Motivation matters in mobile language learning : A brief commentary

In this paper I offer a brief commentary on motivational issues in mobile language learning, drawing on empirical insights from the articles in this special issue

Explosive Axion Production from Saxion

The dynamics of saxion in a supersymmetric axion model and its effect on the axion production is studied in detail. We find that the axion production is very efficient when the saxion oscillation amplitude is much larger than the Peccei-Quinn scale, due to a spike-like behavior of the effective axion mass. We also consider the axino production and several cosmological consequences. The possibility of detection of gravitational waves from the non-linear dynamics of the saxion and axion is discussed.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figure

Critical considerations on defining and measuring performance in public organizations

Performance evaluation plays a central role in improving public service quality and increasing efficiency and accountability in the public sector. New Public Management recommends performance evaluation as a tool for rationalizing public budgeting, promoting better reporting systems and developing internal diagnosis systems. This paper aims to analyze the characteristics of performance evaluation and to highlight its influences in public organizations. The study is based on review and analysis of academic research, government documents and personal perspectives. The paper argues that managerial practices and tools for defining and evaluating performance can be used for cultivating the “achievement culture” in public sector organizations.Public management, performance, evaluation, indicators

An Overview on Institutionalism and Decentralized Decision-Making

Human actions, interactions and decisions should have a certain degree of predictability that can be obtained by establishing rules. Institutions, in general, are defined by sets of rules known by the public and applicable for the community. Their existence is essential for the economic activity, as it cannot develop in a vacuum. At the same time, the type and the quality of institutions make the difference in implementing economic aspirations of individuals and in supporting economic overall growth. Institutions provide a minimum of regulations that in conjunction with the particularities and the interests of individuals and communities become the foundation for economic, political and social decision-making processes.institutions, institutionalism, decision-making, decentralization

Fictional persuasion, transparency, and the aim of belief

In this chapter we argue that some beliefs present a problem for the truth-aim teleological account of belief, according to which it is constitutive of belief that it is aimed at truth. We draw on empirical literature which shows that subjects form beliefs about the real world when they read fictional narratives, even when those narratives are presented as fiction, and subjects are warned that the narratives may contain falsehoods. We consider Nishi Shah’s teleologist’s dilemma and a response to it from Asbjørn Steglich-Petersen which appeals to weak truth regulation as a feature common to all belief. We argue that beliefs from fiction indicate that there is not a basic level of truth regulation common to all beliefs, and thus the teleologist’s dilemma remains. We consider two objections to our argument. First, that the attitudes gained through reading fiction are not beliefs, and thus teleologists are not required to account for them in their theory. We respond to this concern by defending a doxastic account of the attitudes gained from fiction. Second, that these beliefs are in fact appropriately truth-aimed, insofar as readers form beliefs upon what they take to be author testimony. We respond to this concern by suggesting that the conditions under which one can form justified beliefs upon testimony are not met in the cases we discuss. Lastly, we gesture towards a teleological account grounded in biological function, which is not vulnerable to our argument. We conclude that beliefs from fiction present a problem for the truth-aim teleological account of belief

Electroweak Vacuum Metastability and Low-scale Inflation

We study the stability of the electroweak vacuum in low-scale inflation models whose Hubble parameter is much smaller than the instability scale of the Higgs potential. In general, couplings between the inflaton and Higgs are present, and hence we study effects of these couplings during and after inflation. We derive constraints on the couplings between the inflaton and Higgs by requiring that they do not lead to catastrophic electroweak vacuum decay, in particular, via resonant production of the Higgs particles.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

Fate of Electroweak Vacuum during Preheating

Our electroweak vacuum may be metastable in light of the current experimental data of the Higgs/top quark mass. If this is really the case, high-scale inflation models require a stabilization mechanism of our vacuum during inflation. A possible candidate is the Higgs-inflaton/-curvature coupling because it induces an additional mass term to the Higgs during the slow roll regime. However, after the inflation, the additional mass term oscillates, and it can potentially destabilize our electroweak vacuum via production of large Higgs fluctuations during the inflaton oscillation era. In this paper, we study whether or not the Higgs-inflaton/-curvature coupling can save our vacuum by properly taking account of Higgs production during the preheating stage. We put upper bounds on the Higgs-inflaton/-curvature coupling, and discuss possible dynamics that might relax them.Comment: 38 pages, 6 figures; v2: two appendices added; references added; explanations clarified; v3: version published in JCA

HUBUNGAN PERSEPSI INTERIOR TOKO DENGAN INTENSI MEMBELI PRODUK

Today many are built discount stores, mall or other shopping centers, so this makes the competition in every store is getting higher. Business people do all kinds of ways to attract consumers with the intention of buying one of them by changing the interior design shop. Store interior includes a bright color and light, the smell of a suitable, not too noisy sound, lighting, ceiling interesting and a good preparation of the floor. Purchase intentions in consumer products is characterized by the attitudes of individual behavior, there are subjective norms, and control buying behavior. Therefore this study aims to determine the relationship of interior perception of the store with the intention to buy the product. This research is a non-experimental quantitative research, where there are two variables, namely the perception of the store interior as the independent variable (X) and the intention to buy the product as the dependent variable (Y). Samples are visitor Stores the Reds as much as 70 people with incidental sampling technique. Type of data in this study is the data interval. Instrument\ud used perception scale and the scale of the store interior intention to buy the product. To search for a validity coefficient used product moment correlation formula. From the analysis of data obtained using the results of product moment r = 0.475, r2 = 0.226 and p = 0.000, which means there are positive and highly significant relationship between perception of the interior of the store with the intention to buy the product. The more positive perception of the individual against the interior of the store, the higher the intention to buy the product, the more negative perceptions of the store interior, the lower the intention to buy products on individuals. The contribution of X to Y 22.6%

LAPORAN INDIVIDU PRAKTIK PENGALAMAN LAPANGAN ( PPL ) SMAN 1 MUNTILAN

Praktik Pengalaman Lapangan (PPL) Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta merupakan mata kuliah wajib yang ditempuh oleh mahasiswa kependidikan. Kegiatan PPL merupakan kesempatan bagi mahasiswa untuk mempraktikkan ilmu yang bersifat teoritis yang diterima di perkuliahan. Mahasiswa diberikan kesempatan untuk mengaplikasikan teori-teori tersebut dan sekaligus mencari ilmu yang bersifat faktual, tidak sekedar teoritis seperti pada saat kegiatan perkuliahan. Kegiatan PPL dapat bertujuan untuk mendapatkan berbagai pengalaman mengenai proses pembelajaran dan kegiatan dalam lingkungan sekolah yang digunakan sebagai bekal bagi calon tenaga pendidik yang memiliki nilai, sikap, pengetahuan, dan ketrampilan yang digunakan sebagai tenaga pendidik. SMAN 1 Muntilan berlokasi di Dusun Tamanagung, Muntilan, Kabupaten Magelang merupakan salah satu sekolah yang berada di bawah naungan Dinas Pendidikan Kabupaten Magelang. Program PPL di SMAN 1 Muntilan dilaksanakan pada tanggal 12 Agustus sampai dengan 12 September 2015. Kegiatan PPL yang dilakukan meliputi tahap persiapan, praktik mengajar, dan pelaksanaan. Pelaksanaan PPL ini dilakukan dengan mengajar di kelas selama kegiatan pembelajaran di sekolah tersebut sesuai jadwal yang sudah ditentukan. Pengajaran di kelas pada kegiatan PPL ini diharapkan dapat dilakukan minimal 4 kali pertemuan, namun praktikan dapat melakukan kegiatan pengajaran di kelas sebanyak 76 kali untuk kelas. yaitu kelas X MIA 1, X MIA 2, X MIA 3, X MIA 4, X MIA 5, XI MIA 4, XI MIA 5, dan XI MIA 6. Metode yang digunakan dalam pengajaran di kelas antara lain, diskusi, tanya jawab, ceramah, permainan dan presentasi. Untuk mendukung kegiatan pembelajaran digunakan beberapa media, antara lain video, LCD dan lagu-lagu bahasa Jerman. Banyak kendala dan hambatan selama waktu dilaksanakannya PPL, baik yang bersifat intern maupun ekstern, di antaranya dalam pengelolaan kelas yang sulit untuk dikendalikan, karena peserta didik sangat aktif dan antusias dalam pembelajaran sehingga kelas tidak terkendali. Namun, hal ini merupakan suatu kenyataan bahwa anak usia SMA memang dalam perkembangan seperti itu, dan hal ini merupakan suatu proses untuk menuju yang lebih baik. Dengan adanya kegiatan PPL ini, praktikan mendapat bekal pangalaman dan gambaran nyata tentang kegiatan dalam dunia pendidikan khususnya di sekolah. Adanya kerjasama, kerja keras dan disiplin akan sangat mendukung terlaksananya program-program PPL dengan sukses. Dengan terselesaikannya kegiatan PPL ini diharapkan dapat tercipta tenaga pendidik yang professional dan berkualitas. Program PPL selain sebagai wahana untuk pelatihan dan pembelajaran bagi mahasiswa, juga menjadi usaha Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta untuk turut berkontribusi dalam mentransformasikan nilai-nilai kependidikan kepada sekolah tersebut. Harapannya, bukan hanya transfer of knowledge yang diberikan mahasiswa, tetapi juga transfer of value. Keberadaan mahasiswa PPL UNY diharapkan dapat membuat perubahan-perubahan sebagai upaya memajukan pendidikan Indonesia