The effects of individual differences and visual instructional aids on disorientation,learning performance and attitudes in a Hypermedia Learning System

Research suggests that certain visual instructional aids can reduce levels of disorientation and increase learning performance in, and positive attitudes towards, HLS for learners with specific individual differences. However, existing studies have looked at only one or two individual differences at a time, and/or considered only a small number of visual instructional aids. No study has considered the impact of the three most commonly studied individual differences – cognitive style, domain knowledge and computer experience – on learning performance, disorientation and attitudes in a HLS incorporating a full range of visual instructional aids. The study reported here addresses this shortcoming, examining the effects of, and between, these three individual differences in relation to learning performance, disorientation and attitudes in two HLS versions: one that incorporated a full set of visual instructional aids and one that did not. Significant effects were found between the three individual differences with respect to disorientation, learning performance and attitudes in the HLS that provided no instructional aids, whereas no such effects were found for the other HLS version. Analysis of the results led to a set of HLS design guidelines, presented in the paper, and the development of an agenda for future research. Limitations of the study and their implications for the generalizability of the findings are also presented.     

The relationship between monochronicity,polychronicity and individual characteristics

With the increasing complexity of control rooms and the information explosion, effective multitasking is now desired. Monochronicity and polychronicity, which describe a person's ability to do one thing and many things at a time, respectively, have been studied for a long time. However, it is not clear these abilities are related to various individual characteristics. Forty-eight Chinese participants were tested on their perception, memory, judgement, attention ability and cognitive style. They also performed a task that required search and calculation under three conditions of unpaced, paced and paced with sequencing. There were significant differences in the performance and strategy between monochronic and polychronic individuals in the selective attention test. Monochronic individuals focused their attention on the primary task and achieved higher performance. Polychronic individuals had somewhat better total performance in more than one task under time-constrained conditions. The results clearly indicate that an individual's time use behaviours ought to be considered in training and control scenarios to account for differences among people.     

The effects of prior experience on the use of consumer products

Many products today are laden with a host of features which, for the majority of users, remain unused and often obscure the use of the simple features of use for which the product was devised (Norman in The design of everyday things. Basic Books, 2002; Keates and Clarkson in Countering design exclusion—an introduction to inclusive design. Springer, 2004). Since the cognitive capabilities of the marketed target group are largely not affected by age-related impairment, the intellectual demands of such products are frequently high (Rabbitt in Quart J Exp Psychol 46A(3):385–434, 1993). In addition, the age and technology generation of a product user will colour their expectations of the product interface and affect the range of skills they have available (Docampo in Technology generations handling complex User Interfaces. Ph. D. thesis, 2001). This paper addresses the issue of what features of products make them easy or difficult to learn to use, for the wider population as well as the older user, and whether and in what way individual prior experience affect the learning and use of a product design. To achieve the above, the interactions of users of varying ages and capabilities with two different everyday products were recorded in detail as they performed set tasks. Retrospective verbal protocols were then analysed using a category scheme based on an analysis of types of learning and cognition errors. This data was then compared with users’ performance on individual detailed experience questionnaires and a number of tests of general and specific cognitive capabilities. The principal finding was that similarity of prior experience to the usage situation was the main determinant of performance, although there was also some evidence for a gradual, age-related capability decline. Users of all ages adopted a means-end or trial and error interaction when faced with unfamiliar elements of the interaction. There was a strong technology generation effect such that older users were reluctant or unable to complete the required tasks for a digital camera.     

系统思考在企业和公共事业机构的管理和决策模拟中的应用

文中论述了在快速变革时代,系统思考是一种有效地解决动态性复杂问题的崭新思维模式和科学方法。同时,也评述了国内外的应用情况。并对系统思考和它的工具软件做出简单地介绍。论文着重介绍了中国科技开发院江苏分院在企业和公共事业管理与决策工作中应用系统思考的经验和成果,展示了一些应用实例。而这些应用实例对那些有意要创建学习型组织的机构应该可以起到示范作用。     

基于管制员认知负荷和改进蚁群算法的扇区动态通行能力评估

针对现有动态通行能力的评估未考虑管制员认知负荷的不足,为了提高空中交通流量管理的准确性,构建了基于管制员认知负荷和改进蚁群算法的扇区动态通行能力评估模型。首先,构建了刻画扇区动态影响因素的动态飞行受限区模型,为了满足空中交通流量管理对速度的要求,改进了蚁群算法实现扇区动态管制引导路径规划;然后,提出了管制引导负荷强度的概念,扩展了管制员认知总负荷的概念,并将其应用于扇区动态通行能力评估模型的构建;最后,以三亚管制扇区为例,以15 min为间隔对未来2 h内9个时刻的扇区动态通行能力进行评估。实例验证结果表明所提评估模型计算得到的通行能力结果与实际运行结果相差1个架次,效果理想。     

STATCOM的稳态和动态特性的仿真研究

以含STATCOM(静止同步补偿器)的三机电力系统为例,分析了STATCOM的工作原理,提出了STATCOM的数学模型。应用Matlab/Simulink仿真软件,对STATCOM的稳态及动态特性进行了仿真分析。结果表明,STATCOM在多机电力系统中能够提高系统的稳态特性,改善系统的动态性能。     

Information systems and performance: the role of technology,the task and the individual

Organisations require good performance from individuals to achieve their objectives. In view of the growing presence of technology, it becomes necessary to understand performance in the context of information systems. However, the research streams that study performance (e.g. industrial psychology or the impact of technology on performance) focus primarily on a single component (the individual or the technology). The systemic perspective, for its part, considers all three components (technology, the individual and the task) and their relationships in order to explain performance. From this perspective, this article develops a research model where individual (knowledge of the task and the technology), task (ease) and technology (usefulness and ease) factors determine performance. Links are also established between these factors. Data were collected from 246 individuals and the results show that the proposed links are significant. This research highlights that management should take into account all three components to boost performance. The study emphasises in which factors of these components special care should be taken. The lack of improvement in performance after the introduction of an information system may not be solved merely by tackling the features of the technology but also by simplifying the tasks or reviewing the users’ knowledge gaps.     

Motivation factors and barriers to the continuous use of blended learning approach using Moodle: students' perceptions and individual differences

ABSTRACT

Practitioners of blended learning encounter challenges on how to cater students individual needs and to increase their motivational involvement with the system. Therefore, this study aims to identify and evaluate the motivation factors and barriers that influence students' decisions to continue using blended learning based on Moodle platform. The study proposes a research model to gain a better understanding of students' behavioural attitudes, motivations, and barriers to the continuous use of blended learning. In addition, a multi-group analysis was conducted to examine individual differences between students from three different universities in Palestine. The findings provide a comprehensive understanding of students' behaviours and the investigated factors of the proposed model were truly significant in forming students' perceptions and reflecting their decisions to continue using such learning approach. Features of blended learning system were found to be the most significant motivational antecedents in relation to influencing students' perceptions and involvements in the learning environment, while perceived behavioural control and subjective norms were found to be the primary factors driving students' continuous use. Finally, the findings shed light on the impact of individual differences on students' perceptions and usage behaviours and suggest that these differences could be leveraged to provide adaptive usage decisions.     

基于仿真的装备管理概念下的协同决策研究

基于仿真的装备管理 ( SBMM)是一种将建模与仿真 ( M&S)技术强健、协同地应用于武器系统全寿命过程的先进管理方法 ,是 M&S工具和资源跨管理职能部门、跨管理项目、跨管理阶段的集成。指出 SBMM概念下的决策是跨寿命周期的协同决策 ,主要通过组织人员集成、信息集成和过程集成的综合作用而实现。提出协同决策框架 ,分析具体决策点的协同决策过程     

环氧丙烷聚合反应过程的动态模拟

为了深入了解环氧丙烷聚合工艺并为国内生产厂家提供生产操作的理论依据。本文针对聚醚装置反应工段,根据聚合釜的特点,首先,通过研究环氧丙烷聚合反应机理,利用链节动力学的方法推导出了反应动力学方程。其次,建立环氧丙烷聚合反应的数学模型,实现聚合反应过程的实时动态模拟。最后,以模拟程序的计算结果,讨论操作条件对平均分子量和双键度的影响。对实际生产具有一定的指导意义。     

The effects of video on cognitive load and social presence in multimedia-learning

Two studies examined the use of video in multimedia learning environments. In Study 1, participants (N = 26) viewed one of two versions of a computer-based multimedia presentation: video, which included a video of a lecture with synchronized slides, or no video, which included the slides but only an audio narration of the lecture. Learning, cognitive load and social presence were assessed, but a significant difference was found only for cognitive load, with video experiencing greater cognitive load, t (24) = 2.45, p < .05. In Study 2, students (N = 25) were randomly assigned to either video or no video condition. Background knowledge and visual/verbal learning preference were assessed before viewing the presentation, and learning, cognitive load, and social presence were assessed after viewing. No significant differences were found for learning or social presence. However, a significant visual/verbal learning preference by condition interaction was found for cognitive load, F (1,21) = 4.51, p < .05: low visual-preference students experienced greater cognitive load in the video condition, while high visual-preference students experienced greater cognitive load in the no video condition.     

The effects of wearing respirators on human fine motor,visual, and cognitive performance

When selecting a respirator, it is important to understand how employees' motor, visual and cognitive abilities are impacted by the personal protective equipment. This study compares dust, powered-air-purifying and full-face, negative-pressure respirators. Thirty participants performed three varied tasks. Each participant performed each task without a respirator and while wearing the three respirator types. The tasks included a hand tool dexterity test, the Motor-Free Visual Perception Test and the Serial Sevens Test to evaluate fine motor, visual and cognitive performance, respectively. The time required for task completion and the errors made were measured. Analysis showed no significant effect due to respirator use on the task completion time. A significant increase was found in the error rate when participants performed the cognitive test wearing the full-face, negative-pressure respirator. Participants had varying respirator preferences. They indicated a potential for full-face, negative-pressure respirators to negatively affect jobs demanding high cognitive skills such as problem solving and decision-making.

Practitioner summary: while respirators are life-saving personal protective equipment (PPE), they can unintentionally reduce human performance, especially if job characteristics are not considered during PPE selection. An experiment was conducted to compare three respirators (dust respirator, powered-air-purifying respirators and full-face respirator) for varying task types. The full-face respirator was found to affect human cognitive performance negatively.     

战术导弹的离散突风响应及动载荷计算研究

研究了战术导弹在穿越离散突风区域时,弹体的动力学响应及产生的动载荷.首先,给出了导弹在穿越突风区时的运动方程,其中不仅考虑了弹体的刚体运动,而且考虑了弹体各分站位置及空气舵位置的结构动力学响应引起的附加攻角,以及突风对空气舵的滞后影响效果等.其次,建立了导弹结构动力学模型和"1-cos"突风模型,并给出了弹体动载荷计算公式.最后,通过算例研究了导弹在穿越突风过程中,弹体的动力学响应以及载荷计算问题.     

加速度传感器动载响应标定试验研究

传感器在实际使用中,受到环境等实际情况的影响,其技术参数不一定能真实准确地反应传感器的性能,因此需要对其进行标定和校准.使用背靠背的试验方法,在激振台上,用一个标准加速度传感器SD1403对加速度传感器SCA610进行了标定试验,对传感器的灵敏度、线性度和频率特性等参数进行了标定,标定结果表明SCA610加速度传感器的中低频特性较好,可用于测量汽车行驶减速度.     

多传感器基于动态时空特性软硬协作决策的目标检测研究

针对多传感器系统中目标检测时检测精度与效率的矛盾问题,研究了一种具有协同合作决策功能的目标检测算法及其传感器设计方案。首先将多传感器系统依据时域、空域和频域给出三维定义描述,分析了时空动态特性,其次依据二元检验和目标优化检测分析了软决策和硬决策在目标检测时变化规律,建立了一种基于协同合作的目标检测决策机制,最后给出了基于动态时空特性软硬协作决策的目标检测及其传感器头结构设计方案。实验表明,所提目标检测方案在检测精度、检测效率、资源利用率和覆盖率等方面具有明显优势。     

基于数据库集群的动态负载均衡研究与实现

针对数据库集群负载问题,提出了一种动态负载均衡方法,并进一步设计、实现了包括CPU使用率、磁盘存储量、磁盘响应效率、网络延时、内存使用率等在内的多指标的节点负载测量和实时监控。该算法根据各节点的负载反馈信息进行任务分配,实现了负载均衡。性能分析和实验表明,该算法具有较高的负载均衡度和较低的系统开销。     

The roles of task difficulty and prior videogame experience on performance and motivation in instructional videogames

Videogames are an increasingly popular instructional tool. This research investigated how various strategies for modifying task difficulty in instructional videogames impact learner performance and motivation. Further, the influence of prior videogame experience on these learning outcomes was examined, as well as the role prior experience played in determining the optimal approach for adjusting task difficulty. Participants completed a game-based training task under one of four task difficulty conditions: static, increasing, adaptive-low and adaptive-high. All participants completed an identical pre-training trial, 10 practice trials varying in difficulty level according to condition, and a final performance trial. Results demonstrate that learner performance and motivation significantly improved in all difficulty conditions. Further, prior videogame experience was found to significantly influence these learning outcomes and a three-way interaction was detected between performance, task difficulty condition, and experience. The results of this research provide information useful to instructional videogame developers and instructors utilizing videogames as instructional tools.