Impact of Web Based Flexible Learning on Academic Performance in Information Systems

Flexible learning environments are becoming increasingly important for the planning and delivery of information systems curricula. Despite the significance and importance of these new learning environments, little has been done to empirically assess their impact on student learning outcomes. In this paper we investigate the effectiveness of using a technology-centric flexible learning environment to teach a tertiary level introductory information systems course. The subjects for the study were students who were enrolled in two similar courses: (1) a group using traditional teaching and learning methods only, and (2) a group using a flexible learning approach incorporating extensive use of web technology. The course content, lecturer, textbook and assessment were the same for each group. The results show that the technology-centric flexible learning course provided an effective learning environment for students. However significant differences in academic performance within individual assessment items indicate that particular assessment strategies are more suited to a flexible learning context than others. Student tertiary entrance scores and computer playfulness were identified as important overall predictors of academic performance

Mitochondria as Crucial Players in Demyelinated Axons: Lessons from Neuropathology and Experimental Demyelination

Mitochondria are the most efficient producers of energy in the form of ATP. Energy demands of axons, placed at relatively great distances from the neuronal cell body, are met by mitochondria, which when functionally compromised, produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in excess. Axons are made metabolically efficient by myelination, which enables saltatory conduction. The importance of mitochondria for maintaining the structural integrity of myelinated axons is illustrated by neuroaxonal degeneration in primary mitochondrial disorders. When demyelinated, the compartmentalisation of ion channels along axons is disrupted. The redistribution of electrogenic machinery is thought to increase the energy demand of demyelinated axons. We review related studies that focus on mitochondria within unmyelinated, demyelinated and dysmyelinated axons in the central nervous system. Based on neuropathological observations we propose the increase in mitochondrial presence within demyelinated axons as an adaptive process to the increased energy need. An increased presence of mitochondria would also increase the capacity to produce deleterious agents such as ROS when functionally compromised. Given the lack of direct evidence of a beneficial or harmful effect of mitochondrial changes, the precise role of increased mitochondrial presence within axons due to demyelination needs to be further explored in experimental demyelination in-vivo and in-vitro

Flexible Learning and Academic Performance in Information Systems

This research investigates the effectiveness of using a technology-centric flexible learning environment to teach a tertiary level introductory information systems course. The subjects for the study were students who were enrolled in two similar courses: 1) a group using traditional teaching and learning methods only, and 2) a group using a flexible learning approach incorporating extensive use of web technology. The course content, lecturer, textbook and assessment were the same for each group. The results show that there were significant differences in academic performance between the two student cohorts. Student tertiary entrance scores and computer playfulness were also identified as important predictors of academic performance

On Developing The Writing Skills Course For Accounting Students

The CSU, Stanislaus, accounting program is providing a new course that meets the university-wide upper-division writing requirement and offers accounting students additional professional study. While a writing skills course is not unusual in a business program, few offer an alternative centered on the accounting body of knowledge. Undergraduate students’ research questions are usually not addressed before graduate study and reinforce skills learned in their regular accounting courses. Initial reactions from students have ranged from appreciation for additional time spent on accounting topics to disappointment at missing out on the "general business" writing course. Continual reassessment of the course is planned

Needs Assessment of Postsecondary Clothing Construction Knowledge and Skills in Oklahoma with Recommendations for Curriculum Development at Oklahoma, State University

Home Economics Educatio

The Impact Of Merit Pay On Research Outcomes For Accounting Professors

Merit pay for professors to encourage better teaching, research and service is controversial. Its effectiveness can be examined empirically. In this study, the existence of a merit plan and ACT scores of incoming freshmen were strongly associated with measurable research outcomes. Additional study is needed to test the association with the other dimensions of faculty performance