Formal features as a design factor of video segments in interactive video programmes

Video segments may be characterized by formal design features with respect to factors such as complexity of narration, mutual influence of picture and sound, use of superimposed texts, information load due to technical terms, and animation. The paper suggests ways to operationalize these factors and reports about an experiment in which the influence of these formal features was studied with respect to perceived information load of video segments by learners. The length of a segment was thereby counted as the number of information elements it contains. An information element is defined as one uninterrupted statement of the narrator about which one factual question can be presented. The experiment was carried out by using an experimental videodisc programme about cheesemaking that contains 252 information elements which form a connected discourse of 36 min if the programme is played linearly without stopping. Subjects had the task to divide this programme into segments by deciding for themselves how often they would stop before completing the programme. At every stopping place, the subjects were questioned about the content of the just completed segment.\ud \ud The results of the experiment suggest that: (a) subjects tend to perceive narrated sentences as one whole, regardless of the number of facts implied, (b) content-related technical terms seem not to determine difficulty level, (c) superimposed texts show a trend to help subjects who prefer short segments to choose longer segments and subjects who prefer long segments to choose shorter segments, (d) animation is positively (but moderately) correlated with mean self-chosen segment length

Managing our land for multiple ecosystem services:Identifying priority areas and actions to maintain ecosystem services across Europe

Verburg, P.H. [Promotor]Teeffelen, A.J.A. van [Copromotor

Affective video and problem solving within a Web-environment

Currently there is a growing interest in Web-based multimedia learning environments, particularly those making use of asynchronous streaming video. This interest motivates renewed attention to properties of video for educational purposes. A typical property of video is its emotion-evoking potential. Research by Isen, Daubman, and Nowicki (1987), Kaufmann and Vosburg (1997) and by Vosburg (1998) on video-evoked positive or negative mood states inspired a research project on the didactical functionality of emotion-evoking video materials in relationship to (educational) problem solving tasks within a Web-based environment. The results show that the video materials that were used in the experiment induced the expected positive or negative mood. Differential effects of positive or negative mood for problem solving tasks, however, were not observed. This outcome is discussed in the context of the findings of the above-mentioned authors

Educational technology and the new technologies

Like everywhere in our culture, new technologies gradually penetrate the field of education. This may be seen as a problem area, which asks for appropriate, actions by teachers, curriculum experts, instructional designers and others. As "technology" seems to be the main issue,one may quation whether the introduction of new technologies is to be considered as an educational technological problem. To a certain extent, the answer may be yes. In this contribution, the nature of educational technology is dealt with primarily. On this basis, the new technologies, are placed in the context of educational problem solving in general.\ud In the literature, educational technology is defined in several ways. After discussing three major approaches to educational technology, it is put forward that educational technology should preferably be conceived of as the methodology of educational problem solving.\ud The program of the Department of Education at the University of Twente is described as an example of a curriculum in which this conception of educational technology takes a central position

Video outside versus video inside the web: do media setting and image size have an impact on the emotion-evoking potential of video?

To explore the educational potential of video-evoked affective responses in a Web-based environment, the question was raised whether video in a Web-based environment is experienced differently from video in a traditional context. An experiment was conducted that studied the affect-evoking power of video segments in a window on a computer screen compared to presenting the same video materials on a television monitor. The study first demonstrates that affect-evoking power of video exists. Although not always significant, the results who that selected positive and negative video clips induce positive or negative affective responses and mood changes in participants, in a Web-based environment as well as in a television environment. Smaller window sizes, however, may do less well

Building a four year post-secondary curriculum in educational science and technology

This report begins by providing background information on educational technology in the Netherlands, differences between a four-year program in the Netherlands and undergraduate programs in the United States, and the structure of Dutch university programs. The need for a Department of Educational Science and Technology at the Twente University of Technology and characteristics of the department are then addressed, followed by a discussion of the starting points and procedure of curriculum planning and a description of the structure of the curriculum. Activities involved in carrying out the plans--course construction, development of the TO-laboratory (a computer, audiovisual, and learning resource center), and student recruitment--are also discussed. The report concludes with an evaluation of the program at the end of the first year of operation. This evaluation focused on the effects of modular course construction, and the interrelationships of courses, study load, and number of possible drop-outs. Four appendixes provide: (1) the results of a job analysis of the tasks performed by professionals in the field that was undertaken as part of the curriculum planning process; (2) an outline of the department's curriculum; (3) a general model for structured problem solving; and (4) a floor plan of the TO-laboratory. (MES

THE USE OF RAINFALL PATTERNS IN PREDICTING POPULATION DENSITIES OF MULTIMAMMATE RATS, \u3ci\u3eMastomys natalensis\u3c/i\u3e

During 3 years we studied a population of multimammate rats, Mastomys natalensis (Smith 1834), in Morogoro, Tanzania. Data were collected in both removal and capture-recapture schemes. We present evidence that patterns of growth and reproduction were related to onset and abundance of rains. This partially explains differences in densities. Additionally, we investigated available literature data and related them with climatological data. A scenario is presented which enables us to predict how densities of multimammate rats may evolve in the following year and whether there will be a risk of outbreaks. The use and implications of this scenario in planning control actions are discussed

Ankles back in randomized controlled trial (ABrCt): braces versus neuromuscular exercises for the secondary prevention of ankle sprains. Design of a randomised controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ankle sprains are the most common sports and physical activity related injury. There is extensive evidence that there is a twofold increased risk for injury recurrence for at least one year post injury. In up to 50% of all cases recurrences result in disability and lead to chronic pain or instability, requiring prolonged medical care. Therefore ankle sprain recurrence prevention in athletes is essential. This RCT evaluates the effect of the combined use of braces and neuromuscular training (e.g. proprioceptive training/sensorimotor training/balance training) against the individual use of either braces or neuromuscular training alone on ankle sprain recurrences, when applied to individual athletes after usual care.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>This study was designed as three way randomized controlled trial with one year follow-up. Healthy individuals between 12 and 70 years of age, who were actively participating in sports and who had sustained a lateral ankle sprain in the two months prior to inclusion, were eligible for inclusion. After subjects had finished ankle sprain treatment by means of usual care, they were randomised to any of the three study groups. Subjects in group 1 received an eight week neuromuscular training program, subjects in group 2 received a sports brace to be worn during all sports activities for the duration of one year, and group 3 received a combination of the neuromuscular training program and a sports brace to be worn during all sports activities for the duration of eight weeks. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and every month for 12 months therafter. The primary outcome measure was incidence of ankle sprain recurrences. Secondary outcome measures included the direct and indirect costs of recurrent injury, the severity of recurrent injury, and the residual complaints during and after the intervention.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The ABrCt is the first randomized controlled trial to directly compare the secondary preventive effect of the combined use of braces and neuromuscular training, against the use of either braces or neuromuscular training as separate secondary preventive measures. This study expects to identify the most effective and cost-efficient secondary preventive measure for ankle sprains. The study results could lead to changes in the clinical guidelines on the prevention of ankle sprains, and they will become available in 2012.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Netherlands Trial Register (NTR): <a href="http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=2157">NTR2157</a></p