What we can learn from the use of student data in efficiency analysis within the context of higher education?

The main purpose of the paper is to estimate the efficiency of a big public university in Italy using individual student-level data, modeling exogenous variables in human capital formation through a heteroscedastic stochastic frontier approach. Specifically, a production function for tertiary education has been estimated with emphasis on inefficiency and its determinants, taking explicitly into account the role played by students’ socio-economic and educational background. The empirical evidence, based on 48,338 freshmen, leads towards the use of individual-level data in order to control for the portion of the student academic achievement affected by the personal characteristics and effort, and the portion ascribable to the resources or organization of the institutional activities. Within the limit of external validity allowed by operating within only one university, efficiency scores derived from using both individual-level and aggregate level data do offer an important instrument to the university and governance structures.     

Effects of plyometric jump training on the physical fitness of young male soccer players: Modulation of response by inter-set recovery interval and maturation status

ABSTRACT

The effects of plyometric jump training on the physical fitness of male youth (age = 10–17 years) soccer players was examined in relation to inter-set recovery intervals and the maturity of the players in a single-blind, randomized-and controlled crossover trial. Jumping tests and kicking velocities were measured before (T₀), after a 6 week control period (T₁), after 6 weeks of plyometrics (T₂), after 6 weeks of wash-out (T₃), and after a further 6 weeks of plyometrics (T₄). Subjects were divided into pre- and post- peak-height-velocity (PHV) groups, and were randomly assigned to 30 s or 120 s inter-set intervals during periods T₂ and T₄. Any changes in jumping and maximum kicking velocities during T₁ and T_3, had trivial effect sizes (0.01–0.15), but small to moderate improvements (effect size = 0.20–0.99) were observed in both groups during T₂ and T₄. Gains in pre-PHV players were similar for the two inter-set intervals, but gains in post-PHV players were greater (p < 0.05) with an inter-set recovery of 120 s than with a 30 s recovery. We conclude that plyometric jump training improves the physical fitness of adolescents, irrespective of their maturity, but that in older individuals gains are greater with a longer inter-set recovery interval.     

Decentralized state estimation for the control of network systems

The paper proposes a decentralized state estimation method for the control of network systems, where a cooperative objective has to be achieved. The nodes of the network are partitioned into independent nodes, providing the control inputs, and dependent nodes, controlled by local interaction laws. The proposed state estimation algorithm allows the independent nodes to estimate the state of the dependent nodes in a completely decentralized way. To do that, it is necessary for each independent node of the network to estimate the control input components computed by the other independent nodes, without requiring communication among the independent nodes. The decentralized state estimator, including an input estimator, is developed and the convergence properties are studied. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.     

The tacit mystery: reconciling different approaches to tacit knowledge

In the management literature, tacit knowledge has been conceptualised in partial, divergent, and contradictory ways. This paper reconciles these different approaches by explaining how they address different aspects of the theory of tacit knowing developed through the seminal work of Michael Polanyi. To clarify Polanyi’s work, we provide a more inclusive theoretical framework for scholars concerned with the creation and transfer of knowledge. Using this framework, we examine the implications for theory and practice of these different conceptualisations and suggest areas for future research. We conclude by proposing that new insights can be gained by reconsidering the concepts of knowing, tacit integration and indwelling where tacit knowing is developed by practical immersion.     

金发碧眼的对决 第二届国务总理杯世界业余围棋锦标赛

看到对局者的姓名,估计大家有些不适应,看棋谱习惯了看中文名字,突然看到两个老外名字,多多少少有点新鲜。这一期介绍了欧洲围棋的发展,下面我们将通过国务总理杯世界围棋锦标赛的一盘对局来具体了解一下欧洲棋手的实力。黑棋比利时的Ramon是那届比赛的一匹黑马,是前四轮仅有的保持全胜的五名棋手之一。而白棋罗马尼亚的Pop则是欧洲非常有名的棋手,他的水平应该代表了目前欧洲的最高水平。     

Developing Teaching-Specific Spanish Competencies in Bilingual Teacher Education: Toward a Culturally,Linguistically, and Professionally Relevant Approach

The emergence of K-12 bilingual/dual-language schools¹¹ Although we recognize the distinction between “dynamic” forms of bilingualism characteristic of bilingual education programs and “compartmentalized” forms generally characteristic of “dual-language” programs (García, 2014), in this article we employ the term “bilingual/dual-language education” to include both programmatic approaches and to reclaim the term “bilingual.”View all notes in the United States require bilingual teacher education programs across the nation continue to “build on the language strengths”²² See Zentella (2005).View all notes of bilingual teacher candidates and provide them with ample opportunities to acquire the language competencies needed for teaching content-area knowledge across the bilingual curriculum. Although the need to prepare linguistically qualified bilingual/dual-language teachers is relevant to all language programs comprising the bilingual teacher education field, in this article the authors describe a culturally, linguistically, and professionally relevant approach for developing the teaching-specific Spanish language competencies of future bilingual teachers. Educating the new generation of linguistically qualified bilingual educators calls for an engaged and responsive pedagogy that will prepare teachers to orchestrate K-12 teaching and learning experiences where languages (Spanish, in this particular case) function as multidimensional bodies encompassing and empowering the cultures and funds of knowledge teachers and students bring to the classroom.     

Evaluating collaborative filtering recommendations inside large learning object repositories

Collaborative filtering (CF) algorithms are techniques used by recommender systems to predict the utility of items for users based on the similarity among their preferences and the preferences of other users. The enormous growth of learning objects on the internet and the availability of preferences of usage by the community of users in the existing learning object repositories (LORs) have opened the possibility of testing the efficiency of CF algorithms on recommending learning materials to the users of these communities. In this paper we evaluated recommendations of learning resources generated by different well known memory-based CF algorithms using two databases (with implicit and explicit ratings) gathered from the popular MERLOT repository. We have also contrasted the results of the generated recommendations with several existing endorsement mechanisms of the repository to explore possible relations among them. Finally, the recommendations generated by the different algorithms were compared in order to evaluate whether or not they were overlapping. The results found here can be used as a starting point for future studies that account for the specific context of learning object repositories and the different aspects of preference in learning resource selection.