International comparison of health system performance has become increasingly popular, made possible by the rapidly expanding availability of health data. It has become one of the most important levers for prompting health system reform. Yet, as the demand for transparency and accountability in healthcare increases, so too does the need to compare data from different health systems both accurately and meaningfully. This timely and authoritative book offers an important summary of the current developments in health system performance comparison. It summarises the current state of efforts to compare systems, and identifies and explores the practical and conceptual challenges that occur. It discusses data and methodological challenges, as well as broader issues such as the interface between evidence and practice. The book draws out the priorities for future work on performance comparison, in the development of data sources and measurement instruments, analytic methodology, and assessment of evidence on performance. It concludes by presenting the key lessons and future priorities, and in doing so offers a rich source of material for policy-makers, their analytic advisors, international agencies, academics and students of health systems.

This book is to explores a variety of facets of online learning environments to understand how learning occurs and succeeds in digital contexts and what teaching strategies and technologies are most suited to this format. Business, health, government and education are some of the core sectors of society which have been experiencing deep transformations due to a generalized digitalization. While these changes are not novel, the swift progress of technology and the rising complexity of digital environments place a focus on the need for further research and novel strategies. In the context of education, the promise of increased flexibility and broader access to educational resources is impelling much of higher education’s course offerings to online environments. The 21st century learner requires an education that can be pursued anytime and anywhere and that is more aligned with the demands of a digital society. Online education not only assists students to success-fully integrate a workforce that is increasingly digital, but it helps them to become more comfortable with the use of technology in general and, hence, more prepared to be prolific digital citizens. The variety of settings portrayed in this volume attest to the unlimited opportunities afforded by online learning and serve as valuable evidence of its benefit for students’ educational experience. Moreover, these research efforts assist a more comprehensive reflection about the delivery of higher education in the context of online settings.

This book addresses main issues concerned with the future learning, learning and academic analytics, virtual world and smart user interface, and mobile learning. This book gathers the newest research results of smart learning environments from the aspects of learning, pedagogies, and technologies in learning. It examines the advances in technology development and changes in the field of education that has been affecting and reshaping the learning environment. Then, it proposes that under the changed technological situations, smart learning systems, no matter what platforms (i.e., personal computers, smart phones, and tablets) they are running at, should be aware of the preferences and needs that their users (i.e., the learners and teachers) have, be capable of providing their users with the most appropriate services, helps to enhance the users' learning experiences, and to make the learning efficient.

This special issue of the Journal of Research on Technology in Education (JRTE) focuses on students' experiences with online learning during COVID-19. COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on educational systems in both K-12 and higher education settings, significantly changing the way students engage and learn. This issue of the JRTE also explores instructors' ability to adapt to engage their students online, and parental and family involvement in student learning.

This fascinating book provides a stimulating introduction to analog electronics by analysing the design and construction of a radio transceiver. Essential theoretical background is given along with carefully designed laboratory and homework exercises. The author begins with a thorough description of basic electronic components and simple circuits and goes on to describe the key elements of radio electronics, including filters, amplifiers, oscillators, mixers, and antennas. Laboratory exercises lead the reader through the design, construction, and testing of a popular radio transceiver (the NorCal 40A). A diskette containing the widely known circuit simulation software, Puff, is included in the book. This was the first book to deal with elementary electronics in the context of radio. It can be used as a textbook for introductory analog electronics courses, for more advanced undergraduate classes on radio-frequency electronics, and will also be of great interest to electronics hobbyists and radio enthusiasts.

A manual for amateur radio enthusiasts discusses the history of packet radio, hardware systems, networking, setting up an amateur packet radio station, and equipment and accessories

Discover (or rediscover) the fun and magic of building electronic circuits with thermatrons (vacuum tubes). This book has everything you need to know about the art and science of thermatron design and construction. It pulls together, in one easy to read book, thermatron types and characteristics, thermatron homebrew techniques, and how to design audio and RF triode and pentode circuits. The book is written primarily for radio amateurs (or audio equipment builders) that already understands basic electronics but have forgotten or never had the pleasure of working with hollow-state devices. The Second Edition includes over 50+ pages of new and revised material including a new chapter on thermatron oscillator design.