Two-level model of information technology adoption in local government of Bali

Recent advance in information technology has aroused much interest among policy-makers, the business sector, the media and the academic world in developed countries. However, very little is known about the obstacles to adopting information technology in developing countries, particularly the low-income economies. This research stems from the issues described above. A variety of factors may influence the adoption of IT in local governments. Those factors range from technological and institutional to personal, social and economic factors. These factors included not only the information on variables gathered at the employee level but also on questions regarding the characteristics of each organization involved in the study. Hence the data files contain information obtained at two different levels, namely individual level and organisational level. Therefore a two-level hierarchical linear model is used to examine the relationships among variables. [Author abstract

Suppressor variables and multilevel mixture modelling.

A major issue in educational research involves taking into consideration the multilevel nature of the data. Since the late 1980s, attempts have been made to model social science data that conform to a nested structure. Among other models, two-level structural equation modelling or two-level path modelling and hierarchical linear modelling are two of the techniques that are commonly employed in analysing multilevel data. Despite their advantages, the two-level path models do not include the estimation of cross-level interaction effects and hierarchical linear models are not designed to take into consideration the indirect effects. In addition, hierarchical linear models might also suffer from multicollinearity that exists among the predictor variables. This paper seeks to investigate other possible models, namely the use of latent constructs, indirect paths, random slopes and random intercepts in a hierarchical model. [Author abstract

Accountability of teachers and schools : a value-added approach.

Currently, there has been substantial interest, in Australia and internationally, in policy activities related to outcomes-based educational performance indicators and their link with growing demands for accountability of teachers and schools. In order to achieve a fair comparison between schools, it is commonly agreed that a correction should be made for lack of equity. It is argued that student performance is influenced by three general factors: the student background, classroom and school context, and identified school policies and practices. In this article the effects of these three factors on science achievement among students in Canberra, Australia have been addressed. The effects are discussed with reference to Type A, Type B, Type X, and Type Z effects. Type A effects are school effectiveness indicators controlled for student background. Type B school effects are controlled for both student background and context variables. Type X effects are estimated with student effects, context effects and non-malleable policy effects controlled for. Finally, Type Z effects invoke school effectiveness indicators, controlled for student, context, and all identified policy effects. [Author abstract

Pendidikan dalam Gereja Sebagai Bentuk Partisipasi Kristen dalam Mencerdaskan Kehidupan Bangsa

Pendidikan dalam gereja berpengaruh bagi generasi gereja. Pendidikan dalam gereja sebagai bentuk partisipasi Kristen dalam mencerdaskan kehidupan bangsa didasari oleh fondasi teologis. Ada beberapa prinsip dalam Alkitab dan misi gereja yang menjadi dasar teologis pendidikan dalam gereja yaitu, pendidikan dalam gereja adalah tanggung jawab orang Kristen. Orang percaya harus meneruskan pengajaran dan pembinaan pada generasi selanjutnya. Kemudian pendidikan dalam gereja juga merupakan sebuah pembentukan karakter. Setiap anggota gereja didik untuk memiliki karakter yang serupa dengan Kristus. Selanjutnya, pendidikan dalam gereja juga adalah sebuah misi membawa orang menjadi murid Kristus. Kemudian, pendidikan dalam gereja juga untuk membawa jemaat mengenal Allah dan firman-Nya. Pendidikan dalam gereja membawa jemaat pada pembinaan iman dan ketekunan. Dari fondasi teologis yang terdapat dalam prinsip-prinsip Alkitab tersebut menghasilkan bentuk partisipasi Kristen dalam mencerdaskan kehidupan bangsa melalui pendidikan. Adapun bentuk pendidikan dalam gereja yang berkontibusi dalam mencerdaskan kehidupan bangsa, yaitu Pendidikan Agama Kristen. Kontribusi yang dilakukan oleh pendidikan agama Kristen meliputi 1) Pengajaran dasar iman Kristen, studi Alkitab dan juga praktik spiritual; 2) Sekolah Minggu yang merupakan pendidikan non-formal yang diselenggaran gereja untuk memberikan pembentukan karakter anak-anak sehingga memiliki moralitas yang baik; 3) Membentuk kelompok kecil atau persekutuan dalam gereja dapat membantu anggota gereja dalam pembelajaran dan pertumbuhan rohani bagi anggota gereja dengan konsep belajar bersama, berdiskusi, saling mendudukang dan menerapkan nilai-nilai Kristen dalam kehidupan sehari-hari; 4) Gereja yang mendirikan sekolah Kristen tidak hanya memberikan kontribusi dalam aspek akademis, tetapi juga pada pengembangan karakter dan spiritual siswa; 5) Pelayanan Sosial dan Pembinaan Karakter. Gereja mendorong anggotanya untuk berkontribusi dalam pelayanan sosial sebagai bentuk partisispasi dalam mencerdaskan kehidupan bangsa

Examining the validity of different assessment modes in measuring competence in performing human services.

This article addresses an important problem that faces educators in assessing students' competence levels in learned tasks. Data from 165 students from Massachusetts and Minnesota in the United States are used to examine the validity of five assessment modes (multiple choice test, scenario, portfolio, self-assessment and supervisor rating) in measuring competence in performance of 12 human service skills. The data are examined using two analytical theories, item response theory (IRT) and generalizability theory (GT), in addition a prior, but largely unprofitable examination using classical test theory (CTT) was undertaken. Under the IRT approach with Rasch scaling procedures, the results show that the scores obtained using the five assessment modes can be measured on a single underlying scale, but there is better fit of the model to the data if five scales (corresponding to the five assessment modes) are employed. In addition, under Rasch scaling procedures, the results show that, in general, the correlations between the scores of the assessment modes vary from small to very strong (0.11 to 0.80). However, based on the GT approach and hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) analytical procedures, the results show that the correlations between scores from the five assessment modes are consistently strong to very strong (0.53 to 0.95). It is argued that the correlations obtained with the GT approach provide a better picture of the relationships between the assessment modes when compared to the correlations obtained under the IRT approach because the former are computed taking into consideration the operational design of the study. Results from both the IRT and GT approaches show that the mean values of scores from supervisors are considerably higher than the mean values of scores from the other four assessments, which indicate that supervisors tend to be more generous in rating the skills of their students. [Author abstract

Some problems in the analysis of cross-national survey data

In this article three emergent problems in the analysis of cross-national survey data are raised in a context of 40 years of research and development in a field where persistent problems have arisen and where scholars across the world have sought solutions. Anomalous results have been found from secondary data analyses that would appear to stem from the procedures that have been employed during the past 15 years for the estimation of educational achievement. These estimation procedures are briefly explained and their relationships to the observed anomalies are discussed. The article concludes with a challenge to the use of Bayesian estimation procedure, while possibly appropriate for the estimation of population parameters would appear to be inadequate for modelling scores that are used in secondary data analyses. Consequently, an alternative approach should be sought to provide data on the performance of individual students, if a clearer and more coherent understanding of educational processes is to be achieved through cross-national survey research. [Author abstract, ed

Hydrothermal alteration of andesitic lava domes can lead to explosive volcanic behaviour

Dome-forming volcanoes are among the most hazardous volcanoes on Earth. Magmatic outgassing can be hindered if the permeability of a lava dome is reduced, promoting pore pressure augmentation and explosive behaviour. Laboratory data show that acid-sulphate alteration, common to volcanoes worldwide, can reduce the permeability on the sample lengthscale by up to four orders of magnitude and is the result of pore- and microfracture-filling mineral precipitation. Calculations using these data demonstrate that intense alteration can reduce the equivalent permeability of a dome by two orders of magnitude, which we show using numerical modelling to be sufficient to increase pore pressure. The fragmentation criterion shows that the predicted pore pressure increase is capable of fragmenting the majority of dome-forming materials, thus promoting explosive volcanism. It is crucial that hydrothermal alteration, which develops over months to years, is monitored at dome-forming volcanoes and is incorporated into real-time hazard assessments

Restoring the orangutan in a whole- or half-earth context

Various global-scale proposals exist to reduce the loss of biological diversity. These include the Half-Earth and Whole-Earth visions that respectively seek to set aside half the planet for wildlife conservation or to diversify conservation practices fundamentally and change the economic systems that determine environmental harm. Here we assess these visions in the specific context of Bornean orangutans Pongo pygmaeus and their conservation. Using an expert-led process we explored three scenarios over a 10-year time frame: continuation of Current Conditions, a Half-Earth approach and a Whole-Earth approach. In addition, we examined a 100-year population recovery scenario assuming 0% offtake of Bornean orangutans. Current Conditions were predicted to result in a population c. 73% of its current size by 2032. Half-Earth was judged comparatively easy to achieve and predicted to result in an orangutan population of c. 87% of its current size by 2032. Whole-Earth was anticipated to lead to greater forest loss and ape killing, resulting in a prediction of c. 44% of the current orangutan population for 2032. Finally, under the recovery scenario, populations could be c. 148% of their current size by 2122. Although we acknowledge uncertainties in all of these predictions, we conclude that the Half-Earth and Whole-Earth visions operate along different timelines, with the implementation of Whole-Earth requiring too much time to benefit orangutans. None of the theorized proposals provided a complete solution, so drawing elements from each will be required. We provide recommendations for equitable outcomes