Joseph Cavanaugh, Stephen Jacquemin and Christine Junker
This study aims to use self-reported publicly available student assessment data from the time period when there was an abrupt change in instructional method at the start of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to use self-reported publicly available student assessment data from the time period when there was an abrupt change in instructional method at the start of COVID-19 to assess potential for differences as a result of course delivery mode.
Design/methodology/approach
A general linear model using 837 student evaluations from 191 US public higher education institutions investigates the impact on student performance and how performance was related to a number of covariates, namely, online experience of instructor prior to shut downs, discipline of study and size of institution.
Findings
The analysis finds an overall grade point average (GPA) increase of 0.10 (out of 4.0) associated with the shift away from face-to-face instruction. In exploring potential covariates, only institutional size was significant in explaining this increase in GPA. This supports the notion that despite hardships inherent with the abrupt switch to online education across the country that student grades as a whole did not suffer.
Research limitations/implications
The source of data was self-reported. In addition, GPA is an imperfect measure of student learning. Despite this, because GPA is highly correlated with student satisfaction, retention and matriculation, it is relevant.
Practical implications
This study suggests that the rapid transition to online instruction did not negatively impact student performance and may have marginally increased these marks. These findings were cross-disciplinary and not influenced by the instructor’s prior online teaching experience. These findings support the idea that institutions and instructors should be more willing to use a variety of delivery modes going forward.
Originality/value
The data set used is uniquely large and varied in the number of institutions, professors, students and discipline. The COVID-19-induced transition from largely in-class instruction to mostly online or remote instruction allowed for a natural experiment that eliminates the sample selection problem associated with most other instructional method comparison studies.
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Martin O’Neill, Christine Wright and Frank Fitz
This paper investigates the conceptualisation and measurement of service quality in on‐line service environments. It reports the findings from an exploratory study of consumer…
Abstract
This paper investigates the conceptualisation and measurement of service quality in on‐line service environments. It reports the findings from an exploratory study of consumer perceptions of service quality as they relate to an on‐line library service in a prominent public sector university in Western Australia. The results reveal the core service quality dimensions of significance to on‐line consumers and demonstrates the usefulness and relative simplicity of this measurement methodology for evaluating the service quality construct in on‐line environments. The study highlights not only how the service is perceived from a customer point of view, but also what is important to the customers in their use of on‐line services.
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Martin O’Neill, Christine Wright and Adrian Palmer
Heightened competition in the e‐commerce domain continues to force the need for a reliable and user‐friendly service quality measurement methodology. The challenge facing…
Abstract
Heightened competition in the e‐commerce domain continues to force the need for a reliable and user‐friendly service quality measurement methodology. The challenge facing practitioners, however, is to identify and implement the most appropriate measurement tools for their operation. Disconfirmation measures have come to dominate the debate concerning this very issue, with both direct and inferred techniques presenting themselves as reliable and valid measures of online quality. This paper addresses this very debate in the context of an online library service setting. It presents findings that attest to the psychometric and diagnostic performance of both techniques and suggests that while much time is taken up discussing the former, the real power of such techniques for online operators rests with the latter, i.e. their ability to pinpoint service failures and direct continuous quality improvement efforts.
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In the six months that I have lived and worked in Western Australia I have been forcibly struck by the differences and the similarities in records management here in comparison…
Abstract
In the six months that I have lived and worked in Western Australia I have been forcibly struck by the differences and the similarities in records management here in comparison with the United Kingdom. It is inevitable, although not desirable, to go through this process of comparison. When I chose to emigrate I attempted to maintain an open mind about my new life and the working environment I was likely to encounter. I have been pleasantly surprised to discover that my experiences and perceptions of records management are generally in accord with those of Western Australian colleagues, despite differences in background and situation.
Mike Wright and Christine Ennew
The signing of the Single European Market Actin 1987 committed EC member states to theprinciples of establishing a single internal marketwithin which all barriers to trade in…
Abstract
The signing of the Single European Market Act in 1987 committed EC member states to the principles of establishing a single internal market within which all barriers to trade in services and manufacturing and obstacles to the movement of factors of production will be removed. In this context, the liberalisation of financial markets is assessed. Aspects of the present regulatory frameworking affecting suppliers of financial services are examined and the Commission′s proposals for the removal of technical barriers discussed. Some of the positive implications of these proposals for marketing strategies in the banking sector are considered.
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The purpose of this paper is to describe the journey of a young person with severe and complex communication needs from no formal expressive communication system, to a point where…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the journey of a young person with severe and complex communication needs from no formal expressive communication system, to a point where he is motivated and able to use a text based voice output communication aid for a range of communication functions, in a variety of settings, and with a range of communication partners.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is a descriptive single case study, documenting long‐term changes in speech, language, and communication needs and use, and discontinuation of use, of range of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) tools.
Findings
The paper describes the different AAC interventions and their success or otherwise in supporting the young person. It also describes key educational and therapeutic aspects of his management. Changes in the young person's interaction, language and literacy skills, and how his family and the professionals around him perceived the changes in his communication are highlighted.
Research limitations/implications
The paper is a description of one person without a known underlying diagnosis of his severe and complex communication impairment and might, therefore, be of restricted use when generalized.
Originality/value
There are few published longitudinal descriptions concerning how, why, and when young people use or discard AAC tools. This paper highlights the multiple and various factors of the factors that can be at work when actually providing intervention.
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Michael Wallace, Bradley R.E. Wright, Christine Zozula, Stacy Missari, Christopher M. Donnelly and Annie Scola Wisnesky
Purpose – In this chapter, we introduce the Internet-based field experiment (IBFE) that offers numerous advantages for bringing stratification processes “back into” the study of…
Abstract
Purpose – In this chapter, we introduce the Internet-based field experiment (IBFE) that offers numerous advantages for bringing stratification processes “back into” the study of religion. We present preliminary results from a study of class and race discrimination using this approach.
Design/Methodology/Approach – Using names of fictitious characters, we sent e-mails to a nationally representative sample of 4,680 U.S. Christian churches asking about possible membership. The e-mails varied only in the perceived race and class of the senders. We utilize a mixed methods approach to analyze variation in the content of the church responses.
Findings – Our early findings suggest significant variation by race/class manipulation, religious denomination, and region of the country in churches’ responses as well as the length of time they took to reply, the length of the response, the warmth, religious tone, and several other dimensions.
Research limitations/Implications – This study raises new opportunities for Internet-based research on religion in a variety of social settings, but there is not yet a well-established set of “do's” and “don’ts” for how to proceed. We advocate the development of a protocol of best practices as this research method develops.
Originality/Value – This study demonstrates the opportunities and pitfalls of the IBFE and the advantages it provides for studies of stratification and religion. Ours is the first study to apply this emerging method to the study of religion and stratification.
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Carl J. Pacini, Raymond Placid and Christine Wright‐Isak
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of trade secrets, reasonable steps to preserve secrecy, trade secret value, misappropriation methods used to acquire trade…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of trade secrets, reasonable steps to preserve secrecy, trade secret value, misappropriation methods used to acquire trade secrets, various legal remedies, and internal controls to protect trade secrets.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of types of civil trade secret cases is highlighted. The paper includes a statutory and legal case study analysis of the elements in a civil trade secrets lawsuit. Analysis of actual trade secret court cases illustrates the importance of private civil lawsuits in combating intellectual property fraud.
Findings
This paper shows the serious impact of trade secret espionage on the success and survival of businesses and the necessity of proving each element of a civil claim under state trade secret law. Also, practical steps necessary to protect an entity's trade secrets are discussed.
Practical implications
This paper raises the awareness of executives, managers, internal and external auditors, forensic accountants and other interested parties about the severity of trade secret espionage. Also, this paper highlights numerous steps to protect trade secrets.
Originality/value
This paper fills an identified need to inform those involved in the fight against economic crime about the importance of state trade secret laws and internal controls in the fight against intellectual property fraud.
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In our first Forum, where information, producers users and distributors internationally discuss a topical issue, Richard Poynder approaches key figures in the industry to solicit…
Abstract
In our first Forum, where information, producers users and distributors internationally discuss a topical issue, Richard Poynder approaches key figures in the industry to solicit views on site licensing.
Lisa A. Keister, John McCarthy and Roger Finke
The association between religion and material well-being is fundamental to research on inequality and stratification. Broadly considered, this association includes questions about…
Abstract
The association between religion and material well-being is fundamental to research on inequality and stratification. Broadly considered, this association includes questions about how religious affiliation and religiosity are associated with work behaviors, education, income, wealth, and related family processes. Early social sciences debated if and how these traits and outcomes are related and offered important insight into the mechanisms that might explain empirical patterns (Simmel, 1997; Sombart, 1911; Weber, 1905/1930). However, the religious landscape and the mechanisms creating religion and well-being have both changed dramatically since the early days of the social sciences. The proliferation of Protestant denominations, the changing role of Catholics, and the increased presence of other religious traditions are beyond the scope of these early works. Moreover, the relationship between religion and stratification is no longer a function of large-scale shifts in the mode of production but rather reflects changing individual and group approaches to human capital, work, and saving. In the 1960s, sociologists revived these debates, but empirical challenges and a narrowing of the discussion to focus on Protestant–Catholic differences weakened and ultimately ended the literature's momentum (Broom & Glenn, 1966; Glenn & Hyland, 1967; Laumann, 1969; Lazerwitz & Rowitz, 1964; Lenski, 1961).