Predicting student evaluations of teaching using decision tree analysis

Abstract

This study uses decision tree analysis to determine the most important variables that predict high overall teaching and course scores on a student evaluation of teaching (SET) instrument at a large public research university in the United States. Decision tree analysis is a more robust and intuitive approach for analysing and interpreting SET scores compared to more common parametric statistical approaches. Variables in this analysis included individual items on the SET instrument, self-reported student characteristics, course characteristics and instructor characteristics. The results show that items on the SET instrument that most directly address fundamental issues of teaching and learning, such as helping the student to better understand the course material, are most predictive of high overall teaching and course scores. SET items less directly related to student learning, such as those related to course grading policies, have little importance in predicting high overall teaching and course scores. Variables irrelevant to the construct, such as an instructor’s gender and race/ethnicity, were not predictive of high overall teaching and course scores. These findings provide evidence of criterion and discriminant validity, and show that high SET scores do not reflect student biases against an instructor’s gender or race/ethnicity.     

Acquiescence,instructor’s gender bias and validity of student evaluation of teaching

Abstract

The validity of student evaluation of teaching (SET) scores depends on minimum effect of extraneous response processes or biases. A bias may increase or decrease scores and change the relationship with other variables. In contrast, SET literature defines bias as an irrelevant variable correlated with SET scores, and among many, a relevant biasing factor in literature is the instructor’s gender. The study examines the extent to which acquiescence, the tendency to endorse the highest response option across items and bias in the first sense affects students’ responses to a SET rating scale. The study also explores how acquiescence affects the difference in teaching quality (TQ) by instructor’s gender, a bias in the latter sense. SET data collected at a faculty of education in Ontario, Canada were analysed using the Rasch rating scale model. Findings provide empirical support for acquiescence affecting students’ responses. Latent regression analyses show how acquiescence reduces the difference in TQ by instructor’s gender. Findings encourage greater attention to the response process quality as a way to better defend the utility of SET and prevent potentially misleading conclusions from the analysis of SET data.     

硅微陀螺仪正交误差和失调误差抑制线路

分析了正交误差和失调误差产生的原因,推导了正交误差和失调误差的表达式.开环系统分析表明,为了避免开环系统出现谐振峰,两模态(驱动模态与敏感模态)频差δf必须小于1/(2Qy).为了消除正交误差、失调误差及电容传感器自身非线性的影响,设计了一个可实现正交误差校正的闭环反馈电路.实验结果表明,正交误差和失调误差得到较好抑制.与开环检测相比,闭环反馈回路将标度因数非线性从16.02%减少到0.35%,将最大测量范围从±270(°) /s扩展到±370(°) /s,将零偏稳定性从155.2(°) /h提高到60.6(°) /h.     

医学论文常见审稿偏倚及避免建议

审稿是期刊筛选论文、确保刊发论文质量的重要手段,审稿过程可能会受到审稿人、编辑和作者有意或无意的偏倚的影响而导致审稿结果失实。本文总结了医学论文常见审稿偏倚,如内容偏倚、保守偏倚、利益冲突、作者身份或地域偏倚等问题,对目前国内外期刊现有的审稿模式进行讨论并提出建议。各期刊可结合自身实际情况,采取一种或多种审稿模式;谨慎选择审稿人,既要“对口”送审,又要避免利益冲突;避免审稿一票否决,严格落实三审制度;尊重作者的科研成果,建立作者申诉机制。基于此,确保论文的优势得到承认,弱点得到剖析,为作者提供具有建设性的修改意见,帮助作者提高科学研究及论文撰写的水平,最大限度地减少审稿过程中出现偏倚。     

新型驱动相位控制技术提高硅微机械陀螺仪稳定性的方法

为了增强硅微机械陀螺仪的零偏稳定性,减少其受温度的影响,从数字信号处理的角度提出了一种提高驱动模态驱动相位精确度的方法.通过零偏信号生成的原理,分析出驱动相位的偏差是影响其性能的主要因素.采用基于FPGA数字信号处理实现方式的锁相环闭环控制原理,实现了对驱动相位的精确控制.给出了一种抑制相位误差的解调方法.对比模拟电路,新型数字电路很好地抑制了零偏的漂移,零偏稳定性由60°/h 提高到19°/h.新的数字控制方法显著提高了对驱动相位的控制精度,达到了增强零偏稳定性的目的.     

Web‐based versus paper‐based data collection for the evaluation of teaching activity: empirical evidence from a case study

The collection of teaching evaluation questionnaires in the traditional paper‐and‐pencil format is a costly and time‐consuming process and yet it is a common assessment practice in many university systems. web‐based data collection would reduce costs and significantly increase the efficiency of the overall evaluation process in numerous ways. Results for both types of surveys are reported from two years of progressive introduction of the web‐based survey by the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. In the first year, two faculties representing scientific and humanistic fields were selected for a web‐based survey. In the second year, eight out of 12 faculties took part in the web survey. This data collection strategy allowed for responses from non‐attending students and facilitated a comparison of attitudes between attending and non‐attending students.     

Social desirability,non‐response bias and reliability in a long self‐report measure: illustrations from the MMPI‐2 administered to Brunei student teachers

The survey investigated the problems of social desirability (SD), non‐response bias (NRB) and reliability in the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory – Revised (MMPI‐2) self‐report inventory administered to Brunei student teachers. Bruneians scored higher on all the validity scales than the normative US sample, thereby threatening the internal validity of the study. Of the three validity scales that assess various forms of SD, only the F scale was reliable and its mean score was in the clinical range. In addition, seven of the ten clinical scales had poor reliability. Although Brunei males scored much higher on the K scale than females, both mean scores were below the critical region. Protocols for two respondents with many missing values indicated that the study’s external validity was vulnerable to NRB effects. Altogether SD, NRB and low reliability had potential to undermine and depress the overall validity of the MMPI‐2 and caution the value of using it ‘as is’ in Brunei.     

Self-evaluation accuracy and satisfaction with performance: Are there affective costs or benefits of positive self-evaluation bias?

This paper examines how self-evaluation biases may influence satisfaction with performance. A review of theoretical positions suggests there are two views, both of which are supported by studies involving laboratory tasks. The first view predicts affective costs, and the second affective benefits of positive self-evaluation bias. We test the opposing predictions with the data of a study in which fifth-graders’ self-evaluation, performance, and satisfaction with performance were measured before and after a four-week arithmetic training program. Our findings support the benefit view, that is, students with a negative self-evaluation bias rated their satisfaction with performance significantly less than those with positive bias, even though both performed comparably.     

消费者个体行为偏好对在线评论真实性的影响机理研究

构建理论模型,探讨了消费者的偏好、评价动机和文化因素对在线评论偏差的影响机理,并提出了纠正偏差的条件。研究发现:消费者的选择偏好、主动评价偏差以及评价行为的趋同性会导致在线评论的均值出现偏差,不能反映商品的真实质量。为了纠正偏差,让消费者购后主动撰写评论,并纠正消费者的选择偏好可以使在线评论的均值反映商品的真实质量。     

图书馆焦虑的测量、前因和后果——基于高校图书馆用户的实证研究

[目的/意义]从高校图书馆用户出发,引入图书馆焦虑的前因变量学业压力和后果变量到馆行为,构建理论模型并进行检验。[方法/过程]通过问卷调研获得226位高校图书馆用户数据,并采用标记变量法控制潜在的共同方法偏差,利用偏最小二乘结构方程(PLS-SEM)验证新的图书馆焦虑量表的结构,并检验图书馆焦虑与其前因变量和后果变量的关系。[结果/结论]验证5个维度18项的图书馆焦虑量表并发现共同方法偏差对图书馆焦虑测量的影响,说明利用标记变量法控制共同方法偏差适用于图情领域的实证研究。在控制共同方法偏差的影响后,发现学业压力对高校图书馆用户的图书馆焦虑产生显著负向影响,并间接影响用户到馆频次。同时,图书馆焦虑直接影响高校图书馆用户到馆频次并间接影响其到馆停留时间。这说明了高校图书馆用户图书馆焦虑的前因变量和后果变量,揭示了图书馆焦虑产生的内在机制,为理解我国图书馆用户的图书馆焦虑提供新的实证依据,也为图书馆缓解用户的图书馆焦虑提供新的思路。