Browsing by Author "Weerasinghe, D."

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Effect of Gender in ICT Literacy: A Case Study of Sri Lankan Trainee Teachers
(Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Amarathunga, P.A.B.H.; Pathiratne, S.; Weerasinghe, D.
The exordium of information and communication technology (ICT) into the scholastic sector engendered incipient gregarious typecasts and gender divergences. Since the invention of a computer, ICT-cognate activities have been viewed as a male domain (Brosnan& Davidson, 1996) or something for boys Reinen&Plomp, 1996). As several research reviews and meta analyses summarized, boys were more fascinated with ICT than girls, they were heavier users of computers, had more positive postures about computers and consequently outperformed girls in their ICT literacy (Reinen&Plomp, 1996; Volman& Eck, 2001). However, a number of recent studies evidenced that ICT-cognate distinctions between females and males abated mainly in the access to ICT and rudimental computer skills (Busch, 1995; Rainer, Laosethakul, &Astone, 2003). Meanwhile, gender inequalities now emerged in incipient areas of ICT use (Rainer et al., 2003). In Sri Lankan Context this study is the first one.This study aims to get an insight into gender differences of aspiring edifiers. Gender differences in self-reported ICT experience and ICT literacy among trainee edifiers are investigated. Dynamic model of ICT literacy is employed. Three main components of aspiring teacher’s ICT literacy are covered: (1) present general quandary-solving and technical ICT capabilities; (2) circumstantial and longitudinal sustainability; and (3) transferability of ICT capabilities into future professional domain. The study was predicated on self-assessment research methodology. The questionnaire coalesced multiple quantification implements and included seven components. The participants were the first year students at one of the Colleges of Edification in Western Province of Sri Lanka. Two hundred and seventeen students were enrolled in the program: Male and Female occupation was 66 (30.4%) and 151 (69.6%) respectively.Findings denote that no consequential differences were found between females and males’ precedent experience with ICT. Male respondents on mediocre operated computers considerably more hours per week than females. Consequential distinctions between males and female’s technical ICT capabilities and circumstantial and longitudinal sustainability were observed. Male marks were greater. In the regression analysis, when the influence of the contextual and ICT experience variables was controlled, gender failed to be a consequential presager of the sustainability scores. However, it remained a consequential prognosticator of some trainee edifier’s scores, cognate to their technical ICT capabilities.
Implementation of VoIP in University of Kelaniya
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Pathirana, T.; Solangaarachchi, I.; Weerasinghe, D.
In many enterprise level environment, it was a habit to inherit Private Branch Exchanges or PBX to reduce telephone costs by not using public switched telephone networks (PSTN) for internal voice calls. Earlier days traditional POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) PBX severed this purpose. In modern technical era, calling through Internet or Internet Protocol (IP) Telephony or Voice-over IP (VoIP) is a technology that allows delivery of audio and other multimedia content over the Internet. With the advances of Internet and VoIP systems, many enterprises are migrating from POTS PBX to VoIP PBX as those systems promises high quality voice transferring plus many added services like video conferencing, MMS, Chat, easy billing, monitoring, etc. With new additions of multi-story buildings and with the high data speed network implementations it was a mere truth that incorporating VoIP will further reduce costs in implementing and maintaining voice call systems. This paper describes the implementation of a VoIP based communication solution designed for University of Kelaniya. It is quite evident that larger portion in university budget is accounted as the PBX maintaining charges. But with introduction of VoIP, we can use the existing Local Area Network and the single network connection terminating at the user premises for connecting both telephone handset and the computer. Therefore, avoids the cost for cabling of new connections and maintenance. Additionally, the quality of the calls would be significantly elevated. As the main component of this proposed system, an free and open source Asterisk based SIP system was compiled on an existing Ubuntu server, here SIP or Session Initiation Protocol refers to a signaling protocol designed to create, modify and terminate a multimedia session over the internet protocol. Basic requirement to initiate SIP PBX is to identify a suitable numbering plan which can be used with future provisioning, therefore a four-digit number system was utilized for the task. Also the customization of Asterisk according to University needs, implementation of Interactive Voice Responses and user metering was done. Then the system was connected to the traditional PBX through an E1 trunk so that it will enable users to call within two systems. Softphones were used between IT staff, as they allowed roaming capability if used in a wireless network. Hard wired phones were also used for testing. After the implementation the only costs accounted were, for the new hard phones and E1 trunk. In its implementation we had to focus on performance, quality of service, reliability and availability, scalability, obsolescence and service life, security and regulatory issues, electricity and backup power, network traffic and bandwidth. When looking at the financial benefits to university, maintaining traditional PBX cost more than using this stated system as it totally depends on the existing LAN. Because of the maintenance is done by the university IT staff as their daily duty, no additional costs will apply for installing, commissioning and maintaining of VoIP system. Even though the initial costs will be high, it is an added advantage that VoIP users are able to call freely within the National Research and Education Network if they are connected in such a method. But all outgoing calls to the PSTN will still be billed as we are legally bound not to route voice calls through commodity Internet.
School Principals’ Management Styles and its Influence on Primary Schools Teachers Motivation in Kurunegala District of Sri Lanka
(Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Pathiratne, S.; Amaratunga, P.A.B.H.; Weerasinghe, D.
Primary School administration in Sri Lanka is bedeviled with a plethora of quandaries most of which emanate from shortages in management styles of leaders of these institutes. There have been times when edifiers had to stage open protests to register their displeasure about School Principals‟ management styles which they often described as lack of administrative and management Skills. This situation has often led to low morale among edifiers and consequently this study fixates on ascertaining the effects of School Principals‟ management styles on teachers‟ motivation in Primary Schools in Sri Lanka. The study additionally endeavors to visually examine and expound how School Principals‟ informal relationship with edifiers accommodates as a motivation for edifiers to work to achieve institutional goals.The descriptive design was espoused for this study. The population comprised 10 Primary School Principals and 633 edifiers in the Kurunegala District. The sample for this study comprised 100 teachers who were randomly culled from the public Primary Schools in the Kurunegala District.The study, among other things, revealed that most edifiers optically discern their Principals as bosses and not as friends. Again, it was exposed that though edifiers were involved in decision making, the genuine setting of aims for a school were left in the hands of the Principal. It was ergo recommended for School Principals to adopt the Management by Walking About and Management by Objective so as to get more proximate to their edifiers in the running of schools. Predicated on the research it is recommended that Principals of schools be given in-Service training to improve them on how to coalesce the utilization of the two management styles to incentivize their edifiers to perform and Principals of the miscellaneous schools should be able to delegate some of their obligations to other assistant Principals. Withal Efforts should be made to perpetually involve the edifiers in the decision making process in the school to boost their motivation to perform.