Using Social Network Analysis to Evaluate Participation in Online Discussions in a Virtual Classroom Using Social Network Analysis to Evaluate Participation in Online Discussions in a Virtual Classroom

Online discussions are popular in virtual classrooms since they provide students with opportunities for more effective interactions than possible in traditional classrooms. However, grading online discussions is well-known to be a time-consuming task. In this paper, we propose a method for automating the partial grading of online discussions using social network analysis techniques. In particular, we propose to use a centrality index, which reflects the number of responses to a student’s messages as a proxy measure to evaluate the quality of students’ posts and hence determine participation levels in discussions. The method was tested for grading discussion board assignments in a virtual class from an online graduate school. Although, the method was found to perform quite well in a range of situations, its use is advocated mainly as a grading aid because in certain conditions inaccurate grades may result. Furthermore, use of the tool can also be envisaged for improving performance levels in online discussions because of its potential as facilitation and motivational aids

IT EDUCATION IN TAIWAN: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-EFFICACY AND ACADEMIC INTEGRATION AMONG STUDENTS

This study examined the relationship between academic integration and self-efficacy with regard to institution types and students’ majors among IM (Information Management) and CS (Computer Science) students. A Taiwanese National survey database was used to achieve the research objective. MANOVA was used to analyze the interaction effects between academic integration and self-efficacy. The independent variables were institution types and students’ majors. The results showed that students of public institutions have higher levels of self-efficacy than students of private ones. Another finding is that IM students seem to have better study strategies and habits than CS students while CS students were found to have better collaboration and satisfaction with their institutions than IM students. Counselling services and team projects are suggested to enhance students levels of academic integration and self-efficacy

Evaluating Persuasion in a Digital Learning Environment

The massification of higher education has produced cohorts of students with varying motivation and ability to meet their academic potential. Providing individualised support is not always feasible for instructors as class sizes continue to grow, so this research evaluates the persuasive design of a digital learning environment (DLE) to address the aforementioned issue. A system with persuasive features called Task-Test-Monitor (TTM) was used by students for a semester at an Australian university. At the conclusion of the semester, students were surveyed on their experience of using the system. Results showed students were strongly in favour of using such a system to help them study, with a significant portion of respondents reporting that the system influenced how they studied. Educators and system designers can benefit from these findings by applying persuasive design principles used in this research in their own pedagogy or system designs

Teaching Business Process Management with Simulation in Graduate Business Programs: An Integrative Approach

Games offer people engaging and motivating experiences. The process of recreating this type of experience in systems that are not typically considered games is called “gamification.” Improving engagement and motivation in a learning environment is desired by many educators as traditional approaches do not seem to be as engaging as they once were with students. Hence, gamification may be a useful tool to improve the learning environment. As a precursor to the development of a game-like learning system, we survey 51 undergraduate IT students to obtain their perceptions on game elements, which are the building blocks of what makes a game identifiable as such. All game elements that were presented to the respondents were highly rated. It was found that undergraduate students have a positive perception of systems that use game elements and are interested in its use for learning. Overall, students favored social interaction, engagement, feedback, and increased learning, which suggests that gamification is particularly suited to learning approaches such as social constructivism. We suggest that future work should include the development of a prototype for a game-like educational system that helps to provide useful feedback for students about their learning progress

IMPROVING STUDY HABITS USING A BEHAVIOUR CHANGE FRAMEWORK INCORPORATING SOCIAL MOTIVATION AND GAMIFICATION

Students entering into their first year of university studies are subject to a jarring difference between the learning experiences of high school and university. High schools typically take a very structured approach to teaching whereas university expects students to take ownership of their learning. This dramatic shift often means students are not adequately prepared to form positive study habits on their own, or existing habits are likely to break down. Further complicating this issue is the rising popularity of video games and social networking amongst students. These two areas provide fun and engaging experiences for their users where traditional learning environments struggle to do so. In this research-in-progress paper, we propose a framework that can be used by instructors to improve learning environments so that their students are better engaged and encouraged to form positive study habits. The framework utilises a hybrid of the Transtheoretical model of behaviour change (TTM) and the SNAP model of motivation. Social networking and gamification are used as triggers that enable the process to occur. It is envisaged that this research will lead to instructors creating more effective learning environments with less effort, and making academic learning a more enjoyable pursuit for students

COMBINING THE FOGG BEHAVIOURAL MODEL AND HOOK MODEL TO DESIGN FEATURES IN A PERSUASIVE APP TO IMPROVE STUDY HABITS

Using technology to persuade people to behave in a certain way is an ever-increasing field of study. The ability to persuade individuals is quite clear in e-commerce, where individuals are persuaded to make purchasing decisions. However, it can also be applied to other disciplines, such as education where improving the study behaviour of students would be particularly useful. Forming good study habits can be a challenge for university students who have not done so in the earlier years of their education, or where the pressures of external commitments have eroded previously good habits. We use a combination of the Fogg Behavioural Model and the Hook model to design features for an app as a component of a larger persuasive system to help improve three key areas of study habits: study scheduling, class preparation and group study. The app will be built and tested in a university setting targeting undergraduate students

The development of an evaluation model of e-commerce websites for the Taiwanese airline industry

The ‘SISP community’ is an evolving environment, which generally learns from the past. However, the lesson that top management commitment is a key determinant of SISP success has not been learnt. Regardless of the industry type or size, a lack of real commitment from senior management is still the main reason for the SISP formulation and implementation failure. The study introduces the SISP Stakeholders’ Designation construct to analyze commitment and participation of the available SISP resources in the light of maximising success of SISP. Also the association between organisational learning and management commitment to SISP is examined. A postal survey of top management from 260 Australian companies revealed that obtaining high-level stakeholder engagement is critical to SISP success. The study presents optimal roles and level of engagement for the SISP Stakeholders’ Designation. It was found that if every managerial stakeholder’s designation is committed to SISP in all its phases it may result in wasting of valuable time and resources. The findings point to SISP learning reviews as a significant antecedent for managerial commitment to SISP

Generalized Seizure in a Mauritian Woman Taking Bupropion

A 24-y-old woman was admitted to the emergency department having had a generalized seizure (acute loss of consciousness, convulsive movements of her arms and legs, and confusion on regaining consciousness). She was on the sixth day of treatment with 300 mg daily of slow-release bupropion (Zyban SR) as an aid to smoking cessation. She had a past medical history of tonsillectomy and hay fever, for which she was taking budesonide nasal drops (two drops daily, each drop 200 mcg). She was on no other medication. There was no history of head trauma, liver disease, or alcohol withdrawal. Clinical examination, including neurological examination, was normal. The patient's weight was 48 kg. Her blood pressure was 130/80 mm Hg. Electrocardiogram showed a sinus tachycardia at 102 beats per minute. Radiography of the skull and a computed tomography scan of the brain without contrast were both normal. The patient's blood glucose, urea, electrolytes, and liver function tests were all normal. Her serum calcium was 2.01 mmol/l (normal range, 2.0–2.6 mmol/l) and her hemoglobin was 116 g/l (normal range, 120–140 g/l). The bupropion was discontinued, and the patient recovered without any further seizures or other neurological sequelae

L-Arginine promotes gut hormone release and reduces food intake in rodents

Aims: To investigate the anorectic effect of L‐arginine (L‐Arg) in rodents. Methods: We investigated the effects of L‐Arg on food intake, and the role of the anorectic gut hormones glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) and peptide YY (PYY), the G‐protein‐coupled receptor family C group 6 member A (GPRC6A) and the vagus nerve in mediating these effects in rodents. Results: Oral gavage of L‐Arg reduced food intake in rodents, and chronically reduced cumulative food intake in diet‐induced obese mice. Lack of the GPRC6A in mice and subdiaphragmatic vagal deafferentation in rats did not influence these anorectic effects. L‐Arg stimulated GLP‐1 and PYY release in vitro and in vivo. Pharmacological blockade of GLP‐1 and PYY receptors did not influence the anorectic effect of L‐Arg. L‐Arg‐mediated PYY release modulated net ion transport across the gut mucosa. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) and intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of L‐Arg suppressed food intake in rats. Conclusions: L‐Arg reduced food intake and stimulated gut hormone release in rodents. The anorectic effect of L‐Arg is unlikely to be mediated by GLP‐1 and PYY, does not require GPRC6A signalling and is not mediated via the vagus. I.c.v. and i.p. administration of L‐Arg suppressed food intake in rats, suggesting that L‐Arg may act on the brain to influence food intake. Further work is required to determine the mechanisms by which L‐Arg suppresses food intake and its utility in the treatment of obesity