Managing web repositories in emerging economies: Case studies of browsing web directories

Over the past decade, worldwide Internet usage has grown tremendously, with the most rapid growth in some emerging economies such as Latin America and the Middle East, where people speaking different languages actively seek information on the web. Global search engines may not adequately address local users’ needs while regional web portals may lack rich web content. Different from search engines, web directories organize sites and pages into intuitive hierarchical structures to facilitate browsing. However, high-quality web directories in users’ native languages often do not exist and their development requires much domain knowledge not readily available. In this research, we proposed a novel semi-automatic approach to facilitate web repository management. We applied the approach to developing web directories in the business and health-care domains for the Spanish-speaking and Arabic-speaking communities respectively. The two directories contain respectively 4735 and 5107 unique sites and pages with a maximum depth of 5 levels. Results of experiments involving 37 native speakers show that these directories outperformed existing benchmark directories in terms of browsing effectiveness and efficiency, providing strong implications for information professionals and multinational enterprise managers.     

Reading-related behavioral characteristics of chinese children with dyslexia: The use of the teachers’ behavior checklist in Hong Kong

Primary school teachers rated the frequency of occurrence of 65 reading-related behavioral characteristics of Grade 1 to Grade 6 Chinese school children in Hong Kong. An item factor analysis based on ratings on 554 students yielded two major dimensions of behavioral characteristics on reading and writing problems, and sequencing and spatial difficulties. In predicting the literacy and cognitive skills of a separate sample of 184 school children, gender, age, and the two empirical scales developed on the basis of factor analysis were used as predictors in regression analyses. The findings indicated that reading and writing problems emerged as the most predominant predictor of various literacy and cognitive deficits. The two mean scores of behavioral characteristics for children with dyslexia were significantly elevated as compared with those for children without dyslexia. Implications of the findings for screening dyslexia and predicting specific cognitive deficits using classroom-based behavior checklists are discussed.     

The core components of reading instruction in Chinese

The present study aimed at identifying core components of reading instruction in Chinese within the framework of the tiered intervention model. A curriculum with four teaching components of cognitive-linguistic skills was implemented in a Program school for 3 years since Grade 1. The findings showed that the Tier 1 intervention was effective in enhancing the literacy and cognitive-linguistic skills of children in the Program school. The positive effects were maintained at the end of Grade 2. Progress in both word-level and text-level cognitive-linguistic skills predicted significantly progress in reading comprehension. Based on the present findings, the four core reading components in Chinese were proposed—oral language, morphological awareness, orthographic skills, and syntactic skills. Comparing the Big Five in English and the four core components in Chinese reflects different cognitive demands for reading diverse orthographies.     

Screening for Chinese Children with Dyslexia in Hong Kong: The use of the Teachers' Behaviour Checklist

Primary school teachers rated the frequency of occurrence of 65 reading‐related behavioural characteristics in a sample of 251 Grade 1 to Grade 6 Chinese school children in Hong Kong. These behavioural characteristics were in the areas of general performance, reading, dictation, writing, mathematics, language, memory, concentration, sequential ability, motor co‐ordination, spatial orientation, and social/emotional adjustment. Of these 12 areas, 10 yielded scale scores that could distinguish children with dyslexia from those without dyslexia, identified on the basis of their performance in five domains of literacy and cognitive skills. Using a summary score derived from the 10 relevant scales, an optimal cut‐off score was suggested to arrive at a balance between high sensitivity and an acceptable rate of false positives in screening for children with dyslexia. The need for cross‐replication in screening children with dyslexia using the behaviour checklist with different samples of school students is emphasised.     

Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Parents’ Proxy MPAQ-C in Chinese Population

We examined psychometric properties of a Modified Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (MPAQ-C). Thirty-two parents (Study 1), 40 students (6–9 years) and one of each student’s parents (Study 2), and 625 parents (Study 3) completed the MPAQ-C. The MPAQ-C (six items) measured children’s physical activity (PA) after school, and during evenings and weekends for 7 days. Test–retest reliability (Study 1) and convergent validity (Study 2) were measured. Factor validity of the MPAQ-C (Study 3) was examined using confirmatory factor analysis. A single-factor model of the MPAQ-C fit the data well (χ² (9) = 42.78, p < .001; comparative fit index[CFI] = .977; non-normed fit index [NNFI] = .962; root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .079 [90% confidence interval {CI} = .057 to .11]), with good test–retest reliability, composite reliability (.80) and convergent validity. The factor loadings of MPAQ-C were invariant across fathers/mothers (Δχ² (6) = 3.44, p > .05). The MPAQ-C is a suitable parent proxy for measuring young Chinese children’s PA.     

Empowering Students in Leading their Education and Practice: The Design Workbook

How does education prepare future designers for current and future requirements of the field? An attempt to respond to this question is presented through the Design Workbook: a curricular project that has been proposed and developed over the course of three phases. In Phase One, the objectives, structure and format were defined: an online interface containing activities organised under five chapters that aim at building students’ creative confidence and sensitivity to surrounding contexts, and prepare them to lead their career path. In Phase Two, the website was developed to its first usable version, and content applied into live classes. Phase Three was marked with content refinement for the activities, navigation and feature redesign in the interface, and new ways of conducting the course. The article summarises learning points from the first two phases, and provides new findings and analyses from the final phase. It also includes a sample of the activities content, student works and feedback as well as the interface development stages. The methodology utilised throughout consisted of active research, as well as learning outcomes assessment using direct and indirect measures. Assessment results and classroom observations confirmed that students benefit greatly from visualising ideas, hands on activities, design thinking workshops, as well as from collaborative experiences, to avoid facing designer's block and to practise empowerment of self and others. Finally, challenges, opportunities and future implications are discussed, alongside implementation possibilities: The Design Workbook can run as a sole course, spread across the curriculum, and expand into the community.     

Comparison of brain activation during norm-referenced versus criterion-referenced feedback: The role of perceived competence and performance-approach goals

The patterns of brain activation during norm-referenced and criterion-referenced feedback were compared, using the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Twenty-two healthy right-handed individuals performed a series of perceptual judgment tasks while their brain activity was recorded. The participants responded to a performance-approach goal survey and performed practice trials prior to scanning, during which their perceived competence toward the novel task was manipulated with bogus performance information. During scanning, the participants received either norm-referenced or criterion-referenced feedback after each performance. The brain regions associated with negative affect including the posterior cingulate cortex, the medial frontal gyrus, and the inferior parietal lobule were recruited during norm-referenced feedback only among the low-competence participants. In contrast, significant activation was observed in the identical cortical areas involved in negative affect during criterion-referenced feedback only among the high-competence participants. Regardless of the level of perceived competence, performance-approach goal scores correlated positively with activation in the brain areas implicated in the negative emotion during norm-referenced feedback. The present findings provide insight into the potential costs and benefits of normative assessment.     

Design of Support Tools for Knowledge Building in a Virtual University Course

In a WWW-based virtual learning environment where students and teachers are physically separated, the quantity and quality of interaction among students and with instructors affects learning. Lack of constructive activity is often identified as one of the major causes for poor learning. We developed support tools (prompts which support students to use self-explanation and self-monitoring strategies) and studied how support tools facilitate convergent knowledge building processes in a WWW-based virtual university engineering course. A quasi-experimental study was designed. An engineering class of a virtual university was selected as the research site and the students in the class were randomly assigned to two different work environments: (1) without support tools, and (2) with support tools. This study has an implication for theory that the opportunity to engage in interaction itself is not enough for students to either integrate knowledge or develop/improve the coordination of group work in an online learning environment. Frequent interaction with their peers is not enough either for students to integrate knowledge or develop/improve coordination of group work in an online learning environment. The type of interaction matters, especially because convergent type of interaction facilitates students' knowledge integration.     

Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy and Career Commitment: Gender and Ethnic Differences Among College Students

This study evaluated the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale—Short Form (CDMSE-SF; Betz, Klein, & Taylor, 1996) using the Career Commitment Scale (CCS; Farmer, 1985) as a criterion measure. Responses from 165 undergraduates in a Southern university revealed high internal consistency for the CDMSE-SF, and moderate correlation between the CDMSE-SF and CCS. However, no gender or ethnic differences were found in this correlation. Females scored higher than males on the CCS. Blacks scored higher than Whites on both measures. Implications for practice and research are discussed.