Educational technology as a key to educational innovation:

Instructional technology, especially the use of computers and the Internet has been lagging behind in the German educational system in comparison to other European countries. When this lack was realized in the second half of the 1990s it had quite a “shock-effect” but one of the healthy kind: Since then numerous public and private initiatives have been started to advance the use of technology in schools, higher education, and in vocational training. At the college and university level, there is a trend towards connecting online and offline courses. Also, it was understood that it is not enough to just provide schools and universities with the technology needed but that the introduction of technology has to be accompanied by profound systemic and structural changes. Thus, there is great hope that the use of technology in education will fuel educational innovations at all levels needed for educating and training pupils and students to act as responsible and media-literate citizens in a modern world.     

Factors Influencing Word-of-Mouth Recommendations by MBA Students: An Examination of School Quality,Educational Outcomes,and Value of the MBA

Word-of-mouth recommendations from current students are an important source of influence when prospective MBA students are selecting a school. Based on a sample of 16,297 graduating MBA students, this paper uses multiple regression analysis to identify the factors that affect a school recommendation and to assess their relative importance. Separate models are developed based on prior research on service quality, educational outcomes, and perceived equity; then, variables from the separate models are combined into an overall model. Implications are discussed for school administrators and the marketing professionals who support them.     

Shipping in the Northwest Passage: a Pandora's box

The discovery of America led to dreams of a westerly route to India and China from Europe by way of its most northerly extension. Evidence for the existence of such a route was laboriously collected by explorers from the time of Frobisher in the late 16th century but not until 1903-6 was a full west-to-east passage effected, by Roald Amundsen. Today, interest in the Northwest Passage has been stimulated by the discovery of oil and gas in far northern latitudes and new technology is facilitating commercial voyages in these exceptionally inhospitable waters.     

Testing relationships from the hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation using flow as a motivational consequence

The purpose of this study was to test a motivational model based on Vallerand's (1997) Hierarchical Model of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation. This model incorporates situational and contextual motivational variables, and was tested using a time-lagged design. Master's level swimmers (N = 104) completed a questionnaire on two separate occasions. At Time 1, situational social factors (perceptions of success and perceptions of the motivational climate), situational motivational mediators (perceptions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness), situational motivation, and flow were assessed immediately following a swim practice. Contextual measures of these same variables were assessed at Time 2, 1 week later, with the exception of flow. Results of a path analysis supported numerous links in the hypothesized model. Findings are discussed in light of research and theory on motivation and flow.     

The reluctant primary school teacher

The study attempts to identify the factors which affect teacher's reluctance to teach science, then explains an approach to help teachers teach science in a worthwhile manner over the school year while monitoring any changes in their confidence and competence. It was found that the condidence and competence of the teachers improved during the year such that they were able to teach successful science lessons on a regular basis. Specializations: primary science and technology education, curriculum development and implementation, teacher education. Specializations: primary science curriculum, early childhood education, gender and science. Specializations: primary science and technology education, issues related to girls in science and technology.