Instructional computer use by COE faculty in Turkey: application of diffusion of innovations theory

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to explore instructional computer use by faculty members in the College of Education (COE) at an Anatolian university in Turkey. The faculty members in the study reported low levels of use and expertise in instructional computer technologies. Variables that were analyzed for their influence with regard to the faculty members\u27 use of computers for instructional purposes included demographic characteristics, computer expertise, computer access, barriers to computer access, attitude toward computer use, support for computer use, and adopter categories based on innovativeness. Variables that were found to be significantly correlated with faculty members\u27 level of computer use were computer ownership in the office, age, years of computer experience in general, computer expertise, computer access, barriers to computer access, attitude toward computer use, support for computer use, and adopter categories based on innovativeness;Group differences also were analyzed for the six computer-use factors based on the demographic characteristics and adopter categories. Associate professors; faculty members who owned a computer in the office or at home; those between the ages of 20 and 29; those with between 1 and 5 years and 6 and 10 years of teaching experience; those with between 16 and 20 years and over 20 years of computer experience; and those in the innovators, early adopters, and early majority categories reported higher uses of some or all of the computer use factors;Findings from this study were summarized and discussed with respect to Everett Rogers\u27 (2003) diffusion of innovations theory. The faculty members reported positive attitudes toward instructional computer use relating to Rogers\u27 first three attributes of innovations (relative advantage, compatibility, and simplicity of instructional computer use); the findings regarding the other two attributes (trialability and observability) were mixed. Finally, faculty members\u27 low level of instructional computer use, the majority of the faculty members\u27 self-placement in the last three adopter categories, and responses to the open-ended question regarding reasons for the adopter category that COE faculty members selected were consistent with Rogers\u27 findings

CROSS-SECTORAL GOVERNANCE: EXAMINING THE FLORIDA INTEGRATED NETWORK FOR DATA EXCHANGE AND RETRIEVAL (FINDER)

Complicated public problems have forced public agencies to establish partnerships with different organizations from public, private, and non-profit sectors. Law enforcement agencies have understood that it is not possible to cope with those issues alone anymore and that cooperation is needed because criminals and terrorists operate across bureaucratic and jurisdictional boundaries. In this context, information sharing is one of the most important components of this cooperation. For this purpose, the law enforcement agencies in the state of Florida and University of Central Florida (UCF) have engaged in a partnership known as Florida Integrated Network for Data Exchange and Retrieval (FINDER) to create a statewide data sharing system to combine fragmented and disconnected local databases. In this article, highly successful partnership between Florida law enforcement agencies and UCF was examined as an example of cross-sectoral partnership. The study results suggest that FINDER is a significant response to the historical problem of the lack of information sharing among law enforcement agencies. Interorganizational networks may facilitate development of social networks among staff from different agencies by increasing interactions. In addition, keeping the cost of network operation and membership low is important to build and expand the network. Furthermore, organizations should voluntarily participate in network without any government coercion. According to the study results, systematic effectiveness evaluation is essential to identify to what extent the system achieves its predetermined goals and produce outcomes. Finally, it is important to benefit from the dissemination of the experiences of FINDER across the country

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SCHOOL-BASED DRUG RESISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM IN THE UNITED STATES

There are two major approaches to overcome drug problems: supply reduction and demand reduction. Supply reduction strategy is implemented by law enforcement agencies and aims to constrict the supply by disrupting the illicit drug market and preventing drug distribution in the society On the other hand, demand reduction strategy implemented through treatment and education aims to reduce the demand on drug. Many researchers emphasize that the best way to curb drug abuse is to target youth and prevent them from initiating drug use at an early age before getting in contact with drug. In many countries, reports show that young people start drug use as early as age 15. Therefore, most drug prevention programs target young people while in school. This is very important due to the fact that young people starting drug abuse at early age are more likely to use more dangerous drugs and become persistent addicts. This study briefly explains the main drug control strategies and then discusses the theoretical framework behind the schoolbased drug education programs. In the following paragraphs, the authors aim to make an in-depth analysis of the studies that examine the effectiveness of the school-based drug resistance education programs in the US

Hybrid 3D Localization for Visible Light Communication Systems

In this study, we investigate hybrid utilization of angle-of-arrival (AOA) and received signal strength (RSS) information in visible light communication (VLC) systems for 3D localization. We show that AOA-based localization method allows the receiver to locate itself via a least squares estimator by exploiting the directionality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). We then prove that when the RSS information is taken into account, the positioning accuracy of AOA-based localization can be improved further using a weighted least squares solution. On the other hand, when the radiation patterns of LEDs are explicitly considered in the estimation, RSS-based localization yields highly accurate results. In order to deal with the system of nonlinear equations for RSS-based localization, we develop an analytical learning rule based on the Newton-Raphson method. The non-convex structure is addressed by initializing the learning rule based on 1) location estimates, and 2) a newly developed method, which we refer as random report and cluster algorithm. As a benchmark, we also derive analytical expression of the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) for RSS-based localization, which captures any deployment scenario positioning in 3D geometry. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solutions for a wide range of LED characteristics and orientations through extensive computer simulations.Comment: Submitted to IEEE/OSA Journal of Lightwave Technology (10 pages, 14 figures

An Empirical Analysis of Short Term Interest Rate Models for Turkey

Interest rate is one of the most observed and forecasted variables in financial markets. Interest rates and the volatility of interest rates play a crucial role in pricing financial instruments. In this empirical study, we try to investigate which short term interest rate model is appropriate for Turkish data. In that regard we use monthly average of the central bank overnight interest rate. The date set covers the period from 1990:01 to 2008:07. We use the generalized method of moments to estimate the model parameters since it does not require a distributional assumption for the interest rate making GMM a robust estimation method comparing to maximum likelihood. Estimation results reveal that Cox Ingersoll Ross square root process and Brennan-Schwartz models perform better. A common feature of these models is that they both have heteroscedastic variances. In the study, we also analyze if the policy changes of Central Bank of Turkey had any effects on the interest rate process. We find that the volatility of the interest rate is not affected by policy change. However, the level of the interest rate is affectedShort term interest rates models, term structure, model comparison, GMM

Organizational Social Capital And Perceived Performance Of Drug Law Enforcement Departments: A Case Study In Turkey

Supply reduction efforts by drug law enforcement departments are a significant factor in improving the effectiveness of drug control policies. As with other public organizations, the performance of drug law enforcement departments is one of the most important concerns for policy makers. Therefore, improving the performance of these departments is crucial in order for governments to constrict illegal drug markets and prevent illegal drug distribution. The literature suggests that social capital may have significant implications for policy makers and practitioners in terms of enhancing organizational performance.Social capital has recently been examined at the organizational level. It may contribute to organizational effectiveness by increasing motivation, solving coordination problems, facilitating information flow between individuals and organizations, and developing knowledge within organizations. Because of the nature of the work, drug law enforcement departments or agencies require information sharing, cooperation, and motivation, all possible derivatives of social capital.Using a measurement model of organizational social capital, this study examines relationships among three dimensions of organizational social capital. The influence of social capital on the perceived performance of drug law enforcement departments is investigated using structural equation modeling. Possible correlations among these dimensions or domains of organizational social capital are also empirically tested.Using survey data from 12 city law enforcement departments in Turkey, this study examines three social capital dimensions: (1) the structural dimension, concerning the extent to which officers within a department informally interact with each other; (2) the relational dimension, referring to the normative qualities of relationships among officers, such as trust and reciprocity; and (3) the cognitive dimension, reflected by shared language, shared interpretation, and shared vision.Four research hypotheses were tested and supported by the statistical results. The study\u27s findings indicate that the relational and cognitive social capital variables have a direct and positive relationship with the perceived performance of drug law enforcement departments. Relational and cognitive social capital, as latent constructs, were shown to have a strong relationship with organizational performance. Structural social capital, however, does not have a direct relationship with but may indirectly influence performance. This result indicates that structural social capital may influence organizational performance only indirectly, through its joint influence with two other social capital domains. On the other hand, strong and positive intercorrelations were found among the three dimensions. The results suggest that social capital is essential for drug law enforcement departments because police officers who know, understand, and trust each other are more likely to work together efficiently and effectively towards achieving organizational performance.According to the findings, informal structures shaped by informal relations among officers within the departments may also be an important factor for organizational performance. Investing in the development of social interactions and networks and building trust within organizations is important in order for administrators to improve organizational performance. The results of this conceptually grounded and empirical study suggest that drug law enforcement departments or agencies should pay close attention to promoting social capital among officers in order to fight effectively against drug trafficking

Cyber Bullying Victimization of Elementary School Students and Their Reflections on the Victimization

With the use of developing technology, mostly in communication and entertainment, students spend considerable time on the internet. In addition to the advantages provided by the internet, social isolation brings problems such as addiction. This is one of the problems of the virtual violence. Cyber-bullying is the common name of the intensities which students are exposed on the internet. The purpose of this study designed as a qualitative research is to find out the cyber bullying varieties and its effects on elementary school students. The participants of this research are 6th, 7th and 8th grade students of a primary school and 24 students agreed to participate in the study. The students were asked to fill an interview with semi-structured open-ended questions. According to the results obtained in the research, the most important statements determined by the participants are breaking passwords on social networking sites, slang insult to blasphemy and taking friendship offers from unfamiliar people. According to participants from the research, the most used techniques to prevent themselves from cyber bullying are to complain to the site administrator, closing accounts on social networking sites and countercharging. Also, suggestions were presented according to the findings