Integrating synchronous and asynchronous internet distributed education for maximum effectiveness

Distributed education delivered via the Internet is a growing practice, with most institutions offering at least course websites and many expanding to full course offerings and even online degree progams. There are two schools of thought with regard to delivery mode: the larger group has focused on asynchronous delivery, accessible at any time via webpages and interactive tutorials and quizzes, while a smaller group advocates synchronous delivery where students are online and interact during class time. This paper summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of the two delivery modes and describes our successful and growing experience of more than a decade using an open source synchronous delivery tool blended with a variety of asynchronous capabilities and classroom instruction. We conclude that a synergistic combination of the two modes with in-person instruction, designed to provide maximum flexibility to the student within the constraints of the subject, offers the best support for student learning. www:     

The brachistochrone

The brachistochrone problem posed by Bernoulli and its solution highlights one of the most famous experiments in physics which illustrates the variational principle. This pedagogical study is designed to ignite a classroom discussion on the variational problem. We overview the Euler–Lagrange formalism of the variational principle and obtain the solution to the brachistochrone problem. We demonstrate the success of the variational method using brachistochrone models which were fabricated specially for this purpose.     

Motives,attitudes and approaches to studying in distance education

This study investigated the relationships between demographic characteristics, motives and attitudes to studying, self-reported study behaviour and measures of outcome. Students taking courses by distance learning received a postal survey containing a short form of the Motivated Strategies and Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and the Revised Approaches to Studying Inventory (RASI). Path analysis was used to assess the causal relationships among 395 students’ age, gender and prior qualifications, their scores on the MSLQ and the RASI and their marks. Evidence was obtained for the causal efficacy of most of the paths among the main components. In particular, the causal link between variations in students’ motives and attitudes and variations in their study behaviour is bidirectional.     

A novel dependency language model for information retrieval

This paper explores the application of term dependency in information retrieval (IR) and proposes a novel dependency retrieval model. This retrieval model suggests an extension to the existing language modeling (LM) approach to IR by introducing dependency models for both query and document. Relevance between document and query is then evaluated by reference to the Kullback-Leibler divergence between their dependency models. This paper introduces a novel hybrid dependency structure, which allows integration of various forms of dependency within a single framework. A pseudo relevance feedback based method is also introduced for constructing query dependency model. The basic idea is to use query-relevant top-ranking sentences extracted from the top documents at retrieval time as the augmented representation of query, from which the relationships between query terms are identified. A Markov Random Field (MRF) based approach is presented to ensure the relevance of the extracted sentences, which utilizes the association features between query terms within a sentence to evaluate the relevance of each sentence. This dependency retrieval model was compared with other traditional retrieval models. Experiments indicated that it produces significant improvements in retrieval effectiveness.     

Bias in dyslexia screening in a Dutch multicultural population

We set out to address the adequacy of dyslexia screening in Dutch and non-western immigrant children, using the Dutch Dyslexia Screening Test (DST-NL) and outcomes of the Dutch dyslexia protocol, both of which are susceptible to cultural bias. Using the protocol as standard, we conducted an ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristics) analysis in Dutch and immigrant third, fifth, and seventh graders, combining a cross-sectional and longitudinal design. Sensitivity and specificity increased with grade, but were non-significant for various subtests in the lowest grade, suggesting considerable non-convergence between the two measures. Effective subtests in all grades, presumably not strongly influenced by Cultural Background or Word Lexicon, were One-Minute Reading, Non-Word Reading, and Nonsense Passage Reading. In a multilevel analysis, cultural background, dyslexia diagnosis, parental education, and grade of first assessment were predictors of subtest performance. In a second analysis, Word Lexicon was added as a proxy of knowledge of the Dutch language and culture. After controlling for Word Lexicon, cultural background became significant for most subtests, suggesting the presence of cultural bias. Subtests assessing technical literacy, such as One-Minute-Reading, Non-Word-Reading, One-Minute-Writing, or Two-Minutes-Spelling, showed more convergence between the two assessments. Less-effective subtests were Naming Pictures, Backward Digit Span, and Verbal and Semantic Fluency. It is concluded that the DST-NL and the standard protocol do not show complete convergence, notably in the lower grades in the multilingual pupil group of our cohort, mainly because dyslexia and literacy difficulties are hard to disentangle.     

The impact of workforce agility on organizational memory

Existing literature has generally focused on organizational memory (OM) and workforce agility. Yet, less concentration has been devoted to the impact of workforce agility on OM. This research proposed a model that studies the impact of workforce agility on declarative OM and procedural OM. The model focused on aspects related to proactivity, adaptability, and resiliency. The study targeted the cell phone industry in Jordan. The study sample included 430 individuals involved in managerial and professional knowledge positions in mobile communications companies in Jordan. The article concluded that a proactive workforce has a significant impact on declarative OM and proactivity also improves procedural OM. Consequently, practical implications for managers, and suggested future research are presented.