CAT model with personalized algorithm for evaluation of estimated student knowledge

This article presents the original model of the computer adaptive testing and grade formation, based on scientifically recognized theories. The base of the model is a personalized algorithm for selection of questions depending on the accuracy of the answer to the previous question. The test is divided into three basic levels of difficulty, and the student automatically goes from one level to another according to the current level of the knowledge that he shows. Such examination creates an image to the student that the test was set up just for his level of knowledge. On the basis of responses, by applying Bayes’ theorem and the Maximum a posteriori approach, the evaluation grade is formed. In fact, based on empirical probability values, which correlate with obtaining of a certain final grade and the accuracy of answers to each question individually, model creates a score that corresponds to the current level of student’s knowledge. After each test answer, the empirical probability value is updated. That further contributes to the statistical stability of the evaluation model. Testing stops when the student answers the minimum number of questions, determined by a teacher, or, when evaluations show a clear convergence towards a single value. The research method and some results of the testing of the hypotheses as well as authors’ conclusions about CAT as a tool for evaluation of students are presented at the end of the article.     

Three strategies for interdisciplinary teaching: contextualizing,conceptualizing, and problem‐centring

This paper distinguishes among contextualizing, conceptualizing, and problem‐centring as three basic approaches to interdisciplinary curriculum. This typology is based on the type of inquiry that takes place in the classroom. For example, if the guiding epistemology in the interdisciplinary work is that of the humanities, the mode of connecting disciplinary material is likely to be contextualizing, or embedding the facts and ideas in the cultural, historical, or ideological fabric. If the scientific method guides and sets the standard for integration, conceptualizing work typically takes place. Finally, if the spirit and mode of inquiry is that of the applied sciences or creative product‐development, the integrative process will take the form of problem‐based investigation of urgent or tangible issues. Using empirical data from exemplary university, pre‐university, and professional programmes in the US, I describe three integrative strategies and comment on their strengths. This basic typology provides alternative approaches to interdisciplinary material based on the purpose of the class inquiry. In the hands of a good instructor, several interdisciplinary strategies could be used together for mutual benefit.     

Development of Processing Stress Diacritics in Reading Greek

In Greek orthography, stress position is marked with a diacritic. We investigated the developmental course of processing the stress diacritic in Grades 2 to 4. Ninety children read 108 pseudowords presented without or with a diacritic either in the same or in a different position relative to the source word. Half of the pseudowords resembled the words they were derived from. Results showed that lexical sources of stress assignment were active in Grade 2 and remained stronger than the diacritic through Grade 4. The effect of the diacritic increased more rapidly and approached the lexical effect with increasing grade. In a second experiment, 90 children read 54 words and 54 pseudowords. The pattern of results for words was similar to that for nonwords suggesting that findings regarding stress assignment using nonwords may generalize to word reading. Decoding of the diacritic does not appear to be the preferred option for developing readers.     

Integrating moving average control procedures into the risk-based quality control plan in small-volume medical laboratories

IntroductionThe modern approach to quality control (QC) in medical laboratories implies the development of a risk-based control plan. This paper aims to develop a risk-based QC plan for a laboratory with a small daily testing volume and to integrate the already optimized moving average (MA) control procedures into this plan.Materials and methodsA multistage bracketed QC plan for ten clinical chemistry analytes was made using a Westgard QC frequency calculator. Previously, MA procedures were optimized by the bias detection simulation method.ResultsAspartate aminotransferase, HDL-cholesterol and potassium had patient-risk sigma metrics greater than 6, albumin and cholesterol greater than 5, creatinine, chlorides, calcium and total proteins between 4 and 5, and sodium less than 4. Based on the calculated run sizes and characteristics of optimized MA procedures, for 6 tests, it was possible to replace the monitoring QC procedure with an MA procedure. For the remaining 4 tests, it was necessary to keep the monitoring QC procedure and introduce MA control for added security.ConclusionThis study showed that even in a laboratory with a small volume of daily testing, it is possible to make a risk-based QC plan and integrate MA control procedures into that plan.     

Revisiting metaphors for education: a student’s perspective

This study examines metaphors about learning produced by a group of eighteen students at a big public university in Malaysia. The learner perspective is placed within a wider discourse on education in order to explore whether the images employed by the learners to describe their learning reflect the dominant conception of education as “production”. The metaphors supplied by the participants were analyzed and classified into several themes. None of the metaphors generated by the students alluded to the images that link education with “production”. The study contends that the student perspective on education can enrich educational discourse and highlight the previously obscured notions on education and learning.     

Occupational Physical Activity,Overweight, and Mortality

Abstract

This population-based 24-year follow-up study evaluated the association of occupational physical activity (OPA) with overweight and mortality in 47,405 men and women, healthy at baseline, and reporting OPA as sedentary (reference), light, moderately heavy, or heavy. The adjusted odds ratio for overweight was slightly less than 1 for all categories of current nonsedentary work in men but increased by OPA in women. Only heavy OPA conferred a lower mortality with an adjusted rate ratio of 0.84 (95% confidence interval, 0.76–0.92) for men and 0.69 (95% confidence interval, 0.52–0.91) for women. This observational study, with OPA recorded in the 1970s and 1980s, suggested a slight protective effect for overweight by nonsedentary work for men and lower mortality by heavy OPA for both genders.     

Occupational physical activity, overweight, and mortality: a follow-up study of 47,405 Norwegian women and men

This population-based 24-year follow-up study evaluated the association of occupational physical activity (OPA) with overweight and mortality in 47,405 men and women, healthy at baseline, and reporting OPA as sedentary (reference), light, moderately heavy, or heavy. The adjusted odds ratio for overweight was slightly less than 1 for all categories of current nonsedentary work in men but increased by OPA in women. Only heavy OPA conferred a lower mortality with an adjusted rate ratio of 0.84 (95 % confidence interval, 0.76-0.92) for men and 0.69 (95 % confidence interval, 0.52-0.91) for women. This observational study, with OPA recorded in the 1970s and 1980s, suggested a slight protective effect for overweight by nonsedentary work for men and lower mortality by heavy OPA for both genders.     

Orthodox education in Russian schools: an ideological choice

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to examine the ideological, political and social implications of the preference for orientating the public school curriculum in Russia towards Orthodox education. In some regions of the Russian Federation, Orthodox preferences increased by 20% over 4 years, and the indices reflecting enchurchment in the Russian regions are consistently lower than in the Moscow region, especially in rural areas. The confusion of Russian moral and patriotic traditions with Orthodox values and the ideological partnership between the public school authorities and the Orthodox organisations could explain the growth in Orthodox preferences. Although most teachers of the Orthodox curriculum, and most of the parents who choose it for their children, are not practising members of the church, Orthodox education implemented in public schools could result in an outcome opposite to the goals of the Orthodox curriculum.     

Permanent uncertainty as normality? Finnish-Russian double degrees in the post-Crimea world

ABSTRACT

EU-Russia higher education cooperation has continued despite global tensions including Crimea incorporation. One example of this cooperation is the development of Finnish-Russian double degree programmes.

This paper focuses on institutional environments where double degrees develop and asks how and why they produce uncertainty from inside Finnish and Russian universities in the period of this unfavourable political situation. The matryoshka model is applied to understand the institutional environment of a university and the institutions around it. The institutional nature of a double degree is determined by comparative analysis of how internal university stakeholders in Finland and Russia perceive a programme’s benchmarks.

The study is based on the analysis of interviews conducted in partner universities. This paper discusses how perceptions of double degrees influence uncertainty in programme provision within and between institutional environments in Finnish and Russian universities. In addition, the level of institutionalisation of the double degrees may be evaluated.     

Is the Medium the Message? Examining Transactions Conducted via Text in Comparison with Traditional Virtual Reference Methods

Texting is a widespread mode of communication and libraries are experimenting with it to interact with users. This article presents the results of a study on virtual reference service. The authors seek to determine whether or not the texting service is filling a different information need than chat and email by examining the level of difficulty and the topic of questions using these different methods of communication. Findings indicate a marked difference between the type and complexity of questions sent via text and traditional forms of virtual reference, and suggest that texting fills a complimentary role in relation to other traditional virtual reference communication channels used within libraries.