Test Expectancy and Transfer of Knowledge with Open-Book and Closed-Book Tests

Two experiments examined the testing effect with open-book tests, in which students view notes and textbooks while taking the test, and closed-book tests, in which students take the test without viewing notes or textbooks. In the first experiment, subjects studied GRE passages and then took an open- or closed-book test. Open-book testing led to better initial performance than closed-book testing, but this benefit did not persist and both types of testing produced equivalent retention on GRE comprehension questions and transfer questions after a two-day delay. In the second experiment, subjects were informed in advance of the type of immediate or delayed test to expect, in order to mimic educational settings in which students typically know the type of quiz or exam to expect with regards to open-book vs. closed-book format. Initial retrieval practice during these two types of tests did not yield differences in long-term retention: consistent with Experiment 1), but final test expectancy significantly influenced delayed retention. Closed-book test expectancy produced greater final test performance on comprehension, transfer, and factual questions in comparison to open-book test expectancy, demonstrating that test expectancy can influence long-term learning

Correlated multi-streaming in distributed interactive multimedia systems

Distributed Interactive Multimedia Environments (DIMEs) enable geographically distributed people to interact with each other in a joint media-rich virtual environment for a wide range of activities, such as art performance, medical consultation, sport training, etc. The real-time collaboration is made possible by exchanging a set of multi-modal sensory streams over the network in real time. The characterization and evaluation of such multi-stream interactive environments is challenging because the traditional Quality of Service metrics (e.g., delay, jitter) are limited to a per stream basis. In this work, we present a novel ???Bundle of Streams??? concept to de???ne correlated multi-streams in DIMEs and present new cyber-physical, spatio-temporal QoS metrics to measure QoS over bundle of streams. We realize Bundle of Streams concept by presenting a novel paradigm of Bundle Streaming as a Service (SAS). We propose and develop SAS Kernel, a generic, distributed, modular and highly ???exible streaming kernel realizing SAS concept. We validate the Bundle of Streams model by comparing the QoS performance of bundle of streams over different transport protocols in a 3D tele-immersive testbed. Also, further experiments demonstrate that the SAS Kernel incurs low overhead in delay, CPU, and bandwidth demands

Examining the Relationship Between Fact Learning and Higher Order Learning via Retrieval Practice

The development of higher order skills is a desired outcome of education. Some believe that higher order learning can be improved directly, whereas others argue that higher order learning can be improved via the enhancement of factual or conceptual knowledge. The relationship between fact and higher order learning is often speculated, but empirically unknown. This project examines whether retrieval practice via quizzing, a strategy typically used to enhance fact learning, can be used as a strategy to improve higher order skills in both laboratory and applied settings. In the current study, higher order skills were considered to comprise the understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create categories of a revised Bloom\u27s taxonomy of knowledge and skills in education: Anderson et al., 2001). Across three experiments, subjects engaged in retrieval practice with basic concept questions, higher order questions, or a mix of question types. Performance was measured after a two-day delay on both concept and higher order questions in order to determine the type of retrieval practice that produced the greatest level of delayed performance. Retrieval practice: regardless of question type) improved both delayed concept and higher order test performance more than restudying or no quizzing. In Experiments 1 and 2 with college students, delayed performance was greatest when the initial quiz question type matched the final test question type, consistent with a pattern of transfer-appropriate processing; however, benefits from conceptual retrieval practice on delayed higher order performance or from higher order retrieval practice on delayed concept performance were not found. In Experiment 3 with middle school students, a mix of concept and higher order quiz questions produced the greatest long-term learning, although this improvement was only marginally greater than the benefit from higher order retrieval practice on delayed higher order learning. The current project is the first to demonstrate that retrieval practice with higher order questions improves delayed performance on higher order test questions from complex taxonomic categories. Retrieval practice can be used as a strategy to enhance both conceptual and higher order skill learning, and teachers are encouraged to apply retrieval practice strategies in their classrooms

Across Space and Time: Commonalities in Natyashastra, The Republic, and Poetics

By the time Chandragupta Maurya established the Mauryan Empire in 322 B.C., Plato, the Greek philosopher had already envisaged an ideal commonwealth and had captured its principles in his The Republic, banishing all poets from his ideal state; and Aristotle, who started off as a student of Plato, had already presented to the world a clear rebuttal to Plato in his treatise, Poetics. There doesn’t seem to be much evidence to support the hypothesis that Bharata’s Natyasastra written sometime between 2nd century B.C. and 2nd century A.D. was influenced by Aristotle’s Poetics, or that, since the date of Natyasastra’s publication is so uncertain, Natyasastra in some way had an influence on Poetics. But this lack of evidence does not undermine the fact that in the Mauryan period (322 B.C. to 185 B.C.), there was an eager influx of Greek diplomats and explorers like Megasthenesin the subcontinent, who were not only political and economic emissaries, but also cultural ambassadors. Neither does this lack of evidence undermine the possibility of an influence, on either side of the theorists. But the case under consideration is not the existence of any physical evidence that could establish a connection, but rather that connection or no connection, Plato’s Republic, Aristotle’s Poetics and Bharata’s Natyasastra have a common thread. All the three works are in some way or other an exposition on the imitative art of poetry and drama, and inevitably, each is linked to the other, if in nothing else, then at least in terms of comparative analysis

Retrieval practice & Bloom’s taxonomy: Do students need fact knowledge before higher order learning?

The development of students’ higher order learning is a critical component of education. For decades, educators and scientists have engaged in an ongoing debate about whether higher order learning can only be enhanced by building a base of factual knowledge (analogous to Bloom’s taxonomy) or whether higher order learning can be enhanced directly by engaging in complex questioning and materials. The relationship between fact learning and higher order learning is often speculated, but empirically unknown. In this study, middle school students and college students engaged in retrieval practice with fact questions, higher order questions, or a mix of question types to examine the optimal type of retrieval practice for enhancing higher order learning. In laboratory and K-12 settings, retrieval practice consistently increased delayed test performance, compared to rereading or no quizzes. Critically, higher order and mixed quizzes improved higher order test performance, but fact quizzes did not. Contrary to popular intuition about higher order learning and Bloom’s taxonomy, building a foundation of knowledge via fact-based retrieval practice may be less potent than engaging in higher order retrieval practice, a key finding for future research and classroom application

Examining the Relationship between Fact Learning and Higher Order Learning via Retrieval Practice

The development of higher order skills is a desired outcome of education. Some believe that higher order learning can be improved directly, whereas others argue that higher order learning can be improved via the enhancement of factual or conceptual knowledge. The relationship between fact and higher order learning is often speculated, but empirically unknown. This project examines whether retrieval practice via quizzing, a strategy typically used to enhance fact learning, can be used as a strategy to improve higher order skills in both laboratory and applied settings. In the current study, higher order skills were considered to comprise the understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create categories of a revised Bloom’s taxonomy of knowledge and skills in education (Anderson et al., 2001). Across three experiments, subjects engaged in retrieval practice with basic concept questions, higher order questions, or a mix of question types. Performance was measured after a two-day delay on both concept and higher order questions in order to determine the type of retrieval practice that produced the greatest level of delayed performance. Retrieval practice (regardless of question type) improved both delayed concept and higher order test performance more than restudying or no quizzing. In Experiments 1 and 2 with college students, delayed performance was greatest when the initial quiz question type matched the final test question type, consistent with a pattern of transfer-appropriate processing; however, benefits from conceptual retrieval practice on delayed higher order performance or from higher order retrieval practice on delayed concept performance were not found. In Experiment 3 with middle school students, a mix of concept and higher order quiz questions produced the greatest long-term learning, although this improvement was only marginally greater than the benefit from higher order retrieval practice on delayed higher order learning. The current project is the first to demonstrate that retrieval practice with higher order questions improves delayed performance on higher order test questions from complex taxonomic categories. Retrieval practice can be used as a strategy to enhance both conceptual and higher order skill learning, and teachers are encouraged to apply retrieval practice strategies in their classrooms

Factors affecting mobile banking adoption : an empirical study in Gwalior region

The aim of this study is to examine the factors which influence customers to adopt mobile banking. Going through the previous literature, four determinant factors have been identified. Individual variable is evaluated using a 5-point Likert-scale. Self-administered quantitative questionnaires were distributed, targeting the respondents in the Gwalior region which falls in central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, using the primary data collection method. A quantitative research technique was utilized for this exploration. A pilot investigation of 20 respondents was led to confirm the reliability of the questionnaire. Data was analysed using regression tests. The outcomes of this investigation brought the conclusion that perceived utility, perceived convenience, and perceived trust have a positive impact on the behavioural intention to adopt mobile banking whereas perceived financial costs were found to be insignificant. The paper concludes with a discussion of the exploration results and draws out a few implications for future researc

Recipient of the 2009 Alumni Titan Award

Pooja K. Agarwal has contributed a significant amount of time, talent and treasure to IMSA as an alumna. Following graduation, Agarwal became actively involved in the IMSA Alumni Association and served as an at-large cabinet member for three years. She volunteered as an Intersession facilitator from 2004-2007 and assisted as the alumni liaison in 2006, recruiting alumni and organizing appreciation activities. Agarwal’s efforts helped to build the foundation for alumni volunteerism in Intersession, which reached record-high alumni participation in 2009. Since 2001, she has also been actively involved in the IMSA Kids Institute (KI) program as a teacher and member of the KI Alumni Advisory Committee. In addition, Agarwal coordinated a highly successful five-year reunion for her class and co-coordinated an alumni regional event in St. Louis. She served as a class agent for two years in support of the IMSA Fund for Advancement of Education and serves as a member of the IMSA President’s Alumni Advisory Committee (IPAAC). Agarwal is currently studying toward a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. She also serves as research coordinator for a grant from the Institute of Education Sciences, conducting learning and memory research at a middle school in Columbia, IL. She is a proud recipient of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship for her leadership and commitment to public service and is the vice president of the Truman Scholars Association