Who students interact with? A social network analysis perspective on the use of Twitter in language learning

This paper reports student interaction patterns and self-reported results of using Twitter microblogging environment. The study employs longitudinal probabilistic social network analysis (SNA) to identify the patterns and trends of network dynamics. It is building on earlier works that explore associations of student achievement records with the observed network measures. It integrates gender as an additional variable and reports some relation with interaction patterns. Additionally, the paper reports the results of a questionnaire that enables further discussion on the communication patterns

Maximum likelihood estimation for social network dynamics

A model for network panel data is discussed, based on the assumption that the observed data are discrete observations of a continuous-time Markov process on the space of all directed graphs on a given node set, in which changes in tie variables are independent conditional on the current graph. The model for tie changes is parametric and designed for applications to social network analysis, where the network dynamics can be interpreted as being generated by choices made by the social actors represented by the nodes of the graph. An algorithm for calculating the Maximum Likelihood estimator is presented, based on data augmentation and stochastic approximation. An application to an evolving friendship network is given and a small simulation study is presented which suggests that for small data sets the Maximum Likelihood estimator is more efficient than the earlier proposed Method of Moments estimator.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/09-AOAS313 the Annals of Applied Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aoas/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Institutional factors influencing innovation adoption by dairy farmers in Ireland

Location-based resources are important factors in the entrepreneurial creation of wealth. This is as true in agriculture as it is in other industrial contexts. In this study, we are interested in how formal and informal institutions such as knowledge networks and localized ‘webs’ of influence act to facilitate or block innovation in the dairy farming industry. Our study of dairy farmers in Munster, Republic of Ireland (an intensive location for dairy farming), is located in a context in which there are policy-based interventions intended to improve the local economic environment. We are interested to know if these are effective, or if other factors within the institutional field are too strong and act to impede the take up of new ideas promoted within such initiatives. Our study uses neo institutional theory as the methodological lens through which we assess the interplay of structural factors within the field. Using interview accounts, we are looking for evidence of embedded institutional logics, interpretive schemas, knowledge blockages, and the role of formal institutions on the development of innovation within the field. Through undertaking a deep study of innovativeness in one locale, Munster, with the proviso that we use this as an illuminatory context and not one that is necessarily representative of a wider field, we contribute to an understanding of the influences on resistance to innovation in farming contexts, and to the wider theoretical field of agricultural economics

Sekularisasi dan Ketuhanan

By secularization we mean the process by wich sectors of society and culture are detached from religious institutions and symbols. Many religious institutions (schools, hospitals) are taken over by state. Conflicts between science and religion results a gap between science, philosophy and religion. For many people the process of seculariation has been a way to secularism. By secularism we mean ateism in the name of progress and liberation of human values (Comte, Feuerbach, Marx, Nietzsche, Sartre). For christians secularization is a challenge and a way for aggiornamento. There is no rivalship between science and philosophy, between science and religion. Each of them is otonomous. The field of science is the relation among fenomena. Philosophy asks about the Ground of ‘all what is'. The world has to be recognised as the world. God has to be recognised as God. “Render to Caesar the things that are Caeser's and to God the things that are God's” (Lk 20:25)

Mitos dan Ritus : suatu Refleksi Filosofis

Cultural Anthropology distinguishes ‘primitive cultures' and ‘civilized cultures'. It is difficult to find an objective criterion to justify this distinction but the difference is commonly accepted. However man - in primitive or in civilised cultures – is a metaphysical being, who asks metaphysical questions. As ‘Logos' man is open to the reality revealing itself to man and open to truth. Metaphysics of ‘primitive people' is expressed in myths and mythological tales. Metaphysics ‘civilised peoples' is systematic, scientific, expressed in concepts and definitions. Both kinds of metaphysics may be called ‘rich and poor'. They need each other and enrich each other. There is an important connection between myths and rites. It is very important recognizing ‘the primitive' as a metaphysical being in other to understand the myths. However, ‘the cultural situation' is also important. There are several kinds of primitive cultures and myths. From the side of their economical situation we distinguish food-gatherers (not specialised) and specialised hunters, pastoralists and cultivators. The metaphysics of the food gathers and pastoralists is theistic (food-gathers) or deistic (pastoralist). Their metaphysics is dominantly Transcendent. The Metaphysics of the cultivators is cosmo-biological and dominantly Immanent. The way of live of the hunters is often characterised as a kind of technical magic

IUE observations of Fe 2 galaxies

Repeated observations of the Seyfert 1 galaxies I Zw 1 and II Zw 136, which have very strong Fe II emission lines in the optical region, were made at low resolution with the IUE Satellite. The ultraviolet spectra are very similar: both are variable and show broad emission features of Fe II (especially the UV multiplets 1, 33, 60, 62, and 63) as well as the emission lines usually strong in Seyferts and quasars. The data strongly support the hypothesis that the optical Fe II emission lines are primarily due to collisional excitation and that resonance fluorescence makes only a minor contribution to the excitation of these lines