Adoption of Mass-Customized Newspapers: An Augmented Technology Acceptance Perspective

The authors propose an augmented version of the Technology Acceptance Model to examine the consumer acceptance of mass-customized (MC) newspapers. Model findings (n = 2,114) suggest that the customer's willingness to invest effort for MC products is one of the main factors driving adoption. Furthermore, gender is found to moderate the relation between base category satisfaction (with the base category “newspaper”) and perceived usefulness of an individually printed daily newspaper.     

Constructivist mathematics education for students with mild mental retardation

This study examined the effects of a constructivist mathematics intervention for students with mild mental retardation, as compared to direct instruction, which is often recommended for these children. A total of 69 students from elementary schools for special education participated in the study, which focused on multiplication learning. They received one of two kinds of mathematics intervention, guided or directed instruction. Multiplication automaticity and ability tests were administered before and after the four-month training period. The results show that students in both conditions improved significantly during the training period. However, students who received directed instruction showed greater improvement than students who had received guided instruction. These results show that students with MMR can profit from constructivist instruction, although direct instruction seems more effective.     

How ID models help with game-based learning: an examination of the gentry model in a participatory design project

Game-based learning has been a popular development and recommended as an effective pedagogy in educating new generations of learners. Few studies, however, have demonstrated the efficacy of game-based learning on learners’ academic performance with empirical data. The described learning outcomes of game-based pedagogy within the limited available research are diverse. One prominent explanation is the lack of established guidelines. This paper addresses the issues of game design guidelines through a qualitative phenomenographic perspective of the experience of a group of students designing an educational game utilizing an adapted instructional design (ID) model – the gentry model. The results revealed the participants benefited from the process primarily in two capacities: a significant growth in their knowledge of game design and content knowledge; and great enjoyment and high motivation in the learning process. We conclude ID models with proper adaption and adjustment are effective to provide guidance and improve the efficacy of game-based learning if more ID models will be examined.     

The funding of early care and education programmes in Sweden, 1845–1943

What significance did donations, bequests, tuition fees and fund‐raising events have for early care and education programmes during the nineteenth and early twentieth century? Through an examination of 24 Swedish infant schools, day nurseries and free kindergartens, this article verifies that donations and bequests were essential for the economy of these programmes. Revenues from fundraisers were, however, not as important as previous research suggests. Balls, concerts and coffee parties were arranged quite frequently, but their function was to create publicity rather than to raise revenues. Instead, fees and interest revenues played a larger part in the economy of these programmes than previous research has suggested. Thus, this article raises a series of questions regarding the funding of such programmes, national differences in this respect and the development of fund‐raising strategies over time, opening up the field for further studies in this area of research.     

Effects of social networks on the quality of life in an elder and middle-aged deaf community sample

This article endeavors to investigate the role of social networks in contributing to the quality of life of an elder and middle-aged Deaf population. In particular, it poses the question of whether a certain network composition (deaf and hearing network persons) provides positive resources to improve quality of life and attempts to identify moderating and mediating connections between social networks and quality of life. Based on the data collected in a survey of 107 members of the Deaf community aged 45-81 years, it was possible to ascertain the fact that a larger social network is significantly associated with a higher quality of life, but the size of the deaf network is principally decisive. The hypothesis that a bicultural network composition would have a particular positive effect on the quality of life could not be confirmed. Findings revealed that the effect of deaf network size on the quality of life is mediated by personal resources concerning self-efficacy and communication skills. Moreover, evidence was sound for the functional equivalence of social and personal resources, which suggests that potential negative effects of reduced personal resources on the quality of life could possibly be compensated by a larger deaf network and vice versa.     

Professionalisierung von Hochschullehrenden

Despite a growing interest in professionalization, research on didactic training of novice university teachers is lacking. This contribution, therefore, analyzes the development of teaching intentions and strategies (teaching approaches) in relation to teaching action, professional vision and teacher identity during a video-based training. We questioned fourteen novice teachers in a pre-post-design and with reference to video-taped teaching sessions. We also conducted a systematic video analysis. The results show that the teachers?? approaches start out rather teacher-focused. However, these approaches become more coherent to teaching action over time, which, in combination with emerging self-efficacy in teaching, indicates a developing teaching profile. Teachers?? professional vision of their own teaching is strongly focused on themselves. Teachers reflect on discrepancies between intentions and action and, by this, they can deduce concrete actions to make their teaching coherent to their intentions. We, therefore, conclude that our training equips teachers with the necessary tools for changes in action. Even so, putting this knowledge into practice also depends on contextual factors.     

Formale Konsistenzsicherung in informellen Software-Spezifikationen

Zusammenfassung. Die Spezifikation ist die Grundlage für den Erfolg eines Software-Projekts. Der Praktiker konzentriert sich hier i.d.R. auf die größte Herausforderung: die vollständige und inhaltlich korrekte Erfassung aller Anforderungen an das zu erstellende Software-System. Dass Spezifikationen für große Systeme aus vielen Dokumenten verschiedener Ausprägung in Form und Inhalt bestehen, tritt dabei meist in den Hintergrund. Ihre Konsistenz wird meist mit hohem manuellem Aufwand sichergestellt. Der Erstellung formal korrekter und konsistenter Software-Spezifikationen widmen sich zahlreiche theoretische Arbeiten. In der Praxis sind sie jedoch meist nicht mit der gewohnten Arbeitsweise vereinbar. In diesem Artikel stellen wir einen Mittelweg vor: Wir nutzen die Spezifikationsbausteine von sd&m für die Spezifikation, die als Ergebnisse Dokumente in natürlicher Sprache sowie semi-formale Darstellungen umfasst. Für Spezifikationen, die nach diesen Bausteinen erstellt wurden, definieren wir Konsistenz durch formale zeitbehaftete Konsistenzregeln. Ein von uns entwickeltes Auswertungswerkzeug ermittelt Inkonsistenzen präzise. Unterstützt von einem solchen Werkzeug kann sich der Software-Ingenieur wieder ganz auf das Hauptanliegen der Spezifikation konzentrieren: ihre inhaltliche Korrektheit und Vollständigkeit.Eingegangen am 19. August 2003, Angenommen am 10. März 2004, CR Subject Classification: D.2.1, D.3.1, H.3.1, I.7.1