Relationships of Measurement Error and Prediction Error in Observed‐Score Regression

The focus of this paper is assessing the impact of measurement errors on the prediction error of an observed‐score regression. Measures are presented and described for decomposing the linear regression's prediction error variance into parts attributable to the true score variance and the error variances of the dependent variable and the predictor variable(s). These measures are demonstrated for regression situations reflecting a range of true score correlations and reliabilities and using one and two predictors. Simulation results also are presented which show that the measures of prediction error variance and its parts are generally well estimated for the considered ranges of true score correlations and reliabilities and for homoscedastic and heteroscedastic data. The final discussion considers how the decomposition might be useful for addressing additional questions about regression functions’ prediction error variances.     

Reprint of: The 2011 Benjamin Franklin medal in earth and environmental science presented to Jillian F. Banfield

The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania awards the 2011 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Earth and Environmental Science to Professor Jillian F. Banfield for her pioneering work in the fields of geochemistry and environmental microbiology, in particular her discoveries of the underlying principles of mineral formation and alteration by microbes and her efforts to advance the understanding of the form, composition, and distribution of minerals in the presence of living organisms.     

Examining the persuasive effect of statistical messages: A test of mediating relationships

The current study tested the degree to which the sample size heuristic (Baesler & Bur goon, 1994), perceived verifiability of evidence (Ah Yun & Massi, 2000), and perceived message credibility (Kopfman, Smith, Ah Yun, & Hodges, 1998) mediate the relationship between the use of statistical evidence in a persuasive appeal and a person's attitude toward a given topic. Four hundred eighty‐six participants were exposed to one of three messages (statistical, narrative, or no‐evidence control) or a no‐message control condition and completed either a 12‐ (control) or 33‐item (experimental) survey that was designed to measure respondents’ perceptions of the sample size heuristic, verifiability of evidence, message credibility, and attitude toward a year‐round academic schedule. Path analysis and hierarchical regression modeling were employed to test the proposed model. Results revealed that the perceived sample size heuristic, verifiability of evidence, and message credibility mediate the relationship between statistical evidence and individuals’ attitudes. Additionally, the perceived sample size heuristic was found to be the strongest unique predictor of attitudes and confirmatory factory analysis results indicated that perceived verifiability and message credibility may be two indicators of a higher‐order factor. These findings and their implications for future research are discussed.     

Learning at a distance: the case of the community pharmacist

The article, written jointly by a provider and an evaluator of distance learning, begins by highlighting recent increased interest in continuing professional development. In particular community pharmacists' needs for continuing education are examined against a background of their changing role. The authors then report the findings from a one-year evaluation of distance learning materials produced and distributed by the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education at the University of Manchester. The evaluation, undertaken by a team from the Scottish Council for Research in Education, was conducted in two phases: first, a national survey of registered pharmacists, and second, a series of focus group meetings with practising pharmacists. By separating high, low and non-users, a picture of professional use of distance learning, the influence of mediating factors and the inter-relationship between personal motivation and design emerge. Some of the findings challenge the current orthodoxy (see for example, Lewis 1995, Burt 1997, Burt and Simpson 1998, Bennett 1998) which underpins distance learning. Finally, changes made as a consequence of the evaluation are indicated, showing how research can influence practice.     

The Open Courseware Movement in Higher Education: Unmasking Power and Raising Questions about the Movement's Democratic Potential

In this essay Robert Rhoads, Jennifer Berdan, and Brit Toven‐Lindsey examine some of the key literature related to the open courseware (OCW) movement (including the emergence and expansion of massive open online courses, or MOOCs), focusing particular attention on the movement's democratic potential. The discussion is organized around three central problems, all relating in some manner or form to issues of power: the problem of epistemology, the problem of pedagogy, and the problem of hegemony. More specifically, the authors raise issues related to the narrow notion of knowledge typically conveyed in the OCW movement, a limited understanding of what constitutes empowering pedagogy, and the lack of treatment of inequities associated with the production of courseware materials. The authors go on to argue that the lack of critical analysis of the OCW movement is tied to its relative alignment with educational reforms driven by neoliberal ideology and that such alignment serves to limit the movement's democratic possibilities.     

Influence of mothers' education on children's maths achievement in Kenya

Research shows that fathers' level of education predicts achievement of both boys and girls, with significantly greater effect for boys. Similarly, mothers' level of education predicts the achievement of girls but not boys. This study tests the mother–child education achievement hypothesis, by examining the effect of mothers' education on the maths test score of children, using data from 71 schools across 6 districts in Kenya. The findings of a multilevel random intercept model, based on a sample of 1907 learners reveal surprisingly negative effect of mothers' education on pupil's achievement, with an interaction effect of mother's and father's education being positive.     

Teacher Empowerment: A Key to Restructuring

Despite a wealth of research pointing to the benefits of empowerment, teachers still remain encapsulated in their classrooms (Rice 1987). They have been unable to take their place as first-class citizens within the education profession. It is encouraging to note the various programs and plans that are being tried across the country. It is also encouraging to read so much in the literature about teacher empowerment, school-centered decision making, and the restructuring of schools. Empowerment, it is to be hoped, will not be looked on as merely “another fad.”

It is crucial that programs supporting teacher empowerment expand and that the “reform states” reduce the restrictions placed on teacher autonomy. If legislators continue to insist on making the crucial educational decisions, then they ought to accept the fact that schools are unlikely to improve.     

Affect‐congruency in message content: A preliminary evaluation of two accounts

This study was an investigation of two possible theoretical accounts for affect‐congruency in the verbal content of message output during emotional states. One account (e.g., Isen, 1984) suggests that messages would maintain affect‐congruency with positive but not negative states. A second account (e.g., Clark, Milberg & Ross, 1983) proposes that messages would tend to maintain a semantic congruency with the hedonic tone and intensity of both positive and negative emotional states. Participant essays written after exposure to an emotional stimulus were analyzed to determine which account might best capture the hedonic tone and semantic intensity of adjectives used in essays. Results revealed that neither the number of positive and negative adjectives nor the semantic intensity of adjectives varied with positive states experienced by the participants. Both the number of negative adjectives and the semantic intensity of negative adjectives, however, increased significantly with increases in intensity of negative emotional states.