The evaluation of a unified theory for HIV/AIDS counselling

This paper evaluates a unified theory for HIV/AIDS counselling. The evaluation was based upon the hypothesis that if the theory was valid it would generate therapeutic outcomes. The theory was operationalised and evaluated in the context of group counselling. The group counselling sessions were video recorded and the tapes were viewed by a research team. Details of the counselling were recorded through the process of triangulation. The therapeutic outcomes were stated and confirmed with the group members through the process of respondent validation. In conclusion the hypothesis was accepted and the unified theory does offer an appropriate foundation upon which HIV/AIDS counselling can be based.     

Science Teachers’ Professional Development and Changes in Science Practical Assessment Practices: What are the Issues?

This paper considers the circumstances under which science teachers can respond positively and productively to educational policy reforms in the area of science practical assessment. To understand what might be involved in linking science teachers’ assessment capacities and their professional development, we present illustrative data from recent research studies conducted in Singapore and Hong Kong showing contrasting approaches taken in the implementation of reforms in science practical assessment. In Singapore, teachers worked together to select, discuss, clarify and refine their practices as they made decisions about what to teach and assess. In Hong Kong, teachers took a critical stance towards the new policy and learnt from their own experiences in order to build their confidence. With the same policy initiative, one group of teachers focused more on the technicalities of complying with requirements imposed on them while in the other group had their professional consciousness of what they thought was best for their students provoked so that their practices would be transformed. In an attempt to draw lessons for other contexts in supporting the implementation of assessment policy reforms through professional development work, we identify and discuss a range of factors in science teachers’ professional development that arise once in situ professional development work has started. Overall, our intent in this article is to recast assessment reform as a driver or pivot in teachers’ professional development and learning. To do this it is necessary, we argue, to afford teachers’ experiences and the processes involved in learning from them greater emphasis in order to ensure the continuance of innovation in the assessment of laboratory-based work.     

Investigating university students’ adoption of video lessons

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the undergraduate students’ adoption of video lessons. The data were collected from 313 undergraduate students from Education, Health Sciences, and Letters Faculties within a large university in Turkey using a questionnaire with six constructs: ease of use, usefulness, enjoyment, intention, computer self-efficacy and relative advantage. The Technology Acceptance Model and Diffusion of Innovation Theory were used as the research framework for the study, and the data were analysed by Structural Equation Modeling. The results showed that ease of use and computer self-efficacy had a significant influence on usefulness of video lessons. Computer self-efficacy had a significant influence on ease of use regarding video lessons and usefulness of a video lesson had a significant influence on relative advantage. In addition, relative advantage and enjoyment had a significant effect on student intention to use a video lesson. Interestingly, it was found that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and computer self-efficacy had no effect on the intention to use video lessons. Consequently, five constructs account for 38% of the variance intention to use video lessons. The research model was found to have a good fit.     

Measuring Exposure to Media with Antisocial and Prosocial Content: An Extended Version of the Content-based Media Exposure Scale (C-ME2)

The present research developed a measure for exposure to both antisocial and prosocial media content by revising and extending a previous Content-based Media Exposure Scale (C-ME). The validity and reliability of the C-ME2 was tested in two independent samples (N = 678), among young adults (Study 1) and adolescents (Study 2). Results of Confirmatory Factor Analyses showed good fit, in both studies, for both antisocial and prosocial dimensions of media content, and for both males and females. Furthermore, the C-ME2 explains unique variance beyond previous measures of violent and general media exposure. Evidence is presented of reliability, discriminant and predictive validity of the C-ME2, measuring both frequency and exposure to specific content of media. The C-ME2 covers all media platforms, is easy to use in all research designs, and allows for standardization and systematic comparisons across studies.     

Effect of hand paddles and parachute on the index of coordination of competitive crawl-strokers

We investigated the effects of hand paddles and parachute on the relative duration of stroke phases and index of coordination of competitive crawl-strokers. Eleven male-swimmers (age: 21.9 ± 4.5 years; 50-m best time: 24.23 ± 0.75 s) were evaluated in four maximal-intensity conditions: without equipment, with hand paddles, with parachute, and with both hand paddles and parachute. Relative stroke phase duration of each arm, swimming velocity, and stroke rate were analysed from video (60 Hz). The index of coordination was quantified based on the lag time between propulsive phases of each arm, which defined the coordination mode as catch-up, opposition or superposition. The stroke rate decreased in all conditions (P < 0.05) and swimming velocity decreased with parachute and with paddles + parachutes (P < 0.05). The coordination mode changed from catch-up in free swimming (-2.3 ± 5.0%) to opposition with paddles (-0.2 ± 3.8%), parachute (0.1 ± 3.1%), and paddles + parachute (0.0 ± 3.2%). Despite these variations, no significant differences were observed in relative duration of right and left arm-stroke phases, or in index of coordination. We conclude that the external resistances analysed do not significantly influence stroke phase organization, but, as a chronic effect, may lead to greater propulsive continuity.     

Appropriateness of recommended agricultural water-management technologies as perceived by the personnel of research and extension system: A study in the eastern region of India

The key to agricultural development in the eastern region of India, where problems of excess water and water scarcity coexist, is the scientific management of water resources with the adoption of recommended water-management technologies. A vast networking of infrastructure for the development and dissemination of water- management technologies have been designed since the very inception of planned economic change. Despite these concerted efforts, a large number of recommended technologies are either being adopted in piece-meal or not at all. The research and extension systems have been generating and disseminating technologies, therefore, it was felt worthwhile to assess the feasibility and appropriateness of recommended tecnologies as perceived in the first instance by the personnel of the research system and followed by the extension personnel. These steps were felt to be a precursor to screen the recommended technologies for their dissemination and evaluation in different farming systems. The assessment of recommended water-management technologies was performed after their documentation from different organisations working in the field of water management in two eastern India states viz. Orissa and West Bengal. The perception of 30 personnel members of the research system regarding the feasibility of these technologies elucidated that out of 86 documented recommended water-management technologies, 40 were having feasibility scores of ≥ 4.0; 8 technologies with score £ 3.0 and the rest of the 38 technologies with a score between 3.0 and 4.0 on a feasibility continuum range from 1.0 (not feasible) to 5.0 (highly feasible). Out of 40 recommended technologies (already assessed as highly feasible by the research personnel), extension personnel have perceived 16 and 10 technologies as highly appropriate and feasible, respectively. While six and four technologies were found to be less appropriate and feasible, respectively. Correlation of all nine indicators of appropriateness with feasibility of technologies was significant. Five indicators of appropriateness viz. simplicity, physical compatibility, production sustainability, cultural compatibility and cost together constituted 36.8 per cent of the total variation in feasibility with the ‘t’ values and ‘F’ values being significant. It indicates that not appropriateness of technologies alone but other factors influence the feasibility of technologies.     

An interactive e-learning system for improving web programming skills

This paper introduces an interactive e-learning system that provides an integrated environment for web programming. The proposed system is web-based. It provides an online editor for writing, editing, updating, and executing programming code, so the learners can execute examples and practical exercises online. In addition, it provides auto complete and syntax highlighting in editing code, which could help learners to remember the syntax more easily. The proposed system provides communication and interactive tools including Chat-Room, E-Mail, and Discussion Board (Forum) among learners and instructors. Moreover, it provides the instructors with an online exam system. It monitors, collects and keeps information about learners’ performance and activities. Therefore, instructors can use the recorded information to keep tracking of the learner’s progress. The system is based on the common three-tier-architecture of web-based applications that is organized into presentation tier, logic tier, and data tier.     

Perceived employability and ability self among Finnish university students

Employability is an increasing concern for university students. Our survey set out to examine university students’ perceptions of their employability and the ways in which these perceptions relate to positions that subsequently connect students to working life: students’ self-representational position or “ability self”, and students’ life-historical positions such as chosen field of study, phase of degree and working life experience. The participants comprised a sample of students (N = 1819) from two Finnish universities, representing diverse fields of study. It was found that apart from the field of study, the perceived proximity to graduation and working life was associated with the perception of employability. Furthermore, a set of self-attributed capabilities was associated with students’ perceptions of employability, particularly extroversion, ambitious competitiveness, mental strength and the desired characteristics of a good employee; however, the attribution of academic skills showed opposing effects. It was concluded that both self-representational and live-historical positions are part of the construction of students’ optimism regarding their employability.