Validation of networks derived from snowball sampling of municipal science education actors

Social network analysis (SNA) has been used in many educational studies in the past decade, but what these studies have in common is that the populations in question in most cases are defined and known to the researchers studying the networks. Snowball sampling is an SNA methodology most often used to study hidden populations, for example, groups of homosexual people, drug users or people with sexually transmitted diseases. By use of a snowball sampling approach, this study mapped municipal social networks of educational actors, who were otherwise hidden to the researchers. Subsequently, the resulting networks were validated through interviews with central respondents and by using prior investigations of the municipalities. Our results confirmed that the majority of the designated respondents recognized the resulting sociograms and their own position in these. It was also found that not all predictions based on existing knowledge of the municipalities aligned with SNA data. However, these discrepancies could be explained by development in the municipalities in the time following previous investigations. This study shows that snowball sampling is an applicable method to use for mapping hidden populations in educational settings, but also that qualitative studies are needed in order to interpret the networks in real-life contexts.     

少年维特的烦恼

《少年维特的烦恼》是第一部让歌德在德国几乎一夜成名的小说。本书1774年秋天在莱比锡书籍展览会上面世,并在那里成了杨销书。由此而来的成功给歌德的一生带来了名誉和财富。歌德(1749—1832)是德国近代杰出的诗人、作家和思想家。世人公认他是继但丁和莎士比亚之后西     

The Highly Gifted: definitions and methodological implications

This paper is concerned with the methodological implications of various definitions of the term ‘highly gifted’. Three definitions of ‘highly gifted’ are presented. It is shown that the definition of the term ‘highly gifted’ has considerable methodological implications. These implications concern both choice of method for data analysis and results of analysis. Conditions for proper application of standard statistical methods including the t‐test for mean difference, the F‐test for regression slope differences, MANOVA, and discriminant analysis are reviewed. It is also shown that, under circumstances that are far from unrealistic, there are no methods with known properties available for data analysis.     

Implicit Theories of Creativity: the conceptions of politicians,scientists, artists and school teachers

While a high number of studies have focused on the nature of creativity and on approaches to identify and to promote creativity there is a lack of studies analysing people's implicit theories of creativity. The present study investigates implicit theories of individuals who are assumed to influence other's views on creativity. We collected data from politicians, scientists, artists and school teachers. Subjects were asked to write down what they spontaneously associate to the term “creativity”. Answers were analysed using quantitative and qualitative content analysis. Out of the 560 subjects asked, only 145 participated in the study. Answers were compared with regard to profession, gender, and country (Austria versus Germany). In general, results show extremely high answer variability. Differences in the number of associations produced and the most frequent words associated with creativity are higher across profession groups than between females and males and between respondents from Austria and from Germany. Artists seem to form an outstanding group. They show the highest participation rate of all subgroups, produced the highest number of associations, comprised the highest rate of subjects expressing ego‐involvement in their answers, and used the widest‐ranging approaches to creativity.     

Cooperation between rivals: Informal know-how trading

“Informal” know-how trading is the extensive exchange of proprietary know-how by informal networks of process engineers in rival (and non-rival) firms. I have observed such know-how trading networks to be very active in the US steel minimill industry and elsewhere, and they appear to represent a novel form of cooperative R&D.When one examines informal know-how trading in the framework of a “Prisoner's Dilemma”, real-world conditions can be specified where this behavior both does and does not make economic sense from the point of view of participating firms. Data available to date on the presence and absence of such trading seem to be roughly in accordance with the predictions of this simple model.Although presently documented only as a firm-level phenomenon involving the trading of proprietary technical knowhow, informal know-how trading seems relevant to (and may currently exist in) many other types of situation. Indeed, it may be applicable to any situation in which individuals or organizations are involved in a competition where possession of proprietary know-how represents a form of competitive advantage.     

Library involvement in health informatics education for health professions students and practitioners: a scoping review

Objective:The purpose of this scoping review is to evaluate the extent of library or librarian involvement in informatics education in the health domain.Methods:We searched eight databases from their inception to 2019 for reports of informatics educational activities for health professionals or health professions students that involved library staff or resources. Two reviewers independently screened all titles/abstracts (n=2,196) and resolved inclusion decisions by consensus. From the full text of the 36 papers that met the inclusion criteria, we extracted data on 41 educational activities.Results:The most frequent coded purposes of activities were “teaching clinical tools” (n=19, 46.3%) and “technology” (n=17; 41.5%). Medical students were the most frequent primary audience (34.1%), though 41.5% of activities had multiple audiences. Evaluation was reported for 24 activities (58.5%), only a few of which assessed short or post-activity impact on attitudes, knowledge, or skills. The most common long-term outcome was applying skills in other courses or clinical experiences. Thematic analysis yielded three areas of outcomes and issues for the library and organizational partners: expanded opportunities, technology and resource issues, and value demonstration.Conclusions:Limited published examples of health informatics educational activities provide models for library roles in informatics education. More librarians should report on their informatics educational activities and provide sufficient details on the interventions and their evaluation. This would strengthen the evidence base about the potential impact of libraries within informatics education.