An Examination of Potential Mediating Factors on the Seductive Details Effect in Learning from Text

Seductive details (SDs) are interesting, but not necessarily relevant, information that may be included in text to capture students’ attention. Unfortunately, including such details often hinders learning. Schraw (1998) differentiated between context-independent (i.e., interesting without surrounding context) and context-dependent (i.e., interesting only in light of surrounding context) SDs. In the first study, 388 undergraduate students read six paragraphs describing Sigmund Freud’s psychosexual stages (i.e., target material). Participants in four groups also read one of two biographical paragraphs. The biographical paragraphs contained SDs about Freud that were either context-dependent or -independent to the target material and presented before (primacy) or after (recency) the target-material paragraphs or not at all (Control). After reading, students took a quiz. Quiz performance was not influenced by the type of SDs but rather its placement relative to the target text. Students in the primacy conditions performed worse than students in the recency and control conditions. Thus, both types of SDs reduced learning when they were presented at the beginning of the text. Study 2 examined a potential interaction between SDs and a graphic organizer (GO). GOs are designed to help learners make connections among ideas in the text by visually representing the concepts to be learned (Ausubel, 1960; Robinson & Kiewra, 1995). In Study 2, 207 undergraduate students read the same target material from Study 1. Depending on condition, the participants also read the context-dependent biographical paragraph (SD only), read a GO that linked the SDs to the target material (GO only), read both (GO + SD), or only read the target material (Control). After reading, students took a quiz. Participants in the GO only group and the Control group performed significantly better on the quiz items than participants in the SD only group. There was no significant difference between the Control group and the GO + SD group. Results from both studies suggest that the GO mitigated the seductive details effect but did not reverse it. There is evidence for both the diversion hypothesis (priming inappropriate schema) and the distraction hypothesis (focusing the reader’s attention on the SDs as opposed to the target material)

Password Composition and Security: An Exploratory Study of User Practice

User authentication is a vital element in ensuring the secure operation of computer-based systems. The most common control mechanism for authenticating user access to computerised information systems is the use of passwords. Password-based systems remain the predominant method of user authentication despite the many sophisticated and viable security alternatives that have emerged from research and development. However, evidence suggests that this method is often compromised by poor security practices. This paper presents the results of a survey that examines user practice in creating and using password keys. This paper reports the findings from a pilot study examining user password composition and security practices for e-mail. Despite a greater awareness of security issues, the results show that an improvement in user password management practice is required

Impact of Web Based Flexible Learning on Academic Performance in Information Systems

Flexible learning environments are becoming increasingly important for the planning and delivery of information systems curricula. Despite the significance and importance of these new learning environments, little has been done to empirically assess their impact on student learning outcomes. In this paper we investigate the effectiveness of using a technology-centric flexible learning environment to teach a tertiary level introductory information systems course. The subjects for the study were students who were enrolled in two similar courses: (1) a group using traditional teaching and learning methods only, and (2) a group using a flexible learning approach incorporating extensive use of web technology. The course content, lecturer, textbook and assessment were the same for each group. The results show that the technology-centric flexible learning course provided an effective learning environment for students. However significant differences in academic performance within individual assessment items indicate that particular assessment strategies are more suited to a flexible learning context than others. Student tertiary entrance scores and computer playfulness were identified as important overall predictors of academic performance

A Survey of Current e-Business Development Practices in Australia

The Internet is a dynamic part of the business scene and there have been many examples of success and failures of e-commerce and e-business ventures. A survey was administered to asking questions about industries understanding of current e-business practices in Australia. The object of the survey was to provide a benchmark of current practice. The results of this survey could have a major impact on academic curricula. The survey was sent to 671 Australian Businesses and was addressed to the Chief Information Officer. Only twenty four usable questionnaires were returned and while it is accepted that this is a limited sample, disturbing trends have appeared with respect to the lack of strategic planning for information technology use particularly in medium sized businesses in Australia

Early Retention in Substance Abuse Treatment: Attachment, Interpersonal Functioning, and Perceptions of Treatment as Predictors

This study was designed to explore the cognitive-perceptual roots of attrition from substance abuse treatment. Previous research on interpersonal issues among substance abusers and attachment theory suggested areas for investigation: the perception of early parental care, current interpersonal functioning, and perception of the substance abuse treatment program

Flexible Learning and Academic Performance in Information Systems

This research investigates the effectiveness of using a technology-centric flexible learning environment to teach a tertiary level introductory information systems course. The subjects for the study were students who were enrolled in two similar courses: 1) a group using traditional teaching and learning methods only, and 2) a group using a flexible learning approach incorporating extensive use of web technology. The course content, lecturer, textbook and assessment were the same for each group. The results show that there were significant differences in academic performance between the two student cohorts. Student tertiary entrance scores and computer playfulness were also identified as important predictors of academic performance

Will current rotational grazing management recommendations suit future intensive pastoral systems?

This review aimed to determine whether current grazing management practices will suit future intensive rotationally grazed pastoral systems. A review of literature on grazing management recommendations found that there was good agreement on the ‘principles’ required for optimal grazing management. While these management practices have stood the test of time, it is concluded that shifts in external pressures (e.g., climate, plant selection and breeding, system intensification) compared to the period when farm-level grazing recommendations were first developed, may necessitate a rethink of current grazing recommendations. Examples include greater pasture masses (e.g., around 4000 kg dry matter (DM)/ha vs. the recommended range of 2600 to 3200 kg DM/ha) where short-rotation (annual, biennial) and tetraploid ryegrasses are sown, provided a consistent post-grazing residual can be maintained (possibly between 40- and 70- mm height). Milder winters and the use of ryegrass cultivars with higher growth rates in late winter/early spring may necessitate either lower target pasture covers at calving or shorter rotation lengths during winter. Longer grazing rotations (well beyond the 3-leaf stage, i.e., equivalent to deferred grazing) can be recommended for select paddocks from mid-spring into summer, to increase seasonal resilience across the farm. Longer residuals (even up to 70 mm - i.e., almost double the recommended height) might improve plant survival during periods of high stress (e.g., heatwaves, droughts). Lastly, diverse species pastures may require specific management to suit dominant species other than perennial ryegrass