133 research outputs found
The effectiveness of synchronous massive online courses at The University of Texas at Austin
No full textIs online education an effective and viable alternative to face-to-face education? The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate the effectiveness of online education at The University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin). The dissertation focused on Synchronous Massive Online Courses (SMOCs) at The University of Texas at Austin since 2012. This dissertation analyzed the extent to which course effectiveness varies as a function of lecture environment, comparing SMOCs to similar face-to-face (FTF) courses.
In total, 25,726 students across 53 courses at UT-Austin were included in analyses. Researchers compiled all relevant student and course data archived in university databases and merged that with course data compiled from archived course syllabi. Then, Hierarchical Linear Modeling was used to test how (a) final course grades vary as a function of lecture environment (SMOC or FTF), controlling for socioeconomic status, scholastic aptitude, and course exam frequency, (b) subsequent semester grades vary as a function of lecture environment (SMOC or FTF), controlling for socioeconomic status, scholastic aptitude, and course exam frequency, and (c) course completion rates vary as a function of lecture environment (SMOC or FTF), controlling for socioeconomic status, scholastic aptitude, and course exam frequency.
The primary goal of this project was to examine the effectiveness of SMOCs in comparison to FTFs. Course effectiveness was operationally defined with three objective outcomes: final course grades, subsequent semester GPAs, and course completions. Findings show that there were no significant differences between SMOCs and FTFs on any of these objective measures. That is, SMOCs neither outperform nor underperform FTFs in final grades, subsequent semester GPAs, or course completions.
Because previous studies propose that increasing exam frequency may reduce SES-based achievement gaps (e.g., Pennebaker, Gosling, & Ferrell, 2013), and there are some mixed results in the literature about the effectiveness of frequent testing (e.g., Bell, Simone, & Whitfield, 2015), a secondary goal of this dissertation focused on the interaction of SES and exam frequency in the context of course effectiveness outcomes. Exam frequency interacted with lecture environment; such that for FTFs, there was no substantial difference in final course grades by exam frequency; however, for SMOCs, students with more exams had higher final course grades than students with fewer exams. The highest final grades were earned by students in SMOCs that provided the highest exam frequencies (while accounting for control variables). Exam frequency also interacted with socioeconomic status (SES); such that for lower SES students, when exam frequencies are lower the probabilities of course completion are lower than when exam frequencies are higher; and when exam frequencies are higher, the probabilities of course completion are higher than when exam frequencies are lower. For higher SES students, the probabilities of course completion did not vary by exam frequency. Given these findings, increasing exam frequencies in course structures is recommended.
Looking across a wide range of course topics and courses, and large number of students, this dissertation provides evidence that SMOCs are as effective as FTFs on objective course outcomes, both short- and long-term. This includes final course grades, subsequent semester GPAs, and course completion rates as course effectiveness measures. Economically, SMOCs are able to reach thousands of students by relying on fewer faculty without the need for large classrooms. At the same time, it frees faculty to teach more and smaller upper division courses. Although the results of the SMOC and FTF courses were generally similar, the additional payoffs of the SMOCs make them a promising tool for the future of undergraduate education. If the high standard of educational course effectiveness is based in the traditional FTF course, then a comparable SMOC course meets that high standard.Psycholog
Looking under the hood : the psychogenic motivational foundations of the Dark Triad
No full textThe Dark Triad traits (i.e., psychopathy, narcissism, & Machiavellianism) have become a popular topic in personality psychology and in the media and may have important evolutionary significance. To provide new insight into the Dark Triad traits, we present four studies (N = 2506) with two measures of the Dark Triad traits, in two volunteer, one mTurk, and one American undergraduate sample using three frameworks of individual differences in psychogenic motives (i.e., achievement, power, and, affiliation). Although results were not fully robust to method and sampling variance, all three traits were associated with motivations towards trying to be dominant and powerful, but only narcissism was motivated by affiliation or intimacy needs. Sex differences in the Dark Triad traits were often accounted for by individual differences in the intimacy and power motives. The Discussion highlights the utility of evolutionary models to improve our understanding of the motivational systems "under the hood" of those characterized by the Dark Triad traits
Orbital effect for the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov phase in a quasi-two-dimensional superconductor in a parallel magnetic field
No full textWe theoretically study the orbital destructive effect against superconductivity in a parallel magnetic field in the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO or LOFF) phase at zero temperature in a quasi-two-dimensional (Q2D) conductor. We demonstrate that at zero temperature a special parameter, lambda = l(perpendicular to)(H)/d, is responsible for strength of the orbital effect, where l(perpendicular to)(H) is a typical "size" of the quasiclassical electron orbit in a magnetic field and d is the interplane distance. We discuss applications of our results to the existing experiments on the FFLO phase in the organic Q2D conductors kappa-(ET)(2)Cu(NCS)(2) and kappa-(ET)(2)Cu[N(CN)(2)]Cl.Authors retain "The right to use all or part of the Article, including the APS-prepared version without revision or modification, on the author(s)’ web home page or employer’s website and to make copies of all or part of the Article, including the APS-prepared version without revision or modification, for the author(s)’ and/or the employer’s use for educational or research purposes."This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]
Perceptions of rape culture, fear of sexual assault and rape, and related psychological and social issues
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Regaining the Initative For Public Service Media
No full textPublic service media is today challenged on every front. Publics and politicians see the commercial approach as the ‘normal’ way to organise broadcasting. There are strong pressures to downsize PSM organisations, to limit investment options, to restrict online and digital operations, to narrow remits to genres and for audiences that are not commercially attractive, and for increasingly intrusive assessment procedures. The principles no longer resonate very widely and there is growing criticism about a decline in distinctiveness. Even among traditional allies, support is flagging and skepticism is growing. In Europe the institution has not yet presented a coherent and convincing strategy attuned for relevance in the 21st century. PSM has lost or is in danger of losing the initiative. At the same time, there are promising efforts to develop PSM in regions and countries lacking a domestic history with PSB – to gain the initiative for building PSM. This 5th RIPE Reader incorporates a wider purview as an outgrowth of proceedings from the RIPE@2010 conference that convened in London 8-11 September to address the theme, Public Service Media After the Recession. The book is divided into four sections, reflecting the varied and distinctive narratives of PSB around the world. CONTENT: Preface Gregory Ferrell Lowe, Jeanette Steemers; Regaining the Initiative for Public Service Media I. Policy Case-Making in the Heartland of PSB Robert G. Picard; The Changing Nature of Political Case-Making for Public Service Broadcasters Lars Nord; Losing the Battle, Winning the War. Public Service Media Debate in Scandinavia 2000-2010 Peter Goodwin; High Noon. The BBC Meets “The West’s Most Daring Government” II. Responding to Environmental Pressures Karen Donders, Caroline Pauwels: Ex Ante Tests. A Means to an End or the End for Public Service Media? David A. L. Levy PSB Policymaking in Comparative Perspective. The BBC and France Télévisions Peter Lunt, Sonia Livingstone, Benedetta Brevini Changing Regimes of Regulation. Implications For Public Service Broadcasting III. Taking the Initiative at the Frontiers of PSM Sally Broughton Micova; Born into Crisis. Public Service Broadcasters in South East Europe Yik Chan Chin, Matthew D. Johnson; Public Cultural Service. New Paradigms of Broadcasting Policy and Reform in the People’s Republic of China Julio Juárez-Gámiz, Gregory Ferrell Lowe;Breaking the Mold with New Media. Making Way for a Public Service Provider in Mexico? Naomi Sakr; Public Service Initiatives in Arab Media Today IV. Public Service Media in Practice Steven Barnett; Broadcast Journalism and Impartiality in the Digital Age. Six Fallacies and a Counter-Factual James Bennett, Paul Kerr; A 360° Public Service Sector? The Role of Independent Production in the UK’s Public Service Broadcasting Landscape Piet Bakker; Expectations, Experiences & Exceptions. Promises and Realities of Participation on Websites The Author
Relatedness, competence, and autonomy motives differentially predict online-going versus out-going socializing
No full textDoes social media use cause well-being, or vice-versa? Looking at the interaction of passive/active social media use, well-being, and age
No full textCovert observation in practice: lessons from the evaluation of the prohibition of smoking in public places in Scotland
No full textBackground: A ban on smoking in wholly or substantially enclosed public places has been in place in Scotland since 26th March 2006. The impact of this legislation is currently being evaluated in seven studies, three of which involve direct observation of smoking in bars and other enclosed public places. While the ethical issues around covert observation have been widely discussed there is little practical guidance on the conduct of such research. A workshop was therefore convened to identify practical lessons learned so far from the Scottish evaluation. Methods: We convened a workshop involving researchers from the three studies which used direct observation. In addition, one of the fieldwork managers collected written feedback on the fieldwork, identifying problems that arose in the field and some solutions. Results: There were four main themes identified: (i) the difficulty of achieving and maintaining concealment; (ii) the experience of being an observer; (iii) the risk of bias in the observations and (iv) issues around training and recruitment. These are discussed. Conclusion: Collecting covert observational data poses unique practical challenges, in particular in relation to the health and safety of the researcher. The findings and solutions presented in this paper will be of value to researchers designing similar studies
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