The learning outcomes race: the value of self-reported gains in large research universities

This article explores the geographies of difference at LI-NSU, a Mexican university program where English is the predominant language of instruction. The interactions between LI-NSU students and students from other programs are marked by themes of national identity and symbolically charged views of English, creating a contested ‘poetics of space’ within the classroom and beyond. The article questions the impact that English-only classrooms may have on student identity in contexts where English is not the official or dominant language.     

The effects of appeal types and candidates' poll rankings in negative political advertising

This paper combines the persuasion knowledge model (PKM) and priming theory to investigate the effects of different appeal types in negative political ads on voters' cognitive responses and candidate responses, and explore the moderating effect of an important candidate-related variable: poll ranking. The results indicate that negative advertising based on rational appeals is more beneficial to candidates who lag in the polls. However, negative ads based on emotional appeals generate better responses from voters when used by poll leaders. These effects are observed regardless of whether the race is between an incumbent and a challenger or two challengers.     

Constructing a cooperative distance learning system: The CORAL experience

This article focuses on the Cooperative Remotely Accessible Learning (CORAL) system to promote cooperative constructive distance learning currently under development at National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan. The CORAL system is a collective and collaborative project intended to integrate four major components in concept and construction: an interactive learning environment, educational foundations and implications, domain knowledge, and research efforts. The CORAL system provides the first comprehensive and networked courseware written in Chinese. The development process of CORAL including analysis, design, development, and evaluation is reported. Research issues are also addressed.     

Sticky and slippery destinations for academic mobility: the case of Singapore

This article seeks to contribute to the existing scholarship on academic mobility in two ways. First, it brings together insights on academic mobility (aspirations, desperations) and higher education internationalisation to show how we may analytically organise these insights to shed light on the shifting global higher education landscape from an experiential perspective. Second, it provides fresh data on the ‘lived experiences’ of mobile faculty members based in an attractive academic destination outside of the traditional knowledge cores—Singapore. As a city state without any natural resources, Singapore has successfully transformed its economy into one that is knowledge-intensive based on combined efforts from grooming locals to recruiting foreign talents to shore up skilled manpower needs. These efforts are reflected in the university sector where Singapore’s comprehensive universities have consistently ranked high across many global university rankings. Using survey and interview data, I show how the mobility and immobility experiences of faculty based in Singapore have contributed to its making as a ‘sticky’ and ‘slippery’ academic destination. My contributions point to the need to integrate individual-level factors underpinning academic mobility decisions with systemic developments to better understand the changing global higher education landscape today.

     

Exploring elementary english teachers’ practical knowledge: A case study of EFL teachers in Taiwan

Teaching English in elementary schools has been an important educational policy in Asian countries over the past several decades. This study investigates how in-service teachers in elementary schools conceptualize their practical knowledge about English teaching in Taiwan. It provides examples of experiences and practical knowledge that English teachers have developed in their own contexts. The practical knowledge of teachers was investigated using a qualitative case study. Three in-service teachers participated in this study. Data include interviews, classroom observations, teachers’ reflective journals, and teaching materials. The study provides practical principles and rules of practice for elementary EFL teachers. It offers insights that policy makers need to consider in setting up a sound English teaching and learning program for elementary schools in EFL contexts.     

Moving horizon estimation for multirate systems with time-varying time-delays

This paper presents a moving horizon estimation approach for the multirate sampled-data system with unknown time-delay sequence. To estimate the unknown variables of interest, two main challenging issues need to be addressed: (a) synthesizing the multirate input and output data for state estimation, (b) simultaneously estimating the continuous state and discrete time-delay sequence. In this work a moving horizon estimation based approach is developed to tackle these issues. The proposed approach can simultaneously estimate both the continuous states and discrete time-delay sequence for dynamic systems. The effects of different noise level on the estimation of continuous states and discrete time-delay sequence are analyzed. The effectiveness of this method is illustrated through a simulation study.     

图书馆自动化系统更新换代时数据转换问题研究

文章对基于SQL的图书馆自动化系统向ILASII系统更新换代过程中,数据进行转换时所采取的方法作了较为详细的阐述,研究并提出了数据库间进行数据转换的实施方案。     

Relationships Among Self-Concealment,Mindfulness and Negative Psychological Outcomes in Asian American and European American College Students

Research on Asian Americans and their psychological adjustment is limited. Consisting of two cross-sectional studies, the present investigation examined the relationships among self-concealment, mindfulness, emotional distress in stressful interpersonal situations, and general psychological ill-health in Asian American college students, and in comparison with European American counterparts. In the Asian Americans, self-concealment was found to be positively related to general psychological ill-health and negatively related to mindfulness. In both ethnic groups, mindfulness was found to be negatively related to general psychological ill-health. Findings suggest that, as seen with European American counterparts, both self-concealment and mindfulness may be important concepts in understanding the psychological adjustments of Asian American college students.     

Contemporary trends in East Asian higher education: dispositions of international students in a Taiwan university

This article details a mixed methods study conducted during the 2007–2008 academic year at the National Chengchi University (NCCU) in Taipei Taiwan. It contributes to discourse examining the opportunities and challenges of international student enrollments in institutions of higher learning around the globe. In scope it details an empirical study exploring the dispositions of NCCU international students in terms of their academic and social spheres. Trends in Taiwan reflect traditional East Asian patterns; substantial numbers of university students from Taiwan studied in the United States and Britain while very few incoming international students chose the island nation as a host destination. In recent years the influx of international students to Taiwan has increased significantly, rising from 6,380 in 2001 to 21,005 in 2007 (Ko, , 2008). The use of both quantitative and qualitative methods provided clarity and extended critical interpretations of the issues and dilemmas surrounding the international student experience in Taiwan. Results indicate that the capability of the NCCU as a host institution to sustain and attract increasing numbers of incoming international students is linked to factors such as the unique opportunity to study traditional as opposed to simplified Chinese characters, the availability and accessibility of Taiwan government sponsored scholarships, and the high standard of the NCCU Mandarin Studies program. Implications suggest that universities committed to internationalization are called to address the realities—both positive and negative—of operating as globally competitive institutions. As such, attracting the right kind of international students at the NCCU and determining standards for their contribution to campus life are more important goals than the total number of international students.     

Understanding the roles of business ecosystems in large public IT infrastructure project development: The case of M-Taipei

This case study examines how public–private business ecosystems play a critical role in pubic IT infrastructure project development. In studying the world's foremost wireless “cyber city,” the M-Taipei project, we argue that the symbiotic nature of relationships in business ecosystems is of critical importance in conducting the public IT project. Based on the case data, we differentiate three forms of business ecosystems – knowledge-oriented, resource-oriented, and business-oriented which emerged in the different phases of project development. We hope to provide a foundation for future discussions on this increasingly important view of research and practice.