Fostering the Suspension of Disbelief: The Role of Authenticity in Goal-Based Scenarios

Goal-based scenarios (GBSs) have become a mainstay of Andersen Consulting’s 900 million dollar efforts to train its employees. Utilizing a theoretical framework based upon social constructivist theory, we create classroom learning environments that use theatrical elements to simulate real-world client engagements. The suspension of disbelief, however, is one factor that can be detrimental to human learning in immersive simulations. This paper describes one of our school designs, constructs a theoretical framework to support our approach, examines some of the factors associated with the suspension of disbelief, and makes recommendations for enhancing the authenticity of goal-based scenarios.     

THE ACTIVE INGREDIENTS IN HUMOR: PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS AND RISKS FOR OLDER ADULTS

Humor produces psychological and physiological effects on our body that are similar to the health benefits of aerobic exercise. These benefits are some of the best kept secrets from those persons who probably have the most to gain from that information - older adults. Many of them who must live with chronic pain, arthritis, rheumatism, emphysema, memory loss, depression, and stress may be able to cope better with their conditions or find temporary relief by using humor. This article presents an up-to-date, comprehensive synthesis of 30 years of research evidence on 15 psychophysiological benefits of humor and laughter with their implications for older adults. The specific risks for this growing segment of the population also are identified. Strategies for communicating this information through publications and formal presentations by health educators working in gerontology are suggested. A curriculum outline is provided for use in developing short, feature presentations or integrating the content into existing exercise and health-related courses and programs. If these efforts are effective, eventually the health benefits of humor and laughter will be as familiar to our senior citizens as the risk factors associated with heart disease and smoking.     

Agricultural and science education: a socio-analysis of their intersection and positions within the educational field

It can be argued that agricultural science is one of the original forms of science education. However, over the past century, agricultural science education has habitually been perceived as an educational venue meant solely for production agriculturalists. When examining modern agricultural education we find it to be a minority within the broader field of science education, contradicting its historically stout scientific standing within the sciences. This educational shift leaves one to ponder the historic development of contemporary agricultural education. To gain deeper insight into these questions we reviewed the historical evolution of agricultural education within the United States. We then examined the professional habitus, or cultural nuances, associated with contemporary agricultural education. Next, we considered potential outcomes associated with the profession embracing post-modern perspectives within mainstream science and community-based education. Finally, we call for critical venues within agriculture education to question the status quo and challenge the acceptance of commonly held views.     

The organic chemicals industry of the USSR: a case-study in the measurement of comparative technological sophistication by means of kilogram-prices

The comparative kilogram-price of an equivalent product group in international trade is a rough indication of underlying technological capability. Although there are many theoretical and practical difficulties involved in applying this approach to East-West trade, these difficulties can be minimised by a careful selection of product groups. In this connection, advanced chemical products are particularly suitable because the chemical industry is one in which both kilogram-prices and technological sophistication tend to increase hand-in-hand at successive stages of manufacture. The results of this enquiry are quite striking. From the standpoint of bilateral trade, the kilogram-prices of Soviet and East European exports to the EEC countries are consistently lower than those of corresponding imports from the EEC. Throughout the period 1960–1972 these differentials appears to be closing either very slowly or not at all, while the Soviet and East European share of the EEC marked has remained more or less constant or has declined since the mid-1960's. From the alternative perspective of the “neutral” Yugoslavian market, the kilogram-prices of EEC exports are again consistently higher than those obtained by the Comecon coun tries. Moreover, there has been a considerable eroson in the market share of the Comecon countries since the mid-1960's. These general findings are broadly in line with other kinds of estimates and suggest that in these relatively advanced and dynamic sectors of industry, Soviet and East European technology is at present substantially inferior to that of the Common Market countries.     

Measuring scientific contributions with modified fractional counting

We develop and propose a new counting method at the aggregate level for contributions to scientific publications called modified fractional counting (MFC). We show that, compared to traditional complete-normalized fractional counting, it eliminates the extreme differences in contributions over time that otherwise occur between scientists that mainly publish alone or in small groups and those that publish with large groups of co-authors. As an extra benefit we find that scientists in different areas of research turn out to have comparable average contributions to scientific articles. We test the method on scientists at Norway’s largest universities and find that, at an aggregate level, it indeed supports comparability across different co-authorship practices as well as between areas of research. MFC is thereby useful whenever the research output from institutions with different research profiles are compared, as e.g., in the Leiden Ranking. Finally, as MFC is actually a family of indicators, depending on a sensitivity parameter, it can be adapted to the circumstances.