An Experimental Investigation of Preference Misrepresentation in the Residency Match

The development and deployment of matching procedures that incentivize truthful preference reporting is considered one of the major successes of market design research. In this study, we test the degree to which these procedures succeed in eliminating preference misrepresentation. We administered an online experiment to 1,714 medical students immediately after their participation in the medical residency match--a leading field application of strategy-proof market design. When placed in an analogous, incentivized matching task, we find that 23% of participants misrepresent their preferences. We explore the factors that predict preference misrepresentation, including cognitive ability, strategic positioning, overconfidence, expectations, advice, and trust. We discuss the implications of this behavior for the design of allocation mechanisms and the social welfare in markets that use them

Digital libraries on an iPod: Beyond the client-server model

This paper describes an experimental system that enhanced an iPod with digital library capabilities. Using the open source digital library software Greenstone as a base, this paper more specifically maps out the technical steps necessary to achieve this, along with an account of our subsequent experimentation. This included command-line usage of Greenstone's basic runtime system on the device, augmenting the iPod’s main interactive menu-driven application to include searching and hierarchical browsing of digital library collections stored locally, and a selection of "launcher" applications for target documents such as text files, images and audio. Media rich applications for digital stories and collaging were also developed. We also configured the iPod to run as a web server to provide digital library content to others over a network, effectively turning the traditional mobile client-server upsidedown

Investigating the Influence of Ball Orientation on the Foot–Ball Interaction in Rugby Union Place Kicking

Rugby Union place kicking contributes 45% of all points scored and 5.7% of matches are decided by a single kick (Quarrie and Hopkins, 2015). Biomechanical investigations of the place kick have often focused on the movements of the kicker without consideration of how the ball is orientated on the tee and whether that might interact with the kicker’s technique. Therefore, the overall aim of this thesis was to investigate how ball orientation interacts with kick technique and performance to inform the ball setup preferences of kickers. An initial study identified the ball orientation preferences of international kickers at the 2019 Rugby World Cup and assessed kick performance when kicks were categorised by ball orientation. Binomial logistic regression analysis, which also accounted for additional situational factors, revealed that kicks taken with a slanted orientation (approximately 45°) had a greater predicted kick success (90.0%) than with a forward orientation (approximately 15°; 84.4%) and a horizontal orientation (approximately 75°; 86.8%). The second study experimentally altered ball orientation to investigate the effects on kickers’ technique, impact characteristics and resulting kick performance. There were few clear effects of ball orientation on the kicking foot swing plane characteristics or the kicking leg shank and foot segment orientations at initial foot–ball impact, suggesting that each kicker maintained relatively consistent ‘end-point’ characteristics of technique. However, impact location on the ball generally varied significantly (p < 0.05) with ball orientation and when kickers struck the ball closer to the belly, impact efficiency was typically improved. This thesis provides information which could help to inform the ball orientation preferences of place kickers and coaches. There does not appear to be one ball orientation that results in the best performance for all kickers, but exploration of a ball orientation which encourages impact nearer the belly may improve impact efficiency

Vocational Training Opportunities for Negroes in Louisiana

The purpose of this study was to secure a comprehensive picture of vocational industrial training facilities available for Negroes in the State of Louisiana. This study involved several minor problems: (1) the nature and extent of opportunities for vocational training in the high schools, colleges, and private trade schools; (2) specific information as to courses and types of programs; (3) to present the status of teacher qualifications and experiences; (4) to offer suggestions for improvement of training opportunities. The names of the public schools offering vocational industrial courses along with the names of principals were accured from the Director of Vocational Education in the State Department of Education, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There were twelve schools. The names of the private trade schools along with the director of each were obtained by letter from the coordinator of veterans affairs in the State Department of Education. A letter was sent to the principal or director of the high school or private trade school requesting that the courses they offered and the teachers of these courses be submitted. Eight principals and twenty-two directors responded. The names of the colleges were obtained from the Louisiana School Directory, 1949-1950. A check of the catalogues of these schools revealed which had programs of vocational industrial education. From the catalogues the name of teachers were obtained. All teachers in each type of school were sent a questionnaire which was peculiar to that type school. There was response from 63.63 per cent of the high school teachers; 64.7 per cent of the college teachers; and 17.58 per cent of the private trade school teachers. The data were tabulated and organized into tables for the convenience of interpretation and comparison. From this study it was found that: (1) Southern University was the first choice of teachers in obtaining undergraduate training; (2) Ohio State University was the first choice of teachers in obtaining graduate training; (3) over 50 per cent of the high school and college teachers had five or more years teaching experience, and 87.5 per cent of the private trade teachers had less than five years teaching experience; (4) all teachers had received training in professional courses; (5) the high schools offered training in carpentry, woodwork, and mechanical drawing most frequently; (6) the colleges offered training in several areas either for teacher preparation or vocational specialization; (7) the private trade schools offered a broader program of terminal education; (8) guidance and placement as an organized program were practically a neglected phase of these schools; (8) on the basis of existing opportunities for training, inadequate facilities exist; (9) no concerted idea exists among the high school and college teachers as to how to overcome this lack of adequate training facilities

Impact of Reflection: A Qualitative Study Measuring the Impact Reflection has on Teacher Effectiveness

This research study examined current reflective practices used by kindergarten through 12th grade teachers in a single school district in North Carolina. The study sought to identify themes regarding the impact reflection has on teacher effectiveness, with effectiveness being measured by the five teaching standards of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. I identified participants as National Board certified teachers and Non-National Board certified teachers to study the similarities and differences in reflective practices between the two groups. A questionnaire, self-assessment, and interviews were utilized to collect participant data. This study’s data showed that teachers from both groups utilized reflection and identified how it impacted their effectiveness within the North Carolina teaching standards. The data showed National Board Certified Teachers believed video-enhance reflection to be impactful, however; due to barriers it was not utilized frequently. While both groups found reflection to be impactful, National Board Certified Teachers’ perceived effectiveness was greater than Non-National Board Certified Teachers. Educational leaders should strive to create a culture where reflection is valued by providing time, support, and instructional coaching for teachers, as the benefits of reflection are impactful in developing effective teachers