Factors influencing undergraduate use of e-books: A mixed methods study

Academic libraries invest millions of dollars to make electronic resources such as e-books available to students for free. However, free access might not necessarily result in students' sustained interest in and use of e-books. This interdisciplinary, mixed methods research investigates the factors influencing the intention of 279 undergraduate students to use e-books at a land-grant university in the southern US. Structural equation modeling of the survey responses suggests that organizational environment for information technology, external locus of control, subjective norm, perceived enjoyment (i.e., joyfulness), and information technology features play a significant role in influencing the intention of students to use e-books. Based on a combination of quantitative results and qualitative findings, this study identifies eight activities that libraries need to undertake in order to increase the use of e-books by undergraduate students.     

Understanding the Nature,Uses, and Gratifications of Social Television: Implications for Developing Viewer Engagement and Network Loyalty

This study employed an online survey (N = 310) to explore how viewers’ motivations for social TV participation influence their involvement in social TV activities, their program commitment, and network loyalty. Findings show that social infotainment and social companionship are the primary motivations of social TV participation. However, only social infotainment significantly predicts the intensity of viewers’ social TV usage, which has a positive influence on program commitment and network loyalty. Additionally, the relationship between social TV usage and network loyalty is partially mediated by program commitment. These findings demonstrate the value of social TV to broadcasters and provide directions for initiating and maintaining long-term relationships with viewers.     

论编辑新发展观

将党中央提出的新发展理念合理地运用到编辑职业发展中,提出协调、融合、开放、卓越、共享的编辑新发展观,并对其内涵、主要特征和涵育路径进行论述.认为编辑新发展观是一个系统化的逻辑体系,具有人本性、参与性、创造性的鲜明特点.涵育编辑新发展观,需要国家加强顶层设计,厚植编辑茁壮成长的发展基础;需要单位坚持"以人为本",营造编辑干事创业风清气正的微环境;需要个人坚定文化自信,在出版业发展中不断超越自己.     

电子、计算机类科技期刊的选题策划——以《数据采集与处理》为例

科技期刊的选题策划是科技期刊出版流程中的重要环节,也是编辑理念和编辑实践的重要体现.本文结合《数据采集与处理》近年来在选题策划方面所做的工作和经验,介绍选题策划的基本原则及方法和途径,明确指出选题策划是办刊宗旨的具体体现.《数据采集与处理》在选题策划方面取得的成绩说明选题策划对科技期刊发展十分重要.     

数字叙事中的用户参与行为研究

在阐述数字叙事领域互动理论的基础上,借鉴美国学者玛丽-劳尔·瑞安(Marie-Laure Ryan)的"数字文本用户参与层理论",分析超文本小说、互动游戏、虚拟游戏等数字叙事中的用户参与行为.指出随着用户参与数字叙事深度和广度的加强,用户的参与行为在整个故事生成中的作用更加重要,但用户的参与行为始终受到故事情节和数字叙事系统的制约.     

新时期高校学生管理工作的问题与思考

新时期高校管理工作面临新挑战,作为90后的一代大学生,学生群体的集中性问题表现在:一是学生自我控制能力相对较差;二是受网络文化的负面影响巨大,不良网瘾倾向严重。要应对这些问题与现象,做如下思考:一是用更多的爱心去关爱学生,使学生"亲其师而信其道";二是特别关注有网瘾倾向的学生群体,用恒心和耐心开展教育转化工作;三是开展丰富多彩的活动,培养健康的生活学习习惯。     

基层电大教师的专业身份危机

由于电大运作模式的弊端、教师管理的失范、实践理念的偏差和教师专业发展的滞后造成了基层电大教师身份的内部分化和外部泛化的＂身份危机＂。基层电大教师的教学工作和课程开发明显分离,网络教学新的特征和内涵进一步细化了电大教师的角色,教师岗位职能的细化使教师角色同一化,基层电大大量的管理工作进一步泛化了教师的角色,这些都不利于教师的专业发展。基层电大应通过纯化教师角色和控制教师工作量来提高外部认同度,通过建立教师专业发展标准和教学知识评价机制、重视教学理念的先进性、强调教学创新能力来提高内部认同度。     

The Metamorphosis of Industrial Designers from Novices to Experts

Professional training for designers is crucial in the field of design studies. The characteristics of novices versus those of expert designers have been identified in the literature; however, studies exploring the issue of professional training processes in the actual workplace are not well developed. Our study addresses the topic by using qualitative research methods along with flexible design. Collected data from the interviewees with different work experience were analysed by open, axial and selective coding. Herein, we argue that the processes by which a designer transforms from a novice into an expert in the industry are constructed through the interaction of several complicated factors. The re‐learning inherent in design professions is implemented through knowledge transfer gained from participation in design projects, particularly regarding tacit knowledge. Also, the novice's process of learning and training yields the characteristics and skills that companies and firms require of designers; this process involves a series of disciplinary sub‐processes, from destructive to reconstructive, implemented by employers. In these sub‐processes, the subjectivity of designers is neglected, leading to the suppression of imaginative expression and feelings of alienation among these workers.     

A Situationist Lesson for Character Education: Re‐conceptualising the Inculcation of Virtues by Converting Local Virtues to More Global Ones

Inspired by the debate about character between situationism and virtue ethics, I argue that John Doris's idea, ‘local trait’, offers a fresh insight into contemporary character education. Its positive variant, ‘local virtue’, signals an inescapable relay station of the gradual development of virtue, and serves as a promising point of departure for advanced growth. The idea of converting local virtues to more global ones is accordingly proposed to represent an empirically more realistic way of conceiving how to approach the ethical ideal of global virtues. It helps to direct our gaze to the great intermediate developmental stages of virtue, which mark out a whole spectrum of virtues of varying degrees that fall short of full virtue. This new notion works together with the traditional Aristotelian account to provide a full account of how to effectively undertake the age‐old educational business of the inculcation of virtues.     

An analysis of the nature of classroom activities: A comparative study of an immersion English class and a non-immersion English class in the mainland of China

This study was designed to investigate the nature of activities in an immersion English class and a non-immersion English class in the mainland of China, and to find out the differences between these two types of class through data gained from observation and interviews. Spoken discourse analysis was used to analyze the data, where Engeström??s activity complex system was used as the analytical framework to examine the nature of activities in the two types of classes. The results showed that it is the dynamic and situated nature of activity that makes a difference between the activities in these two classes. The interaction among the activity components, the social relations emerging through the process, the use of target language as the main mediational tool, and the subject content revealed in the activities enhance our emic understanding of the nature of activities. Implications can be drawn for English language teaching and for students?? English language learning for the schools in the mainland of China. This study contributes to both immersion education and classroom interaction.