Root Diseases and Blister Rust Associated with Bark Beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in Western White Pine in Idaho

Root systems of western white pine, Pinus montieola Douglas, were excavated with explosives and examined for pathogens. Data were also recorded on portions of the crown killed by blister rust caused by Cronartium ribieola Fisch. Statistical tests revealed a significant association between the bark beetles Dendroetonus ponderosae Hopkins and Pityogenes fossifrons (LeConte), and the root pathogen Armillariella mellea. (Vah!. ex Fr.) Karst and between beetles and all root diseases. Ninety-two percent of the trees attacked by bark beetles had root diseases, and 97% had either root diseases or blister rust. A discriminant analysis correctly classified 88% of the sample trees into two categories, trees infested with D. ponderosae or trees not infested with D. ponderosae, using the variables age (stump), diameter at 1.3 m in height, and percentage of the primary roots infected with pathogens. Major pathogenic organisms isolated from the roots included A. mellea, Phaeolus sehweinitzii (Fr.) Pat., Resinicium bieolor (Fr.) Parm., Vertieicladiella spp., and a Europhium strain. A hypothetical sequence of host tree invasion by blister rust, followed by infection by root diseases, and finally attacks by bark beetles, is postulated

Immediate Elaborated Feedback Personalization in Online Assessment

Providing a student with feedback that is timely, most suitable and useful for her personality and the performed task is a challenging problem of online assessment within Web-based Learning Systems (WBLSs). In our recent work we suggested a general approach of feedback adaptation in WBLS and through a series of experiments we demonstrated the possibilities of tailoring the feedback that is presented to a student as a result of her response to questions of an online test, taking into account the individual learning styles (LS), certitude in a response and correctness of this response. In this paper we present the result of the most recent experimental field study where we tested two feedback adaptation strategies in real student assessment settings (73 students had to answer 15 multiple-choice questions for passing the midterm exam). The first strategy is based on the correctness and certitude of the response, while the second strategy takes student LS into account as well. The analysis of assessment results and students’ behaviour demonstrate that both strategies perform reasonably well, yet the analysis also provide some evidence that the second strategy does a better job