Using online collaboration applications for group assignments: The interplay between design and human characteristics

In recent years, educators and students are increasingly employing online collaboration applications such as Google Docs™ and PBWorks™ for group projects and assignments. Yet, the effectiveness of these emerging technologies has not been rigorously examined. Anchoring upon and informed by the existing literature, two design characteristics – sociability and visibility, and two human characteristics – gender and age, are focused on, which are salient in online collaboration applications. A field experiment was conducted to examine the direct and moderating effects of design and human characteristics on learning outcomes. The research found that sociability improved process satisfaction and positive social environment while visibility enhanced academic performance and solution satisfaction of learners. Males had higher solution satisfaction while older learners had higher academic performance. Moderating effects were also found. Both theoretical and practical implications are drawn. In particular, a rubric for online collaboration application selection for academic performance is conceived. This study provides empirical support for online collaboration application effectiveness in education which will augur well for future adoption, use and evolution.     

Process control and risky decision-making: moderation by general mental ability and need for cognition

Human factors and ergonomics research could benefit from focusing more strongly on individual differences – especially trait variables. The present study suggests the analysis of moderator effects as a promising way to enhance understanding of trait variables and process control performance. Process control performance was studied by analysing moderator effects of general mental ability (GMA) and need for cognition (NC) on risky decision-making (RDM) and performance. Fifty engineering students were trained on a process control task using a computer-based simulation for three hours and tested twice thereafter. Risky decision-making was measured using a computerised gambling task while GMA and NC were assessed with questionnaires. Risky decision-making in interaction with each GMA and NC explained variance in performance over and above variance explained by the single effects. In conclusion, the analysis of moderator effects between individual difference variables and process control performance seems promising.

Practitioner Summary: Individual difference variables affect learning and performance, but have often not been studied to any great extent in human factors research. This article suggests a promising approach to studying individual differences – moderator analyses – and illustrates how such differences can lead to a better understanding of what determines process control performance.     

高职学生元认知策略能力调查与英语自主学习能力的培养

通过问卷调查结合教学实践观察,了解高职学生元认知策略能力状况,希望找出高职学生自主学习能力发展的薄弱环节.将收集到的数据用SPSS进行了结构性效度和信度分析后,得出了影响元认知策略能力的4个主要因子,并对每个因子所包含的题项进行了描述性分析,得出结论;针对反映出的问题,提出了相应的教学建议.     

高职高专地籍与房产测量课程教学改革思考

“就业导向、工学结合”已成为高等职业教育人才培养模式改革的重要切入点,这给作为主干专业课程的“地籍与房产测量”教学带来全新的课题.为了构建适应这种新形势的教学模式,分别从教材建设、教学内容、教学手段、实践教学和考试形式5个方面进行了探索.     

On learning and development, Piagetian style: I. A reply to Lefebvre-Pinard.

Examines the equilibration theory of Piaget (learning vs development, stage transitions) to make more explicit the methodological foundations of B. Inhelder et al (1974). In this connection, the "problem-solving" learning method used by these authors is analyzed by means of the new concept of "learning loops." Similarly, the successful equilibration learning method used by M. Lefebvre and A. Pinard (1974) is analyzed and shown to involve executive facilitation and chunking (coordination) of 2 crucial schemes. A process-structural model of conservation acquisition previously developed by the present author, and its empirical tests by R. Case (1975) and by G. M. Parkinson (1975), are used to illustrate and to empirically support the process-structural differences theoretically found between these 2 equilibration methods. (54 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

背诵在英语教学中的重要性

由于交际法的盛行，考试指挥棒的效应以及新的教学模式的出现，目前，我国外语教学对语言输入重视不够，背诵式输入几乎无立足之地。通过理论探索、实验测试和访谈等调查方式证实了背诵对学生写作和口语的提高有着显著的帮助，说明了背诵在中国英语教学应用的重要性，并就此提出，在运用西方教学新理论和现代教学手段时，不可忽视我国传统教学上的优势。     

Associative Learning Improves Visual Working Memory Performance.

The ability to remember visual stimuli over a short delay period is limited by the small capacity of visual working memory (VWM). Here the authors investigate the role of learning in enhancing VWM. Participants saw 2 spatial arrays separated by a 1-s interval. The 2 arrays were identical except for 1 location. Participants had to detect the difference. Unknown to the participants, some spatial arrays would repeat once every dozen trials or so for up to 32 repetitions. Spatial VWM performance increased significantly when the same location changed across display repetitions, but not at all when different locations changed from one display repetition to another. The authors suggest that a major role of learning in VWM is to mediate which information gets retained, rather than to directly increase VWM capacity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

应用型计算机专业学生培养模式探讨

本文探讨了应用型本科院校中计算机专业学生的培养模式,提出了培养高级计算机应用人才的根本途径和当前要解决的主要问题。     

Modeling users through an expert system and a neural network

With the number of Internet and Web users increasing rapidly, electronic service providers are competing to satisfy and better serve customers looking for information or channels of advertisement. A wide variety of browses, specialized sites, custom made software, etc. are being offered on a regular basis. However, the user has to filter through a large number of files before finding what he/she is really looking for. This paper presents a user modeling expert system, SIGMA, based on neural networks for encapsulating Internet and Web users' habits and preferences. SIGMA is an artificial intelligence application designed to answer an Internet client needs and preferences. It analyses the user supplied demographic data and the monitored transactions then generate a tailored profile that is ultimately used to filter what information is being passed on to him/her in an effort to reduce and hopefully eliminate the time and energy expended in sifting through raw and often unwanted data.     

Simulation based on learning methods

The use of simulation technology as a tool for planning and control is of increasing significance in most fields of production. The main part of the expenditure concerning simulation analyses is the modelling of the considered production. Despite the use of modern building-block-oriented modelling technology, this modelling can often not be done by the user, but only by external experts. Against this backdrop, an adaptive simulation system is being developed by the Institute for Industrial Manufacturing and Management (IFF) at the University of Stuttgart. It independently adapts to real production processes, i.e. it learns about the interdependencies of production processes, and, in this way, supports the user in constructing and maintaining the model. In terms of information technology, the research in the field of artificial intelligence, especially in the subdomain of machine learning, is the basis for the realization of such adaptive systems.