ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Statistical Analysis of a Class: Monte Carlo and Multiple Imputation Spreadsheet Methods for Estimation and Extrapolation
Author: Fish, Laurel J.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Statistical Analysis,Monte Carlo Methods,Spreadsheets,Simulation,Computation,Probability,Mathematics Education,Science Education

The Monte Carlo method and related multiple imputation methods are traditionally used in math, physics and science to estimate and analyze data and are now becoming standard tools in analyzing business and financial problems. However, few sources explain the application of the Monte Carlo method for individuals and business professionals who are not immersed in the realm of mathematics or science. This paper introduces these Monte Carlo methods for the non-mathematician and business student, providing examples where the Monte Carlo method is applied when only small samples are available. Statistical analysis and statistically sound extrapolation of sample characteristics to the larger class population can be facilitated by applying Monte Carlo methods and the related concept of multiple imputation, which is also explained. Appendices provide step-by-step instructions for using two popular spreadsheet add-ins to run Monte Carlo based analysis.
Extending the Use and Effectiveness of the Monopoly® Board Game as an In-Class Economic Simulation in the Introductory Financial Accounting Course
Author: Shanklin, Stephen B.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Games,Teaching Methods,Simulation,Accounting,Finance Occupations,Concept Formation,Debt (Financial),Business,Economics,Skill Development,Teamwork,College Students

This paper extends the use of the Monopoly® board game as an economic simulation exercise designed to reinforce an understanding of how the accounting cycle impacts the financial statements used to evaluate management performance. This extension adds elements of debt not previously utilized to allow for an introduction of the fundamentals of ratio analysis at a foundation level in financial accounting instruction. This extended approach uses the rules and strategies of a familiar board game to create a simulation of business and economic realities, which then becomes an effective, interactive, in-class financial accounting practice set. The unique combination of each player's skill and luck provides for unlimited outcome possibilities, delivering an interpretive result that students can neither predict nor easily manipulate. This pedagogical approach serves to provide students with a sense of proprietorship in the activities of the instruction and fosters a competitive spirit to succeed in class activities that will ultimately be presented to the entire class. While the instructor surrenders a significant level of control in the class exercise, the uniqueness of each Monopoly® team's game results requires active engagement in-class and additional individual effort on the follow-up assignments outside the classroom. In the previous use of the Monopoly® board game, the class activity provided a valuable parallel for reality in practicing the financial accounting cycle and emphasizing its use by external parties. Because of the dynamic sense of capturing the &quot;real-time&quot; aspect of the game into finished financial statements for analysis, students start to sense a greater appreciation for the role that accounting cycle activities play in business reporting and the assessment of operating results. Using the Monopoly® board game in the first course in financial accounting tends to generate a higher level of competitive energy in the classroom experience, with more actively engaged students grasping the nature and purpose of the financial accounting system more quickly and actively than with other pedagogical approaches previously used. More recently, using Microsoft Excel to reflect the game results and present the financial statements has added to the robust learning experience achieved by incorporating the Monopoly® board game.
Service and the Millennial Business Student: The Motivating Influence of an E-Book Class Project
Author: Arnold, William W.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Publishing,Service Learning,Business Administration Education,Generational Differences,Volunteers,Program Effectiveness,Reflection,Student Attitudes,Intention,College Students,Student Projects,Student Participation,Student Motivation

A commitment to voluntary service that benefits others was reinforced for students who authored an e-book on service as a class project in a senior business course. The immersive experience of writing short essays that focused on service shifted students' motivations toward service and solidified their intentions to continue with service after graduation. The article reviews millennials' characteristics and their activities related to volunteering services. The concerns of generations covering the past 100 years illustrate the shift from physical hardship and a rudimentary standard of living in earlier times toward present-day issues of millennials, namely economic security, technology change, globalization and meaningfulness in life and careers. A 4-stage model shows how student engagement in creating the e-book influenced commitment to service. The stages include (a) salience (being tasked with the assignment), (b) reflection (thinking about service), (c) internalization (deciding about service in their own lives), (d) commitment-action (resolve to actively integrate service into future life). Examination of millennials' values and work styles indicated the e-book as a class project matched their preferences. Each of 5 teams was tasked to complete deliverables, which the students produced operating under a &quot;leaderless classroom&quot; structure. Corporations that encourage employees to offer pro bono services have recognized benefits to their employees, reinforcing the need for business education programs to include service-related experiences.
Using the Interactive Graphic Syllabus in the Teaching of Economics
Author: Moosavian, Seyyed Ali Zeytoon Nejad
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Course Descriptions,Economics Education,Teaching Methods,Course Organization,Management Systems,Cognitive Style,Macroeconomics,Visual Aids,Web Based Instruction,Correlation,Higher Education

In the past few decades, two novel variations of syllabus have emerged: namely &quot;the Graphic Syllabus&quot; and &quot;the Interactive Syllabus&quot;. Each of these two variations of syllabus has its own special advantages. The present paper argues that there could be devised a new combined version of the two mentioned variations, called &quot;the Interactive Graphic Syllabus&quot;, which can potentially bring us the advantages of both at the same time. Specifically, using a well-designed Interactive Graphic syllabus can bring about many advantages such as clarifying complex relationships; causing a better retention; needing less cognitive energy for interpretation; helping instructors identify any snags in their course organization; capability of being integrated easily into a course management system; appealing to many of learning styles and engaging students with different learning styles. In addition to the introduction of the notion of the Interactive Graphic Syllabus, in order to put this idea into action in the context of economics, the present paper takes advantage of the visual &quot;big picture&quot; of intermediate macroeconomics that has already been proposed by Moosavian (2016a). The present paper describes a web-page that contains a web-based interactive graphic of the aforementioned macroeconomics visual &quot;big picture&quot;. It is argued that this graphic can be used as a cyber-resource to technologically support the above-mentioned visual &quot;big picture&quot;, which comprises twenty-seven interrelated macroeconomic diagrams, and gives some details on the types of their relationships. Furthermore, it provides numerous internet links to other relevant instructional resources offered by well-known universities, allowing the students to somehow zoom in the macroeconomics &quot;big picture&quot;. Moreover, this web-page provides roughly one hundred links to short instructional videos. More interestingly, it responds interactively, if one hovers over a particular diagram, by highlighting the routes through which the final macroeconomic general equilibrium is affected by any change in that particular diagram. The interactive graphic went online on 10/30/2015 at the URL http://zeytoonnejad.com/macrobigpic.aspx and is still under minor modification.
Assessment Accommodations for Foreign Pupils in the Light of Educational Justice: Empirical Research among Slovenian Primary School Teachers
Author: Mihelic, Mojca Žveglic
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Elementary School Teachers,Questionnaires,Teacher Attitudes,Foreign Nationals,Elementary School Students,Teaching Experience,Testing Accommodations,Educational Practices,Teacher Characteristics,Justice,Educational Opportunities,Equal Education,Statistical Analysis

The starting points of primary school pupils in a foreign country differ significantly from those of native pupils. In Slovenia, the knowledge of pupils who are foreign citizens (foreign pupils) may be assessed with different accommodations for no more than two years. The presented research conducted on a representative sample of 697 Slovenian primary school teachers addresses their perspectives, using a questionnaire, on assessment accommodations for foreign pupils. The following research questions are answered: 1) What are teachers' perceptions of assessment accommodations for foreign pupils; are there differences between teachers who had recently taught foreign pupils and those who had not? 2) Do generalist teachers have different perceptions than subject teachers do? 3) What kind of assessment accommodations do teachers practice for these pupils after the expiration of the two-year period; do generalist and subject teachers act differently? 4) Do teachers perceive assessment accommodations as being just? We demonstrate that teachers who have recent experience of teaching foreign pupils are more aware of the need for assessment accommodations than those who do not. The majority of the teachers accommodate assessment and grading even after the two-year period, especially generalist teachers. Additionally, some of them have lower expectations with regard to achieving knowledge standards for these pupils. While the majority of the teachers perceive accommodated assessment as being just, they are unsure of whether the period of allowed adjustments should be longer. This raises the questions about teachers' understanding of educational justice and the application of the principle of justice in practice.
Education for Sustainable Development, Nature and Vernacular Learning
Author: Selby, David
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Sustainable Development,Native Language,Place Based Education,Ecology,Native Language Instruction,Educational Environment,Activism,Nature Nurture Controversy,Environmental Education,Educational Practices

Mainstream education for sustainable development conceives of nature as a resource or commodity. The natural world is, for the most part, accorded only instrumental or utilitarian value. As a field it thus aligns itself with a longstanding paradigm in western thinking that sees humans as separate from and dominant over nature. The de-natured nature of education for sustainable development makes it unlikely that the learner will become motivated to care and act for nature. As an alternative, vernacular learning is proposed, i.e. place-based learning rooted in close intimacy and connection with the natural world, with nature perceived as being intrinsically valuable. The importance of fostering emotional affinity with nature is underlined, as are forms of multi-sensory learning that help the learner engage with both spirit and soul of place. Practical examples of vernacular learning activities are enumerated. The importance of nurturing a sense of wonder and joy in the young learner is put forward as vital in fostering an ethic of concern for the planet. Essentially, the argument goes, we only stir ourselves to protect what we have come to love, and thus cultivating a sense of oneness with nature is vital if we are to have any chance of transforming the global environmental condition. Passion is the harbinger of activism.
Professional Competence of Student Teachers to Implement Species Identification in Schools -- A Case Study from Germany
Author: Lindemann-Matthies, Petra
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Student Teachers,Minimum Competencies,Minimum Competency Testing,Identification,Questionnaires,Plants (Botany),Animals,Knowledge Base for Teaching,Biodiversity,Familiarity,Student Interests,Student Satisfaction,Investigations,Research Methodology,Student Teacher Attitudes,Knowledge Level

This study investigates how well prepared student teachers are to implement species identification in school. Data were collected with the help of a questionnaire and a PowerPoint presentation in which local plant and animal species were presented. Participants (n = 357) correctly identified, on average, 23% of the plants and 44% of the animals. They identified plants mainly by flower characteristics and leaves, and animals mainly by shape and colour. Family and school were key sources of participants' knowledge of species. The self-estimated competence of participants to identify species was positively correlated with their taxonomic knowledge and the amount of time they had spent on species identification during their own schooldays. The number of correctly identified plant and animal species increased with interest in identifying species and participation in species identification courses. Participants considered learner-centred education and experience-based learning, and the use of living organisms to be most important when identifying species in school.
The Role of Cultural Capital in Higher Education Access and Institutional Choice
Author: Košutic, Iva
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cultural Capital,Higher Education,School Choice,Access to Education,Secondary School Students,Social Bias,Academic Achievement,Multiple Regression Analysis,Statistical Significance,Correlation,Educational Opportunities,Grade Point Average,Predictor Variables,Academic Aspiration,Foreign Countries,Statistical Analysis

This paper aims to explore social inequalities in school achievement and educational decision-making of the final-year students of secondary schools in the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County, Croatia (N = 534). The theoretical framework of the paper was Bourdieu's theory of cultural and social reproduction (1977a). The main objectives were an analysis of the association between the students' cultural capital and their school achievement and analyses of the predictive power of the cultural capital theory in the context of educational decisions in the transition to tertiary education. In the analysis of school achievement, sequential multiple regression analysis was used, while in the analyses of educational decisions logistic regression analyses were performed (binary and multinomial logistic regression). The results indicated that cultural capital had statistically significant correlation with school performance. Among the cultural capital indicators, statistically significant predictors of the probability of the intention to enrol into vocational higher education were the material dimension of cultural capital and naturalness of higher education aspirations of students. For the prediction of the probability of intention to enrol in university, significant predictors were embodied cultural capital, the naturalness of higher education aspirations of students, and father's educational level. The study results on a selected sample of graduates tend to support Bourdieu's theory of cultural reproduction through education.
Fragmented Knowledge and Missing Connections between Knowledge from Different Hierarchical Organisational Levels of Reproduction among Adolescents and Young Adults
Author: Šorgo, Andrej
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Secondary School Students,College Students,Knowledge Level,Birth,Biology,Genetics,Heredity,Physiology,Anatomy,Misconceptions,Mixed Methods Research,Questionnaires,Scientific Concepts

Based on the responses of our sample (N = 310) of adolescents and young adults from Slovenia (students of secondary and tertiary schools, university students) to a number of tasks covering reproduction, from the molecular to organismal levels, it can be concluded that their knowledge is seriously flawed. Correlations of knowledge between individual tasks are low, or even negative, showing patchiness and missed connections between different aspects of reproduction. Our study confirms the well-known difficulties in building a consistent body of knowledge on the genetic-inheritance axis while expanding it to the anatomy and physiology of reproduction. It is crucial to stress the quality of elementary school biology, and science (biology) courses in secondary schools because, for most people, this will be the last formal contact with some important topics that could influence their life decisions.
Personal Constructions of Biological Concepts--The Repertory Grid Approach
Author: McCloughlin, Thomas J. J.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Biology,Scientific Concepts,Science Instruction,Concept Mapping,Learning Processes,Diagnostic Tests,Case Studies,Secondary School Students,Comparative Analysis,Educational Research,Classification,Foreign Countries,Correlation,Factor Analysis,Interviews,Likert Scales

This work discusses repertory grid analysis as a tool for investigating the structures of students' representations of biological concepts. Repertory grid analysis provides the researcher with a variety of techniques that are not associated with standard methods of concept mapping for investigating conceptual structures. It can provide valuable insights into the learning process, and can be used as a diagnostic tool in identifying problems that students have in understanding biological concepts. The biological concepts examined in this work are 'natural kinds': a technical class of concepts which &quot;appear&quot; to have invisible &quot;essences&quot; meaning carrying more perceptual weight than being perceptually similar. Because children give more weight to natural-kind membership when reasoning about traits, it would seem pertinent to apply such knowledge to deep-level research into how children reason in biology. The concept of natural kinds has a particular resonance with biology since biological kinds hold the distinction of being almost all natural kinds, such as when the same &quot;stuff or thing&quot; takes many different forms. We have conducted a range of studies using a diversity of biological natural kinds, but in this paper, we wish to explore some of the theoretical underpinnings in more detail. To afford this exploration, we outline one case-study in a small group of secondary school students exploring the concept of &quot;equine&quot;--that is, what is an equine? Five positive examples were chosen to engaged with by the students and one &quot;outlier&quot; with which to compare the construction process. Recommendations are offered in applying this approach to biological education research.
Positive and Negative Emotions Underlie Motivation for L2 Learning
Author: MacIntyre, Peter D.
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learning Motivation,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Secondary School Students,Correlation,Foreign Countries,Role,Teaching Methods,Language Research,Affective Behavior,Psychological Patterns,German,Intercultural Communication,Incidence,Geographic Regions,Regression (Statistics),Likert Scales

The role of basic emotions in SLA has been underestimated in both research and pedagogy. The present article examines 10 positive emotions (&quot;joy,&quot; &quot;gratitude,&quot; &quot;serenity,&quot; &quot;interest,&quot; &quot;hope,&quot; &quot;pride,&quot; &quot;amusement,&quot; &quot;inspiration,&quot; &quot;awe,&quot; and &quot;love&quot;) and 9 negative emotions (&quot;anger,&quot; &quot;contempt,&quot; &quot;disgust,&quot; &quot;embarrassment,&quot; &quot;guilt,&quot; &quot;hate,&quot; &quot;sadness,&quot; &quot;feeling scared,&quot; and &quot;being stressed&quot;). The emotions are correlated with core variables chosen from three well-known models of L2 motivation: Gardner's integrative motive, Clément's social-contextual model, and Dörnyei's L2 self system. Respondents came from Italian secondary schools, and most participants were from monolingual Italian speaking homes. They described their motivation and emotion with respect to learning German in a region of Italy (South Tyrol) that features high levels of contact between Italians and Germans. Results show that positive emotions are consistently and strongly correlated with motivation-related variables. Correlations involving negative emotions are weaker and less consistently implicated in motivation. The positivity ratio, that is, the relative prevalence of positive over negative emotion, showed strong correlations with all of the motivation constructs. Regression analysis supports the conclusion that a variety of emotions, not just one or two key ones, are implicated in L2 motivation processes in this high-contact context.
Dissection of Mammalian Organs and Opinions about It among Lower and Upper Secondary School Students
Author: Špernjak, Andreja
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Laboratory Procedures,Animals,Anatomy,Physiology,Secondary School Students,Teaching Methods,Foreign Countries,Biology,Science Instruction,Student Attitudes,Student Surveys,Questionnaires,Statistical Analysis,Factor Analysis,Correlation,Gender Differences,Age Differences

This article describes the results of a study that investigated the use of the dissection of organs in anatomy and physiology classes in Slovenian lower and upper secondary schools. Based on a sample of 485 questionnaires collected from Slovenian lower and upper secondary school students, we can conclude that dissection of mammalian organs during the courses on Human Anatomy would be a preferred activity for the majority of them. Opinions on such practices are positive, and only a minority of students would prefer to opt out. However, the practice is performed only occasionally in regular classes, or even omitted, and a number of students never participate in it. According to the results, we can suggest the dissection of mammalian organs in combination with alternatives, such as 3D models and virtual laboratories, as a preferred strategy to increase knowledge of anatomy and to raise interest in science. However, students should know that the organs they are dissecting were dedicated to human consumption, or are waste products in these processes. Opt-out options should be provided for those who do not want to participate in such activities.