Investigating university student preferences and beliefs about learning in the web-based context

Psychological studies have shown that personal beliefs about learning and environmental preferences affect learning behaviors. However, these learner characteristics have not been widely discussed in the web-based context. By developing questionnaires, this study attempted to detect learners’ web-based learning environmental preferences (WLEP) and beliefs about web-based learning (BWL). The scope of WLEP focused on the pedagogical dimension of the web-based learning environment, while BWL concerned the attributes and control factors of the web-based learning. There were about five hundreds of Taiwan university students participating in the study. Through factor analysis, the scales discussed in the study revealed a satisfactory validity and reliability in assessing students’ preferences and beliefs. Further analyses showed that university students preferred more of individual and structured instructional configurations while expected the outward mode of interaction. In general, students held a rather contextual belief about web-based learning, which was found to be correlated with their environmental preferences.     

Exploring pre-service teachers' beliefs about using Web 2.0 technologies in K-12 classroom

This qualitative study explored pre-service teachers' behavioral, normative, and control beliefs regarding their intentions to use Web 2.0 technologies in their future classrooms. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was used as the theoretical framework (Ajzen, 1991) to understand these beliefs and pre-service teachers' intentions for why they want to use Web 2.0 technologies. According to Ajzen's TPB, the behavioral beliefs are based on attitude toward outcomes or consequences of using Web 2.0, the normative beliefs depend on social support and social pressure to use Web 2.0, and the control beliefs lay the foundation of perceived behavioral control over using Web 2.0 in a classroom. Data were collected from open-ended survey questions (n = 190), semi-structured interviews (n = 12) and end of semester reflections (n = 12). Findings suggest that pre-service teachers' intentions to use Web 2.0 technologies are related to their beliefs about the value of these technologies for improving student learning and engagement, its ease of use (behavioral beliefs), its ability to meet the needs/expectations of digital age students (normative beliefs), the participants' high self-efficacy in use, and its potential for affording students anytime/anywhere access to learning and interaction (control beliefs). From these results, we recommend that teacher educators should target these beliefs within teacher development programs to prepare pre-service teachers for successful use of Web 2.0 technologies in their future K-12 classrooms.     

Middle school students' flipped learning readiness in foreign language classrooms: Exploring its relationship with personal characteristics and individual circumstances

This study surveyed 387 middle school 7th – graders' flipped learning readiness in their English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) classrooms and explored the effects of personal characteristics on their readiness levels. These personal characteristics included gender, the availability of outside-school support and resources, foreign language beliefs, perceptions of their English teachers, and how they use the Internet. Through factor analysis, flipped learning readiness consists of five dimensions: learner control and self-directed learning, technology self-efficacy, motivation for learning, in-class communication self-efficacy, and doing previews. It was found that personal characteristics and individual circumstances, including language beliefs, student perceptions of teacher characteristics, the availability of outside-school support and resources, learning performance, study time and net-surfing time, can make a difference to the levels of the readiness dimensions. These findings may shed light on the middle schoolers' flipped learning readiness in EFL classrooms and provide insights for teachers wanting to incorporate individualized instruction in the flipped classroom.     

A study of high school English teachers’ behavior,concerns and beliefs in integrating information technology into English instruction

This study investigates the current trends and patterns of teachers’ concerns and teaching behavior with respect to technology integration. The following concerns of English teachers are addressed: teaching practice, perceive barriers of technology integration in the English instruction and the technology deployed in the classroom. Participants in this study were 332 junior and senior high school English teachers from Taipei and Kaohsiung Cities. The study found that despite pressure on schools to increase the application of technology, the adoption of teaching and learning practices using new technologies has been limited in terms of teachers’ SoCQ (The Stages of Concerns Questionnaire), their teaching behavior as well as their use of technology. Teachers’ concerns are generally oriented toward Personal and informational issues. English teachers’ technology-mediated English teaching behaviors are modest, and most teachers used technology to prepare their teaching activities instead of structuring higher levels of usage. As identified in the literature, higher levels of computer training, computer literacy, well-supported school environment, creative teaching practices and positive beliefs about technology integration among teachers result in higher task intensity, impact concerns and more technology-mediated teaching behaviors in the classroom. In terms of the difficulties affecting teachers’ technology integration into English instruction, this study identified significant relationships between first and second-order barriers. Implications for teachers’ technology integration are proposed.     

A case study of undergraduate engineering students' computational literacy and self-beliefs about computing in the context of authentic practices

Engineering students, as compared to computing-related majors, are not traditionally introduced to computing in the context of authentic learning experiences, i.e., real-world applications within their discipline. This paper identifies the impact of computation delivered by authentic learning experiences in the form of anchored instruction on students' self-beliefs and their capacity to leverage computation to acquire disciplinary concepts in subsequent computationally-based engineering coursework. This case study included 130 students with different programing preparation (authentic or traditional), who were exposed to computational learning modules. Control-Value Theory of Achievement Emotions is the conceptual framework that guided the evaluation of this investigation. Measures included student self-beliefs such as control and value appraisals, and their relationship with academic performance. Results suggest that programming preparation presented in an authentic engineering context provides an important foundation that goes beyond increasing students' control self-beliefs. This preparation seems to effectively enable students to leverage computational practices for the purpose of acquiring disciplinary concepts. Implications for teaching relate to the integration of computation sooner, more often and within a disciplinary context in the undergraduate engineering curriculum. Implications for learning relate to fostering engineering computational literacy guided by anchored instruction to support disciplinary problem solving.     

Integrating technology in the classroom: a visual conceptualization of teachers' knowledge, goals and beliefs

Abstract   In this paper, we devise a diagrammatic conceptualization to describe and represent the complex interplay of a teacher's knowledge (K), goals (G) and beliefs (B) in leveraging technology effectively in the classroom. The degree of coherency between the KGB region and the affordances of the technology serves as an indicator of the teachers' developmental progression through the initiation, implementation and maturation phases of using technology in the classroom. In our study, two teachers with differing knowledge, goals and beliefs are studied as they integrated GroupScribbles technology in their classroom lessons over a period of 1 year. Our findings reveal that the transition between the teacher's developmental states (as indicated by coherency diagrams) is nonlinear, and thus the importance of ensuring high coherency right at the initiation stage. Support for the teacher from other teachers and researchers remains an important factor in developing the teacher's competency to leverage the technology successfully. The stability of the KGB region further ensures smooth progression of the teacher's effective integration of technology in the classroom.     

Robotics in the factory of the future: AI in manufacturing: The NBS AMRF as an intelligent machine

Within its Automated Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF), the U.S. National Bureau of Standards (NBS) is addressing research issues in interface standards for the fully automated factory of the future for the production of small batches of discrete parts. Consisting of robots, machine tools and computers, the AMRF is being integrated using a real-time, sensory-feedback, data-driven hierarchical control architecture. As such, the AMRF is a research tool for investigating the manufacturing enterprise as a system of intelligent machines. This paper: (1) describes the AMRF in terms of its real-time control system architecture; (2) notes the role of symbolic languages, knowledge-representation, sensory-processing and other aspects of artificial intelligence in its development; and (3) speculates on further application of AI in future intelligent manufacturing systems similar in form to the AMRF.     

浅谈工作流在OA设计中的要点

三作流技术是办公自动化系统的关键技术之一。正确使用工作流技术，可以提高办公效率，我们就工作流技术在oA中的应用，特别是复杂的子工作流流程的设计，结合实际工作提出我们的观点和看法．     

Consumer acceptance of service bundles: An empirical investigation in the context of broadband triple play

Although offering bundled services promises firms potential synergies in supply and increased revenues, the realized benefits of such a strategy are highly contingent on consumer acceptance of the bundles. Borrowing from TAM, Information Integration Theory, and the customer value concept, we developed a comprehensive model for consumer acceptance of service bundles, which is divided into four general construct types: service characteristics, usefulness/ease of use, attitude, and behavioral intention. Twelve hypotheses were derived and empirically tested in the context of broadband triple play, the bundled offering of broadband Internet access, Internet telephony, and Internet TV. Based on questionnaire responses from 214 study participants and using PLS for analysis, we found overall support for our research model. We concluded by discussing the academic and managerial value of our research, both in terms of advanced knowledge of service bundle acceptance and the adoption of triple play.     

Supporting science learning in linguistically diverse classrooms: Factors related to the use of bilingual content in a computer-based learning environment

Computer-based learning environments (CBLEs) are a promising means to support language minority (LMi) students in acquiring knowledge and skills through the integration of authentic support in their home language. This study aimed to determine the use of scientific bilingual content offered to fourth-grade students (n = 250) in the CBLE E-Validiv and to identify both student and classroom characteristics related to this use. All the content in E-Validiv is accessible in the language of instruction and one of six other languages. For LMi students, the other language is set to their home language. Multilevel hierarchical regression analyses show that especially LMi students who assess themselves as highly proficient in their home language use the content more in the other language than language majority students. However, even LMi students focus mainly on content in the language of instruction, which indicates that they particularly apply their home language to support their learning process in the language of instruction. Additionally, students who perform higher on science subjects access content more in the language of instruction. The presence of linguistic diversity in the classroom and the positive use of linguistic diversity by the teacher do not seem to matter. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

浅谈工作流在OA设计中的要点

工作流技术是办公自动化系统的关键技术之一。正确使用工作流技术,可以提高办公效率,我们就工作流技术在OA中的应用,特别是复杂的子工作流流程的设计,结合实际工作提出我们的观点和看法。     

Examining social adjustment to college in the age of social media: Factors influencing successful transitions and persistence

Social adjustment plays a critical role in student persistence at college. Social media such as Facebook, used widely by this population, have the potential to positively enhance students' transition to college by encouraging connection and interaction among peers. The present study examines the role Facebook plays in students' social adjustment during their first year of college using survey data (N = 338) collected from students at a private, liberal arts college in the Midwest. We develop and test a model that includes both traditional and Facebook-specific predictors of social support and social adjustment, as well as explore the role that these factors play in predicting students' enrollment status the following year. Results indicate positive relationships between two Facebook variables—the number of Facebook Friends students have at the college and their engagement in collaborative behaviors with classmates through the site—and measures of social support and social adjustment, as well as a positive relationship between social adjustment and persistence at the university.     

论唐代仕女画的发展及成因

本文主要论述了仕女画题材在唐代的发展状况以及成因。纵观中国历史,这一时期是仕女画题材发展的重要阶段。本文试从社会经济,所产生的重要画家以及当时的女性地位等三个方面进行分析论述。