ICH 2015

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/10225

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    Building Online Learning Communities: Design Principles and Strategies
    (University of Kelaniya, 2015) Gunawardena, C.N.
    Too many higher education institutions have rushed into online education without understanding how to design effective socio-technical learning environments that utilize the networking capabilities of the Internet. This workshop will equip you with the essential background and skills for conceptualizing, designing, and developing online learning communities that engage in collaborative inquiry-based learning. It will demonstrate how social media and online learning can support the advancement of collaboration to support trends in higher education. We will explore a learning design model for online learning that details principles and strategies for developing an online learning community, providing mentoring and learner support for students to engage in inquiry-based learning. The goal of this workshop is to design a community building activity and an online collaborative learning experience for a selected discipline or organization to be delivered by a Learning Management System such as Moodle, or a combination of social media.
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    Advice from a Journal Editor
    (University of Kelaniya, 2015) Braine, G.
    Publication in international refereed journals is now a requirement for career advancement in most countries. The presenter, who edited an applied linguistics journal for 10 years, has observed that manuscripts submitted by many authors are not even sent out for review because the authors appear to be unaware of the publication process. This seminar provides participants advice on how to succeed in getting past the gatekeepers (journal editors and manuscript reviewers) when submitting manuscripts to academic journals, with specific reference to journals in applied linguistics. Some of the topics covered are understanding the publication process, choosing the right publication, generating more than one publication from a study, replicating research, composing effective titles, using clear visuals, drafting clear cover letters, making the editors’ and reviewers’ tasks easier, and revising effectively.
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    The way we think: the human brain and Artificial Intelligence
    (University of Kelaniya, 2015) Ozawa, S.
    The problem of “How to think” has been a fascinating one in science. Actually,a model of the computer was produced by studying the procedures of data processing in the human brain. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now one of the most popular themes in computer science. In this lecture, I introduce some interesting previous studies done in relation to the topic of how to think. The first example is the method of thinking undertaken by Igo (囲碁) players. Igo is a popular game in East Asian countries. There are many professional Igo players. They are trained on how to think strategically to win the game. The next examples are taken from psychology and physics. From these examples, I will show that there are two types of thinking: (1) instinctive thinking and (2) logical thinking. The former is carried out only in the human brain, while the latter can be simulated by a computer. The problems of how to think, how to understand, and how to express oneself are closely related. As an example of AI methods, my recent work on the study of decision-making processes in society is also explained. From the considerations based on the examples, I examine what we should pay attention to in order to think well. In conclusion, I suggest that the best method of thinking is to use the human brain in its best condition together with getting possible assistance from computer systems (AI).
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    The Bewitchment of the Humanities
    (University of Kelaniya, 2015) Gunasekera, M.
    The Keynote Address of the International Conference of the Humanities 2015 deals with the dynamics and pitfalls of research in the vast area of the Humanities. Beginning with its origin in Philosophy, the study of language, in Wittgenstein’s terms, has led to a form of bewitchment of our intelligence. This research paper traces the links of language study with the Social Sciences, Humanities and Cognitive Sciences and concludes with the dilemmas of research in the 21st century.
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    An Analysis on the Differences in the Tea Culture between China and Britain
    (University of Kelaniya, 2015) Xunjie, L.
    When tea was discovered by Chinese, it was initially used as a herb. After it was culturally integrated, a specific tea culture began to develop. In China, under the influence of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, Chinese tea culture was formed on the basis of cultivation. In the 17th century, tea began to enter European market. Although many countries had joined the Chinese in the consumption of tea, only the British established their own systematic tea culture. China and British formed their respective systems of tea culture within different cultural backgrounds. The contrasts in the connotations of tea culture between China and British given in this paper were both material and spiritual. First, this paper introduces the origin of tea and the spread of Chinese tea in Western countries. Then it emphasizes the definition and connotation of tea culture, and explains the formation of Chinese and British tea cultures through a fairly detailed description of the historical, economic and political impacts of the two countries upon the formation of a tea culture. Next, it analyzes and contrasts the significance of Chinese and British tea cultures from material and spiritual respects. Finally, the paper makes a summary statement about reasons that lead to the differences between Chinese tea culture and its British counterpart. This paper takes the difference between the tea cultures in Chinese and British as its study subject, and attempts to identify the essential material and spiritual differences between the two kinds of tea cultures.
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    A Survey on Sri Lankan students’ learning motivation and proper recommendations for teaching strategy
    (University of Kelaniya, 2015) Wong, Y.
    Learning motivation has always been one of the important emotional factors, which effects students’ language learning, it has inevitably imposed a great impact on the language learning of Chinese language learners in Sri Lanka. Motivation itself is a complex dynamic psychological process, to study this not only requires the comprehensive research into the internality of learners, but also should the externality of language students be taken into account as well. A research into learners’ learning motivation from various perspectives is a win-win result, which on one hand helps students know better about their own learning state, but on the other hand also provides academic teaching support for teachers so that students could perform better in Chinese language learning. This article is based on the theoretical support of studying motivation from subjects such as education, psychology, and second language acquisition. By drawing on the studies in the teaching fields of scholars worldwide from both Chinese and English language, it aims at the further study and analysis of Sri Lankans’ language learning motivation in the form of questionnaire. The main purpose of the research is to find features of the locals’ learning intention and the reasons for doing so, and also to lay a solid foundation for TCSOL teaching. According to the findings from questionnaire and analysis that we studied, most of Sri Lankans’ studying motivations are quite clear. Their motivation differs in three different dimensions, which are gender, age and Chinese language level respectively.
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    A review of the social backgrounds of the Kandy and Matara literature periods, according to the “Pali Attaka”
    (University of Kelaniya, 2015) Wimalarathana, K.R.
    An element which consists of eight parts is referred to asAttaka in Pali. This word is built from the Ashtaka of Sanskrit. The “Ganga Shatakaya” is the oldest poem in the history of Attaka literature which has been written by the great writer Walmiki with the purpose of giving thanks to the river Ganga. While this poem refers to water as a noble elementVaidika literature and the Rig wedaya in general indicate that all water, fire and the wind are noble elements.On the other hand the gods like ‘Indra’, ‘waruna” and ‘Agni’ are more powerful and respectable according to above mentioned literatures. The roots of the concept of Attaka is found in the Rig wedayaand there are eight parts such as ‘Guhattaka suththa’, ‘Dhuttattaka suththa’, ‘suddhattaka Suththa’ ‘Jayamangala attakaya’, ‘Seehalinda attakaya’ ‘Paramaththaka suththa’of attaka wagga in Pali attaka suththa nipatha. Among these, Jayamangala attaka and seehalinda attaka are the oldest attaka in Sri Lanka. As literature progressed the attaka was written for Lord Buddha, the kings and other great people in Sri Lanka.The political background of Kandy and Matara became more complex after the colonial period and the standard of literature plummeted as a result of subsequent wars and the poor political conditions. One of great heroes of Sri Lanka, Weliwita Saranankara fought against the Ganinnanasela, re-established the Upasampadawa and paved the way to free of religion and the power of the literature. The social conditions of the Kandy and Matara period have been revealed by the pali Attaka as below. 1. Details of mudali and wasala mudali. 2. Details of the previous cast system. 3. Administration of the British governors. 4. Literature and the religious development by weliwita Saranankara thero. 5. How to cut off the literature from the religion. 6. Usage of the literature for social benefits.
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    Theravada Men and Women of Sri Lanka: A Scrutiny of Individual Identity Construction under the influence of Theravada Buddhism and Gender in Theravada Man
    (University of Kelaniya, 2015) Willarachchi, D.D.L.
    As in any other culture, religion has played a significant role in individual character building in Sri Lanka, and Buddhism is one fundamental philosophy that has affected, influenced and shaped the lives and characters of the individuals who belong to the Sinhala-Buddhist culture. Various novelists have explored the nexus between Buddhism and the individual, for instance, Viragaya by Martin Wickramasinghe and Metta by Sunethra Rajakarunanayake. However, while a significant number of novels belonging to this category perceive the impact of Buddhism on the individual in a positive light, some fiction focus on how certain Buddhist teachings have been twisted within the Sinhala-Buddhist culture, making the individuals become victims of a dubious tradition. Theravada Man (2009)by the perceptive and radical Sri Lankan novelist, Manuka Wijesinghe is one such novel that reveals how certain Buddhist doctrines have become coloured by varied interpretations, perspectives and beliefs, deviating significantly from their theoretical base. The objectives of the present research are to explore how Theravada Buddhist doctrines have become twisted interpretations which build hypocrisy in the individual, and how Theravada Buddhism and the gender notions springing from it act as defining agents of the individual characters of men and women in this context. The key findings include the ways in which the author satirizes and challenges those flawed building blocks of an individual's character, and reveal how these notions still exist and operate in contemporary Sri Lanka. The research study is based on a close reading and analysis of Theravada Man, and relevant theoretical writings on Buddhism and gender. The study also reveals how religious doctrines and gender notions create the individual's ontology which may not be influenced by opposing or different views despite being exposed to new knowledge, thus restricting the individual's capacity to think and act free without being enslaved by tradition.
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    Characteristics of urban youth gang culture in the city of Colombo
    (University of Kelaniya, 2015) Wijewardhana, B.V.N.; Wickramarathne, S.A.S.; Rodrigo, L.K.
    Youth gang culture is a social phenomenon that has turned into a critical social issue in the modern world. In Sri Lanka, criminal offences and related antisocial action have been identified as extreme social problems causing tremendous amount of threats to the general public in the city of Colombo, as well as in the rural geographies.Except for the seldom studies conducted on deviant behaviour of street children, there aren’t comprehensive studies done on gang culture in Sri Lanka. The general beliefs on characteristics of gang culture are basically built on assumptions and rumors. Thus the findings of this research reveal the characteristics of youth gangs and reasons which attract Sri Lankan youth to the gang culture. 493 gang members identified from 75 gangs operational in 14 GN Divisions in the city of Colombo participated in this study. The information was gathered through a questioner survey, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, observation, case studies and information collected from the Police and other institutions. Data and information have being carefully analyzed in numerous ways to arrive at the findings, conclusion and recommendations. Research findings revealed that youth are influenced to join gangs for freedom (81%), protection (92%), friendship (100%), income (83%), drug usage/sexual needs. All the gang members under purview were addicted to substance usage and involved in criminal activities. Peer group association and, income generation through illegal means, substance usage, drug trafficking, crime, prostitution are the main characteristics of the gang culture. One important behavioral pattern of youth male gangs is that loyal gang members follow a gang-defined system of rules, rituals, and codes of behavior. Gangs serve some individuals as a substitute family structure. Gangs are in different types, characteristics of those gangs vary upon the type. Number of gang members in a gang depends on the nature of the gang and its sub-culture.
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    Patterns of phonological errors in the phonemic clusters in Sri Lankan English
    (University of Kelaniya, 2015) Wijewardana, A.S.
    This study investigates whether problems in pronunciation related to consonant clusters of thelanguage learners which have been overlooked over the years as random errors are indeed random. Specifically, this research questions if the problems in pronunciation related to consonant clusters in Sri Lankan English are results of the interference of the learners’ first language, Sinhala. Furthermore, it identifies about seven patterns of the errors and compares them with similar errors among other speakers from different language backgrounds who also learn English as a second language. This study aims to address the issues arising on account of teachers in secondary education who generally ignore such challenges and the gatekeepers of Sri Lankan English whose identification of speakers with such pronunciation errors as speakers of ‘not pot English’, which can create social barriers. Moreover, the features of the cluster deviation which can also be found among pronunciation problems of other New Englishes suggest that it is justifiable to view it as a learner problem common to many second language speakers. The research is primarily based on phonological data gathered from the interviews of fifty (50) adult participants in 2013 and 2014.