Class Level as a Possible Mediator of the Relationship between Grades and Student Ratings of Teaching

Although the research literature investigating the relationship between grade awarded to students and students’ evaluations of teaching performance is voluminous, very few studies have examined the grade‐rating relationship according to level of student. The present study examined correlations between mean instructor rating and mean class grade for all course evaluations (N = 625 classes) at Utah State University during an academic quarter. In lower‐division (courses 100–299) and upper‐division (courses 300–599) undergraduate classes, correlations between grades and ratings of faculty were of an expected direction and magnitude (0.29 and 0.28, respectively); however, the grade‐rating correlation for graduate classes (courses 600 +) was — 0.20. It is speculated that graduate students are both better students and more critical evaluators of instruction, but replication and extension with different samples are needed before this tentative explanation can be accepted with confidence.     

Direct and indirect effects of online learning on distance education

This paper presents an exploratory study that investigates the effects of online learning on distance education students in an open university context. Two hypotheses are posited: (1) a direct relationship exists between students’ involvement in online learning and distance learning outcomes, and (2) an indirect relationship exists between these two domains via the mediating variable of an institutional Transactional Presence (TP), that is, a student's sense of the availability of and connectedness with an educational institution. Student learning achievement, satisfaction and intent‐to‐persist are used as indicators of outcomes of distance learning. The analysis of data garnered from 285 distance students reveals multifaceted relationships between students’ engagement in online learning, their perceptions of institutional TP and the three learning outcome variables. Besides the findings, the paper will discuss factors affecting students’ engagement in online learning in relation to different requirements, that is, optional or compulsory online use as well as the level of the course (undergraduate or postgraduate).     

Heterogeneous Effects of Charter Schools: Unpacking Family Selection and Achievement Growth in Los Angeles

Disparate findings on whether students attending charter schools outperform peers in traditional public schools (TPS) may stem from mixing differing types of charters or inadequately accounting for pupil background. To gauge prior family selection and heterogeneous effects, we distinguish between conversion and start-up charter schools, along with a third site-run model operating in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). We find that TPS campuses converting to charter status (conversions) attracted more experienced and consistently credentialed teachers, and served relatively advantaged families, compared with newly created charter schools (start-ups), after tracking 66,000 students over 4 years, 2007–2011. Charters overall attracted pupils achieving at higher levels as they began a grade cycle (at baseline), relative to TPS peers, most pronounced among conversions that remained affiliated with the district. After matching students on their propensities to enter a charter school, we find that pupils attending charters outperformed TPS peers over the 4-year period. These benefits are most consistent and moderate in magnitude for middle school students. We observed significant though small effects in English language arts for pupils attending charter high schools. Latino students, mostly attending start-ups, enjoyed consistent benefits from attending a charter school.     

Environmental Education Course Development for Preservice Secondary School Science Teachers in the Republic of Korea

Abstract

In Summer 1996, an opinionnaire survey was used to evaluate the opinions of Korean professors, in earth science education and geology departments, about the science concepts related to environmental issues that might be important for secondary preservice earth science teachers in the Republic of Korea. The opinionnaire contained 63 items within the 14 major topics being considered. It used a 4-choice, Likert-type scale and was completed by 47 professors (response rate = 51%). There was a good coincidence in opinions on major topics to be included. Respondents favored an environmental earth science course that emphasized the “human impact on the environment” rather than “natural environmental hazards.” Also, they favored study of natural hazards that commonly occur in Korea within a context of worldwide natural hazards.     

End-of-Life Decision Making in Older Korean Adults: Concerns,Preferences, and Expectations

This study explored Korean older adults’ concerns and preferences regarding end-of-life care and the expected role of physicians in the decision making process. The purpose was to assist health care professionals, in particular, physicians, to better understand how to interact with Korean older adults. A qualitative method using in-person interviews was conducted with Korean older adults (N = 54). The seven main themes generated in this study included the following: (a) life-sustaining treatments and hope for quality of life; (b) physician expert status; (c) truth telling and ethics; (d) preferred way to disclose bad news; (e) physician's role to treat, (f) potential misuse of life-sustaining treatments; and (g) priority of patients’ preferences. Overall, study participants generally anticipated a larger role for physicians in their own end-of-life decision making, though some expressed concerns about the outcome of giving such power to physicians, especially in agreeing to life-sustaining treatments. Although culture provides one important clue about expectations, it is always crucial for health care providers to ask about individual preferences and to develop an open communication style to decrease distress. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding concerns and preferences regarding end-of-life care among Korean older adults and the importance of assisting them in planning end-of-life care within a cultural framework.     

Connectedness of Korean adolescents: profiles and influencing factors

The purpose of the present study was to identify profiles of Korean adolescent connectedness across multiple contexts (e.g., family, school, neighborhood, etc.), using cluster analysis. In addition, this study examined how the profiles of Korean adolescent connectedness are discriminated by demographic and adjustment-related variables. Data were collected from 538 Korean adolescents aged 13?C19. Participants completed a Korean version of Measure of Adolescent Connectedness (MAC-K). Results from a cluster analysis revealed three profiles of connectedness to parents, siblings, teachers, school, friends, and neighborhood. Results placed participants into categories of Well-connected, Disconnected, and Socially connected. The first two profiles were characterized by reports of either strong or weak connectedness to all contexts. The last profile is characterized by reports of strong connections only to friends and neighborhood. The results also indicated that adolescents?? school adjustment, problem behaviors, self-esteem, and gender were significant discriminators between the three profiles. Implications for counseling practice and future studies are discussed.     

Multi-postpath-based lookahead multiconstraint QoS routing

Multiconstraint QoS (quality of service) routing is an essential mechanism for QoS-guaranteed services. Unfortunately, the multiconstraint QoS routing problem is NP-complete. In this paper, we propose a heuristic multiconstraint QoS routing scheme, MPLMR (multi-postpath-based lookahead multiconstraint routing). MPLMR is a routing scheme using an extended shortest-path algorithm. As in previous schemes such as TAMCRA and H_MCOP, MPLMR stores a limited number of subpaths between the source node and each intermediate node, and extends these subpaths toward the destination node. However, MPLMR uses an improved “lookahead” method to estimate the path length of the full path to which each subpath is extended. MPLMR then selects and stores the subpaths that have higher likelihood than other subpaths to be extended to feasible paths. We show via simulation that MPLMR has a smaller probability of missing a feasible path than competing schemes in the literature.     

Simulation of gait asymmetry and energy transfer efficiency between unilateral and bilateral amputees

Efficient walking or running requires symmetrical gait. Gait symmetry is one of the key factors in efficient human dynamics, kinematics and kinetics. The desire of individuals with a lower-limb amputation to participate in sports has resulted in the development of energy-storing-and-returning (ESR) feet. This paper analyses a case study to show the effect of symmetry and asymmetry as well as energy transfer efficiency during periodic jumping between simulated bilateral and unilateral runners. A custom gait analysis system is developed as part of this project to track the motion of the body of a physically active subject during a set of predefined motions. Stance and aerial times are accurately measured using a high speed camera. Gait frequency, the level of symmetry and the non-uniform displacement between left and right foot and their effects on the position of the Centre of Mass (CM) were used as criteria to calculate both peak energies and transformation efficiency. Gait asymmetry and discrepancy of energy transfer efficiency between the intact foot and the ESR are observed. It is concluded that unilateral runners require excessive effort to compensate for lack of symmetry as well as asymmetry in energy transfer, causing fatigue which could be a reason why bilateral amputee runners using ESR feet have a superior advantage over unilateral amputees.     

Empowering Students in Leading their Education and Practice: The Design Workbook

How does education prepare future designers for current and future requirements of the field? An attempt to respond to this question is presented through the Design Workbook: a curricular project that has been proposed and developed over the course of three phases. In Phase One, the objectives, structure and format were defined: an online interface containing activities organised under five chapters that aim at building students’ creative confidence and sensitivity to surrounding contexts, and prepare them to lead their career path. In Phase Two, the website was developed to its first usable version, and content applied into live classes. Phase Three was marked with content refinement for the activities, navigation and feature redesign in the interface, and new ways of conducting the course. The article summarises learning points from the first two phases, and provides new findings and analyses from the final phase. It also includes a sample of the activities content, student works and feedback as well as the interface development stages. The methodology utilised throughout consisted of active research, as well as learning outcomes assessment using direct and indirect measures. Assessment results and classroom observations confirmed that students benefit greatly from visualising ideas, hands on activities, design thinking workshops, as well as from collaborative experiences, to avoid facing designer's block and to practise empowerment of self and others. Finally, challenges, opportunities and future implications are discussed, alongside implementation possibilities: The Design Workbook can run as a sole course, spread across the curriculum, and expand into the community.     

Correction to: Incremental Beliefs,STEM Efficacy and STEM Interest among First-Year Undergraduate Students

Journal of Science Education and Technology - The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake in the article title. The word “Students” was inadvertently deleted.