Academic department prestige: A new measure based on the doctoral student labor market

Past rankings of academic departments have been based on a variety of factors including faculty publications, citations, and external perceptions. However well designed, these studies are conceptually flawed as means of assessing prestige. This paper views prestige as an ex ante condition related to an existing stratification system, rather than as an ex post result of productivity. As such, prestige can be measured by the academic department's ability to place its doctoral recipients. As a means of illustrating the use of this approach, an empirical analysis of accounting faculty placements from graduate schools in the United States was conducted. The resultant rankings were also evaluated for stability over time and against other program characteristics to illustrate the validity and the uniqueness of the measure.     

Time limits in testing: An analysis of eye movements and visual attention in spatial problem solving

Individuals with an aptitude for interpreting spatial information (high mental rotation ability: HMRA) typically master anatomy with more ease, and more quickly, than those with low mental rotation ability (LMRA). This article explores how visual attention differs with time limits on spatial reasoning tests. Participants were assorted to two groups based on their mental rotation ability scores and their eye movements were collected during these tests. Analysis of salience during testing revealed similarities between MRA groups in untimed conditions but significant differences between the groups in the timed one. Question‐by‐question analyses demonstrate that HMRA individuals were more consistent across the two timing conditions (κ = 0.25), than the LMRA (κ = 0.013). It is clear that the groups respond to time limits differently and their apprehension of images during spatial problem solving differs significantly. Without time restrictions, salience analysis suggests LMRA individuals attended to similar aspects of the images as HMRA and their test scores rose concomitantly. Under timed conditions however, LMRA diverge from HMRA attention patterns, adopting inflexible approaches to visual search and attaining lower test scores. With this in mind, anatomical educators may wish to revisit some evaluations and teaching approaches in their own practice. Although examinations need to evaluate understanding of anatomical relationships, the addition of time limits may induce an unforeseen interaction of spatial reasoning and anatomical knowledge. Anat Sci Educ 10: 528–537. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.     

A case study in defining literacy: David Olson's journey from the Great Divide to the Great Beyond

David Olson writes his reply to Snyder in this issue ofInterchange. See page 56.     

The role of attachment in Facebook usage: a study of Canadian college students

Considering the increasingly ubiquitous and frequent use of Facebook among college students, this study sought to explicate and unravel the salient determinants of Facebook use. Specifically, the main goal was to ascertain the factors influencing Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) students’ Facebook use, for which a structural equation model was proposed to examine the relationships between constructs affecting this process. Using a recently proposed extended technology acceptance model, Dhammic Technology Acceptance Model (DTAM) for Facebook use, proposed by Teo and Jarupunphol [2015. Dhammic technology acceptance model (DTAM): Extending the TAM using a condition of attachment in Buddhism. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 52(1), 136–151. doi:10.1177/0735633114568859], we present results of the study using 233 completed survey data from a sample of CEGEP students in Montreal, Quebec. The DTAM was originally tested using a sample of Thai university students; this leads to a natural question as to whether this extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) model holds in a Western sample. The findings from the present study support the validity of the DTAM for explicating Facebook use, and add empirical evidence to the DTAM, according to which the condition of attachment exerts influence on Facebook use. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications, limitations, and future extensions of the study.     

Sherlock Holmes: scientific detective

Sherlock Holmes was intended by his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, to be a 'scientific detective'. Conan Doyle criticized his predecessor Edgar Allan Poe for giving his creation - Inspector Dupin - only the 'illusion' of scientific method. Conan Doyle believed that he had succeeded where Poe had failed; thus, he has Watson remark that Holmes has 'brought detection as near an exact science as it will ever be brought into the world.' By examining Holmes' methods, it becomes clear that Conan Doyle modelled them on certain images of science that were popular in mid- to late-19th century Britain. Contrary to a common view, it is also evident that rather than being responsible for the invention of forensic science, the creation of Holmes was influenced by the early development of it.     

Beliefs about teaching and uses of technology among pre‐service teachers

In the current learning environments, technology is integrated in different ways. Teachers acting in the capacity of main change agents bring with them beliefs about teaching which effects their use of technology in the classroom. This study aims to examine the possible relationship between teachers' beliefs about teaching and uses of technology. Unlike past research on this issue, the results from this study show that belief in constructivist teaching correlates significantly with both constructivist and traditional uses of technology. However, a belief in traditional teaching is only significantly correlated (negatively) with constructivist use of technology. Implications for teaching training and future research are discussed.     

Geospatial Considerations for a Multiorganizational,Landscape-Scale Program

Geospatial data play an increasingly important role in natural resources management, conservation, and science-based projects. The management and effective use of spatial data becomes significantly more complex when the efforts involve a myriad of landscape-scale projects combined with a multiorganizational collaboration. There is sparse literature to guide users on this daunting subject; therefore, we present a framework of considerations for working with geospatial data that will provide direction to data stewards, scientists, collaborators, and managers for developing geospatial management plans. The concepts we present apply to a variety of geospatial programs or projects, which we describe as a “scalable framework” of processes for integrating geospatial efforts with management, science, and conservation initiatives. Our framework includes five tenets of geospatial data management: (1) the importance of investing in data management and standardization, (2) the scalability of content/efforts addressed in geospatial management plans, (3) the lifecycle of a geospatial effort, (4) a framework for the integration of geographic information systems (GIS) in a landscape-scale conservation or management program, and (5) the major geospatial considerations prior to data acquisition. We conclude with a discussion of future considerations and challenges.     

Expanding the Scope of Instructional Communication Research: Looking Beyond Classroom Contexts

The bulk of instructional communication research to date examines communication among teachers and students in conventional classroom contexts. Although past and present research is prolific and informative, it is also somewhat limiting. With a specific unifying focus on affective, cognitive, and behavioral learning as outcome variables, we begin this article with a brief history of instructional communication research, as well as examples of research and practice in conventional classroom settings. We then outline, review, and explain four distinct contexts where we believe future instructional communication research and practice is likely to be fruitful: risk and crisis situations, technology-enhanced environments, digital games, and forensics education.     

Leg soft tissue position and velocity data from skin markers can be obtained with good to acceptable reliability following heel impacts

Quantifying soft tissue motion following impact is important in human motion analysis as soft tissues attenuate potentially injurious forces resulting from activities such as running and jumping. This study determined the reliability of leg soft tissue position and velocity following heel impacts. A grid of black dots was applied to the skin of the right leg and foot (n = 20). Dots were automatically detected (ProAnalyst^®) from high-speed records of pendulum and drop impacts. Three trained measurers selected columns of dots on each participant for analysis; one measurer 6 months later. Between- and within-measurer differences in kinematic variables were all relatively small (<0.8 cm for position; <3.7 cm/s for velocity) between-measurers and (<0.5 cm for position; <2.6 cm/s for velocity) within-measurer. Good (coefficients of variation (CV) ≤ 10%) to acceptable (CV > 10% and ≤20%) reliability was shown for 95% of the position measures, with mean CVs of 10% and 11% within-measurers and between-measures, respectively. Velocity measures were less reliable; 40% of the measures showed good to marginal (CV > 20% and ≤30%) reliability. This study established that leg soft tissue position data from skin markers could be obtained with good to acceptable reliability following heel impacts. Velocity data were less reliable but still acceptable in many cases.     

Index of mechanical efficiency in competitive and recreational long distance runners

The purpose of this investigation was to compare external work and net energy expenditure during a bout of repetitive stretch-shortening cycles between competitive and recreational long-distance runners. Participants were divided into either competitive or recreational runners based on their maximal oxygen consumption and self-reported 1600 m times. The stretch-shortening cycle involved a repetitive hopping protocol on a force plate while measuring oxygen consumption and lactate accumulation for a total of 10 min. External work and net energy expenditure were calculated for 3 min after steady state was achieved and the ratio between these variables was utilised as an index of mechanical efficiency. Lower extremity stiffness was calculated during this interval as well. Net energy expenditure was significantly lower in competitive runners (152.6 ± 33.3 kJ) in comparison to recreational runners (200.6 ± 41.4 kJ) (P = 0.02) given similar amounts of external work performed in both groups (competitive runners = 65.6 ± 20.1 kJ, recreational runners = 68.8 ± 12.1 kJ) (P = 0.67). Index of mechanical efficiency was significantly different between competitive runners (43.2 ± 9.0%) and recreational runners (34.8 ± 5.3%) (P = 0.03). No significant differences were found in lower extremity stiffness (P = 0.64). Competitive distance runners can perform similar levels of external work with lower net energy expenditure and thus a higher index of mechanical efficiency during repetitive stretch-shortening cycles in comparison to recreational runners with similar values of lower extremity stiffness. This ability could possibly be due differences in muscle–tendon length changes, muscle pre-activation, cross-bridge potentiation and short-latency reflex responses as a result of training which should be considered for future investigation.