一代传奇李小龙

1959年,一个身材矮小、瘦骨嶙峋、戴副眼镜的18岁男孩从香港来到了美国。在当时的美国,华人在人们心目中的形象仍旧是顺从的佣人和铁路工人,但李小龙展现出刚健的肌肉、令人胆寒的怒视和挑衅的手势——他就是一个不必换装的超人。李小龙32岁就英年早逝,死因众说纷纭。在那时,他总共才主演了三部已公映的电影。在这些电     

A Systematic Evaluation and Comparison Between Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling and Bayesian Structural Equation Modeling

In this study, we contrast two competing approaches, not previously compared, that balance the rigor of CFA/SEM with the flexibility to fit realistically complex data. Exploratory SEM (ESEM) is claimed to provide an optimal compromise between EFA and CFA/SEM. Alternatively, a family of three Bayesian SEMs (BSEMs) replace fixed-zero estimates with informative, small-variance priors for different subsets of parameters: cross-loadings (CL), residual covariances (RC), or CLs and RCs (CLRC). In Study 1, using three simulation studies, results showed that (1) BSEM-CL performed more closely to ESEM; (2) BSEM-CLRC did not provide more accurate model estimation compared with BSEM-CL; (3) BSEM-RC provided unstable estimation; and (4) different specifications of targeted values in ESEM and informative priors in BSEM have significant impacts on model estimation. The real data analysis (Study 2) showed that the differences in estimation between different models were largely consistent with those in Study1 but somewhat smaller.     

Developing teachers’ knowledge of students as learners of mathematics through structured interviews

A structured interview process is proffered as an effective means to advance prospective teachers’ understandings of students as learners of mathematics, a key component of pedagogical content knowledge. The interview process is carried out in three phases with the primary objective of developing listening skills for accessing students’ mathematical thinking. The interviews adhere to clinical interview procedures for discovering cognitive activities and, accordingly, are initiated by presenting an open-ended mathematics task. Three rounds of interviews were completed by undergraduates enrolled in a middle school mathematics methods course. Anecdotal data generated by their interview reports suggest that the structured interview process engenders an interpretive orientation to listening to students and furthers awareness of how students make sense of mathematics. Features of the interview process that may limit its potential benefits are discussed; recommendations for further study are proposed.     

Integrating Web 2.0 Across the Curriculum

For many years, educators have touted the benefits of learning with educational tools such as spreadsheets and databases that allow students to actively process and manipulate information (Jonassen, 1995). Hundreds if not thousands of Web 2.0 tools have been created in the last few years, taking the “technology as tool” metaphor to a new level. In this article, selected Web 2.0 tools are aligned with major content areas to illustrate by example the wide reach of Web 2.0 across the curriculum.     

Effort on homework in grades 5-9: development, motivational antecedents, and the association with effort on classwork

In 2 studies, an expectancy-value framework was applied to investigate effort expended on mathematics homework. In Study 1 (2,712 students in grades 5, 7, and 9; mean age=13.37 years), lower homework effort was found in higher grades. The effects of intrinsic value on homework effort were higher in the older cohorts, whereas the effects of the expectancy component were lower. In Study 2 (571 students in grades 8 and 9; mean age=14.72), an expanded expectancy-value framework was found to explain both homework and classwork variables. The means for effort and value were lower for homework than for classwork; these differences were partly moderated by students' conscientiousness. The implications of homework behavior and motivation for developmental research are highlighted.     

Developing a service management strategy facilitated by action learning: an empirical study from the UK health & fitness industry

One of the principle tenets of action learning is that it provides the potential to explore and solve complex organisational problems. The question of how best to develop a future business strategy is such a problem. Existing literature on strategy making presents a multi-faceted debate, suggesting that the complexity of competitive environments means that the strategic route forward for many organisations can often be unclear. As a lecturer who teaches strategy at university, I have been intrigued by the ‘Learning Group’ of strategy making (Argyris & Schon, 1974; Quinn, 1980; Mintzberg, 1987; Argyris, 1993, 2004) for some time, as it argues that competitive environments are complex and unpredictable, and therefore, organisational strategies must be reactive and flexible. As a consequence, strategies simply emerge over time, and are characterised by a process of trial and error where individuals and groups within the organisation learn more about the environment they are competing in and how best to take advantage of it.

This paper aims to explore two key questions: firstly, to examine the role that action learning could play in helping strategy makers become more reflective practitioners, and secondly, to explore the use of peer consultancy as a vehicle to enable action learning. This paper presents the findings of empirical research from an action learning project with the Chief Executive of a leading UK service provider of health and fitness. It provides a detailed examination of how a service management strategy was developed in practice and enabled by a process of iterative action, change, reflection and learning.     

The temporal trajectories of innovative search: Insights from public hospital services

This article explores the temporal trajectories of innovative search. Drawing on conceptual ideas from the behavioural theory of the firm, it proposes that the level of temporal persistence in organisations’ innovative search activities is affected by four key factors. These include (i) the mode of innovative search as well as organisations’ (ii) strategic aspirations, (iii) slack resources and (iv) performance feedback. This conceptual model is tested in the context of public hospital services in England. Results from dynamic panel data analyses reveal stronger temporal persistence in science- than in practice-based innovative search activities. Findings also suggest that specialist hospitals relying on a continuous stream of new products, services and processes to meet their strategic aspirations are better positioned to sustain science-based innovative search activities than their generalist counterparts. Similarly, results uncover a positive association between the availability of financial slack and hospitals’ ability to continuously engage in superior levels of science-based innovative search. Contrary to theoretical expectations, however, positive performance feedback does not appear to have any persistence-enhancing effect.     

SUSHI: simplifying the delivery of usage statistics

In 2005, SUSHI became the latest buzzword in the library community. This article (and this kind of SUSHI) refers to usage data, not raw fish. The growth of online collections has resulted in libraries demanding that publishers provide detailed usage data to allow them to better manage their collections and purchases. The Project COUNTER Code of Practice was created in response to this need; however, it did not address the painstaking task of collection and management of the usage data. SUSHI is a new protocol developed to allow for automated retrieval of COUNTER usage reports from publishers and other content providers.