Controlling the slides: Does clicking help adults learn?

When utilizing screen media as an educational platform, maintaining control over one's experience may lead to more successful learning outcomes. In the current work, adults learned four new action sequences, each via a different slideshow type. The computer advanced slides automatically, but each version had a different pausing mechanism: (1) free pause (viewers could click the mouse at any point to pause the show), (2) subgoal pause (show paused after subgoals, viewer clicked to continue), (3) timed pause (show paused every 20 slides, viewer clicked to continue), and (4) no pause (no viewer interaction). Participants completed a written memory test, live performance test, cognitive load measures, and satisfaction measures. Results indicated that memory recall was significantly lower in the no pause version when compared to the versions with pause capability. Also, over half of participants reported that the no pause version was their least favorite format to learn from. Conversely, over half of participants selected the free pause as their favorite slideshow format, and participants reported that they felt most in control of the free pause version. These reports occurred in spite of only one-quarter of all participants actually using the click-to-pause feature in the free pause slideshow. Perhaps the mindset of being in control, rather than the pausing itself, increased likeability of the program. This research has implications for program design and education, pointing to flexible pacing features being helpful in enhancing users' enjoyment of the program and ability to extract novel information.     

Law,liability and expert systems

This paper examines some of the possible legal implications of the production, marketing and use of expert systems. The relevance of a legally useful definition of expert systems, comprising systems designed for use both by laymen and professionals, is related to the distinctions inherent in the legal doctrine underlying provision of goods and provision of services. The liability of the sellers and users of, and contributors to, expert systems are examined in terms of professional malpractice as well as product liability. A recurring theme indicates that legislators may be inclined to restrict possibilities of liability suits in order to avoid disincentives to the creation of expert systems.     

Relationships between identity formation and computer use among black and white emerging adult females

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between computer use, identity formation, and self-esteem among Black and White emerging adult females. One hundred 56 female college students participated in this study by completing a survey that included the Internet/Computer Use Questionnaire, the Ego Identity Process Questionnaire, and the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale. Racial differences were found between Black and White females with regard to perceived problematic use of the Internet and use of the computer for communication and use of the Internet for schoolwork. In addition, differences between Black and White females were found between identity formation and problematic use of the Internet and between self-esteem and type of use of the Internet. These findings were discussed in relation to future research and interventions.     

Sexualities, technologies, and the teaching of writing: A critical overview

In this introduction to a special issue of Computers and Composition, the authors critically review current literature on computer-assisted writing pedagogies that grapple with issues of sexuality. Although this body of work is small, it points to provocative ways to develop our students’ critical and rhetorical sensibilities about the constructions of sexuality in our culture. Further, such work innovatively addresses the place of networked communication technologies in the interrogation of such constructions. The authors conclude with both an introduction of the work in this special issue that addresses the intersection of sexuality studies and computer-assisted writing studies and with a call for additional work in this field.     

Computer-based spelling remediation for dyslexic children

Abstract The SelfSpell programs provide a multi-media environment for dyslexic children which uses synthesised speech to augment the written text. In earlier research we established that by encouraging users to enter a rule to help them remember how to spell each word, SelfSpell was very effective in improving spelling ability. The evaluation study reported here confirmed the efficacy of the rule-based approach using a group of 11-year-old dyslexic children with severe impairments in spelling. Of particular theoretical significance, however, was the finding that use of a mastery learning technique for learning spellings was just as effective as the rule-based approach. These findings are interpreted in the light of Frith's influential framework for the development of reading and spelling ability. It is suggested that the multimedia presentation approach may provide a uniquely effective method for helping dyslexic children to acquire the 'alphabetic' stage of linguistic processing.     

Groupwork and computers: task type and children's performance

Abstract In the majority of British primary schools, children use the computer in groups of two or three. This is partly due to the lack of resources, that is, most classrooms still only have one or two computers to share between around 30 children. Groupwork on computers is also justified for pedagogic reasons. Previous research comparing children working in groups or alone has revealed an advantage for children working in groups although the work undertaken has generally been problem solving tasks. This investigation examined the performance of pairs and individual 6-year old children on a drill and practice program using a pre-test, intervention, post-test design. In comparison to the problem solving evidence, individuals were found to have a significant advantage over pairs during the computer-based task.     

有关计算机数据库及其管理简析

对计算机数据库的定义进行了总结,分别从图书馆数据库和企业管理数据库两个方面的内容对计算机数据库的构建进行分析,对计算机数据库的管理问题进行研究,并提出做好计算机数据库的管理维护工作,需要强化数据库管理人员的专业素质、强化数据库使用者的使用知识、做好数据库的信息更新和添补工作,以及做好定期的数据库软件检测工作,这样才能做好数据库的管理工作。     

计算机科学与技术专业实践教学研究

目前,高校计算机科学与技术专业的教学还存在着很多的问题和漏洞,这些问题和漏洞如果得不到很好的改正和填补,就会使计算机科学与技术的教学质量得不到提高。本文就高校计算机科学与技术专业的教学现状进行阐述,根据自身经验和研究总结改革教学方式,从而进一步推进计算机科学与技术教学的发展。     

计算机防火墙的有效运用探讨

在现阶段,计算机网络技术快速发展,给我们的生活及工作都带来极大的便利,但与此同时,也给我们的生活及工作又带来了许多网络安全隐患问题。在这种个人隐私信息被破坏和被窃取的危险与日俱增的情况下,为了降低人们由于网络安全隐患问题所带来的损失,相关工作人员研发了计算机防火墙的技术。这种计算机防火墙技术的运用,主要是通过一系列的程序操作保护了信息数据和确保了其资源的安全性,对保障网络安全性起了相当大的作用。本文主要针对网络安全隐患问题、防火墙的定义、类型等内容着手对计算机防火墙的有效运用进行了相关问题的探讨。     

Visual Analytics for Exploring Local Impact of Air Traffic

The environmental and noise impact of airports often causes extensive political discussion which in some cases even lead to transnational tensions. Analyzing local approach and departure patterns around an airport is difficult since it depends on a variety of complex variables like weather, local and general regulations and many more. Yet, understanding these movements and the expected amount of flights during arrival and departure is of great interest to both casual and expert users, as planes have a higher impact on the areas beneath during these phases. We present a Visual Analytics framework that enables users to develop an understanding of local flight behavior through visual exploration of historical data and interactive manipulation of prediction models with direct feedback, as well as a classification quality visualization using a random noise metaphor. We showcase our approach using real world data from the Zurich International Airport region, where aircraft noise has led to an ongoing conflict between Germany and Switzerland. The use cases, findings and expert feedback demonstrate how our approach helps in understanding the situation and to substantiate the otherwise often subjective discourse on the topic.