Learning effects of CAI on college students

The purpose of this study was to determine if college students learn better when using lecture/CAI than by using the conventional lecture method, when the material presented is very visually oriented. The subjects consisted of 28 students enrolled in a freshman level computer science course that is required for their major. Students were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Both groups received the same lecture. The control group was presented examples in class by the professor aided by transparencies. The treatment group was presented the same examples using a computer tutorial, without teacher intervention. As was indicated on the pre-test, the two groups demonstrated remarkably similar results in the amount of prior knowledge of the subject area. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the amount of learning that took place, as shown by the results of the post-test. There was, however, a considerable difference in time spent on the task. The examples took much longer for theprofessor to present to the control group than it took the treatment group to absorb the interactive examples on individual computers. The majority of the students who were in the treatment group (lecture and computer examples) indicated that they preferred the computer tutorial to having examples presented by the instructor.     

Effective Transfer of Computer Graphics to Video Format

Abstract A course in computational fluid dynamics provides nearly unlimited opportunities for intensive use of computer graphics. Possibilities include in-class demonstrations of fundamental numerical principles and of various applications by the instructor, as well as use by students in homework assignments. In addition, graphical material on videotape is readily available from government and other laboratories. In this paper we report on the delivery of such a computer graphics-enhanced course live over television to students at multiple remote sites. Steps taken to enhance the presentation of computer graphics on television and to ease use by individual students at many widely scattered sites are reviewed in detail.     

Examining social-cognitive determinants of intention and physical activity among Black and White adolescent girls using structural equation modeling.

Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate components within the theories of reasoned action (TRA), planned behavior (TPB), and self-efficacy (SET) for understanding moderate and vigorous physical activity among 1,797 Black and White adolescent girls. Modest to strong support was provided for components of TPB and SET; weak support was provided for components of TRA. Perceived behavioral control was related to vigorous physical activity. Self-efficacy was related to moderate and vigorous physical activity, and it accounted for the effect of intention on physical activity. The observed relationships were similar between Black and White girls. Self-efficacy and perceived behavioral control are independent influences on physical activity among Black and White adolescent girls and warrant study as potential mediators in physical activity interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of teaching a cognitive strategy on counselor trainee internal dialogue and clinical hypothesis formulation.

Recent research has supported the application of cognitive-behavioral theory to the field of counselor training and supervision. The present study examined the effects of teaching counselor trainees a cognitive self-instruction strategy vs clinical hypothesis knowledge. Ss were 32 students in graduate prepracticum courses. Three training conditions and a placebo control were compared on dependent measures of Ss' internal dialog and quality of clinical hypothesis formulation. Results indicate that acquiring a cognitive self-instruction strategy increased Ss' ability to perform the conceptual portion of selected counseling tasks. However, there was no evidence that clinical hypothesis knowledge was associated with similar increases in conceptual ability. (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Public versus private expectancy of success: Confidence booster or performance pressure?

In Exp I, private expectancies of success were manipulated by having 38 male and 26 female undergraduates complete a confidential preliminary test that was rigged to cause either success or failure. Ss furnished confidential self-reports of expectancies and were informed that their audience expected them to succeed in an anagram-solving task. Results show that Ss' private expectancies of success improved performance, while audience's expectations of success lowered performance. Findings were strongest for Ss low in trait self-consciousness and for males. In Exp II, 30 undergraduates completed a personality questionnaire and were told they had an integration score of 75. Ss were (1) told they were expected to do well on the basis of past research findings, (2) told they were expected to do well on the basis of the experimenter's theory, or (3) given no information about expectations. Results show that Condition 1 raised performance while Condition 2 lowered performance. Findings fit a model holding that audience expectations of success constitute performance pressure that harms performance except when substantial private confidence is created. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

PKgraph: an R package for graphically diagnosing population pharmacokinetic models

Population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) modeling has become increasing important in drug development because it handles unbalanced design, sparse data and the study of individual variation. However, the increased complexity of the model makes it more of a challenge to diagnose the fit. Graphics can play an important and unique role in PopPK model diagnostics. The software described in this paper, PKgraph, provides a graphical user interface for PopPK model diagnosis. It also provides an integrated and comprehensive platform for the analysis of pharmacokinetic data including exploratory data analysis, goodness of model fit, model validation and model comparison. Results from a variety of modeling fitting software, including NONMEM, Monolix, SAS and R, can be used. PKgraph is programmed in R, and uses the R packages lattice, ggplot2 for static graphics, and rggobi for interactive graphics.     

Graphical inference for Infovis

How do we know if what we see is really there? When visualizing data, how do we avoid falling into the trap of apophenia where we see patterns in random noise? Traditionally, infovis has been concerned with discovering new relationships, and statistics with preventing spurious relationships from being reported. We pull these opposing poles closer with two new techniques for rigorous statistical inference of visual discoveries. The "Rorschach" helps the analyst calibrate their understanding of uncertainty and "line-up" provides a protocol for assessing the significance of visual discoveries, protecting against the discovery of spurious structure.     

Role of self-presentation and choice in cognitive dissonance under forced compliance: Necessary or sufficient causes?

In 3 experiments, 114 undergraduates performed counterattitudinal behaviors under choice or no-choice conditions in which the behaviors were public or private and anonymous. Results indicate that self-presentation and choice should be considered as sufficient but not necessary causes of cognitive dissonance. In the absence of self-presentation (private condition), manipulations of perceived choice affected attitude change. In the absence of choice, self-presentation produced attitude change. Supplementary findings suggest that the effects of choice and self-presentation on dissonance were additive and that attitude change was maintained across different audiences among Ss who believed the 2 audiences to be unrelated. The implication that neither choice nor self-presentation is necessary for the occurrence of attitude change suggests a view of cognitive dissonance as multiply determined. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of sulfur on coal treatment in aqueous sodium hydroxide

The dissolution of Wyodak subbituminous and North Dakota lignite coals in 50% aqueous sodium hydroxide was enhanced by the addition of sulfur. The added sulfur was not incorporated into the undissolved coal residues. The effects of temperature (140–200°C), time (5–90 min), and added elemental sulfur (1–25% by weight) on dissolution were examined. Temperature affected the dissolution of subbituminous and lignite coal, while time affected the dissolution of subbituminous coal.     

Information technology and knowledge in software development teams: The role of project uncertainty

Knowledge is a strategic resource; information technology (IT) is presumed to facilitate its movement among organizational members. The relevant literature, however, is inconclusive. This study reports the results of the effect of IT on knowledge-sharing processes, i.e., knowledge exchange and knowledge combination, under conditions of project uncertainty. Our results indicate that both exchange and combination are necessary to fully explain the relationships and that the consideration of a project's outcome is also important. While project uncertainty confounds the knowledge-sharing processes regardless of technology, the frequency of technology use routinely increases knowledge exchange and combination in a software team.