Including the Tukey Mean‐Difference (Bland–Altman) Plot in a Statistics Course

The Tukey mean‐difference plot, also called the Bland–Altman plot, is a recognized graphical tool in the exploration of biometrical data. We show that this technique deserves a place on an introductory statistics course by encouraging students to think about the kind of graph they wish to create, rather than just creating the default graph for the variables types they have. This graphical technique is described, and two examples are presented: one dealing with official agricultural data of Poland and the other one with an experiment on anorexia. Our opinion is that the plot is so easy and yet efficient in visualizing paired data that it should be included in statistics courses to support understanding and interpretation of data and their analysis. © 2014 The Authors. Teaching Statistics © 2014 Teaching Statistics Trust     

How to develop creative imagination?: Assumptions, aims and effectiveness of Role Play Training in Creativity (RPTC)

There are hundreds of ways to develop creativity among children, youths and adults. Developing new ideas and ways of teaching creativity should also incorporate youth's interests and hobbies. The article presents the main information about the new way of developing creative abilities, especially creative imagination, the Role Play Training in Creativity (RPTC).The conception of such training was inspired by RPG games. Forty-seven undergraduate education students (mainly women) voluntarily participated in the presented research. The training was conducted in two forms—1-day meeting (8 h) or four meetings 2 h each (totaling also 8 h). The effectiveness of training was evaluated with the use of two creativity tests - Urban & Jellen Test of Creative Thinking - Drawing Production (TCT-DP) and Kujawski Test of Creative Imagination (TCI). Comparison of post-test and pre-test results shows statistically significant increase of the results in TCT-DP and two of three TCI scales—fluency and originality.     

Parental perspectives of home-schooling of children with special educational needs and disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: a review

The purpose of this paper is to review recent literature on parental perspectives of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the home-schooling of children with special educational needs and disabilities, as well as to consider implications for their education and well-being. Eleven papers were reviewed, published between 2020 and 2021, selected according to a systematic protocol from three widely used online databases. Analysis of the reviewed papers found that transitioning to home-schooling during the pandemic had negative consequences for most of the children, as well as for their parents, though a small but significant number reported positive consequences. Three key areas of concern were identified in the analysis: balancing home-schooling with parent work activities; parent relationships with schools and support services and agencies and home-schooling effects on the well-being and mental health of parents and children.     

Acoustic emission monitoring of an eighteenth-century wardrobe to support a strategy for indoor climate management

The on-site monitoring of acoustic emission (AE) has allowed the direct tracing of climate-induced crack propagation in an eighteenth-century wardrobe displayed in the Gallery of Decorative Art in the National Museum in Krakow, Poland. The anti-correlation measuring scheme and frequency filtering allowed very low levels of physical damage to the wardrobe to be detected in spite of the high background noise typical of the museum environment. The total AE energy recorded during two years of monitoring corresponded to a fractured area of 12 mm² or a total crack propagation of 1.2 mm for two10-mm-thick panels. Although the total damage recorded was minute, correlation between the events of fracturing and falls in indoor relative humidity (RH) in winter due to insufficient humidification was evident. The risk of damage, expressed in terms of crack propagation, was quantified as a function of the magnitude of the RH falls of the duration compatible with the response time of the object. The data allow acceptable RH falls to be identified if a conservation professional or a curator selects a ‘tolerable’ yearly propagation of the fracture, in other words the progress of damage considered insignificant.     

The means of managing momentum: Bridging technological paths and organisational fields

This paper examines how technological and organisational changes are mediated through different means of mutually monitoring and collectively coordinating technological developments in the field of semiconductor manufacturing. As collective practices, both monitoring and coordinating aim at generating momentum in order to stabilise or redirect technological paths in organisational fields. The empirical analysis of innovation practices in the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology shows that the means of managing momentum, above all roadmaps, conferences, and R&D consortia, influence and transform the development of new technologies as well as the social relations within the organisational field. The transformative capacity of these means is elaborated conceptually using Giddens’ theory of structuration.     

MAKING STUDENT RETENTION AN INSTITUTIONAL PRIORITY

A study was conducted to determine the reasons behind the unusually high rate of student attrition at Mountain Empire Community College. The results, which suggested that work and family conflicts were the primary contributors to attrition, led to the formation of a task force that was charged with the development of a comprehensive student retention plan. A college‐wide retreat involving all faculty, staff, and administrators was conducted to inform all constituents about the college's retention effort and to involve the entire college community in working together to understand how to implement effective retention strategies. Finally, a standing retention committee was formed at the college to oversee implementation of the retention plan, a plan which is research‐based and reflective of the long‐term commitment the institution has made to the improvement of the student persistence rate.