Academic developers and international collaborations: the importance of personal abilities and aptitudes

Academic developers are increasingly involved in international collaborations in learning and teaching. Many factors contribute to successful collaborations; we argue that the personal abilities and aptitudes of academic developers are one key element. Building trust and relationships are central to creating the networks at individual, group, and institutional levels that are essential for effective collaboration. There is limited literature on academic development in international collaborations and on its personal dimensions. We illustrate these ideas using a UK-Pakistan collaboration. Attention to the personal dimension is likely to be a key consideration for other academic developers working in international collaborations.     

Partners in Learning: A Grounded Theory Study of Relational Practice between Master’s Students and Professors

Meaningful academic relationships between adult master’s students and their professors can both deepen students’ learning and serve as a regenerating force for professors. This study employed grounded theory methods to explore the question, “What goes on in relational practice between master’s students and professors?” I interviewed 10 matched pairs of recent alumni and professors who identified as having “a meaningful academic relationship”. Dimensional analysis surfaced two core dimensions: reconstructing and regenerating. In reconstructing, the students’ core dimension reveals the student experience of reconstructing, or understanding more deeply, theory or one’s self. In the case of regenerating, the professor’s core dimension identifies the professors’ experience of “giving back” through their teaching and extending their professional reach by training others. These experiences serve to reinvigorate professors over the course of their careers. In addition, findings in this study resonate with sensitizing concepts including relational cultural theory and relational practice. Finally, the analysis surfaced evidence supporting authentic teaching concepts and connected these concepts to faculty and student learning partnerships.     

产业集群合作创新中信任关系的演化博弈分析

我国的产业集群内企业问信任水平不高,导致企业间的交易成本高,知识流动的速度慢,进而影响了集群的创新,制约了产业集群的发展.从博弈参与者的有限理性出发,分析了产业集群合作创新企业间信任关系的演化过程,建立了合作创新企业间信任关系的演化博弈模型,分析了信任关系的演化结果、演化路径.最后,根据博弈分析的结果,分别从降低合作创新风险系数、提高合作创新贴现因子和协同系数等方面对构建集群企业合作创新中的相互信任关系提出了建议.     

孝的中美比较——读《中国老人在曼哈顿》有感

家庭关系由家庭模式决定。美中家庭的模式是不同的。这是由美中老人在经济上、家庭上的不同地位,美中文化上的差异形成的。解决美国华裔老人普遍面临文化差异、孤单主要是强调孝的传统与现代措施。     

完善大学生自我意识 促进和谐人际关系的构建

大学生正处于人生的转折时期,同时也是自我意识快速发展的重要阶段。大学生自我意识的发展对于他们健康成长具有重要影响。分析现代大学生自我意识发展的特点和存在的问题并提出合适的培养策略,对于促进现代大学生和谐人际关系构建和健康人格培养及具有重要意义。     

基于图书借阅网络的各类书籍关系研究

[目的/意义] 挖掘图书馆借阅数据,从网络属性、节点重要性和社团模块来研究各学科书籍之间的关系,有助于指导图书资源管理、读者服务和学科建设工作。[方法/过程] 基于复杂网络的理论和方法对图书馆学生借阅数据进行分析,以各类目书籍为节点,构建图书共现网络。在此基础上,对加权网络的网络属性和节点重要性进行探讨,并通过随机游走算法划分书籍社团。[结果/结论] 研究揭示了书籍及学科间的内在联系,同时,也为加权网络的实证研究提供一定的经验材料。     

Instant Messaging on Campus: Use and Integration in University Students' Everyday Communication

This article reviews the body of research on the use and role of instant messaging (IM) in campus life, and how IM is a key part of university students' communication. IM is a synchronous form of communication, and its speed, availability information, and support for multiple conversations have made it appealing for young people. With university students, in particular, showing a heavy reliance on IM, researchers have shown great interest in how university students use IM and how it is integrated in their social and academic life. While studies are emerging in various disciplines, no attempt has been made to integrate the disparate findings and approaches. This article synthesizes key findings, provides a map of the literature, and discusses conceptual problems inherent in the study of IM and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) that will help researchers identify key areas of study and opportunities for future investigation.     

Coach–athlete attachment and the quality of the coach–athlete relationship: implications for athlete’s well-being

Abstract

This study examined whether athletes’ attachment styles with the coach were linked to aspects of the coach–athlete relationship quality and, in turn, whether relationship quality was linked to athletes’ well-being. One hundred and ninety-two athletes completed a questionnaire measuring their attachment styles and relationship quality with the coach as well as their feelings of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA). Structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis found athletes’ avoidant and secure attachment styles to be associated with aspects of coach–athlete relationship quality such as social support, relationship depth, and interpersonal conflict. Interpersonal conflict appeared to play a key role in athletes’ PA and NA. From a practical perspective, an understanding of conflict management could provide a resource that allows athletes (and coaches) to enhance the quality of their sporting relationships. Specifically, an awareness of proactive strategies (e.g., steps to clarify expectations) and reactive strategies (e.g., cooperation during the discussion of disagreements) could potentially lead both coaches and athletes to “broaden” their viewpoints and in turn “build” connections that are capable of generating positive emotions including interest, excitement, happiness, and zeal.     

Exploring the group holiday decision-making process with the support of technology

Numerous studies have examined the decision-making process and the associated information search behaviour of tourists. However, very few have focused on how tourists make plans for their trips when travelling in groups. This paper adds to the knowledge of the decision-making process of tourist groups with a specific focus on intra-group interaction and the support of technology. This research adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining two studies. Study 1 employed a focus group to gain an understanding of the decision-making process within a tourist group, while Study 2 employed a questionnaire survey to explore how the use of technology in such a process varies among different categories of groups. Study 1 proposed a model for a group holiday decision-making process with four components: information acquisition, intra-group information sharing, knowledge transfer, and decision making. It was adapted from the “Infogineering Model” and the encoding and decoding theory in communication studies. Study 2 identified new influential factors on the use of technology by tourist groups for decision making. Ultimately, this research produced a number of theoretical implications, as well as practical implications in terms of how practitioners can better support Chinese tourists, family travellers, and tourists with little prior travel experience, and how technology can facilitate group holiday decision making.