Collaborative Technology in the Classroom: A Review of the GSS Research and a Research Framework

Over the past several years, a number of research studies have investigated the application of group support system (GSS) technology to the classroom. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to summarize and assess what has been learned from this emerging body of research, and (2) to draw on the GSS and cooperative learning literatures to construct a framework to guide future studies. The review of research studies reported in this paper focuses on comparative studies investigating the synchronous GSS classroom environment. While research findings regarding the impacts of GSS on learning performance are somewhat mixed, early indications are encouraging and suggest that GSS may have a positive impact under certain situations. A framework based on the GSS and cooperative learning research is introduced that identifies the contextual, group process, and outcome factors that researchers may wish to consider when designing and interpreting future research studies in this area.     

Evaluation of two types of online help for application software

Abstract A recent trend in application software design is to extend online help systems in order to support exploratory and self‐paced learning. Two different information formats, lists of action steps that have to be taken to achieve a goal (operative help) and explanations about how a function works (function‐oriented help), were evaluated to assess their effects on learning performance. In two experiments, adult computer novices (N = 60 and N = 20) learned to use experimental graphics software by task‐based exploration. After one half of the tasks, the type of tasks changed so that the acquired action schema could no longer be applied. Results indicated that participants who had access to function‐oriented help were coping more successfully with the schema change than participants who received operative help. The relevance to the design of software training and online help systems is discussed.     

Asynchronous and distributed process improvement: the role of collaborative technologies

Abstract. The recent proliferation of low-cost computer networks has driven the development of a new type of organization, in which geographical and time constraints to collaboration among process teams have been gradually removed. As these organizations have to cope with a fast pace of change, they rely increasingly on distributed and asynchronous process improvement (PI) groups to redesign their processes. Yet little is known about the effects of asynchronous group support systems (GSSs) on PI groups. We investigate the effects of asynchronous GSSs on PI groups through a two-stage action research study of 38 such groups in three organizations, one in Brazil and two in New Zealand, over 4 years and 4 months. Different PI groups voluntarily conducted all, part or none of their communication through an e-mail conferencing (EC) tool. The research suggests that EC support causes a decrease in the organizational costs associated with PI groups, which, combined with an increase in the number of possible simultaneous PI groups, generates an increase in overall organizational PI efficiency. The research also suggests a neutral overall effect of EC support on PI group outcome quality. Two explanatory causal models summarizing these effects are developed, and implications for research and industry practice are discussed.     

匈牙利法在集体比赛项目中的应用

借助求解工作指派问题的匈牙利法,解决了集体比赛项目中参赛队员的出场次序问题,从而为教练员提供了一个科学的决策方法,该法比表上作业法更简便,而且也更直观地得到了所有不同的最优指派方案.     

汽轮发电机定子系统固有频率新算法

本文应用群表示理论简化了汽轮发电机定子系统的结构，用有限元方法分析了汽轮发电机定子系统二维和三维两种模型的固有振动特性，给出了冷态工况的二维和三维模型的模态，同时比较了两种模型的分析结果。由模型分析和计算结果可以看出三维模型更符合实际结构。     

A metalanguage design for sessions with group decision support systems

This paper proposes a metalanguage for representing communication among participants in a session of a group decision support system (GDSS). Such a vehicle can be used for setting standards and designing specific user interfaces with GDSS.Three different roles of participants are identified: chairperson, chauffeur and regular participant. The tasks and activities of each role are analyzed. Based on the analysis, communications requirements are derived. The requirements lead to a design of a metalanguage consisting of 15 different commands. The paper concludes by displaying the structure and syntax of each command.The work described here is conceptual and could be considered as a proposal for GDSS language design.     

Relation of depression diagnoses to 2-year outcomes in cocaine-dependent patients in a randomized continuing care study.

This study examined the relation between depression diagnoses and outcomes in 132 cocaine-dependent patients who were randomized to relapse prevention (RP) or standard 12-step focused group continuing rare and followed for 2 years. Depressed patients attended more treatment sessions and had more cocaine-free urines during treatment than participants without depression, but they drank alcohol more frequently before treatment and during the 18-month posttreatment follow-up. Cocaine outcomes in depressed patients deteriorated to a greater degree after treatment than did cocaine outcomes in patients without depression, particularly in patients in RP who had a current depressive disorder at baseline. The best alcohol outcomes were obtained in nondepressed patients who received RIP. The results suggest that extended continuing care treatment may be warranted for cocaine-dependent patients with co-occurring depressive disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Macrozoobenthos of floodplain waters of the rivers rhine and meuse in the Netherlands: A structural and functional analysis in relation to hydrology

The river systems of the Rhine and Meuse include a large number of floodplain waters showing differences in hydrology and geomorphology. A classification of 100 water bodies based on their macroinvertebrate communities has been worked out as a tool for ecological management. Analyses were performed on structural (species composition) and functional (trophic relations) aspects of macrozoobenthos in relation to hydrological, vegetational, and physicochemical parameters. Based on the classification of macroinvertebrate communities, three major groups of water bodies can be distinguished, which are related to the frequency of inundation. The flood frequency constitutes the major environmental gradient which structures the zoobenthos communities in the Dutch floodplain waters. Faunal composition is mediated by substrate availability, water chemistry, and the availability of nutritional resources. This typology serves as a basis for the prediction of the impact of hydrology changes on the macrozoobenthic communities of floodplain waters of highly eutrophic and polluted rivers.     

Team cognition in group interventions: The relation between coleaders' shared mental models and group climate.

The relation between the convergence in group coleaders' mental models of their groups and group members' perceptions of group climate was examined. Coleaders of 8 intergroup dialogue groups provided paired-comparison ratings of the similarity of their group members, and group members provided group climate ratings, following each of 7 sessions. The paired-comparison ratings were analyzed using pathfinder network analysis (Schvaneveldt, 1990) to examine the structure of each coleader's mental model of her or his group, and to compare these mental models within coleader pairs to determine degree of similarity in coleaders' mental models for each coleader pair for each week (i.e., how similarly coleaders of a group view their group). Growth curve analyses of the degree of similarity and group climate data showed an increase in similarity of coleaders' mental models within groups across sessions, and that similarity in coleader mental models was related to increases in the engaged and decreases in the avoiding aspects of the group climate. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

醇酸树脂的油度和其溶度参数的关系

醇酸树脂的溶度参数随油度变化而改变。本文采用重复单元基团加和法计算了醇酸树脂不同油度的溶度参数。进而整理出一组随油度改变的醇酸树脂的三维溶度参数的方程式，推算结果与实际相符。这组方程式可用于估算各种多元醇和不同植物油作原料制备的醇酸树脂的油度和其溶解度的关系。