Teaching and Learning in First Year Seminars

This Journal of Information Technology Education article compares the relative successes of three different teaching techniques in seminars for a first year university course. This paper tests to see if there is one overriding approach that enables all students to learn effectively in seminars or whether different students benefit from different teaching techniques. Educational levels: Graduate or professional

Venezuela: A Nation In Need of Reform

The Venezuelan economy is currently undergoing tremendous economic and political upheaval. However, of the Latin American countries, it was one of the least damaged by the events in 2001 and also made a steady recovery from the Asian crisis of 1997. Using a combination of economic indicators, it is shown that VenezuelaÂ’s difficulties occurred not through contagion from other countriesÂ’ problems but through (a) its reliance on the oil sector and (b) poorly constructed and ill-sequenced policy. Given this, the paper then explores the countryÂ’s policy options and asks what can be done to make it an emerging market success.Currency Crises, Emerging Market Economies, Natural Resources

Speculative Behaviour, Debt Default and Contagion: An Explanation of the Latin American Crisis 2001-2002

This paper provides a model incorporating strategic speculative behaviour into a framework of debt default and contagion. A basic model of contagion shows how economies which appear fundamentally sound, can fail to meet foreign obligations when there are inter-linkages with a defaulting country. Introducing speculators into the framework increases the incidence of debt default and contagion. However, when these speculators view the economy with a degree of uncertainty, the likelihood of default and contagion is even greater. SpeculatorsÂ’ perceptions over the state of the economy are therefore paramount when estimating the impact of a crisis on a region.Currency Crises, Contagion, Common Knowledge.

Investigating Health Technology Diffusion in New Zealand – How Does it Spread and Who Stands to Gain?

Previous Treasury research has identified “price and coverage” effects as playing a key role in the growth of historical health expenditure. This incorporates factors such as technological change and input prices including wages. Bryant et. al. (2004) found that between 1950-51 and 2001-02, growth in price and coverage effects was the main source of long run growth in government health expenditure and has accounted for 3-4% growth per year since the early 1990s. This paper explores how a new health technology diffuses across District Health Boards (DHBs), the price and coverage effects, and whether access is evenly spread across the population i.e. who benefits from a new device or procedure. In particular, it highlights: • the variation in clinical practice between different DHBs • the degree to which the adoption of a particular technology in one DHB impacts on neighbouring DHBs: ? a “domino” effect occurs when the adoption of a technology in one DHB leads to other DHBs following suit ? the adoption of a technology in one DHB leads to increased inter-district flows between DHBs. • differences in access between geographical regions and also ethnic groups The paper takes the example of a new procedure used in coronary care known as ‘stenting’ and examines its adoption across the different DHBs. Data used pertains to different heart procedures adopted across New Zealand over a particular time frame (1995-2004). It comprises patient details plus information relating to the DHB in which the procedure was carried out and also the patient’s domicile DHB.technology diffusion; coronary procedures; health expenditure

Purchasing Power Parity in East Asia: Why all the Fuss?

Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) literature is now vast with literally hundreds of papers offering tests for PPP across a broad number of countries. However, despite all the elaborate techniques employed, very little explanation is given as to why PPP is so relevant1 in policy making. This paper provides a basic understanding of PPP and shows why it is considered so important when making policy choices. The discussion is focused on the Asian economies since these have been subject to intense scrutiny following the 1997 crisis, particularly with regard to their choice of exchange rate regime and possible monetary unification.Exchange Rates Regimes, Purchasing Power Parity

Two Experiments to Test a Model of Herd Behaviour

We carry out two experiments to test a model of herd behaviour based on the work of Banerjee (1992). He shows that herding occurs as a result of people observing the actions of others and using this information in their own decision rule. However, in our experiments herding does not occur as frequently as Banerjee predicts. Contrary to his results, the subjects' behaviour appears to depend on the probabilities of receiving a signal and of this signal being correct. Furthermore, he finds that the pattern of decision making over a number of rounds of the game is volatile whereas we find that decision making is volatile within rounds.

Purchasing Power Parity and the Impact of the East Asian Currency Crisis

This paper explores the impact of the East Asian crisis of 1997/98 on foreign exchange markets and purchasing power parity within the region. While many studies have attempted to test for PPP prior to these events, there has been little opportunity to test for this long run phenomenon in the post-crisis period. This study addresses the issue by applying Inoue (1999) and Johansen, Mosconi and Nielsen (2000) cointegration procedures to bilateral exchange rates deflated using consumer price indices. Along with endogenously determining a structural break at the time of the crisis, the empirical results shed light upon the significance of the East Asian crisis on long-run PPP within the region. The findings are generally supportive of PPP with the crisis leading to only shifts in long-run trends. However, the results are not homogenous across all countries which is partially attributed to how individual countries handled the crisis.Cointegration, Exchange Rates, Purchasing Power Parity

Development and validation of a complementary map to enhance the existing 1998 to 2008 Abbreviated Injury Scale map

INTRODUCTION: Many trauma registries have used the Abbreviated Injury Scale 1990 Revision Update 98 (AIS98) to classify injuries. In the current AIS version (Abbreviated Injury Scale 2005 Update 2008 - AIS08), injury classification and specificity differ substantially from AIS98, and the mapping tools provided in the AIS08 dictionary are incomplete. As a result, data from different AIS versions cannot currently be compared. The aim of this study was to develop an additional AIS98 to AIS08 mapping tool to complement the current AIS dictionary map, and then to evaluate the completed map (produced by combining these two maps) using double-coded data. The value of additional information provided by free text descriptions accompanying assigned codes was also assessed. METHODS: Using a modified Delphi process, a panel of expert AIS coders established plausible AIS08 equivalents for the 153 AIS98 codes which currently have no AIS08 map. A series of major trauma patients whose injuries had been double-coded in AIS98 and AIS08 was used to assess the maps; both of the AIS datasets had already been mapped to another AIS version using the AIS dictionary maps. Following application of the completed (enhanced) map with or without free text evaluation, up to six AIS codes were available for each injury. Datasets were assessed for agreement in injury severity measures, and the relative performances of the maps in accurately describing the trauma population were evaluated. RESULTS: The double-coded injuries sustained by 109 patients were used to assess the maps. For data conversion from AIS98, both the enhanced map and the enhanced map with free text description resulted in higher levels of accuracy and agreement with directly coded AIS08 data than the currently available dictionary map. Paired comparisons demonstrated significant differences between direct coding and the dictionary maps, but not with either of the enhanced maps. CONCLUSIONS: The newly-developed AIS98 to AIS08 complementary map enabled transformation of the trauma population description given by AIS98 into an AIS08 estimate which was statistically indistinguishable from directly coded AIS08 data. It is recommended that the enhanced map should be adopted for dataset conversion, using free text descriptions if available