Qualitatively oriented evaluation research in the context of virtual instruction and learning

Mit dem Einsatz der neuen Medien an den Hochschulen verbunden war und ist die Diskussion um einen potenziellen (didaktischen) Mehrwert der virtualisierten Lehre gegenüber den konventionellen Angeboten. Als Argumente für einen Einsatz von Multimedia und Telemedien in der Hochschullehre wurden immer wieder angeführt: die Verbesserung der Qualität der Lehre, die Flexibilisierung des Studiums, der dadurch mögliche internationale Wettbewerb der Hochschulen, der Lehraustausch, die Bündelung von Ressourcen und Kompetenzen und das Vermeiden von Doppelentwicklungen, die Entwicklung der Medienkompetenz bei Lehrenden wie Lernenden, die Verkürzung der Studienzeiten und die Beteiligung der Hochschulen am Weiterbildungsmarkt. Die vorliegende Arbeit entstand im Rahmen zweier Forschungsprojekte, die eine gelingende Integration neuer Medien in die akademische Lehre zum Ziel hatten. Der Verfasser war in seiner Funktion als wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter mit der begleitenden Evaluation beider Projekte betraut. Konkret handelte es sich einmal um das Projekt „Virtualisierung im Bildungsbereich“ (VIB), das als Teilprojekt der ‚Virtuellen Hochschule Baden-Württemberg’ mit der Entwicklung und Erprobung der Möglichkeiten und Auswirkungen des Einsatzes elektronischer Informations- und Kommunikationstechniken an den Pädagogischen Hochschulen des Landes betraut war. Das zweite Projekt „Informations Technology Online“ (ITO), welches vom Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie gefördert wurde, widmete sich dem Aufbau eines umfangreichen und durch Multimedia- und Internettechnologien unterstützen Lehr- und Lernangebotes im Umfeld internationaler Studiengänge der Fachrichtungen Elektrotechnik, Informationstechnik und Informatik. In meiner Arbeit versuche ich, den methodischen Herausforderungen einer begleitenden Evaluation ebenso gerecht zu werden wie den zu erforschenden inhaltlichen Fragestellungen zum Umgang mit den virtuellen Medien in der akademischen Lehre. Angesichts der besonderen Probleme bei der Evaluation virtueller Lehr- und Lern-formen, wie der stets im Raum stehenden Frage nach der Legitimation des Einsatzes von Multi- oder Telemedien (Auftraggeber ist am Nachweis des didaktischen Mehrwertes neuer Medien interessiert), der Schwierigkeiten bei der Operationali-sierung der zentralen Variablen „Lernerfolg“ (was gilt als Kriterium für Lernerfolg?), der allgemeinen Komplexität des gesamten Lehr- und Lerngeschehens (das Wirkungsgefüge zwischen Mensch und Medium ist viel komplizierter als vielfach angenommen und verbietet einfache Wirkungsvermutungen) oder ungünstiger kontextueller Bedingungen für Datenerhebungen (Fragebogenflut an den Hoch-schulen reduziert die Teilnahmebereitschaft der Studierenden) wurde die Daten-gewinnung und –auswertung auf der Grundlage eines ausgewogenen Methoden-mixes aus quantitativen und qualitativen Methoden durchgeführt. Der klassische Fragebogen kam dabei ebenso zum Einsatz wie Forschungstagebücher, neue Formen der Gruppendiskussion (Fokusgruppen, virtuelle Fokusgruppen), eMail-Surveys oder Interviews mit Projektmitarbeitern oder Studierenden. Die begleitenden Evaluationen haben gezeigt, dass virtuelle Medien für sich genommen nur neue Werkzeuge zur Unterstützung der Lehre und des Lernens sein können. Ob sie zu einer Aufwertung des Lehr- und Lerngeschehens beitragen hängt, das haben unsere Evaluationsergebnisse gezeigt, von einer Reihe entscheidender Faktoren ab: Neben motivierten Lehrpersonen kommt es auf eine entsprechende Motivation der Lernenden an. Dem Lernen mit neuen Medien sollte insbesondere nicht mit grundsätzlichen Abneigungen diesen technischen Neuerungen gegenüber, sondern kompetent („Medienkompetenz“) begegnet werden. Es darf nicht davon ausgegangen werden, dass die Wirkungen der eingesetzten virtuellen Medien von diesen Medien selbst ausgehen. Sie entfalten sich nur auf der Basis der dem Einsatz dieser Medien zugrunde liegenden didaktischen Konzepte. Also nicht die Medientechnologie ist es, die lernwirksam ist, sondern die mediale und didaktische Aufbereitung von Inhalten. Zur Aufrechterhaltung oder Steigerung der Motivation unter den Studierenden sollten bestimmte Qualitätskriterien für den erfolgreichen Einsatz virtueller Medien im Lehr- und Lerngeschehen, wie etwa eine entsprechende inhaltliche Gestaltung oder ein angemessener Einsatz von Wahrnehmungs-, Erschließungs- oder Verarbeitungs-hilfen erfüllt werden. Da der Koordinationsaufwand in virtuellen Lehrveranstaltungen und insbesondere bei Online-Kooperationen oftmals größer ist als in herkömmlichen Veranstaltungsformen, sollte darauf geachtet werden, dass sich für die Studierenden die Organisation von Interaktion und Kommunikation untereinander in einem vertretbaren Aufwand bewegt und nicht zu Lasten der eigentlichen inhaltlichen Auseinandersetzung geht. Die für einen Einsatz in virtuellen Lehr- und Lernszenarien gewählte Technik sollte nicht allzu fehleranfällig sein, da Mängel bei Hard- und Software zu unnötigen Reibungsverlusten im Veranstaltungsablauf und – wie unsere Erhebungen gezeigt haben – zu negativen emotionalen Befindlichkeiten (Ärger, Frustration, Langeweile) bei den Studierenden führen können. Außerdem sollten die Lehrenden mit der eingesetzten Technik gut vertraut sein und den Studierenden vor Semester- oder Studienbeginn die Möglichkeit einer einführenden Auseinandersetzung damit gegeben werden.The use of new media in universities was and is tied to discussions about a potential (didactical) increase in value for virtual teaching compared to the conventional methods. Arguments in favor of the use of multimedia and tele-media that are repeatedly brought on: the improved quality of teaching, the increase in study flexibility, the thereby possible international competition among universities, the teaching exchange, the bundling of resources and competence and avoidance of double developments, the development of media competence by tutors and scholars alike, a reduction of study times and the involvement of the universities on the continuing educational market. The present paper was developed within the framework of two research projects that had the goal of achieving a successful integration of new media into academic teachings. The author was entrusted with the associated evaluation of both projects in the function of scientific co-worker. Specifically it deals with the project „Virtualising in the Educational Field“ (in German: „Virtualisierung im Bildungsbereich“ (VIB)), which, as a sub-project of the ‘Virtual University Baden-Württemberg’ was entrusted with the development and testing of possibilities and effects of the use of electronic information and communication technology at the educational universities of the state. The second project „Information Technology Online“ (ITO), which was funded by the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology, was dedicated to the organization of an extensive teaching and learning program supported by multi-media and internet-technology within the realm of international courses of studies in the electro-technology, information-technology and informatics fields. In my dissertation I try to do justice to the methodical challenges of an accompanying evaluation as well as to the contextual questions to be researched concerning the handling of virtual media in academic teachings. In view of the particular problems when evaluating virtual teaching and learning methods, the data gathering and evaluation were accomplished on the basis of a balanced mix of methods from quantitative and qualitative methods. Problems encountered were issues such as the ever-present question as to the legitimating of the use of multi-media or tele-media (client is interested in the proof of the didactical increase in value of new media), the difficulties in the operationalisation of the central variable ”learning success” (what criterion is considered for learning success?), the general complexity of the complete teaching and learning process (the effect structure between humans and media is much more complicated than often assumed and prohibits simple speculation regarding the effect) or unfavorable contextual conditions for data acquisitions (flood of questionnaires at universities reduces the willingness of students to participate). The classic questionnaire came into use here as well as research journals, new forms of group discussions (focus groups, virtual focus groups), e-mail surveys or interviews with project co-workers or students. The accompanying evaluations have shown that virtual media themselves can only be seen as new tools to support teaching and learning. Whether or not they contribute to an upgrade of the teaching and learning process depends, so our evaluation results show, on a series of important factors: In addition to motivated teachers it depends on an adequate motivation of the students. Learning with new media should especially not be regarded with a fundamental aversion towards these technical innovations but rather with competence (media competence). It must not be assumed that the effects of the applied virtual media come from the media itself. They unfold only with the didactical concepts on the basis the employment of these media. Hence it is not the media technology that is learn-effective but the medial and didactical preparation of the contents. In order to maintain or increase the motivation among the students, certain quality criteria should be fulfilled for the successful application of virtual media in the teaching and learning process. Such as an appropriate, content-related set-up or the adequate application of perception, development or processing aids. Since the coordination of such virtual teaching functions is so much more complex than for conventional methods, particularly so for on-line co operations, it is important to make sure that the organization of interaction and communication remains at a tolerable level and that it does not interfere with the actual topics. The technology used for virtual teaching and learning scenarios should not be too susceptible to errors since flaws in hard and software lead to unnecessary losses in the course of the event. As our surveys have shown, this can cause negative emotions among the students (trouble, frustration, and boredom). Furthermore the tutor should be well acquainted with the employed technology and the students should be given the opportunity before the semester or studies begin to familiarize themselves with it as well

Ernst Freund as Precursor of the Rational Study of Corporate Law

Gindis, David, Ernst Freund as Precursor of the Rational Study of Corporate Law (October 27, 2017). Journal of Institutional Economics, Forthcoming. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2905547, doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2905547The rise of large business corporations in the late 19th century compelled many American observers to admit that the nature of the corporation had yet to be understood. Published in this context, Ernst Freund's little-known The Legal Nature of Corporations (1897) was an original attempt to come to terms with a new legal and economic reality. But it can also be described, to paraphrase Oliver Wendell Holmes, as the earliest example of the rational study of corporate law. The paper shows that Freund had the intuitions of an institutional economist, and engaged in what today would be called comparative institutional analysis. Remarkably, his argument that the corporate form secures property against insider defection and against outsiders anticipated recent work on entity shielding and capital lock-in, and can be read as an early contribution to what today would be called the theory of the firm.Peer reviewe

A sequence variant at 4p16.3 confers susceptibility to urinary bladder cancer

To access publisher full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links fieldPreviously, we reported germline DNA variants associated with risk of urinary bladder cancer (UBC) in Dutch and Icelandic subjects. Here we expanded the Icelandic sample set and tested the top 20 markers from the combined analysis in several European case-control sample sets, with a total of 4,739 cases and 45,549 controls. The T allele of rs798766 on 4p16.3 was found to associate with UBC (odds ratio = 1.24, P = 9.9 x 10(-12)). rs798766 is located in an intron of TACC3, 70 kb from FGFR3, which often harbors activating somatic mutations in low-grade, noninvasive UBC. Notably, rs798766[T] shows stronger association with low-grade and low-stage UBC than with more aggressive forms of the disease and is associated with higher risk of recurrence in low-grade stage Ta tumors. The frequency of rs798766[T] is higher in Ta tumors that carry an activating mutation in FGFR3 than in Ta tumors with wild-type FGFR3. Our results show a link between germline variants, somatic mutations of FGFR3 and risk of UBC.info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/FP7/21807

To disclose or not to disclose: That is the systemic therapist's question. A framework for therapist self-disclosure in systemic psychotherapy

This research study has enquired into the circumstances as to when it is appropriate for systemic therapists to use self-disclosure of personal information to their clients as a clinical intervention. Eight experienced systemic therapists were interviewed and the interviews analysed using grounded theory analysis. A wide range in the readiness to self-disclose was found amongst the research participants. This thesis discusses how family/systemic therapy practice and theory have evolved and how this process has affected the development of systemic interventions such as therapist self-disclosure. The systemic literature on the topic of therapist self-disclosure is sparse and generally does not differentiate between its uses in different clinical scenarios. It shows that systemic therapy theory has concentrated on the teaching of models and technique while neglecting the development of the therapeutic relationship and interventions such as therapist self-disclosure. The research, supported by the literature, identifies a systemic professional culture that encourages caution in using therapist self-disclosure which has its origins in a number of areas including being overly influenced by Freudian thought and theory. The thesis builds on work by Rowan & Jacobs (2002). Their model identified distinct ways of being a therapist which help the therapist to determine the type of therapeutic inventions that are appropriate to be used or not. Three therapist positions were found the instrumental, the fluid and the relational and these are discussed. They are related to four different self-disclosure types that have been identified in the research. Other variables that emerged from the research, in relation to self-disclosure and systemic therapy, are also discussed. The systemic ‘self-disclosure framework’ has been devised identifying the place of these variables in systemic therapy, with the aim of informing the systemic therapist of their options in their use of self-disclosure. Recommendations are made for systemic clinical practice and theoretical development

Physically Variable Compliance in Running

Summary. This paper explores the role and utility of variable compliance in running behaviors. While it is well understood in the literature that leg compliance plays an important role in running locomotion, our conjecture is that mechanically adjustable leg compliance improves the efficiency and robustness of a running system. We claim that variable compliance can serve as an effective means for gait regulation, and can enable energy efficient locomotion over a wide range of terrains and speeds. We draw inspiration from a number of observations in biomechanics, and use qualitative arguments and a simulation of our variable compliance actuator to support the underlying ideas.