THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

Reuters established a picture service after its competitors. So why did it enter the picture market when it did? What advantage did late entry give it? How did this new technologically driven business model based on pictures offer the key bridge to the contemporary multimedia company Reuters is today? In this article, the story of the Reuters picture service is told for the first time since it was officially established in 1985. Using Reuters archive, it begins with the purchase of UPI's US pictures service and ends with the contemporary business. It explores the ways Reuters managed to finance the production of pictures; build a new network for the picture service; invest in (and develop) new technologies of distribution, consumption and operation while being constantly on guard through research; study its markets, its competitors and clients; make room for new product lines in the form of news pictures within an already fully operational organisation, and deal with difficulties that resulted from such structural changes. Establishing its picture service during the 1980s not only helped Reuters make a strong entry into the international image market at a time when international news had just entered a new digital era, it also helped Reuters build a strong business and technological model during a period of media industry upheaval. And it used its picture operations to establish an elaborative infrastructure, enabling this forward-looking multimedia business to become a powerful international news agency ready for the future.     

Acquisition and retention of dark avoidance by the toad,Xenopus laevis (Daudin)

Young toads,Xenopus laevis, were trained for dark avoidance in a passive avoidance paradigm using electric shock in a fully automatic training and recording procedure. Dark avoidance was acquired within approximately 30 min and was retained on retesting 24 h later. Comparison of the performance of the toads during training and during retesting was used as an indicator for saving or reinforced retention. Control experiments demonstrated that changes in behavior were due to learning and not to nonassociative effects such as pseudoconditioning, increased sensitization to shock, or acquaintance with the testing apparatus.     

Sense of Challenge,Threat, Self-Efficacy,and Motivation of Students Learning in Virtual and Blended Courses

Feelings of threat, challenge, motivation, self-efficacy, and transactional distance reflect students’ struggles with the learning process. This study examined the relationship between students’ subjective feelings about the learning process in virtual and blended courses (VC and BC). This is a mixed-method study. The sample included 484 students from two academic institutions in Israel. The study found a connection between students’ subjective feelings about the learning process in VC and BC and feelings of threat/challenge, motivation, and self-efficacy. We found differences between students in different years of study and between those studying in various fields of study.     

The educational potential of multimedia authoring as a part of the earth science curriculum—a case study

The purpose of this study was to assess the potential of multimedia authoring, as a learning tool, using the software ASTOUND. The subjects in this study were 32 students in two Grade 12 classes. The context of the study was a multi‐disciplinary environmental unit about earthquakes. Students were provided with basic background about earthquakes via laboratory experiments and field trips. At a later stage, the students did in‐depth independent projects on selected topics related to earthquakes. Once completed, the students presented their projects using the multimedia software ASTOUND . The research consisted of the following stages: a pre‐development phase; curriculum design phase; implementation and evaluation. The research tools included: questionnaires, interviews, observations, concept mapping, and an analysis of the multimedia presentations. The findings showed that an integration of laboratory exercises, field trips, and an independent study project, could lead to meaningful learning. However, although most of the students enjoyed using the multimedia program, there was no evidence to support the assumption that it contributed to knowledge acquisition. In fact, much of the time invested in multimedia authoring was devoted to producing decorative effects, reducing the time available for meaningful learning. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 37: 1121–1153, 2000