Pretest online discussion groups to augment teaching and learning.

PubMed

Kuhn, Jonathan; Hasbargen, Barbara; Miziniak, Halina

2010-01-01

Tests and final examination scores of three semesters of control students in a nursing foundation course were compared with tests and final examination scores of three semesters of participating students. Participating students were offered access to an asynchronous pretest online discussion activity with a faculty e-moderator. While the simplified Bloom's revised taxonomy assisted in creating appropriate preparatory test and final examination questions for pretest online discussion, Salmon's five-stage online method provided direction to the e-moderator on how to encourage students to achieve Bloom's higher-order thinking skills during the pretest online discussions. Statistical analysis showed the pretest online discussion activity had a generally positive impact on tests and final examination scores, when controlling for a number of possible confounding variables, including instructor, cumulative grade point average, age, and credit hours.

The development of an online decision aid to support persons having a genetic predisposition to cancer and their partners during reproductive decision-making: a usability and pilot study.

PubMed

Reumkens, Kelly; Tummers, Marly H E; Gietel-Habets, Joyce J G; van Kuijk, Sander M J; Aalfs, Cora M; van Asperen, Christi J; Ausems, Margreet G E M; Collée, Margriet; Dommering, Charlotte J; Kets, C Marleen; van der Kolk, Lizet E; Oosterwijk, Jan C; Tjan-Heijnen, Vivianne C G; van der Weijden, Trudy; de Die-Smulders, Christine E M; van Osch, Liesbeth A D M

2018-05-30

An online decision aid to support persons having a genetic predisposition to cancer and their partners during reproductive decision-making was developed. A two-phase usability test was conducted among 12 couples (N = 22; 2 persons participated without their partner) at risk for hereditary cancer and 15 health care providers. Couples and health care providers expressed similar suggestions for improvements, and evaluated the modified decision aid as acceptable, easy to use, and comprehensible. The final decision aid was pilot tested (N = 16) with paired sample t tests comparing main outcomes (decisional conflict, knowledge, realistic expectations regarding the reproductive options and decision self-efficacy) before (T0), immediately (T1) and 2 weeks after (T2) use of the decision aid. Pilot testing indicated decreased decisional conflict scores, increased knowledge, and improved realistic expectations regarding the reproductive options, at T1 and T2. No effect was found for couples' decision self-efficacy. The positive findings during usability testing were thus reflected in the pilot study. The decision aid will be further evaluated in a nationwide pretest-posttest study to facilitate implementation in the onco-genetic counselling setting. Ultimately, it is expected that the decision aid will enable end-users to make an informed decision.

Consumer Expectations of Online Services in the Insurance Industry: An Exploratory Study of Drivers and Outcomes.

PubMed

Méndez-Aparicio, M Dolores; Izquierdo-Yusta, Alicia; Jiménez-Zarco, Ana I

2017-01-01

Today, the customer-brand relationship is fundamental to a company's bottom line, especially in the service sector and with services offered via online channels. In order to maximize its effects, organizations need (1) to know which factors influence the formation of an individual's service expectations in an online environment; and (2) to establish the influence of these expectations on customers' likelihood of recommending a service before they have even used it. In accordance with the TAM model (Davis, 1989; Davis et al., 1992), the TRA model (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975), the extended UTAUT model (Venkatesh et al., 2012), and the approach described by Alloza (2011), this work proposes a theoretical model of the antecedents and consequences of consumer expectations of online services. In order to validate the proposed theoretical model, a sample of individual insurance company customers was analyzed. The results showed, first, the importance of customers' expectations with regard to the intention to recommend the "private area" of the company's website to other customers prior to using it themselves. They also revealed the importance to expectations of the antecedents perceived usefulness, ease of use, frequency of use, reputation, and subjective norm.

Relationships between expected, online and remembered enjoyment for food products.

PubMed

Robinson, Eric

2014-03-01

How enjoyable a food product is remembered to be is likely to shape future choice. The present study tested the influence that expectations and specific moments during consumption experiences have on remembered enjoyment for food products. Sixty-four participants consumed three snack foods (savoury, sweet and savoury-sweet) and rated expected and online enjoyment for each product. Twenty-four hours later participants rated remembered enjoyment and future expected enjoyment for each product. Remembered enjoyment differed to online enjoyment for two of the three products, resulting in the foods being remembered as less enjoyable than they actually were. Both expected enjoyment and specific moments during the consumption experience (e.g. the least enjoyable mouthful) influenced remembered enjoyment. However, the factors that shaped remembered enjoyment were not consistent across the different food products. Remembered enjoyment was also shown to be a better predictor of future expected enjoyment than online enjoyment. Remembered enjoyment is likely to influence choice behaviour and can be discrepant to actual enjoyment. Specific moments during a consumption experience can have disproportionately large influence on remembered enjoyment (whilst others are neglected), but the factors that determine which moments influence remembered enjoyment are unclear. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer Expectations of Online Services in the Insurance Industry: An Exploratory Study of Drivers and Outcomes

PubMed Central

Méndez-Aparicio, M. Dolores; Izquierdo-Yusta, Alicia; Jiménez-Zarco, Ana I.

2017-01-01

Today, the customer-brand relationship is fundamental to a company’s bottom line, especially in the service sector and with services offered via online channels. In order to maximize its effects, organizations need (1) to know which factors influence the formation of an individual’s service expectations in an online environment; and (2) to establish the influence of these expectations on customers’ likelihood of recommending a service before they have even used it. In accordance with the TAM model (Davis, 1989; Davis et al., 1992), the TRA model (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975), the extended UTAUT model (Venkatesh et al., 2012), and the approach described by Alloza (2011), this work proposes a theoretical model of the antecedents and consequences of consumer expectations of online services. In order to validate the proposed theoretical model, a sample of individual insurance company customers was analyzed. The results showed, first, the importance of customers’ expectations with regard to the intention to recommend the “private area” of the company’s website to other customers prior to using it themselves. They also revealed the importance to expectations of the antecedents perceived usefulness, ease of use, frequency of use, reputation, and subjective norm. PMID:28798705

Medical students' career expectations and interest in opting for a surgical career.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Henry; Dell-Kuster, Salome; Rosenthal, Rachel

2014-02-24

Whilst surgery will face an imminent workforce shortage, an increasing majority of students decide against a surgical career. This study evaluated the current career expectations of medical students and tested a hands-on virtual reality (VR) intervention as a tool to increase their interest in surgery. Randomly selected medical students of the University of Basel received a short questionnaire to rank their interest in five different postgraduate working environments prior to a lecture. After the lecture they participated in a hands-on VR demonstration. Thereafter an online questionnaire regarding workplace expectations, surgery and VR was sent to the students. The online questionnaire response rate was 87% (225/258). Before using the VR intervention, a nonsurgical career was preferred by the majority of students, followed by a surgical career, cross-disciplinary specialties, research and, finally, nonclinical work. Surgery (n = 99, 44%) and emergency medicine (n = 111, 49%) were rated as incompatible with a good work-life balance. Further drawbacks to surgery were apprehension of competitive mentality, unclear career perspectives and longer working hours. The VR intervention had limited impact on re-ranking the five working sectors and slightly increased the students' interest in surgery. Students' work environment expectations, their declining interest in a surgical career and the increasing need for surgeons represent challenges for surgical societies to address, in order to improve the attractiveness of surgery amongst students. VR sessions may be integrated as part of the actions required to improve students' interest in a surgical career and should be further evaluated within controlled study designs.

Integrated learning in dentistry: baseline data and first evaluation at the Dental School of Basel.

PubMed

Neuhaus, K W; Schegg, R; Krastl, G; Amato, M; Weiger, R; Walter, C

2008-08-01

Integrated learning modules were introduced and baseline information was collected, in order to identify the expectations regarding e-learning. Furthermore, first formative evaluation of fourth-year dental students was conducted and the experience gained with summative online assessment was reported. Questionnaires designed by Infratest dimap (Berlin, Germany) were distributed to undergraduate students (n = 72) of the School of Dentistry. The fourth-year dental students went through a preliminary evaluation process. An online test was evaluated and compared with a traditional examination. Sixty-three questionnaires were returned. Sixty-five per cent of the students were already familiar with e-learning. All but one student owned at least one personal computer or laptop. Ninety-one per cent of the students expected positive effects from the integration of online modules. Enhanced flexibility regarding time and location as well as comfortable access to learning materials were mentioned most frequently. Ninety per cent of the students expected to achieve better results by finding it easier to understand learning materials produced with multimedia tools. Sixty per cent of the students feared technical complications when using an online platform. The online test was successfully performed. A formative evaluation process demonstrated agreement between expectations and first experiences with e-learning. Most students expect the quality of their studies to improve by implementation of e-learning. Students appreciating regularly updated learning materials particularly emphasise the importance of its visualisation. Online tests might be an option for student's self-performance rating.

Online commentary during the physical examination: a communication tool for avoiding inappropriate antibiotic prescribing?

PubMed

Mangione-Smith, Rita; Stivers, Tanya; Elliott, Marc; McDonald, Laurie; Heritage, John

2003-01-01

A previously identified communication behavior, online commentary, is physician talk that describes what he/she is seeing, feeling, or hearing during the physical examination of the patient. The investigators who identified this communication behavior hypothesized that its use may be associated with successful physician resistance to perceived or actual patient expectations for inappropriate antibiotic medication. This paper examines the relationship between actual and perceived parental expectations for antibiotics and physician use of online commentary as well as the relationship between online commentary use and the physician's prescribing decision. We conducted a prospective observational study in two private pediatric practices. Study procedures included a pre-visit parent survey, audiotaping of study consultations, and post-visit surveys of the participating physicians. Ten pediatricians participated (participation rate=77%) and 306 eligible parents participated (participation rate=86%) who were attending sick visits for their children with upper respiratory tract infections between October 1996 and March 1997. The main outcomes measured were the proportion of consultations with online commentary and the proportion of consultations where antibiotics were prescribed. Two primary types of online commentaries were observed: (1) online commentary suggestive of a problematic finding on physical examination that might require antibiotic treatment ('problem' online commentary), e.g., "That cough sounds very chesty"; and (2) online commentary that indicated the physical examination findings were not problematic and antibiotics were probably not necessary ('no problem' online commentary), e.g., "Her throat is only slightly red". For presumed viral cases where the physician thought the parent expected to receive antibiotics, if the physician used at least some 'problem' online commentary, he/she prescribed antibiotics in 91% (10/11) of cases. Conversely, when the physician exclusively employed 'no problem' online commentary, antibiotics were prescribed 27% (4/15) of the time (p = 0.07). Use of 'no problem' online commentary did not add significantly to visit length. 'No problem' online commentary is a communication technique that may provide an effective and efficient method for resisting perceived expectations to prescribe antibiotics. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

The Effect of Online Reviews on Customer Satisfaction: An Expectation Disconfirmation Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Picazo-Vela, Sergio

2010-01-01

During the last decade online retail sales have been growing constantly. This growth has been possible due to different factors like online reviews. Online reviews have been proven successful in predicting different variables like trust and sales in online settings; however, the impact of online reviews on other variables like customer…

A Quantitative Correlational Study of the Interaction between Assignment Response Times and Online Students' Final Grades and Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petrites, Taralynn Wells

2017-01-01

This quantitative correlational study included an investigation of potential factors effecting high attrition rates in postsecondary online courses. Online learner-instructor interaction was examined by assessing instructor response times (RTs), student satisfaction, and final course grades at an online two-year postsecondary institution. A sample…

Stakeholder Expectations of Service Quality in a University Web Portal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tate, Mary; Evermann, Joerg; Hope, Beverley; Barnes, Stuart

Online service quality is a much-studied concept. There is considerable evidence that user expectations and perceptions of self-service and online service quality differ in different business domains. In addition, the nature of online services is continually changing and universities have been at the forefront of this change, with university websites increasingly acting as a portal for a wide range of online transactions for a wide range of stakeholders. In this qualitative study, we conduct focus groups with a range of stakeholders in a university web portal. Our study offers a number of insights into the changing nature of the relationship between organisations and customers. New technologies are influencing customer expectations. Customers increasingly expect organisations to have integrated information systems, and to utilise new technologies such as SMS and web portals. Organisations can be slow to adopt a customer-centric viewpoint, and persist in providing interfaces that are inconsistent or require inside knowledge of organisational structures and processes. This has a negative effect on customer perceptions.

An Examination of Motivating Factors on Faculty Participation in Online Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Michael S.

2013-01-01

Online education has become a vital component of the American higher education system. Demand for online education is expected to grow, as online education offers a number of tangible benefits to potential students. Faculty member participation in online education has been found to be crucial to the success of new or expanded online education…

The Anatomy of Online Offerings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoskins, Barbara J.

2014-01-01

The perceptions about online teaching and learning are frequently different from the reality. Some students say they expected the online course to be easier than the traditional face-to-face course and are surprised by the rigor, while skeptics decry the quality of online offerings since students cannot possibly learn as well online as they do in…

Are Norms of Disclosure of Online and Offline Personal Information Associated with the Disclosure of Personal Information Online?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mesch, Gustavo S.; Beker, Guy

2010-01-01

This study investigated whether norms of self-disclosure of one's online and offline identity are linked to online disclosure of personal and intimate information. We expected online disclosure of personal and intimate information to be associated with norms of online disclosure. Secondary analysis of the 2006 Pew and American Life Survey of…

Student Perceptions of Online Lectures and WebCT in an Introductory Drug Information Course

PubMed Central

Freeman, Maisha Kelly; Schrimsher, Robert H.; Kendrach, Michael G.

2006-01-01

Objectives To determine student perceptions regarding online lectures and quizzes during an introductory drug information course for first-year professional doctor of pharmacy students. Design Formal and online lectures, online quizzes, written semester projects, a practice-based examination, a careers in pharmacy exercise, and a final examination were used to deliver the course content and assess performance. A multiple-choice survey instrument was used to evaluate student perceptions of WebCT and online lectures. Assessment More than 47% of students reported that online lectures helped them learn the material better, 77% reported that lectures would be used to study for the final examination, and 59% reported that they would use WebCT lectures for future classes. Approximately 40% of students agreed that online lectures should be used in future courses. Conclusion Students reported that WebCT was easy to use; however, the majority of students preferred in-class lectures compared to online lectures. A positive correlation was observed for those students who performed well on the online quizzes and those who performed well on the final examination. PMID:17332852

Designing Massive Open Online Courses to Take Account of Participant Motivations and Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salmon, Gilly; Pechenkina, Ekaterina; Chase, Anne-Marie; Ross, Bella

2017-01-01

We report on a study conducted on a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) to explore and improve understanding and practice about MOOC learning design and participant motivations and expectations. The "Carpe Diem" MOOC was designed, developed and delivered in 2014. The MOOC participants' experiences were studied through surveys and…

Exploring Factors Related to Completion of an Online Undergraduate-Level Introductory Statistics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimmerman, Whitney Alicia; Johnson, Glenn

2017-01-01

Data were collected from 353 online undergraduate introductory statistics students at the beginning of a semester using the Goals and Outcomes Associated with Learning Statistics (GOALS) instrument and an abbreviated form of the Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS). Data included a survey of expected grade, expected time commitment, and the…

Impact of online lecture-capture on student outcomes in a therapeutics course.

PubMed

Bollmeier, Suzanne G; Wenger, Philip J; Forinash, Alicia B

2010-09-10

To examine the correlation between students accessing recorded lecture files (audio and slides) online and course grades and class attendance. Second professional year (of 6-year program) students in a therapeutics course had access to recorded online lectures for 72 hours following live lectures. The number and duration of lecture accessions were compared to final course grades and class attendance. Course grades were compared to those of a historical control group. At the end of the semester, students completed a brief survey instrument regarding their use and perceptions of online lectures. No correlation was found between final course grades and the number of lecture accessions (r = 0.0014) or total number of minutes lectures were viewed (r = 0.033), nor between class attendance and minutes viewed (r = 0.2158). Students with access to recorded lectures outperformed the historical control group on the final examination (p < 0.002). Seventy-two percent of students reported no influence of online files on class attendance. Posting lectures online did not affect student outcomes, but students did score higher on the final examination.

Geomagnetic storm forecasting service StormFocus: 5 years online

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podladchikova, Tatiana; Petrukovich, Anatoly; Yermolaev, Yuri

2018-04-01

Forecasting geomagnetic storms is highly important for many space weather applications. In this study, we review performance of the geomagnetic storm forecasting service StormFocus during 2011-2016. The service was implemented in 2011 at SpaceWeather.Ru and predicts the expected strength of geomagnetic storms as measured by Dst index several hours ahead. The forecast is based on L1 solar wind and IMF measurements and is updated every hour. The solar maximum of cycle 24 is weak, so most of the statistics are on rather moderate storms. We verify quality of selection criteria, as well as reliability of real-time input data in comparison with the final values, available in archives. In real-time operation 87% of storms were correctly predicted while the reanalysis running on final OMNI data predicts successfully 97% of storms. Thus the main reasons for prediction errors are discrepancies between real-time and final data (Dst, solar wind and IMF) due to processing errors, specifics of datasets.

Adolescent Internet Use: What We Expect, What Teens Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gross, E. F.

2004-01-01

As adolescent Internet use grew exponentially in the last decade, with it emerged a number of correspondent expectations. Among them were the following: (1) that gender predicts usage, i.e., that boys spend more time online, surfing the web and playing violent games, while girls chat or shop online; (2) that Internet use causes social isolation…

Secondary School Students' Use of and Attitudes toward Online Mathematics Homework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albelbisi, Nour Awni; Yusop, Farrah Dina

2018-01-01

The purposes of this study were twofold: 1) to examine the influence of performance expectancy, and effort expectancy on secondary school students attitudes toward the use of a mathematics online homework package called MyiMaths; and 2) to predict the factor that best influences their attitudes. A 15 item, five-point Likertscale instrument was…

Pathological Buying Online as a Specific Form of Internet Addiction: A Model-Based Experimental Investigation

PubMed Central

Trotzke, Patrick; Starcke, Katrin; Müller, Astrid; Brand, Matthias

2015-01-01

The study aimed to investigate different factors of vulnerability for pathological buying in the online context and to determine whether online pathological buying has parallels to a specific Internet addiction. According to a model of specific Internet addiction by Brand and colleagues, potential vulnerability factors may consist of a predisposing excitability from shopping and as mediating variable, specific Internet use expectancies. Additionally, in line with models on addiction behavior, cue-induced craving should also constitute an important factor for online pathological buying. The theoretical model was tested in this study by investigating 240 female participants with a cue-reactivity paradigm, which was composed of online shopping pictures, to assess excitability from shopping. Craving (before and after the cue-reactivity paradigm) and online shopping expectancies were measured. The tendency for pathological buying and online pathological buying were screened with the Compulsive Buying Scale (CBS) and the Short Internet Addiction Test modified for shopping (s-IATshopping). The results demonstrated that the relationship between individual’s excitability from shopping and online pathological buying tendency was partially mediated by specific Internet use expectancies for online shopping (model’s R² = .742, p < .001). Furthermore, craving and online pathological buying tendencies were correlated (r = .556, p < .001), and an increase in craving after the cue presentation was observed solely in individuals scoring high for online pathological buying (t(28) = 2.98, p < .01, d = 0.44). Both screening instruments were correlated (r = .517, p < .001), and diagnostic concordances as well as divergences were indicated by applying the proposed cut-off criteria. In line with the model for specific Internet addiction, the study identified potential vulnerability factors for online pathological buying and suggests potential parallels. The presence of craving in individuals with a propensity for online pathological buying emphasizes that this behavior merits potential consideration within the non-substance/behavioral addictions. PMID:26465593

Pathological Buying Online as a Specific Form of Internet Addiction: A Model-Based Experimental Investigation.

PubMed

Trotzke, Patrick; Starcke, Katrin; Müller, Astrid; Brand, Matthias

2015-01-01

The study aimed to investigate different factors of vulnerability for pathological buying in the online context and to determine whether online pathological buying has parallels to a specific Internet addiction. According to a model of specific Internet addiction by Brand and colleagues, potential vulnerability factors may consist of a predisposing excitability from shopping and as mediating variable, specific Internet use expectancies. Additionally, in line with models on addiction behavior, cue-induced craving should also constitute an important factor for online pathological buying. The theoretical model was tested in this study by investigating 240 female participants with a cue-reactivity paradigm, which was composed of online shopping pictures, to assess excitability from shopping. Craving (before and after the cue-reactivity paradigm) and online shopping expectancies were measured. The tendency for pathological buying and online pathological buying were screened with the Compulsive Buying Scale (CBS) and the Short Internet Addiction Test modified for shopping (s-IATshopping). The results demonstrated that the relationship between individual's excitability from shopping and online pathological buying tendency was partially mediated by specific Internet use expectancies for online shopping (model's R² = .742, p < .001). Furthermore, craving and online pathological buying tendencies were correlated (r = .556, p < .001), and an increase in craving after the cue presentation was observed solely in individuals scoring high for online pathological buying (t(28) = 2.98, p < .01, d = 0.44). Both screening instruments were correlated (r = .517, p < .001), and diagnostic concordances as well as divergences were indicated by applying the proposed cut-off criteria. In line with the model for specific Internet addiction, the study identified potential vulnerability factors for online pathological buying and suggests potential parallels. The presence of craving in individuals with a propensity for online pathological buying emphasizes that this behavior merits potential consideration within the non-substance/behavioral addictions.

The Online Consumer: An Examination of Gender, Age, Income and Education as Determinants of Online Repurchasing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Portillo, Carol D.

2017-01-01

Online purchasing has increased dramatically over the past 10 years and the pace is expected to continue to accelerate. This new channel of purchasing poses a challenge to online retailers as they strive to increase online repurchasing behavior. This non-experimental study addresses the problem of how to support a rapidly growing online…

Sexually Explicit Online Media, Body Satisfaction, and Partner Expectations Among Men who have Sex with Men: a Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Leickly, Emily; Nelson, Kimberly; Simoni, Jane

2017-09-01

Limited research has investigated the perceived influence of sexually explicit online media (SEOM) on body satisfaction and partner expectations of men who have sex with men (MSM). Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 MSM, covering the perceived influence of MSM-specific SEOM. All nine men who broached the topics of body satisfaction and partner expectations reported that MSM-specific SEOM set unreasonably high physical appearance expectations for themselves and/or their potential partners. Although MSM-specific SEOM might be negatively affecting body satisfaction and partner expectations among MSM, its ubiquity may make it a useful tool to support body positivity.

Sexually Explicit Online Media, Body Satisfaction, and Partner Expectations Among Men who have Sex with Men: a Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Nelson, Kimberly; Simoni, Jane

2016-01-01

Limited research has investigated the perceived influence of sexually explicit online media (SEOM) on body satisfaction and partner expectations of men who have sex with men (MSM). Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 MSM, covering the perceived influence of MSM-specific SEOM. All nine men who broached the topics of body satisfaction and partner expectations reported that MSM-specific SEOM set unreasonably high physical appearance expectations for themselves and/or their potential partners. Although MSM-specific SEOM might be negatively affecting body satisfaction and partner expectations among MSM, its ubiquity may make it a useful tool to support body positivity. PMID:28979572

Students' Use of Self-Regulatory Tool and Critical Inquiry in Online Discussions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bai, Hua

2012-01-01

Facilitating students' critical thinking in asynchronous discussions is important in online learning environments. Since students need to be self-regulated in online learning, the instructors are expected to scaffold students by providing structure and guidance. This paper discusses critical inquiry in two groups of students' online discussions.…

Promoting Undergraduate Student Self-Regulation in Online Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wandler, J. Brad; Imbriale, William J.

2017-01-01

Undergraduate student enrollment in online courses has steadily increased over the years and is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. The need for instructors to utilize best practices in online instruction and course design is crucial. This article presents strategies for online instructors to promote student use of self-regulated…

Business Statistics and Management Science Online: Teaching Strategies and Assessment of Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sebastianelli, Rose; Tamimi, Nabil

2011-01-01

Given the expected rise in the number of online business degrees, issues regarding quality and assessment in online courses will become increasingly important. The authors focus on the suitability of online delivery for quantitative business courses, specifically business statistics and management science. They use multiple approaches to assess…

Native and Nonnative English-Speaking Teachers' Expectations of Teacher's Manuals Accompanying General English and Pronunciation Skills Books

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sonsaat, Sinem

2018-01-01

This study explores native and nonnative English-speaking teachers' expectations of teacher's manuals accompanying general English skills books and pronunciation teaching books, as well as their impressionistic evaluation of a printed and online teacher's manual. The study has a mixed-methods design incorporating an online survey and 2 interviews.…

Wireless Sensor Network Congestion Control Based on Standard Particle Swarm Optimization and Single Neuron PID

PubMed Central

Yang, Xiaoping; Chen, Xueying; Xia, Riting; Qian, Zhihong

2018-01-01

Aiming at the problem of network congestion caused by the large number of data transmissions in wireless routing nodes of wireless sensor network (WSN), this paper puts forward an algorithm based on standard particle swarm–neural PID congestion control (PNPID). Firstly, PID control theory was applied to the queue management of wireless sensor nodes. Then, the self-learning and self-organizing ability of neurons was used to achieve online adjustment of weights to adjust the proportion, integral and differential parameters of the PID controller. Finally, the standard particle swarm optimization to neural PID (NPID) algorithm of initial values of proportion, integral and differential parameters and neuron learning rates were used for online optimization. This paper describes experiments and simulations which show that the PNPID algorithm effectively stabilized queue length near the expected value. At the same time, network performance, such as throughput and packet loss rate, was greatly improved, which alleviated network congestion and improved network QoS. PMID:29671822

Wireless Sensor Network Congestion Control Based on Standard Particle Swarm Optimization and Single Neuron PID.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaoping; Chen, Xueying; Xia, Riting; Qian, Zhihong

2018-04-19

Aiming at the problem of network congestion caused by the large number of data transmissions in wireless routing nodes of wireless sensor network (WSN), this paper puts forward an algorithm based on standard particle swarm⁻neural PID congestion control (PNPID). Firstly, PID control theory was applied to the queue management of wireless sensor nodes. Then, the self-learning and self-organizing ability of neurons was used to achieve online adjustment of weights to adjust the proportion, integral and differential parameters of the PID controller. Finally, the standard particle swarm optimization to neural PID (NPID) algorithm of initial values of proportion, integral and differential parameters and neuron learning rates were used for online optimization. This paper describes experiments and simulations which show that the PNPID algorithm effectively stabilized queue length near the expected value. At the same time, network performance, such as throughput and packet loss rate, was greatly improved, which alleviated network congestion and improved network QoS.

Factors associated with final year nursing students' desire to work in the primary health care setting: Findings from a national cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Bloomfield, Jacqueline G; Aggar, Christina; Thomas, Tamsin H T; Gordon, Christopher J

2018-02-01

Registered nurses are under-represented in the primary health care setting both internationally and in Australia, and this shortage is predicted to worsen. To address the increasingly complex healthcare needs of an ageing population, it is vital to develop and sustain a primary health care nursing workforce, yet attracting nurses is challenging. In Australia, registered nurses graduating from university typically commence their careers in hospital-based transition to professional practice programs. Similar programs in primary health care settings may be a valuable strategy for developing the primary health care nursing workforce, yet little is known about nursing students desire to work in this setting, factors that influence this, or their expectations of primary health care-focused transition to professional practice programs. This study sought to identify factors associated with final year nursing students' desire to work in primary health care setting including demographic factors, expectations of future employment conditions, and job content. It also explored expectations of graduate transition programs based in primary health care. A cross-sectional survey design comprising a quantitative online survey. 14 Australian universities from all states/territories, both rural and urban. 530 final-year nursing students. Binary logistic regression identifying factors contributing to desire to work in primary health care. The desire of nursing students to work in primary health care is associated with older age, greater perceived value of employment conditions including flexibility, and less perceived importance of workplace support. Collaborative efforts from primary health care nurses, health professionals, academics and policy makers are needed to attract new graduate nurses to primary health care. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Making Good Physics Videos

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lincoln, James

2017-01-01

Online videos are an increasingly important way technology is contributing to the improvement of physics teaching. Students and teachers have begun to rely on online videos to provide them with content knowledge and instructional strategies. Online audiences are expecting greater production value, and departments are sometimes requesting educators…

Neural mechanisms underlying attribution of hostile intention in nonaggressive individuals: An ERP study.

PubMed

Gagnon, Jean; Aubin, Mercédès; Emond, Fannie Carrier; Derguy, Sophie; Bessette, Monique; Jolicoeur, Pierre

2016-12-01

Although the perception of hostile intentions in other people can have a clear adaptive function, researchers have paid little attention to the capacity of nonaggressive individuals to infer hostile intentions in others. The goal of the present study was to study brain mechanisms associated with expectations of hostile/non-hostile intent and their on-line evaluation. Scenarios with a hostile versus non-hostile social context followed by a character's ambiguous aversive behavior were presented to readers, and we recorded and analyzed event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to critical words that disambiguated the hostile versus non-hostile intent behind the behavior. Fifty nonaggressive individuals participated in the study. Non-hostile critical words that violated hostile intention expectations elicited a larger negative-going ERP deflection with central and posterior maximums between 400 and 600ms after word onset compatible with an N400 effect. Finally, there were marginally significant correlations between N400 effect sizes and hostile as well as neutral attribution bias measured by a self-report questionnaire. The results suggest that nonaggressive individuals evaluate rapidly, on-line, their attributions of the hostile intent of others. The methodology we developed provides the field with a new paradigm with which to study social attributions of hostile intent likely to contribute to hostile or aggressive reactions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of Social Presence and Cognitive Absorption in Online Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leong, Peter

2011-01-01

This article investigates the relationships between social presence, cognitive absorption, interest, and student satisfaction in online learning. A hypothesized structural equation model was developed to study these critical variables that may influence interaction in online learning environments. Contrary to expectations, the study determined…

Teaching College Microeconomics: Online vs. Traditional Classroom Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarty, Cynthia; Bennett, Doris; Carter, Shawn

2013-01-01

The use of online course offerings in college has grown sharply in recent years. Previous research, while limited, is inconclusive in determining expected student performance in online versus a traditional lecture format. This paper focuses specifically on student performance in introductory microeconomics classes, analyzing learning differences…

78 FR 47048 - Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-02

... may be viewed online or during regular business hours at the following locations: 1. Online at www..., Anchorage, AK 99513. Ms. Grey may be contacted during business hours at (907) 271-5453 (telephone) and (907...

Attitudes toward Face-to-Face and Online Counseling: Roles of Self-Concealment, Openness to Experience, Loss of Face, Stigma, and Disclosure Expectations among Korean College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bathje, Geoff J.; Kim, Eunha; Rau, Ellen; Bassiouny, Muhammad Adam; Kim, Taehoon

2014-01-01

This study examined attitudes toward face-to-face (f2f) and online counseling among 228 Korean college students. In addition, it tested a hypothesized model proposing that general propensities (i.e., self-concealment, openness to experience, and loss of face) would influence counseling-specific expectations (i.e., self-stigma and disclosure…

The Role of Online Education Preferences on Student's Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baturay, Meltem Huri; Yukselturk, Erman

2015-01-01

Online education has expanded and is expected to continue growing rapidly in time along with technological innovations. It is obvious that there is a movement toward online learning which necessitates the need of more empirical evidence on effective learning and learners' achievement. This study investigated effect of the variables: demographics…

Online Searching in the Small College Library--Ten Years Later.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Scott; Smith, Jane B.

1991-01-01

Reviews experiences with online searching at the Nazareth College library. Topics discussed include user expectations; actual and perceived search quality; the impact of laser printers; growth in online searching; increases in other reference services; the use of CD-ROM technology; and costs and pricing policies. (LRW)

Beyond Blackboard and into Virtual Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cleaver, Samantha

2008-01-01

Online learning is evolving into much more than discussions via Blackboard. Today's online learners are spending time engaged in discussions, meeting in virtual classrooms, and combining online and on-the-ground learning, even if they live time zones away from campus. In response, universities are adjusting their curriculum, learning expectations,…

A Comparative Study of Online Item Calibration Methods in Multidimensional Computerized Adaptive Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Ping

2017-01-01

Calibration of new items online has been an important topic in item replenishment for multidimensional computerized adaptive testing (MCAT). Several online calibration methods have been proposed for MCAT, such as multidimensional "one expectation-maximization (EM) cycle" (M-OEM) and multidimensional "multiple EM cycles"…

Support Services for Remote Users of Online Public Access Catalogs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalin, Sally W.

1991-01-01

Discusses the needs of remote users of online public access catalogs (OPACs). User expectations are discussed; problems encountered by remote-access users are examined, including technical problems and searching problems; support services are described, including instruction, print guides, and online help; and differences from the needs of…

Procrastination, Participation, and Performance in Online Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michinov, Nicolas; Brunot, Sophie; Le Bohec, Olivier; Juhel, Jacques; Delaval, Marine

2011-01-01

The present study focuses on a specific learner characteristic in the management of time--procrastination--, and its role in an online learning environment. More specifically, it was expected that procrastination would influence the successfulness of online learning and that this could be explained by the level of participation of learners in…

Barriers to Online Postsecondary Education Crumble: Enrollment in Traditional Face-to-Face Courses Declines as Enrollment in Online Courses Increases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Dahli

2013-01-01

Contrary to expectations, total postsecondary enrollment in the United States (US) declined in Fall 2011. In fact, it continues to decline while online enrollment continues to increase. Students can more easily cross geographic boundaries as online access causes barriers to postsecondary education to crumble, and more than 50% of the demand for…

Effects of Requiring Students to Meet High Expectation Levels within an On-Line Homework Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weber, William J., Jr.

2010-01-01

On-line homework is becoming a larger part of mathematics classrooms each year. Thus, ways to maximize the effectiveness of on-line homework for both students and teachers must be investigated. This study sought to provide one possible answer to this aim, by requiring students to achieve at least 50% for any on-line homework assignment in order to…

On the Recognition of Quality Online Course Design in Promotion and Tenure: A Survey of Higher Ed Institutions in the Western United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bussmann, Susan; Johnson, Sandra R.; Oliver, Richard; Forsythe, Kerry; Grandjean, Miley; Lebsock, Michelle; Luster, Tyler

2017-01-01

What constitutes excellence in teaching for university faculty when they are expected or required to create quality online courses? This is a question that will increasingly be asked of members of promotion and tenure committees as market pressures demand entire degrees be delivered online. Developing a quality online course is a significant…

An FPGA-based demodulation system for fiber Bragg grating sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yongqian; He, Haitao; Yao, Guozhen

2010-11-01

This paper introduces the principle of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor, designs and realizes a compact wavelength demodulation system for FBG sensing using a Fabry-Perot (F-P) filter. FPGA is adopted as a main controller to control a D/A converter to produce a sawtooth wave for driving the F-P filter, and to design the data acquisition circuit for collecting the output signals of photoelectric detector. The collected data is processed after transmitting to PC through the data transmission circuit, and then the demodulation of FBG wavelength is completed finally. This compact FBG wavelength demodulation system is expected to have wide applications in on-line monitoring of electric power equipment and large structures.

Evolution of New miRNAs and Cerebro-Cortical Development.

PubMed

Kosik, Kenneth S; Nowakowski, Tomasz

2018-04-04

The noncoding portion of the genome, including microRNAs, has been fertile evolutionary soil for cortical development in primates. A major contribution to cortical expansion in primates is the generation of novel precursor cell populations. Because miRNA expression profiles track closely with cell identity, it is likely that numerous novel microRNAs have contributed to cellular diversity in the brain. The tools to determine the genomic context within which novel microRNAs emerge and how they become integrated into molecular circuitry are now in hand. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Neuroscience Volume 41 is July 8, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

The testing effect for mediator final test cues and related final test cues in online and laboratory experiments.

PubMed

Coppens, Leonora C; Verkoeijen, Peter P J L; Bouwmeester, Samantha; Rikers, Remy M J P

2016-05-31

The testing effect is the finding that information that is retrieved during learning is more often correctly retrieved on a final test than information that is restudied. According to the semantic mediator hypothesis the testing effect arises because retrieval practice of cue-target pairs (mother-child) activates semantically related mediators (father) more than restudying. Hence, the mediator-target (father-child) association should be stronger for retrieved than restudied pairs. Indeed, Carpenter (2011) found a larger testing effect when participants received mediators (father) than when they received target-related words (birth) as final test cues. The present study started as an attempt to test an alternative account of Carpenter's results. However, it turned into a series of conceptual (Experiment 1) and direct (Experiment 2 and 3) replications conducted with online samples. The results of these online replications were compared with those of similar existing laboratory experiments through small-scale meta-analyses. The results showed that (1) the magnitude of the raw mediator testing effect advantage is comparable for online and laboratory experiments, (2) in both online and laboratory experiments the magnitude of the raw mediator testing effect advantage is smaller than in Carpenter's original experiment, and (3) the testing effect for related cues varies considerably between online experiments. The variability in the testing effect for related cues in online experiments could point toward moderators of the related cue short-term testing effect. The raw mediator testing effect advantage is smaller than in Carpenter's original experiment.

Carry on winning: the gamblers' fallacy creates hot hand effects in online gambling.

PubMed

Xu, Juemin; Harvey, Nigel

2014-05-01

People suffering from the hot-hand fallacy unreasonably expect winning streaks to continue whereas those suffering from the gamblers' fallacy unreasonably expect losing streaks to reverse. We took 565,915 sports bets made by 776 online gamblers in 2010 and analyzed all winning and losing streaks up to a maximum length of six. People who won were more likely to win again (apparently because they chose safer odds than before) whereas those who lost were more likely to lose again (apparently because they chose riskier odds than before). However, selection of safer odds after winning and riskier ones after losing indicates that online sports gamblers expected their luck to reverse: they suffered from the gamblers' fallacy. By believing in the gamblers' fallacy, they created their own hot hands. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Coincidence of role expectations between staff and volunteer members of drug free community coalitions.

PubMed

Goldstein, Marc B; Sapere, Heather; Daviau, John

2017-08-01

Community coalitions have proliferated as a means of addressing a range of complex community problems. Such coalitions often consist of a small paid staff and volunteer members. The present study examines one likely contributor to coalition effectiveness: the degree of agreement on role expectations between paid staff and volunteer members. Role confusion occurs when paid staff and volunteers differ in their expectations of who is responsible for accomplishing specific tasks. Staff and volunteer members from 69 randomly selected Drug Free Coalitions in the United States as well as 21 Drug Free Coalitions in Connecticut were asked to respond to an online survey asking about 37 specific coalition tasks critical for effective coalition functioning and the degree to which paid staff and/or voluntary members should be responsible for accomplishing each. Our final sample consisted of 476 individuals from 35 coalitions. Using coalitions as the unit of analysis, we found significant differences between paid staff and volunteer coalition members on nine tasks reflecting four domains: meeting leadership and participation, (2) planning and implementation leadership, (3) publicity/media relations, and (4) logistical functions. Implications of these differences and ways that evaluators could help coalitions deal with differing role expectations were discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Higher Education Faculty Utilization of Online Technological Tools: A Multilevel Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Brianne L.

2017-01-01

As online learning and the use of online technological tools in higher education continues to grow exponentially, higher education faculty are expected to incorporate these tools into their instruction. However, many faculty members are reluctant to embrace such tools, for a variety of professional and personal reasons. This study employs survey…

Online Business Education in the Twenty-First Century: An Analysis of Potential Target Markets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Joel R.; Haase, Ilene M.

2001-01-01

Discusses the potential for online business education. Highlights include a background of distance education for higher education; the interest of corporate America in distance education; and results of a survey of Internet users that focused on potential customers for online business education and considered demographics, service expectations,…

Team Members' Perceptions of Online Teamwork Learning Experiences and Building Teamwork Trust: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tseng, Hung Wei; Yeh, Hsin-Te

2013-01-01

Teamwork factors can facilitate team members, committing themselves to the purposes of maximizing their own and others' contributions and successes. It is important for online instructors to comprehend students' expectations on learning collaboratively. The aims of this study were to investigate online collaborative learning experiences and to…

Grade Expectations: Mapping Stakeholder Views of Online Plagiarism Detection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashe, Diana; Manning, Michelle

2007-01-01

Based upon a pilot study of the leading online plagiarism detection service, this article examines the views of faculty and students as the main stakeholders in the controversy over online plagiarism detection. Rather than give advice outside of a specific institutional context, this study offers an understanding of the reasoning that informs the…

The Effect of Online Tasks for Algebra on Student Achievement in Grade 8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drijvers, Paul; Doorman, Michiel; Kirschner, Paul; Hoogveld, Bert; Boon, Peter

2014-01-01

Online resources are widely used for educational purposes, such as the training of skills. For algebra education in particular, online resources are expected to contribute to skill mastery in an efficient and effective way. However, studies that underpin these claims through a randomized experiment are scarce. To experimentally investigate the…

A Snapshot of Online Learners: E-Readiness, E-Satisfaction and Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ilgaz, Hale; Gülbahar, Yasemin

2015-01-01

The popularity of online programs that educational institutions offer is continuously increasing at varying degrees, with the major demand coming from adult learners who have no opportunity to access traditional education. These adult learners have to be sufficiently ready and competent for online learning, and have their own varied expectations…

Balancing Online Teaching Activities: Strategies for Optimizing Efficiency and Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raffo, Deana M.; Brinthaupt, Thomas M.; Gardner, Justin G.; Fisher, Lawanna S.

2015-01-01

Increased demands in professional expectations have required online faculty to learn how to balance multiple roles in an open-ended, changing, and relatively unstructured job. In this paper, we argue that being strategic about one's balance of the various facets of online teaching will improve one's teaching efficiency and effectiveness. We…

Fangirls as Teachers: Examining Pedagogic Discourse in an Online Fan Site

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lammers, Jayne C.

2013-01-01

Videogames, such as "The Sims," are a digital media passion drawing adolescents to online spaces where they create and share content. This article explores how discourses and expectations are taught in one online, videogame-related fan site of adolescents who read and write "Sims" fan fiction. Using Bernstein's pedagogic…

Online genetic counseling from the providers' perspective: counselors' evaluations and a time and cost analysis.

PubMed

Otten, Ellen; Birnie, Erwin; Ranchor, Adelita V; van Langen, Irene M

2016-08-01

Telemedicine applications are increasingly being introduced in patient care in various disciplines, including clinical genetics, mainly to increase access to care and to reduce time and costs for patients and professionals. Most telegenetics reports describe applications in large geographical areas, showing positive patients' and professionals' satisfaction. One economic analysis published thus far reported lower costs than in-person care. We hypothesized that telegenetics can also be beneficial from the professional's view in relatively small geographical areas. We performed a pilot study in the Northern Netherlands of 51 home-based online counseling sessions for cardiogenetic and oncogenetic cascade screening, and urgent prenatal counseling. Previously, we showed patient satisfaction, anxiety, and perceived control of online counseling to be comparable to in-person counseling. This study focuses on expectations, satisfaction, and practical evaluations of the involved counselors, and the impact in terms of time and costs. Most counselors expected disadvantages of online counseling for themselves and their patients, mainly concerning insufficient non-verbal communication; few expected advantages for themselves. Afterwards, counselors additionally raised the disadvantage of insufficient verbal communication, and reported frequent technical problems. Their overall mean telemedicine satisfaction itemscore was 3.38 before, and 2.95 afterwards, being afterwards slightly below the minimum level we set for a satisfactory result. We estimated reduced time and costs by online counseling with about 8% and 10-12%, respectively. We showed online genetic counseling to be effective, feasible and cost-efficient, but technical improvements are needed to increase counselors' satisfaction.

Online genetic counseling from the providers' perspective: counselors' evaluations and a time and cost analysis

PubMed Central

Otten, Ellen; Birnie, Erwin; Ranchor, Adelita V; van Langen, Irene M

2016-01-01

Telemedicine applications are increasingly being introduced in patient care in various disciplines, including clinical genetics, mainly to increase access to care and to reduce time and costs for patients and professionals. Most telegenetics reports describe applications in large geographical areas, showing positive patients' and professionals' satisfaction. One economic analysis published thus far reported lower costs than in-person care. We hypothesized that telegenetics can also be beneficial from the professional's view in relatively small geographical areas. We performed a pilot study in the Northern Netherlands of 51 home-based online counseling sessions for cardiogenetic and oncogenetic cascade screening, and urgent prenatal counseling. Previously, we showed patient satisfaction, anxiety, and perceived control of online counseling to be comparable to in-person counseling. This study focuses on expectations, satisfaction, and practical evaluations of the involved counselors, and the impact in terms of time and costs. Most counselors expected disadvantages of online counseling for themselves and their patients, mainly concerning insufficient non-verbal communication; few expected advantages for themselves. Afterwards, counselors additionally raised the disadvantage of insufficient verbal communication, and reported frequent technical problems. Their overall mean telemedicine satisfaction itemscore was 3.38 before, and 2.95 afterwards, being afterwards slightly below the minimum level we set for a satisfactory result. We estimated reduced time and costs by online counseling with about 8% and 10–12%, respectively. We showed online genetic counseling to be effective, feasible and cost-efficient, but technical improvements are needed to increase counselors' satisfaction. PMID:26785833

The emotional process from diagnosis to birth following a prenatal diagnosis of fetal anomaly: A qualitative study of messages in online discussion boards.

PubMed

Carlsson, Tommy; Starke, Veronica; Mattsson, Elisabet

2017-05-01

to explore written statements found in online discussion boards where parents currently expecting, or with previous experience of expecting, a child with a prenatally diagnosed congenital anomaly communicate about their emotional process from diagnosis to birth. cross-sectional qualitative study of messages in public online discussion boards. Swedish public discussion boards about reproductive subjects. ten pregnant women and eight parents (of children with prenatal diagnoses) who had written 852 messages in five threads in Swedish online discussion boards identified via systematic searches. three phases were identified in the process of moving from the diagnosis to the birth: shock, existential crisis, and life remodeling. The people posting message ('posters') moved from initial shock to existential crisis and, lastly, a phase of remodeling life later in the pregnancy. During the pregnancy, considerable worries about both antenatal and postnatal aspects were expressed. To cope with their situation, the posters distanced themselves from the diagnoses, vented their feelings, sought control, and obtained practical support from friends and relatives. expectant parents faced with a prenatal diagnosis move from initial shock to a phase of life remodeling and acceptance. Burdened with considerable worries, expectant parents cope with their situation through informational, emotional, and instrumental support from health professionals, family, friends, and peers. health professionals should make sure that expectant parents feel involved in planning their children's postnatal care, that they are offered sufficient information, and that they have access to emotional and instrumental support structures. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Online Interaction Quality among Adult Learners: The Role of Sense of Belonging and Perceived Learning Benefits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diep, Nguyet A.; Cocquyt, Celine; Zhu, Chang; Vanwing, Tom

2017-01-01

The present study employs social cognitive theory (SCT) and social capital as the guiding frameworks to explain online interaction quality among learners in a blended learning program (N = 179). Capturing performance expectancy by perceived learning benefits and online interaction quality with nuanced cognitive measures, the study aims to validate…

Cyber-Bullying in the Online Classroom: Instructor Perceptions of Aggressive Student Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eskey, Michael T.; Taylor, Cathy L.; Eskey, Michael T., Jr.

2014-01-01

The advent of online learning has created the medium for cyber-bullying in the virtual classroom and also by e-mail. Bullying is usually expected in the workplace and between students in the classroom. Most recently, however, faculty members have become surprising targets of online bullying. For many, there are no established policies nor is…

Evaluation of Online Course Websites: Is Teaching Online a Tug-of-War?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hathorn, Lesley; Hathorn, John

2010-01-01

The need for an evaluation instrument for web-based, mainly asynchronous, course websites is necessary. An instrument was developed and tested to assess whether there was an appropriate checklist of items that were expected of an online course website by both students and faculty. The instrument was developed from surveying the current literature…

Exploring the Factors Affecting Learners' Continuance Intention of MOOCs for Online Collaborative Learning: An Extended ECM Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Junjie, Zhou

2017-01-01

The purpose of this paper was to investigate what factors influence learners' continuance intention in massive open online courses (MOOCs) for online collaborative learning. An extended expectation confirmation model (ECM) was adopted as the theoretical foundation. A total of 435 valid samples were collected in mainland China and structural…

Student Perceptions and Performance in Online and Offline Collaboration in an Interior Design Studio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Ji Young; Cho, Moon-Heum

2014-01-01

Competence in collaboration is one of the critical abilities that interior design majors are expected to develop during the course of their education; however, few students are competent to collaborate with others online. The purposes of this study were to identify student perceptions and performance in online collaboration compared to those of…

Logic Models as a Way to Support Online Students and Their Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strycker, Jesse

2016-01-01

As online enrollment continues to grow, students may need additional pedagogical supports to increase their likelihood of success in online environments that don't offer the same supports as those found in face to face classrooms. Logic models are a way to provide such support to students by helping to model project expectations, allowing students…

Supporting Online Faculty Holistically: Developing a Support Website Resource

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nordin, Eric; Anthony, Peter John

2014-01-01

Current trends in post-secondary education enrollment indicate that colleges and universities are likely to experience an increase in the number of online students. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the type of resources and support features online faculty need, desire, and expect in a support website. The method used to collect research…

78 FR 76986 - Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-20

... FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 16 CFR Part 312 RIN 3084-AB20 Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule... published final rule amendments to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule on January 17, 2013 to... correction in the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule. List of Subjects in 16 CFR Part 312 Children...

Recruiting undergraduates to rural practice: what the students can tell us.

PubMed

Orpin, Peter; Gabriel, Michelle

2005-01-01

There are still large gaps in the evidence base for the effectiveness of Australian undergraduate rural coursework and placements programs designed to increase the numbers of health graduates choosing rural practice. This article reports on an online survey conducted in 2004 of health science students at the University of Tasmania, Australia, designed as a part of a long-term study to test coursework interventions by tracking students' attitudes to, and experience of, rural practice from course entry to eventual practice. All first and final year students in medicine, nursing and pharmacy in the Faculty of Health Science were invited to complete an online survey exploring the undergraduate experience of rural health. The survey was completed by 148 first year and 87 final year students, a response rate of 32.4% and 23.1% respectively. Over one-third (38.5%) of first years and 56.3% of final years indicated a general preference for rural life and practice and almost 90% expected to spend at least some of their career in rural practice. There was a statistically significant relationship between rural practice orientation and rural origin among first years, although this relationship was weaker among final years. Of first years, 82.4%, and 82.7% of final years appear to have made at least some commitment to a particular career path, and two-thirds to a particular practice environment. Rurally oriented first year students were significantly more committed to a career path than those without that orientation, although this did not hold for final years. When asked how much of their careers they expected to spend in capital city, rural, remote and/or overseas practice, both first and final year students' responses were notable for their spread. Few ruled rural or urban practice in or out entirely with most opting for middle range responses of 'most', 'about half' or 'part' of their career. Over half of both years expected to spend some time in remote practice and 75.1% of first years and 66.6% of final years some time in overseas practice. The factors rated most important in relation to career choice were those related directly to the realities of day-to-day professional practice--professional and peer support, work conditions and variety of work. Approximately three-quarters of those entering undergraduate education felt themselves to be at least 'somewhat informed' about rural practice but, apart from medical students, were little better informed by final year. The only perception of rural practice very widely shared (by more than 80% of respondents) was the possibility of developing better patient relations. Many of the other factors frequently identified as major issues in the rural practice literature--locality, flexibility, opportunities for further study, and spouse/partner and children's needs - while recognised by some, do not appear to loom large with undergraduates either in terms of career choice or perceptions of rural practice. Most final year students recalled receiving specific rural health training through rural placements and/or rural curriculum content. Overall recall of coursework was patchy, although placements were well-remembered and there was good support for increases in both. None of those who recalled undertaking rural coursework felt that it had influenced them towards a rural career and over two-thirds (n = 37, 69.8%) felt that this exposure had actually influenced them away from such a career. Three students reported that undertaking a rural placement influenced them towards, and 35 away from, a rural/remote career. The ultimate measure of the success of undergraduate interventions will be workforce changes over time. In the meantime more research is needed into undergraduate experience of rural health to provide the data needed for the careful design of coursework, detailed planning of the placement experience and long-term strategies to address those aspects of rural practice that are of most concern to these emerging health professionals.

Facebook and the Final Practicum: The Impact of Online Peer Support in the Assistant Teacher Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paris, Lisa F.; Boston, Julie; Morris, Julia

2015-01-01

Australian pre-service teachers (PST) frequently report feeling isolated and vulnerable during the high stakes Assistant Teacher Program (ATP) final practicum. Mentoring and online learning communities have been shown to offer effective support during periods in which pre-service and beginning teachers feel challenged. As social media…

Academic procrastination and academic performance: An initial basis for intervention.

PubMed

Goroshit, Marina

2018-01-01

Academic procrastination is a prevalent phenomenon with a range of negative outcomes. Many studies focused on causes and correlates of academic procrastination; however, the study of interventions for academic procrastination is scarce. The present study is an initial effort to study the relationship between academic procrastination, online course participation, and achievement, as a basis for developing an intervention for academic procrastination. Findings indicated that studying procrastination was negatively associated with final exam grade as well as with the three online course participation measures. Final exam grade was positively associated with two of the online course participation measures, and they positively correlated with each other. In addition, results indicated that studying procrastination, in combination with online course participation measures, explained about 50% of variance in final exam's grade. Frequency of activities in course Web site had the strongest positive effect on final exam's grade. These findings strengthen the notion that studying procrastination is an impediment to students' academic performance and outcomes and clarifies the need to develop and study academic interventions for academic procrastination as a means to decrease its prevalence in academic settings.

Does a Case-Based Online Group Project Increase Students' Satisfaction with Interaction in Online Courses?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Sang Joon; Ngampornchai, Anchalee; Trail-Constant, Trudian; Abril, Andres; Srinivasan, Sandhya

2016-01-01

Due to the realistic, complex natures of authentic cases involved in case-based learning, the use of group work has been encouraged and expected to enhance the quality of interaction among participants and to improve students' learning experiences. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the case-based online group work increased…

Should Gender Differences Be Considered When Assessing Student Satisfaction in the Online Learning Environment for Millennials?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvey, Heather Lea; Parahoo, Sanjai; Santally, Mohammad

2017-01-01

The majority of today's students in online higher education are millennials and have grown up using technology. Therefore, there is a need to determine if their expectations from online learning are different from previous contextual studies and whether or not these vary across gender. This study used a mixed method approach, using focus groups,…

High-Tech or High-Touch? Online Learning and Independent Higher Education. Innovations in Teaching and Learning. Research Brief 5

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katz, Philip M.

2016-01-01

Independent colleges and universities are cautious adopters of online education for undergraduate students. These institutions seek to balance a tradition of student-focused pedagogy in face-to-face settings and faculty wariness of online courses against the promise of lower instructional costs, changing student expectations, and the potential for…

Meeting Students' Needs and Expectations in a Culturally Diverse E-Learning Environment: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pham, Minh Trung

2010-01-01

The increased growth of online instruction has been well documented by various studies. As the result of the proliferation of online instruction, students from outside of the United States are now able to obtain an American education without having to leave their home country. While online course designs have been well researched and documented to…

School-Context Videos in Janus-Faced Online Publicity: Learner-Generated Digital Video Production Going Online

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmgren-Neuvonen, Laura; Jaakkola, Maarit; Korkeamäki, Riitta-Liisa

2015-01-01

This article reports a case study on sChOOLtv, an online television for primary and secondary schools that aims to bridge the media gap between in-school and out-of-school learning environments. Contrary to its creators' expectations, the number of published videos has not increased since its establishment. Furthermore, the videos were mostly…

Testing the Effectiveness of Online Assignments in Theory of Finance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Batu, Michael; Bower, Nancy; Lun, Esmond; Sadanand, Asha

2018-01-01

The authors investigated the effectiveness of online versus paper assignments using final examination scores in three cohorts of theory of finance. In particular, two cohorts were exposed to online assignments while another cohort was exposed to traditional assignments. The central result is that exposure to online assignments robustly leads to…

Internet embeddedness: links with online health information seeking, expectancy value/quality of health information websites, and Internet usage patterns.

PubMed

Leung, Louis

2008-10-01

To see how the Internet is actually embedded in our lives, this exploratory study examines how Internet users search the Web for important information, especially health or medical information, to make critical decisions, and the perception of how intimately our lives are embedded in the Internet intersects with patterns of health information seeking online and the expected quality of health information websites. Data from a probability sample of 569 Internet users found four types of commonly sought health information clusters online which included information on (a) health improvement, (b) medical treatment, (c) family health, and (d) health issues that are difficult to talk about. Results also show that behavior or behavioral intentions in health information seeking are in fact either a function of value expectancy or the evaluation of health information websites. More importantly, people who often go to the Internet for health information and have high expectations of the value and quality of health information websites (especially in terms of reliability, relevance/context, and interaction) tend to be those who are more likely to perceive the Internet as playing an important role in life decisions or rate the Internet as more embedded in their lives.

Evaluation of Offline Tandem and Online Solid-Phase Extraction with Liquid Chromatography/Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry for Analysis of Antibiotics in Ambient Water and Comparison to an Independent Method

USGS Publications Warehouse

Meyer, M.T.; Lee, E.A.; Ferrell, G.M.; Bumgarner, J.E.; Varns, Jerry

2007-01-01

This report describes the performance of an offline tandem solid-phase extraction (SPE) method and an online SPE method that use liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry for the analysis of 23 and 35 antibiotics, respectively, as used in several water-quality surveys conducted since 1999. In the offline tandem SPE method, normalized concentrations for the quinolone, macrolide, and sulfonamide antibiotics in spiked environmental samples averaged from 81 to 139 percent of the expected spiked concentrations. A modified standard-addition technique was developed to improve the quantitation of the tetracycline antibiotics, which had 'apparent' concentrations that ranged from 185 to 1,200 percent of their expected spiked concentrations in matrix-spiked samples. In the online SPE method, normalized concentrations for the quinolone, macrolide, sulfonamide, and tetracycline antibiotics in matrix-spiked samples averaged from 51 to 142 percent of their expected spiked concentrations, and the beta-lactam antibiotics in matrix-spiked samples averaged from 22 to 76 percent of their expected spiked concentration. Comparison of 44 samples analyzed by both the offline tandem SPE and online SPE methods showed 50 to 100 percent agreement in sample detection for overlapping analytes and 68 to 100 percent agreement in a presence-absence comparison for all analytes. The offline tandem and online SPE methods were compared to an independent method that contains two overlapping antibiotic compounds, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, for 96 and 44 environmental samples, respectively. The offline tandem SPE showed 86 and 92 percent agreement in sample detection and 96 and 98 percent agreement in a presence-absence comparison for sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, respectively. The online SPE method showed 57 and 56 percent agreement in sample detection and 72 and 91 percent agreement in presence-absence comparison for sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, respectively. A linear regression with an R2 of 0.91 was obtained for trimethoprim concentrations, and an R2 of 0.35 was obtained for sulfamethoxazole concentrations determined from samples analyzed by the offline tandem SPE and online SPE methods. Linear regressions of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole concentrations determined from samples analyzed by the offline tandem SPE method and the independent M3 pharmaceutical method yielded R2 of 0.95 and 0.87, respectively. Regressed comparison of the offline tandem SPE method to the online SPE and M3 methods showed that the online SPE method gave higher concentrations for sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim than were obtained from the offline tandem SPE or M3 methods.

Teaching Astronomy Online

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radnofsky, Mary L.; Bobrowsky, Matthew

This article is intended to provide an overview of the practical, pedagogical, and philosophical considerations in designing a Web-based astronomy course, and to demonstrate the educational benefits that such online courses can afford students. Because online students need to take more responsibility for their learning, faculty must make course expectations extremely clear. Online education allows for increased student participation and equal access to college by such groups as the military, the handicapped, full-time employees, and rural and senior citizens. Teaching the sciences online--especially astronomy--gives students more time to think critically about new information. This article also includes tools, checklists, and resources helpful for introducing faculty to online course development in astronomy.

Are Online Exams an Invitation to Cheat?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harmon, Oskar R.; Lambrinos, James; Kennedy, Peter, Ed.

2008-01-01

In this study, the authors use data from two online courses in principles of economics to estimate a model that predicts exam scores from independent variables of student characteristics. In one course, the final exam was proctored, and in the other course, the final exam was not proctored. In both courses, the first three exams were unproctored.…

Rising Tides: Faculty Expectations of Library Websites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicol, Erica Carlson; O'English, Mark

2012-01-01

Looking at 2003-2009 LibQUAL+ responses at research-oriented universities in the United States, faculty library users report a significant and consistent rise in desires and expectations for library-provided online tools and websites, even as student user groups show declining or leveling expectations. While faculty, like students, also report…

Nutrition Information to the Desktop: A Pilot Online Nutrition Course on Saturated Fat for Public Librarians Increases Knowledge, Expectancies, and Self-Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner-McGrievy, Gabrielle M.; Campbell, Marci K.

2009-01-01

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of an online course for public librarians on helping patrons reduce saturated fat. Design: Pre- and posttest design along with a 6-month follow-up survey. Setting: Online nutrition course. Participants: 100 (8 males, 92 females) completed the course, and 29 completed the follow-up survey. Intervention:…

Making good physics videos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lincoln, James

2017-05-01

Online videos are an increasingly important way technology is contributing to the improvement of physics teaching. Students and teachers have begun to rely on online videos to provide them with content knowledge and instructional strategies. Online audiences are expecting greater production value, and departments are sometimes requesting educators to post video pre-labs or to flip our classrooms. In this article, I share my advice on creating engaging physics videos.

Men Want Equality, but Women Don't Expect It: Young Adults' Expectations for Participation in Household and Child Care Chores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Askari, Sabrina F.; Liss, Miriam; Erchull, Mindy J.; Staebell, Samantha E.; Axelson, Sarah J.

2010-01-01

This study explored whether there was a discrepancy between young adults' ideal and expected participation in household and child care chores as well as what variables predicted expectations for future chore division. Three-hundred fifty-eight unmarried, heterosexual participants with no children completed an online questionnaire assessing the…

Assessing Online Discussions: A Holistic Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Yu-mei; Chen, Der-Thanq

2017-01-01

This article reports a holistic approach to assessing online discussions. This holistic approach integrates three assessment methods: assessment of learning, assessment for learning, and assessment as learning. Assessment of learning directly examines students' learning products to decide whether they have achieved the expected learning through…

Personalized risk communication for personalized risk assessment: Real world assessment of knowledge and motivation for six mortality risk measures from an online life expectancy calculator.

PubMed

Manuel, Douglas G; Abdulaziz, Kasim E; Perez, Richard; Beach, Sarah; Bennett, Carol

2018-01-01

In the clinical setting, previous studies have shown personalized risk assessment and communication improves risk perception and motivation. We evaluated an online health calculator that estimated and presented six different measures of life expectancy/mortality based on a person's sociodemographic and health behavior profile. Immediately after receiving calculator results, participants were invited to complete an online survey that asked how informative and motivating they found each risk measure, whether they would share their results and whether the calculator provided information they need to make lifestyle changes. Over 80% of the 317 survey respondents found at least one of six healthy living measures highly informative and motivating, but there was moderate heterogeneity regarding which measures respondents found most informative and motivating. Overall, health age was most informative and life expectancy most motivating. Approximately 40% of respondents would share the results with their clinician (44%) or social networks (38%), although the information they would share was often different from what they found informative or motivational. Online personalized risk assessment allows for a more personalized communication compared to historic paper-based risk assessment to maximize knowledge and motivation, and people should be provided a range of risk communication measures that reflect different risk perspectives.

The comparison of road safety survey answers between web-panel and face-to-face; Dutch results of SARTRE-4 survey.

PubMed

Goldenbeld, C; de Craen, S

2013-09-01

In the Netherlands, a comparison of an online and a face-to-face sample of car drivers was made to study differences on a number of selected questions from the SARTRE-4 road safety survey. Contrary to expectations, there was no indication that online respondents were more likely to come from higher educated or more privileged social groups. Confirming earlier research, the results indicated that online respondents were less inclined to give socially desirable answers and were less inclined to use more extreme ratings in their opinions about measures. Contrary to expectations, face-to-face respondents did not tend to give more positive answers in judgment of road safety measures. Weighting to make samples comparable on gender, age, and education had almost no effect on outcomes. The implications for a transition from face-to-face survey to online panel method are discussed. Copyright © 2013 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of sexually explicit online media on sex: do men who have sex with men believe they "do what they see"?

PubMed

Nelson, Kimberly M; Leickly, Emily; Yang, Joyce P; Pereira, Andrew; Simoni, Jane M

2014-01-01

Over the past two decades, men who have sex with men (MSM) have engaged in increasing consumption of MSM-specific sexually explicit online media (i.e., online pornography). Furthermore, the amount of MSM-specific sexually explicit online media portraying unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) has increased, raising concerns about HIV transmission among the actors and the potential encouragement of risky sex among consumers. The influence of sexually explicit online media on sexual risk-taking, at present largely understudied, could lead to new avenues for innovative HIV-prevention strategies targeting at-risk MSM. In this preliminary assessment, in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 MSM in the Seattle area to elucidate MSM's perceptions about the influence of sexually explicit online media on their own and other MSM's sexual behaviors. Participants reported that sexually explicit online media: (1) plays an educational role, (2) increases comfort with sexuality, and (3) sets expectations about sexual behaviors. While participants overwhelmingly reported not feeling personally influenced by viewing UAI in sexually explicit online media, they believed viewing UAI increased sexual risk-taking among other MSM. Specifically, participants reported that the high prevalence of UAI in sexually explicit online media sends the message, at least to other MSM, that (1) engaging in UAI is common, (2) UAI is acceptable and "ok" to engage in, and (3) future partners will desire or expect UAI. Overall, this preliminary assessment indicates that sexually explicit online media exposure may have both positive (e.g., helping MSM become more comfortable with their sexuality) and negative (e.g., normalizing UAI) impacts on the sexual health of MSM and may be useful in the development of novel HIV-prevention interventions.

Use of Contemporary Film as a Medium for Teaching an Online Death and Grief Course.

PubMed

Head, Barbara A; Smith, Lisa C

2016-01-01

Online education is becoming commonplace in the academic world. Schools now offer totally online degree programs or provide a hybrid of face-to-face and online courses for fulfilling academic requirements. Developing courses and teaching online requires instructors to rethink the educational paradigms they have relied upon in the past. The Net Generation of learners brings a different set of expectations, styles, and needs to the classroom than those of previous generations; this mandates that instructors redesign courses and use contemporary teaching modalities. This article describes how film was successfully used as the primary medium to teach a graduate online Social Work course, Death and Grief.

Analyses of Student Learning in Global Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takle, E. S.; Moser, H.; Sorensen, E. K.

2004-12-01

The Global Change course at Iowa State University is a senior undergraduate and graduate level course that has been delivered over the internet with online dialog and learning activities since 1995. Students may enroll in the course as a distance education course, but in doing so they engage in dialog with students in the conventional on-campus face-to-face course. Online delivery and student participation offer opportunities for promoting use of critical thinking skills and collaborative learning not available in face-to-face environments. Students are required to research, post, and defend with authoritative information their positions on a variety of global change issues and specifically identify how they have demonstrated use of critical thinking skills in their online postings. Threaded dialog is used for structuring interactions toward promoting collaborative learning. We analyze collaborative learning by use of a rubric based on the theory of language games. By random selection of 1,350 online dialog comments posted over the last 10 years we evaluated student response to requirements for demonstrating critical thinking skills and collaboration in learning. We found that, by itself, the requirement of demonstrating critical thinking skills in online dialog was insufficient in promoting collaborative learned as measured by the standards of language game theory. But we also found that if an online comment clearly defines a situation and makes a clear expectation of a response, the likelihood is high that a game will be created. And if a game is established, there is a high probability that it will be closed, thereby giving evidence that collaborative learning had occurred. We conclude that a key component in collaborative online learning lies in establishing a lead-off comment that provides sufficient background information to clearly define an engaging situation. It also must include a clear expectation that a response is expected that will provide dialog participants an opportunity to demonstrate critical thinking skills in their responding comments.

Focusing Your E-Recruitment Efforts to Meet the Expectations of College-Bound Students. E-Expectations 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noel-Levitz, Inc, 2010

2010-01-01

Early in 2010, the E-Expectations research group surveyed more than 1,000 college-bound high school students, polling them on their online behaviors and expectations, as well as other key enrollment-related topics. Highlights of the study include: (1) 1 in 4 students reported removing a school from their prospective list because of a bad…

75 FR 29893 - Business Reply Mail Online Application Option

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-28

... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 111 Business Reply Mail Online Application Option AGENCY: Postal Service TM . ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Postal Service TM will revise the Mailing Standards of the... option to obtain a Business Reply Mail[supreg] (BRM) permit online. Additionally, the electronic version...

Toward a theory of persuasive hope: effects of cognitive appraisals, hope appeals, and hope in the context of climate change.

PubMed

Chadwick, Amy E

2015-01-01

Hope has the potential to be a powerful motivator for influencing behavior. However, hope and messages that evoke hope (hope appeals) have rarely been the focus of theoretical development or empirical research. As a step toward the effective development and use of hope appeals in persuasive communication, this study conceptualized and operationalized hope appeals in the context of climate change prevention. Then, the study manipulated components of the hope evocation part of a hope appeal. Specifically, the components were designed to address appraisals of the importance, goal congruence, future expectation, and possibility of climate protection, resulting in a 2 (strong/weak importance) × 2 (strong/weak goal congruence) × 2 (strong/weak future expectation) × 2 (strong/weak possibility) between-subjects pretest-posttest factorial design. Two hundred forty-five undergraduate students were randomly assigned to one of the 16 message conditions and completed the study online. The study tested whether the four appraisals predict feelings of hope. It determined whether message components that address importance, goal congruence, future expectation, and possibility affect appraisals, feelings of hope, and persuasion outcomes. Finally, this study tested the effects of feelings of hope on persuasion outcomes. This study takes an important step toward enabling the effective use of hope appeals in persuasive communication.

Moms and Media: Exploring the Effects of Online Communication on Infant Feeding Practices.

PubMed

McKeever, Robert; McKeever, Brooke W

2017-09-01

Using a survey of mothers with young children (N = 455), this study applies Fishbein and Ajzen's reasoned action approach (RAA) to examine the relationship between online communication and infant feeding practices. Contrary to expectations, attitudes, perceived normative pressure, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) did not fully mediate the relationship between time spent online and behavioral intentions. Our findings indicate a significant, direct, negative association between time spent online and breastfeeding intentions In this article, theoretical and practical implications for health communication are discussed.

Abnormal mTOR Activation in Autism.

PubMed

Winden, Kellen D; Ebrahimi-Fakhari, Darius; Sahin, Mustafa

2018-01-25

The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is an important signaling hub that integrates environmental information regarding energy availability and stimulates anabolic molecular processes and cell growth. Abnormalities in this pathway have been identified in several syndromes in which autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is highly prevalent. Several studies have investigated mTOR signaling in developmental and neuronal processes that, when dysregulated, could contribute to the development of ASD. Although many potential mechanisms still remain to be fully understood, these associations are of great interest because of the clinical availability of mTOR inhibitors. Clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of mTOR Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Neuroscience Volume 41 is July 8, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Student Participation and Grade Performance in an Undergraduate Online Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

V. KunhiMohamed, Balkeese Binti

2012-01-01

This study explored learning and teaching of online classes. Examining the relationship between undergraduate students' participation and their final grades in five selected courses in an online learning environment and exploring differences between the demographics characteristics of age, race, and gender to students' participation (total number…

The Tell-Tale Data: Virtual Whispering and Final Student Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Susan; Germann, Clark

2010-01-01

Online classroom management issues pose new problems for the online instructor and pose seductive communicative options for students. This exploratory group of studies examined Blackboard/WEBCT[TM] data as collected for the course designer of an online course as possible indicators of "whispering" or backchanneling between students with…

Social and Virtual Networks: Evaluating Synchronous Online Interviewing Using Instant Messenger

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinchcliffe, Vanessa; Gavin, Helen

2009-01-01

This paper describes an evaluation of the quality and utility of synchronous online interviewing for data collection in social network research. Synchronous online interviews facilitated by Instant Messenger as the communication medium, were undertaken with ten final year university students. Quantitative and qualitative content analysis of…

Breastfeeding Infants with Ankyloglossia: Insight into Mothers' Experiences.

PubMed

Wong, Kevin; Patel, Punam; Cohen, Michael B; Levi, Jessica R

2017-03-01

Breastfeeding difficulty from ankyloglossia can affect both the mother and baby in a breastfeeding dyad. With renewed emphasis in today's culture on breast milk, mothers may feel increasing pressure to breastfeed, and the inability for some to do so may cause significant distress. Recently, online parenting forums have seen exponential growth; these forums allow mothers to connect with peers undergoing similar life transitions. The purpose of this study was to review online discussions regarding ankyloglossia to understand mothers' experiences with breastfeeding. We performed an ethnographic content analysis of 76 online threads and 501 posts regarding ankyloglossia based on six domains: (1) initial expectations, (2) breastfeeding complications, (3) questions, (4) diagnosis, (5) treatment, and (6) outcomes. About one-fourth of women who participated in online forum discussions had initial expectations to breastfeed, however, many found it impossible due to poor latch or pain. Concerns were frequently exacerbated by healthcare providers who reportedly missed or overlooked ankyloglossia. Although these complications made breastfeeding a challenging experience, mothers often described both subjective and physical improvements after frenotomy. Breastfeeding difficulty was a commonly voiced concern in online ankyloglossia forums. Forum analysis is an effective way to gain insight into patients' experiences, which allows providers to anticipate concerns and provides more effective counseling.

Online Sellers’ Website Quality Influencing Online Buyers’ Purchase Intention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shea Lee, Tan; Ariff, Mohd Shoki Md; Zakuan, Norhayati; Sulaiman, Zuraidah; Zameri Mat Saman, Muhamad

2016-05-01

The increase adoption of Internet among young users in Malaysia provides high prospect for online seller. Young users aged between 18 and 25 years old are important to online sellers because they are actively involved in online purchasing and this group of online buyers is expected to dominate future online market. Therefore, examining online sellers’ website quality and online buyers’ purchase intention is crucial. Based on the Theory of planned behavior (TPB), a conceptual model of online sellers’ website quality and purchase intention of online buyers was developed. E-tailQ instrument was adapted in this study which composed of website design, reliability/fulfillment, security, privacy & trust, and customer service. Using online questionnaire and convenience sampling procedure, primary data were obtained from 240 online buyers aged between 18 to 25 years old. It was discovered that website design, website reliability/fulfillment, website security, privacy & trust, and website customer service positively and significantly influence intention of online buyers to continuously purchase via online channels. This study concludes that online sellers’ website quality is important in predicting online buyers’ purchase intention. Recommendation and implication of this study were discussed focusing on how online sellers should improve their website quality to stay competitive in online business.

Development, evaluation, and utility of a peer evaluation form for online teaching.

PubMed

Gaskamp, Carol D; Kintner, Eileen

2014-01-01

Formative assessment of teaching by peers is an important component of quality improvement for educators. Teaching portfolios submitted for promotion and tenure are expected to include peer evaluations. Faculty resources designed for peer evaluation of classroom teaching are often inadequate for evaluating online teaching. The authors describe development, evaluation, and utility of a new peer evaluation form for formative assessment of online teaching deemed relevant, sound, feasible, and beneficial.

Use of Online Learning Resources in the Development of Learning Environments at the Intersection of Formal and Informal Learning: The Student as Autonomous Designer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lebenicnik, Maja; Pitt, Ian; Istenic Starcic, Andreja

2015-01-01

Learning resources that are used in the education of university students are often available online. The nature of new technologies causes an interweaving of formal and informal learning, with the result that a more active role is expected from students with regard to the use of ICT for their learning. The variety of online learning resources…

IBSTPI, Quality Matters, and Online Learning: What's Right and What Needs Changing?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bose, Eric V.

2012-01-01

This study sought to examine and extend the existing knowledge of IBSTPI competencies of instructional design (International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and Instruction, 2000), the instructional rubric standard expectations of Quality Matters (2010), the identified categories of online learning affordances (Kirschner, Strijbos,…

Digital Literacy Instruction for eHealth and Beyond

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Laura

2016-01-01

The increasing importance of digital technologies can disenfranchise individuals who lack digital literacy skills. As clinics adopt online health portals, even health care services require digital skills. Patients are often expected to check test results and perform other health-related tasks online, but few clinics provide support for those who…

Academic Learning Teams in Accelerated Adult Programs: Online and On-Campus Students' Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Favor, Judy K.; Kulp, Amanda M.

2015-01-01

This article reports adult students' (N = 632) perceptions of long-functioning academic learning teams in accelerated online and on-campus business cohort groups in six constructs: attraction to team, performance expectation alignment, workload distribution, intra-team conflict, preference for teamwork, and impact on learning. Comparisons between…

Online Professional Skills Workshops: Perspectives from Distance Education Graduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gauvreau, Sarah; Hurst, Deborah; Cleveland-Innes, Martha; Hawranik, Pamela

2016-01-01

While many online graduate students are gaining academic and scholarly knowledge, the opportunities for students to develop and hone professional skills essential for the workplace are lacking. Given the virtual environment of distance learning, graduate students are often expected to glean professional skills such as analytical thinking,…

An analysis of online messages about probiotics

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Internet websites are a resource for patients seeking information about probiotics. We examined a sample of 71 websites presenting probiotic information. We found that descriptions of benefits far outnumbered descriptions of risks and commercial websites presented significantly fewer risks than noncommercial websites. The bias towards the presentation of therapeutic benefits in online content suggests that patients are likely interested in using probiotics and may have unrealistic expectations for therapeutic benefit. Gastroenterologists may find it useful to initiate conversations about probiotics within the context of a comprehensive health management plan and should seek to establish realistic therapeutic expectations with their patients. PMID:23311418

Anticipating explanations in relative clause processing.

PubMed

Rohde, H; Levy, R; Kehler, A

2011-03-01

We show that comprehenders' expectations about upcoming discourse coherence relations influence the resolution of local structural ambiguity. We employ cases in which two clauses share both a syntactic relationship and a discourse relationship, and hence in which syntactic and discourse processing might be expected to interact. An off-line sentence-completion study and an on-line self-paced reading study examined readers' expectations for high/low relative-clause attachments following implicit-causality and non-implicit causality verbs (John detests/babysits the children of the musician who…). In the off-line study, the widely reported low-attachment preference for English is observed in the non-implicit causality condition, but this preference gives way to more high attachments in the implicit-causality condition in cases in which (i) the verb's causally implicated referent occupies the high-attachment position and (ii) the relative clause provides an explanation for the event described by the matrix clause (e.g., …who are arrogant and rude). In the on-line study, a similar preference for high attachment emerges in the implicit-causality context-crucially, before the occurrence of any linguistic evidence that the RC does in fact provide an explanation-whereas the low-attachment preference is consistent elsewhere. These findings constitute the first demonstration that expectations about ensuing discourse coherence relationships can elicit full reversals in syntactic attachment preferences, and that these discourse-level expectations can affect on-line disambiguation as rapidly as lexical and morphosyntactic cues. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anticipating Explanations in Relative Clause Processing

PubMed Central

Rohde, H.; Levy, R.; Kehler, A.

2011-01-01

We show that comprehenders’ expectations about upcoming discourse coherence relations influence the resolution of local structural ambiguity. We employ cases in which two clauses share both a syntactic relationship and a discourse relationship, and hence in which syntactic and discourse processing might be expected to interact. An off-line sentence-completion study and an on-line self-paced reading study examined readers’ expectations for high/low relative clause attachments following implicit-causality and non-implicit-causality verbs (John detests/babysits the children of the musician who…). In the off-line study, the widely reported low-attachment preference for English is observed in the non-implicit causality condition, but this preference gives way to more high attachments in the implicit causality condition in cases in which (i) the verb’s causally implicated referent occupies the high-attachment position and (ii) the relative clause provides an explanation for the event described by the matrix clause (e.g., …who are arrogant and rude). In the on-line study, a similar preference for high attachment emerges in the implicit causality context—crucially, before the occurrence of any linguistic evidence that the RC does in fact provide an explanation—whereas the low-attachment preference is consistent elsewhere. These findings constitute the first demonstration that expectations about ensuing discourse coherence relationships can elicit full reversals in syntactic attachment preferences, and that these discourse-level expectations can affect on-line disambiguation as rapidly as lexical and morphosyntactic cues. PMID:21216396

Using Online Assessment to Replace Invigilated Assessment in Times of Natural Disaster: Are Some Online Assessment Conditions Better than Others?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agnew, Steve; Hickson, Stephen

2012-01-01

As a result of the Canterbury earthquake on 4 September 2010, and associated aftershocks on 22 February 2011 and 13 June 2011, final examinations in the two first-year Economics papers at Canterbury University were cancelled at short notice in Semester 1, 2011. The final examination weightings were spread over the remaining assessments to obtain a…

When are do-gooders treated badly? Legitimate power, role expectations, and reactions to moral objection in organizations.

PubMed

Wellman, Ned; Mayer, David M; Ong, Madeline; DeRue, D Scott

2016-06-01

Organization members who engage in "moral objection" by taking a principled stand against ethically questionable activities help to prevent such activities from persisting. Unfortunately, research suggests that they also may be perceived as less warm (i.e., pleasant, nice) than members who comply with ethically questionable procedures. In this article, we draw on role theory to explore how legitimate power influences observers' responses to moral objection. We argue that individuals expect those high in legitimate power to engage in moral objection, but expect those low in legitimate power to comply with ethically questionable practices. We further propose that these contrasting role expectations influence the extent to which moral objectors are perceived as warm and subjected to social sanctions (i.e., insults, pressure, unfriendly behavior). We test our predictions with 3 experiments. Study 1, which draws on participants' prior workplace experiences, supports the first section of our mediated moderation model in which the negative association between an actor's moral objection (vs. compliance) and observers' warmth perceptions is weaker when the actor is high rather than low in legitimate power and this effect is mediated by observers' met role expectations. Study 2, an online experiment featuring a biased hiring task, reveals that the warmth perceptions fostered by the Behavior × Legitimate Power interaction influence observers' social sanctioning intentions. Finally, Study 3, a laboratory experiment which exposes participants to unethical behavior in a virtual team task, replicates Study 2's findings and extends the results to actual as well as intended social sanctions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

An Analysis of Online Students' Behaviors on Course Sites and the Effect on Learning Performance: A Case Study of Four LIS Online Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Xiangmin

2016-01-01

This research investigated the relationship between online students' behaviors in a learning management system and their learning performance, as measured by their final grades. Four online information technology classes in a major U.S. library and information science program were studied. The course sites' log data, as well as the students' final…

Dewey Decimal Classification Online Project: Evaluation of a Library Schedule and Index Integrated into the Subject Searching Capabilities of an Online Catalog. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markey, Karen; Demeyer, Anh N.

In this research project, subject terms from the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) Schedules and Relative Index were incorporated into an online catalog as searcher's tools for subject access, browsing, and display. Four features of the DDC were employed to help searchers browse for and match their own subject terms with the online catalog's…

The New Gold Rush: Establishing Effective Online Learning Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serim, Ferdi

2007-01-01

Online learning is the fastest growing segment of educational technology, for both the best and worst of reasons. The promise of delivering student-centered education, anytime, anywhere, at any pace provides the best reason. Online learning certainly has the potential to finally deliver on these promises. The temptation to replace highly skilled…

Online Catalog Documentation Task Force: Onscreen Documentation Subgroup. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, John; And Others

This report describes the work of the Onscreen Documentation Subgroup in revising screens for GALIN, the University of Georgia (UGA) Libraries new online system. The responsibilities of the Subgroup were to revise screens from the previous online catalog and to create basic help screens, primarily for the command searching mode. Responsibilities…

Online Working Drawing Review and Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McInnis, Jennifer; Sobin, Alexandra; Bertozzi, Nicholas; Planchard, Marie

2010-01-01

This paper describes the development and implementation of an online working drawing review video and online assessment tool. Particular attention was paid to dimensioning and ASME ANSI Y14 standards with the goal of improving the quality of the working drawings required in final design project reports. All members of freshmen design teams in the…

Comparing online and offline self-disclosure: a systematic review.

PubMed

Nguyen, Melanie; Bin, Yu Sun; Campbell, Andrew

2012-02-01

Disclosure of personal information is believed to be more frequent in online compared to offline communication. However, this assumption is both theoretically and empirically contested. This systematic review examined existing research comparing online and offline self-disclosure to ascertain the evidence for current theories of online communication. Studies that compared online and offline disclosures in dyadic interactions were included for review. Contrary to expectations, disclosure was not consistently found to be greater in online contexts. Factors such as the relationship between the communicators, the specific mode of communication, and the context of the interaction appear to moderate the degree of disclosure. In relation to the theories of online communication, there is support for each theory. It is argued that the overlapping predictions of each theory and the current state of empirical research highlights a need for an overarching theory of communication that can account for disclosure in both online and offline interactions.

Executive summary of management of prosthetic joint infections. Clinical practice guidelines by the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC).

PubMed

Ariza, Javier; Cobo, Javier; Baraia-Etxaburu, Josu; Benito, Natividad; Bori, Guillermo; Cabo, Javier; Corona, Pablo; Esteban, Jaime; Horcajada, Juan Pablo; Lora-Tamayo, Jaime; Murillo, Oscar; Palomino, Julián; Parra, Jorge; Pigrau, Carlos; Del Pozo, José Luis; Riera, Melchor; Rodríguez, Dolores; Sánchez-Somolinos, Mar; Soriano, Alex; Del Toro, M Dolores; de la Torre, Basilio

2017-03-01

The incidence of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is expected to increase in the coming years. PJI has serious consequences for patients, and high costs for the health system. The complexity of these infections makes it necessary to organize the vast quantity of information published in the last several years. The indications for the choice of a given surgical strategy and the corresponding antimicrobial therapy are specifically reviewed. The authors selected clinically relevant questions and then reviewed the available literature in order to give recommendations according to a pre-determined level of scientific evidence. The more controversial aspects were debated, and the final composition was agreed at an ad hoc meeting. Before its final publication, the manuscript was made available online in order that all SEIMC members were able to read it and make comments and suggestions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

Experiences and Future Expectations towards Online Courses--An Empirical Study of the B2C-and B2B-Segments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krämer, Andreas; Böhrs, Sandra

2016-01-01

This article explores the future potential for the development of online courses. The findings are based on an empirical study with 3 sample groups: (1) B2C segment in Germany, (2) B2C segment in the United States, and (3) B2B segment (international). In the first step the status quo of the use of e-learning in general and online courses in…

Educational treasures in radiology: a free online program for Radiology Boards preparation.

PubMed

Talanow, Roland

2011-01-01

An objective tool is desired, which optimally prepares for Radiology boards examination. Such program should prepare examinees with pertinent radiological contents and simulations as expected in the real examination. Many countries require written boards examinations for Radiology certification eligibility. No objective measure exists to tell if the examinee is ready to pass the exam or not. Time pressure and computer environment might be unfamiliar to examinees. Traditional preparation lectures don't simulate the "real" Radiology exam because they don't provide the special environment with multiple choice questions and timing. This online program consists of 4 parts. The entry section allows to create questions with additional fields for comprehensive information. Sections include Pediatrics/Mammography/GI/IR/Nucs/Thoracic/Musculoskeletal/GU/Neuro/Ultrasound/Cardiac/OB/GYN and Miscellaneous. Experienced radiologists and educators evaluate and release/delete these entries in the administrator section. In the exam section users can create (un)timed customized exams for individual needs and learning pace. Exams can either include all sections or only specific sections to gear learning towards areas with weaker performance. Comprehensive statistics unveil the user's strengths and weaknesses to help focussing on "weak" areas. In the search section a comprehensive search and review can be performed by searching the entire database for keywords/topics or only searching within specific sections. www.RadiologyBoards.org is a new working concept of Radiology boards preparation to detect and improve the examinee's weaknesses and finally to increase the examinee's confidence level for the final exam. It is beneficial for Radiology residents and also board certified radiologists to refresh/maintain radiological knowledge.

The Online Expectations of College-Bound Juniors and Seniors. E-Expectations Report, 2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noel-Levitz, Inc, 2012

2012-01-01

Noel-Levitz, OmniUpdate, CollegeWeekLive, and NRCCUA[R] (National Research Center for College & University Admissions) conducted a survey of 2,000 college-bound juniors and seniors about their expectations for college Web sites, mobile usage, e-mail, and social media. Among the findings: (1) More than 50 percent of students said the Web played a…

The Mobile Browsing Behaviors and Expectations of College-Bound High School Students. An E-Expectations Trend Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noel-Levitz, Inc, 2012

2012-01-01

The last decade marked a dramatic change in the college search experience as students flocked to the Internet as their primary tool for researching colleges. Institutions had to transform their recruitment efforts to keep up with the online demands and expectations of prospective students. The proliferation of smartphones is transforming the…

Flippin' Fluid Mechanics - Using Online Technology to Enhance the In-Class Learning Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webster, D. R.; Majerich, D. M.

2013-11-01

This study provides an empirical analysis of using online technologies and team problem solving sessions to shift an undergraduate fluid mechanics course from a traditional lecture format to a collaborative learning environment. Students were from two consecutive semesters of the same course taught by the same professor. One group used online technologies and solved problems in class and the other did not. Out of class, the treatment group watched 72 short (11 minutes, average) video lectures covering course topics and example problems being solved. Three times a week students worked in teams of two to solve problems on desktop whiteboard tablets while the instructor and graduate assistants provided ``just-in-time'' tutoring. The number of team problems assigned during the semester exceeded 100. Weekly online homework was assigned to reinforce topics. The WileyPlus online system generated unique problem parameters for each student. The control group received three-50 minute weekly lectures. Data include three midterms and a final exam. Regression results indicate that controlling for all of the entered variables, for every one more problem solving session the student attended, the final grade was raised by 0.327 points. Thus, if a student participated in all 25 of the team problem solving sessions, the final grade would have been 8.2 points higher, a difference of nearly a grade. Using online technologies and teamwork appeared to result in improved achievement, but more research is needed to support these findings.

Graduate Student Preferences for Practicing Faith in Online Coursework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yacapsin, M. S.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to gain a better understanding of the expectations graduate students hold regarding the amount of and types of faith-related activities utilized in online coursework. Two groups of participants surveyed were enrolled at two different, faith-based institutions in Pennsylvania, United States; one a Catholic…

Manifestations of Hidden Curriculum in a Community College Online Opticianry Program: An Ecological Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubbard, Barry

2010-01-01

Understanding the influential factors at work within an online learning environment is a growing area of interest. Hidden or implicit expectations, skill sets, knowledge, and social process can help or hinder student achievement, belief systems, and persistence. This qualitative study investigated how hidden curricular issues transpired in an…

Variations in Pedagogical Design of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) across Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Najafi, Hadieh; Rolheiser, Carol; Håklev, Stian; Harrison, Laurie

2017-01-01

Given that few studies have formally examined pedagogical design considerations of Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs), this study explored variations in the pedagogical design of six MOOCs offered at the University of Toronto, while considering disciplinary characteristics and expectations of each MOOC. Using a framework (Neumann et al., 2002)…

Increasing Student Engagement with Practical Classes through Online Pre-Lab Quizzes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cann, Alan J.

2016-01-01

Laboratory practicals classes are an essential component of all science degrees, but are a pinch point because of rising student numbers, rising student expectations and falling student exposure to laboratory work prior to entering higher education. Augmentation of physical laboratory work with online interventions is not new, but as virtual…

Comparing Learner Community Behavior in Multiple Presentations of a Massive Open Online Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Silvia Elena; Savage, Timothy

2015-01-01

Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) can create large scale communities of learners who collaborate, interact and discuss learning materials and activities. MOOCs are often delivered multiple times with similar content to different cohorts of learners. However, research into the differences of learner communication, behavior and expectation between…

Comparing Learner Community Behavior in Multiple Presentations of a Massive Open Online Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Silvia Elena; Savage, Timothy

2016-01-01

Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) can create large scale communities of learners who collaborate, interact and discuss learning materials and activities. MOOCs are often delivered multiple times with similar content to different cohorts of learners. However, research into the differences of learner communication, behavior and expectation between…

An Analysis of Barriers to Online Learning as Perceived by Registered Nurses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Eddie D.

2010-01-01

The United States faces a substantial nursing shortage that is expected to increase over the next decade and beyond. Understaffing and erratic work schedules result in minimal opportunities to participate in continuing education courses, which are required for registered nurses (RNs) to maintaining proficiency and licensure. Online learning is…

Motivational Factors Affecting Online Learning by Japanese MBA Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kikuchi, Hisayo

2006-01-01

In Japan, Internet based learning is still at an early stage. However, adult learners in Japanese society expect the development of flexible e-learning programs. This case study examines motivational factors affecting online learning in a Japanese and Australian MBA program, using observations, interviews and a questionnaire survey. The data were…

Setting the Stage for "Good, Better, or Just Right" in Online and Blended Graduate Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arrowood, Rick J.; Kampits, Eva; Gregory-Mina, Heidi

2014-01-01

Increasingly, academics and scholarly practitioners are faced with addressing the "expectations of" and "demands by" a new wave of entrants to the online higher education marketplace: the multicultural, multilingual, techno-savvy (MMTS) student. The goal of this paper is to share real-world experiences captured in a global…

When Mode Does Not Matter: Evaluation in Class versus Out of Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kordts-Freudinger, Robert; Geithner, Eva

2013-01-01

This article investigates if online evaluation leads to different results than paper-and-pencil evaluation. Given that most previous studies confound the evaluation mode (online versus paper) with the evaluation situation (in class versus after class), we expected that evaluation results would be influenced only by the evaluation situation,…

An Examination of Relationships between Psychosocial Satisfaction Scales in an Online Student Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bookout, James Marshall, Jr.

2010-01-01

Research suggests that students who are satisfied with their learning experiences are typically successful and there is a fundamental theory that suggests if the expectations of students are achieved they will be return customers. This study examined the relationships between the psychosocial satisfaction scales in an online student learning…

Leaders Look to Technology for Savings and Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Jeffrey R.

2012-01-01

Students are bringing the latest devices to campuses expecting to use them as learning tools, and colleges are trying to deliver. Some of the world's best-known universities tried some experiments with a new model of online learning, in which students watch short video lectures, take automatically graded quizzes, and use online communities to work…

In Search of On-Line Locality Effects in Sentence Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartek, Brian; Lewis, Richard L.; Vasishth, Shravan; Smith, Mason R.

2011-01-01

Many comprehension theories assert that increasing the distance between elements participating in a linguistic relation (e.g., a verb and a noun phrase argument) increases the difficulty of establishing that relation during on-line comprehension. Such "locality effects" are expected to increase reading times and are thought to reveal properties…

Regulating Interest when Learning Online: Potential Motivation and Performance Trade-Offs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sansone, Carol; Smith, Jessi L.; Thoman, Dustin B.; MacNamara, Atara

2012-01-01

Online learning may be particularly sensitive to self-regulatory trade-offs between maintaining interest and performance. Undergraduates in online or on-campus sections of the same course rated strategies used to motivate studying for the first exam, and interest after the first exam and at semester's end. First exam and final class grades were…

15 CFR 1180.11 - Relation to other laws and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., provide each Depository Library at no charge, online access to a current list of all final STEI products provided to NTIS under these regulations that have been entered into the NTIS system. (2) The online system... thirty days from the date a product is added to the online listing to identify a product that it wishes...

15 CFR 1180.11 - Relation to other laws and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., provide each Depository Library at no charge, online access to a current list of all final STEI products provided to NTIS under these regulations that have been entered into the NTIS system. (2) The online system... thirty days from the date a product is added to the online listing to identify a product that it wishes...

15 CFR 1180.11 - Relation to other laws and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., provide each Depository Library at no charge, online access to a current list of all final STEI products provided to NTIS under these regulations that have been entered into the NTIS system. (2) The online system... thirty days from the date a product is added to the online listing to identify a product that it wishes...

15 CFR 1180.11 - Relation to other laws and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., provide each Depository Library at no charge, online access to a current list of all final STEI products provided to NTIS under these regulations that have been entered into the NTIS system. (2) The online system... thirty days from the date a product is added to the online listing to identify a product that it wishes...

Pilot Test of the Online Public Access Catalog Project's User and Nonuser Questionnaires. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markey, Karen

This report describes the pilot data collections and post-questionnaire interview activities of the Council on Library Resources (CLR)/Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) Online Public Access Project. The background of the project is briefly described, the purpose and adminstration of the post-questionnaire interviews are outlined, and pilot…

Online bargaining and interpersonal trust.

PubMed

Naquin, Charles E; Paulson, Gaylen D

2003-02-01

The presented study explores the effect of interacting over the Internet on interpersonal trust when bargaining online. Relative to face-to-face negotiations, online negotiations were characterized by (a) lower levels of pre-negotiation trust and (b) lower levels of post-negotiation trust. The reduced levels of pre-negotiation trust in online negotiations (i.e., before any interaction took place) demonstrate that negotiators bring different expectations to the electronic bargaining table than to face-to-face negotiations. These negative perceptions of trust were found to mediate another aspect of the relationship, namely, desired future interaction. Those who negotiated online reported less desire for future interactions with the other party. Online negotiators also were less satisfied with their outcome and less confident in the quality of their performance, despite the absence of observable differences in economic outcome quality.

Online shopping hesitation.

PubMed

Cho, Chang-Hoan; Kang, Jaewon; Cheon, Hongsik John

2006-06-01

This study was designed to understand which factors influence consumer hesitation or delay in online product purchases. The study examined four groups of variables (i.e., consumer characteristics, contextual factors perceived uncertainty factors, and medium/channel innovation factors) that predict three types of online shopping hesitation (i.e., overall hesitation, shopping cart abandonment, and hesitation at the final payment stage). We found that different sets of delay factors are related to different aspects of online shopping hesitation. The study concludes with suggestion for various delay-reduction devices to help consumers close their online decision hesitation.

Small stones sets Web site apart. Froedtert Hospital updates provide valuable healthcare information.

PubMed

Rees, Tom

2002-01-01

Froedtert & Medical College, an academic medical center, has adopted a proactive approach to providing consumers with reliable sources of information. The Milwaukee institution has redesigned its Web site, which first opened in 1995. The new version has simplified the navigation process and added new content. Small Stones, a health resource center, also a brick-and-mortar shop, went online Feb. 1. Online bill paying was launched in May. Pharmacy refill functions are expected to be online this summer.

Blending online techniques with traditional face to face teaching methods to deliver final year undergraduate radiology learning content.

PubMed

Howlett, David; Vincent, Tim; Watson, Gillian; Owens, Emma; Webb, Richard; Gainsborough, Nicola; Fairclough, Jil; Taylor, Nick; Miles, Ken; Cohen, Jon; Vincent, Richard

2011-06-01

To review the initial experience of blending a variety of online educational techniques with traditional face to face or contact-based teaching methods to deliver final year undergraduate radiology content at a UK Medical School. The Brighton and Sussex Medical School opened in 2003 and offers a 5-year undergraduate programme, with the final 5 spent in several regional centres. Year 5 involves several core clinical specialities with onsite radiology teaching provided at regional centres in the form of small-group tutorials, imaging seminars and also a one-day course. An online educational module was introduced in 2007 to facilitate equitable delivery of the year 5 curriculum between the regional centres and to support students on placement. This module had a strong radiological emphasis, with a combination of imaging integrated into clinical cases to reflect everyday practice and also dedicated radiology cases. For the second cohort of year 5 students in 2008 two additional online media-rich initiatives were introduced, to complement the online module, comprising imaging tutorials and an online case discussion room. In the first year for the 2007/2008 cohort, 490 cases were written, edited and delivered via the Medical School managed learning environment as part of the online module. 253 cases contained a form of image media, of which 195 cases had a radiological component with a total of 325 radiology images. Important aspects of radiology practice (e.g. consent, patient safety, contrast toxicity, ionising radiation) were also covered. There were 274,000 student hits on cases the first year, with students completing a mean of 169 cases each. High levels of student satisfaction were recorded in relation to the online module and also additional online radiology teaching initiatives. Online educational techniques can be effectively blended with other forms of teaching to allow successful undergraduate delivery of radiology. Efficient IT links and good image quality are essential ingredients for successful student/clinician engagement. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Application of the Reasoned Action Approach to Bystander Intervention for Sexual Assault.

PubMed

Lukacena, Kaylee M; Reynolds-Tylus, Tobias; Quick, Brian L

2017-10-25

The high prevalence of sexual assault in US college campuses has led to a widespread implementation of bystander intervention programs aimed at preventing sexual assault. The current study examines predictors of college students' intentions to engage in bystander intervention through the theoretical lens of the reasoned action approach. An online survey with college students (N = 186) was conducted at a large Midwestern university. Our results indicated experiential attitudes, instrumental attitudes, descriptive norms, autonomy, and capacity, each positively associated with participants' intentions to intervene to stop a sexual assault. Against expectations, injunctive norms were unrelated to bystander intervention intentions. Finally, in addition to these main effects, an experiential attitude by autonomy interaction was also observed. The results are discussed with a focus on the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.

On Being Liked on the Web and in the “Real World”: Consistency in First Impressions across Personal Webpages and Spontaneous Behavior

PubMed Central

Weisbuch, Max; Ivcevic, Zorana; Ambady, Nalini

2009-01-01

With recent growth in the use of personal webpages and online social networking, people are changing the way that they meet and form impressions of each other. The current research examines the correspondence in impressions formed from face-to-face interaction and personal webpages. As expected, people liked by interaction partners were also liked on the basis of their Facebook® pages. Across the two social mediums, social perceivers utilized analogous criteria in forming impressions: interaction partners and webpage viewers liked people who were socially expressive in face-to-face interaction and personal webpages, respectively. Finally, webpage expressivity and webpage self-disclosure were independent constructs, predictive of face-to-face counterparts: nonverbal expressivity and verbal self-disclosure. Implications for the changing landscape of social perception are discussed. PMID:20161314

Acceptability and perceptions of end-users towards an online sports-health surveillance system

PubMed Central

Barboza, Saulo Delfino; Bolling, Caroline Silveira; Nauta, Joske; van Mechelen, Willem; Verhagen, Evert

2017-01-01

Aim To describe the acceptability and the perceptions of athletes and staff members (ie, end-users) towards an online sports-health surveillance system. Methods A pilot study with a mixed-methods approach was pursued. Descriptive analysis was conducted to present the adherence of judo (n=34), swimming (n=21) and volleyball (n=14) athletes to an online registration of their sport exposure and any health complaints between April 2014 and January 2015. End-users’ perceptions towards the system were investigated qualitatively with semistructured interviews (n=21). Qualitative analysis was based on the constant comparative method using principles of the grounded theory. Results The response rates of judo, swimming and volleyball athletes were 50% (SD 23), 61% (SD 27) and 56% (SD 25), respectively. Most athletes found it simple to register their sport exposure and health complaints online; however, personal communication was still preferred for this purpose. The system facilitated the communication between medical and trainer staff, who were able to identify in the system reports health complaints from athletes that were not necessarily communicated face-to-face. Therefore, staff members reported that they were able to intervene earlier to prevent minor health complaints from becoming severe health problems. However, staff members expected higher adherence of athletes to the online follow-ups, and athletes expected to receive feedback on their inputs to the system. Conclusion An online system can be used in sporting settings complementary to regular strategies for monitoring athletes’ health. However, providing feedback on athletes’ inputs is important to maintain their adherence to such an online system. PMID:29071115

Privacy Expectations in Online Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pure, Rebekah Abigail

2013-01-01

Advances in digital networked communication technology over the last two decades have brought the issue of personal privacy into sharper focus within contemporary public discourse. In this dissertation, I explain the Fourth Amendment and the role that privacy expectations play in the constitutional protection of personal privacy generally, and…

Features Students Really Expect from Learning Analytics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schumacher, Clara; Ifenthaler, Dirk

2016-01-01

In higher education settings more and more learning is facilitated through online learning environments. To support and understand students' learning processes better, learning analytics offers a promising approach. The purpose of this study was to investigate students' expectations toward features of learning analytics systems. In a first…

An Online Health Prevention Intervention for Youth with Addicted or Mentally Ill Parents: Experiences and Perspectives of Participants and Providers from a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Woolderink, Marla; Bindels, Jill A P M; Evers, Silvia M A A; Paulus, Aggie T G; van Asselt, Antoinette D I; van Schayck, Onno C P

2015-12-02

Mental illnesses affect many people around the world, either directly or indirectly. Families of persons suffering from mental illness or addiction suffer too, especially their children. In the Netherlands, 864,000 parents meet the diagnostic criteria for a mental illness or addiction. Evidence shows that offspring of mentally ill or addicted parents are at risk for developing mental disorders or illnesses themselves. The Kopstoring course is an online 8-week group course with supervision by 2 trained psychologists or social workers, aimed to prevent behavioral and psychological problems for children (aged 16 to 25 years) of parents with mental health problems or addictions. The course addresses themes such as roles in the family and mastery skills. An online randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the Kopstoring course. The aim was to gain knowledge about expectations, experiences, and perspectives of participants and providers of the online Kopstoring course. A process evaluation was performed to evaluate the online delivery of Kopstoring and the experiences and perspectives of participants and providers of Kopstoring. Interviews were performed with members from both groups. Participants were drawn from a sample from the Kopstoring RCT. Thirteen participants and 4 providers were interviewed. Five main themes emerged from these interviews: background, the requirements for the intervention, experience with the intervention, technical aspects, and research aspects. Overall, participants and providers found the intervention to be valuable because it was online; therefore, protecting their anonymity was considered a key component. Most barriers existed in the technical sphere. Additional barriers existed with conducting the RCT, namely gathering informed consent and gathering parental consent in the case of minors. This study provides valuable insight into participants' and providers' experiences and expectations with the online preventive intervention Kopstoring. It also sheds light on the process of the online provision of Kopstoring and the accompanying RCT. The findings of this study may partly explain dropout rates when delivering online interventions. The change in the (financial) structure of the youth mental health care system in the Netherlands has financial implications for the delivery of prevention programs for youth. Lastly, there are few RCTs that assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of online prevention programs in the field of (youth) mental health care and not many process evaluations of these programs exist. This hampers a good comparison between online interventions and the expectations and experiences of the participants and providers. Nederlands Trial Register: NTR1982; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=1982 (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/6d8xYDQbB).

Reading and Studying on the Screen: An Overview of Literature towards Good Learning Design Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nichols, Mark

2016-01-01

As distance education moves increasingly towards online provision, and because of the benefits provided by online approaches, students will be expected to engage with more resources available on screen. Contemporary forms of reading from the screen include reading from tablet devices, LCD monitors, and smartphones. However, print remains the…

Student Attitudes and Preferences toward an E-Mentoring Program: A Survey of Journalism Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Switzer, Jamie; Switzer, Ralph

2015-01-01

Advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) provide new opportunities for mentoring, eliminating the need for a synchronous meeting. We report the findings of a survey that measured university student perceptions of the roles and expectations of online mentors and the likelihood of using an online mentor if given the opportunity.…

Not Quite Kicking off Everywhere: Feminist Notes on Digital Liberation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nagle, Angela

2013-01-01

Increasingly, women's experience of online life seems to run counter to the optimistic expectations of the cyberfeminists of the 90s and the utopian fervour of the present. Female journalists and internet users find themselves at the receiving end of a level of verbal abuse online previously unthinkable in the public sphere. Women are showing…

Student Expectations as a Function of Student Retention for Adult Online Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kastroll, Herman Carl, V

2017-01-01

The study of retention is important to the institution, to assist in ensuring financial stability, and to the student, to provide an environment supportive of student needs for success. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between the subscales of the Priorities Survey of Online Learners (PSOL) and the enrollment…

Uniting Technology and Pedagogy: The Evolution of an Online Teaching Certification Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riedinger, Bonnie; Rosenberg, Paul

2006-01-01

Like all learners, new online instructors need hands-on experience, feedback, and ongoing support to become comfortable and proficient in the virtual classroom. It is unrealistic to expect even the most self-motivated, creatively pedagogical, and technically inclined instructor to fly solo after just a few hours of training. With the authors'…

Self-Regulation of Motivation when Learning Online: The Importance of Who, Why and How

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sansone, Carol; Fraughton, Tamra; Zachary, Joseph L.; Butner, Jonathan; Heiner, Cecily

2011-01-01

Successful online students must learn and maintain motivation to learn. The Self-regulation of Motivation (SRM) model (Sansone and Thoman 2005) suggests two kinds of motivation are essential: Goals-defined (i.e., value and expectancy of learning), and experience-defined (i.e., whether interesting). The Regulating Motivation and Performance Online…

Instructor Presence Helps Bridge the Gap between Online and On-Campus Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennette, Lynne N.; Redd, Bibia R.

2015-01-01

In every course, instructors expect students to learn; therefore, we attempt to be present for learners, and provide enriched learning environments which nurture this learning. However, in online courses developing such environments can be more difficult (or, at the very least, may come less naturally and require more conscious effort on the part…

The Impact of Altered Realities: Implications of Online Delivery for Learners' Interactions, Expectations, and Learning Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reisetter, Marcy; LaPointe, Loralee; Korcuska, James

2007-01-01

Although research consistently demonstrates that students learn content in online classes as well as their campus based counterparts and are equally satisfied with the quality of their learning, more information is needed that describes how the learning experiences themselves may vary. A traditional group of students was compared with an online…

The Online Catalog: Exceeding Our Grasp.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lipow, Anne Grodzins

1989-01-01

Discusses two problems related to the use of online catalogs: (1) staff training has not kept pace with new catalogs, resulting in a lack of search expertise in staff and patrons; and (2) users expect instant access to materials found in the catalog. It is argued that these problems must be addressed to adequately serve library patrons. (CLB)

Flipping an Agricultural Education Teaching Methods Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conner, Nathan W.; Stripling, Christopher T.; Blythe, Jessica M.; Roberts, T. Grady; Stedman, Nicole L. P.

2014-01-01

Flipping or inverting a course is a relatively new approach to structuring a course. Using this method, the lectures traditionally delivered during regularly scheduled class time are converted to a media for delivery online, often in the form of videos. Learners are expected to view the online lectures prior to class. Then in turn, in-class time…

Impact of Graduates from an Online Program in Their Work Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scagnoli, Norma; Stephens, Melissa; Anderson, Thomas

2008-01-01

Online distance education programs are populated by adult learners who try to continue or complete their education without having to leave their jobs or places of residence. Their work environment becomes not just their working place, but also the lab where they apply new knowledge. The general expectation is that after graduation they will make…

English Language Education On-Line Game and Brain Connectivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Ji Sun; Han, Doug Hyun; Kim, Young In; Bae, Su Jin

2017-01-01

The HoDoo English game was developed to take advantage of the benefits attributed to on-line games while teaching English to native Korean speakers. We expected to see that the improvements in the subjects' English language abilities after playing the HoDoo English game would be associated with increased brain functional connectivity in the areas…

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS): Emerging Trends in Assessment and Accreditation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chauhan, Amit

2014-01-01

In 2014, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are expected to witness a phenomenal growth in student registration compared to the previous years (Lee, Stewart, & Claugar-Pop, 2014). As MOOCs continue to grow in number, there has been an increasing focus on assessment and evaluation. Because of the huge enrollments in a MOOC, it is impossible…

Free range users and one hit wonders: community users of an Internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy program.

PubMed

Christensen, Helen; Griffiths, Kathy; Groves, Chloe; Korten, Ailsa

2006-01-01

Little is known about the predictors of symptom change or the methods that might increase user 'compliance' on websites designed to improve mental health outcomes. The present paper: (i) examines predictors of expected final depression and anxiety scores on the MoodGYM website as a function of user characteristics; and (ii) compares the compliance rates of the original site with the new public version of the site (MoodGYM Mark II). The latter site requires compulsory completion of 'core' online assessments and may increase completion of site questionnaires. MoodGYM Mark I participants were 19,607 visitors (public registrants) between April 2001 and September 2003 plus 182 participants who had been randomly assigned to MoodGYM in an earlier trial (The BlueMood Trial). MoodGYM Mark II participants were 38,791 public registrants of the MoodGYM Mark II site collected between September 2003 and October 2004. Symptom assessments are repeated within the website intervention to allow the examination of change in symptoms. Outcome variables were gender, initial depression severity scores, number of assessments completed and final anxiety and depression scores. Men are predicted to be 0.19 units (SE=0.095) higher than women on depression, controlling for the initial depression level and number of modules completed. For initial depression scores above 2, it is predicted that the final score will indicate improvement relative to the initial score, the magnitude of the improvement increasing as a function of the number of modules attempted. For initial anxiety scores above 2, it is predicted that the final score will indicate improvement relative to the initial score, the magnitude of the improvement increasing as a function of the number of modules attempted. Mark II registrants were more likely than to Mark I registrants to complete onsite assessments. Visitors to the MoodGYM site are likely to have better psychological outcomes if they complete more of the site material. Compulsory completion of core sections increases assessment completion. There is a need to examine further the significance of attrition from online interventions, to develop methods of handling missing data, and to investigate strategies to improve visitor dropout.

Personality traits and life satisfaction among online game players.

PubMed

Chen, Lily Shui-Lien; Tu, Hill Hung-Jen; Wang, Edward Shih-Tse

2008-04-01

The DFC Intelligence predicts worldwide online game revenues will reach $9.8 billion by 2009, making online gaming a mainstream recreational activity. Understanding online game player personality traits is therefore important. This study researches the relationship between personality traits and life satisfaction in online game players. Taipei, Taiwan, is the study location, with questionnaire surveys conducted in cyber cafe shops. Multiple regression analysis studies the causal relationship between personality traits and life satisfaction in online game players. The result shows that neuroticism has significant negative influence on life satisfaction. Both openness and conscientiousness have significant positive influence on life satisfaction. Finally, implications for leisure practice and further research are discussed.

Studying the Effectiveness of Online Homework for Different Skill Levels in a College Algebra Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathai, Elizabeth; Olsen, Darlene

2013-01-01

A comparison of the performance on the final exam for subpopulations of students in College Algebra was used to assess the effectiveness of online homework. Data was collected for two small groups of students, one with traditional paper homework and the other with online homework. The groups of students were further classified by incoming skill…

Review of "Overcoming the Governance Challenge in K-12 Online Learning"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbour, Michael

2012-01-01

This fifth and final paper in the Fordham Institute's series examining digital learning policy is "Overcoming the Governance Challenge in K-12 Online Learning". The purpose of this report is to outline the steps required to move the governance of K-12 online learning from the local district level to the less restrictive state level and to create a…

The Use of Facebook in National Election Campaigns: Politics as Usual?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andersen, Kim Normann; Medaglia, Rony

The uptake of online media in election campaigning is leading to speculations about the transformation of politics and cyber-democracy. Politicians running for seats in Parliament are increasingly using online media to disseminate information to potential voters and building dynamic, online communities. Drawing on an online survey of the Facebook networks of the two top candidates running for seats in the 2007 Danish Parliament election, this study suggests that the online sphere is primarily populated by users who already know the candidates through the traditional channels of party organizations, and that they do not expect to influence the policy of their candidates. Instead, users view Facebook mainly as an information channel and as a means to gain social prestige.

Learning in depth with the bespoke rubric-supported online poster presentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lajevardipour, Alireza; Wood, Andrew

2017-08-01

In our course of Biomedical Imaging, we introduced a research project as an assignment that included an online poster presentation. To assess the assignment, an adjusted criteria sheet was created, where it facilitated providing students with an effective feedback linked to particular criteria. Students are expected to produce a scientific poster to present the result of their investigation and upload it to an online discussion board. In addition, they are required to read their colleagues' works and provide peer-feedback by asking quality questions about principles and results, also on-line. Subtle distribution of marks in the rubric balances focus between preparing poster and providing peer-feedbacks.

Massive Open Online Courses in Dental Education: Two Viewpoints: Viewpoint 1: Massive Open Online Courses Offer Transformative Technology for Dental Education and Viewpoint 2: Massive Open Online Courses Are Not Ready for Primetime.

PubMed

Kearney, Rachel C; Premaraj, Sundaralingam; Smith, Becky M; Olson, Gregory W; Williamson, Anne E; Romanos, Georgios

2016-02-01

This point/counterpoint article discusses the strengths and weaknesses of incorporating Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) into dental education, focusing on whether this relatively new educational modality could impact traditional dental curricula. Viewpoint 1 asserts that MOOCs can be useful in dental education because they offer an opportunity for students to learn through content and assessment that is delivered online. While specific research on MOOCs is limited, some evidence shows that online courses may produce similar learning outcomes to those in face-to-face courses. Given that MOOCs are intended to be open source, there could be opportunities for dental schools with faculty shortages and financial constraints to incorporate these courses into their curricula. In addition to saving money, dental schools could use MOOCs as revenue sources in areas such as continuing education. Viewpoint 2 argues that the hype over MOOCs is subsiding due in part to weaker than expected evidence about their value. Because direct contact between students, instructors, and patients is essential to the dental curriculum, MOOCs have yet to demonstrate their usefulness in replacing more than a subset of didactic courses. Additionally, learning professionalism, a key component of health professions education, is best supported by mentorship that provides significant interpersonal interaction. In spite of the potential of early MOOC ideology, MOOCs in their current form require either further development or altered expectations to significantly impact dental education.

Expectations and Experience: Dissociable Bases for Cognitive Control?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bugg, Julie M.; Diede, Nathaniel T.; Cohen-Shikora, Emily R.; Selmeczy, Diana

2015-01-01

Classic theories emphasized the role of expectations in the intentional control of attention and action. However, recent theorizing has implicated experience-dependent, online adjustments as the primary basis for cognitive control--adjustments that appear to be implicit (Blais, Harris, Guerrero, & Bunge, 2012). The purpose of the current study…

Researchers' Expectations Regarding the Online Presence of Academic Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mierzecka, Anna; Kisilowska, Malgorzata; Suminas, Andrius

2017-01-01

The article reports the results of a survey conducted among the Polish and Lithuanian academics concerning their information needs and expectations regarding academic library websites. The survey was realized using the technique of Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) on a group of scholars representing sciences and humanities or social…

Learner-Valued Interactions: Research into Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ley, Kathryn; Gannon-Cook, Ruth

2014-01-01

Online learners provide feedback that does not always match with the expectations of what university administration would expect from their feedback. Learners do not value all instructional features and conditions equally, nor do they view many of the instructional and technology features as being necessarily helpful. This paper presents research…

Syndicated RSS Feeds for Course Information Distribution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glotzbach, Ronald J.; Mordkovich, Dorina A.; Radwan, Jaime E.

2008-01-01

Students in higher education today are technologically savvy and expect faculty to use myriad web technologies for course delivery. This includes taking advantage of email, course web sites, and online learning communities. However, expectations now also include RSS, blogs, web-, pod-, and vod-casting, extending the classroom experience to provide…

Instructor Misbehaviors as Digital Expectancy Violations: What Students Despise and What They Let Slide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacArthur, Brenda L.; Villagran, Melinda M.

2015-01-01

This study examines students' motives for communicating with their instructors when the instructor exhibits inappropriate or unprofessional online behavior. To understand the relationship between what we call instructors' digital expectancy violations and students' motives for communicating with instructors, students' levels of task, social, and…

Really Simple Syndication (RSS): An Educational Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glotzbach, Ronald J.; Mohler, James L.; Radwan, Jaime E.

2009-01-01

Today's post-secondary students are technologically savvy and they expect faculty to use myriad web technologies for course delivery. This includes taking advantage of email, course web sites, and online learning communities. However, expectations now also include RSS, blogs, web- and pod-casting, extending the classroom experience to provide…

The Impact of a Small Private Online Course as a New Approach to Teaching Oncology: Development and Evaluation

PubMed Central

Beyne-Rauzy, Odile; Morineau, Louise; Despas, Fabien; Bachaud, Jean-Marc; Caunes, Nathalie; Poublanc, Muriel; Serrano, Elie; Bugat, Roland; Rougé Bugat, Marie-Eve; Fize, Anne-Laure

2018-01-01

Background Oncology involves complex care and multidisciplinary management of patients; however, misinformation and ineffective communication remain problematic. Objective The educational objective of our study was to develop a new teaching method to improve cancer treatment and management by emphasizing the link between hospitals (inpatients) and their surrounding communities (outpatients). Methods A team of 22 professionals from public and private institutions developed a small private online course (SPOC). Each offering of the course lasted 6 weeks and covered 6 topics: individual health care plans, cancer surgery, ionizing radiation, cancer medicines, clinical research, and oncological supportive care. For participants in the course, we targeted people working in the cancer field. The SPOC used an active teaching method with collaborative and multidisciplinary learning. A final examination was offered in each session. We evaluated participants’ satisfaction rate through a questionnaire and the success of the SPOC by participants’ completion, success, and commitment rates. Results Of the total participants (N=1574), 446 completed the evaluation form. Most participants were aged 31 to 45 years. Participants included 56 nurses, 131 pharmacists, 80 from the medical field (including 26 physicians), 53 from patients’ associations, 28 health teachers, and 13 students (medical and paramedical). Among the participants, 24.7% (90/446) had an independent medical practice, 38.5% (140/446) worked in a public institution, and 36.8% (134/446) worked in a private institution. After completing the SPOC sessions, 85.9% (384/446) thought they had learned new information, 90.8% (405/446) felt their expectations were met, and 90.4% (403/446) considered that the information had a positive impact on their professional practice. The completion rate was 35.51% (559/1574), the success rate was 71.47% (1025/1574), and the commitment rate was 64.67% (1018/1574). Concerning the cost effectiveness of SPOC compared with a traditional classroom of 25 students, online education became more effective when there were more than 950 participants. Conclusions SPOCs improved the management of oncology patients. This new digital learning technique is an attractive concept to integrate into teaching practice. It offered optimal propagation of information and met the students’ expectations. PMID:29506968

Internet censorship: Congress moves toward final decision.

PubMed

Mirken, B

1995-12-01

The House and the Senate have passed proposals restricting the online access to obscene or indecent information. AIDS activists and service organizations fear that the proposals will restrict the distribution of HIV/AIDS information. A House/Senate conference committee soon will meet for a final decision. Religious right organizations are pressing for additional restrictions, while civil liberties, arts, and libertarian groups have expressed opposition on freedom-of-speech grounds. Some conservatives, including Newt Gingrich (R-GA), believe that the proposals may retard the growth of online communication.

Spanish validation of the Domain-Specific Risk-Taking (DOSPERT-30) Scale.

PubMed

Lozano, Luis M; Megías, Alberto; Catena, Andrés; Perales, José C; Baltruschat, Sabina; Cándido, Antonio

2017-02-01

The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a Spanish version of the short Domain-Specific Risk-Taking (DOSPERT-30) scale, measuring risk-taking behavior, risk perception, and expected beneficial consequences (from taking risks) in five life domains: ethics, finance, health/security, recreational, and social decisions. The scale was back-translated, and administered online to 826 participants. Validity evidence was tested using correlations with construct-related instruments (UPPS-P and SSS-V), as well as using factor analysis. Internal consistency reliability was calculated with the ordinal Alpha coefficient, and gender differences were considered. Internal consistency was good, and factor analysis confirmed the five factors proposed by the authors. With respect to the external validity, high correlations with the positive urgency and the sensation seeking subscales of the UPPS-P, as well as with the thrill and adventure seeking and disinhibition subscales of the SSS-V were found. Finally, gender differences were found in all subscales and domains, with men tending to take more risks, perceive less risk and expect more beneficial consequences, except for the social domain where an inverse pattern was found. As these findings are in line with the original version, they indicate the scale was successfully adapted.

Collaboration and critical thinking in an online chemistry environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kershisnik, Elizabeth Irene

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine collaboration and student's critical thinking and cognitive achievement within online chemistry courses. This quantitative study focused on the apparent lack of research relating collaboration and critical thinking in online science courses. Collaboration was determined using the small group collaboration model coding scheme, which examined student postings in asynchronous discussion forums for quantity, equality, and shareness. Critical thinking was measured using the chemistry concept reasoning test, the online self-diagnostic test, and also asynchronous student homework discussion postings that were coded using the community of inquiry cognitive presence indicators. Finally cognitive achievement was determined using quiz scores and the student's final grade. Even though no significant findings were revealed in this exploratory quasi-experimental study, this research did add to the educational technology knowledge base since very few studies have investigated the chemistry discipline in an online environment. Continued research in this area is vital to understanding how critical thinking progresses, how it can be assessed, and what factors in the classroom, be it virtual or face-to-face, have the greatest effect on critical thinking.

Reliability and validity of a self-administered tool for online neuropsychological testing: The Amsterdam Cognition Scan.

PubMed

Feenstra, Heleen E M; Murre, Jaap M J; Vermeulen, Ivar E; Kieffer, Jacobien M; Schagen, Sanne B

2018-04-01

To facilitate large-scale assessment of a variety of cognitive abilities in clinical studies, we developed a self-administered online neuropsychological test battery: the Amsterdam Cognition Scan (ACS). The current studies evaluate in a group of adult cancer patients: test-retest reliability of the ACS and the influence of test setting (home or hospital), and the relationship between our online and a traditional test battery (concurrent validity). Test-retest reliability was studied in 96 cancer patients (57 female; M age  = 51.8 years) who completed the ACS twice. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to assess consistency over time. The test setting was counterbalanced between home and hospital; influence on test performance was assessed by repeated measures analyses of variance. Concurrent validity was studied in 201 cancer patients (112 female; M age  = 53.5 years) who completed both the online and an equivalent traditional neuropsychological test battery. Spearman or Pearson correlations were used to assess consistency between online and traditional tests. ICCs of the online tests ranged from .29 to .76, with an ICC of .78 for the ACS total score. These correlations are generally comparable with the test-retest correlations of the traditional tests as reported in the literature. Correlating online and traditional test scores, we observed medium to large concurrent validity (r/ρ = .42 to .70; total score r = .78), except for a visuospatial memory test (ρ = .36). Correlations were affected-as expected-by design differences between online tests and their offline counterparts. Although development and optimization of the ACS is an ongoing process, and reliability can be optimized for several tests, our results indicate that it is a highly usable tool to obtain (online) measures of various cognitive abilities. The ACS is expected to facilitate efficient gathering of data on cognitive functioning in the near future.

Trial for the Prevention of Depression (TriPoD) in final-year secondary students: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Perry, Yael; Calear, Alison L; Mackinnon, Andrew; Batterham, Philip J; Licinio, Julio; King, Catherine; Thomsen, Noel; Scott, Jan; Donker, Tara; Merry, Sally; Fleming, Theresa; Stasiak, Karolina; Werner-Seidler, Aliza; Christensen, Helen

2015-10-12

Evidence suggests that current treatments cannot fully alleviate the burden of disease associated with depression but that prevention approaches offer a promising opportunity to further reduce this burden. Adolescence is a critical period in the development of mental illness, and final school examinations are a significant and nearly universal stressor that may act as a trigger for mental health difficulties such as depression. The aim of the present trial is to investigate the impact of SPARX-R, an online, gamified intervention based on cognitive behavioural principles, on the prevention of depression in secondary school students before their final examinations. Government, independent and Catholic secondary schools in New South Wales, Australia, will be recruited to participate in the trial. All students enrolled in their final year of high school (year 12) in participating schools will be invited to participate. To account for possible attrition, the target sample size was set at 1600 participants across 30 schools. Participating schools will be cluster randomised at the school level to receive either SPARX-R or lifeSTYLE, an attention-controlled placebo comparator. The control intervention is an online program aimed at maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The primary outcome will be symptoms of depression, and secondary outcomes will include symptoms of anxiety, suicidal ideation and behaviours, stigma and academic performance. Additional measures of cost-effectiveness, as well as process variables (e.g., adherence, acceptability) and potential predictors of response to treatment, will be collected. Consenting parents will be invited to complete measures regarding their own mental health and expectations for their child. Assessments will be conducted pre- and post-intervention and at 6- and 18-month follow-up. Primary analyses will compare changes in levels of depressive symptomatology for the intervention group relative to the attention control condition using mixed-effects model repeated-measures analyses to account for clustering within schools. This is the first trial of a universal depression prevention intervention delivered to school students in advance of a specific, significant stressor. If found to be effective, this program may offer schools a new approach to preparing students for their final year of schooling. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry identifier: ACTRN12614000316606 . Registered 25 March 2014.

Is it beneficial to use Internet-communication for escaping from boredom? Boredom proneness interacts with cue-induced craving and avoidance expectancies in explaining symptoms of Internet-communication disorder

PubMed Central

Ostendorf, Sina

2018-01-01

The use of online-communication applications including messengers (e.g. WhatsApp) or social networking services (e.g. Facebook) on the smartphone has turned into daily practice for billions of people, for example during waiting times. An increasing number of individuals show diminished control over their usage of these applications despite negative consequences in everyday life. This can be referred to as Internet-communication disorder (ICD). The current study investigated the effect of boredom proneness on symptoms of an ICD. It further examined the mediating role of cognitive and affective mechanisms, namely expectancies to avoid negative feelings online and cue-induced craving. The results of a structural equation model (N = 148) illustrate that boredom proneness is a risk factor for the development and maintenance of an ICD as it had a significant direct effect on ICD symptoms. Furthermore, boredom proneness predicted avoidance expectancies as well as cue-induced craving. Both in turn enhanced the risk of developing ICD tendencies. Moreover, both variables mediated the effect of boredom proneness on ICD and interacted among each other. In summary, the results demonstrate that people who have a higher susceptibility to experience boredom show higher expectancies to avoid negative emotions online, which promotes higher craving reactions when being confronted with specific cues (e.g. an incoming message), and could result in ICD tendencies. PMID:29672574

Is it beneficial to use Internet-communication for escaping from boredom? Boredom proneness interacts with cue-induced craving and avoidance expectancies in explaining symptoms of Internet-communication disorder.

PubMed

Wegmann, Elisa; Ostendorf, Sina; Brand, Matthias

2018-01-01

The use of online-communication applications including messengers (e.g. WhatsApp) or social networking services (e.g. Facebook) on the smartphone has turned into daily practice for billions of people, for example during waiting times. An increasing number of individuals show diminished control over their usage of these applications despite negative consequences in everyday life. This can be referred to as Internet-communication disorder (ICD). The current study investigated the effect of boredom proneness on symptoms of an ICD. It further examined the mediating role of cognitive and affective mechanisms, namely expectancies to avoid negative feelings online and cue-induced craving. The results of a structural equation model (N = 148) illustrate that boredom proneness is a risk factor for the development and maintenance of an ICD as it had a significant direct effect on ICD symptoms. Furthermore, boredom proneness predicted avoidance expectancies as well as cue-induced craving. Both in turn enhanced the risk of developing ICD tendencies. Moreover, both variables mediated the effect of boredom proneness on ICD and interacted among each other. In summary, the results demonstrate that people who have a higher susceptibility to experience boredom show higher expectancies to avoid negative emotions online, which promotes higher craving reactions when being confronted with specific cues (e.g. an incoming message), and could result in ICD tendencies.

You Can Lead a Horse to Water: Efficacy of and Students' Perceptions of an Online Textbook Support Site

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Camp, Debbie; Baugh, Stacey-Ann

2014-01-01

An increasing number of publishers offer online companion websites that students pay to access with the expectation that using these will significantly increase their grade. This research assessed the students' attitudes toward and the efficacy of components of MyPsychLab, a companion site for Introduction to Psychology. Students reported liking…

Self-Arrangement of Fleeting Student Pairs: A Web 2.0 Approach for Peer Tutoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westera, Wim; de Bakker, Gijs; Wagemans, Leo

2009-01-01

This article presents a Web 2.0 approach for the arrangement of peer tutoring in online learning. In online learning environments, the learners' expectations of obtaining frequent, one-to-one support from their teachers tend to increase the teachers' workloads to unacceptably high levels. To address this problem of workload a self-organised peer…

Facilitating Cooperative Learning in Online and Blended Courses: An Example from an Integrated Marketing Communications Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Katryna

2013-01-01

Employers today expect that students will be able to work in teams. Cooperative learning theory addresses how skills such as decision making, problem solving and communication can be learned by individuals in group settings. This paper discusses how cooperative learning can be used in an online and blended environment to increase active learning…

Conversational Scholarship in Cyberspace: The Evolution and Activities of H-Net, the Online Network for the Humanities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turnbull, Paul

1996-01-01

The origins and current use of H-Net, an online humanities network on the World Wide Web, are examined. H-Net currently sponsors 73 electronic discussion lists that reach subscribers in 68 countries. Discussion groups have not met expectations for scholarly exchange, possibly because of plagiarism and copyright concerns. New ventures include book…

Teaching Problem-Solving and Critical-Thinking Skills Online Using Problem-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Romero, Liz; Orzechowski, Agnes; Rahatka, Ola

2014-01-01

The availability of technological tools is promoting a shift toward more student-centered online instruction. This article describes the implementation of a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model and the technological tools used to meet the expectations of the model as well as the needs of the students. The end product is a hybrid course with eight…

A Comparison of a Progression of Writing Competencies in Online Undergraduate and Graduate Courses: Results and Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duchardt, Barbara; Furr, Paula; Horton, Steven G.

2016-01-01

Students in undergraduate and graduate programs offered by community colleges, universities, and colleges of education are generally expected to have basic writing competencies at the outset of their studies based on completion of a high school curriculum and core college composition classes. With more programs and courses online or having a…

Access and Equity for All Learners in Blended and Online Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rose, Raymond

2014-01-01

Online education has become an accepted part of the educational landscape over the past two decades. Digital resources are the norm in classrooms. The expectation is that all students will benefit from technology some way. In order for that to be the case, however, sometimes more overt action is needed to ensure that all students do in fact get…

Cost-effectiveness analysis of a patient-centered care model for management of psoriasis.

PubMed

Parsi, Kory; Chambers, Cindy J; Armstrong, April W

2012-04-01

Cost-effectiveness analyses help policymakers make informed decisions regarding funding allocation of health care resources. Cost-effectiveness analysis of technology-enabled models of health care delivery is necessary to assess sustainability of novel online, patient-centered health care models. We sought to compare cost-effectiveness of conventional in-office care with a patient-centered, online model for follow-up treatment of patients with psoriasis. Cost-effectiveness analysis was performed from a societal perspective on a randomized controlled trial comparing a patient-centered online model with in-office visits for treatment of patients with psoriasis during a 24-week period. Quality-adjusted life expectancy was calculated using the life table method. Costs were generated from the original study parameters and national averages for salaries and services. No significant difference existed in the mean change in Dermatology Life Quality Index scores between the two groups (online: 3.51 ± 4.48 and in-office: 3.88 ± 6.65, P value = .79). Mean improvement in quality-adjusted life expectancy was not significantly different between the groups (P value = .93), with a gain of 0.447 ± 0.48 quality-adjusted life years for the online group and a gain of 0.463 ± 0.815 quality-adjusted life years for the in-office group. The cost of follow-up psoriasis care with online visits was 1.7 times less than the cost of in-person visits ($315 vs $576). Variations in travel time existed among patients depending on their distance from the dermatologist's office. From a societal perspective, the patient-centered online care model appears to be cost saving, while maintaining similar effectiveness to standard in-office care. Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Parental Romantic Expectations and Parent-Child Sexuality Communication in Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Laura G.; Himle, Michael B.; Strassberg, Donald S.

2016-01-01

This study examined the relationship between core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, parental romantic expectations, and parental provision of sexuality and relationship education in an online sample of 190 parents of youth 12-18 years of age with a parent-reported diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Regression analyses were conducted…

The Viability of Google Wave as an Online Collaboration Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ovadia, Steven

2010-01-01

Collaboration is an increasingly important skill in academia. Not only are librarians expected to collaborate with one another within a single library, but there are also expectations of both intracampus and intercampus collaboration. While face-to-face and telephone meetings are often possible, there are times when everyone cannot be brought…

Rehabilitation Professionals' Participation Intensity and Expectations of Transition Roles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oertle, Kathleen Marie

2009-01-01

In this mixed-methods study, an on-line survey and interviews were utilized to gather data regarding the level of participation and expectations rehabilitation professionals have of teachers, youth with disabilities, parents, and themselves during the transition process. The survey response rate was 73.0% (N = 46). Six were selected for interviews…

Does Educational Level Matter in Adopting Online Education? A Malaysian Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haghshenas, Hanif; Chatroudi, Ehsan Aminaei; Njeje, Fredy Anthony

2012-01-01

Having applied Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to predict intention and future usage behavior, the moderating effect of educational level was added to the model in moderating the relationship between variables. Also, despite past studies, Effort Expectancy had a higher beta than Performance Expectancy, while Social…

The Managed Hearthstone: Labor and Emotional Work in the Online Community of World of Warcraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lukacs, Andras; Embrick, David G.; Wright, Talmadge

Prior analyses of player interactions within massive multi-player online environments (MMOs) rely predominantly on understanding the environments as spheres of leisure—places to "escape" the stress of the "real world." We find in our research on the World of Warcraft, a popular online role-playing game suggests that, in fact, social interaction within the game more closely resembles work. Successful play requires dedicated participants who choose to engage in a highly structured and time-consuming "process" of game progression. Simultaneously, players must also actively engage in the "emotional labor" of acceptably maintaining standards of sociability and guild membership constructed by their gaming peers. We posit that these expectations of both structured progression work and emotional maintenance work significantly blur the existing lines between categorizing work and leisure. While the assumption of leisure shrouds the general expectation of gaming interaction, we suggest a "play as work" paradigm more clearly captures the reality of the demands of The World of Warcraft.

The impact of online brand community type on consumer's community engagement behaviors: consumer-created vs. marketer-created online brand community in online social-networking web sites.

PubMed

Lee, Doohwang; Kim, Hyuk Soo; Kim, Jung Kyu

2011-01-01

The current study proposed and tested a theoretical model of consumers' online brand community engagement behaviors, with particular attention given to online brand community type (consumer vs. marketer-created). By integrating attribution and social identity theories, this study investigated the causal linkages between intrinsic motives of altruism, social identification motivations, and online brand community engagement behaviors. The results showed that consumers' online brand community engagement intentions were indirectly influenced by the different types of communities through different levels of consumers' attributions to intrinsic motives of altruism. This study also found that, in the attribution processes, consumers' intrinsic motives of altruism motivated them to identify themselves socially with the online communities they join. Finally, this study demonstrated that the intrinsic motives of altruism and social identification motivations provided strong social incentives to motivate consumers to engage in subsequent online brand community behaviors.

A Study of the Organization and Search of Bibliographic Holdings Records in On-Line Computer Systems: Phase I. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Jay L.; And Others

This report presents the results of the initial phase of the File Organization Project, a study which focuses upon the on-line maintenance and search of the library's catalog holdings record. The focus of the project is to develop a facility for research and experimentation with the many issues of on-line file organizations and search. The first…

Integrated model reference adaptive control and time-varying angular rate estimation for micro-machined gyroscopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Nan-Chyuan; Sue, Chung-Yang

2010-02-01

Owing to the imposed but undesired accelerations such as quadrature error and cross-axis perturbation, the micro-machined gyroscope would not be unconditionally retained at resonant mode. Once the preset resonance is not sustained, the performance of the micro-gyroscope is accordingly degraded. In this article, a direct model reference adaptive control loop which is integrated with a modified disturbance estimating observer (MDEO) is proposed to guarantee the resonant oscillations at drive mode and counterbalance the undesired disturbance mainly caused by quadrature error and cross-axis perturbation. The parameters of controller are on-line innovated by the dynamic error between the MDEO output and expected response. In addition, Lyapunov stability theory is employed to examine the stability of the closed-loop control system. Finally, the efficacy of numerical evaluation on the exerted time-varying angular rate, which is to be detected and measured by the gyroscope, is verified by intensive simulations.

Autobiography of Ronald W. Rousseau.

PubMed

Rousseau, Ronald W

2018-03-01

This article provides a synopsis of my professional career, from the decision to study chemical engineering to leadership of one of the top academic programs in that field. I describe how I chose to devote my research to phenomena associated with crystallization as practiced for separation and purification and then made the transition to leader of an academic program. Embedded in the coverage are descriptions of research advances coming from exploration of secondary nucleation, especially how collisions of crystals in supersaturated environments dominate the behavior of industrially relevant crystallization processes. I recount some of the challenges associated with becoming a school chair and how the program I led grew. The story illuminates the contributions of my many mentors, colleagues, and students. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Volume 9 is June 7, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

A practical guide to value of information analysis.

PubMed

Wilson, Edward C F

2015-02-01

Value of information analysis is a quantitative method to estimate the return on investment in proposed research projects. It can be used in a number of ways. Funders of research may find it useful to rank projects in terms of the expected return on investment from a variety of competing projects. Alternatively, trialists can use the principles to identify the efficient sample size of a proposed study as an alternative to traditional power calculations, and finally, a value of information analysis can be conducted alongside an economic evaluation as a quantitative adjunct to the 'future research' or 'next steps' section of a study write up. The purpose of this paper is to present a brief introduction to the methods, a step-by-step guide to calculation and a discussion of issues that arise in their application to healthcare decision making. Worked examples are provided in the accompanying online appendices as Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

Code of practice for food handler activities.

PubMed

Smith, T A; Kanas, R P; McCoubrey, I A; Belton, M E

2005-08-01

The food industry regulates various aspects of food handler activities, according to legislation and customer expectations. The purpose of this paper is to provide a code of practice which delineates a set of working standards for food handler hygiene, handwashing, use of protective equipment, wearing of jewellery and body piercing. The code was developed by a working group of occupational physicians with expertise in both food manufacturing and retail, using a risk assessment approach. Views were also obtained from other occupational physicians working within the food industry and the relevant regulatory bodies. The final version of the code (available in full as Supplementary data in Occupational Medicine Online) therefore represents a broad consensus of opinion. The code of practice represents a set of minimum standards for food handler suitability and activities, based on a practical assessment of risk, for application in food businesses. It aims to provide useful working advice to food businesses of all sizes.

The Epigenome, Cell Cycle, and Development in Toxoplasma.

PubMed

Kim, Kami

2018-06-22

Toxoplasma gondii is a common veterinary and human pathogen that persists as latent bradyzoite forms within infected hosts. The ability of the parasite to interconvert between tachyzoite and bradyzoite is key for pathogenesis of toxoplasmosis, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. The transition between tachyzoites and bradyzoites is epigenetically regulated and coupled to the cell cycle. Recent epigenomic studies have begun to elucidate the chromatin states associated with developmental switches in T. gondii. Evidence is also emerging that AP2 transcription factors both activate and repress the bradyzoite developmental program. Further studies are needed to understand the mechanisms by which T. gondii transduces environmental signals to coordinate the epigenetic and transcriptional machinery that are responsible for tachyzoite-bradyzoite interconversion. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology Volume 72 is September 8, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Stages of change in adults who have failed an online hearing screening.

PubMed

Laplante-Lévesque, Ariane; Brännström, K Jonas; Ingo, Elisabeth; Andersson, Gerhard; Lunner, Thomas

2015-01-01

Hearing screening has been proposed to promote help-seeking and rehabilitation in adults with hearing impairment. However, some longitudinal studies point to low help-seeking and subsequent rehabilitation after a failed hearing screening (positive screening result). Some barriers to help-seeking and rehabilitation could be intrinsic to the profiles and needs of people who have failed a hearing screening. Theories of health behavior change could help to understand this population. One of these theories is the transtheoretical (stages-of-change) model of health behavior change, which describes profiles and needs of people facing behavior changes such as seeking help and taking up rehabilitation. According to this model, people go through distinct stages toward health behavior change: precontemplation, contemplation, action, and finally, maintenance. The present study describes the psychometric properties (construct validity) of the stages of change in adults who have failed an online hearing screening. Stages of change were measured with the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA). Principal component analysis is presented, along with cluster analysis. Internal consistency was investigated. Finally, relationships between URICA scores and speech-in-noise recognition threshold, self-reported hearing disability, and self-reported duration of hearing disability are presented. In total, 224 adults who had failed a Swedish online hearing screening test (measure of speech-in-noise recognition) completed further questionnaires online, including the URICA. A principal component analysis identified the stages of precontemplation, contemplation, and action, plus an additional stage, termed preparation (between contemplation and action). According to the URICA, half (50%) of the participants were in the preparation stage of change. The contemplation stage was represented by 38% of participants, while 9% were in the precontemplation stage. Finally, the action stage was represented by approximately 3% of the participants. Cluster analysis identified four stages-of-change clusters: they were named decision making (44% of sample), participation (28% of sample), indecision (16% of sample), and reluctance (12% of sample). The construct validity of the model was good. Participants who reported a more advanced stage of change had significantly greater self-reported hearing disability. However, participants who reported a more advanced stage of change did not have a significantly worse speech-in-noise recognition threshold or reported a significantly longer duration of hearing impairment. The additional stage this study uncovered, and which other studies have also uncovered, preparation, highlights the need for adequate guidance for adults who are yet to seek help for their hearing. The fact that very few people were in the action stage (approximately 3% of the sample) signals that screening alone is unlikely to be enough to improve help-seeking and rehabilitation rates. As expected, people in the later stages of change reported significantly greater hearing disability. The lack of significant relationships between stages-of-change measures and speech-in-noise recognition threshold and self-reported duration of hearing disability highlights the complex interplay between impairment, disability, and behaviors in adults who have failed an online hearing screening and who are yet to seek help.

78 FR 3971 - Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-17

...The Commission amends the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule (``COPPA Rule'' or ``Rule''), consistent with the requirements of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, to clarify the scope of the Rule and strengthen its protections for children's personal information, in light of changes in online technology since the Rule went into effect in April 2000. The final amended Rule includes modifications to the definitions of operator, personal information, and Web site or online service directed to children. The amended Rule also updates the requirements set forth in the notice, parental consent, confidentiality and security, and safe harbor provisions, and adds a new provision addressing data retention and deletion.

Rabies

Science.gov Websites

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What Are Preadolescent Readers Doing Online? An Examination of Upper Elementary Students' Reading, Writing, and Communication in Digital Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutchison, Amy C.; Woodward, Lindsay; Colwell, Jamie

2016-01-01

The online reading, writing, and communication practices of students have been of significant interest to literacy researchers and teachers throughout the last several years, as insights into what students are currently doing in and outside of school can inform what they can be expected to know and be able to do in digital environments. Yet,…

We Are All Friends Nowadays: But What Is the Outcome of Online Friendship for Young People in Terms of Individual Social Capital?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Anne

2013-01-01

For contemporary young people friendship has changed considerably from previous generations and nowadays weak ties represent the bulk of youth online friendships. These acquaintances do not provide quality relationships as young people do not seek to gain anything from such friends nor do they expect to help them out. Nevertheless weak ties have…

The Future Online: Instructional Communication Scholars Taking the Lead. Forum: The Future of Instructional Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chatham-Carpenter, April

2017-01-01

As students begin using more virtual and augmented reality tools for education and entertainment, they may come to expect instructors to use similar types of technology in their teaching (Kelly, 2016). Instructors may choose to employ this type of technology in the future, to create more of a real-life feel in the online classroom. The effects of…

Creating a Virtual Community with PT3: College of Education Students' Beliefs, Expectations and Attitudes toward Online Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurubacak, Gulsun; Baptiste, H. Prentice

Through the Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology (PT3) project, online distance courses in College of Education at New Mexico State University (NMSU) have become an essential component of the Teacher Education Program. Pre-service teachers have been engaged in the process of learning with and about technology. The main purpose of this…

The effects of supplemental online learning aids on student performance and student engagement in Medical Microbiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, Kimberly

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of online learning aids on student performance and engagement. The thirty-five participants of the current study were students enrolled in two sections of a junior level Medical Microbiology laboratory. The experimental section was required to spend ten minutes each week on an online learning aid. The online program, StudyMate(TM), was used to present text and images in the form of flash cards, multiple choice questions, matching, and crossword puzzles. Both groups completed the Index of Learning Style survey, an initial engagement survey at the start of the course, and a final engagement survey at the end of the course. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences between the groups at the start of the course or after the course was completed for learning style, science grade point average, overall grade point average, initial engagement or final engagement. A moderate correlation was found between microbiology course and laboratory grades and a reflective learning style.

Design of Online Spheroidization Process for 1.0C-1.5Cr Bearing Steel and Microstructure Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhen-Xing; Li, Chang-Sheng; Ren, Jin-Yi; Li, Bin-Zhou; Suh, Dong-Woo

2018-02-01

Using thermo-mechanical control process, the online spheroidization annealing process of 1.0C-1.5Cr bearing steel was designed. Apart from intercritical online spheroidization (IS), a novel subcritical online spheroidization (SS) process was proposed, which is characterized by water-cooling to around 773 K (500 °C) after the final rolling pass, and then directly reheating to 973 K (700 °C) for isothermal holding. Compared with the results from the traditional offline spheroidization (TS) process, the size of spheroidized carbides is similar in both the TS and IS processes, whereas it is much smaller in the SS process. After spheroidization annealing, microstructure evolution during austenitization and quenching treatment was examined. It is shown that the refining of spheroidized carbides accelerates the dissolution of carbides during the austenitizing process, and decreases the size of undissolved carbides. In addition, the SS process can obtain finer prior austenite grain after quenching, which contributes to the enhancement of final hardness.

Nutrition and Inflammation: Are Centenarians Similar to Individuals on Calorie-Restricted Diets?

PubMed

Franceschi, Claudio; Ostan, Rita; Santoro, Aurelia

2018-05-31

Individuals capable of reaching the extreme limit of human life such as centenarians are characterized by an exceptionally healthy phenotype-that is, a low number of diseases, low blood pressure, optimal metabolic and endocrine parameters, and increased diversity in the gut microbiota-and they are epigenetically younger than their chronological age. We present data suggesting that such a remarkable phenotype is largely similar to that found in adults following a calorie-restricted diet. Interviews with centenarians and historical data on the nutritional and lifestyle habits of Italians during the twentieth century suggest that as children and into adulthood, centenarians lived in an environment that was nonobesogenic, but at the same time the environment did not produce malnutrition. Centenarians appear to be creatures of habit, and we argue that their habit of eating meals at the same time each day favored the maintenance of circadian rhythms, including their sleep cycle. Finally, we argue that centenarians' chronic inflammatory status, which we dubbed inflammaging, is peculiar, likely adaptive, and less detrimental than in younger people. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Nutrition Volume 38 is August 21, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Review of online coupling of sample preparation techniques with liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Pan, Jialiang; Zhang, Chengjiang; Zhang, Zhuomin; Li, Gongke

2014-03-07

Sample preparation is still considered as the bottleneck of the whole analytical procedure, and efforts has been conducted towards the automation, improvement of sensitivity and accuracy, and low comsuption of organic solvents. Development of online sample preparation techniques (SP) coupled with liquid chromatography (LC) is a promising way to achieve these goals, which has attracted great attention. This article reviews the recent advances on the online SP-LC techniques. Various online SP techniques have been described and summarized, including solid-phase-based extraction, liquid-phase-based extraction assisted with membrane, microwave assisted extraction, ultrasonic assisted extraction, accelerated solvent extraction and supercritical fluids extraction. Specially, the coupling approaches of online SP-LC systems and the corresponding interfaces have been discussed and reviewed in detail, such as online injector, autosampler combined with transport unit, desorption chamber and column switching. Typical applications of the online SP-LC techniques have been summarized. Then the problems and expected trends in this field are attempted to be discussed and proposed in order to encourage the further development of online SP-LC techniques. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Digital Library Services: Perceptions and Expectations of User Communities and Librarians in a New Zealand Academic Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xia, Wei

2003-01-01

Provides an overview of research conducted at Victoria University of Wellington regarding differing perceptions and expectations of user communities and librarians related to the usability of digital services. Considers access to services, currency of information on the Web site, the online public access catalog, databases, electronic journals,…

Should There Be an Expectation of Privacy in the Library? Online Treasures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balas, Janet L.

2005-01-01

Although some people feel that there should be no expectation of privacy in a library because it is a public place, the debate on the library's obligation to protect patron privacy continues. Despite the media attention given to some notorious breaches of privacy (for example, the hacking of Paris Hilton's electronic address book), and the…

Beach Monitoring

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Public Swimming Pools

Science.gov Websites

State Agencies | Online Services Forms Rules Ohio Public Health Advisory Board (OPHAB) Draft Pending Final Referenced Material Local Health Depts Find My Local Health Department What Do LHDs Do ? About Us About ODH ODH Locations News Reports Online Services What is Public Health? Employment

Dissecting the Voice: Health Professions Students' Perceptions of Instructor Age and Gender in an Online Environment and the Impact on Evaluations for Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doubleday, Alison F.; Lee, Lisa M. J.

2016-01-01

Gender and age bias is well-documented in academia with many studies demonstrating bias in students' evaluations of instructors. Failure of an instructor to meet gender or age-based expectations can translate to lower scores or negative comments on evaluations. While there is some evidence of bias in students' evaluations of online instructors,…

Similarity and Difference in Fee-Paying and No-Fee Learner Expectations, Interaction and Reaction to Learning in a Massive Open Online Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, Simon; Whitelock, Denise

2017-01-01

The new pedagogical opportunities that massive open online course (MOOC) learning environments offer for the teaching of fee-paying students on university-accredited courses are of growing interest to educators. This paper presents a case study from a postgraduate-taught course at the Open University, UK, where a MOOC performed the dual role of a…

How patients' use of social media impacts their interactions with healthcare professionals.

PubMed

Benetoli, A; Chen, T F; Aslani, P

2018-03-01

Patients are increasingly accessing online health information and have become more participatory in their engagement with the advent of social media (SM). This study explored how patients' use of SM impacted their interactions with healthcare professionals (HCPs). Focus groups (n=5) were conducted with 36 patients with chronic conditions and on medication who used SM for health-related purposes. The discussions lasted 60-90min, were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed. Participants did not interact with HCPs on SM and were not expecting to do so as they used SM exclusively for peer interactions. Most reported improvement in the patient-HCP relationship due to increased knowledge, better communication, and empowerment. Participants supplemented HCP-provided information with peer interactions on SM, and prepared themselves for consultations. They shared online health information with HCPs, during consultations, to validate it and to actively participate in the decision-making. Although some participants reported HCP support for their online activities, most perceived overt or tacit opposition. Participants perceived that their SM use positively impacted relationships with HCPs. They felt empowered and were more assertive in participating in decision-making. HCPs should be aware of patients' activities and expectations, and support them in their online activities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessing Elementary Prospective Teachers' Mathematical Explanations after Engagement in Online Mentoring Modules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wall, Jennifer; Selmer, Sarah; Bingham Brown, Amy

2016-01-01

Prospective elementary teachers at three universities engaged in online modules called the Virtual Field Experience, created by the Math Forum. The prospective teachers learned about problem solving and mentoring elementary students in composing solutions and explanations to nonroutine challenge problems. Finally, through an asynchronous online…

Sailor: Maryland's Online Public Information Network. Sailor Network Assessment Final Report: Findings and Future Sailor Network Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bertot, John Carlo; McClure, Charles R.

This report describes the results of an assessment of Sailor, Maryland's Online Public Information Network, which provides statewide Internet connection to 100% of Maryland public libraries. The concept of a "statewide networked environment" includes information services, products, hardware and software, telecommunications…

Ohio Department of Health Home

Science.gov Websites

State Agencies | Online Services Forms Rules Ohio Public Health Advisory Board (OPHAB) Draft Pending Final Referenced Material Local Health Depts Find My Local Health Department What Do LHDs Do ? About Us About ODH ODH Locations News Reports Online Services What is Public Health? Employment

Online Self-Assessment with Feedback and Metacognitive Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ibabe, Izaskun; Jauregizar, Joana

2010-01-01

The present work describes an experience of educational innovation in a university context. Its aim was to determine the relationship between students' frequency of use of online self-assessment with feedback and their final performance on the course, taking into account both learners' motivation and perceived usefulness of these resources for…

Quantification, Prediction, and the Online Impact of Sentence Truth-Value: Evidence from Event-Related Potentials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nieuwland, Mante S.

2016-01-01

Do negative quantifiers like "few" reduce people's ability to rapidly evaluate incoming language with respect to world knowledge? Previous research has addressed this question by examining whether online measures of quantifier comprehension match the "final" interpretation reflected in verification judgments. However, these…

The Relationship between Gender and Academic Success Online

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kupczynski, Lori; Brown, Michelle; Holland, Glenda; Uriegas, Brian

2014-01-01

Distance learning may pose challenges to students in terms of satisfaction and academic success. This study examined the relationship between the final grade received in a distance learning course and the student characteristic of gender. Examined were differences in online course achievement between male and female students through the lens of…

78 FR 70283 - Pacific Fishery Management Council; Online Webinar

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-25

... analysis, data-poor overfishing limit (OFL) estimates for kelp greenling and the Washington stock of cabezon, and other business in preparation for the SSC's March 2014 meeting. The online SSC Groundfish... a final draft of the 2013 cowcod rebuilding analysis; (2) review new data-poor OFL estimates for...

The Effect of Synchronous and Asynchronous Participation on Students' Performance in Online Accounting Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duncan, Keith; Kenworthy, Amy; McNamara, Ray

2012-01-01

This article examines the relationship between MBA students' performance and participation in two online environments: a synchronous forum (chat room) and an asynchronous forum (discussion board) at an Australian university. The "quality" and "quantity" of students' participation is used to predict their final examination and…

The value of online learning and MRI: finding a niche for expensive technologies.

PubMed

Cook, David A

2014-11-01

The benefits of online learning come at a price. How can we optimize the overall value? Critically appraise the value of online learning. Narrative review. Several prevalent myths overinflate the value of online learning. These include that online learning is cheap and easy (it is usually more expensive), that it is more efficient (efficiency depends on the instructional design, not the modality), that it will transform education (fundamental learning principles have not changed), and that the Net Generation expects it (there is no evidence of pent-up demand). However, online learning does add real value by enhancing flexibility, control and analytics. Costs may also go down if disruptive innovations (e.g. low-cost, low-tech, but instructionally sound "good enough" online learning) supplant technically superior but more expensive online learning products. Cost-lowering strategies include focusing on core principles of learning rather than technologies, using easy-to-learn authoring tools, repurposing content (organizing and sequencing existing resources rather than creating new content) and using course templates. Online learning represents just one tool in an educator's toolbox, as does the MRI for clinicians. We need to use the right tool(s) for the right learner at the right dose, time and route.

Applying Neurological Learning Research to an Intro Astronomy Online Lab Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrd, Gene G.; Byrd, Dana

2015-01-01

The neurological research used the 'Tower of London', a well-tested puzzle requiring multi-step planning toward a solution. Four and five year-olds are starting multistep reasoning and provide good puzzle subjects. Preschoolers who talked to themselves about future moves had greatly improved performance over those who did not. Adults given preplanning time prior to solving the same puzzle showed more neural activation during preplanning, especially in brain areas which serve higher level thinking. Applying these results to teaching astronomy, we modified an online introductory lab course in which students take a multiple choice final exam. We composed questions related to the learning objectives of the course modules (LOQs). Students could 'talk to themselves' by discursively answering these for extra credit prior to the final. Results were compared to an otherwise identical previous unmodified class. Modified classes showed statistically much better final exam average scores (78% vs. 66%). This modification helped those students who most need help. Students in the lower third of the class preferentially answered the LOQs to improve their scores and the class average on the exam. These results also show the effectiveness of relevant extra credit work. For more details plus an application to a lecture course, see Byrd and Byrd http://www.ncolr.org/issues/jiol/v12/n2/3 (Journal of Interactive Online Learning). The online lab course emphasized real photographic and quantitative astronomical observations. We also discuss and show equipment found to be most useful for the online lab course, including a 'pin-hole protractor', telescope kit and "AL-henge" telescope mount..

Emerging behavior in electronic bidding.

PubMed

Yang, I; Jeong, H; Kahng, B; Barabási, A-L

2003-07-01

We characterize the statistical properties of a large number of agents on two major online auction sites. The measurements indicate that the total number of bids placed in a single category and the number of distinct auctions frequented by a given agent follow power-law distributions, implying that a few agents are responsible for a significant fraction of the total bidding activity on the online market. We find that these agents exert an unproportional influence on the final price of the auctioned items. This domination of online auctions by an unusually active minority may be a generic feature of all online mercantile processes.

A Method for Efficient Searching at Online Shopping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanjo, Tomomi; Nagata, Moiro

In recent years, online shopping has been popularized. However, the users can not find efficiently their items at on-line markets. This paper proposes an engine to find items easily at the online market. This engine has the following facilities. First, it presents information in a fixed format. Second, the user can find items by selected keywords. Third, it presents only necessary information by using his/her history. Finally, it has a customize function for each user. Moreover, the system asks the users to down load a page of recommended items. We show the effectives of our proposal with some experiments.

Emerging behavior in electronic bidding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, I.; Jeong, H.; Kahng, B.; Barabási, A.-L.

2003-07-01

We characterize the statistical properties of a large number of agents on two major online auction sites. The measurements indicate that the total number of bids placed in a single category and the number of distinct auctions frequented by a given agent follow power-law distributions, implying that a few agents are responsible for a significant fraction of the total bidding activity on the online market. We find that these agents exert an unproportional influence on the final price of the auctioned items. This domination of online auctions by an unusually active minority may be a generic feature of all online mercantile processes.

The rise and fall of the medical mediated searcher

PubMed Central

Atlas, Michel C.

2000-01-01

The relationship between the development of mediated online literature searching and the recruitment of medical librarians to fill positions as online searchers was investigated. The history of database searching by medical librarians was outlined and a content analysis of thirty-five years of job advertisements in MLA News from 1961 through 1996 was summarized. Advertisements for online searchers were examined to test the hypothesis that the growth of mediated online searching was reflected in the recruitment of librarians to fill positions as mediated online searchers in medical libraries. The advent of end-user searching was also traced to determine how this trend affected the demand for mediated online searching and job availability of online searchers. Job advertisements were analyzed to determine what skills were in demand as end-user searching replaced mediated online searching as the norm in medical libraries. Finally, the trend away from mediated online searching to support of other library services was placed in the context of new roles for medical librarians. PMID:10658961

Pragmatic skills predict online counterfactual comprehension: Evidence from the N400.

PubMed

Kulakova, Eugenia; Nieuwland, Mante S

2016-10-01

Counterfactual thought allows people to consider alternative worlds they know to be false. Communicating these thoughts through language poses a social-communicative challenge because listeners typically expect a speaker to produce true utterances, but counterfactuals per definition convey information that is false. Listeners must therefore incorporate overt linguistic cues (subjunctive mood, such as in If I loved you then) in a rapid way to infer the intended counterfactual meaning. The present EEG study focused on the comprehension of such counterfactual antecedents and investigated if pragmatic ability-the ability to apply knowledge of the social-communicative use of language in daily life-predicts the online generation of counterfactual worlds. This yielded two novel findings: (1) Words that are consistent with factual knowledge incur a semantic processing cost, as reflected in larger N400 amplitude, in counterfactual antecedents compared to hypothetical antecedents (If sweets were/are made of sugar). We take this to suggest that counterfactuality is quickly incorporated during language comprehension and reduces online expectations based on factual knowledge. (2) Individual scores on the Autism Quotient Communication subscale modulated this effect, suggesting that individuals who are better at understanding the communicative intentions of other people are more likely to reduce knowledge-based expectations in counterfactuals. These results are the first demonstration of the real-time pragmatic processes involved in creating possible worlds.

Blended Learning Tools in Geosciences: A New Set of Online Tools to Help Students Master Skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cull, S.; Spohrer, J.; Natarajan, S.; Chin, M.

2013-12-01

In most geoscience courses, students are expected to develop specific skills. To master these skills, students need to practice them repeatedly. Unfortunately, few geosciences courses have enough class time to allow students sufficient in-class practice, nor enough instructor attention and time to provide fast feedback. To address this, we have developed an online tool called an Instant Feedback Practice (IFP). IFPs are low-risk, high-frequency exercises that allow students to practice skills repeatedly throughout a semester, both in class and at home. After class, students log onto a course management system (like Moodle or Blackboard), and click on that day's IFP exercise. The exercise might be visually identifying a set of minerals that they're practicing. After answering each question, the IFP tells them if they got it right or wrong. If they got it wrong, they try again until they get it right. There is no penalty - students receive the full score for finishing. The goal is low-stakes practice. By completing dozens of these practices throughout the semester, students have many, many opportunities to practice mineral identification with quick feedback. Students can also complete IFPs during class in groups and teams, with in-lab hand samples or specimens. IFPs can also be used to gauge student skill levels as the semester progresses, as they can be set up to provide the instructor feedback on specific skills or students. When IFPs were developed for and implemented in a majors-level mineralogy class, students reported that in-class and online IFPs were by far the most useful technique they used to master mineral hand sample identification. Final grades in the course were significantly higher than historical norms, supporting students' anecdotal assessment of the impact of IFPs on their learning.

Effectiveness of online instruction in the radiologic sciences.

PubMed

Johnston, James

2008-01-01

Online courses are becoming increasingly common in all academic disciplines and many studies have indicated that there is no significant difference in student outcomes between the 2 instructional methods or, more recently, that online instruction is superior. However, because course content and expectations about mastery of material vary, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of online courses in different academic disciplines and settings, including radiologic technology. To examine the instructional effectiveness of 2 online radiologic science courses that were converted from a face-to-face instruction format. Archival data were gathered from a sample of convenience (N = 317) to compare 2 years of performance indicators for each course and format. This study also compared course formats in terms of national certification exam results. The results regarding which delivery type performed better were mixed. However, the national certification exam scores for the patient care section were higher for students who completed face-to-face instruction than for those who had online instruction.

Online ethics: where will the interface of mental health and the internet lead us?

PubMed

Cosgrove, Victoria; Gliddon, Emma; Berk, Lesley; Grimm, David; Lauder, Sue; Dodd, Seetal; Berk, Michael; Suppes, Trisha

2017-12-01

While e-health initiatives are poised to revolutionize delivery and access to mental health care, conducting clinical research online involves specific contextual and ethical considerations. Face-to-face psychosocial interventions can at times entail risk and have adverse psychoactive effects, something true for online mental health programs too. Risks associated with and specific to internet psychosocial interventions include potential breaches of confidentiality related to online communications (such as unencrypted email), data privacy and security, risks of self-selection and self-diagnosis as well as the shortcomings of receiving psychoeducation and treatment at distance from an impersonal website. Such ethical issues need to be recognized and proactively managed in website and study design as well as treatment implementation. In order for online interventions to succeed, risks and expectations of all involved need to be carefully considered with a focus on ethical integrity.

Case Study of Online Banking in India: User Behaviors and Design Guidelines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iyengar, Jhumkee; Belvalkar, Manisha

This paper documents online banking trends, behaviors and expectations of Indian consumers and banks. It is based on excerpts of a large industry case study of users from 4 leading banks. While banks view online banking essentially as a technology solution, it is a relatively new area for Indian consumers and not yet self-supporting. Being a savings based culture still, Indian consumers are cautious about their financial assets. They are also relatively recent entrants to internet based services. Design of these systems must therefore be based on an understanding of these users' outlook and priorities through task centric, security assured and service oriented solutions minus the technological challenges. Design lessons suggest viewing online banking not just as a convenience alone anymore but beyond it, to provide service, simplicity and security. This will create satisfied online banking customers and therefore profitability for the bank.

An evaluation of teaching methods in the introductory physics classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savage, Lauren Michelle Williams

The introductory physics mechanics course at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte has a history of relatively high DFW rates. In 2011, the course was redesigned from the traditional lecture format to the inverted classroom format (flipped). This format inverts the classroom by introducing material in a video assigned as homework while the instructor conducts problem solving activities and guides discussions during the regular meetings. This format focuses on student-centered learning and is more interactive and engaging. To evaluate the effectiveness of the new method, final exam data over the past 10 years was mined and the pass rates examined. A normalization condition was developed to evaluate semesters equally. The two teaching methods were compared using a grade distribution across multiple semesters. Students in the inverted class outperformed those in the traditional class: "A"s increased by 22% and "B"s increased by 38%. The final exam pass rate increased by 12% under the inverted classroom approach. The same analysis was used to compare the written and online final exam formats. Surprisingly, no students scored "A"s on the online final. However, the percent of "B"s increased by 136%. Combining documented best practices from a literature review with personal observations of student performance and attitudes from first hand classroom experience as a teaching assistant in both teaching methods, reasons are given to support the continued use of the inverted classroom approach as well as the online final. Finally, specific recommendations are given to improve the course structure where weaknesses have been identified.

Use and acceptability of unsupported online computerized cognitive behavioral therapy for depression and associations with clinical outcome.

PubMed

de Graaf, L Esther; Huibers, Marcus J H; Riper, Heleen; Gerhards, Sylvia A H; Arntz, Arnoud

2009-08-01

In a recent randomized trial, we were unable to confirm the previously reported high effectiveness of CCBT. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to have a closer look at usage and acceptability (i.e. expectancy, credibility, and satisfaction) of the intervention. Depressed participants (N=200) were given login codes for unsupported online CCBT. A track-and-trace system tracked which components were used. We used a 9-month follow-up period. Uptake was sufficient, but dropout was high. Many usage indices were positively associated with short-term depressive improvement, whereas only homework was related to long-term improvement. Acceptability was good and expectancy could predict long-term, but not short-term outcome. Associations between use of CCBT and improvement are merely correlational. Our sample was too depressed in relation to the scope of the intervention. We relied on online self-report measures. Analyses were exploratory in nature. Although CCBT might be a feasible and acceptable treatment for depression, means to improve treatment adherence are needed for moderately to severely depressed individuals.

Freshwater Biological Traits Database (Final Report)

EPA Science Inventory

EPA announced the release of the final report, Freshwater Biological Traits Database. This report discusses the development of a database of freshwater biological traits. The database combines several existing traits databases into an online format. The database is also...

Online Learning Tools as Supplements for Basic and Clinical Science Education.

PubMed

Ellman, Matthew S; Schwartz, Michael L

2016-01-01

Undergraduate medical educators are increasingly incorporating online learning tools into basic and clinical science curricula. In this paper, we explore the diversity of online learning tools and consider the range of applications for these tools in classroom and bedside learning. Particular advantages of these tools are highlighted, such as delivering foundational knowledge as part of the "flipped classroom" pedagogy and for depicting unusual physical examination findings and advanced clinical communication skills. With accelerated use of online learning, educators and administrators need to consider pedagogic and practical challenges posed by integrating online learning into individual learning activities, courses, and curricula as a whole. We discuss strategies for faculty development and the role of school-wide resources for supporting and using online learning. Finally, we consider the role of online learning in interprofessional, integrated, and competency-based applications among other contemporary trends in medical education are considered.

Online Learning Tools as Supplements for Basic and Clinical Science Education

PubMed Central

Ellman, Matthew S.; Schwartz, Michael L.

2016-01-01

Undergraduate medical educators are increasingly incorporating online learning tools into basic and clinical science curricula. In this paper, we explore the diversity of online learning tools and consider the range of applications for these tools in classroom and bedside learning. Particular advantages of these tools are highlighted, such as delivering foundational knowledge as part of the “flipped classroom” pedagogy and for depicting unusual physical examination findings and advanced clinical communication skills. With accelerated use of online learning, educators and administrators need to consider pedagogic and practical challenges posed by integrating online learning into individual learning activities, courses, and curricula as a whole. We discuss strategies for faculty development and the role of school-wide resources for supporting and using online learning. Finally, we consider the role of online learning in interprofessional, integrated, and competency-based applications among other contemporary trends in medical education are considered. PMID:29349323

Developing an Online Health Intervention for Young Gay and Bisexual Men

PubMed Central

Pachankis, John E.; Lelutiu-Weinberger, Corina; Golub, Sarit A.; Parsons, Jeffrey T.

2013-01-01

Young gay and bisexual men who have sex with men continue to experience increases in HIV incidence in the U.S, highlighting a need for competent health services, while the prominence of the internet in their social and sexual lives call for novel preventive modalities. Towards this goal, we adapted an efficacious in-office HIV risk reduction intervention, for online delivery. This paper describes the development of the online intervention and highlights the results of interviews and focus groups with the original intervention participants regarding effective adaptation and online delivery recommendations. The final intervention incorporates strategies for overcoming barriers to online intervention with this population, capitalizing on the unique strengths of online intervention delivery. The systematic process described in this paper can be used as a template for other researchers to develop online risk reduction programs and fills an important gap in the field’s ability to maximally reach a critical risk group. PMID:23673791

EXpectation Propagation LOgistic REgRession (EXPLORER): Distributed Privacy-Preserving Online Model Learning

PubMed Central

Wang, Shuang; Jiang, Xiaoqian; Wu, Yuan; Cui, Lijuan; Cheng, Samuel; Ohno-Machado, Lucila

2013-01-01

We developed an EXpectation Propagation LOgistic REgRession (EXPLORER) model for distributed privacy-preserving online learning. The proposed framework provides a high level guarantee for protecting sensitive information, since the information exchanged between the server and the client is the encrypted posterior distribution of coefficients. Through experimental results, EXPLORER shows the same performance (e.g., discrimination, calibration, feature selection etc.) as the traditional frequentist Logistic Regression model, but provides more flexibility in model updating. That is, EXPLORER can be updated one point at a time rather than having to retrain the entire data set when new observations are recorded. The proposed EXPLORER supports asynchronized communication, which relieves the participants from coordinating with one another, and prevents service breakdown from the absence of participants or interrupted communications. PMID:23562651

Improving Online Interactions: Lessons from an Online Anatomy Course with a Laboratory for Undergraduate Students.

PubMed

Attardi, Stefanie M; Barbeau, Michele L; Rogers, Kem A

2018-03-01

An online section of a face-to-face (F2F) undergraduate (bachelor's level) anatomy course with a prosection laboratory was offered in 2013-2014. Lectures for F2F students (353) were broadcast to online students (138) using Blackboard Collaborate (BBC) virtual classroom. Online laboratories were offered using BBC and three-dimensional (3D) anatomical computer models. This iteration of the course was modified from the previous year to improve online student-teacher and student-student interactions. Students were divided into laboratory groups that rotated through virtual breakout rooms, giving them the opportunity to interact with three instructors. The objectives were to assess student performance outcomes, perceptions of student-teacher and student-student interactions, methods of peer interaction, and helpfulness of the 3D computer models. Final grades were statistically identical between the online and F2F groups. There were strong, positive correlations between incoming grade average and final anatomy grade in both groups, suggesting prior academic performance, and not delivery format, predicts anatomy grades. Quantitative student perception surveys (273 F2F; 101 online) revealed that both groups agreed they were engaged by teachers, could interact socially with teachers and peers, and ask them questions in both the lecture and laboratory sessions, though agreement was significantly greater for the F2F students in most comparisons. The most common methods of peer communication were texting, Facebook, and meeting F2F. The perceived helpfulness of the 3D computer models improved from the previous year. While virtual breakout rooms can be used to adequately replace traditional prosection laboratories and improve interactions, they are not equivalent to F2F laboratories. Anat Sci Educ. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.

Wind Energy Finance (WEF): An Online Calculator for Economic Analysis of Wind Projects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

2004-02-01

This brochure provides an overview of Wind Energy Finance (WEF), a free online cost of energy calculator developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory that provides quick, detailed economic evaluation of potential utility-scale wind energy projects. The brochure lists the features of the tool, the inputs and outputs that a user can expect, visuals of the screens and a Cash Flow Results table, and contact information.

Learning to Use an Online Circulation System. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marchionini, Gary; And Others

A study conducted at the University of Maryland, College Park campus compared the effectiveness of three instructional media for presenting introductory training in the use of an online circulation system. Modules based on a common set of instructional objectives and examples were developed and delivered using three formats: a print packet, a…

Putting Professional Development Online: Integrating Learning as Productive Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slotte, Virpi; Herbert, Anne

2006-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to understand the situational appropriateness of adopting e-learning for the in-house company qualification, and more specifically to compare the benefits of studying online to more traditional way of studying with print material. Design/methodology/approach: At the end of seven months study, final test results for company…

Personalizing Post Titles in the Online Classroom: A Best Practice?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Shelley; Steele, John; Robertson, Sarah; Dyer, Thomas

2017-01-01

The need for student engagement is ever present in the online classroom as engaged students are more likely to feel connected with course material, classmates, instructors, and their university (Drouin & Vartanian, 2010; Wilson & Gore, 2013). According to Tayebinik and Puteh (2013), engaged students often achieve higher final scores in the…

Online Module to Assure Success as Prelicensure Nursing Students Transition to Professional Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baptiste, Diana-Lyn; Shaefer, Sarah J. M.

2015-01-01

Prelicensure nursing students have a final capstone, practicum, or clinical course as they transition to the professional nurse role. Generally, the student role requires increased independent practice and this can be a challenge. To maximize learning in this clinical experience, an online module was designed. This article will describe course…

"Heads Bowed, Eyes Closed": Analyzing the Discourse of Online Evangelical Altar Calls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryan, Clint D.

2016-01-01

This discourse analysis study examines the final moments of selected online sermons delivered by America's leading evangelical pastors and speakers, paying particular attention to the language employed in the presentation of Christian gospel tenets, the public invitation for salvation, the altar call that identifies new followers, and the…

Gender-Based Analysis On-Line Dialogue. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2001

An online dialogue on gender-based analysis (GBA) was held from February 15 to March 7, 2001. Invitations and a background paper titled "Why Gender-Based Analysis?" were sent to 350 women's organizations and individuals throughout Canada. Efforts were made to ensure that aboriginal and Metis women, visible minority women, and women with…

High-Stakes Online Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaffhauser, Dian

2011-01-01

For decades the No. 2 pencil and bubble sheet have ruled the student assessment process. The time has finally come to move all of those important tests online. High-stakes computer-based testing has been around for more than 10 years, with some states eagerly embracing it and others avoiding it like whooping cough. But the advent of national…

Online Reflections about Tinkering in Early Childhood: A Socio-Cultural Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jane, Beverley

2006-01-01

Science education research predominantly shows that students improve their scientific understandings when they tinker (or pull apart) tools and simple household machines. In this study, the qualitative data collected took the form of online journal entries by final year, female, primary teacher trainees, who reflected upon their early childhood…

Busting the New Breed of Plagiarist.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bugeja, Michael

2000-01-01

The new breed of plagiarists knows that stealing from the World Wide Web is quicker than stealing from the library at universities that typically provide online services. The new plagiarists have been weaned on chat rooms, guest books, news groups, mailing lists, MOOs, and MUDs--myriad online ways to procrastinate when final papers are due. The…

76 FR 7102 - Simplified Network Application Processing System, On-line Registration and Account Maintenance

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-09

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Bureau of Industry and Security 15 CFR Part 748 [Docket No. 100826397-1059-02] RIN 0694-AE98 Simplified Network Application Processing System, On-line Registration and Account Maintenance AGENCY: Bureau of Industry and Security, Commerce. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Bureau of...

Pre-produsage and the remediation of virtual products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skågeby, Jörgen

2011-04-01

This paper introduces and explores cycles of pre-produsage and produsage. It reports on the results from an online ethnographical study of the Apple iPad conducted before the public release of the material product. Consequently, most users had not physically interacted with the device in question. Nevertheless, the release of the technical specifications and marketing material generated a massive amount of produsage-related online discussion. As such this paper explores the concept of pre-produsage. Pre-produsage is a form of predicted or expected use, relating to products or services that are only accessible to users as a form of representation (e.g. technical specification, virtual prototype, and design sketch), but with an added element of user-generated design suggestions, conflict coordination, and software development. Remediation-the process by which new digital media technologies reuses qualities of previous technologies and enters an existing media ecology-is a prevalent theme in pre-produsage and involves a tension between features that support protracted use and features that provide total innovation. The paper argues that an analysis of pre-produsage can provide insights that relate to both anticipated and actual user experience (UX). More specifically, pre-produsage analysis can trace the underlying reasons for a certain problem, intention, or concern and connect it to a specific set of features and potential solutions. Finally, the paper shows how proprietary products become subject to produsage, resulting in artifacts negotiated by cycles of produsage.

Development of a web-based toolkit to support improvement of care coordination in primary care.

PubMed

Ganz, David A; Barnard, Jenny M; Smith, Nina Z Y; Miake-Lye, Isomi M; Delevan, Deborah M; Simon, Alissa; Rose, Danielle E; Stockdale, Susan E; Chang, Evelyn T; Noël, Polly H; Finley, Erin P; Lee, Martin L; Zulman, Donna M; Cordasco, Kristina M; Rubenstein, Lisa V

2018-05-23

Promising practices for the coordination of chronic care exist, but how to select and share these practices to support quality improvement within a healthcare system is uncertain. This study describes an approach for selecting high-quality tools for an online care coordination toolkit to be used in Veterans Health Administration (VA) primary care practices. We evaluated tools in three steps: (1) an initial screening to identify tools relevant to care coordination in VA primary care, (2) a two-clinician expert review process assessing tool characteristics (e.g. frequency of problem addressed, linkage to patients' experience of care, effect on practice workflow, and sustainability with existing resources) and assigning each tool a summary rating, and (3) semi-structured interviews with VA patients and frontline clinicians and staff. Of 300 potentially relevant tools identified by searching online resources, 65, 38, and 18 remained after steps one, two and three, respectively. The 18 tools cover five topics: managing referrals to specialty care, medication management, patient after-visit summary, patient activation materials, agenda setting, patient pre-visit packet, and provider contact information for patients. The final toolkit provides access to the 18 tools, as well as detailed information about tools' expected benefits, and resources required for tool implementation. Future care coordination efforts can benefit from systematically reviewing available tools to identify those that are high quality and relevant.

A Multiobjective Optimization Framework for Online Stochastic Optimal Control in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

DOE PAGES

Malikopoulos, Andreas

2015-01-01

The increasing urgency to extract additional efficiency from hybrid propulsion systems has led to the development of advanced power management control algorithms. In this paper we address the problem of online optimization of the supervisory power management control in parallel hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). We model HEV operation as a controlled Markov chain and we show that the control policy yielding the Pareto optimal solution minimizes online the long-run expected average cost per unit time criterion. The effectiveness of the proposed solution is validated through simulation and compared to the solution derived with dynamic programming using the average cost criterion.more » Both solutions achieved the same cumulative fuel consumption demonstrating that the online Pareto control policy is an optimal control policy.« less

PubMed on Tap: discovering design principles for online information delivery to handheld computers.

PubMed

Hauser, Susan E; Demner-Fushman, Dina; Ford, Glenn; Thoma, George R

2004-01-01

Online access to biomedical information from handheld computers will be a valuable adjunct to other popular medical applications if information delivery systems are designed with handheld computers in mind. The goal of this project is to discover design principles to facilitate practitioners' access to online medical information at the point-of-care. A prototype system was developed to serve as a testbed for this research. Using the testbed, an initial evaluation has yielded several user interface design principles. Continued research is expected to discover additional user interface design principles as well as guidelines for results organization and system performance

All That Glitters Is not Gold: Consumer Health Informatics and Education in the Era of Social Media and Health Apps

PubMed Central

Staccini, P.

2016-01-01

Summary Objective To summarize the state of the art published during the year 2015 in the areas related to consumer health informatics and education with a special emphasis on unintended consequences of applying mobile and social media technologies in that domain. Methods We conducted a systematic review of articles published in PubMed with a predefined set of queries, which lead to the selection of over 700 potential relevant articles. Section editors screened those papers on the title, abstract, and finally complete paper basis, taking into account the papers’ relevance for the section topic. The 15 most representative papers were finally selected by consensus between the two section editors and submitted for full review and scoring to external reviewers and the yearbook editors. Based on the final scoring, section editors selected the best five papers. Results The five best papers can be grouped in two major areas: 1) Digital health literacy and 2) Quality and safety concerns. Regarding health literacy issues of patients with chronic conditions such as asthma, online interventions should rather focus on changing patient beliefs about the disease than on supporting them in the management of their pathology since personally controlled health management systems do not show expected benefits,. Nevertheless, encouraging and training chronic patients for an active online health information–seeking behaviour substantially decreases state anxiety level. Regarding safety and privacy issues, even recommended health-related apps available on mobile phones do not guarantee personal data protection. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that patients undergoing Internet interventions experienced at least one adverse event that might be related to treatment. At least, predictive factors have been identified in order to credit or not a health rumour. Conclusions Trusting digital and connected health can be achieved if patients, health care professionals, and industrials build a shared model of health data management integrating ethics rules. Only increasing efforts in education with regards of digital health would help reach this goal., This would not resolve all frauds and security issues but at least improve their detection. PMID:27830250

All that Glitters Is not Gold: Consumer Health Informatics and Education in the Era of Social Media and Health Apps. Findings from the Yearbook 2016 Section on Consumer Health Informatics.

PubMed

Fernandez-Luque, L; Staccini, P

2016-11-10

To summarize the state of the art published during the year 2015 in the areas related to consumer health informatics and education with a special emphasis on unintended consequences of applying mobile and social media technologies in that domain. We conducted a systematic review of articles published in PubMed with a predefined set of queries, which lead to the selection of over 700 potential relevant articles. Section editors screened those papers on the title, abstract, and finally complete paper basis, taking into account the papers' relevance for the section topic. The 15 most representative papers were finally selected by consensus between the two section editors and submitted for full review and scoring to external reviewers and the yearbook editors. Based on the final scoring, section editors selected the best five papers. The five best papers can be grouped in two major areas: 1) Digital health literacy and 2) Quality and safety concerns. Regarding health literacy issues of patients with chronic conditions such as asthma, online interventions should rather focus on changing patient beliefs about the disease than on supporting them in the management of their pathology since personally controlled health management systems do not show expected benefits,. Nevertheless, encouraging and training chronic patients for an active online health information-seeking behaviour substantially decreases state anxiety level. Regarding safety and privacy issues, even recommended health-related apps available on mobile phones do not guarantee personal data protection. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that patients undergoing Internet interventions experienced at least one adverse event that might be related to treatment. At least, predictive factors have been identified in order to credit or not a health rumour. Trusting digital and connected health can be achieved if patients, health care professionals, and industrials build a shared model of health data management integrating ethics rules. Only increasing efforts in education with regards of digital health would help reach this goal., This would not resolve all frauds and security issues but at least improve their detection.

The emergence of online learning in PN Education.

PubMed

Hopkins, David D

2008-01-01

For the fifth year in a row the online learning sector outpaced growth rates of the traditional classroom. Online learning continues to garner increasing levels of positive support from administrators, employers, and students who value the option of online education at increasingly greater levels. PN Education has largely remained on the sidelines of this revolution. However, with the nursing crisis growing, students, governments, and institutions demanding more access and convenience to educational options, and the emergence of the Millennial Generation making up the majority of the students, the time has come for PN programs to embrace the potential of online learning. With its diverse mix of didactic, clinical, and lab requirements, PN education is ideally suited for the newest evolution of online delivery-Blended Learning 2.0. This paper will analyze in detail the overall state of affairs of online learning, especially as it pertains to educating the next generation of practical nurses, and finally to provide an overview of the key components of a quality online program in PN Education.

Participation in asynchronous online discussion forums does improve student learning of gross anatomy.

PubMed

Green, Rodney A; Farchione, Davide; Hughes, Diane L; Chan, Siew-Pang

2014-01-01

Asynchronous online discussion forums are common in blended learning models and are popular with students. A previous report has suggested that participation in these forums may assist student learning in a gross anatomy subject but it was unclear as to whether more academically able students post more often or whether participation led to improved learning outcomes. This study used a path model to analyze the contribution of forum participation, previous academic ability, and student campus of enrolment to final marks in a multicampus gross anatomy course for physiotherapy students. The course has a substantial online learning management system (LMS) that incorporates asynchronous forums as a learning tool, particularly to answer learning objectives. Students were encouraged to post new threads and answer queries in threads started by others. The forums were moderated weekly by staff. Discussion forums were the most used feature of the LMS site with 31,920 hits. Forty-eight percent of the students posted at least once with 186 threads initiated by students and a total of 608 posts. The total number of posts made a significant direct contribution to final mark (P = 0.008) as did previous academic ability (P = 0.002). Although campus did not contribute to final mark, there was a trend for students at the campus where the course coordinator was situated to post more often than those at the other campus (P = 0.073). These results indicate that asynchronous online discussion forums can be an effective tool for improving student learning outcomes as evidenced by final marks in gross anatomy teaching. Copyright © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.

Interpolated memory tests reduce mind wandering and improve learning of online lectures.

PubMed

Szpunar, Karl K; Khan, Novall Y; Schacter, Daniel L

2013-04-16

The recent emergence and popularity of online educational resources brings with it challenges for educators to optimize the dissemination of online content. Here we provide evidence that points toward a solution for the difficulty that students frequently report in sustaining attention to online lectures over extended periods. In two experiments, we demonstrate that the simple act of interpolating online lectures with memory tests can help students sustain attention to lecture content in a manner that discourages task-irrelevant mind wandering activities, encourages task-relevant note-taking activities, and improves learning. Importantly, frequent testing was associated with reduced anxiety toward a final cumulative test and also with reductions in subjective estimates of cognitive demand. Our findings suggest a potentially key role for interpolated testing in the development and dissemination of online educational content.

Interpolated memory tests reduce mind wandering and improve learning of online lectures

PubMed Central

Szpunar, Karl K.; Khan, Novall Y.; Schacter, Daniel L.

2013-01-01

The recent emergence and popularity of online educational resources brings with it challenges for educators to optimize the dissemination of online content. Here we provide evidence that points toward a solution for the difficulty that students frequently report in sustaining attention to online lectures over extended periods. In two experiments, we demonstrate that the simple act of interpolating online lectures with memory tests can help students sustain attention to lecture content in a manner that discourages task-irrelevant mind wandering activities, encourages task-relevant note-taking activities, and improves learning. Importantly, frequent testing was associated with reduced anxiety toward a final cumulative test and also with reductions in subjective estimates of cognitive demand. Our findings suggest a potentially key role for interpolated testing in the development and dissemination of online educational content. PMID:23576743

An Investigation of the Effectiveness of Online Text-to-Speech Tools in Improving EFL Teacher Trainees' Pronunciation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eksi, Gonca Yangin; Yesilçinar, Sabahattin

2016-01-01

Given the limited time for instruction in the classroom, pronunciation often ends up as the most neglected aspect of language teaching. However, in cases when the learner's pronunciation is expected to be good or native-like, as is expected of language teacher trainees, out-of-class self-study options become prominent. This study aimed to…

Model Based Optimal Sensor Network Design for Condition Monitoring in an IGCC Plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kumar, Rajeeva; Kumar, Aditya; Dai, Dan

2012-12-31

This report summarizes the achievements and final results of this program. The objective of this program is to develop a general model-based sensor network design methodology and tools to address key issues in the design of an optimal sensor network configuration: the type, location and number of sensors used in a network, for online condition monitoring. In particular, the focus in this work is to develop software tools for optimal sensor placement (OSP) and use these tools to design optimal sensor network configuration for online condition monitoring of gasifier refractory wear and radiant syngas cooler (RSC) fouling. The methodology developedmore » will be applicable to sensing system design for online condition monitoring for broad range of applications. The overall approach consists of (i) defining condition monitoring requirement in terms of OSP and mapping these requirements in mathematical terms for OSP algorithm, (ii) analyzing trade-off of alternate OSP algorithms, down selecting the most relevant ones and developing them for IGCC applications (iii) enhancing the gasifier and RSC models as required by OSP algorithms, (iv) applying the developed OSP algorithm to design the optimal sensor network required for the condition monitoring of an IGCC gasifier refractory and RSC fouling. Two key requirements for OSP for condition monitoring are desired precision for the monitoring variables (e.g. refractory wear) and reliability of the proposed sensor network in the presence of expected sensor failures. The OSP problem is naturally posed within a Kalman filtering approach as an integer programming problem where the key requirements of precision and reliability are imposed as constraints. The optimization is performed over the overall network cost. Based on extensive literature survey two formulations were identified as being relevant to OSP for condition monitoring; one based on LMI formulation and the other being standard INLP formulation. Various algorithms to solve these two formulations were developed and validated. For a given OSP problem the computation efficiency largely depends on the “size” of the problem. Initially a simplified 1-D gasifier model assuming axial and azimuthal symmetry was used to test out various OSP algorithms. Finally these algorithms were used to design the optimal sensor network for condition monitoring of IGCC gasifier refractory wear and RSC fouling. The sensors type and locations obtained as solution to the OSP problem were validated using model based sensing approach. The OSP algorithm has been developed in a modular form and has been packaged as a software tool for OSP design where a designer can explore various OSP design algorithm is a user friendly way. The OSP software tool is implemented in Matlab/Simulink© in-house. The tool also uses few optimization routines that are freely available on World Wide Web. In addition a modular Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) block has also been developed in Matlab/Simulink© which can be utilized for model based sensing of important process variables that are not directly measured through combining the online sensors with model based estimation once the hardware sensor and their locations has been finalized. The OSP algorithm details and the results of applying these algorithms to obtain optimal sensor location for condition monitoring of gasifier refractory wear and RSC fouling profile are summarized in this final report.« less

The Future Impact of the Internet on Higher Education: Experts Expect More Efficient Collaborative Environments and New Grading Schemes; They Worry about Massive Online Courses, the Shift Away from On-Campus Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Janna Quitney; Boyles, Jan Lauren; Rainie, Lee

2012-01-01

The material presented in this paper was gathered in the fifth "Future of the Internet" survey conducted by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project and Elon University's Imagining the Internet Center. The surveys are conducted through an online questionnaire sent to selected experts who are encouraged to share the link with…

Comparative Study of Periodical Literature Indexing: Print versus Electronic Access. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowry, Charles B.

This 2-year project at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) was conducted to determine the feasibility of providing online periodical indexing to the journal holdings of the UTA libraries by demonstrating an extended use of the libraries' NOTIS Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) to provide better access to local resources. Three approaches…

Online Problem-Based Learning in Postgraduate Medical Education--Content Analysis of Reflection Comments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Maria L.; Salmoni, Alan J.

2008-01-01

We developed the Med-e-Conference, an online tool to teach clinical skills to medical students, which integrated problem-based learning with collaborative group tasks. The final task asked students to consider what they had done (reflection). These comments were analysed using content analysis, and 10 themes were elicited. The number of agreements…

Online learning in dentistry: an overview of the future direction for dental education.

PubMed

Schönwetter, D J; Reynolds, P A; Eaton, K A; De Vries, J

2010-12-01

This paper provides an overview of the diversity of tools available for online learning and identifies the drivers of online learning and directives for future research relating to online learning in dentistry. After an introduction and definitions of online learning, this paper considers the democracy of knowledge and tools and systems that have democratized knowledge. It identifies assessment systems and the challenges of online learning. This paper also identifies the drivers for online learning, including those for instructors, administrators and leaders, technology innovators, information and communications technology personnel, global dental associations and government. A consideration of the attitudes of the stakeholders and how they might work together follows, using the example of the unique achievement of the successful collaboration between the Universities of Adelaide, Australia and Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The importance of the interaction of educational principles and research on online learning is discussed. The paper ends with final reflections and conclusions, advocating readers to move forward in adopting online learning as a solution to the increasing worldwide shortage of clinical academics to teach dental clinicians of the future. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Relationship Among Dental Students' Class Lecture Attendance, Use of Online Resources, and Performance.

PubMed

Azab, Ehab; Saksena, Yun; Alghanem, Tofool; Midle, Jennifer Bassett; Molgaard, Kathleen; Albright, Susan; Karimbux, Nadeem

2016-04-01

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship among dental students' attendance at class lectures, use of online lecture materials, and performance in didactic courses. The study was conducted with second-year predoctoral students at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine during the fall semester of 2014. Three basic science and three preclinical dental courses were selected for evaluation. Online usage for each participant was collected, and a survey with questions about attendance and online behavior was conducted. The final grade for each participant in each selected course was obtained and matched with his or her online usage and attendance. Out of a total 190 students, 146 (77%) participated. The results showed no significant relationship between students' grades and their class attendance or online usage except for a weak negative relationship between class attendance and online usage for the Epidemiology course (p<0.001) and the overall preclinical dental courses (p=0.03). Although the results did not show strong relationships among class attendance, online usage, and course grades, most of the students reported that having the online resources in addition to the lectures was helpful.

Expectations and final evaluation of complete dentures by patients, dentist and dental technician.

PubMed

Marachlioglou, C R M Z; Dos Santos, J F F; Cunha, V P P; Marchini, Leonardo

2010-07-01

There is a poor association between the dentist's evaluation of denture quality and patients' satisfaction with their dentures. Possible differences between dental professionals and patients' expectations might help explain differences in outcome evaluations. This study compared scores given by a dentist, a dental technician and patients for their expectations before and their final evaluation after complete dentures treatment. Twenty completely edentulous patients, a prosthodontist and a dental technician provided scores for the expected aesthetic and functional results of their dentures based on a visual analogue scale at baseline. Post-treatment completion ratings were given after adjustments, by dentist and patients. The dental technician provided post-treatment completion ratings after completing the dentures. The patients had higher expectations than the dental technician and the dentist perceived for both aesthetic and function (P < 0.001). The patients also presented higher post-treatment completion ratings than the dental professionals perceived for final aesthetics (P = 0.016, Kendall's W = 0.207) and function (P = 0.002, Kendall's W = 0.303). Only the dentist presented a statistically significant difference between expectations (lower) and final (higher) outcomes for aesthetics (P = 0.017) and function (P = 0.003). There was no correlation between expectations and post-treatment completion ratings according to the patients' age. There was also no correlation between the patients' gender and expectation scores. Patients presented higher expectations regarding their dentures than dental professionals. The dentist believed that dentures would bring fewer benefits than patients did, but his perception of denture benefits post-treatment was significantly higher than his expectations.

Online processing of tone and intonation in Mandarin: Evidence from ERPs.

PubMed

Liu, Min; Chen, Yiya; Schiller, Niels O

2016-10-01

Event-related potentials (ERPs) were used to investigate the online processing of tone and intonation in Mandarin at the attentive stage. We examined the behavioral and electrophysiological responses of native Mandarin listeners to Mandarin sentences, which contrast in final tones (rising Tone2 or falling Tone4) and intonations (Question or Statement). A clear P300 effect was observed for question-statement contrast in sentences ending with Tone4, but no ERP effect was found for question-statement contrast in sentences ending with Tone2. Our results provide ERP evidence for the interaction of tone and intonation in Mandarin, confirming the findings with behavioral metalinguistic data that native Mandarin listeners can distinguish between question intonation and statement intonation when the intonation is associated with a final Tone4, but fail to do so when the intonation is associated with a final Tone2. Our study extended the understanding of online processing of tone and intonation (1) from the pre-attentive stage to the attentive stage and (2) within a larger domain (i.e. multi-word utterances) than a single word utterance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255

MedlinePlus

... To Expect Resource Locator Veterans Live Chat Veterans Text Homeless Veterans Live Chat Military Live Chat Deaf - ... a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text. Veterans and their loved ones can call 1- ...

Appendectomy: Surgical Removal of the Appendix

MedlinePlus

... Risk Calculator at http://riskcalculator.facs.org/online. 4 AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS • SURGICAL PATIENT EDUCATION • www.facs.org/patienteducation Expectations: Preparing for Yo ur Operation Appendectomy SAMPLE Preparing for Your Operation ...

EXpectation Propagation LOgistic REgRession (EXPLORER): distributed privacy-preserving online model learning.

PubMed

Wang, Shuang; Jiang, Xiaoqian; Wu, Yuan; Cui, Lijuan; Cheng, Samuel; Ohno-Machado, Lucila

2013-06-01

We developed an EXpectation Propagation LOgistic REgRession (EXPLORER) model for distributed privacy-preserving online learning. The proposed framework provides a high level guarantee for protecting sensitive information, since the information exchanged between the server and the client is the encrypted posterior distribution of coefficients. Through experimental results, EXPLORER shows the same performance (e.g., discrimination, calibration, feature selection, etc.) as the traditional frequentist logistic regression model, but provides more flexibility in model updating. That is, EXPLORER can be updated one point at a time rather than having to retrain the entire data set when new observations are recorded. The proposed EXPLORER supports asynchronized communication, which relieves the participants from coordinating with one another, and prevents service breakdown from the absence of participants or interrupted communications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Online-specific fear of missing out and Internet-use expectancies contribute to symptoms of Internet-communication disorder.

PubMed

Wegmann, Elisa; Oberst, Ursula; Stodt, Benjamin; Brand, Matthias

2017-06-01

Some of the most frequently used online applications are Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter. These applications allow individuals to communicate with other users, to share information or pictures, and to stay in contact with friends all over the world. However, a growing number of users suffer from negative consequences due to their excessive use of these applications, which can be referred to as Internet-communication disorder. The frequent use and easy access of these applications may also trigger the individual's fear of missing out on content when not accessing these applications. Using a sample of 270 participants, a structural equation model was analyzed to investigate the role of psychopathological symptoms and the fear of missing out on expectancies towards Internet-communication applications in the development of symptoms of an Internet-communication disorder. The results suggest that psychopathological symptoms predict higher fear of missing out on the individual's Internet-communication applications and higher expectancies to use these applications as a helpful tool to escape from negative feelings. These specific cognitions mediate the effect of psychopathological symptoms on Internet-communication disorder. Our results are in line with the theoretical model by Brand et al. (2016) as they show how Internet-related cognitive bias mediates the relationship between a person's core characteristics (e.g., psychopathological symptoms) and Internet-communication disorder. However, further studies should investigate the role of the fear of missing out as a specific predisposition, as well as specific cognition in the online context.

Implementation of Inventory Management System (IMS) case study on XYZ online store business unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagus Yosan, R.; Kholil, Muhammad; Hanum, Bhetriza

2018-03-01

XYZ baby and child shop is a new player in the business of selling toys and baby gears. Consumers target for XYZ toy shop is segmentation of middle and upper financial ability buyers. XYZ toy store sells imported toys and baby products with high quality products, using international grade production materials and ISO production certificates: 9002. With this conceptual, establishment XYZ business line is as a provider (seller) toys and baby equipment premium brand; then the scope of the product sold must meet all expectations of market demands. Meet the expectations of market demand is not easy; because by fulfilling all expectations, then the impact is the high stock of goods that must be available. The high stock of goods will directly impact on the needs of a large storage area of goods and reduce money. Based on the previous description, the formulation of the problem in this research is: "What inventory management strategy can be applied to improve the productivity of Lean Manufacturing business unit of XYZ online store?"

How gender-expectancy affects the processing of "them".

PubMed

Doherty, Alice; Conklin, Kathy

2017-04-01

How sensitive is pronoun processing to expectancies based on real-world knowledge and language usage? The current study links research on the integration of gender stereotypes and number-mismatch to explore this question. It focuses on the use of them to refer to antecedents of different levels of gender-expectancy (low-cyclist, high-mechanic, known-spokeswoman). In a rating task, them is considered increasingly unnatural with greater gender-expectancy. However, participants might not be able to differentiate high-expectancy and gender-known antecedents online because they initially search for plural antecedents (e.g., Sanford & Filik), and they make all-or-nothing gender inferences. An eye-tracking study reveals early differences in the processing of them with antecedents of high gender-expectancy compared with gender-known antecedents. This suggests that participants have rapid access to the expected gender of the antecedent and the level of that expectancy.

Behind the Final Grade in Hybrid v. Traditional Courses: Comparing Student Performance by Assessment Type, Core Competency, and Course Objective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bain, Lisa Z.

2012-01-01

There are many different delivery methods used by institutions of higher education. These include traditional, hybrid, and online course offerings. The comparisons of these typically use final grade as the measure of student performance. This research study looks behind the final grade and compares student performance by assessment type, core…

Evolution properties of online user preference diversity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Qiang; Ji, Lei; Liu, Jian-Guo; Han, Jingti

2017-02-01

Detecting the evolution properties of online user preference diversity is of significance for deeply understanding online collective behaviors. In this paper, we empirically explore the evolution patterns of online user rating preference, where the preference diversity is measured by the variation coefficient of the user rating sequence. The statistical results for four real systems show that, for movies and reviews, the user rating preference would become diverse and then get centralized finally. By introducing the empirical variation coefficient, we present a Markov model, which could regenerate the evolution properties of two online systems regarding to the stable variation coefficients. In addition, we investigate the evolution of the correlation between the user ratings and the object qualities, and find that the correlation would keep increasing as the user degree increases. This work could be helpful for understanding the anchoring bias and memory effects of the online user collective behaviors.

Twitter-Based Detection of Illegal Online Sale of Prescription Opioid.

PubMed

Mackey, Tim K; Kalyanam, Janani; Katsuki, Takeo; Lanckriet, Gert

2017-12-01

To deploy a methodology accurately identifying tweets marketing the illegal online sale of controlled substances. We first collected tweets from the Twitter public application program interface stream filtered for prescription opioid keywords. We then used unsupervised machine learning (specifically, topic modeling) to identify topics associated with illegal online marketing and sales. Finally, we conducted Web forensic analyses to characterize different types of online vendors. We analyzed 619 937 tweets containing the keywords codeine, Percocet, fentanyl, Vicodin, Oxycontin, oxycodone, and hydrocodone over a 5-month period from June to November 2015. A total of 1778 tweets (< 1%) were identified as marketing the sale of controlled substances online; 90% had imbedded hyperlinks, but only 46 were "live" at the time of the evaluation. Seven distinct URLs linked to Web sites marketing or illegally selling controlled substances online. Our methodology can identify illegal online sale of prescription opioids from large volumes of tweets. Our results indicate that controlled substances are trafficked online via different strategies and vendors. Public Health Implications. Our methodology can be used to identify illegal online sellers in criminal violation of the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act.

Role delineation study for the American Society for Pain Management Nursing.

PubMed

Willens, Joyce S; DePascale, Christine; Penny, James

2010-06-01

A role delineation study, or job analysis, is a necessary step in the development of a quality credentialing program. The process requires a logical approach and systematic methods to have an examination that is legally defensible. There are three main phases: initial development and evaluation, validation study, and development of test specifications. In the first phase, the content expert panel discussed performance domains that exist in pain management nursing. The six domains developed were: 1) assessment, monitoring, and evaluation of pain; 2) pharmacologic pain management; 3) nonpharmacologic pain management; 4) therapeutic communication and counseling; 5) patient and family teaching; and 6) collaborative and organizational activities. The panel then produced a list of 70 task statements to develop an online survey which was sent to independent reviewers with expertise in pain management nursing. After the panel reviewed the results of the pilot test, it was decided to clarify a few items that did not perform as expected. After the questionnaire was finalized it was distributed to 1,500 pain management nurses. The final yield was 585 usable returns, for a response rate of 39%. Thirty-three percent of the respondents reported a bachelor's degree in nursing as the highest degree awarded. Over 80% indicated that they were certified in pain management. Over 35% reported working in a staff position, 14% as a nurse practitioner, and 13% as a clinical nurse specialist. Part of the questionnaire asked the participants to rate performance expectation, consequence or the likelihood that the newly certified pain management nurse could cause harm, and the frequency of how often that nurse performs in each of the performance domains. The performance expectation was rated from 0 (the newly certified pain management nurse was not at all expected to perform the domain task) to 2 (after 6 months the newly certified pain management nurse would be expected to perform the domain task). The consequences of the degree would be the inability of the newly certified pain management nurse to perform duties or tasks in each domain was rated from 0 (no harm) to 4 (extreme harm). The first domain received the highest average frequency rating. The pharmacologic domain received the highest mean rating on consequence. The reliability of all scales was 0.95 or higher, which indicated that the questionnaire consistently measured what it was intended to measure. The quality of the questionnaire is an indicator that certification is one measure of nursing excellence. (c) 2010 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Expanding rural access to mental health care through online postgraduate nurse practitioner education.

PubMed

Kverno, Karan; Kozeniewski, Kate

2016-12-01

Workforce shortages in mental health care are especially relevant to rural communities. People often turn to their primary care providers for mental healthcare services, yet primary care providers indicate that more education is needed to fill this role. Rural primary care nurse practitioners (NPs) are ideal candidates for educational enhancement. Online programs allow NPs to continue living and working in their communities while developing the competencies to provide comprehensive and integrated mental healthcare services. This article presents a review of current online postgraduate psychiatric mental health NP (PMHNP) options. Website descriptions of online PMHNP programs were located using keywords: PMHNP or psychiatric nurse practitioner, postgraduate or post-master's, and distance or online. Across the United States, 15 online postgraduate certificate programs were located that are designed for primary care NPs seeking additional PMHNP specialization. For rural primary care NPs who are ready, willing, and able, a postgraduate PMHNP specialty certificate can be obtained online in as few as three to four semesters. The expected outcome is a cadre of dually credentialed NPs capable of functioning in an integrated role and of increasing rural access to comprehensive mental healthcare services. ©2016 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Masked Ballot Voting for Receipt-Free Online Elections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Roland; Buckland, Richard

To prevent bribery and coercion attacks on voters, current online election schemes rely on strong physical assumptions during the election. We introduce Masked Ballot, an online voting scheme that mitigates these attacks while using a more practical assumption: untappable channels are available but only before the election. During the election voters cast ballots over completely public channels without relying on untappable channels, anonymous channels or trusted devices. Masked Ballot performs only the voting part of an election and is designed to integrate with counting schemes that compute the final election result.

An Overview of the Swinburne Online Astronomy Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dempsey, F.

2013-06-01

(Abstract only) An overview of the online astronomy courses at Swinburne University of Technology is presented for the benefit of AAVSO members who might be interested in the courses or programs. The decision to take the online Master's degree in astronomy at Swinburne was a natural evolution from being interested in astronomy at an early age, being an amateur astronomer all my life, and being a variable star observer and member of the AAVSO for the past several decades. This presentation provides an overview of the program and examples of the course materials, assignments, and projects that may provide some idea of the commitment and expectations for AAVSO members considering the program.

Play It, Learn It, Make It Last: Developing an Online Game to Create Self-Sufficient Library Information Users.

PubMed

Boyce, Lindsay M

2016-01-01

Library orientation at an academic health sciences library consisted of a five-minute overview within new student orientation. Past experience indicated this brief presentation was insufficient for students to learn about library resources. In 2014, an effort was made to supplement orientation by developing an online game aimed at enabling students to become self-sufficient through hands-on learning. A gaming model was chosen with expectations that competition and rewards would motivate students. Although the pilots suffered from low participation rates, the experience merits further research into the potential of a broader model of online library instruction in the health sciences environment.

Clinician perceptions of an electronic medical record during the first year of implementaton in emergency services.

PubMed

Chisolm, Deena J; Purnell, Tanjala S; Cohen, Daniel M; McAlearney, Ann Scheck

2010-02-01

The objectives of this study were to measure clinician perceptions of the recently implemented electronic medical record (EMR) system in a pediatric emergency department and off-site urgent care centers and to determine how user perceptions changed over time. Physicians and nurses from the emergency department/urgent care center were recruited to complete an online survey at 3 points in time: 30 to 89 days (wave 1), 90 to 179 days (wave 2), and 180 to 270 days after implementation (wave 3). Potential predictors of initial satisfaction studied included effort expectancy, performance expectancy, social support, and facilitating conditions, along with user demographics and general attitudes toward technology. Bivariate relationships with satisfaction were assessed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test and correlation analysis. A final multivariate linear regression model was calculated. Change in satisfaction over time was tested using a Wilcoxon signed rank test. A total of 71 clinicians completed the surveys. Initial satisfaction was strongly associated with perceptions of training and support (facilitating conditions) and with perceived usefulness (performance expectancy). Satisfaction was not associated with user sex, age, or role (physician vs nurse). No significant change was found in any satisfaction measure at wave 2 or 3; however, satisfaction with functionality trended higher and satisfaction with reliability trended lower over the course of use. Satisfaction with an EMR at its launch generally persisted through the first year of use. Implementation plans must maximize the likelihood of achieving positive early impressions of training, support, and performance to engender high user satisfaction with the EMR.

Comparison of Online Versus Classroom Delivery of an Immunization Elective Course

PubMed Central

Pitterle, Michael E.; Hayney, Mary S.

2014-01-01

Objective. To compare performance and preferences of students who were randomly allocated to classroom or online sections of an elective course on immunization. Methods. Students were randomly assigned to either the classroom or online section. All course activities (lectures, quizzes, case discussions, vaccine administration, and final examination) were the same for both sections, except for the delivery of lecture material. Assessment. Students were surveyed on their preferences at the beginning and end of the semester. At the end of the semester, the majority of students in the classroom group preferred classroom or blended delivery while the majority of students in the online group preferred blended or online delivery (p<0.01). Student performance was compared at the end of the semester. There was no significant difference for any of the grades in the course between the 2 sections. Conclusion. There was no difference in student performance between the classroom and online sections, suggesting that online delivery is an effective way to teach students about immunization. PMID:24954936

Predicting user concerns about online privacy in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Yao, Mike Z; Zhang, Jinguang

2008-12-01

Empirical studies on people's online privacy concerns have largely been conducted in the West. The global threat of privacy violations on the Internet calls for similar studies to be done in non-Western regions. To fill this void, the current study develops a path model to investigate the influence of people's Internet use-related factors, their beliefs in the right to privacy, and psychological need for privacy on Hong Kong people's concerns about online privacy. Survey responses from 332 university students were analyzed. Results from this study show that people's belief in the right to privacy was the most important predictor of their online privacy concerns. It also significantly mediated the relationship between people's psychological need for privacy and their concerns with privacy violations online. Moreover, while frequent use of the Internet may increase concerns about online privacy issues, Internet use diversity may actually reduce such worries. The final model, well supported by the observed data, successfully explained 25% of the variability in user concerns about online privacy.

Illicit online marketing of lorcaserin before DEA scheduling.

PubMed

Liang, Bryan A; Mackey, Tim K; Archer-Hayes, Ashley N; Shinn, Linda M

2013-05-01

Antiobesity drugs have been marketed illicitly by "no prescription" online pharmacies after approval and scheduling by the drug enforcement agency. We assess whether antiobesity drug Belviq® (lorcaserin HCl) was available from illicit online vendors before DEA-scheduling when sales are unauthorized. Online searches of "buy Belviq no prescription" examining first five result pages marketing the drug. Searches were performed from 11/5/2012-12/8/2012, prior to DEA scheduing. Belviq® is actively marketed by "no prescription" online vendors despite official unavailability and prescription requirements. Approaches included direct-to-consumer advertising using descriptive website URLs; linking to illicit marketers; and directing customers to other weight-loss websites for additional marketing. Finally, large quantities were marketed by business-to-business vendors. Illicit online "no prescription" pharmacies are marketing unauthorized, suspect antiobesity drugs before DEA scheduling and permitted marketing. Regulators must legally intercede to ensure patient safety, and providers must educate patients about online-sourcing risks. Copyright © 2013 The Obesity Society.

Memory Allocation: Mechanisms and Function.

PubMed

Josselyn, Sheena A; Frankland, Paul W

2018-04-25

Memories for events are thought to be represented in sparse, distributed neuronal ensembles (or engrams). In this article, we review how neurons are chosen to become part of a particular engram, via a process of neuronal allocation. Experiments in rodents indicate that eligible neurons compete for allocation to a given engram, with more excitable neurons winning this competition. Moreover, fluctuations in neuronal excitability determine how engrams interact, promoting either memory integration (via coallocation to overlapping engrams) or separation (via disallocation to nonoverlapping engrams). In parallel with rodent studies, recent findings in humans verify the importance of this memory integration process for linking memories that occur close in time or share related content. A deeper understanding of allocation promises to provide insights into the logic underlying how knowledge is normally organized in the brain and the disorders in which this process has gone awry. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Neuroscience Volume 41 is July 8, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Closing the Loop: From Motor Neuroscience to Neurorehabilitation.

PubMed

Roemmich, Ryan T; Bastian, Amy J

2018-04-25

The fields of human motor control, motor learning, and neurorehabilitation have long been linked by the intuition that understanding how we move (and learn to move) leads to better rehabilitation. In reality, these fields have remained largely separate. Our knowledge of the neural control of movement has expanded, but principles that can directly impact rehabilitation efficacy remain somewhat sparse. This raises two important questions: What can basic studies of motor learning really tell us about rehabilitation, and are we asking the right questions to improve the lives of patients? This review aims to contextualize recent advances in computational and behavioral studies of human motor learning within the framework of neurorehabilitation.Wealso discuss our views of the current challenges facing rehabilitation and outline potential clinical applications from recent theoretical and basic studies of motor learning and control. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Neuroscience Volume 41 is July 8, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Meanings and Functions of Money in Different Cultural Milieus.

PubMed

Cohen, Dov; Shin, Faith; Liu, Xi

2018-06-27

We explore the psychological meanings of money that parallel its economic functions. We explore money's ability to ascribe value, give autonomy, and provide security for the future, and we show how each of these functions may play out differently in different cultural milieus. In particular, we explore the meanings and uses of money across ethnic groups and at different positions on the socioeconomic ladder, highlighting changes over the last 50 years.We examine the dynamics of redistribution between the individual, the family, and the state in different cultures, and we analyze the gendering of money in the world of high finance and in contexts of economic need. The field of behavioral economics has illustrated how human psychology complicates the process of moving from normative to descriptive models of human behavior; such complexity increases as we incorporate the great diversity within human psychology. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Psychology Volume 70 is January 4, 2019. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Principles of Protein Stability and Their Application in Computational Design.

PubMed

Goldenzweig, Adi; Fleishman, Sarel

2018-01-26

Proteins are increasingly used in basic and applied biomedical research.Many proteins, however, are only marginally stable and can be expressed in limited amounts, thus hampering research and applications. Research has revealed the thermodynamic, cellular, and evolutionary principles and mechanisms that underlie marginal stability. With this growing understanding, computational stability design methods have advanced over the past two decades starting from methods that selectively addressed only some aspects of marginal stability. Current methods are more general and, by combining phylogenetic analysis with atomistic design, have shown drastic improvements in solubility, thermal stability, and aggregation resistance while maintaining the protein's primary molecular activity. Stability design is opening the way to rational engineering of improved enzymes, therapeutics, and vaccines and to the application of protein design methodology to large proteins and molecular activities that have proven challenging in the past. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biochemistry Volume 87 is June 20, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

New lifetime measurements in Pd 109 and the onset of deformation at N = 60

DOE PAGES

Bucher, B.; Mach, H.; Aprahamian, A.; ...

2015-12-14

We measured several new subnanosecond lifetimes in 109Pd using the fast-timing βγ γ (t ) method. Fission fragments of the A = 109 mass chain were produced by bombarding natural uranium with 30 MeV protons at the Jyväskylä Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line (IGISOL) facility. We obtained lifetimes for excited states in 109Pd populated following β decay of 109Rh. The new lifetimes provide some insight into the evolution of nuclear structure in this mass region. In particular, the distinct structure of the two low-lying 7/2+ states occurring systematically across the Pd isotopic chain is supported by the new lifetime measurements.more » Finally, the available nuclear data indicate a sudden increase in deformation at N = 60 which is related to the strong p-n interaction between πg 9/2 and νg 7/2 valence nucleons expected in this region.« less

Adaptation of fictional and online conversations to communication media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alis, C. M.; Lim, M. T.

2012-12-01

Conversations allow the quick transfer of short bits of information and it is reasonable to expect that changes in communication medium affect how we converse. Using conversations in works of fiction and in an online social networking platform, we show that the utterance length of conversations is slowly shortening with time but adapts more strongly to the constraints of the communication medium. This indicates that the introduction of any new medium of communication can affect the way natural language evolves.

Collaborative distance learning: Developing an online learning community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoytcheva, Maria

2017-12-01

The method of collaborative distance learning has been applied for years in a number of distance learning courses, but they are relatively few in foreign language learning. The context of this research is a hybrid distance learning of French for specific purposes, delivered through the platform UNIV-RcT (Strasbourg University), which combines collaborative activities for the realization of a common problem-solving task online. The study focuses on a couple of aspects: on-line interactions carried out in small, tutored groups and the process of community building online. By analyzing the learner's perceptions of community and collaborative learning, we have tried to understand the process of building and maintenance of online learning community and to see to what extent the collaborative distance learning contribute to the development of the competence expectations at the end of the course. The analysis of the results allows us to distinguish the advantages and limitations of this type of e-learning and thus evaluate their pertinence.

Construction and evaluation of an online microbiology course for nonscience majors.

PubMed

Hughes, Lee

2008-01-01

The development of web-based technologies provides a new method for course delivery. As with any new technique, evaluation is a necessary tool to determine if the method is consistent with expectations. This study describes the conversion of a nonscience majors' microbiology lecture course to online delivery and evaluates the hypothesis that the online course can be as effective as the traditional course. Course examination scores are compared between the face-to-face and online sections over a 3-year period. On all but one of the course examinations, no significant difference is found for those students in these two distinctly different course types. The success rate, as defined by those students earning grades of C or better, is high for both course types, although the traditional course success rate is slightly higher. Student evaluations of the courses are also positive, though some differences are noted. Overall, student performance in the online course is equivalent to that in the traditional course.

Learning with On-Line and Hardcopy Tutorials. A Final Report. CDC Technical Report No. 32.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duffy, T. M.; And Others

Intended to aid in the design of computer systems that promote efficient learning and performance, this study compared the effects of using hard copy and online format tutorials on the learning activities of 48 undergraduate students in either design or engineering. The tutorials, which provided instruction on the use of the equipment and basic…

Erratum to "Combustion oscillation study in a kerosene fueled rocket-based combined-cycle engine combustor" [Acta Astronaut. 129 (2016) 260-270

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Zhi-Wei; He, Guo-Qiang; Qin, Fei; Xue, Rui; Wei, Xiang-Geng; Shi, Lei

2017-03-01

The publisher regrets that in the above article we found that Table 1 is present online, in the html version in ScienceDirect, but has been omitted in error from the final version of the PDF online and in the print version. The table can be found below:

A Selective Stratistical Study of Transaction Activity in a Large On-Line Automated Circulation System. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guthrie, Gerry D.

The objective of this study was to provide the library community with basic statistical data from on-line activity in the Ohio State University Libraries' Circulation System. Over 1.6 million archive records in the circulation system for 1972 were investigated to produce subject reports of circulation activity, activity reports by collection…

Redesigning Design: Field Testing a Revised Design Rubric Based on iNACOL Quality Course Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adelstein, David; Barbour, Michael K.

2016-01-01

Designers have a limited selection of K-12 online course creation standards to choose from that are not blocked behind proprietary or pay walls. For numerous institutions and states, the use of the iNACOL "National Standards for Quality Online Courses" is becoming a widely used resource. This article presents the final phase in a…

78 FR 59226 - Clarification of Implementation of Regulations and Exemption Policy With Regard to Early...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-26

... Exemption Policy. SUMMARY: The FAA has issued a final flight, duty, and rest rule that will go into effect...: Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for making... at any time. Follow the online instructions for accessing the docket or go to the Docket Operations...

A "Do-It-Yourself" Interactive Bone Structure Module: Development and Evaluation of an Online Teaching Resource

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rich, Peter; Guy, Richard

2013-01-01

A stand-alone online teaching module was developed to cover an area of musculoskeletal anatomy (structure of bone) found to be difficult by students. The material presented in the module was not formally presented in any other way, thus providing additional time for other curriculum components, but it was assessed in the final examination. The…

A Quantitative Study of Grit as a Predictor of Online Course Success at a Suburban Michigan Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Climer, Steven L.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationships between a student's personality traits of grit (persistence, goal-setting, passion, tenacity, time management, goal achievement, and perseverance), a student's self-reported satisfaction in the course, and the final grade a student receives in an online course.…

Creating Online Content with Real World Application by Designing and Implementing Online Practicums for Virtual and Physical Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrett, Bob

2012-01-01

Universities need to assess student learning in order to determine if they are reaching the needs of the students, linking learning to course objectives, and determining if their courses have academic rigor. While many courses focus on the immediate course learning objectives, the use of final program projects and program assessments are becoming…

Assessing Understanding of Complex Learning Outcomes and Real-World Skills Using an Authentic Software Tool: A Study from Biomedical Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dermo, John; Boyne, James

2014-01-01

We describe a study conducted during 2009-12 into innovative assessment practice, evaluating an assessed coursework task on a final year Medical Genetics module for Biomedical Science undergraduates. An authentic e-assessment coursework task was developed, integrating objectively marked online questions with an online DNA sequence analysis tool…

The dynamics of narrative writing in primary grade children: writing process factors predict story quality.

PubMed

von Koss Torkildsen, Janne; Morken, Frøydis; Helland, Wenche A; Helland, Turid

In this study of third grade school children, we investigated the association between writing process measures recorded with key stroke logging and the final written product. Moreover, we examined the cognitive predictors of writing process and product measures. Analyses of key strokes showed that while most children spontaneously made local online revisions while writing, few revised previously written text. Children with good reading and spelling abilities made more online revisions than their peers. Two process factors, transcription fluency and online revision activity, contributed to explaining variance in narrative macrostructural quality and story length. As for cognitive predictors, spelling was the only factor that gave a unique contribution to explaining variance in writing process factors. Better spelling was associated with more revisions and faster transcription. The results show that developing writers' ability to make online revisions in creative writing tasks is related to both the quality of the final written product and to individual literacy skills. More generally, the findings indicate that investigations of the dynamics of the writing process may provide insights into the factors that contribute to creative writing during early stages of literacy.

The relationship between student engagement with online content and achievement in a blended learning anatomy course.

PubMed

Green, Rodney A; Whitburn, Laura Y; Zacharias, Anita; Byrne, Graeme; Hughes, Diane L

2017-12-13

Blended learning has become increasingly common in higher education. Recent findings suggest that blended learning achieves better student outcomes than traditional face-to-face teaching in gross anatomy courses. While face-to-face content is perceived as important to learning there is less evidence for the significance of online content in improving student outcomes. Students enrolled in a second-year anatomy course from the physiotherapy (PT), exercise physiology (EP), and exercise science (ES) programs across two campuses were included (n = 500). A structural equation model was used to evaluate the relationship of prior student ability (represented by grade in prerequisite anatomy course) and final course grade and whether the relationship was mediated by program, campus or engagement with the online elements of the learning management system (LMS; proportion of documents and video segments viewed and number of interactions with discussion forums). PT students obtained higher grades and were more likely to engage with online course materials than EP and ES students. Prerequisite grade made a direct contribution to course final grade (P < 0.001) but was also mediated by engagement with LMS videos and discussion forums (P < 0.001). Student learning outcomes in a blended anatomy course can be predicted the by level of engagement with online content. Anat Sci Educ. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.

Sewage Treatment Plants: Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources 1989 Final Rule (54 FR 6660)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document includes a copy of the Federal Register publication of the February 14, 1989 Final Rule for the Standards of Performance of New Stationary Sources for Sewage Treatment Plants. This document is provided courtesy of HeinOnline.

Strategies for Assessing Learning Outcomes in an Online Oceanography Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, D. L.

2003-12-01

All general education courses at the San Jose State University, including those in the sciences, must present a detailed assessment plan of student learning, prior to certification for offering. The assessment plan must state a clear methodology for acquiring data on student achievement of the learning outcomes for the specific course category, as well as demonstrate how students fulfill a strong writing requirement. For example, an online course in oceanography falls into the Area R category, the Earth and Environment, through which a student should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the methods and limits of scientific investigation; distinguish science from pseudo-science; and apply a scientific approach to answer questions about the Earth and environment. The desired learning outcomes are shared with students at the beginning of the course and subsequent assessments on achieving each outcome are embedded in the graded assignments, which include a critical thinking essay, mid-term exam, poster presentation in a symposium-style format, portfolio of web-based work, weekly discussions on an electronic bulletin board, and a take-home final exam, consisting of an original research grant proposal. The diverse nature of the graded assignments assures a comprehensive assessment of student learning from a variety of perspectives, such as quantitative, qualitative, and analytical. Formative assessment is also leveraged into learning opportunities, which students use to identify the acquisition of knowledge. For example, pre-tests are used to highlight preconceptions at the beginning of specific field studies and post-testing encourages students to present the results of small research projects. On a broader scale, the assessment results contradict common misperceptions of online and hybrid courses. Student demand for online courses is very high due to the self-paced nature of learning. Rates of enrollment attrition match those of classroom sections, if students are informed of the instructor's expectations at the beginning of the course. The level of faculty-student and student-student communication is very high, both in terms of quantity and quality, and exceeds that experienced in classroom sections. Student scores on graded assignments compare favorably to classroom sections. Overall, online courses offer a cost-effective means of addressing top priority issues, including increasing student access to learning, accelerating rates of graduation, and improving outreach to K-12 educators, especially those working on credential requirements.

E-Service Quality, E-Satisfaction and E-Loyalty of Online Shoppers in Business to Consumer Market; Evidence form Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ting, Ong Soo; Ariff, Mohd Shoki Md; Zakuan, Norhayati; Sulaiman, Zuraidah; Zameri Mat Saman, Muhamad

2016-05-01

The growing usage of internet and online shopping in Malaysia presents a huge prospect in e-commerce market, specifically for B2C segment. As a result, electronic service quality (e-SQ), electronic satisfaction (e-Satisfaction) and electronic loyalty (e-Loyalty) become vital for online retailers to attract and retain online shoppers in this virtual environment. The association between e-SQ, e-Satisfaction and e-Loyalty should be continuously examined to cope with the advancement in information and communication technology, and the changing expectation of online shoppers. However, construct of e-SQ for online retailers in B2C market is still debatable. In this research, E-SERVQUAL was integrated with the other e-SQ scales to measure e-SQ of a prominent online retailer in Malaysia. Specifically, the e-SQ constructs are Efficiency, Privacy and Trust, Fulfilment, Responsiveness, Contact and Website Design. 390 sets of completed and usable questionnaires were gathered using online questionnaire and convenience sampling procedure. The result indicated that the five proposed dimensions of e-SQ constitute e-SQ of online retailer in B2C market. All the dimensions of e-SQ were found to have positive and significant effect on e-Satisfaction of online shoppers. Responsiveness of e-SQ had the strongest impact on e-satisfaction of online shoppers. The shoppers e-Satisfaction was positively and significantly affected their e-Loyalty towards continuous usage of online retailer's website. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussed based on the results of the study.

Engaging Patients in Decisions About Cancer Screening: Exploring the Decision Journey Through the Use of a Patient Portal.

PubMed

Woolf, Steven H; Krist, Alex H; Lafata, Jennifer Elston; Jones, Resa M; Lehman, Rebecca R; Hochheimer, Camille J; Sabo, Roy T; Frosch, Dominick L; Zikmund-Fisher, Brian J; Longo, Daniel R

2018-02-01

Engaging patients to make informed choices is paramount but difficult in busy practices. This study sought to engage patients outside the clinical setting to better understand how they approach cancer screening decisions, including their primary concerns and their preferences for finalizing their decision. Twelve primary care practices offering patients an online personal health record invited eligible patients to complete a 17-item online interactive module. Among 11,458 registered users, invitations to complete the module were sent to adults aged 50-74 years who were overdue for colorectal cancer screening and to women aged 40-49 years and men aged 55-69 who had not undergone a recent mammogram or prostate-specific antigen test, respectively. The module was started by 2,355 patients and completed by 903 patients. Most respondents (76.8%) knew they were eligible for screening. Preferred next steps were talking to the clinician (76.6%), reading/research (28.6%), and consulting trusted friends/family (16.4%). Priority topics included how much screening improves life expectancy, comparative test performance, and the prevalence/health risks of the cancer. Leading fears were getting cancer/delayed detection (79.2%), abnormal results (40.5%), and testing complications (39.1%), the last referring to false test results, medical complications, or unnecessary treatments. Men eligible for prostate-specific antigen screening were more likely than women eligible for mammography to express concerns about testing complications and to prioritize weighing pros and cons over gut feelings (p<0.05). Although this sample was predisposed to screening, most patients wanted help in finalizing their decision. Many wanted to weigh the pros and cons and expressed fears of potential harms from screening. Understanding how patients approach decisions may help design more effective engagement strategies. Copyright © 2017 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Radiology scheduling: preferences of users of radiologic services and impact on referral base and extension.

PubMed

Mozumdar, Biswita C; Hornsby, Douglas Neal; Gogate, Adheet S; Intriere, Lisa A; Hanson, Richard; McGreal, Karen; Kelly, Pauline; Ros, Pablo

2003-08-01

To study end-user attitudes and preferences with respect to radiology scheduling systems and to assess implications for retention and extension of the referral base. A study of the institution's historical data indicated reduced satisfaction with the process of patient scheduling in recent years. Sixty physicians who referred patients to a single, large academic radiology department received the survey. The survey was designed to identify (A) the preferred vehicle for patient scheduling (on-line versus telephone scheduling) and (B) whether ease of scheduling was a factor in physicians referring patients to other providers. Referring physicians were asked to forward the survey to any appropriate office staff member in case the latter scheduled appointments for patients. Users were asked to provide comments and suggestions for improvement. The statistical method used was the analysis of proportions. Thirty-three responses were received, corresponding to a return rate of 55%. Twenty-six of the 33 respondents (78.8%, P < .01) stated they were willing to try an online scheduling system; 16 of which tried the system. Twelve of the 16 (75%, P < .05) preferred the on-line application to the telephone system, stating logistical simplification as the primary reason for preference. Three (18.75%) did not consider online scheduling to be more convenient than traditional telephone scheduling. One respondent did not indicate any preference. Eleven of 33 users (33.33%, P < .001) stated that they would change radiology service providers if expectations of scheduling ease are not met. On-line scheduling applications are becoming the preferred scheduling vehicle. Augmenting their capabilities and availability can simplify the scheduling process, improve referring physician satisfaction, and provide a competitive advantage. Referrers are willing to change providers if scheduling expectations are not met.

Human fear extinction and return of fear using reconsolidation update mechanisms: The contribution of on-line expectancy ratings

PubMed Central

Warren, Victor Taylor; Anderson, Kemp M.; Kwon, Cliffe; Bosshardt, Lauren; Jovanovic, Tanja; Bradley, Bekh; Norrholm, Seth Davin

2015-01-01

Disruption of the reconsolidation of conditioned fear memories has been suggested as a non-pharmacological means of preventing the return of learned fear in human populations. A reconsolidation update paradigm was developed in which a reconsolidation window is opened by a single isolated retrieval trial of a previously reinforced CS+ which is then followed by Extinction Training within that window. However, follow-up studies in humans using multi-methods fear conditioning indices (e.g., fear-potentiated startle, skin conductance, US-expectancy) have failed to replicate the retrieval + extinction effects. In the present study, we further investigated the retrieval + extinction reconsolidation update paradigm by directly comparing the acquisition, extinction, and return of fear-potentiated startle in the absence or presence of US-expectancy measures (using a trial-by-trial response keypad) with and without retrieval of a previously acquired CS-US association. Participants were fear conditioned to two visual cue CS+'s, one of which was presented as a single, isolated retrieval trial before Extinction Training and one that was extinguished as usual. The results show that the inclusion of US-expectancy measures strengthens the CS–US association to provide enhanced fear conditioning and maintenance of fear memories over the experimental sessions. In addition, in the groups that used on-line US-expectancy measures, the retrieval + extinction procedure reduced reinstatement of fear-potentiated startle to both previously reinforced CS+'s, as compared to the extinction as usual group. PMID:24183839

Unexpected and just missed: the separate influence of the appraisals of expectancy and proximity on negative emotions.

PubMed

Bossuyt, Evelien; Moors, Agnes; De Houwer, Jan

2014-04-01

Previous research has suggested that a goal-incongruent outcome leads to more intense negative emotions when it is unexpected and close to a goal-congruent outcome. Until now, however, no studies have disentangled the influence of the appraisals of expectancy and proximity on emotions. We experimentally manipulated each of these variables in 3 slot machine experiments and measured emotions via differences in motivation (i.e., the tendency to repair the goal incongruence) and feelings (i.e., disappointment, frustration, and anger). The experiments consisted of a series of trials that each started with the sequential presentation of 3 symbols. In case of a win trial, all symbols were equal (e.g., AAA) and the participant gained 10 cents; in case of a loss trial, one or more of the symbols differed and the participant gained 0 cents. Three different loss trials were compared: unexpected proximal ones (e.g., AAB), expected proximal ones (e.g., ABA), and expected distal ones (e.g., ABC). The tendency to repair was measured online via behavior as well as retrospectively via self-reports; feelings were measured retrospectively (Experiments 1 and 2) or online (Experiment 3). Unexpected losses seemed to increase the tendency to repair as well as feelings of disappointment (in all experiments) and feelings of frustration and anger (in Experiments 1 and 3). Proximal losses increased only the tendency to repair (in all experiments). This suggests that the appraisals of expectancy and proximity have a distinct influence on emotions.

Specific Barriers and Drivers in Different Stages of Decision-Making about Energy Efficiency Upgrades in Private Homes

PubMed Central

Klöckner, Christian A.; Nayum, Alim

2016-01-01

Energy efficiency upgrades of privately owned homes like adding to the insulation layers in the walls, roof or floor, or replacing windows with more efficiently insulated versions can contribute significantly to reducing the energy impact of the building sector and thus also the CO2 footprint of a household. However, even in countries like Norway that have a rather high rate of renovation, energy upgrades are not always integrated into such a refurbishment project. This study tests which structural and internal psychological barriers hinder and which drivers foster decision-making to implement such measures, once a renovation project is planned. With a theoretical background in stage-based models of decision-making 24 barriers and drivers were tested for their specific effect in the stages of decision-making. The four stages of decision-making assumed in this study were (1) “not being in a decision mode,” (2) “deciding what to do,” (3) “deciding how to do it,” and (4) “planning implementation.” Based on an online survey of 3787 Norwegian households, it was found that the most important barriers toward deciding to implement energy efficiency upgrades were not owning the dwelling and feeling the right time had not come yet. The most important drivers of starting to decide were higher expected comfort levels, better expected living conditions, and an expected reduction of energy costs. For the transition from deciding what to do to how to do it, not managing to make a decision and feeling the right point in time has not come yet were the strongest barriers, easily accessible information and an expected reduction of energy costs were the most important drivers. The final transition from deciding how to do the upgrades to planning implementation was driven by expecting a payoff within a reasonable time frame and higher expected comfort levels; the most important barriers were time demands for supervising contractors and—again—a feeling that the right point in time has not come yet. Implications for policy-making and marketing are discussed. PMID:27660618

Specific Barriers and Drivers in Different Stages of Decision-Making about Energy Efficiency Upgrades in Private Homes.

PubMed

Klöckner, Christian A; Nayum, Alim

2016-01-01

Energy efficiency upgrades of privately owned homes like adding to the insulation layers in the walls, roof or floor, or replacing windows with more efficiently insulated versions can contribute significantly to reducing the energy impact of the building sector and thus also the CO2 footprint of a household. However, even in countries like Norway that have a rather high rate of renovation, energy upgrades are not always integrated into such a refurbishment project. This study tests which structural and internal psychological barriers hinder and which drivers foster decision-making to implement such measures, once a renovation project is planned. With a theoretical background in stage-based models of decision-making 24 barriers and drivers were tested for their specific effect in the stages of decision-making. The four stages of decision-making assumed in this study were (1) "not being in a decision mode," (2) "deciding what to do," (3) "deciding how to do it," and (4) "planning implementation." Based on an online survey of 3787 Norwegian households, it was found that the most important barriers toward deciding to implement energy efficiency upgrades were not owning the dwelling and feeling the right time had not come yet. The most important drivers of starting to decide were higher expected comfort levels, better expected living conditions, and an expected reduction of energy costs. For the transition from deciding what to do to how to do it, not managing to make a decision and feeling the right point in time has not come yet were the strongest barriers, easily accessible information and an expected reduction of energy costs were the most important drivers. The final transition from deciding how to do the upgrades to planning implementation was driven by expecting a payoff within a reasonable time frame and higher expected comfort levels; the most important barriers were time demands for supervising contractors and-again-a feeling that the right point in time has not come yet. Implications for policy-making and marketing are discussed.

Internet-Based HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing in British Columbia, Canada: Opinions and Expectations of Prospective Clients

PubMed Central

Hottes, Travis Salway; Farrell, Janine; Bondyra, Mark; Haag, Devon; Shoveller, Jean

2012-01-01

Background The feasibility and acceptability of Internet-based sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing have been demonstrated; however, few programs have included testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In British Columbia, Canada, a new initiative will offer online access to chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV testing, integrated with existing clinic-based services. We presented the model to gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) and existing clinic clients through a series of focus groups. Objective To identify perceived benefits, concerns, and expectations of a new model for Internet-based STI and HIV testing among potential end users. Methods Participants were recruited through email invitations, online classifieds, and flyers in STI clinics. A structured interview guide was used. Focus groups were audio recorded, and an observer took detailed field notes. Analysts then listened to audio recordings to validate field notes. Data were coded and analyzed using a scissor-and-sort technique. Results In total, 39 people participated in six focus groups. Most were MSM, and all were active Internet users and experienced with STI/HIV testing. Perceived benefits of Internet-based STI testing included anonymity, convenience, and client-centered control. Salient concerns were reluctance to provide personal information online, distrust of security of data provided online, and the need for comprehensive pretest information and support for those receiving positive results, particularly for HIV. Suggestions emerged for mitigation of these concerns: provide up-front and detailed information about the model, ask only the minimal information required for testing, give positive results only by phone or in person, and ensure that those testing positive are referred for counseling and support. End users expected Internet testing to offer continuous online service delivery, from booking appointments, to transmitting information to the laboratory, to getting prescriptions. Most participants said they would use the service or recommend it to others. Those who indicated they would be unlikely to use it generally either lived near an STI clinic or routinely saw a family doctor with whom they were comfortable testing. Participants expected that the service would provide the greatest benefit to individuals who do not already have access to sensitive sexual health services, are reluctant to test due to stigma, or want to take immediate action (eg, because of a recent potential STI/HIV exposure). Conclusions Internet-based STI/HIV testing has the potential to reduce barriers to testing, as a complement to existing clinic-based services. Trust in the new online service, however, is a prerequisite to client uptake and may be engendered by transparency of information about the model, and by accounting for concerns related to confidentiality, data usage, and provision of positive (especially HIV) results. Ongoing evaluation of this new model will be essential to its success and to the confidence of its users. PMID:22394997

Internet-based HIV and sexually transmitted infection testing in British Columbia, Canada: opinions and expectations of prospective clients.

PubMed

Hottes, Travis Salway; Farrell, Janine; Bondyra, Mark; Haag, Devon; Shoveller, Jean; Gilbert, Mark

2012-03-06

The feasibility and acceptability of Internet-based sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing have been demonstrated; however, few programs have included testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In British Columbia, Canada, a new initiative will offer online access to chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV testing, integrated with existing clinic-based services. We presented the model to gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) and existing clinic clients through a series of focus groups. To identify perceived benefits, concerns, and expectations of a new model for Internet-based STI and HIV testing among potential end users. Participants were recruited through email invitations, online classifieds, and flyers in STI clinics. A structured interview guide was used. Focus groups were audio recorded, and an observer took detailed field notes. Analysts then listened to audio recordings to validate field notes. Data were coded and analyzed using a scissor-and-sort technique. In total, 39 people participated in six focus groups. Most were MSM, and all were active Internet users and experienced with STI/HIV testing. Perceived benefits of Internet-based STI testing included anonymity, convenience, and client-centered control. Salient concerns were reluctance to provide personal information online, distrust of security of data provided online, and the need for comprehensive pretest information and support for those receiving positive results, particularly for HIV. Suggestions emerged for mitigation of these concerns: provide up-front and detailed information about the model, ask only the minimal information required for testing, give positive results only by phone or in person, and ensure that those testing positive are referred for counseling and support. End users expected Internet testing to offer continuous online service delivery, from booking appointments, to transmitting information to the laboratory, to getting prescriptions. Most participants said they would use the service or recommend it to others. Those who indicated they would be unlikely to use it generally either lived near an STI clinic or routinely saw a family doctor with whom they were comfortable testing. Participants expected that the service would provide the greatest benefit to individuals who do not already have access to sensitive sexual health services, are reluctant to test due to stigma, or want to take immediate action (eg, because of a recent potential STI/HIV exposure). Internet-based STI/HIV testing has the potential to reduce barriers to testing, as a complement to existing clinic-based services. Trust in the new online service, however, is a prerequisite to client uptake and may be engendered by transparency of information about the model, and by accounting for concerns related to confidentiality, data usage, and provision of positive (especially HIV) results. Ongoing evaluation of this new model will be essential to its success and to the confidence of its users.

76 FR 52655 - Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-23

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 606-027--California] Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for... Online Support. For further information, contact the environmental coordinator, CarLisa Linton-Peters at...

Sewage Treatment Plants: Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources 1977 Final Rule (42 FR 58520)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document includes a copy of the Federal Register publication of the November 10, 1977 Final Rule for the Standards of Performance of New Stationary Sources for 40 CFR 60 Subparts O. This document is provided curtesy of HeinOnline.

Online matching with queueing dynamics.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-12-01

We consider a variant of the multiarmed bandit problem where jobs queue for service, and service rates of different servers may be unknown. We study algorithms that minimize queue-regret: the (expected) difference between the queue-lengths obtained b...

Helping Your Local Amphibians (HYLA): An Internet-based Amphibian Course for Educators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Tony P.

2001-01-01

Introduces an online zoology course that was offered primarily to upper elementary and middle school teachers in which teachers were expected to take action to help the local amphibian population. (Author/YDS)

Augmenting Outpatient Alcohol Treatment as Usual With Online Alcohol Avoidance Training: Protocol for a Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Bratti-van der Werf, Marleen KJ; Postel, Marloes G; Pieterse, Marcel E; Ben Allouch, Somaya; Wiers, Reinout W; Bohlmeijer, Ernst T; Salemink, Elske

2018-01-01

Background Recent theoretical models emphasize the role of impulsive processes in alcohol addiction, which can be retrained with computerized Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) training. In this study, the focus is on action tendencies that are activated relatively automatically. Objective The aim of the study is to examine the effectiveness of online CBM Alcohol Avoidance Training using an adapted Approach-Avoidance Task as a supplement to treatment as usual (TAU) in an outpatient treatment setting. Methods The effectiveness of 8 online sessions of CBM Alcohol Avoidance Training added to TAU is tested in a double-blind, randomized controlled trial with pre- and postassessments, plus follow-up assessments after 3 and 6 months. Participants are adult patients (age 18 years or over) currently following Web-based or face-to-face TAU to reduce or stop drinking. These patients are randomly assigned to a CBM Alcohol Avoidance or a placebo training. The primary outcome measure is a reduction in alcohol consumption. We hypothesize that TAU + CBM will result in up to a 13-percentage point incremental effect in the number of patients reaching the safe drinking guidelines compared to TAU + placebo CBM. Secondary outcome measures include an improvement in health status and a decrease in depression, anxiety, stress, and possible mediation by the change in approach bias. Finally, patients’ adherence, acceptability, and credibility will be examined. Results The trial was funded in 2014 and is currently in the active participant recruitment phase (since May 2015). Enrolment will be completed in 2019. First results are expected to be submitted for publication in 2020. Conclusions The main purpose of this study is to increase our knowledge about the added value of online Alcohol Avoidance Training as a supplement to TAU in an outpatient treatment setting. If the added effectiveness of the training is proven, the next step could be to incorporate the intervention into current treatment. Trial Registration Netherlands Trial Register NTR5087; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=5087 (Archived at WebCite http://www.webcitation.org/6wuS4i1tH) PMID:29496657

Teachers' and students' perspectives on teaching and learning through virtual learning environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limniou, M.; Smith, M.

2010-12-01

The aim of this investigation was to get an insight into how teachers and students responded to the use of virtual learning environments (VLE) in engineering education and what their expectations were from online courses. Teachers designed their online courses with the assistance of a support e-learning team and questionnaires were used for teachers and students to express their views on the online courses. Teachers pointed out that the online courses by themselves would be able to tackle limited lecture time and strengthen the students' background knowledge. Students, on the other hand, stated that their difficulties regarding the courses could be facilitated by using a more interactive teaching approach with the use of collaboration tools and receiving individual feedback. Thus, students suggested that teachers adopt a more student-centred approach by using VLE. Teachers' and students' perspectives were related to their personal characteristics, as students were more familiar with everyday e-communication tools.

On-line hemodiafiltration. Gold standard or top therapy?

PubMed

Passlick-Deetjen, Jutta; Pohlmeier, Robert

2002-01-01

In summary, on-line HDF is an extracorporeal blood purification therapy with increased convective removal of uremic toxins as compared to the most frequently used low- or high-flux HD therapy. The clinical advantages of on-line HDF have shown to be dose dependent, which makes on-line HDF superior to other therapies with less convective solute removal. Among the therapies with high convective solute removal, i.e. on-line HDF, on-line HF and double high-flux dialysis, it is difficult to finally decide on the best therapy, as direct comparisons of these therapies are not performed. Theoretical considerations like the relative to on-line HDF lower achievable Kt/Vurea with on-line HF, allow to state that on-line HDF is the top therapy now available for patients with ESRD. A gold standard may be defined as something with which everything else is compared if one tries to establish it in the respective field. In order to declare on-line HDF as the gold standard in renal replacement therapy, we need more direct comparisons of on-line HDF with other therapies, including mortality as an outcome parameter. However, based on our current knowledge, it does not seem to be too speculative that high-quality clinical studies will establish on-line HDF in the next years as the new gold standard in renal replacement therapy.

'Friendly allies in raising a child': a survey of men and women seeking elective co-parenting arrangements via an online connection website.

PubMed

Jadva, V; Freeman, T; Tranfield, E; Golombok, S

2015-08-01

What are the characteristics, motivations and expectations of men and women who search for a co-parent online? Male and female prospective co-parents differed in terms of their motivations, choice of co-parent and expectations of co-parenting, while differences according to sexual orientation were less marked. Very few studies have addressed the experiences of elective co-parents, i.e. men and women who are not in a relationship with each other creating and raising a child together. No study has examined the motivations and experiences of those who seek co-parents online. An online survey was completed by 102 participants (61 men, 41 women) who were members of Pride Angel, an online connection website that facilitates contact between people looking for someone with whom to have a child. The survey was live for 7 weeks. Details of the survey were emailed to all members of Pride Angel. The survey obtained data on participants' demographic characteristics, motivations, choice of co-parent and expectations of co-parenting. Data were analysed to examine differences by gender and by sexual orientation within each gender. Approximately one-third of men and one half of women seeking co-parenting arrangements were heterosexual. The majority (69, 68%) of participants were single, although significantly more gay and bisexual men (15, 36%) and lesbian and bisexual women (11, 55%) had a partner compared with heterosexual men (4, 20%) and heterosexual women (2, 12%), respectively. Overall, the most important motivation for seeking co-parenting arrangements was in order for both biological parents to be involved in the child's upbringing. Co-parents were looking for someone with a good medical history. Most female co-parents expected the child to live with them, whereas male co-parents either wished the child to reside with the mother or to live equally in both households. A higher proportion of gay and bisexual men than heterosexual men wanted daily contact with the child. Although this study presents data from the largest sample of elective co-parents to date, the main limitations were the low response rate and that only members of one website were approached. The findings may not be representative of all potential elective co-parents. This study provides important insights into the new phenomenon of elective co-parenting. With the increasing use of assisted reproductive technologies and the diversification of family forms, a growing number of people are seeking co-parenting arrangements to have children. While up until now, elective co-parenting has been principally associated with the gay and lesbian community, this study shows that, with the rise of co-parenting websites, increasing numbers of heterosexual men and women are seeking these types of parenting arrangements. This study generates the first findings on the expectations and motivations of those who seek co-parents online and examines whether these differ according to gender and sexual orientation. Future studies are needed to assess the impact of this new form of parenting on all involved, particularly the children. This study was supported by the Wellcome Trust (097857/Z/11/Z). Erika Tranfield is the co-founder of the website Pride Angel, the remaining authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.

‘Friendly allies in raising a child’: a survey of men and women seeking elective co-parenting arrangements via an online connection website

PubMed Central

Jadva, V.; Freeman, T.; Tranfield, E.; Golombok, S.

2015-01-01

STUDY QUESTION What are the characteristics, motivations and expectations of men and women who search for a co-parent online? SUMMARY ANSWER Male and female prospective co-parents differed in terms of their motivations, choice of co-parent and expectations of co-parenting, while differences according to sexual orientation were less marked. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Very few studies have addressed the experiences of elective co-parents, i.e. men and women who are not in a relationship with each other creating and raising a child together. No study has examined the motivations and experiences of those who seek co-parents online. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE AND DURATION An online survey was completed by 102 participants (61 men, 41 women) who were members of Pride Angel, an online connection website that facilitates contact between people looking for someone with whom to have a child. The survey was live for 7 weeks. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Details of the survey were emailed to all members of Pride Angel. The survey obtained data on participants' demographic characteristics, motivations, choice of co-parent and expectations of co-parenting. Data were analysed to examine differences by gender and by sexual orientation within each gender. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Approximately one-third of men and one half of women seeking co-parenting arrangements were heterosexual. The majority (69, 68%) of participants were single, although significantly more gay and bisexual men (15, 36%) and lesbian and bisexual women (11, 55%) had a partner compared with heterosexual men (4, 20%) and heterosexual women (2, 12%), respectively. Overall, the most important motivation for seeking co-parenting arrangements was in order for both biological parents to be involved in the child's upbringing. Co-parents were looking for someone with a good medical history. Most female co-parents expected the child to live with them, whereas male co-parents either wished the child to reside with the mother or to live equally in both households. A higher proportion of gay and bisexual men than heterosexual men wanted daily contact with the child. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Although this study presents data from the largest sample of elective co-parents to date, the main limitations were the low response rate and that only members of one website were approached. The findings may not be representative of all potential elective co-parents. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS This study provides important insights into the new phenomenon of elective co-parenting. With the increasing use of assisted reproductive technologies and the diversification of family forms, a growing number of people are seeking co-parenting arrangements to have children. While up until now, elective co-parenting has been principally associated with the gay and lesbian community, this study shows that, with the rise of co-parenting websites, increasing numbers of heterosexual men and women are seeking these types of parenting arrangements. This study generates the first findings on the expectations and motivations of those who seek co-parents online and examines whether these differ according to gender and sexual orientation. Future studies are needed to assess the impact of this new form of parenting on all involved, particularly the children. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was supported by the Wellcome Trust (097857/Z/11/Z). Erika Tranfield is the co-founder of the website Pride Angel, the remaining authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. PMID:26040481

Teaching Note--Using TED Talks in the Social Work Classroom: Encouraging Student Engagement and Discourse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loya, Melody Aye; Klemm, Terri

2016-01-01

Focusing on TED Talks (online videos) as a resource for social work educators, this teaching note shares our ideas regarding the use of the online videos as an avenue for reaching students and encouraging discussions in the social work classroom. The article first explores the TED platform and then discusses using TED as a teaching tool. Finally,…

Online versus Traditional Classroom Instruction: An Examination of Developmental English Courses at an Alabama Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smart, B. Matthew; Saxon, D. Patrick

2016-01-01

A study was conducted at a community college in northeast Alabama to determine how the format of developmental English courses impacted student withdrawal rates and final grades. The two course formats examined were online/hybrid and face-to-face courses. Data were obtained from a 4-semester time frame: fall 2012, spring 2013, summer 2013, and…

Investigation of the Public Library as a Linking Agent to Major Scientific, Educational, Social, and Environmental Data Bases. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lockheed Research Lab., Palo Alto, CA.

The DIALIB Project was a 3-year experiment that investigated the potential of the public library as a "linking agent" between the public and the many machine-readable data bases currently accessible via the telephone using online terminals. The study investigated the following questions: (1) Is online search of use to the patrons of a…

An interactive portal to empower cancer survivors: a qualitative study on user expectations.

PubMed

Kuijpers, Wilma; Groen, Wim G; Loos, Romy; Oldenburg, Hester S A; Wouters, Michel W J M; Aaronson, Neil K; van Harten, Wim H

2015-09-01

Portals are increasingly used to improve patient empowerment, but are still uncommon in oncology. In this study, we explored cancer survivors' and health professionals' expectations of possible features of an interactive portal. We conducted three focus groups with breast cancer survivors (n = 21), two with lung cancer survivors (n = 14), and four with health professionals (n = 31). Drafts of possible features of an interactive portal were presented as static screenshots: survivorship care plan (SCP), access to electronic medical record (EMR), appointments, e-consultation, online patient community, patient reported outcomes (PROs) plus feedback, telemonitoring service, online rehabilitation program, and online psychosocial self-management program. This presentation was followed by an open discussion. Focus groups were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and data were analyzed using content analysis. Important themes included fulfillment of information needs, communication, motivation, quality of feedback, and supervision. Cancer survivors were primarily interested in features that could fulfill their information needs: SCP, access to their EMR, and an overview of appointments. Health professionals considered PROs and telemonitoring as most useful features, as these provide relevant information about survivors' health status. We recommend to minimally include these features in an interactive portal for cancer survivors. This is the first study that evaluated the expectations of cancer survivors and health professionals concerning an interactive portal. Both groups were positive about the introduction of such a portal, although their preferences for the various features differed. These findings reflect their unique perspective and emphasize the importance of involving multiple stakeholders in the actual design process.

Taking Research Experiences for Undergraduates Online

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubenthal, Michael; Judge, Jasmeet

2013-04-01

To today's budding scientists, the notion of sharing experiences and working collaboratively with distant peers is not a novelty. Instead, this is what most young scientists expect to achieve through the Internet portals they carry in their pockets and backpacks. They have never known a world without information and communication technologies (ICT) such as laptops, mobile phones, text messaging, and the Internet. As a result, they have grown to rely on uninterrupted access to the Internet for a range of information-gathering and communication activities. Further, this generation of students has fully embraced structured online learning opportunities. For example, in 2011 more than 6.7 million U.S. students in higher education took at least one online course [Allen and Seaman, 2013].

Technology and Education: Partners in Excellence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Main, Christine; Berry, Marsha

1993-01-01

Northern Kentucky University uses Ole, online learning educational system, which provides an interactive learning environment. Pilot participants received better grades and evaluated instructors more favorably than controls. An average of 30 percent savings per student over five years is expected. (SK)

The Development of Commercially Available Databases in Europe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomberg, Alex

1979-01-01

Europe's lag in databanks and online commercial availability is contrasted to its lead in numbers of bibliographic files. Intelligent use of new technologies such as Viewdata and the European Communications Satellite are expected to correct this imbalance. (RAA)

Antecedent Characteristics of Online Cancer Information Seeking Among Rural Breast Cancer Patients: An Application of the Cognitive-Social Health Information Processing (C-SHIP) Model

PubMed Central

Shaw, Bret R.; DuBenske, Lori L.; Han, Jeong Yeob; Cofta-Woerpel, Ludmila; Bush, Nigel; Gustafson, David H.; McTavish, Fiona

2013-01-01

Little research has examined the antecedent characteristics of patients most likely to seek online cancer information. This study employs the Cognitive-Social Health Information Processing (C-SHIP) model as a framework to understand what psychosocial characteristics precede online cancer-related information seeking among rural breast cancer patients who often have fewer healthcare providers and limited local support services. Examining 144 patients who were provided free computer hardware, Internet access and training for how to use an Interactive Cancer Communication System, pre-test survey scores indicating patients’ psychosocial status were correlated with specific online cancer information seeking behaviors. Each of the factors specified by the C-SHIP model had significant relationships with online cancer information seeking behaviors with the strongest findings emerging for cancer-relevant encodings and self-construals, cancer-relevant beliefs and expectancies and cancer-relevant self-regulatory competencies and skills. Specifically, patients with more negative appraisals in these domains were more likely to seek out online cancer information. Additionally, antecedent variables associated with the C-SHIP model had more frequent relationships with experiential information as compared to didactic information. This study supports the applicability of the model to discern why people afflicted with cancer may seek online information to cope with their disease. PMID:18569368

Antecedent characteristics of online cancer information seeking among rural breast cancer patients: an application of the Cognitive-Social Health Information Processing (C-SHIP) model.

PubMed

Shaw, Bret R; Dubenske, Lori L; Han, Jeong Yeob; Cofta-Woerpel, Ludmila; Bush, Nigel; Gustafson, David H; McTavish, Fiona

2008-06-01

Little research has examined the antecedent characteristics of patients most likely to seek online cancer information. This study employs the Cognitive-Social Health Information Processing (C-SHIP) model as a framework to understand what psychosocial characteristics precede online cancer-related information seeking among rural breast cancer patients who often have fewer health care providers and limited local support services. Examining 144 patients who were provided free computer hardware, Internet access, and training for how to use an interactive cancer communication system, pretest survey scores indicating patients' psychosocial status were correlated with specific online cancer information seeking behaviors. Each of the factors specified by the C-SHIP model had significant relationships with online cancer information seeking behaviors, with the strongest findings emerging for cancer-relevant encodings and self-construals, cancer-relevant beliefs and expectancies, and cancer-relevant self-regulatory competencies and skills. Specifically, patients with more negative appraisals in these domains were more likely to seek out online cancer information. Additionally, antecedent variables associated with the C-SHIP model had more frequent relationships with experiential information as compared with to didactic information. This study supports the applicability of the model to discern why people afflicted with cancer may seek online information to cope with their disease.

PipeOnline 2.0: automated EST processing and functional data sorting.

PubMed

Ayoubi, Patricia; Jin, Xiaojing; Leite, Saul; Liu, Xianghui; Martajaja, Jeson; Abduraham, Abdurashid; Wan, Qiaolan; Yan, Wei; Misawa, Eduardo; Prade, Rolf A

2002-11-01

Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) are generated and deposited in the public domain, as redundant, unannotated, single-pass reactions, with virtually no biological content. PipeOnline automatically analyses and transforms large collections of raw DNA-sequence data from chromatograms or FASTA files by calling the quality of bases, screening and removing vector sequences, assembling and rewriting consensus sequences of redundant input files into a unigene EST data set and finally through translation, amino acid sequence similarity searches, annotation of public databases and functional data. PipeOnline generates an annotated database, retaining the processed unigene sequence, clone/file history, alignments with similar sequences, and proposed functional classification, if available. Functional annotation is automatic and based on a novel method that relies on homology of amino acid sequence multiplicity within GenBank records. Records are examined through a function ordered browser or keyword queries with automated export of results. PipeOnline offers customization for individual projects (MyPipeOnline), automated updating and alert service. PipeOnline is available at http://stress-genomics.org.

Contingencies of self-worth and social-networking-site behavior.

PubMed

Stefanone, Michael A; Lackaff, Derek; Rosen, Devan

2011-01-01

Social-networking sites like Facebook enable people to share a range of personal information with expansive groups of "friends." With the growing popularity of media sharing online, many questions remain regarding antecedent conditions for this behavior. Contingencies of self-worth afford a more nuanced approach to variable traits that affect self-esteem, and may help explain online behavior. A total of 311 participants completed an online survey measuring such contingencies and typical behaviors on Facebook. First, exploratory factor analyses revealed an underlying structure to the seven dimensions of self-worth. Public-based contingencies explained online photo sharing (β = 0.158, p < 0.01), while private-based contingencies demonstrated a negative relationship with time online (β = -0.186, p < 0.001). Finally, the appearance contingency for self-worth had the strongest relationship with the intensity of online photo sharing (β = 0.242), although no relationship was evident for time spent managing profiles.

Self-control in Online Discussions: Disinhibited Online Behavior as a Failure to Recognize Social Cues

PubMed Central

Voggeser, Birgit J.; Singh, Ranjit K.; Göritz, Anja S.

2018-01-01

In an online experiment we examined the role of self-control in recognizing social cues in the context of disinhibited online behavior (e.g., flaming and trolling). We temporarily lowered participants' self-control capacity with an ego depletion paradigm (i.e., color Stroop task). Next, we measured participants' sensitivity to social cues with an emotional Stroop task containing neutral, negative, and taboo words. Sensitivity to social cues is represented by the increase in reaction time to negative and especially taboo words compared to neutral words. As expected, undepleted participants were slower to process the color of negative and taboo words. By contrast, depleted participants (i.e., those with lowered self-control capacity) did not react differently to taboo or negative words than they did to neutral words. The experiment illustrates that self-control failure may manifest itself in a failure to recognize social cues. The finding underlines the importance of self-control in understanding disinhibited online behavior: Many instances of disinhibited online behavior may occur not because people are unable to control themselves, but because they do not realize that a situation calls for self-control in the first place. PMID:29375457

Self-control in Online Discussions: Disinhibited Online Behavior as a Failure to Recognize Social Cues.

PubMed

Voggeser, Birgit J; Singh, Ranjit K; Göritz, Anja S

2017-01-01

In an online experiment we examined the role of self-control in recognizing social cues in the context of disinhibited online behavior (e.g., flaming and trolling). We temporarily lowered participants' self-control capacity with an ego depletion paradigm (i.e., color Stroop task). Next, we measured participants' sensitivity to social cues with an emotional Stroop task containing neutral, negative, and taboo words. Sensitivity to social cues is represented by the increase in reaction time to negative and especially taboo words compared to neutral words. As expected, undepleted participants were slower to process the color of negative and taboo words. By contrast, depleted participants (i.e., those with lowered self-control capacity) did not react differently to taboo or negative words than they did to neutral words. The experiment illustrates that self-control failure may manifest itself in a failure to recognize social cues. The finding underlines the importance of self-control in understanding disinhibited online behavior: Many instances of disinhibited online behavior may occur not because people are unable to control themselves, but because they do not realize that a situation calls for self-control in the first place.

Online Information Sharing About Risks: The Case of Organic Food.

PubMed

Hilverda, Femke; Kuttschreuter, Margôt

2018-03-23

Individuals have to make sense of an abundance of information to decide whether or not to purchase certain food products. One of the means to sense-making is information sharing. This article reports on a quantitative study examining online information sharing behavior regarding the risks of organic food products. An online survey among 535 respondents was conducted in the Netherlands to examine the determinants of information sharing behavior, and their relationships. Structural equation modeling was applied to test both the measurement model and the structural model. Results showed that the intention to share information online about the risks of organic food was low. Conversations and email were the preferred channels to share information; of the social media Facebook stood out. The developed model was found to provide an adequate description of the data. It explained 41% of the variance in information sharing. Injunctive norms and outcome expectancies were most important in predicting online information sharing, followed by information-related determinants. Risk-perception-related determinants showed a significant, but weak, positive relationship with online information sharing. Implications for authorities communicating on risks associated with food are addressed. © 2018 The Authors Risk Analysis published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Risk Analysis.

Development of the intoxicated personality scale.

PubMed

Ward, Rose Marie; Brinkman, Craig S; Miller, Ashlin; Doolittle, James J

2015-01-01

To develop the Intoxicated Personality Scale (IPS). Data were collected from 436 college students via an online survey. Through an iterative measurement development process, the resulting IPS was created. The 5 subscales (Good Time, Risky Choices, Risky Sex, Emotional, and Introvert) of the IPS positively related to alcohol consumption, alcohol problems, drinking motives, alcohol expectancies, and personality. The results suggest that the Intoxicated Personality Scale may be a useful tool for predicting problematic alcohol consumption, alcohol expectancies, and drinking motives.

Gender Differences in Use and Expectancies of E-Cigarettes: Online Survey Results

PubMed Central

Piñeiro, Bárbara; Correa, John B.; Simmons, Vani N.; Harrell, Paul T.; Menzie, Nicole S.; Unrod, Marina; Meltzer, Lauren R.; Brandon, Thomas H.

2015-01-01

Introduction Given the rapid increase in e-cigarette use, it is important to understand factors that may contribute to their initiation and maintenance. Because gender differences in tobacco use, product preferences, and expectancies are well established, similar gender differences may exist with e-cigarettes. The aim of this study was to identify gender differences among e-cigarette users in patterns of use, reasons for initiation and maintenance, and outcome expectancies regarding e-cigarettes. Methods Participants (N = 1815) completed an online survey from August through November, 2013. We assessed sociodemographics, smoking and e-cigarette history and use, and expectancies about e-cigarettes. Results We found gender differences in type of e-cigarette used, flavors used, nicotine dosage, source of information about e-cigarettes, place of purchase, and use of e-cigarettes where smoking is prohibited. In addition, males were more likely to report initiating e-cigarette use to quit smoking due to health concerns, whereas females were more likely to report initiation based on recommendations from family and friends. Males reported higher attributions for maintenance of e-cigarette use related to positive reinforcement (enjoyment), whereas females reported higher negative reinforcement attributions (stress reduction or mood management). Males reported more positive expectancies about e-cigarettes, including taste, social facilitation, and energy, whereas women rated e-cigarettes higher for weight control. Males also reported greater addiction-related e-cigarette expectancy than females. Conclusions Many of the gender differences with e-cigarettes parallel those previously found with traditional cigarette smoking. Although effect sizes associated with these differences were small, the results may help advance research and intervention development with respect to e-cigarette initiation, maintenance and cessation. PMID:26406973

Gender differences in use and expectancies of e-cigarettes: Online survey results.

PubMed

Piñeiro, Bárbara; Correa, John B; Simmons, Vani N; Harrell, Paul T; Menzie, Nicole S; Unrod, Marina; Meltzer, Lauren R; Brandon, Thomas H

2016-01-01

Given the rapid increase in e-cigarette use, it is important to understand factors that may contribute to their initiation and maintenance. Because gender differences in tobacco use, product preferences, and expectancies are well established, similar gender differences may exist with e-cigarettes. The aim of this study was to identify gender differences among e-cigarette users in patterns of use, reasons for initiation and maintenance, and outcome expectancies regarding e-cigarettes. Participants (N=1815) completed an online survey from August through November, 2013. We assessed sociodemographics, smoking and e-cigarette history and use, and expectancies about e-cigarettes. We found gender differences in type of e-cigarette used, flavors used, nicotine dosage, source of information about e-cigarettes, place of purchase, and use of e-cigarettes where smoking is prohibited. In addition, males were more likely to report initiating e-cigarette use to quit smoking due to health concerns, whereas females were more likely to report initiation based on recommendations from family and friends. Males reported higher attributions for maintenance of e-cigarette use related to positive reinforcement (enjoyment), whereas females reported higher negative reinforcement attributions (stress reduction or mood management). Males reported more positive expectancies about e-cigarettes, including taste, social facilitation, and energy, whereas women rated e-cigarettes higher for weight control. Males also reported greater addiction-related e-cigarette expectancy than females. Many of the gender differences with e-cigarettes parallel those previously found with traditional cigarette smoking. Although effect sizes associated with these differences were small, the results may help advance research and intervention development with respect to e-cigarette initiation, maintenance and cessation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Educational Information System for Ontario. Final Report, March 1977-April 1978.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Auster, Ethel; Lawton, Stephen B.

This final report describing the operation and research of the EISO project, which provides online bibliographic search services to educators of Ontario, briefly summarizes the first and second interim reports. In addition, it discusses users and the uses of EISO information by providing mini-case studies to illustrate quantitative data and…

Cyber security issues in online games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Chen

2018-04-01

With the rapid development of the Internet, online gaming has become a way of entertainment for many young people in the modern era. However, in recent years, cyber security issues in online games have emerged in an endless stream, which have also caused great attention of many game operators. Common cyber security problems in the game include information disclosure and cyber-attacks. These problems will directly or indirectly cause economic losses to gamers. Many gaming companies are enhancing the stability and security of their network or gaming systems in order to enhance the gaming user experience. This article has carried out the research of the cyber security issues in online games by introducing the background and some common cyber security threats, and by proposing the latent solution. Finally, it speculates the future research direction of the cyber security issues of online games in the hope of providing feasible solution and useful information for game operators.

Peer-led team learning in an online course on controversial medication issues and the US healthcare system.

PubMed

Pittenger, Amy L; LimBybliw, Amy L

2013-09-12

To implement peer-led team learning in an online course on controversial issues surrounding medications and the US healthcare system. The course was delivered completely online using a learning management system. Students participated in weekly small-group discussions in online forums, completed 3 reflective writing assignments, and collaborated on a peer-reviewed grant proposal project. In a post-course survey, students reported that the course was challenging but meaningful. Final projects and peer-reviewed assignments demonstrated that primary learning goals for the course were achieved and students were empowered to engage in the healthcare debate. A peer-led team-learning is an effective strategy for an online course offered to a wide variety of student learners. By shifting some of the learning and grading responsibility to students, the instructor workload for the course was rendered more manageable.

Teaching mathematics online in the European Area of Higher Education: an instructor's point of view

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juan, Angel A.; Steegmann, Cristina; Huertas, Antonia; Martinez, M. Jesus; Simosa, J.

2011-03-01

This article first discusses how information technologies are changing the way knowledge is delivered at universities worldwide. Then, the article reviews some of the most popular learning management systems available today and some of the most useful online resources in the areas of Mathematics and Statistics. After that, some long-term experiences regarding the teaching of online courses in those areas at the Open University of Catalonia are discussed. Finally, the article presents the results of a large-scale survey performed in Spain that aims to reflect instructors' opinions and feelings about potential benefits and challenges of teaching mathematics online, as well as the role of emergent technologies in the context of the European Area of Higher Education. Therefore, this article contributes to the existing literature as an additional reference point, one based on our long-term experience in a large-scale online environment, for discussions involving mathematical e-learning.

Retention of drug administration skills after intensive teaching.

PubMed

Wheeler, D W; Degnan, B A; Murray, L J; Dunling, C P; Whittlestone, K D; Wood, D F; Smith, H L; Gupta, A K

2008-04-01

We have identified deficiencies in medical students' drug administration skills, and we attempted to address them with interactive online teaching modules and simulated critical incident scenarios. Short-term improvements have been evident with this intensive effort, but medium-term retention of skills has not been measured. A drug administration lecture, an online module and a simulated emergency scenario were offered to final year clinical students. None of the teaching was compulsory but participation was recorded, along with students' simulator performances and marks in an objective structured practical examination 9 months later. A poor simulator score predicted a poor performance in the later examination. Participation in the simulated scenario only significantly improved examination scores when supplemented by online teaching (p = 0.002). Intensive drug administration teaching using an online module and high fidelity simulation improves drug administration skills in the medium term. Students found simulation much more engaging than online teaching.

In-Service Physical Educators' Experiences of Online Adapted Physical Education Endorsement Courses.

PubMed

Sato, Takahiro; Haegele, Justin A; Foot, Rachel

2017-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate in-service physical education (PE) teachers' experiences during online adapted physical education (APE) graduate courses. Based on andragogy theory (adult learning theory) we employed a descriptive qualitative methodology using an explanatory case study design. The participants (6 female and 3 male) were in-service PE teachers enrolled in an online graduate APE endorsement program. Data collection included journal reflection reports and face-to-face interviews. A constant comparative method was used to interpret the data. Three interrelated themes emerged from the participants' narratives. The first theme, instructor communication, exposes the advantages and disadvantages the participants perceived regarding communication while enrolled in the online APE graduate courses. The second theme, bulletin board discussion experiences, described participants' perceptions of the use of the bulletin board discussion forum. Lastly, the final theme, assessment experiences, described how the participants learned knowledge and skills through online courses related to assessment and evaluation.

Patients' self-efficacy within online health communities: facilitating chronic disease self-management behaviors through peer education.

PubMed

Willis, Erin

2016-01-01

In order to combat the growing burden of chronic disease, evidence-based self-management programs have been designed to teach patients about the disease and its affect on their lives. Self-efficacy is a key component in chronic disease self-management. This research used online ethnography and discourse analysis (N = 8,231) to examine self-efficacy within the computer-mediated communication (CMC) of four online health communities used by people with arthritis. Specifically, online opinion leaders were identified for examination. Across the four communities, there was a cyclical process that involved "disease veterans" sharing their experiences and gaining credibility within the community, new(er) members suffering from disease symptoms and sharing their experiences online, and finally, asking others for help with arthritis self-management behaviors. Three themes follow: (1) sharing disease experience, (2) suffering from disease symptoms, and (3) asking for help. Practical implications for health promotion and education are discussed.

Online Feature Transformation Learning for Cross-Domain Object Category Recognition.

PubMed

Zhang, Xuesong; Zhuang, Yan; Wang, Wei; Pedrycz, Witold

2017-06-09

In this paper, we introduce a new research problem termed online feature transformation learning in the context of multiclass object category recognition. The learning of a feature transformation is viewed as learning a global similarity metric function in an online manner. We first consider the problem of online learning a feature transformation matrix expressed in the original feature space and propose an online passive aggressive feature transformation algorithm. Then these original features are mapped to kernel space and an online single kernel feature transformation (OSKFT) algorithm is developed to learn a nonlinear feature transformation. Based on the OSKFT and the existing Hedge algorithm, a novel online multiple kernel feature transformation algorithm is also proposed, which can further improve the performance of online feature transformation learning in large-scale application. The classifier is trained with k nearest neighbor algorithm together with the learned similarity metric function. Finally, we experimentally examined the effect of setting different parameter values in the proposed algorithms and evaluate the model performance on several multiclass object recognition data sets. The experimental results demonstrate the validity and good performance of our methods on cross-domain and multiclass object recognition application.

Time pressure in scenario-based online construction safety quizzes and its effect on students' performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaeger, Martin; Adair, Desmond

2017-05-01

Online quizzes have been shown to be effective learning and assessment approaches. However, if scenario-based online construction safety quizzes do not include time pressure similar to real-world situations, they reflect situations too ideally. The purpose of this paper is to compare engineering students' performance when carrying out an online construction safety quiz with time pressure versus an online construction safety quiz without time pressure. Two versions of an online construction safety quiz are developed and administered to randomly assigned engineering students based on a quasi-experimental post-test design. The findings contribute to scenario-based learning and assessment of construction safety in four ways. First, the results confirm earlier findings that 'intrinsic stress' does not seem to impair students' performance. Second, students who carry out the online construction safety quiz with time pressure are less likely to 'learn by trial and error'. Third, students exposed to time pressure appreciate that they become better prepared for real life. Finally, preparing students to work under time pressure is an important industry requirement. The results of this study should encourage engineering educators to explore and implement ways to include time pressure in scenario-based online quizzes and learning.

On-Line Planning and Mapping for Chemical Plume Tracing

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-01

09 - 2005 Final Report 01/04/2001 - 31/10/2004 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Sa. CONTRACT NUMBER On-line Planning and Mapping for Chemical Plume Tracing 5b...PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER Department of Electrical Engineering University of California...develop, and implement on-vehicle planning and mapping theory and software to find, trace, and map chemical plumes. This objective included accurate

Using online surveys and Facebook ads to solicit customer feedback : research summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-01

The Missouri Department of Transportation : (MoDOT) developed the Tracker system to : assess agency performance in pursuit of its : mission to provide a world-class transportation : system that delights our customers. MoDOT : customers expect t...

Predicting medical staff intention to use an online reporting system with modified unified theory of acceptance and use of technology.

PubMed

Chang, I-Chiu; Hsu, Hui-Mei

2012-01-01

Barriers to report incident events using an online information system (IS) may be different from those of a paper-based reporting system. The nationwide online Patient-Safety Reporting System (PSRS) contains a value judgment behind use of the system, similar to the Value of Perceived Consequence (VPC), which is seldom discussed in ISs applications of other disciplines. This study developed a more adequate research framework by integrating the VPC construct into the well-known Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model as a theoretical base to explore the predictors of medical staff's intention to use online PSRS. The results showed that management support was an important factor to influence medical staff's intention of using PSRS. The effects of factors such as performance expectancy, perceived positive, and perceived negative consequence on medical staff's intention of using PSRS were moderated by gender, age, experience, and occupation. The results proved that the modified UTAUT model is significant and useful in predicting medical staff's intention of using the nationwide online PSRS.

Pharmacists on Facebook: online social networking and the profession.

PubMed

Mattingly, T Joseph; Cain, Jeff; Fink, Joseph L

2010-01-01

To provide a brief history of Facebook and online social networking and discuss how it has contributed and can contribute in the future to a paradigm change in social communications. When student pharmacists complete school and enter practice, they encounter enhanced expectations to act appropriately and professionally. Facebook expands the dilemma of separating private and public life--a challenge for individuals in all professions. From the standpoint of a professional association, Facebook provides a tremendous opportunity to reach out to members in an unprecedented way. Pharmacy organizations are beginning to use these new tools to increase communication and dissemination of information. The popularity of Facebook has brought the issue of online social networking to the forefront of professional and organizational discussions. The issues of privacy, identity protection, and e-professionalism are likely to reappear as pharmacists and student pharmacists continue to communicate via online networks. The potential exists for organizations to harness this organizational and communication power for their own interests. Further study is needed regarding the interaction between online social networking applications and the profession of pharmacy.

Student Perceptions of Online Homework Use for Formative Assessment of Learning in Organic Chemistry.

PubMed

Richards-Babb, Michelle; Curtis, Reagan; Georgieva, Zomitsa; Penn, John H

2015-11-10

Use of online homework as a formative assessment tool for organic chemistry coursework was examined. Student perceptions of online homework in terms of (i) its ranking relative to other course aspects, (ii) their learning of organic chemistry, and (iii) whether it improved their study habits and how students used it as a learning tool were investigated. Our students perceived the online homework as one of the more useful course aspects for learning organic chemistry content. We found a moderate and statistically significant correlation between online homework performance and final grade. Gender as a variable was ruled out since significant gender differences in overall attitude toward online homework use and course success rates were not found. Our students expressed relatively positive attitudes toward use of online homework with a majority indicating improved study habits (e.g., study in a more consistent manner). Our students used a variety of resources to remediate incorrect responses (e.g., class materials, general online materials, and help from others). However, 39% of our students admitted to guessing at times, instead of working to remediate incorrect responses. In large enrollment organic chemistry courses, online homework may act to bridge the student-instructor gap by providing students with a supportive mechanism for regulated learning of content.

Why people continue to play online games: in search of critical design factors to increase customer loyalty to online contents.

PubMed

Choi, Dongseong; Kim, Jinwoo

2004-02-01

As people increasingly play online games, numerous new features have been proposed to increase players' log-on time at online gaming sites. However, few studies have investigated why people continue to play certain online games or which design features are most closely related to the amount of time spent by players at particular online gaming sites. This study proposes a theoretical model using the concepts of customer loyalty, flow, personal interaction, and social interaction to explain why people continue to play online network games. The study then conducts a large-scale survey to validate the model. Finally, it analyzes current online games to identify design features that are closely related to the theoretical concepts. The results indicate that people continue to play online games if they have optimal experiences while playing the games. This optimal experience can be attained if the player has effective personal interaction with the system or pleasant social interactions with other people connected to the Internet. Personal interaction can be facilitated by providing appropriate goals, operators and feedback; social interaction can be facilitated through appropriate communication places and tools. This paper ends with the implications of applying the study results to other domains such as e-commerce and cyber communities.

The TileCal Online Energy Estimation for the Next LHC Operation Period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sotto-Maior Peralva, B.; ATLAS Collaboration

2015-05-01

The ATLAS Tile Calorimeter (TileCal) is the detector used in the reconstruction of hadrons, jets and missing transverse energy from the proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). It covers the central part of the ATLAS detector (|η| < 1.6). The energy deposited by the particles is read out by approximately 5,000 cells, with double readout channels. The signal provided by the readout electronics for each channel is digitized at 40 MHz and its amplitude is estimated by an optimal filtering algorithm, which expects a single signal with a well-defined shape. However, the LHC luminosity is expected to increase leading to pile-up that deforms the signal of interest. Due to limited resources, the current hardware setup, which is based on Digital Signal Processors (DSP), does not allow the implementation of sophisticated energy estimation methods that deal with the pile-up. Therefore, the technique to be employed for online energy estimation in TileCal for next LHC operation period must be based on fast filters such as the Optimal Filter (OF) and the Matched Filter (MF). Both the OF and MF methods envisage the use of the background second order statistics in its design, more precisely the covariance matrix. However, the identity matrix has been used to describe this quantity. Although this approximation can be valid for low luminosity LHC, it leads to biased estimators under pile- up conditions. Since most of the TileCal cell present low occupancy, the pile-up, which is often modeled by a non-Gaussian distribution, can be seen as outlier events. Consequently, the classical covariance matrix estimation does not describe correctly the second order statistics of the background for the majority of the events, as this approach is very sensitive to outliers. As a result, the OF (or MF) coefficients are miscalculated leading to a larger variance and biased energy estimator. This work evaluates the usage of a robust covariance estimator, namely the Minimum Covariance Determinant (MCD) algorithm, to be applied in the OF design. The goal of the MCD estimator is to find a number of observations whose classical covariance matrix has the lowest determinant. Hence, this procedure avoids taking into account low likelihood events to describe the background. It is worth mentioning that the background covariance matrix as well as the OF coefficients for each TileCal channel are computed offline and stored for both online and offline use. In order to evaluate the impact of the MCD estimator on the performance of the OF, simulated data sets were used. Different average numbers of interactions per bunch crossing and bunch spacings were tested. The results show that the estimation of the background covariance matrix through MCD improves significantly the final energy resolution with respect to the identity matrix which is currently used. Particularly, for high occupancy cells, the final energy resolution is improved by more than 20%. Moreover, the use of the classical covariance matrix degrades the energy resolution for the majority of TileCal cells.

All You Need Is Facebook Friends? Associations between Online and Face-to-Face Friendships and Health

PubMed Central

Lima, Maria Luisa; Marques, Sibila; Muiños, Gabriel; Camilo, Cristina

2017-01-01

Positive social relations are known to have a beneficial impact on health, however, little is known about the links of health with online relationships. In this study, we compare face-to-face and virtual friendships in their association with health. By building on previous results of studies conducted on the well-being of college students, we expect to find stronger associations of face-to-face friendships with health than of those established through Facebook. Furthermore, we expect to test the mediating role of social capital variables in this process. Two large-scale studies conducted in community samples (Study 1 = 350 urban residents; Study 2 = 803 urban and rural residents) showed that the number and quality of face-to-face friendships were directly associated with self-reported health status, however, the same did not occur with Facebook friendships. Moreover, the association of face-to-face friendships with health was totally mediated by bonding (mostly) but also bridging social capital. These results, replicated in both studies, were found controlling for confounding variables such as age, gender, education, living alone, self-esteem, and socioeconomic status. This pattern of results emphasizes the gains of face-to-face over online friendships for individuals’ health status in community samples. PMID:28194125

Perceptions of D.M.D. student readiness for basic science courses in the United States: can online review modules help?

PubMed

Miller, C J; Aiken, S A; Metz, M J

2015-02-01

There can be a disconnect between the level of content covered in undergraduate coursework and the expectations of professional-level faculty of their incoming students. Some basic science faculty members may assume that students have a good knowledge base in the material and neglect to appropriately review, whilst others may spend too much class time reviewing basic material. It was hypothesised that the replacement of introductory didactic physiology lectures with interactive online modules could improve student preparedness prior to lectures. These modules would also allow faculty members to analyse incoming student abilities and save valuable face-to-face class time for alternative teaching strategies. Results indicated that the performance levels of incoming U.S. students were poor (57% average on a pre-test), and students often under-predicted their abilities (by 13% on average). Faculty expectations varied greatly between the different content areas and did not appear to correlate with the actual student performance. Three review modules were created which produced a statistically significant increase in post-test scores (46% increase, P < 0.0001, n = 114-115). The positive results of this study suggest a need to incorporate online review units in the basic science dental school courses and revise introductory material tailored to students' strengths and needs.

All You Need Is Facebook Friends? Associations between Online and Face-to-Face Friendships and Health.

PubMed

Lima, Maria Luisa; Marques, Sibila; Muiños, Gabriel; Camilo, Cristina

2017-01-01

Positive social relations are known to have a beneficial impact on health, however, little is known about the links of health with online relationships. In this study, we compare face-to-face and virtual friendships in their association with health. By building on previous results of studies conducted on the well-being of college students, we expect to find stronger associations of face-to-face friendships with health than of those established through Facebook. Furthermore, we expect to test the mediating role of social capital variables in this process. Two large-scale studies conducted in community samples (Study 1 = 350 urban residents; Study 2 = 803 urban and rural residents) showed that the number and quality of face-to-face friendships were directly associated with self-reported health status, however, the same did not occur with Facebook friendships. Moreover, the association of face-to-face friendships with health was totally mediated by bonding (mostly) but also bridging social capital. These results, replicated in both studies, were found controlling for confounding variables such as age, gender, education, living alone, self-esteem, and socioeconomic status. This pattern of results emphasizes the gains of face-to-face over online friendships for individuals' health status in community samples.

Dude Looks like a Lady: Gender Swapping in an Online Game

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huh, Searle; Williams, Dmitri

After reviewing the literature on online identity construction and developing a set of theory-based hypotheses, this chapter employs a novel combination of survey data and game-generated behavioral logs to examine gender swapping in EverQuest II. Gender swapping is defined as a difference between the gender reported by the player in the survey from the gender of the player's main character in the game. Motivations for play were measured using Yee's condensed MMO motivations scale, and behavioral logs supplied four main measures of gender-stereotypical in-game behaviors. Contrary to expectations, gender swapping was less common among female players, and swapping was rather rare in general. Homosexual players were more likely to change their online gender than straight players. Performance and socialization motivations for play did not differ significantly between swappers and nonswappers. Men who play female characters were not more likely to engage in stereotypically female acts than men who play male characters; however, women who played male characters did display a degree of hyper-masculine behavior. Some of these findings suggest that there may be less of the identity exploration or challenging of gender norms than some had expected, but the female population of players may be bimodal, composed of stereotypically female and male-leaning subgroups.

Cognitive Dissonance, Personalized Feedback, and Online Gambling Behavior: An Exploratory Study Using Objective Tracking Data and Subjective Self-Report.

PubMed

Auer, Michael; Griffiths, Mark D

2018-01-01

Providing personalized feedback about the amount of money that gamblers have actually spent may-in some cases-result in cognitive dissonance due to the mismatch between what gamblers actually spent and what they thought they had spent. In the present study, the participant sample ( N  = 11,829) was drawn from a Norwegian population that had played at least one game for money in the past six months on the Norsk Tipping online gambling website. Players were told that they could retrieve personalized information about the amount of money they had lost over the previous 6-month period. Out of the 11,829 players, 4045 players accessed information about their personal gambling expenditure and were asked whether they thought the amount they lost was (i) more than expected, (ii) about as much as expected, or (iii) less than expected. It was hypothesized that players who claimed that the amount of money lost gambling was more than they had expected were more likely to experience a state of cognitive dissonance and would attempt to reduce their gambling expenditure more than other players who claimed that the amount of money lost was as much as they expected. The overall results contradicted the hypothesis because players without any cognitive dissonance decreased their gambling expenditure more than players experiencing cognitive dissonance. However, a more detailed analysis of the data supported the hypothesis because specific playing patterns of six different types of gambler using a machine-learning tree algorithm explained the paradoxical overall result.

Young adults on the perceived benefits and expected use of personal health records: a qualitative descriptive study.

PubMed

Nguyen, Quynh; Bartlett, Gillian; Rodriguez, Charo; Tellier, Pierre-Paul

2016-04-18

Personal health records (PHRs) are tools that allow individuals to access, share and manage their health information online. Despite apparent interest, adoption rates remain low. There is a gap in our understanding as to what different populations of users, in particular young adults, might want from such a tool. To describe and interpret the views and expectations of young healthy adults about using an online PHR. A qualitative descriptive study was carried out. Four focus groups were conducted with a total of 29 participants (18-34 years old) from a community setting in Montreal, Canada. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed with inductivethematic analysis. With respect to how young adults viewed PHRs, three broad themes were identified: perceived advantages to using a PHR, future PHR users and concerns about PHRs. Three other overarching themes emerged from data analysis in terms of what participants expected from using a PHR: the use of the PHR for preventative health, PHR support to take more control over their health and strategies to make the PHR worthwhile. A conceptual framework of factors influencing expectations of PHR use in this population is proposed. While young adults view the PHR as beneficial, this is not enough for them to be motivated to actually use a PHR. To foster use, the PHRs need to be perceived as a health prevention tool that helps users to increase control over theirhealth status. More research is needed to understand the expectations and anticipated use of different populations in designing a person-centered tool;the proposedframework provides theoretical basis in this regard.

Simultaneously learning DNA motif along with its position and sequence rank preferences through expectation maximization algorithm.

PubMed

Zhang, ZhiZhuo; Chang, Cheng Wei; Hugo, Willy; Cheung, Edwin; Sung, Wing-Kin

2013-03-01

Although de novo motifs can be discovered through mining over-represented sequence patterns, this approach misses some real motifs and generates many false positives. To improve accuracy, one solution is to consider some additional binding features (i.e., position preference and sequence rank preference). This information is usually required from the user. This article presents a de novo motif discovery algorithm called SEME (sampling with expectation maximization for motif elicitation), which uses pure probabilistic mixture model to model the motif's binding features and uses expectation maximization (EM) algorithms to simultaneously learn the sequence motif, position, and sequence rank preferences without asking for any prior knowledge from the user. SEME is both efficient and accurate thanks to two important techniques: the variable motif length extension and importance sampling. Using 75 large-scale synthetic datasets, 32 metazoan compendium benchmark datasets, and 164 chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) libraries, we demonstrated the superior performance of SEME over existing programs in finding transcription factor (TF) binding sites. SEME is further applied to a more difficult problem of finding the co-regulated TF (coTF) motifs in 15 ChIP-Seq libraries. It identified significantly more correct coTF motifs and, at the same time, predicted coTF motifs with better matching to the known motifs. Finally, we show that the learned position and sequence rank preferences of each coTF reveals potential interaction mechanisms between the primary TF and the coTF within these sites. Some of these findings were further validated by the ChIP-Seq experiments of the coTFs. The application is available online.

The Impact of a Small Private Online Course as a New Approach to Teaching Oncology: Development and Evaluation.

PubMed

Vaysse, Charlotte; Chantalat, Elodie; Beyne-Rauzy, Odile; Morineau, Louise; Despas, Fabien; Bachaud, Jean-Marc; Caunes, Nathalie; Poublanc, Muriel; Serrano, Elie; Bugat, Roland; Rougé Bugat, Marie-Eve; Fize, Anne-Laure

2018-03-05

Oncology involves complex care and multidisciplinary management of patients; however, misinformation and ineffective communication remain problematic. The educational objective of our study was to develop a new teaching method to improve cancer treatment and management by emphasizing the link between hospitals (inpatients) and their surrounding communities (outpatients). A team of 22 professionals from public and private institutions developed a small private online course (SPOC). Each offering of the course lasted 6 weeks and covered 6 topics: individual health care plans, cancer surgery, ionizing radiation, cancer medicines, clinical research, and oncological supportive care. For participants in the course, we targeted people working in the cancer field. The SPOC used an active teaching method with collaborative and multidisciplinary learning. A final examination was offered in each session. We evaluated participants' satisfaction rate through a questionnaire and the success of the SPOC by participants' completion, success, and commitment rates. Of the total participants (N=1574), 446 completed the evaluation form. Most participants were aged 31 to 45 years. Participants included 56 nurses, 131 pharmacists, 80 from the medical field (including 26 physicians), 53 from patients' associations, 28 health teachers, and 13 students (medical and paramedical). Among the participants, 24.7% (90/446) had an independent medical practice, 38.5% (140/446) worked in a public institution, and 36.8% (134/446) worked in a private institution. After completing the SPOC sessions, 85.9% (384/446) thought they had learned new information, 90.8% (405/446) felt their expectations were met, and 90.4% (403/446) considered that the information had a positive impact on their professional practice. The completion rate was 35.51% (559/1574), the success rate was 71.47% (1025/1574), and the commitment rate was 64.67% (1018/1574). Concerning the cost effectiveness of SPOC compared with a traditional classroom of 25 students, online education became more effective when there were more than 950 participants. SPOCs improved the management of oncology patients. This new digital learning technique is an attractive concept to integrate into teaching practice. It offered optimal propagation of information and met the students' expectations. ©Charlotte Vaysse, Elodie Chantalat, Odile Beyne-Rauzy, Louise Morineau, Fabien Despas, Jean-Marc Bachaud, Nathalie Caunes, Muriel Poublanc, Elie Serrano, Roland Bugat, Marie-Eve Rougé Bugat, Anne-Laure Fize. Originally published in JMIR Medical Education (http://mededu.jmir.org), 05.03.2018.

Men's and Women's Use and Creation of Online Sexually Explicit Materials Including Fandom-Related Works.

PubMed

Anisimowicz, Yvonne; O'Sullivan, Lucia F

2017-04-01

The Internet and mobile computing have been highly influential in shaping the modern technological era and subsequently the production of and access to online sexually explicit materials (SEM). Fandom-the realm of fans sharing a common interest-has also adapted to the Internet, which has changed how fans access and distribute fanworks (i.e., material created by fans such as stories and art), many of which contain SEM. The current study examined gender differences in the use and creation of online SEM by surveying 468 men and 347 women (ages 18 or older; mean age = 33.8 years) residing in North America. Participants completed anonymous measures assessing demographic information, experiences using and creating online SEM, and measures of related sexual attitudes. Use of online SEM was widely reported by participants, with men (87.8 %) indicating more use than with women (67.4 %). As expected, few participants reported creating online SEM (3.6 % of men, 4.9 % of women). Men and women reported similar levels of preferred sexual explicitness in the online SEM that they used. There were no significant gender differences in the use of fanworks reported by men (14.3 %) and women (14.7 %) or in the creation of fanworks (1.5 % of men, 3.2 % of women). Fandom-related online SEM use was predicted only by more permissive sexual attitudes (one of eight predictors). Although there were many similarities between men's and women's use of online SEM, some gender differences were found in their motives for online SEM use. Findings are discussed in terms of the context in which men and women experience online SEM.

Factors Influencing Communication with Doctors via the Internet: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of 2014 HINTS Survey.

PubMed

Jiang, Shaohai; Street, Richard L

2017-02-01

Based on Street's (2003) ecological framework of communication in medical encounters, this study examined personal, interpersonal, and media factors that could influence patients' use of the Internet to communicate with doctors. Results from data analysis of responses from the 2014 Health Information National Trends Survey showed that patient activation and ease of Internet access were two positive predictors of online doctor-patient communication. In addition, patients' trust in doctors positively moderated the relationships between patient activation and online doctor-patient communication, and between perceived health status and online doctor-patient communication. Finally, the quality of patients' past experiences communicating with doctors had a positive moderation effect on the association between health information seeking behavior and online doctor-patient communication. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Effects of Print Publication Lag in Dual Format Journals on Scientometric Indicators

PubMed Central

Heneberg, Petr

2013-01-01

Background Publication lag between manuscript submission and its final publication is considered as an important factor affecting the decision to submit, the timeliness of presented data, and the scientometric measures of the particular journal. Dual-format peer-reviewed journals (publishing both print and online editions of their content) adopted a broadly accepted strategy to shorten the publication lag: to publish the accepted manuscripts online ahead of their print editions, which may follow days, but also years later. Effects of this widespread habit on the immediacy index (average number of times an article is cited in the year it is published) calculation were never analyzed. Methodology/Principal Findings Scopus database (which contains nearly up-to-date documents in press, but does not reveal citations by these documents until they are finalized) was searched for the journals with the highest total counts of articles in press, or highest counts of articles in press appearing online in 2010–2011. Number of citations received by the articles in press available online was found to be nearly equal to citations received within the year when the document was assigned to a journal issue. Thus, online publication of in press articles affects severely the calculation of immediacy index of their source titles, and disadvantages online-only and print-only journals when evaluating them according to the immediacy index and probably also according to the impact factor and similar measures. Conclusions/Significance Caution should be taken when evaluating dual-format journals supporting long publication lag. Further research should answer the question, on whether the immediacy index should be replaced by an indicator based on the date of first publication (online or in print, whichever comes first) to eliminate the problems analyzed in this report. Information value of immediacy index is further questioned by very high ratio of authors’ self-citations among the citation window used for its calculation. PMID:23573216

Sickle Cell Anemia and Its Phenotypes.

PubMed

Williams, Thomas N; Thein, Swee Lay

2018-04-11

In the 100 years since sickle cell anemia (SCA) was first described in the medical literature, studies of its molecular and pathophysiological basis have been at the vanguard of scientific discovery. By contrast, the translation of such knowledge into treatments that improve the lives of those affected has been much too slow. Recent years, however, have seen major advances on several fronts. A more detailed understanding of the switch from fetal to adult hemoglobin and the identification of regulators such as BCL11A provide hope that these findings will be translated into genomic-based approaches to the therapeutic reactivation of hemoglobin F production in patients with SCA. Meanwhile, an unprecedented number of new drugs aimed at both the treatment and prevention of end-organ damage are now in the pipeline, outcomes from potentially curative treatments such as allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are improving, and great strides are being made in gene therapy, where methods employing both antisickling β-globin lentiviral vectors and gene editing are now entering clinical trials. Encouragingly, after a century of neglect, the profile of the vast majority of those with SCA in Africa and India is also finally improving. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics Volume 19 is August 31, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Risky online behaviors among adolescents: Longitudinal relations among problematic Internet use, cyberbullying perpetration, and meeting strangers online.

PubMed

Gámez-Guadix, Manuel; Borrajo, Erika; Almendros, Carmen

2016-03-01

Background and aims This study aims to analyze the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationship between three major risky online behaviors during adolescence: problematic Internet use, cyberbullying perpetration, and meeting strangers online. An additional objective was to study the role of impulsivity-irresponsibility as a possible explanatory variable of the relationships between these risky online behaviors. Methods The study sample was 888 adolescents that completed self-report measures at time 1 and time 2 with an interval of 6 months. Results The findings showed a significant cross-sectional relationship between the risky online behaviors analyzed. At the longitudinal level, problematic Internet use at time 1 predicted an increase in the perpetration of cyberbullying and meeting strangers online at time 2. Furthermore, meeting strangers online increased the likelihood of cyberbullying perpetration at time 2. Finally, when impulsivity-irresponsibility was included in the model as an explanatory variable, the relationships previously found remained significant. Discussion These results extend traditional problem behavior theory during adolescence, also supporting a relationship between different risky behaviors in cyberspace. In addition, findings highlighted the role of problematic Internet use, which increased the chances of developing cyberbullying perpetration and meeting strangers online over time. However, the results suggest a limited role of impulsivity-irresponsibility as an explicative mechanism. Conclusions The findings suggest that various online risk activities ought to be addressed together when planning assessment, prevention and intervention efforts.

Validating Bayesian truth serum in large-scale online human experiments.

PubMed

Frank, Morgan R; Cebrian, Manuel; Pickard, Galen; Rahwan, Iyad

2017-01-01

Bayesian truth serum (BTS) is an exciting new method for improving honesty and information quality in multiple-choice survey, but, despite the method's mathematical reliance on large sample sizes, existing literature about BTS only focuses on small experiments. Combined with the prevalence of online survey platforms, such as Amazon's Mechanical Turk, which facilitate surveys with hundreds or thousands of participants, BTS must be effective in large-scale experiments for BTS to become a readily accepted tool in real-world applications. We demonstrate that BTS quantifiably improves honesty in large-scale online surveys where the "honest" distribution of answers is known in expectation on aggregate. Furthermore, we explore a marketing application where "honest" answers cannot be known, but find that BTS treatment impacts the resulting distributions of answers.

Validating Bayesian truth serum in large-scale online human experiments

PubMed Central

Frank, Morgan R.; Cebrian, Manuel; Pickard, Galen; Rahwan, Iyad

2017-01-01

Bayesian truth serum (BTS) is an exciting new method for improving honesty and information quality in multiple-choice survey, but, despite the method’s mathematical reliance on large sample sizes, existing literature about BTS only focuses on small experiments. Combined with the prevalence of online survey platforms, such as Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, which facilitate surveys with hundreds or thousands of participants, BTS must be effective in large-scale experiments for BTS to become a readily accepted tool in real-world applications. We demonstrate that BTS quantifiably improves honesty in large-scale online surveys where the “honest” distribution of answers is known in expectation on aggregate. Furthermore, we explore a marketing application where “honest” answers cannot be known, but find that BTS treatment impacts the resulting distributions of answers. PMID:28494000

Marijuana use/cessation expectancies and marijuana use in college students

PubMed Central

Brackenbury, Lauren M.; Ladd, Benjamin O.; Anderson, Kristen G.

2016-01-01

Background Research suggests that marijuana expectancies are associated with problematic marijuana use; however, these marijuana-related cognitions remain relatively understudied. Objective This study examined marijuana-related decision-making among college students by exploring the relationships among marijuana expectancies and marijuana use variables. Method College students (N = 357) endorsing lifetime marijuana use completed an online survey on marijuana use expectancies, marijuana cessation expectancies, marijuana use, and future marijuana use intentions. A simple regression framework was used to test the effect of each type of expectancies on marijuana outcome; a hierarchical regression framework tested the unique predictive validity when both types were entered into the same model. Results Both marijuana use expectancies and marijuana cessation expectancies independently predicted a number of marijuana use variables. Additionally, marijuana use expectancies and marijuana cessation expectancies contributed significant unique variance to the prediction of marijuana use. Conclusions It is important to consider both use expectancies and cessation expectancies, as these two domains of marijuana-related cognitions appear to act independently, rather than as opposite ends of the same construct. Longitudinal studies are needed to further examine how these factors interact to influence marijuana use and problems over time. PMID:26678375

Multiple online victimization of Spanish adolescents: Results from a community sample.

PubMed

Montiel, Irene; Carbonell, Enrique; Pereda, Noemí

2016-02-01

Little is known about online victimization of Spanish adolescents. The present study aims to determine the past-year prevalence of online victimization in a community sample of Spanish adolescents. The final sample consisted of 3,897 adolescents between 12 and 17 years old (M=14.45, SD=1.59), 1,836 males and 2,049 females, recruited from 39 secondary schools in the east of Spain. The Cuestionario de victimización juvenil mediante internet y/o teléfono móvil (hereinafter, Juvenile Online Victimization Questionnaire, JOV-Q, Montiel & Carbonell, 2012) was applied for the assessment of eight types of online victimization grouped in two major domains: sexual (sexual coercion, sexual pressure, online grooming by an adult, unwanted exposure to sexual content and violation of privacy); and nonsexual victimization (online harassment, happy slapping, pressure to obtain personal information). Sixty-one percent of adolescents reported online victimization during the last year. Online sexual victimization was reported by 39.5% of adolescents and nonsexual victimization by 53.4% of them, whereas 31% of youth reported having experienced online victimization in both domains. The highest prevalence rates were recorded for online harassment (50%), unwanted exposure to sexual content (24.4%), pressure to obtain personal information (18.4%) and online grooming by an adult (17.2%), and the lowest for sexual coercion (6.7%) and happy slapping (2.2%). Thirty-five percent of the adolescents were considered online polyvictims and most of them experienced victimization in both sexual and nonsexual domains (88%). This study illustrates that Spanish adolescents experience high levels of online victimization and that multiple online victimization appears to be the norm among cybervictims. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Religiousness and hazardous alcohol use: a conditional indirect effects model.

PubMed

Jankowski, Peter J; Hardy, Sam A; Zamboanga, Byron L; Ham, Lindsay S

2013-08-01

The current study examined a conditional indirect effects model of the association between religiousness and adolescents' hazardous alcohol use. In doing so, we responded to the need to include both mediators and moderators, and the need for theoretically informed models when examining religiousness and adolescents' alcohol use. The sample consisted of 383 adolescents, aged 15-18, who completed an online questionnaire. Results of structural equation modeling supported the proposed model. Religiousness was indirectly associated with hazardous alcohol use through both positive alcohol expectancy outcomes and negative alcohol expectancy valuations. Significant moderating effects for alcohol expectancy valuations on the association between alcohol expectancies and alcohol use were also found. The effects for alcohol expectancy valuations confirm valuations as a distinct construct to that of alcohol expectancy outcomes, and offer support for the protective role of internalized religiousness on adolescents' hazardous alcohol use as a function of expectancy valuations. Copyright © 2013 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

GRoW Buffalo Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bohm, Martha

This document provides final reporting on the GRoW Home, University at Buffalo's entry to the 2015 Solar Decathlon competition in Irvine, CA. The report summarizes fundraising efforts, documents media outreach, lists online presence, analyzes the organizer's communication, describes post-competition life of the house and future employment plans for student team members. Last, it suggests improvements for future decathlons.

The moderating effect of gender on the relation between expectancies and gambling frequency among college students.

PubMed

Teeters, Jenni B; Ginley, Meredith K; Whelan, James P; Meyers, Andrew W; Pearlson, Godfrey D

2015-03-01

Compared to college females, college males are more likely to report frequent gambling. Research on gambling outcome expectancies has shown that expectations about gambling influence gambling behavior and that endorsement of particular expectancies differs by gender. Knowledge regarding the differential predictive utility of specific gambling expectancies based on gender would help to determine how beliefs about gambling may be fundamentally different for men and women. The present study explored whether gender moderates the relation between gambling expectancy and gambling frequency in a college sample. 421 college students completed an online survey that included questions about their demographics, gambling frequency, and gambling expectancies. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that gender moderated the relations between the expectancies of social consequences, material gain, and gambling frequency. For females, greater endorsement of social consequences predicted less frequent gambling. For both males and females, greater endorsement of material gain predicted more frequent gambling. The current findings can help inform prevention and intervention efforts by identifying gambling expectations that are differentially related to college student gambling behavior choices.

A Case Study on the Failure of Management Controls around Expected Benefit Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parsons, Earl H.

2013-01-01

Organization leaders manage change through projects to realize specific expected benefits. Under Expectation-Confirmation theory, expected benefits can be used to judge the ongoing viability and final success of the project. Organization leaders often develop management controls to ensure that the expected benefits are defined to allow their use…

Parallel image compression

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reif, John H.

1987-01-01

A parallel compression algorithm for the 16,384 processor MPP machine was developed. The serial version of the algorithm can be viewed as a combination of on-line dynamic lossless test compression techniques (which employ simple learning strategies) and vector quantization. These concepts are described. How these concepts are combined to form a new strategy for performing dynamic on-line lossy compression is discussed. Finally, the implementation of this algorithm in a massively parallel fashion on the MPP is discussed.

On the design of learning outcomes for the undergraduate engineer's final year project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thambyah, Ashvin

2011-03-01

The course for the final year project for engineering students, because of its strongly research-based, open-ended format, tends to not have well defined learning outcomes, which are also not aligned with any accepted pedagogical philosophy or learning technology. To address this problem, the revised Bloom's taxonomy table of Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) is utilised, as suggested previously by Lee and Lai (2007), to design new learning outcomes for the final year project course in engineering education. Based on the expectations of the engineering graduate, and integrating these graduate expectations into the six cognitive processes and four knowledge dimensions of the taxonomy table, 24 learning outcomes have been designed. It is proposed that these 24 learning outcomes be utilised as a suitable working template to inspire more critical evaluation of what is expected to be learnt by engineering students undertaking final year research or capstone projects.

Investigating the Effect of Personality, Internet Literacy, and Use Expectancies in Internet-Use Disorder: A Comparative Study between China and Germany

PubMed Central

Brand, Matthias; Li, Mei; Zhou, Min; Sha, Peng

2018-01-01

Research on Internet-use Disorder (IUD) has increased rapidly, indicating its clinical and global importance. Past studies suggested cultural diversity regarding the prevalence of an IUD, e.g., between Asian and European countries. Additionally, it was found that personality factors, Internet-related cognitions and specific competences seem to influence IUD tendencies, but research lacks in cultural comparative studies regarding these mechanisms. This study focuses on differences between Germany and China regarding the above-mentioned characteristics. German (n = 411; M = 20.70 years, SD = 3.34 years) and Chinese participants (n = 410; M = 20.72 years, SD = 2.65 years) answered the short Internet Addiction Test, Big Five Inventories, the Internet-use Expectancies Scale, as well as the Internet Literacy Questionnaire. The results revealed higher occurrence of IUD symptoms in China. Furthermore, Chinese participants scored significantly higher on neuroticism and agreeableness, whereas German participants scored higher on extraversion and openness. Compared to German participants, Chinese showed higher expectancies to avoid negative feelings online and to be positively reinforced. Regarding Internet literacy, German participants indicated higher skills concerning the reflection and critical analysis of online content, whereas Chinese showed higher expertise in producing and interacting online. Further, simple slope analyses indicated that certain Internet literacy domains were related differentially to IUD symptoms in Germany and China. While Chinese participants with higher reflective skills indicated highest IUD symptoms, reflective skills revealed no effect in Germany. Additionally, higher self-regulative skills correlated with lower IUD symptoms in the German, but not in the Chinese sample. The results give a hint to potential cultural differences regarding IUD, especially on the predictive and protective role of Internet literacy domains. PMID:29570663

Investigating the Effect of Personality, Internet Literacy, and Use Expectancies in Internet-Use Disorder: A Comparative Study between China and Germany.

PubMed

Stodt, Benjamin; Brand, Matthias; Sindermann, Cornelia; Wegmann, Elisa; Li, Mei; Zhou, Min; Sha, Peng; Montag, Christian

2018-03-23

Research on Internet-use Disorder (IUD) has increased rapidly, indicating its clinical and global importance. Past studies suggested cultural diversity regarding the prevalence of an IUD, e.g., between Asian and European countries. Additionally, it was found that personality factors, Internet-related cognitions and specific competences seem to influence IUD tendencies, but research lacks in cultural comparative studies regarding these mechanisms. This study focuses on differences between Germany and China regarding the above-mentioned characteristics. German ( n = 411; M = 20.70 years, SD = 3.34 years) and Chinese participants ( n = 410; M = 20.72 years, SD = 2.65 years) answered the short Internet Addiction Test, Big Five Inventories, the Internet-use Expectancies Scale, as well as the Internet Literacy Questionnaire. The results revealed higher occurrence of IUD symptoms in China. Furthermore, Chinese participants scored significantly higher on neuroticism and agreeableness, whereas German participants scored higher on extraversion and openness. Compared to German participants, Chinese showed higher expectancies to avoid negative feelings online and to be positively reinforced. Regarding Internet literacy, German participants indicated higher skills concerning the reflection and critical analysis of online content, whereas Chinese showed higher expertise in producing and interacting online. Further, simple slope analyses indicated that certain Internet literacy domains were related differentially to IUD symptoms in Germany and China. While Chinese participants with higher reflective skills indicated highest IUD symptoms, reflective skills revealed no effect in Germany. Additionally, higher self-regulative skills correlated with lower IUD symptoms in the German, but not in the Chinese sample. The results give a hint to potential cultural differences regarding IUD, especially on the predictive and protective role of Internet literacy domains.

Teaching Tip: Developing an Intercollegiate Twitter Forum to Improve Student Exam Study and Digital Professionalism.

PubMed

Whiting, Martin; Kinnison, Tierney; Mossop, Liz

#VetFinals has been developed as a novel online Twitter teaching event designed to support intercollegiate veterinary teaching using social media. Previous studies in other fields have suggested that Twitter use within universities may have benefits for undergraduate education. This "teaching tip" paper describes a project using Twitter to host online exam study sessions. The project has been a highly successful collaborative effort between the Royal Veterinary College and Nottingham Veterinary School in the UK. Over 4 years, the #VetFinals project has developed into a long-term, self-sustaining enterprise. This initiative provides a semi-structured means for student exam preparation with direct real-time input from a faculty member. It also creates a network of peers both horizontally across institutions and vertically throughout year groups. Based on similar initiatives in other disciplines, an anticipated outcome of this project was to contribute to student online professionalism. This could help address the veterinary community's recently highlighted problems with professional conduct and appropriate use of social media. Analysis of the success of this endeavor will be available in a future publication.

Identification of Variables and Factors Impacting Consumer Behavior in On-line Shopping in India: An Empirical Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chhikara, Sudesh

On-line shopping is a recent phenomenon in the field of E-Business and is definitely going to be the future of shopping in the world. Most of the companies are running their on-line portals to sell their products/services. Though online shopping is very common outside India, its growth in Indian Market, which is a large and strategic consumer market, is still not in line with the global market. The potential growth of on-line shopping has triggered the idea of conducting a study on on-line shopping in India. The present research paper has used exploratory study to depict and highlight the various categories of factors and variables impacting the behavior of consumers towards on-line shopping in India. The data was collected through in-depth interviews on a sample of 41 respondents from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore. The results of the study show that on-line shopping in India is basically impacted by five categories of factors like demographics factor, Psychographics factor, Online shopping feature and policies, Technological factor, Security factor. The results of the study are used to present a comprehensive model of on-line shopping which could be further used by the researchers and practitioners for conducting future studies in the similar area. A brief operational definition of all the factors and variables impacting on-line shopping in India is also described. And finally practical implications of the study are also elucidated.

The motivations and experiences of students enrolled in online science courses at the community college

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Urbi

An important question in online learning involves how to effectively motivate and retain students in science online courses. There is a dearth of research and knowledge about the experiences of students enrolled in online science courses in community colleges which has impeded the proper development and implementation of online courses and retention of students in the online environment. This study sought to provide an understanding of the relationships among each of the following variables: self-efficacy, task value, negative-achievement emotions, self-regulation learning strategies (metacognition), learning strategy (elaboration), and course satisfaction to student's performance (course final grade). Bandura's social-cognitive theory was used as a framework to describe the relationships among students' motivational beliefs (perceived task value, self-efficacy, and self-regulation) and emotions (frustration and boredom) with the dependent variables (elaboration and overall course satisfaction). A mixed-method design was used with a survey instrumentation and student interviews. A variety of science online courses in biology, genetics, astronomy, nutrition, and chemistry were surveyed in two community colleges. Community colleges students (N = 107) completed a questionnaire during enrollment in a variety of online science online courses. Upon course completion, 12 respondents were randomly selected for follow-up in-depth interviews. Multiple regression results from the study indicate perceived task value and self-regulatory learning strategies (metacognition) were as important predictors for students' use of elaboration, while self-efficacy and the number of prior online courses was not significant predictors for students' elaboration when all four predictors were included. Frustration was a significant negative predictor of overall course satisfaction, and boredom unexpectedly emerged as a positive predictor when frustration was also in the model. In addition, the correlations indicated that elaboration and overall course satisfaction were not significantly related to participants' course grade (performance). Furthermore, five major themes emerged from the students' experiences: the role of personal dispositions, academic challenge, self-regulated learning, student communication, and the negative emotions that shaped student experiences. In particular, negative emotions most experienced by students were found to be anxiety, stress, frustration and confusion. In total, results from this study implicate an important role of emotions such as frustration in students' overall course satisfaction and the importance of task value. Students' career aspirations and direct use of the course content were more likely to report greater use of elaboration strategies. Finally, this research also found that students self-regulated their learning in the online environment on a variety of levels.

Orthopaedic Patient Information on the World Wide Web: An Essential Review.

PubMed

Cassidy, John Tristan; Baker, Joseph F

2016-02-17

Patients increasingly use the Internet to research health-related issues. Internet content, unlike other forms of media, is not regulated. Although information accessed online can impact patients' opinions and expectations, there is limited information about the quality or readability of online orthopaedic information. PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar were searched using anatomic descriptors and three title keywords ("Internet," "web," and "online"). Articles examining online orthopaedic information from January 1, 2000, until April 1, 2015, were recorded. Articles were assessed for the number of reviewers evaluating the online material, whether the article examined for a link between authorship and quality, and the use of recognized quality and readability assessment tools. To facilitate a contemporary discussion, only publications since January 1, 2010, were considered for analysis. A total of thirty-eight peer-reviewed articles published since 2010 examining the quality and/or readability of online orthopaedic information were reviewed. For information quality, there was marked variation in the quality assessment methods utilized, the number of reviewers, and the manner of reporting. To date, the majority of examined information is of poor quality. Studies examining readability have focused on pages produced by professional orthopaedic societies. The quality and readability of online orthopaedic information are generally poor. For modern practices to adapt to the Internet and to prevent misinformation, the orthopaedic community should develop high-quality, readable online patient information. Copyright © 2016 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

Earth System Science Online: An Innovative Course for Non-traditional Students, Offered by Hampton University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, D. Q.; Kozusko, F.; Maggi, B. H.

2003-12-01

Hampton University (HU), a historically black university, is currently offering an innovative online course, Earth System Science Online, for teachers, future teachers, non-science undergraduate majors, and mature non-traditional students continuing their education. Supported by NASA and offered by the Interdisciplinary Science Center at HU, this course targets students interested in an asynchronous web-based learning environment. Often these students are working adults, such as those in the HU religious studies program, or undergraduate athletes who need the flexibility of taking their courses online in the evenings. Participants of this course earn three hours of science credit either graduate or undergraduate through their online explorations of the geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. The incorporation of specific problem-based case studies, allows students to investigate weather phenomena, deforestation, and the various instruments and satellite data systems that are used to collect and analyze this data. This web-based course utilizes the unique capabilities of the web allowing students to work at a self-regulated pace and at times most convenient to their schedules. The course delivers all lectures, text readings, and course assignments online. Assignments are given on a weekly basis, and participants are expected to conduct independent research that will enrich their online experience. The nature of the web allows the students to easily integrate text and graphics into their assignments and have access to their classmate's work. Participants meet online weekly and interact as a team.

Analysis of the Factors Affecting Consumer Acceptance of Accredited Online Health Information

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

With the increasing use of the internet and the spread of smartphones, health information seekers obtain considerable information through the internet. As the amount of online health information increases, the need for quality management of health information has been emphasized. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting the intention of using accredited online health information by applying the extended technology acceptance model (Extended-TAM). An online survey was conducted from September 15, 2016 to October 3, 2016, on 500 men and women aged 19–69 years. The results showed that the greatest factor influencing the acceptance of the accredited health information was perceived usefulness, and the expectation for the quality of the accreditation system was the most important mediator variable. In order to establish the health information accreditation system as a means to provide easy and useful information to the consumers, it is necessary to carry out quality management and promote the system through the continuous monitoring of the accreditation system. PMID:28960026

Computer-Mediated Social Support for Physical Activity: A Content Analysis.

PubMed

Stragier, Jeroen; Mechant, Peter; De Marez, Lieven; Cardon, Greet

2018-02-01

Online fitness communities are a recent phenomenon experiencing growing user bases. They can be considered as online social networks in which recording, monitoring, and sharing of physical activity (PA) are the most prevalent practices. They have added a new dimension to the social experience of PA in which online peers function as virtual PA partners or supporters. However, research into seeking and receiving computer-mediated social support for PA is scarce. Our aim was to study to what extent using online fitness communities and sharing physical activities with online social networks results in receiving various types of online social support. Two databases, one containing physical activities logged with Strava and one containing physical activities logged with RunKeeper and shared on Twitter, were investigated for occurrence and type of social support, by means of a deductive content analysis. Results indicate that social support delivered through Twitter is not particularly extensive. On Strava, social support is significantly more prevalent. Especially esteem support, expressed as compliments for the accomplishment of an activity, is provided on both Strava and Twitter. The results demonstrate that social media have potential as a platform used for providing social support for PA, but differences among various social network sites can be substantial. Especially esteem support can be expected, in contrast to online health communities, where information support is more common.

Is excessive online usage a function of medium or activity? An empirical pilot study

PubMed Central

Griffiths, Mark D.; Szabo, Attila

2014-01-01

Aims: The purpose of the study was to seek a better insight into whether the online medium or the online activity was more important in relation to excessive online use. It is not clear whether those people who spend excessive amounts of time on the Internet are engaged in general Internet or whether excessive Internet use is linked to specific activities. Methods: Perceived changes in Internet use habits as function of hypothetical accessibility of favorite sites were investigated in young adults. University students (n = 130, mean age = 20.6 years) who had (on average) spent over 20 hours a week on the Internet for at least nine years completed a survey. The most favored online activities and expected quality of life without Internet access were also investigated. Results: Findings revealed that social networking was by far the most popular online activity, and that lack of access to their preferred online activities would drop by 65% (as measured by perceived Internet usage). Approximately one in six participants (16%) claimed they would not even switch on the computer if access to their favorite online activities were unavailable. In relation to a hypothetical question about the quality of life without Internet access, the responses were normally distributed (rather than skewed). Conclusions: These results show that time spent with Internet activity is not random and/or generalized, but appears more focused. Attraction or addiction on Internet to one or more specific behavior(s) may be a better way forward in the quest for better understanding excessive human behavior in the online environment. PMID:25215216

Telegenetics use in presymptomatic genetic counselling: patient evaluations on satisfaction and quality of care

PubMed Central

Otten, Ellen; Birnie, Erwin; Ranchor, Adelita V; van Langen, Irene M

2016-01-01

In recent years, online counselling has been introduced in clinical genetics to increase patients' access to care and to reduce time and cost for both patients and professionals. Most telegenetics reports so far evaluated online oncogenetic counselling at remote health centres in regions with large travelling distances, generally showing positive patient outcomes. We think online counselling – including the use of supportive tools that are also available during in-person counselling – of presymptomatic patients in their homes can also be feasible and valuable for patients in relatively small regions. We performed a single-centre pilot study of online genetic counselling for 57 patients who were presymptomatic cardiogenetic (n=17), presymptomatic oncogenetic (n=34) and prenatal (3 couples). One-third of presymptomatic patients we approached consented to online counselling. Patient evaluations of practical aspects, satisfaction and psychological outcomes were assessed and compared with a matched control group. Patients managed to fulfil the preparations, were significantly more satisfied with their counsellor and counselling session than controls and were satisfied with the online counselling more than they expected to be beforehand. Psychological outcomes (decreased anxiety and increased control) did not differ with control patients. Technical problems occurred in almost half of online sessions. Nonetheless, online counselling in patients' homes proved to be feasible and was appreciated by a substantial part of presymptomatic patients at our genetics centre in the Netherlands. Based on these outcomes, we conclude online counselling can be a valuable addition to existing counselling options in regular patient care. PMID:26173963

Using Team-based Learning to Teach a Hybrid Pharmacokinetics Course Online and in Class.

PubMed

Franklin, Ann Snyder; Markowsky, Susan; De Leo, Justin; Normann, Sven; Black, Erik

2016-12-25

Objective. To compare the effectiveness of face-to-face and online team-based learning (TBL) to teach phenytoin pharmacokinetics. Design. A TBL format was used to teach an online cohort of 222 pharmacy students and two face-to-face cohorts (Tampa and Las Vegas) of pharmacy students. Students in all cohorts completed individual and team readiness tests (iRATs and tRATs), and a self-assessment survey to determine teamwork and content understanding. Knowledge retention questions also were added to the final examination. Assessment. Mean scores on iRATs were: 54% for the Tampa group; 72% for the Las Vegas group; and 58% for the online. Mean tRAT scores were 78.5% for the Tampa cohort and 82.2% for the Las Vegas cohort, compared to 89.5% for the online cohort. The mean tRAT scores for the online cohorts were significantly higher than those of the face-to-face cohorts. Data from the teamwork survey provided evidence of positive interactions among teams for all cohorts. Conclusion. Team-based learning can be an effective method for teaching applied pharmacokinetics in both face-to-face and online classes.

The Vendors' Corner--The Request for Proposal.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sugnet, Chris; And Others

1987-01-01

Several online vendors address the issue of RFPs (requests for proposals) for library systems, discussing the documents' style, technical standards, library expectations, liabilities associated with using this procedure, factors in the decision to bid, and the need for a standardized document and national clearinghouse. (CLB)

Social Network Analysis of Elders' Health Literacy and their Use of Online Health Information.

PubMed

Jang, Haeran; An, Ji-Young

2014-07-01

Utilizing social network analysis, this study aimed to analyze the main keywords in the literature regarding the health literacy of and the use of online health information by aged persons over 65. Medical Subject Heading keywords were extracted from articles on the PubMed database of the National Library of Medicine. For health literacy, 110 articles out of 361 were initially extracted. Seventy-one keywords out of 1,021 were finally selected after removing repeated keywords and applying pruning. Regarding the use of online health information, 19 articles out of 26 were selected. One hundred forty-four keywords were initially extracted. After removing the repeated keywords, 74 keywords were finally selected. Health literacy was found to be strongly connected with 'Health knowledge, attitudes, practices' and 'Patient education as topic.' 'Computer literacy' had strong connections with 'Internet' and 'Attitude towards computers.' 'Computer literacy' was connected to 'Health literacy,' and was studied according to the parameters 'Attitude towards health' and 'Patient education as topic.' The use of online health information was strongly connected with 'Health knowledge, attitudes, practices,' 'Consumer health information,' 'Patient education as topic,' etc. In the network, 'Computer literacy' was connected with 'Health education,' 'Patient satisfaction,' 'Self-efficacy,' 'Attitude to computer,' etc. Research on older citizens' health literacy and their use of online health information was conducted together with study of computer literacy, patient education, attitude towards health, health education, patient satisfaction, etc. In particular, self-efficacy was noted as an important keyword. Further research should be conducted to identify the effective outcomes of self-efficacy in the area of interest.

The motivations of adolescents who are addicted to online games: a cognitive perspective.

PubMed

Wan, Chin-Sheng; Chiou, Wen-Bin

2007-01-01

This research explored, from the perspective of cognitive theory, the psychological motivations of Taiwanese adolescents who are addicted to online games. Study 1 focused on the differential motivations between the addicts and nonaddicts. The findings revealed that the addicts exhibited higher intrinsic than extrinsic motivation, whereas the nonaddicts showed an opposite relationship. The intrinsic motivation of the addicts was also higher than the nonaddicts. The results imply that intrinsic motivation plays a crucial role in gaming addiction. Study 2 was conducted to examine whether four factors that moderate the detrimental effect of extrinsic motivators on intrinsic motivation would function as predicted. Results indicated that extrinsic rewards would undermine intrinsic motivation when they were high expectancy, high relevance, tangible, and noncontingent. Thus, players' intrinsic motivation would be higher when extrinsic rewards were low expectancy, low relevance, intangible, and contingent. This article provides insights into the differential motivations of the addicted players and how to employ intrinsic motivators to affect their intrinsic motivation.

Evolutionary game analysis and regulatory strategies for online group-buying based on system dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Zhong-Zhong; He, Na; Qin, Xuwei; Ip, W. H.; Wu, C. H.; Yung, K. L.

2018-07-01

The emergence of online group-buying provides a new consumption pattern for consumers in e-commerce era. However, many consumers realize that their own interests sometimes can't be guaranteed in the group-buying market due to the lack of being regulated. This paper aims to develop effective regulation strategies for online group-buying market. To the best of our knowledge, most existing studies assume that three parties in online group-buying market, i.e. the retailer, the group-buying platform and the consumer, are perfectly rational. To better understand the decision process, in this paper, we incorporate the concept of bounded rationality into consideration. Firstly, a three-parties evolutionary game model is established to study each player's game strategy based on bounded rationality. Secondly, the game model is simulated as a whole by adopting system dynamics to analyze its stability. Finally, theoretical analysis and extensive computational experiments are conducted to obtain the managerial insights and regulation strategies for online group-buying market. Our results clearly demonstrate that a suitable bonus-penalty measure can promote the healthy development of online group-buying market.

QRTEngine: An easy solution for running online reaction time experiments using Qualtrics.

PubMed

Barnhoorn, Jonathan S; Haasnoot, Erwin; Bocanegra, Bruno R; van Steenbergen, Henk

2015-12-01

Performing online behavioral research is gaining increased popularity among researchers in psychological and cognitive science. However, the currently available methods for conducting online reaction time experiments are often complicated and typically require advanced technical skills. In this article, we introduce the Qualtrics Reaction Time Engine (QRTEngine), an open-source JavaScript engine that can be embedded in the online survey development environment Qualtrics. The QRTEngine can be used to easily develop browser-based online reaction time experiments with accurate timing within current browser capabilities, and it requires only minimal programming skills. After introducing the QRTEngine, we briefly discuss how to create and distribute a Stroop task. Next, we describe a study in which we investigated the timing accuracy of the engine under different processor loads using external chronometry. Finally, we show that the QRTEngine can be used to reproduce classic behavioral effects in three reaction time paradigms: a Stroop task, an attentional blink task, and a masked-priming task. These findings demonstrate that QRTEngine can be used as a tool for conducting online behavioral research even when this requires accurate stimulus presentation times.

Internet-based implementation of non-pharmacological interventions of the "people getting a grip on arthritis" educational program: an international online knowledge translation randomized controlled trial design protocol.

PubMed

Brosseau, Lucie; Wells, George; Brooks-Lineker, Sydney; Bennell, Kim; Sherrington, Cathie; Briggs, Andrew; Sturnieks, Daina; King, Judy; Thomas, Roanne; Egan, Mary; Loew, Laurianne; De Angelis, Gino; Casimiro, Lynn; Toupin April, Karine; Cavallo, Sabrina; Bell, Mary; Ahmed, Rukhsana; Coyle, Doug; Poitras, Stéphane; Smith, Christine; Pugh, Arlanna; Rahman, Prinon

2015-02-03

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects 2.1% of the Australian population (1.5% males; 2.6% females), with the highest prevalence from ages 55 to over 75 years (4.4-6.1%). In Canada, RA affects approximately 0.9% of adults, and within 30 years that is expected to increase to 1.3%. With an aging population and a greater number of individuals with modifiable risk factors for chronic diseases, such as arthritis, there is an urgent need for co-care management of arthritic conditions. The increasing trend and present shifts in the health services and policy sectors suggest that digital information delivery is becoming more prominent. Therefore, it is necessary to further investigate the use of online resources for RA information delivery. The objective is to examine the effect of implementing an online program provided to patients with RA, the People Getting a Grip on Arthritis for RA (PGrip-RA) program, using information communication technologies (ie, Facebook and emails) in combination with arthritis health care professional support and electronic educational pamphlets. We believe this can serve as a useful and economical method of knowledge translation (KT). This KT randomized controlled trial will use a prospective randomized open-label blinded-endpoint design to compare four different intervention approaches of the PGrip-RA program to a control group receiving general electronic educational pamphlets self-management in RA via email. Depending on group allocation, links to the Arthritis Society PGrip-RA material will be provided either through Facebook or by email. One group will receive feedback online from trained health care professionals. The intervention period is 6 weeks. Participants will have access to the Internet-based material after the completion of the baseline questionnaires until the final follow-up questionnaire at 6 months. We will invite 396 patients from Canadian and Australian Arthritis Consumers' Associations to participate using online recruitment. This study will build on a pilot study using Facebook, which revealed promising effects of knowledge acquisition/integration of the evidence-based self-management PGrip educational program. The use of online techniques to disseminate knowledge provides an opportunity to reduce health care costs by facilitating self-management of people with arthritis. Study design strengths include the incorporation of randomization and allocation concealment to ensure internal validity. To avoid intergroup contamination, the Facebook group page security settings will be set to "closed", thus allowing only invited participants to access it. Study limitations include the lack of participant blinding due to the characteristics of this KT randomized controlled trial and a potential bias of recruiting patients only online, though this was proven effective in the previous pilot study. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12614000397617; http://www.anzctr.org.au/TrialSearch.aspx (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6PrP0kQf8).

Internet-Based Implementation of Non-Pharmacological Interventions of the "People Getting a Grip on Arthritis" Educational Program: An International Online Knowledge Translation Randomized Controlled Trial Design Protocol

PubMed Central

Thomas, Roanne; De Angelis, Gino

2015-01-01

Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects 2.1% of the Australian population (1.5% males; 2.6% females), with the highest prevalence from ages 55 to over 75 years (4.4-6.1%). In Canada, RA affects approximately 0.9% of adults, and within 30 years that is expected to increase to 1.3%. With an aging population and a greater number of individuals with modifiable risk factors for chronic diseases, such as arthritis, there is an urgent need for co-care management of arthritic conditions. The increasing trend and present shifts in the health services and policy sectors suggest that digital information delivery is becoming more prominent. Therefore, it is necessary to further investigate the use of online resources for RA information delivery. Objective The objective is to examine the effect of implementing an online program provided to patients with RA, the People Getting a Grip on Arthritis for RA (PGrip-RA) program, using information communication technologies (ie, Facebook and emails) in combination with arthritis health care professional support and electronic educational pamphlets. We believe this can serve as a useful and economical method of knowledge translation (KT). Methods This KT randomized controlled trial will use a prospective randomized open-label blinded-endpoint design to compare four different intervention approaches of the PGrip-RA program to a control group receiving general electronic educational pamphlets self-management in RA via email. Depending on group allocation, links to the Arthritis Society PGrip-RA material will be provided either through Facebook or by email. One group will receive feedback online from trained health care professionals. The intervention period is 6 weeks. Participants will have access to the Internet-based material after the completion of the baseline questionnaires until the final follow-up questionnaire at 6 months. We will invite 396 patients from Canadian and Australian Arthritis Consumers’ Associations to participate using online recruitment. Results This study will build on a pilot study using Facebook, which revealed promising effects of knowledge acquisition/integration of the evidence-based self-management PGrip educational program. Conclusions The use of online techniques to disseminate knowledge provides an opportunity to reduce health care costs by facilitating self-management of people with arthritis. Study design strengths include the incorporation of randomization and allocation concealment to ensure internal validity. To avoid intergroup contamination, the Facebook group page security settings will be set to “closed”, thus allowing only invited participants to access it. Study limitations include the lack of participant blinding due to the characteristics of this KT randomized controlled trial and a potential bias of recruiting patients only online, though this was proven effective in the previous pilot study. Trial Registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12614000397617; http://www.anzctr.org.au/TrialSearch.aspx (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6PrP0kQf8). PMID:25648515

The Effects of Clickers and Online Homework on Students' Achievement in General Chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gebru, Misganaw T.

Retention of an introductory general chemistry course material is vital for student success in future chemistry and chemistry-related courses. This study investigated the effects of clickers versus online homework on students' long-term content retention, examined the effectiveness of online homework versus no graded homework on students' achievement in a first-semester general chemistry course, and assessed students' attitudes toward the use of online homework. Students' data from the yearlong American Chemical Society General Chemistry (ACS GC97) exam, teacher-prepared final exams, and online surveys were analyzed to measure the effects of clickers and online homework on students' long-term content retention and performance, and to capture students' attitudes. A variety of methods including Welch ANOVA, independent samples t -test (Welch), Pearson's correlation, test of proportions, and Pearson's Chi-square test were used to analyze the data. The analyses indicated that the use of clickers or online homework did not significantly improve students' long-term content retention of general chemistry course material, that the use of online homework was more beneficial than, or at least as effective as no graded homework in improving students' performance, and students valued the fact that online homework provided immediate feedback. Additionally, results of this study revealed that greater numbers of students were retained in clicker and online homework classes than non-clicker, non-online homework classes and that various types of online homework systems used in general chemistry could impact student performance differently. Implications of the findings and future research directions were presented.

Discovery of Information Diffusion Process in Social Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Kwanho; Jung, Jae-Yoon; Park, Jonghun

Information diffusion analysis in social networks is of significance since it enables us to deeply understand dynamic social interactions among users. In this paper, we introduce approaches to discovering information diffusion process in social networks based on process mining. Process mining techniques are applied from three perspectives: social network analysis, process discovery and community recognition. We then present experimental results by using a real-life social network data. The proposed techniques are expected to employ as new analytical tools in online social networks such as blog and wikis for company marketers, politicians, news reporters and online writers.

AIDS plays major role in Internet censorship ruling.

PubMed

1996-06-28

A Federal court in Philadelphia struck down the Communications Decency Act on June 11, 1996. The court panel referred to AIDS information in its decision that open access to online information outweighs the chance that children may encounter offensive information on their computer. Parents are expected to regulate what their children view. The panel focused on the Critical Path AIDS Project's website, which provides online information about HIV prevention, safer sex, and treatment. Although information about AIDS and birth control is sexually explicit, it was determined that none of the plaintiffs are commercial purveyors of pornography.

Self-Concept Clarity and Online Self-Presentation in Adolescents.

PubMed

Fullwood, Chris; James, Billie May; Chen-Wilson, Chao-Hwa Josephine

2016-12-01

The Internet may be conceptualized as a social laboratory, providing freedom to experiment with different presentations of self. Adolescence is an important time in the development of self-concept; however, little is known about how clarity of self-concept relates to online behavior. The principal aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that self-concept clarity would be associated with adolescents' inclination to experiment with online self-presentation. One hundred forty-eight participants aged 13-18 completed the Self-Concept Clarity Scale, the Facebook Intensity Scale, and the Presentation of Online Self Scale (POSS). Adolescents possessing a less stable sense of self reported experimenting with online self-presentation more regularly, presenting an idealized version of self and a preference for presenting themselves online. Adolescents with a more stable self-concept reported presenting an online self which was more consistent with their offline self-presentation. Younger adolescents were more likely to present an inconsistent self, whereas older adolescents presented themselves more consistently across different communication contexts. Finally, adolescents who spent more time on Facebook and had fewer Facebook friends were more likely to present multiple versions of self while online. The implications of these findings will be discussed in terms of the development of self-concept during adolescence and the potential for the online world to facilitate flexible identity construction and self-presentation.

Ancient Biomolecules and Evolutionary Inference.

PubMed

Cappellini, Enrico; Prohaska, Ana; Racimo, Fernando; Welker, Frido; Pedersen, Mikkel Winther; Allentoft, Morten E; de Barros Damgaard, Peter; Gutenbrunner, Petra; Dunne, Julie; Hammann, Simon; Roffet-Salque, Mélanie; Ilardo, Melissa; Moreno-Mayar, J Víctor; Wang, Yucheng; Sikora, Martin; Vinner, Lasse; Cox, Jürgen; Evershed, Richard P; Willerslev, Eske

2018-04-25

Over the last decade, studies of ancient biomolecules-particularly ancient DNA, proteins, and lipids-have revolutionized our understanding of evolutionary history. Though initially fraught with many challenges, the field now stands on firm foundations. Researchers now successfully retrieve nucleotide and amino acid sequences, as well as lipid signatures, from progressively older samples, originating from geographic areas and depositional environments that, until recently, were regarded as hostile to long-term preservation of biomolecules. Sampling frequencies and the spatial and temporal scope of studies have also increased markedly, and with them the size and quality of the data sets generated. This progress has been made possible by continuous technical innovations in analytical methods, enhanced criteria for the selection of ancient samples, integrated experimental methods, and advanced computational approaches. Here, we discuss the history and current state of ancient biomolecule research, its applications to evolutionary inference, and future directions for this young and exciting field. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biochemistry Volume 87 is June 20, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Key Pathways and Regulators of Vitamin K Function and Intermediary Metabolism.

PubMed

Shearer, Martin J; Okano, Toshio

2018-06-01

Vitamin K (VK) is an essential cofactor for the post-translational conversion of peptide-bound glutamate to γ-carboxyglutamate. The resultant vitamin K-dependent proteins are known or postulated to possess a variety of biological functions, chiefly in the maintenance of hemostasis. The vitamin K cycle is a cellular pathway that drives γ-carboxylation and recycling of VK via γ-carboxyglutamyl carboxylase (GGCX) and vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR), respectively. In this review, we show how novel molecular biological approaches are providing new insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms caused by rare mutations of both GGCX and VKOR. We also discuss how other protein regulators influence the intermediary metabolism of VK, first through intestinal absorption and second through a pathway that converts some dietary phylloquinone to menadione, which is prenylated to menaquinone-4 (MK-4) in target tissues by UBIAD1. The contribution of MK-4 synthesis to VK functions is yet to be revealed. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Nutrition Volume 38 is August 21, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

The weighted priors approach for combining expert opinions in logistic regression experiments

DOE PAGES

Quinlan, Kevin R.; Anderson-Cook, Christine M.; Myers, Kary L.

2017-04-24

When modeling the reliability of a system or component, it is not uncommon for more than one expert to provide very different prior estimates of the expected reliability as a function of an explanatory variable such as age or temperature. Our goal in this paper is to incorporate all information from the experts when choosing a design about which units to test. Bayesian design of experiments has been shown to be very successful for generalized linear models, including logistic regression models. We use this approach to develop methodology for the case where there are several potentially non-overlapping priors under consideration.more » While multiple priors have been used for analysis in the past, they have never been used in a design context. The Weighted Priors method performs well for a broad range of true underlying model parameter choices and is more robust when compared to other reasonable design choices. Finally, we illustrate the method through multiple scenarios and a motivating example. Additional figures for this article are available in the online supplementary information.« less

Using Full Genomic Information to Predict Disease: Breaking Down the Barriers Between Complex and Mendelian Diseases.

PubMed

Jordan, Daniel M; Do, Ron

2018-04-11

While sequence-based genetic tests have long been available for specific loci, especially for Mendelian disease, the rapidly falling costs of genome-wide genotyping arrays, whole-exome sequencing, and whole-genome sequencing are moving us toward a future where full genomic information might inform the prognosis and treatment of a variety of diseases, including complex disease. Similarly, the availability of large populations with full genomic information has enabled new insights about the etiology and genetic architecture of complex disease. Insights from the latest generation of genomic studies suggest that our categorization of diseases as complex may conceal a wide spectrum of genetic architectures and causal mechanisms that ranges from Mendelian forms of complex disease to complex regulatory structures underlying Mendelian disease. Here, we review these insights, along with advances in the prediction of disease risk and outcomes from full genomic information. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics Volume 19 is August 31, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Seeing the Light: The Roles of Red- and Blue-Light Sensing in Plant Microbes.

PubMed

Beattie, Gwyn A; Hatfield, Bridget M; Dong, Haili; McGrane, Regina S

2018-05-16

Plants collect, concentrate, and conduct light throughout their tissues, thus enhancing light availability to their resident microbes. This review explores the role of photosensing in the biology of plant-associated bacteria and fungi, including the molecular mechanisms of red-light sensing by phytochromes and blue-light sensing by LOV (light-oxygen-voltage)-domain proteins in these microbes. Bacteriophytochromes function as major drivers of the bacterial transcriptome and mediate light-regulated suppression of virulence, motility, and conjugation in some phytopathogens and light-regulated induction of the photosynthetic apparatus in a stem-nodulating symbiont. Bacterial LOV proteins also influence light-mediated changes in both symbiotic and pathogenic phenotypes. Although red-light sensing by fungal phytopathogens is poorly understood, fungal LOV proteins contribute to blue-light regulation of traits, including asexual development and virulence. Collectively, these studies highlight that plant microbes have evolved to exploit light cues and that light sensing is often coupled with sensing other environmental signals. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Phytopathology Volume 56 is August 25, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Microglia in the Retina: Roles in Development, Maturity, and Disease.

PubMed

Silverman, Sean M; Wong, Wai T

2018-05-31

Microglia, the primary resident immune cell type, constitute a key population of glia in the retina. Recent evidence indicates that microglia play significant functional roles in the retina at different life stages. During development, retinal microglia regulate neuronal survival by exerting trophic influences and influencing programmed cell death. During adulthood, ramified microglia in the plexiform layers interact closely with synapses to maintain synaptic structure and function that underlie the retina's electrophysiological response to light. Under pathological conditions, retinal microglia participate in potentiating neurodegeneration in diseases such as glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, and age-related neurodegeneration by producing proinflammatory neurotoxic cytokines and removing living neurons via phagocytosis. Modulation of pathogenic microglial activation states and effector mechanisms has been linked to neuroprotection in animal models of retinal diseases. These findings have led to the design of early proof-of-concept clinical trials with microglial modulation as a therapeutic strategy. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science Volume 4 is September 15, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Antibiotic Resistance in Plant-Pathogenic Bacteria.

PubMed

Sundin, George W; Wang, Nian

2018-06-01

Antibiotics have been used for the management of relatively few bacterial plant diseases and are largely restricted to high-value fruit crops because of the expense involved. Antibiotic resistance in plant-pathogenic bacteria has become a problem in pathosystems where these antibiotics have been used for many years. Where the genetic basis for resistance has been examined, antibiotic resistance in plant pathogens has most often evolved through the acquisition of a resistance determinant via horizontal gene transfer. For example, the strAB streptomycin-resistance genes occur in Erwinia amylovora, Pseudomonas syringae, and Xanthomonas campestris, and these genes have presumably been acquired from nonpathogenic epiphytic bacteria colocated on plant hosts under antibiotic selection. We currently lack knowledge of the effect of the microbiome of commensal organisms on the potential of plant pathogens to evolve antibiotic resistance. Such knowledge is critical to the development of robust resistance management strategies to ensure the safe and effective continued use of antibiotics in the management of critically important diseases. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Phytopathology Volume 56 is August 25, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

The modeling and analysis of the word-of-mouth marketing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Pengdeng; Yang, Xiaofan; Yang, Lu-Xing; Xiong, Qingyu; Wu, Yingbo; Tang, Yuan Yan

2018-03-01

As compared to the traditional advertising, word-of-mouth (WOM) communications have striking advantages such as significantly lower cost and much faster propagation, and this is especially the case with the popularity of online social networks. This paper focuses on the modeling and analysis of the WOM marketing. A dynamic model, known as the SIPNS model, capturing the WOM marketing processes with both positive and negative comments is established. On this basis, a measure of the overall profit of a WOM marketing campaign is proposed. The SIPNS model is shown to admit a unique equilibrium, and the equilibrium is determined. The impact of different factors on the equilibrium of the SIPNS model is illuminated through theoretical analysis. Extensive experimental results suggest that the equilibrium is much likely to be globally attracting. Finally, the influence of different factors on the expected overall profit of a WOM marketing campaign is ascertained both theoretically and experimentally. Thereby, some promotion strategies are recommended. To our knowledge, this is the first time the WOM marketing is treated in this way.

Who do you love, your mother or your horse? An event-related brain potential analysis of tone processing in Mandarin Chinese.

PubMed

Brown-Schmidt, Sarah; Canseco-Gonzalez, Enriqueta

2004-03-01

In Mandarin Chinese, word meaning is partially determined by lexical tone (Wang, 1973). Previous studies suggest that lexical tone is processed as linguistic information and not as pure tonal information (Gandour, 1998; Van Lanker & Fromkin, 1973). The current study explored the online processing of lexical tones. Event-related potentials were obtained from 25 Mandarin speakers while they listened to normal and anomalous sentences containing one of three types of semantic anomalies created by manipulating the tone, the syllable, or both tone and syllable (double-anomaly) of sentence-final words. We hypothesized N400 effects elicited by all three types of anomalies and the largest by the double-anomaly. As expected, all three elicited N400 effects starting approximately 150 ms poststimulus and continuing until 1000 ms in some areas. Surprisingly, onset of the double-anomaly effect was approximately 50 ms later than the rest. Delayed detection of errors in this condition may be responsible for the apparent delay. Slight differences between syllable and tone conditions may be due to the relative timing of these acoustic cues.

Long-Term Plasticity of Neurotransmitter Release: Emerging Mechanisms and Contributions to Brain Function and Disease.

PubMed

Monday, Hannah R; Younts, Thomas J; Castillo, Pablo E

2018-04-25

Long-lasting changes of brain function in response to experience rely on diverse forms of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity. Chief among them are long-term potentiation and long-term depression of neurotransmitter release, which are widely expressed by excitatory and inhibitory synapses throughout the central nervous system and can dynamically regulate information flow in neural circuits. This review article explores recent advances in presynaptic long-term plasticity mechanisms and contributions to circuit function. Growing evidence indicates that presynaptic plasticity may involve structural changes, presynaptic protein synthesis, and transsynaptic signaling. Presynaptic long-term plasticity can alter the short-term dynamics of neurotransmitter release, thereby contributing to circuit computations such as novelty detection, modifications of the excitatory/inhibitory balance, and sensory adaptation. In addition, presynaptic long-term plasticity underlies forms of learning and its dysregulation participates in several neuropsychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia, autism, intellectual disabilities, neurodegenerative diseases, and drug abuse. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Neuroscience Volume 41 is July 8, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

The weighted priors approach for combining expert opinions in logistic regression experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Quinlan, Kevin R.; Anderson-Cook, Christine M.; Myers, Kary L.

When modeling the reliability of a system or component, it is not uncommon for more than one expert to provide very different prior estimates of the expected reliability as a function of an explanatory variable such as age or temperature. Our goal in this paper is to incorporate all information from the experts when choosing a design about which units to test. Bayesian design of experiments has been shown to be very successful for generalized linear models, including logistic regression models. We use this approach to develop methodology for the case where there are several potentially non-overlapping priors under consideration.more » While multiple priors have been used for analysis in the past, they have never been used in a design context. The Weighted Priors method performs well for a broad range of true underlying model parameter choices and is more robust when compared to other reasonable design choices. Finally, we illustrate the method through multiple scenarios and a motivating example. Additional figures for this article are available in the online supplementary information.« less

Are Grade Expectations Rational? A Classroom Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hossain, Belayet; Tsigaris, Panagiotis

2015-01-01

This study examines students' expectations about their final grade. An attempt is made to determine whether students form expectations rationally. Expectations in economics, rational or otherwise, carry valuable information and have important implications in terms of both teaching effectiveness and the role of grades as an incentive structure for…

Subjective well-being: evidence from the different personality traits of online game teenager players.

PubMed

Chen, Lily Shui-Lien

2008-10-01

This present study provides insight into the relationship between personality traits and the subjective well-being for online game teenager players in Taiwan. The questionnaire has been adopted in the cyber cafe shops in Taipei, Taiwan, and 134 usable questionnaires produced to be used for the final data analysis. The results demonstrate that Neuroticism and Agreeableness have significant negative influence and Openness has significant positive influence on subjective well-being.

The use of 3-D sensing techniques for on-line collision-free path planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayward, V.; Aubry, S.; Jasiukajc, Z.

1987-01-01

The state of the art in collision prevention for manipulators with revolute joints, showing that it is a particularly computationally hard problem, is discussed. Based on the analogy with other hard or undecidable problems such as theorem proving, an extensible multi-resolution architecture for path planning, based on a collection of weak methods is proposed. Finally, the role that sensors can play for an on-line use of sensor data is examined.

Program Evaluation of Outcomes Based Orthotic and Prosthetic Education

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-12-01

writing of new Biomechanics and Gait curricula and syllabi; implementation of online learning strategies through the use of Blackboard online learning...TERMS Prosthetics, Orthotics, Prosthesis , Orthosis, Amputation, Outcomes Based Evaluation 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF...Appendix III. Appendix IV. Sample Syllabus – Biomechanics …………………………… 24 Appendix V. Sample Final Examination……………………………………. 29

Expanding the Reach of Participatory Risk Management: Testing an Online Decision-Aiding Framework for Informing Internally Consistent Choices.

PubMed

Bessette, Douglas L; Campbell-Arvai, Victoria; Arvai, Joseph

2016-05-01

This article presents research aimed at developing and testing an online, multistakeholder decision-aiding framework for informing multiattribute risk management choices associated with energy development and climate change. The framework was designed to provide necessary background information and facilitate internally consistent choices, or choices that are in line with users' prioritized objectives. In order to test different components of the decision-aiding framework, a six-part, 2 × 2 × 2 factorial experiment was conducted, yielding eight treatment scenarios. The three factors included: (1) whether or not users could construct their own alternatives; (2) the level of detail regarding the composition of alternatives users would evaluate; and (3) the way in which a final choice between users' own constructed (or highest-ranked) portfolio and an internally consistent portfolio was presented. Participants' self-reports revealed the framework was easy to use and providing an opportunity to develop one's own risk-management alternatives (Factor 1) led to the highest knowledge gains. Empirical measures showed the internal consistency of users' decisions across all treatments to be lower than expected and confirmed that providing information about alternatives' composition (Factor 2) resulted in the least internally consistent choices. At the same time, those users who did not develop their own alternatives and were not shown detailed information about the composition of alternatives believed their choices to be the most internally consistent. These results raise concerns about how the amount of information provided and the ability to construct alternatives may inversely affect users' real and perceived internal consistency. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

Pain as performance: re-virginisation in Turkey.

PubMed

Güzel, Hande

2018-05-03

The literature on pain has so far been primarily interested in chronic pain, medically induced pain and pain as an unwanted experience. However, pain is a more complicated experience and the lines between pain and pleasure are blurred in different contexts. In this paper, these lines are explored within the context of re-virginisation in Turkey by taking to its centre the meanings attached to pain through women's online and offline narratives. Re-virginisation refers to the process women undergo in order to reclaim their virginity due to the expectation that women should be virgins at the time of marriage and to the persistence of the myth that virginity can and should be proved via bleeding during or right after sexual intercourse.Based on semi-structured in-depth interviews and phenomenological and post-structuralist discourse analysis of online data, I argue that pain in the process of re-virginisation (1) is desired and sought-after and (2) is a gendered and temporospatial performance. Within this performance, pain manifests itself as a functional experience as well, especially as a marker of having been operated on, of having had a successful operation, as a reminder of this operation, and finally as an experience around which a community can be formed. Although pain can be functional at most stages of re-virginisation, when, where, and how it can be performed is determined intersubjectively. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Archaeological Geophysics in Field Courses and Flipped-Classrooms: Lessons Learned from the Marine and Geological Science Programs at North Carolina State University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohnenstiehl, D. R.; Wall, J.; Sprinkle, D. P., II

2016-12-01

The Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at North Carolina State University routinely uses archaeological geophysics as an inquiry based teaching tool in our capstone Coastal Processes and Geologic Field Camps. Examples of past projects include a search for civil war artifacts within the moat surrounding historic Fort Macon, near Beaufort North Carolina, and investigations of ancient adobe pueblos in northern New Mexico. These types of studies, being of modest spatial scale, provide students with an opportunity to image the subsurface using multiple techniques and integrate the results into a geographic information system for analysis and interpretation. In the spring of 2016, our semester-long Applied Geophysics course was built around a project to identify unmarked graves at the Oberlin African-American cemetery Raleigh, North Carolina. The classroom experience was flipped with required readings, video lectures and weekly graded quizzes accessible online. Class meeting time was entirely spent collecting or processing data. To facilitate hands on learning, the class was taught with two sections having only ten students each. The methods used included GPR, EMI, Magnetics, and DC Resistivity. Students responded positively to the opportunity to tackle a real-world problem as part of the class; however, many where frustrated by the expectation that they master theoretical aspects of the course using the online content. Compared to a class taught with a traditional lecture format, students clearly gained more knowledge regarding field procedures; however, their performance on a comprehensive final suggests a poorer understand of many fundamental concepts.

The Development and Validation of the Online Shopping Addiction Scale.

PubMed

Zhao, Haiyan; Tian, Wei; Xin, Tao

2017-01-01

We report the development and validation of a scale to measure online shopping addiction. Inspired by previous theories and research on behavioral addiction, the Griffiths's widely accepted six-factor component model was referred to and an 18-item scale was constructed, with each component measured by three items. The results of exploratory factor analysis, based on Sample 1 (999 college students) and confirmatory factor analysis, based on Sample 2 (854 college students) showed the Griffiths's substantive six-factor structure underlay the online shopping addiction scale. Cronbach's alpha suggested that the resulting scale was highly reliable. Concurrent validity, based on Sample 3 (328 college students), was also satisfactory as indicated by correlations between the scale and measures of similar constructs. Finally, self-perceived online shopping addiction can be predicted to a relatively high degree. The present 18-item scale is a solid theory-based instrument to empirically measure online shopping addiction and can be used for understanding the phenomena among young adults.

The Development and Validation of the Online Shopping Addiction Scale

PubMed Central

Zhao, Haiyan; Tian, Wei; Xin, Tao

2017-01-01

We report the development and validation of a scale to measure online shopping addiction. Inspired by previous theories and research on behavioral addiction, the Griffiths's widely accepted six-factor component model was referred to and an 18-item scale was constructed, with each component measured by three items. The results of exploratory factor analysis, based on Sample 1 (999 college students) and confirmatory factor analysis, based on Sample 2 (854 college students) showed the Griffiths's substantive six-factor structure underlay the online shopping addiction scale. Cronbach's alpha suggested that the resulting scale was highly reliable. Concurrent validity, based on Sample 3 (328 college students), was also satisfactory as indicated by correlations between the scale and measures of similar constructs. Finally, self-perceived online shopping addiction can be predicted to a relatively high degree. The present 18-item scale is a solid theory-based instrument to empirically measure online shopping addiction and can be used for understanding the phenomena among young adults. PMID:28559864

Online support and education for dementia caregivers: overview, utilization, and initial program evaluation.

PubMed

Glueckauf, Robert L; Ketterson, Timothy U; Loomis, Jeffrey S; Dages, Pat

2004-01-01

Family caregivers of older adults with progressive dementia (e.g., Alzheimer's disease) are confronted with a variety of challenges in providing assistance to their loved ones, such as dealing with persistent, repetitive questions, managing episodes of agitation and aggressive responding, as well as monitoring hygiene and self-care activities. Although professional and governmental organizations have called for the creation of community-based education and support programs, a significant proportion of dementia caregivers in the United States continue to receive little or no formal instruction in responding effectively to these anxiety-provoking situations. This paper describes the development and implementation of Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Online (also known as AlzOnline), an Internet- and telephone-based education and support network for caregivers of individuals with progressive dementia. An outcome analysis of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded strategic marketing initiative to promote the use of AlzOnline is reviewed, followed by a presentation of the findings of an initial program evaluation. Finally, future directions for online caregiver evaluation research are proposed.

Experienced and potential medical tourists' service quality expectations.

PubMed

Guiry, Michael; Scott, Jeannie J; Vequist, David G

2013-01-01

The paper's aim is to compare experienced and potential US medical tourists' foreign health service-quality expectations. Data were collected via an online survey involving 1,588 US consumers engaging or expressing an interest in medical tourism. The sample included 219 experienced and 1,369 potential medical tourists. Respondents completed a SERVQUAL questionnaire. Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to determine significant differences between experienced and potential US medical tourists' service-quality expectations. For all five service-quality dimensions (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy) experienced medical tourists had significantly lower expectations than potential medical tourists. Experienced medical tourists also had significantly lower service-quality expectations than potential medical tourists for 11 individual SERVQUAL items. Results suggest using experience level to segment medical tourists. The study also has implications for managing medical tourist service-quality expectations at service delivery point and via external marketing communications. Managing medical tourists' service quality expectations is important since expectations can significantly influence choice processes, their experience and post-consumption behavior. This study is the first to compare experienced and potential US medical tourist service-quality expectations. The study establishes a foundation for future service-quality expectations research in the rapidly growing medical tourism industry.

Integration of the work-related online aftercare intervention 'GSA-online plus' (healthy and without stress at the workplace) into clinical practice: study protocol for an implementation study.

PubMed

Zwerenz, Rüdiger; Böhme, Katja; Wirth, Astrid; Labitzke, Nicole; Pachtchenko, Sergei; Beutel, Manfred E

2018-05-02

In a previous RCT we established the efficacy of the psychodynamic online aftercare programme 'GSA-Online' ('Health Training Stress Management at the Workplace') for rehabilitants with work-related stress facing return to work after long-term sickness absence. The purpose of this trial is to implement it into routine care. The study is performed in rehabilitation clinics with patients of different medical indications (psychosomatic, orthopedic and cardiological diseases). Rehabilitants get access to the study platform during inpatient medical rehabilitation. 'GSA-Online plus' integrates exploratory and motivational videos on the web application to familiarize potential participants and motivate them to follow through with it. In the 12-week writing intervention, patients write weekly online diary entries, answered by anonymous online therapists within 24 h. Primary outcome measures are the recommendation rate of 'GSA-Online plus' and participation rates of the rehabilitants. As secondary outcomes, psychological symptoms, overall satisfaction, helpfulness of the therapeutic feedback and utilization of 'GSA-Online plus' will be analysed exploratory along with the course of weekly ratings of well-being and work ability. Meanwhile many clinical trials and meta-analysis prove that internet-based interventions are effective. This study will add insights on the dissemination and implementation of efficacious, evidence-based online treatments into medical practice. We expect a successful implementation of 'GSA-Online plus' in the clinical routine of the rehabilitation clinics. The focus of evaluation is on acceptance of the programme, both by the physicians in charge and the patients. In the future 'GSA-Online plus' could be implemented as a routine aftercare programme for rehabilitation inpatients with occupational stress. The trial was retrospectively registered on 6th January 2017 at ClinicalTrials.gov (Trial Registration number: ClinicalTrials Gov ID NCT03019718 ).

Risky online behaviors among adolescents: Longitudinal relations among problematic Internet use, cyberbullying perpetration, and meeting strangers online

PubMed Central

Gámez-Guadix, Manuel; Borrajo, Erika; Almendros, Carmen

2016-01-01

Background and aims This study aims to analyze the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationship between three major risky online behaviors during adolescence: problematic Internet use, cyberbullying perpetration, and meeting strangers online. An additional objective was to study the role of impulsivity–irresponsibility as a possible explanatory variable of the relationships between these risky online behaviors. Methods The study sample was 888 adolescents that completed self-report measures at time 1 and time 2 with an interval of 6 months. Results The findings showed a significant cross-sectional relationship between the risky online behaviors analyzed. At the longitudinal level, problematic Internet use at time 1 predicted an increase in the perpetration of cyberbullying and meeting strangers online at time 2. Furthermore, meeting strangers online increased the likelihood of cyberbullying perpetration at time 2. Finally, when impulsivity–irresponsibility was included in the model as an explanatory variable, the relationships previously found remained significant. Discussion These results extend traditional problem behavior theory during adolescence, also supporting a relationship between different risky behaviors in cyberspace. In addition, findings highlighted the role of problematic Internet use, which increased the chances of developing cyberbullying perpetration and meeting strangers online over time. However, the results suggest a limited role of impulsivity–irresponsibility as an explicative mechanism. Conclusions The findings suggest that various online risk activities ought to be addressed together when planning assessment, prevention and intervention efforts. PMID:28092196

Psychopathology of Online Poker Players: Review of Literature

PubMed Central

Moreau, Axelle; Chabrol, Henri; Chauchard, Emeline

2016-01-01

Background and aims Online Texas Hold’em poker has become a spectacular form of entertainment in our society, and the number of people who use this form of gambling is increasing. It seems that online poker activity challenges existing theoretical concepts about problem gambling behaviors. The purpose of this literature review is to provide a current overview about the population of online poker players. Methods To be selected, articles had to focus on psychopathology in a sample of online poker players, be written in English or French, and be published before November 2015. A total of 17 relevant studies were identified. Results In this population, the proportion of problematic gamblers was higher than in other forms of gambling. Several factors predicting excessive gambling were identified such as stress, internal attribution, dissociation, boredom, negative emotions, irrational beliefs, anxiety, and impulsivity. The population of online poker players is largely heterogeneous, with experimental players forming a specific group. Finally, the validity of the tools used to measure excessive or problematic gambling and irrational beliefs are not suitable for assessing online poker activity. Discussion and conclusions Future studies need to confirm previous findings in the literature of online poker games. Given that skills are important in poker playing, skill development in the frames of excessive use of online poker should be explored more in depth, particularly regarding poker experience and loss chasing. Future research should focus on skills, self-regulation, and psychopathology of online poker players. PMID:27348559

Psychopathology of Online Poker Players: Review of Literature.

PubMed

Moreau, Axelle; Chabrol, Henri; Chauchard, Emeline

2016-06-01

Background and aims Online Texas Hold'em poker has become a spectacular form of entertainment in our society, and the number of people who use this form of gambling is increasing. It seems that online poker activity challenges existing theoretical concepts about problem gambling behaviors. The purpose of this literature review is to provide a current overview about the population of online poker players. Methods To be selected, articles had to focus on psychopathology in a sample of online poker players, be written in English or French, and be published before November 2015. A total of 17 relevant studies were identified. Results In this population, the proportion of problematic gamblers was higher than in other forms of gambling. Several factors predicting excessive gambling were identified such as stress, internal attribution, dissociation, boredom, negative emotions, irrational beliefs, anxiety, and impulsivity. The population of online poker players is largely heterogeneous, with experimental players forming a specific group. Finally, the validity of the tools used to measure excessive or problematic gambling and irrational beliefs are not suitable for assessing online poker activity. Discussion and conclusions Future studies need to confirm previous findings in the literature of online poker games. Given that skills are important in poker playing, skill development in the frames of excessive use of online poker should be explored more in depth, particularly regarding poker experience and loss chasing. Future research should focus on skills, self-regulation, and psychopathology of online poker players.

What are reasonable expectations? Healthcare student perceptions of their programmes in the North West of England.

PubMed

Hamshire, Claire; Willgoss, Thomas G; Wibberley, Christopher

2013-02-01

Concerns about current levels of attrition from some healthcare programmes have emphasised the need to gain a greater insight into students' expectations and experiences. The aim of this study was to determine how students in the North West of England perceived their studies and to identify the factors that could contribute to students' dissatisfaction. A mixed methods sequential exploratory study. Nine universities in the North West of England. Phase one used narrative interviews with a purposive sample of 24 students to investigate their expectations and experiences. Data from these interviews were analysed using a thematic framework and direct quotes from key themes were incorporated into online survey for phase 2. Survey respondents were asked to rate their agreement to statements on a four-point Likert-type response format. There was also an opportunity to leave comments through open questions relating to each theme. A total of 1080 respondents completed the online survey in phase 2. The majority of students reported positive experiences of their course. There was strong agreement in the importance of the role of the personal tutor and of a supportive placement mentor. Some students indicated that the workload and academic level were a shock at first. Students identified difficulties around the cost of placement travel and the impact of placements on family life. Financial hardship was a frequently cited issue that students attributed to thoughts of discontinuation. Most students had positive learning experiences which meet their expectations. Students who have unmet expectations report poor placement experiences, lack of support, unexpectedly high workloads and financial difficulties. Clear guidance on the role of personal tutor and placement mentor is recommended. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cognitive dissonance experienced by nurse practitioner faculty.

PubMed

Fontenot, Holly B; Hawkins, Joellen W; Weiss, Josie A

2012-08-01

The purpose of this study was to explicate the concept of cognitive dissonance as experienced and reported by nurse practitioner (NP) faculty members. Responses from NP faculty members to an online survey about their experiences with cognitive dissonance. The respondents detailed their experiences with cognitive dissonance, citing differences between expectations for which they are rewarded and those for which they are paid. Expecting all faculty members to excel in practice, research, teaching, and service may create unrealistic workloads for NP faculty members. Examining expectations and considering creation of a clinical track for faculty who practice may be options administrators of NP programs might explore. ©2012 The Author(s) Journal compilation ©2012 American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

Associations between individual and relationship characteristics and genital herpes disclosure.

PubMed

Myers, Jaime L; Buhi, Eric R; Marhefka, Stephanie; Daley, Ellen; Dedrick, Robert

2016-10-01

Disclosure is often a challenge for individuals living with genital herpes. This study explores determinants of genital herpes disclosure with one's most recent sexual partner using an online questionnaire (n = 93). The majority of participants reported (80.4%) disclosure. Among non-disclosers, fear of negative partner reactions was the primary reason for non-disclosure. Age, relationship commitment, time in relationship, and expectations of partner's reaction were statistically significant predictors at the bivariate level. Reaction expectations and relationship commitment remained significant in the multivariate logistic regression model. Findings indicate that future disclosure research should focus on relationship context and managing negative expectations to increase disclosure. © The Author(s) 2015.

Libraries Can Learn from Banks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawrence, Gail H.

1983-01-01

The experiences of banks introducing computerized services to the public are described to provide some idea of what libraries can expect when they introduce online systems. Volume of use of Automated Teller Machines, types of users, introduction of machines, and user acceptance are highlighted. Thirty-two references are cited. (EJS)

Remote Classroom Observations with Preservice Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wash, Pamela D.; Bradley, Gary; Beck, Judy

2014-01-01

According to O'Brien, Aguinaga, Hines, and Hartsborne (2011), "Delivery of course content via various distance education technologies (e.g., interactive video, asynchronous and/or synchronous online delivery) is becoming an accepted and expected component of many teacher preparation programs" (p. 3). With the infusion of technology in…

Informal Learning and Identity Formation in Online Social Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenhow, Christine; Robelia, Beth

2009-01-01

All students today are increasingly expected to develop technological fluency, digital citizenship, and other twenty-first century competencies despite wide variability in the quality of learning opportunities schools provide. Social network sites (SNSs) available via the internet may provide promising contexts for learning to supplement…

Facilitating Collaboration in Online Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Geralyn E.; Roberts, Kathryn L.

2017-01-01

Demonstrating the ability to collaborate effectively is essential for students moving into 21st century workplaces. Employers are expecting new hires to already possess group-work skills and will seek evidence of their ability to cooperate, collaborate, and complete projects with colleagues, including remotely or at a distance. Instructional…

Knowledge Acquisition and Readiness Assurance Testing: The Connected Notes Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Mark R.

2016-01-01

The responsibility for knowledge acquisition is increasingly being shifted to students though the utilization of experiential learning, teamwork, online, and flipped classroom pedagogies. Students are expected to enter the classroom prepared to engage in thoughtful knowledge application activities; however, many students have not adequately…

Interfacing Email Tutoring: Shaping an Emergent Literate Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Dana

2002-01-01

Presents a descriptive analysis of 29 online writing lab sites for email tutoring, currently the most popular mode of computer-mediated collaboration. Considers how email tutoring interfaces represent the literate practice of email tutoring, shaping expectations and experiences consistent with its literate aims. Suggests that email tutoring…

Impact of online training on delivering a difficult medical diagnosis: Acquiring communication skills.

PubMed

Saint-Dizier de Almeida, Valérie; Agnoletti, Marie-France

2015-09-01

This paper deals with developing and assessing the training of physicians to deliver a difficult diagnosis to patients. The training is provided by a web-based self-training package. This online training emphasizes the structural, functional and relational dimensions of interviews delivering a serious diagnosis, and a logical set of recommendations for behavior towards the patient. The content is illustrated by numerous delivery interview sequences that are described and for which commentary is provided. This online package was expected to enable physicians to acquire new skills and change their mental picture of diagnosis delivery. Here we discuss the assessment of training in managing the delivery of a serious diagnosis. The approach taken and the methods used to measure knowledge and skills are presented. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

When Fiction Is Just as Real as Fact: No Differences in Reading Behavior between Stories Believed to be Based on True or Fictional Events.

PubMed

Hartung, Franziska; Withers, Peter; Hagoort, Peter; Willems, Roel M

2017-01-01

Experiments have shown that compared to fictional texts, readers read factual texts faster and have better memory for described situations. Reading fictional texts on the other hand seems to improve memory for exact wordings and expressions. Most of these studies used a "newspaper" vs. "literature" comparison. In the present study, we investigated the effect of reader's expectation to whether information is true or fictional with a subtler manipulation by labeling short stories as either based on true or fictional events. In addition, we tested whether narrative perspective or individual preference in perspective taking affects reading true or fictional stories differently. In an online experiment, participants (final N = 1,742) read one story which was introduced as based on true events or as fictional (factor fictionality ). The story could be narrated in either 1st or 3rd person perspective (factor perspective ). We measured immersion in and appreciation of the story, perspective taking, as well as memory for events. We found no evidence that knowing a story is fictional or based on true events influences reading behavior or experiential aspects of reading. We suggest that it is not whether a story is true or fictional, but rather expectations toward certain reading situations (e.g., reading newspaper or literature) which affect behavior by activating appropriate reading goals. Results further confirm that narrative perspective partially influences perspective taking and experiential aspects of reading.

When Fiction Is Just as Real as Fact: No Differences in Reading Behavior between Stories Believed to be Based on True or Fictional Events

PubMed Central

Hartung, Franziska; Withers, Peter; Hagoort, Peter; Willems, Roel M.

2017-01-01

Experiments have shown that compared to fictional texts, readers read factual texts faster and have better memory for described situations. Reading fictional texts on the other hand seems to improve memory for exact wordings and expressions. Most of these studies used a “newspaper” vs. “literature” comparison. In the present study, we investigated the effect of reader's expectation to whether information is true or fictional with a subtler manipulation by labeling short stories as either based on true or fictional events. In addition, we tested whether narrative perspective or individual preference in perspective taking affects reading true or fictional stories differently. In an online experiment, participants (final N = 1,742) read one story which was introduced as based on true events or as fictional (factor fictionality). The story could be narrated in either 1st or 3rd person perspective (factor perspective). We measured immersion in and appreciation of the story, perspective taking, as well as memory for events. We found no evidence that knowing a story is fictional or based on true events influences reading behavior or experiential aspects of reading. We suggest that it is not whether a story is true or fictional, but rather expectations toward certain reading situations (e.g., reading newspaper or literature) which affect behavior by activating appropriate reading goals. Results further confirm that narrative perspective partially influences perspective taking and experiential aspects of reading. PMID:28983269

Accessing support and empowerment online: The experiences of individuals with diabetes.

PubMed

Brady, Ellen; Segar, Julia; Sanders, Caroline

2017-10-01

The use of the internet for health information by those with long-term conditions is growing. It has been argued that this represents a form of empowerment by patients, as it enables them to control the content and flow of the information available to them. To explore this, the use of online discussion groups by those with diabetes was examined. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 participants with type 1 and 2 diabetes and analysed using thematic analysis. Participants were recruited via online and offline routes, namely discussion boards, newsletters, and research networks related to diabetes. By drawing on the advice, information, and support shared online, participants were empowered to position themselves as active participants in their own health care and to further engage with health-care professionals. The findings indicate that forums can play a valuable role in aiding and motivating individuals in the daily management diabetes and highlight how this support is used to complement formal health services. However, more work needs to be carried out to determine to explore when and under what circumstances online support may be particularly beneficial to those with long-term conditions. © 2017 The Authors Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Competitive diffusion in online social networks with heterogeneous users

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Pei; He, Su; Wang, Hui; Zhang, Xin

2014-06-01

Online social networks have attracted increasing attention since they provide various approaches for hundreds of millions of people to stay connected with their friends. However, most research on diffusion dynamics in epidemiology cannot be applied directly to characterize online social networks, where users are heterogeneous and may act differently according to their standpoints. In this paper, we propose models to characterize the competitive diffusion in online social networks with heterogeneous users. We classify messages into two types (i.e., positive and negative) and users into three types (i.e., positive, negative and neutral). We estimate the positive (negative) influence for a user generating a given type message, which is the number of times that positive (negative) messages are processed (i.e., read) incurred by this action. We then consider the diffusion threshold, above which the corresponding influence will approach infinity, and the effect threshold, above which the unexpected influence of generating a message will exceed the expected one. We verify all these results by simulations, which show the analysis results are perfectly consistent with the simulation results. These results are of importance in understanding the diffusion dynamics in online social networks, and also critical for advertisers in viral marketing where there are fans, haters and neutrals.

Evaluation for Bearing Wear States Based on Online Oil Multi-Parameters Monitoring

PubMed Central

Hu, Hai-Feng

2018-01-01

As bearings are critical components of a mechanical system, it is important to characterize their wear states and evaluate health conditions. In this paper, a novel approach for analyzing the relationship between online oil multi-parameter monitoring samples and bearing wear states has been proposed based on an improved gray k-means clustering model (G-KCM). First, an online monitoring system with multiple sensors for bearings is established, obtaining oil multi-parameter data and vibration signals for bearings through the whole lifetime. Secondly, a gray correlation degree distance matrix is generated using a gray correlation model (GCM) to express the relationship of oil monitoring samples at different times and then a KCM is applied to cluster the matrix. Analysis and experimental results show that there is an obvious correspondence that state changing coincides basically in time between the lubricants’ multi-parameters and the bearings’ wear states. It also has shown that online oil samples with multi-parameters have early wear failure prediction ability for bearings superior to vibration signals. It is expected to realize online oil monitoring and evaluation for bearing health condition and to provide a novel approach for early identification of bearing-related failure modes. PMID:29621175

Evaluation for Bearing Wear States Based on Online Oil Multi-Parameters Monitoring.

PubMed

Wang, Si-Yuan; Yang, Ding-Xin; Hu, Hai-Feng

2018-04-05

As bearings are critical components of a mechanical system, it is important to characterize their wear states and evaluate health conditions. In this paper, a novel approach for analyzing the relationship between online oil multi-parameter monitoring samples and bearing wear states has been proposed based on an improved gray k-means clustering model (G-KCM). First, an online monitoring system with multiple sensors for bearings is established, obtaining oil multi-parameter data and vibration signals for bearings through the whole lifetime. Secondly, a gray correlation degree distance matrix is generated using a gray correlation model (GCM) to express the relationship of oil monitoring samples at different times and then a KCM is applied to cluster the matrix. Analysis and experimental results show that there is an obvious correspondence that state changing coincides basically in time between the lubricants' multi-parameters and the bearings' wear states. It also has shown that online oil samples with multi-parameters have early wear failure prediction ability for bearings superior to vibration signals. It is expected to realize online oil monitoring and evaluation for bearing health condition and to provide a novel approach for early identification of bearing-related failure modes.

A Systematic Review of Predictors of, and Reasons for, Adherence to Online Psychological Interventions.

PubMed

Beatty, Lisa; Binnion, Claire

2016-12-01

A key issue regarding the provision of psychological therapy in a self-guided online format is low rates of adherence. The aim of this systematic review was to assess both quantitative and qualitative data on the predictors of adherence, as well as participant reported reasons for adhering or not adhering to online psychological interventions. Database searches of PsycINFO, Medline, and CINAHL identified 1721 potentially relevant articles published between 1 January 2000 and 25 November 2015. A further 34 potentially relevant articles were retrieved from reference lists. Articles that reported predictors of, or reasons for, adherence to an online psychological intervention were included. A total of 36 studies met the inclusion criteria. Predictors assessed included demographic, psychological, characteristics of presenting problem, and intervention/computer-related predictors. Evidence suggested that female gender, higher treatment expectancy, sufficient time, and personalized intervention content each predicted higher adherence. Age, baseline symptom severity, and control group allocation had mixed findings. The majority of assessed variables however, did not predict adherence. Few clear predictors of adherence emerged overall, and most results were either mixed or too preliminary to draw conclusions. More research of predictors associated with adherence to online interventions is warranted.

On-line range prediction system, part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levan, Nhan

1988-01-01

The on-line range prediction system is designed for providing a prediction of the target range in the case of a laser data dropout. It consists of real time implementation of a Kalman filter on an IBM PC/AT equipped with necessary hardware. The system was set up and tested at Crows Landing in the Fall of 1987. The improvements made on the on-line range prediction system during 1988 are examined. Solutions are proposed and discussed to the several problems encountered during system tests. Then, the improvements made on the filter software are explained, namely, accounting for the time lag and providing data continously. Finally, the ideas are mentioned that can be considered in the future.

The Role of Parents' Critical Thinking About Media in Shaping Expectancies, Efficacy and Nutrition Behaviors for Families.

PubMed

Austin, Erica Weintraub; Pinkleton, Bruce E; Radanielina-Hita, Marie Louise; Ran, Weina

2015-01-01

A convenience survey completed online by 137 4-H parents in Washington state explored their orientation toward critical thinking regarding media sources and content and its implications for family dietary behaviors. Parents' critical thinking toward media sources predicted their information efficacy about content. Critical thinking toward media content predicted information efficacy about sources, expectancies for parental mediation, and expectancies for family receptiveness to lower-fat dietary changes. Expectancies for receptiveness to dietary changes and expectancies for parental mediation predicted efficacy for implementing healthy dietary practices; this strongly predicted healthy dietary practices. Media-related critical thinking, therefore, indirectly but consistently affected self-reported family dietary behaviors through its effects on efficacy for managing media and expectancies for the family's receptiveness to healthy dietary changes. The results suggest parents' media literacy skills affect their family's dietary behavior. Health campaigns that help parents interpret and manage the media environment may benefit all family members.

Young adults' experiences of seeking online information about diabetes and mental health in the age of social media.

PubMed

Fergie, Gillian; Hilton, Shona; Hunt, Kate

2016-12-01

The Internet is a primary source of health information for many. Since the widespread adoption of social media, user-generated health-related content has proliferated, particularly around long-term health issues such as diabetes and common mental health disorders (CMHDs). To explore perceptions and experiences of engaging with health information online in a sample of young adults familiar with social media environments and variously engaged in consuming user-generated content. Forty semi-structured interviews were conducted with young adults, aged 18-30, with experience of diabetes or CMHDs. Data were analysed following a thematic networks approach to explore key themes around online information-seeking and content consumption practices. Although participants primarily discussed well-rehearsed approaches to health information-seeking online, particularly reliance on search engines, their accounts also reflected active engagement with health-related content on social media sites. Navigating between professionally produced websites and user-generated content, many of the young adults seemed to appreciate different forms of health knowledge emanating from varied sources. Participants described negotiating health content based on social media practices and features and assessing content heuristically. Some also discussed habitual consumption of content related to their condition as integrated into their everyday social media use. Technologies such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube offer opportunities to consume and assess content which users deem relevant and useful. As users and organizations continue to colonize social media platforms, opportunities are increasing for health communication and intervention. However, how such innovations are adopted is dependent on their alignment with users' expectations and consumption practices. ©2015 The Authors. Health Expectations. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Information and informatics literacies of first-year medical students

PubMed Central

Bouquin, Daina R.; Tmanova, Lyubov L.; Wright, Drew

2015-01-01

Purpose The study evaluated medical students' familiarity with information literacy and informatics during the health sciences library orientation. Methods A survey was fielded at the start of the 2013 school year. Results Seventy-two of 77 students (94%) completed the survey. Over one-half (57%) expected to use library research materials and services. About half (43%) expected to use library physical space. Students preferred accessing biomedical research on laptops and learning via online-asynchronous modes. Conclusions The library identified areas for service development and outreach to medical students and academic departments. PMID:26512221

Augmenting Outpatient Alcohol Treatment as Usual With Online Alcohol Avoidance Training: Protocol for a Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Bratti-van der Werf, Marleen Kj; Laurens, Melissa C; Postel, Marloes G; Pieterse, Marcel E; Ben Allouch, Somaya; Wiers, Reinout W; Bohlmeijer, Ernst T; Salemink, Elske

2018-03-01

Recent theoretical models emphasize the role of impulsive processes in alcohol addiction, which can be retrained with computerized Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) training. In this study, the focus is on action tendencies that are activated relatively automatically. The aim of the study is to examine the effectiveness of online CBM Alcohol Avoidance Training using an adapted Approach-Avoidance Task as a supplement to treatment as usual (TAU) in an outpatient treatment setting. The effectiveness of 8 online sessions of CBM Alcohol Avoidance Training added to TAU is tested in a double-blind, randomized controlled trial with pre- and postassessments, plus follow-up assessments after 3 and 6 months. Participants are adult patients (age 18 years or over) currently following Web-based or face-to-face TAU to reduce or stop drinking. These patients are randomly assigned to a CBM Alcohol Avoidance or a placebo training. The primary outcome measure is a reduction in alcohol consumption. We hypothesize that TAU + CBM will result in up to a 13-percentage point incremental effect in the number of patients reaching the safe drinking guidelines compared to TAU + placebo CBM. Secondary outcome measures include an improvement in health status and a decrease in depression, anxiety, stress, and possible mediation by the change in approach bias. Finally, patients' adherence, acceptability, and credibility will be examined. The trial was funded in 2014 and is currently in the active participant recruitment phase (since May 2015). Enrolment will be completed in 2019. First results are expected to be submitted for publication in 2020. The main purpose of this study is to increase our knowledge about the added value of online Alcohol Avoidance Training as a supplement to TAU in an outpatient treatment setting. If the added effectiveness of the training is proven, the next step could be to incorporate the intervention into current treatment. Netherlands Trial Register NTR5087; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=5087 (Archived at WebCite http://www.webcitation.org/6wuS4i1tH). ©Marleen KJ Bratti-van der Werf, Melissa C Laurens, Marloes G Postel, Marcel E Pieterse, Somaya Ben Allouch, Reinout W Wiers, Ernst T Bohlmeijer, Elske Salemink. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 01.03.2018.

Do online communities change power processes in healthcare? Using case studies to examine the use of online health communities by patients with Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Visser, Laura M; Bleijenbergh, Inge L; Benschop, Yvonne W M; Van Riel, Allard C R; Bloem, Bastiaan R

2016-11-07

Communication technologies, such as personal online health communities, are increasingly considered as a tool to realise patient empowerment. However, little is known about the actual use of online health communities. Here, we investigated if and how patients' use of online communities supports patient empowerment. A network of primary and secondary care providers around individual patients with Parkinson's disease. We conducted case studies to examine our research question. We interviewed 18 patients with Parkinson's disease and observed the use of online health communities of 14 of them for an average of 1 year. We analysed the interviews and the online conversations between patients and healthcare providers, using Foucault's framework for studying power processes. We observed that patient empowerment is inhibited by implicit norms that exist within these communities around the number and content of postings. First, patients refrained from asking too many questions of their healthcare providers, but felt obliged to offer them regular updates. Second, patients scrutinised the content of their postings, being afraid to come across as complainers. Third, patients were cautious in making knowledge claims about their disease. Changing implicit norms within online communities and the societal context they exist in seems necessary to achieve greater patient empowerment. Possibilities for changing these norms might lie in open dialogue between patient and healthcare providers about expectations, revising the curriculum of medical education and redesigning personal online health communities to support two-way knowledge exchange. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Lay Theories Regarding Computer-Mediated Communication in Remote Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parke, Karl; Marsden, Nicola; Connolly, Cornelia

2017-01-01

Computer-mediated communication and remote collaboration has become an unexceptional norm as an educational modality for distance and open education, therefore the need to research and analyze students' online learning experience is necessary. This paper seeks to examine the assumptions and expectations held by students in regard to…

Electronic-Imen-Delphi (EID): An Online Conferencing Procedure.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Passig, David; Sharbat, Aviva

2000-01-01

Examines the efficiency of the Imen-Delphi (ID) technique as an electronic procedure for conferencing that helps participants clarify their opinions and expectations regarding preferable and possible futures. Describes an electronic version of the original ID procedure and tested its efficiency among a group of experts on virtual reality and…

Improving a Counselor Education Web Site through Usability Testing: The Bibliotherapy Education Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMillen, Paula S.; Pehrsson, Dale-Elizabeth

2009-01-01

Technology proficiency expectations have proliferated in counselor education; however, limited information in the counseling literature details how to effectively evaluate or refine online resources from a design/utility standpoint. This description of a small-scale usability study demonstrates a cost-effective strategy for improving counselor…

Facilitating Trust in Privacy-Preserving E-Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anwar, M.; Greer, J.

2012-01-01

This research explores a new model for facilitating trust in online e-learning activities. We begin by protecting the privacy of learners through identity management (IM), where personal information can be protected through some degree of participant anonymity or pseudonymity. In order to expect learners to trust other pseudonymous participants,…

Leveraging Educational Technology to Overcome Social Obstacles to Help Seeking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howley, Iris

2015-01-01

This dissertation provides initial empirical evidence for Expectancy Value Theory for Help Sources and generates design recommendations for online courses based on the newfound understanding between theory and student behavior. (Abstract shortened by UMI.). [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest…

Cheating the Business Template: Filling in the Blanks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mechenbier, Mahli Xuan

2011-01-01

Business professionals often use standard templates when composing documents, and teachers of business writing direct students to textbook examples to use as sample formats. Good instructors do want to provide their students with informative examples of what is expected, especially in an online course environment where students cannot raise their…

The Rhetoric of Study Abroad: Perpetuating Expectations and Results through Technological Enframing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bishop, Sarah C.

2013-01-01

This analysis examines the preparatory and reflective online rhetoric available to potential and past academic travelers at the university level. Utilizing Martin Heidegger's (1977) notion of the ways in which technological processes "enframe" human experiences, the article scrutinizes the visual and verbal rhetoric found on the websites…

Use of Computer-Based Case Studies in a Problem-Solving Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haworth, Ian S.; And Others

1997-01-01

Describes the use of three case studies, on computer, to enhance problem solving and critical thinking among doctoral pharmacy students in a physical chemistry course. Students are expected to use specific computer programs, spreadsheets, electronic mail, molecular graphics, word processing, online literature searching, and other computer-based…

Expectancy Theory Outcomes and Student Evaluations of Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ernst, David

2014-01-01

As student evaluation of teaching (SET) instruments are increasingly administered online, research has found that the response rates have dropped significantly. Validity concerns have necessitated research that explores student motivation for completing SETs. This study uses Vroom's [(1964). "Work and motivation" (3rd ed.). New York, NY:…