Ethics in educational technology research: Informing participants on data sharing risks

Participants in educational technology research regularly share personal data which carries with it risks. Informing participants of these data sharing risks is often only done so through text contained within a consent form. However, conceptualizations of data sharing risks and knowledge of responsible data management practices among teachers and learners may be impoverished—limiting the effectiveness of a consent form in communicating such risks in a manner that adequately supports participants in making informed decisions about sharing their data. At two high schools participating in an educational research project involving the use of technology in the classroom, we investigate teacher and student conceptions of data sharing risks and knowledge of responsible data management practices; and introduce a communication approach that attempts to better inform educational technology research participants of such risks. Results of this study suggest that most teachers have not received formal training related to responsibly managing data; and both teachers and students see the need for such training as they come to realize that their understanding of responsible data management is underdeveloped. Thus, efforts beyond solely explaining data sharing risks in an informed consent form may be needed in educational technology research to facilitate ethical self-determination.     

English language learning difficulty of korean students in a Philippine Multidisciplinary University

This qualitative study analyzed the English language learning difficulties of 13 purposively chosen Korean students relative to their sociolinguistic competence, motivation in using the English language, and cultural factors. Interview responses were transcribed, categorized and thematised according to saliency, meaning and homogeneity. The findings of the study disclosed that, on the whole, while the subjects never had the opportunity to use the English language in Korea, they use it almost everywhere in the Philippines. Their difficulties exist both in daily conversation and in the academic setting. Such difficulties are attributable to both the subjects’ and the Filipinos’ different entry points in the learning and use of English. Despite cultural barriers in communication, however, the Koreans studying in the Philippines are instrumentally motivated to learn the English language.     

Role of the Undergraduate Student Research Assistant in the New Millennium

In this study, we analyze the contribution of the undergraduate student who participates in the process of generating scientific data and developing a research project using Brazilian research as an example. Historically, undergraduate students have performed the critical role of research assistants in developing countries. This aspect has been underappreciated as a means of generating scientific data in Brazilian research facilities. Brazilian educational institutions are facing major age-related generational changes among the science faculty within the next 5–10 yr. A lack of adequate support for graduate students leads to a concern that undergraduates will not be interested in choosing research assistant programs and, subsequently, academic research careers. To remedy this situation it is important to focus on ways to encourage new research careers and enhance university–industry collaborations.     

Teaching and learning conceptions in Engineering Education: an innovative approach on Mathematics

A worldwide problem in Engineering education is the high rates of students' failure and drop out particularly at the beginning of the course. This is related to the process by which students learn Mathematics. An innovative methodology of teaching calculus was developed and it is presented in this paper. The approach, based on both course modularisation and the error theory, is student centred. It fosters student/lecturer commitment and emphasizes continuous assessment of the process. Knowledge, in this work, is regarded as a construction and reconstruction process based on phenomenological and hermeneutic concepts. Survey results demonstrated the effectiveness of the applied methodology.     

Him Too? Cristiano Ronaldo and the News Coverage of a Rape Case Allegation

ABSTRACT

This paper uses critical thematic analysis to explore the news media coverage of a rape allegation case against the football player Cristiano Ronaldo. After providing the context of the case, we examine the literature on how rape cases are represented by the news media. We then proceed to a critical thematic analysis of a purposive sample of Portuguese national newspapers, first identifying ten sub-themes in a total of 140 news stories and opinion columns and then considering the patterns of three critical themes that tended to dismiss the allegations, highlight the seriousness of the allegations and neutralize sexual victimization. Each of these considers prevailing ideologies, news values and journalistic practices.     

The continuous nature of timing reprogramming in an interceptive task

The time course of movement timing reprogramming was examined in a task requiring temporal coincidence of the conclusion of a forehand drive with the arrival of a moving luminous target at the end of an electronic trackway. The moving target departed from one end of the trackway at a constant velocity of 2 m (.) s(-1), and for a part of the trials its velocity was increased to 3 m (.) s(-1). Target velocity was modified at different moments during stimulus displacement, producing times-to-arrival after velocity increment (TAVIs) from 100 to 600 ms. The effect of specific practice on movement reprogramming was also examined. The results showed early adjustments to the action (TAVIs = 100 - 200 ms) that seemed to be stereotyped, while feedback-based corrections were implemented only at TAVIs of 300 ms or longer. Temporal accuracy was progressively increased as longer TAVIs were provided up to 600 ms. Skill training led to an overall increment of temporal accuracy, but no effect of specific practice was found. The results indicate that timing reprogramming in interceptive actions is a continuous process limited mainly by intrinsic factors: latency to initiate more effective adjustments to the action, and rate-of-movement timing reprogramming.     

Is bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy accurate in estimating changes in fat-free mass in judo athletes?

Abstract

Bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS) provides an affordable and practical assessment of fat-free mass (FFM). However, little information is available on the assessment of changes in fat-free mass in top-level athletes using BIS. The aim of this study was to examine the accuracy of BIS in tracking changes in fat-free mass of elite male judo athletes from a period of weight stability to just before competition, using the four-compartment model (4C model) as reference method. In total, 27 elite male judo athletes (age 22.2 ± 2.8 years) were evaluated. Measures of body volume assessed by air displacement plethysmography, bone mineral content by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and total-body water assessed with deuterium dilution were used in a 4C model. Fat-free mass was also assessed by BIS (FFM_BIS). Changes in FFM_BIS were not significantly different from measured by the reference method (P = 0.000). Furthermore, the r ² was 0.62 and the standard error of the estimate was 1.03 kg. The limits of agreement ranged from ?3.36 to 2.59 kg with no bias observed. These findings demonstrate the viability of BIS as a valid tool for tracking fat-free mass in elite male judo athletes. However, based on the wide limits of agreement observed, BIS is less valid at an individual level for tracking fat-free mass in these athletes.     

Mimicking Web search engines for expert search

Many enterprise employees may publish content outside their corporate intranet, making the Web a valuable source for identifying company experts. In this article, we thoroughly investigate the usefulness of Web search engines (WSEs) for expert search. In particular, we claim that the ranking of documentary expertise evidence provided by a WSE should also give an indication of the importance of such evidence. To investigate this, we mimic the rankings of seven different WSEs by trying to reproduce their underlying ranking mechanisms in order to search for candidate experts in the TREC CERC collection. Experimental results show that our approach is effective for expert search, and can significantly improve an intranet-based expert search engine. Moreover, when the mimicking of WSEs is further improved by training, expert search performance is also generally enhanced. Finally, we show that WSEs can be mimicked as effectively using only titles and snippets instead of the full content of WSEs’ results, while drastically reducing network costs.     

Resilience does not predict academic performance in gross anatomy

Few studies have evaluated resilience in an academic environment as it relates to academic success or failure. This work sought to assess resilience in regular and remedial students of gross anatomy during the first and second semesters of medical school and to correlate this personal trait with academic performance. Two groups of students were compared: the first group included first‐year medical students in the regular course, and the second group included first‐year medical students who did not pass the regular anatomy course and so were enrolled in the remedial course. Both groups completed anonymous surveys designed to gather demographic data and establish scores on the Connor‐Davidson resilience scale, which includes 25 statements rated zero to four on a Likert scale (maximum score 100). The average resilience score was the same for both groups, 80 ± 9. The average anatomy grades differed significantly between regular students (67± 15.0) and remedial students (61 ± 12.0). While there was no overall correlation between resilience score and anatomy grade, regular students with resilience scores of 75 or greater showed slightly better academic performance than their classmates. Similarly, remedial students with resilience scores of 87 or greater faired better academically. Resilience does not predict academic performance in gross anatomy, and further work is necessary to identify those intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence students' achievements. Anat Sci Educ. © 2010 American Association of Anatomists.