Vegetation Earth System Data Record (VESDR)

https://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/project/dscovr/DSCOVR_VESDR_SDRG.pdfFirst author draftFirst author draf

Understanding Students’ Intention to Use Mobile Learning at Universitas Negeri Semarang: An Alternative Learning from Home During Covid-19 Pandemic

Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) pandemic influenced education systems throughout the world, including in Indonesia. It makes the universities and schools go online for their teaching-learning process. Therefore, mobile learning can be an alternative solution to carry out the teaching and learning process as suggested by the government. The purpose of this study was to explore empirically mobile learning acceptances based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with satisfaction as the mediating variable. The population of this study is 250 Economics Education students at Universitas Negeri Semarang. The sample was taken by purposive sampling with the criteria of students who have used mobile learning in supporting their learning activities. Structural Equation Model (SEM) with AMOS 24 was performed to analyze quantitative data. The results showed that from 6 hypotheses, there are 5 accepted hypotheses; they are; perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and perceived interactivity have positive and significant effects on the intention to use mobile learning. The mediating variable (satisfaction) is successful to strengthen the influence between perceived ease of use and intention; and perceived usefulness and intention. However, satisfaction is rejected to mediate perceived interactivity and intention to use. Stakeholders should improve students’ satisfaction in their learning activities. The limitation of this study was the research results cannot be easely generalized in other contexts. In the future, other researchers can add other factors to examine better technology acceptance

Examining the Validity of the Exemplar-Based Classifier in Identifying Decision Strategy with Eye-Movement Data

In this study, an exemplar-based classifier was developed to predict which decision strategy may underlie an empirical ocular search behavior. Our rationale was mainly inspired by the exemplar-based models of categorization; that is, different decision strategies are conceived as different concepts, with the exemplar referring to the sequence of empirical fixations on decision information during a decision process. In order to ascertain the best exemplar of each strategy for our classifier, the Tabu search algorithm was applied. An eye-tracking based experiment was conducted to collect fixation data for training and validation. Our result showed that the classifier has significant accuracy in identifying underlying strategies, achieving an average hit-ratio of 76%. This indicated to us that the integration of the exemplar classifier with fixation data has certain applicable value for leveraging the adaptability of DSSs. Our result also has some important implications for the direction and methodology of behavioral decision researc

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT SATISFACTION: INVESTIGATING THE MEASUREMENT, DIMENSIONALITY, AND NATURE OF THE CONSTRUCT USING THE RASCH MODEL

Of the many potential and espoused outcomes of higher education, it was satisfaction that rose to prominence for Alexander Astin, stating, “it is difficult to argue that student satisfaction can be legitimately subordinated to any other education outcome” (1993, p. 273). This high endorsement of the construct of satisfaction is backed by a plethora of arguments of its importance for college and university decision makers. A thorough and accurate rendering of student satisfaction measurement is requisite. To calculate student satisfaction as the magnitude of item endorsement leaves a measure that is sample specific. The goal of a universal and unidimensional measure is only advanced by determining which items do or do not contribute to a model of linearity and unidimensionality. This research utilizes the Rasch model to advance exploration of the variable of student satisfaction. Using data collected from the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory, analysis was conducted to determine if reported ascribed importance and experienced satisfaction adhered to the assumption of the Rasch model. Results suggest that student satisfaction and ascribed importance do adhere to these assumptions of measurement, but only after ordinal rankings of dissatisfaction are collapsed into a single entity. The determined separation of satisfaction and dissatisfaction likens Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory. Additional discussion and implications focus on contrasting analysis when applying the Rasch analysis relative to classical test theory, recommendations of modified instrument scaling to better capture the construct, implications for higher education, and heightened understanding of student satisfaction as a whole

Topics in the arithmetic of hypersurfaces and K3 surfaces

This thesis is a collection of various results related to the arithmetic of K3 surfaces and hypersurfaces which were obtained by the author during the course of his PhD studies. The first part is related to Artin's conjecture on hypersurfaces over p-adic fields and solves the following question using tools from logarithmic geometry: Let f:X->Y be a proper, dominant morphism of smooth varieties over a number field k. When is it true that for almost all places v of k, the fibre X_P over any point P in Y(k_v) contains a zero-cycle of degree 1? The second part proves new cases of Mazur's conjecture on the topology of rational points. Let E be an elliptic curve over Q with j-invariant 1728. For a class of elliptic pencils which are quadratic twists of E by quartic polynomials, the rational points on the projective line with positive rank fibres are dense in the real topology. This extends results obtained by Rohrlich and Kuwata-Wang for quadratic and cubic polynomials. We also give a proof of Mazur's conjecture for the Kummer surface associated to the product of two elliptic curves without any restrictions on the j-invariants. The third and largest part presents a cohomological framework for determining the full Brauer group of a variety over a number field with torsion-free geometric Picard group. It investigates the middle cohomology of weighted diagonal hypersurfaces and implements the framework in the case of degree 2 K3 surfaces over Q which are double covers of the projective plane ramified in a diagonal sextic curve.Open Acces

Investigating the continuance intention to play massively multi-player online games

Massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) have been one of the fastest growing online entertainments and attracted a great sum of venture investment. Yet, little empirical research has been conducted to examine the interrelationship between gamers’ motivations and post-adoption behaviors. This study attempted to explain gamers’ continuance intention to play MMOGs by integrating motivations for playing MMOGs into the information systems (IS) continuance model. We conducted an online survey with 392 World of Warcraft gamers, and validated the model with structural equation modeling approach. With the majority of hypotheses being substantiated, our results revealed that the extended IS continuance model demonstrates satisfactory predictive power to gamers’ continuance intention to play MMOGs. Achievement and immersion motivations were testified to positively associate with enjoyment, and that enjoyment and satisfaction jointly predict the continuance intention to play MMOGs. The study rounded off with theoretical and practical implications