Romanian Slavonic in Unicode: problems and solutions

Editors of Slavonic and Slavonic–Romanian text can make use of a large variety of tools (fonts, physical and virtual keyboard layouts, word processors, operating systems) for transcribing and digitizing these texts in a uniform manner. The uniformity of the transcripts is based on Unicode standardization. Our study aims at explaining the place of Slavonic in Unicode and at briefly describing the most accessible tools. To this end, we shall describe the working tools from a historical and functional perspective and then provide examples in which those tools can be or have already been used to obtain a more accurate transcript. The user can choose from the existing methods and tools according to his/her purposes, needs and means. A better understanding of technical data can reduce the working time, improve transcription, accelerate learning times and generally make an editor’s work much easier.

Declared and Real Level of Digital Skills of Future Teaching Staff

Digital competence is undoubtedly one of the key skills that teaching staff should possess. Currently, there are many theoretical frameworks and ways to measure skills and knowledge related to the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). This article is an attempt to show the real and declared level of digital skills among future teaching staff. The research was conducted in Poland among 128 students of pedagogical faculties (first-year undergraduate studies). The research used a triangulation of research methods and techniques: diagnostic survey and competency tests related to the use of word processors and spreadsheets, and the level of knowledge about the use of ICT. Competency tests were in accordance with the European Computer Skills Certificate (ECDL) standard. The collected data showed the following: (1) more than half of the students rate their own skills in the use of word processors and spreadsheets, and their overall theoretical knowledge as high or very high; (2) in the case of the real assessment of digital competence, only less than 20% reached the passing threshold in the areas of word processors and theoretical knowledge, with only 1.6% passing in the area of spreadsheets; (3) the declared and actual levels of digital competence were moderately related in the surveyed group; (4) attitudes towards new media, self-assessment of digital skills, and previous learning experience in handling ICT are not predictive factors for ECDL test results.

LOGISTICS CHALLENGES OF DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC ENERGY INSIDE THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON: THE CASE OF THE STATE OF AMAZONAS

The Environmental Agenda in Public Administration (A3P) emerges as an essential tool for the modernization of Brazilian public management. This study aimed to identify the priority axes and actions capable of structuring an A3P for the Municipal Finance Secretariat (SEMEF) of the municipality of Manaus. A qualitative study was carried out, whose respondents are SEMEF managers, consulted based on interview script, whose data were organized with word processors, analyzed with content analysis tools, and interpreted based on the similarities and differences in the respondents' positions. The results showed that the rational use of resources, adequate waste management, sustainable construction, and quality of life at work were the four axes considered priorities to structure the A3P. The conclusion shows that the axes, initiatives, and results found are consistent with the philosophy and practice intended by A3P.

Bringing Things Closer: Enhancing Low-Vision Interaction Experience with Office Productivity Applications

Many people with low vision rely on screen-magnifier assistive technology to interact with productivity applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, and presentation software. Despite the importance of these applications, little is known about their usability with respect to low-vision screen-magnifier users. To fill this knowledge gap, we conducted a usability study with 10 low-vision participants having different eye conditions. In this study, we observed that most usability issues were predominantly due to high spatial separation between main edit area and command ribbons on the screen, as well as the wide span grid-layout of command ribbons; these two GUI aspects did not gel with the screen-magnifier interface due to lack of instantaneous WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) feedback after applying commands, given that the participants could only view a portion of the screen at any time. Informed by the study findings, we developed MagPro, an augmentation to productivity applications, which significantly improves usability by not only bringing application commands as close as possible to the user's current viewport focus, but also enabling easy and straightforward exploration of these commands using simple mouse actions. A user study with nine participants revealed that MagPro significantly reduced the time and workload to do routine command-access tasks, compared to using the state-of-the-art screen magnifier.

“That machine from hell”; Word Processing in Sociology

Scholars spend much of their time processing words with the help of a computer. Yet not too long ago, scholars would have typed or even written their lectures and articles by hand, and often a secretary would have (re)typed the final version.This paper examines the transition from one set of socio-technical relationships to another, focusing on resistance to change and the closure that has led to the current ubiquity of word processors. The article draws on insights from Science and Technology Studies (STS), and on material from email and telephone interviews conducted with older and retired members of university sociology departments in the English-speaking world.

Digital Writing, Word Processors and Operations in Texts: How Student Writers Use Digital Resources in Academic Writing Processes

This study explores the use of digital technologies in the writing of an academic assignment. Fine-grained studies on student writing processes are scarce in previous research. In relation to the increasing demands on students’ writing, as well as the debate on students’ poor writing (Malmström, 2017), these issues are important to address. In this study, screen captures of five students’ essay processes are analyzed. The results show that students handle text at different levels: they make use of one or more word processors, arrange texts spatially on screens and use resources to operate directly in texts. Above all these actions seem to meet the need to move and navigate within one’s own text, an aspect that could be especially important in relation to the academic genre and for handling texts as artifacts in activity (Castelló & Iñesta, 2012; Prior, 2006). The results of the study point to the importance of making digital writing practices visible, especially those that could create possibilities to intertwine digital texts, thereby enhancing potentials for academic writing and meaning-making.