The Attentional Blink in Developing Readers

The attentional blink refers to a reduction in accuracy that occurs when identifying the second of two targets presented within approximately 500 msec of each other. This research explored individual differences in the attentional blink in a sample of 86 children (aged 8–10) with normally developing reading skills. The attentional blink was examined in relation to general reading performance as well as specific orthographic and phonological reading subprocesses. No associations were evident between attentional blink duration and reading ability. However significant correlations did exist between each of the three reading measures and mean second target correct given first target correct (T2|T1) performance across all lags, with less skilled readers exhibiting inferior performance regardless of the temporal lag between first and second targets. Performance on a rapid naming task mediated some of the relationship between mean T2|T1 performance and reading, yet the association remained significant when this factor was accounted for.     

Mental computation performance in Australia,Japan and the United States

The study was conducted to explore performance on a variety of mental computation tasks using two presentation formats (visual and oral). Students at four grade levels between grades 2 and 9 in three countries (Australia, Japan, United States) were given a group administered mental computation test consisting of two parts (oral presentation format, visual presentation format).The sample of nearly 2000 students represents 6 classes at each of four grade levels in each country. Results indicate a wide variation in performance within the sample of each country at each grade level. Differences in performance between countries are also apparent and may reflect variations in instructional focus on mental computation. In particular, Japanese students perform at a higher level at the early grades than do students in either of the other countries sampled. However, by grade 8 this difference narrows in the American sample, and vanishes for the Australian sample. Differences in performance related to presentation format were dramatic for particular items and non-existent for other items. The most consistent effect was found in the Japanese sample where the visual presentation format resulted in higher performance levels on most items.It is hypothesised that superior results on visually presented items are attributable to a greater reliance on use of the standard written algorithm, while superior results on orally presented items indicate a greater tendency to use invented mental algorithms.     

The use and abuse of performance indicators in UK higher education

In the UK, interest in measuring the performance of higher education institutions has developed as part of an increasing performance culture in the public sector. This paper looks at development of national systems of indicators in both the University and former Polytechnic section in the light of this trend. The pressures leading up to the development of each system are examined together with an outline of the indicators chosen and forthcoming critical reaction. The use of performance indicators to compare institutional performance is explored. Regression methods that have been developed to try to enable meaningful comparison of indicators to be made between different insititutional types and environments are critically examined. A number of case studies of the use of performance indicators in both the University and former Polytechnic sector are presented. In each case the benefit and drawbacks of the application are commented on. The paper concludes by recommending a change from the league table approach to one based on adopting indicators for each institution which are consistent with its mission. The role of peer review in complementing the use of performance indicators is covered.     

基于AHP的企业软实力评价及其与经营绩效关系研究

企业软实力与经营绩效虽为企业管理的两大焦点,但目前还很少有学者将二者结合起来进行研究。在借鉴他人研究成果的基础上,我们构建了包括资源整合力、企业文化力、企业影响力、公共关系力和社会责任力五个一级指标的企业软实力评价体系,并采用AHP法确定了各指标在整个评价体系中的权重;然后通过构建模型并采用多元回归分析法,实证分析了企业综合软实力水平及其企业软实力各构成要素水平与经营绩效的关系。分析认为：企业综合软实力水平与企业软实力各构成要素水平均与经营绩效成正相关关系,但前者对经营绩效的影响程度明显强于后者,而且后者中不同要素对经营绩效的影响程度也存在差异。     

Statistics for the enhancement of profile analysis on the test of language development-primary

The Test of Language Development-Primary is a recently published, comprehensive measure of young children's general language development. The manual provides much information on test development and standardization of the scale relevant to traditional normative interpretation, but says little about the statistical basis for profile analysis of the various subtest scaled scores. The present paper provides the necessary information for determining statistically reliable strengths and weaknesses in the performance of a single individual on each subtest, as compared to the mean level of performance across all subtests. Provided at each of five age levels are the standard errors of the difference between each score and the mean of all scores and the differences required for statistical significance at .05 and .01 significance levels.     

Relationships among individual task self-efficacy,self-regulated learning strategy use and academic performance in a computer-supported collaborative learning environment

This study investigates relationships between self-efficacy, self-regulated learning strategy use and academic performance. Participants were 96 undergraduate students working on projects with three subtasks (idea generation task, methodical task and data collection) in a blended learning environment. Task self-efficacy was measured with self-reports administered during each subtask. Learning strategies were assessed by counting each instance of strategy use as it occurred in peer-to-peer conversations typed into a computer software system. Results showed that for each subtask, learners with higher task self-efficacy had higher task performance. Those who used more learning strategies on each subtask also had higher performance. In turn, high performance was associated with high self-efficacy on subsequent subtasks. Surprisingly, results showed that task self-efficacy and learning strategy use were not significantly related during any subtask. Overall, results imply that task self-efficacy, learning strategy use and past performance are important predictors of task performance.     

Performance of English Language Learners as a Subgroup in Large-Scale Assessment: Interaction of Research and Policy

Factors that contribute to the performance gap between subgroups and mainstream students deserve special attention. Different subgroups are faced with different sets of challenges. To understand and control for factors leading to the performance gap between subgroups and mainstream students one must clearly understand the issues specific to each subgroup. This paper focuses on assessment and performance issues for English language learner (ELL) students as a subgroup. Identifying factors affecting the performance gap between ELL and non-ELL students may help gain insight into assessment issues for other subgroups of students as well as strengthen assessment of this group.     

The Relationship of Learning and Performance Diagnosis at Different System Levels

The importance of performance diagnosis to the success of performance improvement interventions is widely recognized. Yet, while research in the last decade has sought to distinguish between learning and performance improvement, the relationship between learning and performance diagnosis remains unexamined. It is important to examine this relationship because human resource development professionals are urged to develop expertise in performance diagnosis, and it should be clear whether they are supposed to learn better or something else. This paper examines learningad performance diagnosis, separately and in relation to each other, asthey function in organization systems. Using a three-levels of performance model, the relationship between learning and performance diagnosis are examined at the individual, process, and organizational levels.     

HPT and Six Sigma: Is There a Difference That Matters?

This article explores the major differences and similarities between Six Sigma and human performance technology or human performance improvement (HPT or HPI). It addresses the definitions and foundations of both Six Sigma and HPT as major performance improvement approaches. It explains how their methodologies are similar in some aspects and different in others. It compares the popularity and applicability of the two approaches in both small and large companies. It discusses the psychological elements underlying each method. Moreover, it considers the criteria of success in managing HPT and Six Sigma projects. It also addresses the reasons for the similarities and differences between the two processes and suggests an integrated approach that focuses on both human and nonhuman improvement in an attempt to overcome the limitations of each approach.     

Investigating the relationship between transactive memory and performance in collaborative learning

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationships between the three dimensions of transactive memory (coordination, credibility, and specialization) and performance of collaborating students. A total of 113 students, distributed into groups of two or three, participated in the study. They were required to complete a series of learning tasks during the semester and to write a joint report for each task to be evaluated by their instructors. Afterwards, they were asked to fill out a questionnaire including self-report measures of transactive memory. The results showed a well-established positive relationship between transactive memory and performance based essentially on coordination; also, performance improved linearly as members developed specializations within groups. Implications for future research in collaborative learning are discussed.     

The Relationship of Learning and Performance Improvement at Different System Levels

The importance of learning for organizational effectiveness is no longer questioned. Research in the last decade has identified the central role of learning for enhancing individual development. team effectiveness, leadership. innovation, and competitive advantage. However, this acknowledgement of learning's importance has been accompanied by the lack of conceptual clarity when learning, change, innovation, and performance‐all desirable states and co‐variants of each other‐are necessarily studied together. Because learning and performance strongly influence each other, we are often left confused by which is the phenomenon of interest. This confusion is compounded when levels of analysis are considered. This paper examines learning and performance improvement first as separate constructs, then as complimentary elements in organization systems. Using a four‐level systems model, changes in the relationship between learning and performance improvement are examined at different levels of the model.     

The performance of college students on piaget-type tasks dealing with distance,time, and speed

Research was done to probe and extend Piaget's theory of the conception of speed. Specifically tested was the hypothesis that there is no hierarchical relationship in performance on the following Piaget-type tasks: conservation of distance, asymmetric series of speeds, one-to-many (circular) speeds, symmetric speeds, time, and proportional reasoning. The research also tested the gender-related performance on these six tasks. One hundred freshman and sophomore college students were shown demonstrations of equipment individually for each of the six tasks. A set of open-ended questions based on the demonstrations was administered to each subject in a 45-minute interview. Subjects were scored as “pass” on a given task if they manipulated objects in certain ways and gave specific types of explanations. A scalogram analysis of the data yielded a z-score of — 3.7 which indicated that subjects passed the task in a certain sequence. The tasks were found to form a unidimensional scale and to be increasingly difficult in the order listed above. A chi-square test for two independent samples showed a significant difference (alpha = 0.05) in performance between males and females on all speed tasks. No significant differences in performance between males and females were found for the distance and time tasks.     

网络特征与产学研合作创新绩效关系的实证研究

合作创新绩效是衡量产学研网络产出的一个重要指标,同时也是衡量产学研网络是否成功的标杆。而产学研网络的基本特征又与创新绩效密切相关。现有研究主要利用问卷调查法搜集网络特征变量的数据,缺少利用社会网络分析法搜集数据。基于网络结构特征视角探讨网络特征与产学研合作创新绩效之间的相关关系。结论发现,中间中心度和联系强度对产学研合作创新绩效有正向的影响,而结构洞对产学研合作创新绩效影响不显著。     

高校思想政治工作与提高学生综合素质

本文阐述了高校思想政治工作与提高学生综合素质的关系:一方面,提高学生的综合素质是高校思想政治工作的终极目的,另一方面,高校思想政治工作是提高学生综合素质的重要途径和思想保障,两者是相互支持、相互促进、共同发展的辩证关系。     

Identification of educationally at-risk children during the kindergarten year: A four-year follow-up study of group test performance

Group test performance of children identified during the kindergarten year as educationally high, moderate, and low risk was investigated by following a group of 472 children from grades one through four. End of kindergarten predictive measures were the Kindergarten Evaluation of Learning Potential, the Bender-Gestalt Test, and the Slosson Intelligence Test; follow-up measures were group achievement tests administered in April of each school year. Significant differences in achievement performance were found between the high and low risk groups. Significant correlations were found between risk group designation and achievement performance in the first four grades. (No significant differences in group test performance were found for risk groups or individuals between grade levels.) Findings support the predictive validity of the present screening procedures for group test performance through grade four. Further, the findings show that students appear to perform consistently at the same level year to year in a regular class instructional program.     

Lack of consistent individual differences in rats on tasks that require response inhibition

Hungry rats performed four different tasks which all required responding to be withheld for food reinforcement to be obtained. The tasks were the following: an omission schedule, a go/no-go procedure, a differential reinforcement of low rate schedule, and a choice task in which the subject could respond for a small immediate reward or a large delayed reward. Each rat experienced each task twice. For each task, the rank ordering of the subjects’ performance on the test and retest was highly consistent, indicating the reliability of the task for measuring a particular “ability.” However, there were no consistencies in the performance of individual rats between tasks. This suggests that claims regarding consistent individual differences in brain-lesioned nonhumans across a range of such tasks are not supported in intact subjects.     

Differences between the relationship of L1 learners’ performance in integrated writing with both independent listening and independent reading cognitive skills

In recent decades, integrated language competence has been highlighted in the language curricula taught in schools and institutions, and the relationship between test-takers’ performance on integrated tasks and comprehension sources has been much studied. The current study employed the frameworks of reading and listening comprehension processes to examine the difference between the effects of reading competence and listening competence on integrated writing performance. A total of 152 Secondary 5 students from five local schools in Hong Kong responded to three tasks, including an independent listening task, an independent reading task and an integrated writing task. The reading cognitive skills contributed more towards the performance of the integrated writing task than the listening cognitive skills did. Furthermore, the interaction between the relationships of reading and listening to the integrated writing performance was significant. Three subskills each for both listening and reading that belong to higher-order thinking skills—Elaborating, Evaluating and Creating—had significant correlation with integrated writing performance. Implications for the teaching of integrated writing were also discussed.     

基于回归模型的大学生成绩影响因素分析

学习成绩是衡量学生能力的重要标准。正确认识和评价影响大学生学习成绩的因素并对此研究对策,有利于提升大学生的综合素质与能力。该文通过对西安文理学院学生信息的采集,分析学习成绩的影响因子并建立回归模型,从而预测出各因子和大学生学习成绩相关性,对高校提升教学质量提出了相关措施和建议。     

论信用公示对合同履行的保障

在一定意义上，市场经济是商品交换主体之间的相互信赖，互通有无，共荣共存的合同经济。市场经济的契约决定了市场主体之间的信赖关系在现实市场经济中主要是以合同的形式表现出来。完善的法律保障制度是市场交易有序发展的基本前提，而复杂多变的社会现实却使合同的履行日益强烈地着信用公示制度的支援和配合。     

The improvement in mental rotation performance in primary school-aged children after a two-week motor-training

The present study investigated the influence of motor training on mental rotation performance in children aged between 8 and 10 years Two groups of 42 children each solved a psychometric mental rotation task with three-dimensional block figures. After the initial test, one group received two weeks of specific coordinative motor training every school day for 20?min, while the other group did not receive any additional training. At the end of the training period, all children solved the mental rotation task again. The results show that both groups improved their performance from the pre- to the post-test; however, the improvement for the training group was higher than for the non-training group. This study shows the influence of motor training on mental rotation performance.