The anatomy of a troll? Patent licensing business models in the light of patent reassignment data

We examine patent licensing business models of non-practicing entities that generate revenue by selling, licensing, or litigating patents. They may also pursue R&D activities, invent new technologies, or provide services to inventors or product companies. We describe their business models and patent market behavior and then compare their litigation strategies against product companies using a matched sample of highly comparable patents. The main differences among patent licensing firms stem from their technological capabilities, patent portfolio sizes, and external relationships. We find that licensing firms with technological capabilities often pursue litigation until decision and engage in forum shopping. In contrast, litigation incidence, parties involved, and outcomes are primarily determined by patent characteristics, not entity types. Licensing business models drive the acquisition of certain types of patents that influence the outcomes of the patent system. We argue that patent policy should strengthen mechanisms to discover invention quality rather than focus on the amount of litigation or types of entities.     

Empirical comparison of alternative instructional TV technologies

An experiment was conducted to compare training effectiveness and user acceptance of live instruction andsix different alternative Instructional TV (ITV) technologies: multi‐channel 2‐way video with 2‐way audio, single‐channel 2‐way video with 2‐way audio, 1‐way video with 2‐way audio, 1‐way video with 1‐way audio, 1‐way video with intermittent 2‐way audio, and audiographics. Findings were that, in comparison with live instruction, ITV in several different forms was effective both in terms of student performance and acceptance. The most successful ITV technologies were those allowing continuous 2‐way audio communication between classrooms with either 2‐way or 1‐way video. Student test performance was poorer with ITV systems that restricted remote students' ability to converse with or see the instructor and the performance decrement was evident in both local and remote classrooms.

The research described was performed under the sponsorship of the Office of Naval Technology. The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors, are not official, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Navy department.     

Instructional strategies for long-term success

Through a qualitative research study we developed a model of employment success based on the experiences of successful adults with learning disabilities. This model may be particularly useful to students with learning disabilities in helping them experience success both in school and beyond. We suggest that the components of the model—internal decisions comprising desire, goal orientation, and reframing, and external manifestations or behaviors of persistence, goodness of fit, learned creativity, and favorable social ecologies—can be systematically taught and then used. By focusing on what has worked for adults with learning disabilities, we propose that the model taps into inherent strengths that can compensate for significant limitations associated with learning disabilities. The model does not guarantee success, but it does equip students with learning disabilities with a readiness to capitalize on opportunities that they might otherwise miss.     

Scoring Constructed Responses Using Expert Systems

The use of constructed-response items in large scale standardized testing has been hampered by the costs and difficulties associated with obtaining reliable scores. The advent of expert systems may signal the eventual removal of this impediment. This study investigated the accuracy with which expert systems could score a new, nonmultiple-choice item type. The item type presents a faulty solution to a computer programming problem and asks the student to correct the solution. This item type was administered to a sample of high school seniors enrolled in an Advanced Placement course in Computer Science who also took the Advanced Placement Computer Science (APCS) examination. Results indicated that the expert systems were able to produce scores for between 82% and 95% of the solutions encountered and to display high agreement with a human reader on the correctness of the solutions. Diagnoses of the specific errors produced by students were less accurate. Correlations with scores on the objective and free-response sections of the APCS examination were moderate. Implications for additional research and for testing practice are offered.     

Strategies reported used by instructors to address student alternate conceptions in chemical equilibrium

This study explores general‐chemistry instructors' awareness of and ability to identify and address common student learning obstacles in chemical equilibrium. Reported instructor strategies directed at remediating student alternate conceptions were investigated and compared with successful, literature‐based conceptual change methods. Fifty‐two volunteer general chemistry instructors from 50 U.S. colleges and universities completed an interactive web‐based instrument consisting of open‐ended questions, a rating scale, classroom scenarios, and a demographic form. Survey respondents who provided responses or described remediation strategies requiring further clarification were identified (n = 6); these respondents amplified their views in separate, researcher‐led semistructured phone interviews. All 52 responding chemistry instructors reported and identified common student areas of difficulty in chemical equilibrium. They reported employing a variety of strategies to address and attempt to remediate students' alternate conceptions; however, these self‐reported strategies rarely included all four necessary conditions specified by Posner, Strike, Hewson, and Gertzog (Science Education, 66, 211–217, 1982) to stimulate conceptual change. Instructor‐identified student alternate conceptions were congruent with literature‐reported alternate conceptions of chemical equilibrium, thus providing validation support for these compilations. Implications for teaching and further research are also highlighted. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 42: 1112–1134, 2005     

The role of postsecondary Education Institutions in the U.S. Department of Education's adult literacy initiative

On September 7, 1983, the U.S. Department of Education announced a nationwide adult literacy initiative designed “... to promote functional literacy for the entire adult populations.” The department is committed to conducting several activities to attack and solve the problem of adult literacy. Two of the activities pertain specifically to postsecondary education. They are:

? working with postsecondary education institutions to develop demonstration programs utilizing college work-study students in adult literacy programs;

? promoting college student involvement through literacy tutoring experiences in college courses and through student volunteerism.

The authors believe that there should be much greater participation in the initiative by postsecondary education institutions, and they propose that more extensive participation can be attained through the institutions' performance of their usual functions of teaching, service, and research.