A discriminant function model for admission at undergraduate university level

The study is aimed at predicting objective criteria based on a statistically tested model for admitting undergraduate students to Beirut University College. The University is faced with a dual problem of having to select only a fraction of an increasing number of applicants, and of trying to minimize the number of students placed on academic probation (currently 36 percent of new admissions). Out of 659 new students, a sample of 272 students (45 percent) were selected; these were all the students on the Dean's list and on academic probation. With academic performance as the dependent variable, the model included ten independent variables and their interactions. These variables included the type of high school, the language of instruction in high school, recommendations, sex, academic average in high school, score on the English Entrance Examination, the major in high school, and whether the major was originally applied for by the student. Discriminant analysis was used to evaluate the relative weight of the independent variables, and from the analysis three equations were developed, one for each academic division in the College. The predictive power of these equations was tested by using them to classify students not in the selected sample into successful and unsuccessful ones. Applicability of the model to other institutions of higher learning is discussed.

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Zusammenfassung In Dieser Studie wird versucht, objektive, auf einem statistisch getesteten Modell basierende Kriterien zur Zulassung von Studenten zum Beirut University College herauszufinden. Diese Hochschule muß sich mit zwei Problemen auseinandersetzen, zum ersten nur einen Teil der wachsenden Zahl von Bewerbern zulassen zu können und zum zweiten die Anzahl der Studenten auf akademischer Probezeit zu reduzieren (gegenwärtig 36% der Neuzulassungen). Von 659 neuen Studenten wurden 272 Studenten (45%) fur die Studie ausgewählt: alle vom Dekan erwählte Studenten und Studenten auf akademischer Probezeit. Das Modell beinhaltet zehn unabhängige Variablen und ihre Interaktionen und basiert auf akademischer Leistung als abhängige Variable. Unter diesen Variablen sind: die Art der Sekundarschule, die Lehrsprache an der Sekundarschule, Empfehlungen, Geschlecht, Sekundarschulnoten, Leistungen beim English Entrance Examination (Leistungstest in Englisch), das Hauptfach der Schüler und ob das Hauptfach das vom Schüler ursprünglich gewählte ist. Die statistische Analyse wurde zur Bewertung der relativen Bedeutung der unabhängigen Variablen angewandt, und es wurden drei Gleichungen aus der Analyse entwickelt; eine für jede akademische Abteilung der Hochschule. Die Gültigkeit dieser Gleichungen wurde getestet, indem man sie für die Aufteilung von nicht in die Studie einbezogenen Studenten in erfolgreiche und nicht erfolgreiche Studenten anwandte. Abschließend wird die Anwendbarkeit des Modells auf andere Einrichtungen der Höheren Bildung diskutiert.

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Résumé La présente étude vise à prédire les critères objectifs fondés sur un modèle statistiquement vérifié pour l'admission des étudiants à l'Université de Beyrouth. Cette dernière fait face à un problème dual: devoir sélectionner une fraction seulement d'un nombre croissant de candidats et essayer de minimiser le nombre d'étudiants inscrits à l'essai (soit actuellement 36 pour cent des nouvelles admissions). On a sélectionné un échantillon de 272 étudiants sur 659 nouveaux inscrits (soit 45 pour cent). Ces étudiants étaient tous ceux inscrits sur la liste du doyen ainsi que ceux inscrits à l'essai. Avec la performance scolaire comme variable dépendante, ce modèle comptait dix variables indépendantes et leurs interactions. Ces variables incluaient le type d'école supérieure, la langue d'enseignement pratiquée dans celle-ci, les recommandations, le sexe, la moyenne scolaire, la note obtenue à l'épreuve d'anglais de l'examen d'entrée, la matière principale à l'école supérieure, et indiquaient si cette matière avait été choisie par le candidat. On a utilisé F analyse discriminante pour évaluer le poids relatif des variables indépendantes. On a ensuite développé trois équations à partir de ces variables, une pour chacune des sections du collège universitaire. La force prédictive de ces équations a été testée en les employant pour classer les étudiants ne faisant pas partie de l'échantillon sélectionné en deux catégories: ceux ayant réussi et ceux ayant échoué. On discute de l'applicabilité de ce modèle à d'autres instituts d'enseignement supérieur.

     

A Mixed-Methods Longitudinal Investigation of Mothers’ Disclosure of HIV to Their Children

Mothers living with HIV (MLH) must navigate disclosing their serostatus to their children, but the longitudinal impact on families remains unknown. This study examined HIV disclosure, parenting, parenting stress, and child adjustment among 174 MLH-child dyads (aged 6–14; 35% Latinx; 57% Black/African American). Quantitative data were collected over four waves spanning 15 months. Qualitative data were collected with 14 families in which disclosure had occurred. Latent change score modeling revealed that disclosure led to improvements in parenting stress, communication, and relationship quality. Disclosure did not predict child adjustment. Qualitative themes contextualized these findings, revealing stability and improvements in family functioning. MLH should be supported in disclosing their serostatus to their children to minimize parenting stress and bolster parenting skills.     

The Labour Market,Graduate Competences and Study Programme Development: A Case Study

Developments in higher education are taking place in the wider context of globalisation, the Lisbon strategy and within the framework of the Bologna Process. Designing and developing Bologna programmes by taking into account the needs of the economy is a tool for successful quality assurance in higher education and for close cooperation with the environment. Our contribution aims to present the process of first cycle study programme formation and is based on a case study. By studying three groups of stakeholders, involved in the renewal of the study programme (teachers, students and employers), competences were thoroughly researched. It was found that graduate competences included in the questionnaire are of utmost importance and that they do not differ substantially from the competences of graduates in business studies presented in similar research (e.g. The Tuning Project of the European Commission, and the work carried out by the EFMD – the European Foundation for Management Development).     

Is an integrative laboratory algorithm more effective in detecting alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency in patients with premature chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than AAT concentration based screening approach?

Introduction:

Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), genetic risk factor for premature chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), often remains undetected. The aim of our study was to analyse the effectiveness of an integrative laboratory algorithm for AATD detection in patients diagnosed with COPD by the age of 45 years, in comparison with the screening approach based on AAT concentration measurement alone.

Subjects and methods:

50 unrelated patients (28 males/22 females, age 52 (24–75 years) diagnosed with COPD before the age of 45 years were enrolled. Immunonephelometric assay for alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) and PCR-reverse hybridization for Z and S allele were first-line, and isoelectric focusing and DNA sequencing (ABI Prism BigDye) were reflex tests.

Results:

AATD associated genotypes were detected in 7 patients (5 ZZ, 1 ZM_malton, 1 ZQ0_amersfoort), 10 were heterozygous carriers (8 MZ and 2 MS genotypes) and 33 were without AATD (MM genotype). Carriers and patients without AATD had comparable AAT concentrations (P = 0.125). In majority of participants (48) first line tests were sufficient to analyze AATD presence. In two remaining cases reflex tests identified rare alleles, M_malton and Q0_amersfoort, the later one being reported for the first time in Serbian population. Detection rate did not differ between algorithm and screening both for AATD (P = 0.500) and carriers (P = 0.063).

Conclusion:

There is a high prevalence of AATD affected subjects and carriers in a group of patients with premature COPD. The use of integrative laboratory algorithm does not improve the effectiveness of AATD detection in comparison with the screening based on AAT concentration alone.     

Students’ Alternative Conceptions about Electricity and Effect of Inquiry-Based Teaching Strategies

This study attempted to investigate the alternative conceptions that a group of 12 Lebanese students in a grade 9 class hold about electricity. It also attempted to evaluate learning outcomes of implementing in that class an inquiry-based module for the acquisition of conceptual understanding of basic concepts in electricity. Fourteen mostly subjective tests were administered throughout the implementation phase of the inquiry-based module to assess the evolution of participants’ conceptions. The instrument DIRECT (Version 1.0) focusing on conceptual understanding was used as a post-instructional test to measure acquisition of understanding. The findings revealed that most of the alternative conceptions reported in literature were found amongst the participants. Results of the post-testing showed that the implemented inquiry-based approach was successful in enhancing participants’ conceptual understanding of the targeted DC circuit concepts.     

Federal budgeting for information technology

Although there is broad agreement that more and better information technology (IT) can produce government efficiencies and provide long-term savings, short-term budgetary constraints are making such investments extremely difficult. At minimum, the current fiscal stress demands implementation of creative alternatives for funding such projects, bringing into focus some budgeting opportunities which should not be overlooked. This article examines the relationship between IT planning and budget formulation, use of the franchise fund concept newly implemented in a pilot project by the Office of Management and Budget, and cost implications for outsourcing or privatizing the IT function.     

高校数学专业学生作业抄袭原因及对策分析

学好数学离不开一定数量的数学作业。通过做作业,学生既可以巩固书中的定义、定理、公式等内容,又可以锻炼运用知识解决问题的能力,教师则可以及时了解学生对知识的掌握情况。然而学生们大量的抄袭行为使得作业失去了原来的功用。本文将分析影响高校数学专业学生作业大量抄袭的原因并结合自己的教学经验提出一些对策,以供其他数学教师借鉴。