The New Age Of Development

This book focuses on current trends in development, arguing that the digital revolution will shape today’s race for global supremacy. The volume explores how the technological race, driven by AI advances, will decisively contribute to shaping a new world order. Every leap in technological advancement changes the rules of the game and initiate new cycles of economic growth. The main argument of the authors is that these changes are particularly intense in Eurasia, the main geopolitical hotspot at the moment. Starting from recent statistical data, the authors underline this new ascent of the Asian continent - a shift that can be best described as a historical change of relay not between two countries, but between two continents. Lastly, the volume discusses the consequences of these shifts in power and influence, by reflecting on the possible new world order to follow. Effectively providing an overview of the challenges that will decisively shape future geopolitical relations, this volume will be of use to researchers and students interested in globalization studies, international relations, geopolitics, and development.

Psychic and Spiritual Development for the New Age _ Revised Edition, is a fresh look at Spiritual subjects that many Seekers have become blas_ about. A lot of the true meaning of many of these subjects has become lost over time. For the Beginner as well

Douglas Groothuis explains what the New Age movement is, analyzes its major doctrines and shows how it is influencing politics, science, health care and education.

The digital age is changing our children’s lives and childhood dramatically. New technologies transform the way people interact with each other, the way stories are shared and distributed, and the way reality is presented and perceived. Parents experience that toddlers can handle tablets and apps with a level of sophistication the children’s grandparents can only envy. The question of how the ecology of the child affects the acquisition of competencies and skills has been approached from different angles in different disciplines. In linguistics, psychology and neuroscience, the central question addressed concerns the specific role of exposure to language. Two influential types of theory have been proposed. On one view the capacity to learn language is hard-wired in the human brain: linguistic input is merely a trigger for language to develop. On an alternative view, language acquisition depends on the linguistic environment of the child, and specifically on language input provided through child-adult communication and interaction. The latter view further specifies that factors in situated interaction are crucial for language learning to take place. In the fields of information technology, artificial intelligence and robotics a current theme is to create robots that develop, as children do, and to establish how embodiment and interaction support language learning in these machines. In the field of human-machine interaction, research is investigating whether using a physical robot, rather than a virtual agent or a computer-based video, has a positive effect on language development. The Research Topic will address the following issues: - What are the methodological challenges faced by research on language acquisition in the digital age? - How should traditional theories and models of language acquisition be revised to account for the multimodal and multichannel nature of language learning in the digital age? - How should existing and future technologies be developed and transformed so as to be most beneficial for child language learning and cognition? - Can new technologies be tailored to support child growth, and most importantly, can they be designed in order to enhance specifically vulnerable children’s language learning environment and opportunities? - What kind of learning mechanisms are involved? - How can artificial intelligence and robotics technologies, as robot tutors, support language development? These questions and issues can only be addressed by means of an interdisciplinary approach that aims at developing new methods of data collection and analysis in cross-sectional and longitudinal perspectives. We welcome contributions addressing these questions from an interdisciplinary perspective both theoretically and empirically.

This is an open access book. Covering both theories and practices in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) teacher development, this book provides up-to-date discussions and recommendations on issues relating to TVET teacher development in the digital age. It caters for the needs of in-service teachers and trainers, as well as TVET leaders who want to upscale their professional learning and development in terms of vision, knowledge, expertise, and industry skills needed in the transition to the digital era. What is particularly useful to TVET teachers/trainers are the proposed competency development framework, competency indicators, and the assessment instrument. Drawing on extensive research regarding TVET teachers’ competency development and today’s industry needs, the proposed framework and indicators can be readily used to inform the self-assessment of one’s professional competency level, so as to plan one’s career trajectory accordingly. Teachers and trainers may also find the exemplary cases of teachers’ professional development from various countries inspiring and motivating. The book also serves as a useful reference for TVET leaders, administrators and teacher trainers. The book's competency framework, indicators, and strategies are an adaptable reference for planning professional development policies, evaluation mechanisms, and programs for teachers.

Rural Development in the Digital Age explores current theoretical and policy developments in EU rural policy during the 4.0 period. The book offers an analysis of the contradictory and complex drivers and multiple impacts of Period 4.0 policy within the specific territorial context of its implementation. It is commonly agreed within academic and policy circles that the contexts, trends, drivers and impacts which are currently morphing have the potential to determine the nature and boundaries of rural areas in the longer-term. The authors examine inconsistencies in the design and implementation of EU rural development policy driven largely by intensifying neo-productivist pressures. The importance and novelty of the book lie in defining and critically examining the territorial impacts of neo-productivism as an ideology, a practice and a set of policy imperatives during the EU’s 2014-2020 programming period. The authors argue that such a paradigm shift in EU rural policy may reduce its effectiveness and ability to meet its goals of balanced territorial development and cohesion. This book will be of interest to advanced students, researchers and policymakers in rural policy, regional studies, economic geography and EU policy.

This topical edited collection is cross-sectoral and international in scope, drawing together the perspectives of practitioners and academics at the forefront of modern collection development. They explore how practitioners can take an active role influencing strategy in this new environment, draw on case studies that illustrate the key changes in context, and consider how collection development might evolve in the future. The collection is divided into four sections looking at the key themes: • The conceptual framework including a review of the literature • Trends in library supply such as outsourcing and managing suppliers • Trends in electronic resources including the open access movement and e-books • Making and keeping your collection effectively including engaging with the user-community and developing commercial skills. Readership: LIS students and all practitioners involved in collection development and management in academic, school, public, commercial and other special libraries.