Awareness and Attitudes about Open Access Publishing: A Glance at Generational Differences

This study explores PhD faculty members' current awareness of open access (OA) and perceptions of OA publishing, focusing on demographic characteristics to understand whether these variables correspond to specific perceptions and behaviors. The majority of respondents taught in Art, Humanities and Social Sciences disciplines. Results point to a growing trend in self reported knowledge of OA across all age groups but OA publishing activity is relatively limited. The younger age brackets reported higher percentages of publishing history than older age brackets, but these younger groups tended to also be tenured. Credibility of OA journals was the top concern of respondents. Results suggest that faculty authors cannot be prejudged by their age, seniority or rank as to their perception of, or experience with OA, because these indicators no longer appear to be strong predictors.     

Understanding channel choice in users' reporting behavior: Evidence from a smart mobility case

Public service producers are heavily investing in the development and implementation of more efficient new digital channels to engage users in citizen sourcing efforts, such as the reporting of public service-related issues. Nevertheless, user-reporters have continued to favor earlier implemented channels including traditional (e.g., phone, office) and e-government channels (e.g., web, email) over new digital channels such as m-government channels (e.g., mobile applications). Drawing on channel choice literature and theories, this study aims at explaining users' reporting behavior by examining the role of users' personal factors, including digital divide determinants, users' service experience, and channel satisfaction. We use a combination of survey and log data on actual reporting behavior among smart bike-sharing users to explain users' channel choice. Using a multinomial logistic regression, we found that the digital divide predicts user-reporters' channel choice. Moreover, user-reporters with a longer service membership favor traditional and e-government channels, over the newly implemented m-government channels. Finally, user-reporters' satisfaction with the mobile application is negatively associated with the user-reporters' choice of traditional and e-government channels. Our results expand and update the empirical evidence on channel choice at the user level, and provide insights for public service producers who aim at enhancing public service delivery through digital users' engagement.     

Interpreting Research on Parent Involvement and Connecting it to the Science Classroom

As part of a larger project, we found that there are very few articles focusing on the relationship between parent involvement and student achievement in science. Furthermore, most studies are quantitative in nature (based on large-scale surveys). Despite the gaps identified, there are many consistent findings across various studies that could be transferred to the science-learning context, for example, the significant effect of parents' aspirations/expectations on student achievement. To better present the findings from our review of the literature, we proposed a model for organizing the various categories of parent involvement at school into three dynamic dimensions: home environment, parents and school/community, and students and school/community. We feel that this model provides a framework for recognizing the roles that parents and their children may be already playing (agency) in triggering involvement at home, at school, and/or with community organizations.     

University Faculty Attitudes on Affirmative Action Principles Toward Faculty and Students

Despite its relatively short history, policies connected with Affirmative Action have endured a controversial social, political, and legal past. Higher education has witnessed much of this controversy firsthand. Because the venue of many Affirmative Action battles has been waged within educational settings, faculty in higher education are uniquely positioned because they are integrally involved in decisions regarding faculty hiring as well as student admissions, particularly at the graduate level. Therefore, this study examined the attitudes of faculty toward Affirmative Action principles and reverse discrimination as they might apply to students and faculty colleagues, with particular attention to which concepts were more supported. Results from 428 faculty indicated general support for diversity, although specific concerns were raised regarding reverse discrimination and the appropriateness of targeting persons of color or women. The most favorable attitudes supported students with demonstrated financial need. Potential future approaches to Affirmative Action in higher education are discussed.     

A VALID SELF‐APPRAISAL INSTRUMENT FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS

This study resulted from a concern that a valid and reliable self‐assessment instrument was needed for community college administrators. The instrument constructed included thirty performance dimensions. Administrators from three community colleges assisted in the establishment of the validity and reliability of the instrument. The process for developing a self‐assessment instrument for performance appraisal was validated. Implications for practice include a method for administrator self‐improvement of performance and the development of administrator training programs.     

Development and evolution of instrumented schemes: a case study of learning programming for mathematical investigations

Educational Studies in Mathematics - We are interested in understanding how university students learn to use programming as a tool for “authentic” mathematical investigations (i.e.,...     

Skin in the Game: A Policy Implementation Study of How School-Level Bureaucrats Set and Rationalize Advanced Placement Exam Fees for Low-Income Students

Research in Higher Education - As part of their strategies to increase college readiness and reduce educational inequalities, at least 29 states subsidize Advanced Placement (AP) exam fees for...     

Bone mass,bone mineral density and muscle mass in professional golfers

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of long-term professional golf participation on whole-body and regional bone mass and density. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was performed on 15 male professional golfers and 18 sedentary individuals, matched for sex, race, age (29 ± and 25 ± 1 years, respectively), body mass (79 ± 2 and 74 ± 2 kg), height (1.78 ± 0.01 and 1.77 ± 0.02 m) and percent body fat (20 ± 2 and 21 ± 2%; mean ± s _χ). We found that long-term professional golf participation is not associated with significant increments in regional or whole-body bone mass or density. Neither the lumbar spine nor the femoral neck showed any noticeable enhancement of bone mass in professional golfers compared with controls from the same population. The only effect of professional golf participation on regional body composition was a 9% increase in muscle mass in the dominant arm (P ? 0.05).     

Preference for punishment of the instrumental or the consummatory response

In two discriminable runways, rats were punished (shocked) either prior to receiving water reinforcement (punishment of the instrumental response) or after ingesting the water (punishment of the consummatory response). Both forced-choice and free-choice trials were conducted. Results indicate that rats preferred to have the instrumental response punished. It was also observed that the subjects more frequently failed to traverse the runway in which the consummatory response was punished compared to the runway in which the instrumental response was punished. The results were interpreted as being consistent with predictions derived from net incentive theory.