdSO4 concentration from 1.00 mol/L to 1.50 mol/L. pH of the electrolyte was initially adjusted to 2.2 and depositions were carried out in the cathodic potential range of (1.33 - 1.37) V at 65 °C while stirring at continuous stirring rate of 60 rpm. The resulting electrodeposited CdTe layers were heat treated for 10 minutes at 400 °C in air and subsequently, their optical, electrical morphological and structural properties were studied using UV-visible spectrophotometry, photo-electrochemical cell, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. As elucidated by the results, at the deposition potentials of 1.34 V and 1.35 V, the short circuit current and open circuit voltage values were increased with the increasing of concentration of Cd2+ from 1.00 mol/L to 1.25 mol/L while the band gap energy reached to its theoretical value of 1.50 eV.
Virtualization for small and medium-size businesses
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Pitigala, P.K.G.C.
People were talking about virtualization all the time. They’re usually talking about enterprises and data centers and they usually mean server virtualization. But desktops can be virtualized too, it can be helpful to small and medium-size businesses. In here researcher was consider desktop virtualization. Desktop virtualization, as many firms look to extend the benefits of virtualization to their end users. Computer virtualization is a method of partitioning a computer hardware and in return presents multiple virtual machines on the computer platform providing the ability to run multiple operating systems and configurations without requiring multiple standalone computer systems. The study was thoroughly under taken by the researchers by focusing on the problem of the complex desktop environments, security and compliance issues. One of the original forms of computer virtualization on a centralized architecture model was used with mainframe technology. Virtualization and its unique architecture have many characteristics and advantages over traditional non-virtualized machines. This paper efforts to recognize the above-mentioned issues, risks, and differences caused by traditional non-virtualized machines. The system has been developed using VMs applications. server virtualization has been around for more than 10 years and while issues such as storage and I/O bottlenecks can still rear their head, the multi-faceted advantages offered by virtualization are real and attainable even if people run a small business and since them competitors may not have discovered the benefits of the technology yet they may gain a significant competitive advantage.
A Comparative Study of Hindi and Sinhala Idioms: With Reference to Selected Idioms in Connection with Human Body Parts
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Gunarathne, M.C.
Idioms plays an inseparable role in Hindi and Sinhala languages which are belong to Indo- Aryan language family. In these two languages there are various idioms which indicate human body parts with related to their own culture. The purpose of this study is to examine how body parts have been used in Hindi and Sinhala idioms. Dictionaries of idioms have been used as primary resource. Books and magazines related to Sinhala and Hindi literature have been used as secondary resource. This paper indicates that there are some idioms which have been based on the same human body part as well as in some causes different body parts have been used to convey the same meaning. This paper highlights that there are more Hindi Idioms which are based on human body parts rather than in Sinhala. It also highlights that some idioms based on body parts such as ‘mɑ̃g bhərnɑː’ (married woman) are difficult to understand without knowing the cultural background of the language. Another finding of this research is that there are more Hindi idioms on body parts which conveys more than one meaning but in Sinhala language it is hard to find such causes. The above mentioned findings of this paper help us to understand Hindi and Sinhala idioms based on body parts according to the cultural background of its’ own.
An Examination of the Holistic Development of Adolescence and the Creative Process in Dance Education
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Vitharana, W.
The psychologist Jean Piaget called the cognitive development changes during adolescence the formal operations stage, during which adolescents become adept at mentally manipulating the world around them and systematically manipulating variables during scientific experimentation. Adolescence is also a time for rapid psychological development. There are certain characteristics of adolescence holistic development that are more deep-seated in culture than in human biology or psychological structures. Learning has been defined as the "symbolic and behavioral heritage received from the past that provides a community framework for what is valued”. Precept is learned and socially shared, and it affects all aspects of an individual's life. Social responsibilities, sexual expression, and belief system development, for instance, are all things that are likely to vary by evolution. Combinations of behavioral studies have demonstrated that the development of executive functions, i.e. cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills, that enable the control and coordination of thoughts and behavior are generally associated with the preferential. The purpose of this study is to examine the psychological foundation of adolescence within the creative process in dance and to examine how the creation of dance affects holistic development in Adolescence. The Method of study is qualitative and the data analysis is based on content analysis. Dance educators may find this information useful to design dance curriculum. The growing body of knowledge on dance and learning may help educators to find effective ways in which dance can facilitate learning during adolescence. This study contributes to our understanding of how learning takes place through movement-creation, and provides evidence that helps dance educators to be advocates for the integration of Sri Lankan art forms into the secondary school curriculum. While it is likely that dance has many links with learning in traditional academic settings, this focus has practical benefits because public education, in general, privileges adolescence development.
National Non-Governmental Organization’s Influence on Policy Making: Special Reference to Sri Lanka in Post-War Period
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Fernando, H.S.G.
Non-governmental organizations have become influential actors in the world of politics. NGOs are basically defined as “a non-profit entity whose members are citizens or associations of citizens of one or more countries and whose activities are determined by the collective will of its members in response to the members of the one or more communities with which the NGO cooperate”. As there are several classifications of NGOs, they can be classified as international NGOs, national NGOs, humanitarian NGOs, human rights NGOs, advocacy NGOs, regional NGOs and etc. Most of the time, national NGOs have become critical non-state actors in each and every country. According to realist theorists, nation states always strategically think to maintain their sovereignty for their survival and largely ignore those non-government actors which having no real power in international politics. Constructivists and institutionalists have spawned a variety of theories that have explanative power with regard to NGO roles in international relations which will be considered more fully. The emergence of NGOs in Sri Lanka basically started due to the causes of civil war in North. The increased refugee flows, conflict resolution and poor food and health care services encouraged humanitarian NGOs to function in Sri Lanka. Not only the international NGOs, but also the national NGOs also contributed largely for the humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka. After the eradication of the conflict in Sri Lanka, national NGOs take part in influencing the policy making mechanisms to strengthen the post-war harmony. Therefore this research is mainly examine what kind of influence the national NGOs impose on the policy making process in Sri Lanka in post-war period. The main objective of this study is to find the impact of national NGOs in policy making and what kind of fields that have been influenced by NGOs to prosper better policy making mechanisms. The study has been conducted using both primary and secondary data and used qualitative data analysis techniques. Secondary data have been collected from books, journals, reports, and academic publications. Primary data have collected by interviewing diplomats, government officers, and NGO staff members through unstructured questionnaire method through convenience sampling method. The study has identified that national NGOs influence in policy making in strengthening good governance, transparency and accountability, justice, and collaborative for projects of Sri Lanka. Through different strategies they make the public aware of information and promoting essential polices to be implemented in the country.
The Psychological Manipulation of Advertising in the Modern World a Discussion of Revealing Advertising as Manipulative or Informative
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Dissanayake, A.; Jayasinghe, N.
Marketing is a universal management process that identifies, anticipates and satisfies customer requirements profitably. Advertising is used as the core of marketing in the present context. This paper focused on the topic that the advertising as information or manipulation and proving the fact that the modern advertising techniques are manipulative. The topic has narrowed down to sub topics such as advertising, the importance, characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, the highest advertising investments and the ethical aspects. The paper has collected qualitative and quantitative data; primary sources including the views of experts, interview sessions, observations and the secondary sources through the measurements of advertising growth. The modern advertising methods has restricted the freedom of choice of consumers by the power of manipulative advertising. The psychological techniques are being used including creating a subconscious motivation via conveying a subliminal message, creating perception through selective attention, selective distortion, selective retention and priming. The learning techniques are being persuaded through repetition including operant conditioning through positive reinforcement, classical conditioning through celebrities and brand ambassadors. The consumer behavior is influenced in related with AIDA concept &PLC through psychological manipulation and emotional appeal. The purpose of this paper is aware the target audience to realize the techniques of manipulative advertising by their free choice of decision making. The customer has to choose the best product or the service through realizing the disadvantages it can cause to the community and avoid the influence of harmful products and services. The unethical manipulative advertising will effect physically, financially and socially. The mechanism of investment in advertising and the impact of economic growth will be discussed. The ethical aspects of manipulative advertising depends on the service or the product and relies on the theme of the company. The customer should realize the product or service which is harmless to him by differentiating its’ value to the society. Manipulative advertising is not unethical but it depends on the factor which the product is harmful or harmless to the society.
The Influence of Neighbours on Helping Behaviors of People
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Sobitha Thero, Karapikkada; Piyadhamma Thero, Attaragoda
Pro-social behavior is one of the very interesting topics in Social Psychology today. Helping others is a type of pro_social behavior. Social Psychologists who investigate on pro_social behaviors are highly concerned with factors that influence helping behaviors. In this research, the influence of neighbours on helping behaviors was investigated using natural observational method. This research was conducted with 20 volunteer participants and they were divided into two equal groups as first group and second group. The first group was asked to sit on front seats on the buses and advised to help beggars who beg on the buses while the second group was asked to sit on front seats and advised not to help beggars. The research was conducted at general bus stand of new town, Anuradhapura. It was clear that beggars earned more money from buses where the first group sat in the front seats when compared to the earnings from buses which the second group sat in the front seats. Therefore, it can be concluded that the neighbours influenced the helping behaviors of people Therefore, finally, this research concluded that neighbors influence on helping behaviors of people.
Heritage Management Issues of Pidurangala Beritage Site
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Rathnayake, S.
Pidurangala is a heritage site, which is situated very close to Sigiriya world heritage site. Pidurangala has a direct link with king Kashyapa and the Sigiriya kingdom. Though Sigiriya is a world heritage site and a famous tourist attraction, Pidurangala is not much popular as a heritage site among visitors. The main objective of this study was to identify the heritage management issues of Pidurangala and secondary objective was to introduce a proper heritage management plan to attract visitors. The research problem was “what are the issues related to heritage management in Piduranagala?” Both primary and secondary sources were used to collect data. Printed media (books) and electronic media (internet) were used as primary sources and field observation was used as the secondary source. There were many issues related to heritage management in Pidurangala site. No proper site interpretation, cleaning and maintenance issues, inadequate infrastructure and sanitary facilities, vandalism are some major problems. It is important to avoid these issues and rearrange the site. A proper management plan can be introduced using the following steps: 1. Welcoming the visitors and fulfilling their requirements 2. Defining the value of the site 3. Proper maintenance 4. Prevention of vandalism 5. Visitor management Greeting of the guests, establishing infrastructure facilities, introducing proper a security system, gardening and landscaping, introducing a signage system, developing secondary attractions are some recommendations for a proper heritage management plan for the Pidurangala heritage site.