Learning a merge model for multilingual information retrieval

This paper proposes a learning approach for the merging process in multilingual information retrieval (MLIR). To conduct the learning approach, we present a number of features that may influence the MLIR merging process. These features are mainly extracted from three levels: query, document, and translation. After the feature extraction, we then use the FRank ranking algorithm to construct a merge model. To the best of our knowledge, this practice is the first attempt to use a learning-based ranking algorithm to construct a merge model for MLIR merging. In our experiments, three test collections for the task of crosslingual information retrieval (CLIR) in NTCIR3, 4, and 5 are employed to assess the performance of our proposed method. Moreover, several merging methods are also carried out for a comparison, including traditional merging methods, the 2-step merging strategy, and the merging method based on logistic regression. The experimental results show that our proposed method can significantly improve merging quality on two different types of datasets. In addition to the effectiveness, through the merge model generated by FRank, our method can further identify key factors that influence the merging process. This information might provide us more insight and understanding into MLIR merging.     

Physical activity correlates for children with autism spectrum disorders in middle school physical education

This study examined potential correlates that might influence physical activity (PA) of adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in physical education. Students with (n = 19) and without (n = 76) ASD wore an accelerometer during physical education. Data were collected in 38 physical education lessons. The results showed that (a) students with ASD were less physically active than their peers, (b) their PA was related positively to their social interaction with peers, and (c) their moderate to vigorous PA depended on PA content, physical environment, and instructor-related characteristics. The findings suggest a need for additional studies on the relationship between the needs of adolescents with ASD and the content offered in physical education so as to inform school policies and help to remove barriers to promoting PA among this population.     

优秀乒乓球运动员接受刺激前的脑电α频段功率与反应时间的关系

乒乓球属于开放式运动项目,它要求运动员的反应既要快又要准.目前,有关EEG与反应时之间关系的研究存在分歧.而对哪些脑电活动有利于优秀乒乓运动员反应的研究更少.研究目的探索运动员接受刺激前的脑电α频段功率与反应时之间的关系.研究对象15名优秀男子乒乓运动员,年龄为16～35岁,均为右势手.研究方法被试者完成一项有提示的反应任务,同时,记录大脑F3、F4、C3、C4、T5、T6、P3、P4、OL、OR处的脑电α频段功率值.反应任务由一个提示性刺激和必须应答的刺激组成.被试者通过按鼠标做反应.提示性刺激和必须应答的刺激间间隔1500ms.分别计算出前750ms和后750ms的α1和α2频段的功率值.根据中位数把被试者分为反应快组和反应慢组.对测试结果进行双因素方差分析.研究结果左顶和右后枕区的α 1频段功率值表现出反应时与脑电的测试时间存在交互作用.进一步的分析结果表明,反应快者在提示刺激与必须应答的刺激间的前750s的脑电α 1频段的功率值高.这一结果说明左项和右后枕区的α 1频段的功率值可能是乒乓训练中有效反应的关键.     

Mining subtopics from different aspects for diversifying search results

User queries to the Web tend to have more than one interpretation due to their ambiguity and other characteristics. How to diversify the ranking results to meet users’ various potential information needs has attracted considerable attention recently. This paper is aimed at mining the subtopics of a query either indirectly from the returned results of retrieval systems or directly from the query itself to diversify the search results. For the indirect subtopic mining approach, clustering the retrieval results and summarizing the content of clusters is investigated. In addition, labeling topic categories and concept tags on each returned document is explored. For the direct subtopic mining approach, several external resources, such as Wikipedia, Open Directory Project, search query logs, and the related search services of search engines, are consulted. Furthermore, we propose a diversified retrieval model to rank documents with respect to the mined subtopics for balancing relevance and diversity. Experiments are conducted on the ClueWeb09 dataset with the topics of the TREC09 and TREC10 Web Track diversity tasks. Experimental results show that the proposed subtopic-based diversification algorithm significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art models in the TREC09 and TREC10 Web Track diversity tasks. The best performance our proposed algorithm achieves is α-nDCG@5 0.307, IA-P@5 0.121, and α#-nDCG@5 0.214 on the TREC09, as well as α-nDCG@10 0.421, IA-P@10 0.201, and α#-nDCG@10 0.311 on the TREC10. The results conclude that the subtopic mining technique with the up-to-date users’ search query logs is the most effective way to generate the subtopics of a query, and the proposed subtopic-based diversification algorithm can select the documents covering various subtopics.     

Differences in the Scientific Epistemological Views of Undergraduate Students

The purpose of this study was to examine whether science and non‐science major students have different scientific epistemological views (SEVs). A multidimensional instrument previously developed by the authors was used to assess differences in college students’ SEV of various aspects. A total of 220 freshmen (42% science and 58% non‐science majors) attending two public universities participated in this investigation. Results indicated that the science majors have less sophisticated beliefs in the theory‐laden and cultural‐dependent aspects of science than non‐science majors. Analysis of variance results further revealed significant differences in SEV dimensions among the three major fields: non‐science, pure science, and science education. Science education students gained the lowest scores on the entire scale among the groups. Findings of this study imply that science major (including science education) students might be involved longer in such an epistemic environment that described scientific knowledge as objective and universal. It is also possible that beliefs about certainty and objectivity lead these students to select science as their major field. Implications for future research and science teacher education are discussed.     

Computer-Assisted Instruction Augmented with Planned Teacher/Student Contacts

This paper discussed a study of the differences in student learning achievement and retention in a college-level statistics course taught in a variety of teaching/learning environments. Statistical test results revealed that students experiencing a CAI environment performed no differently on achievement or retention tests than students experiencing a traditional lecture/discussion environment. However, students experiencing an “enriched” CAI environment (CAI plus planned teacher/student contacts) performed significantly better on achievement tests than students experiencing any of several other environments, including: lecture/discussion, lecture/discussion supplemented with planned teacher/student contacts, PI texts, PI texts supplemented with planned teacher/student contacts, and CAI.     

Continuity and Discontinuity in Perceptions of Family Relationships From Adolescence to Young Adulthood

The present 8‐year longitudinal study examined how multiple aspects of family relationships change across the transition from adolescence (M_age = 15 years) to young adulthood (M_age = 22 years) among 821 individuals. Results showed that there was more discontinuity than continuity in family relationships across this transition. Whereas a normative decline was evident in all measured aspects of family relationships during adolescence, this decline persisted for only a few dimensions of family relationships during young adulthood. Other aspects of family relationships stabilized or rebounded. There was little variation in these trajectories as a function of ethnicity or gender, suggesting that these changes in family relationships are generally normative. Results suggest that the transition to adulthood is a period of significant transformation in family relationships.     

A quasi-experimental study of a blended course integrated with refined web-mediated pedagogy of collaborative learning and self-regulated learning

Innovative teaching methods integrated with web technologies have been increasingly used in higher education. However, there are few studies discussing effective web-mediated teaching methods for both students and teachers. To help students learn and develop their academic involvement in a blended course, and improve their thoughts regarding this course, the author in this study re-designed and re-developed a combined teaching method for the course. The author conducted a quasi-experimental study to explore the effects of different combinations of web-mediated CL with/without initiation and SRL with/without feedback on involving students and enhancing their thoughts regarding this blended course. This research involved 227 second-year university students from four class sections, including three experimental groups (CISF, CIS, and CI groups), and a control group (C group), who received different combined interventions. In this research, students in CISF group (web-mediated instruction that integrated CL with initiation and SRL with feedback) significantly improved their involvement by the end of the course. In addition, students in CISF group had positive thoughts regarding web-mediated CL with initiation and SRL with feedback. The implications and discussion for teachers who plan to design teaching methods for online courses are also provided in this paper.     

The importance and use of targeted content knowledge with scaffolding aid in educational simulation games

While most current educational simulation games provide learners with gameplay experience to motivate learning, there is often a lack of focus on ensuring that the desired content knowledge is actually learned. Students may focus on completing game activities without learning the targeted content knowledge, thus negating the desired learning outcomes. We argue that to help students achieve improved learning performance, providing targeted content knowledge should be a specific focus in designing educational games; in addition, scaffolding strategies to promote the use of in-game contents should also be provided. Thus, the present study explores the effects and usage of providing three types of scaffolding aids in two versions of educational simulations with in-game contents. The results suggest that providing targeted content with scaffolding aid in educational simulation games helps students to achieve better learning performance.