Demand for Multimedia in the Classroom: Do Students and Faculty Really Want it All?

Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Demand for Multimedia in the Classroom

This study elicits preferences for multimedia in the classroom for students and faculty members in agricultural economics. Employing an Internet-based conjoint ranking survey, the results show that students prefer multimedia instructional tools over a traditional chalkboard/whiteboard lecture format while faculty members do not. Neither students nor faculty members are enthusiastic about electronic textbooks, and students will accept them only if they save $80. Finally, preferences for multimedia are shown to differ with students who self-report differing note-taking abilities, preferences for chalkboard lectures, and the need for an engaging class. Successful multimedia adoption requires appropriate use and lowering costs for students.conjoint ranking, instruction, microeconomics, multimedia instruction, valuation, Demand and Price Analysis, Financial Economics, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession, A22, Q19,

HOW ARE CROP YIELDS DISTRIBUTED?

Six popular crop yield distributions are compared to determine which best describes yield fluctuations out-of-sample. For 183 crop and county combinations, each distribution is estimated and ranked according to its log-likelihood function observed at out-of-sample observations. A semiparametric model dominates the contest for most crops and counties, likely due to its flexibility and treatment of heteroskedasticity. Most other models ranked lower because their variance equation performed poorly out-of-sample.Crop Production/Industries,

Physician Workforce Fact Sheet

Based on their extensive training, physicians are positioned as leaders within the health system. Therefore, information on the supply and distribution of Indiana’s physician workforce is critical to informing any health workforce policy or planning efforts. This fact sheet presents key information on Indiana's physician workforce, including excerpts on primary care physicians and psychiatrists

Portable dynamic fundus instrument

A portable diagnostic image analysis instrument is disclosed for retinal funduscopy in which an eye fundus image is optically processed by a lens system to a charge coupled device (CCD) which produces recordable and viewable output data and is simultaneously viewable on an electronic view finder. The fundus image is processed to develop a representation of the vessel or vessels from the output data

Instructional English as a Second Language Practices for Oral Proficiency Development in Chinese English as a Second Language Classrooms

AbstractForeign language instructors inconsistently implement instructional practices to support Chinese high school students’ learning of oral English language. Although China has several programs to enhance English second language related competencies and assist students in completing mandatory exams, instructional methodologies do not always allow for achievement of these goals. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of foreign language teachers working in the Hangzhou region of China, specifically regarding their implementation of instructional strategies to support Chinese high school students’ learning of oral English language. Sato and McNamara’s general-purpose second-language oral competency theory served as the conceptual framework. The research questions queried self-addressed foreign language teachers\u27 perceptions concerning the instructional practices they use in in Chinese ESL classrooms. Data were obtained from interviews with eight purposively sampled foreign ESL instructors living and teaching in China at a public school and learning center. Inductive, deductive, and NVivo coding were used to analyze data. Themes included preparation methods for ESL instruction, classroom management strategies for courses and individual learners, and ways institutional-related educators prepare students for exigent pressures. Findings indicated that while instructors utilize effective classroom management methodologies, their approaches regarding classroom and exigent demand preparation show the need to implement instructional and classroom management changes. This study contributes to social change in local settings as well as contributes to other educational reform movements in China

SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS

Agribusiness,