论大学英语水平统一测试的优越性

我国现行有两套考试系统用以测试大学英语水平:大学英语46、级考试(CET-4/6)用来衡量非英语专业学生的英语水平,而英语专业48、级(TEM-4/8)考试则用来测评英语专业学生的英语水平。依据Bachman和Palmer语言测试原则,为了保证语言测试的有效性,语言测试任务应该与语言应用任务相对应,这种对应是语言测试的出发点和目的。既然如此,对于非母语的中国大学生而言,就没有必要以英语专业或非英语专业的区分用不同的测试来区分他们的英语水平。从这一点出发,完全可以将现行测试非英语专业学生CET-4/6和测试英语专业学生的TEM-4/8合二为一。问卷调查分析也表明,实行全国大学英语统一测试比分成两套考试系统的英语测试更具优越性。     

国际化学院的课程体验调查分析

北京航空航天大学中法工程师学院通过中外合作的办学模式以实现国际化人才的培养,其重要途径之一就是通过对课程体系进行的改革,而人才培养的质量很大程度上也取决于所授课程的质量。运用一种在国际上普遍采用的课程质量调查方法-大学生课程体验调查,结合国际化学院的特殊背景修订问卷,对北航中法工程师学院与普通学院的学生进行课程体验的调查。调查发现,北航中法工程师学院学生对课程的满意程度高于普通学院学生,特别在良好教学与资源获取方面明显好于普通学院学生,但在课程收获和学业负担方面仍需改进。     

Methods to assess measurement error in questionnaires of sedentary behavior

Sedentary behavior has already been associated with mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Questionnaires are an affordable tool for measuring sedentary behavior in large epidemiological studies. Here, we introduce and evaluate two statistical methods for quantifying measurement error in questionnaires. Accurate estimates are needed for assessing questionnaire quality. The two methods would be applied to validation studies that measure a sedentary behavior by both questionnaire and accelerometer on multiple days. The first method fits a reduced model by assuming the accelerometer is without error, while the second method fits a more complete model that allows both measures to have error. Because accelerometers tend to be highly accurate, we show that ignoring the accelerometer's measurement error, can result in more accurate estimates of measurement error in some scenarios. In this article, we derive asymptotic approximations for the mean-squared error of the estimated parameters from both methods, evaluate their dependence on study design and behavior characteristics, and offer an R package so investigators can make an informed choice between the two methods. We demonstrate the difference between the two methods in a recent validation study comparing previous day recalls to an accelerometer-based ActivPal.     

Attitude strength moderates adverse effects to questionnaire design

ABSTRACT

The presentation and visual design of the “don’t know” category in rating scales on respondents’ behavior may have ambivalent effects. The hypothesis is that attitude strength toward the topic influences the respondents’ sensitivity to the graphical design of the scale. A paper-and-pencil questionnaire conducted among 307 German university students contained an experimental variation of the presentation of a “don’t know” category and its visual design. A multinomial logistic regression shows that presenting a “don’t know” category drives respondents toward extreme categories. The visual design of the “don’t know” category influences the distribution of responses, all the more that the respondents’ attitudes toward the item topic are weak.     

Impact of support networks for breastfeeding: A multicentre study

Background

The rates of breastfeeding worldwide are slowly improving since 1996. Europe is still trailing behind the global breastfeeding incidence and prevalence rates. Thus, breastfeeding promotion, protection, prolongation and support have become an important challenge as breastfeeding sharply decreases in the first six months of life.

Online Poker Tilt Scale (OPTS): creation and validation of a tilt assessment in a French population

Tilt in poker implies a deviation from an individual’s usual playing style, at a strategic, emotional and behavioural level. It is a specific characteristic of poker, which can affect all kinds of players with varying degrees of frequency. In addition, tilt could be a transitional form of pathological gambling behaviour and a gateway to addiction. The main objective of this research is therefore the design and validation of a measuring scale for tilt episode frequency in an online poker gamblers’ group. Twenty-one items based on the literature and interviews with 10 poker players were created. An online self-administered questionnaire was completed by 263 poker players to validate this scale. The mean age of the sample was 26.7 (SD = 4.45). The Online Poker Tilt Scale (OPTS) consists of 17 items and is the first validated tool for measuring the frequency of tilt episodes associated with online poker. It is composed of two factors: ‘emotional and behavioural tilt’ and ‘cognitive tilt’. Tilt seems to be an essential part of understanding online poker behaviour. This tool will enable researchers studying online poker addiction to perform research on the mechanisms and processes that lead to tilt and its consequences.     

中国C2C电子商务网站的用户体验

通过学生用户试用在两个不同文化背景下设计出来的C2C电子商务网站——淘宝网和Ebay易趣,并进行初次网上购物体验活动,以及对测试后满意度问卷的分析,结果显示:在用户决定购买的过程中,网站概念/功能的传递和表达对用户的影响最大,它们会影响到用户的初次购买决定;而流程的跳转以及交互行为的不平衡会对用户的购买过程造成影响;对用户初次购物总体评价影响最大的是功能满足。两个网站的系统可用性与界面设计不能决定用户的总体评价,但却会影响到用户对网站的感觉。因此,创建一个对用户有用、好用和想用的购物网站就必须要满足功能、交互以及冲击三个层次的要求。     

外语词汇学习策略与积极 消极词汇关系

选择中国西部某大学一年级新生,随机抽取186人,测试他们的积极词汇与消极词汇水平,问卷调查他们的学习策略。研究发现：大学生的机械学习策略多于认知策略,且总体策略应用水平不高,局限于浅层。他们的消极词汇明显多于积极词汇,且词汇水平越低,消极词汇所占的比例越大。这和学习策略采用的范围和层次直接相关,建议教师注意培训学生对深层策略的应用。     

大学生性心理状况综合问卷的编制

为了更全面、立体、直观地了解大学生性心理方面的综合状况,本文编制了包含"性观念"性内疚"同伴影响"性知识"和"性教育需求"五个分问卷的《大学生性心理状况综合问卷》,经过初测修订形成了正式问卷,正式问卷共38题,信效度良好,具有较强的理论性和实用性,不仅能用于评估大学生个体性心理健康情况,也可以用于不同年级或性别大学生性心理健康的综合状况的比较研究。     

大学选修课“选而不修”问题的分析与对策——以公选课《美国文化解读》为例

各普通高校对英语选修课日趋重视,然而学生选而不修的问题也很突出。作者在对两学期的选修课授课对象从选课动机、课后作业、考核方式、存在问题等方面分别进行了两次问卷调查之后,在认真对比和分析调查结果数据基础上,结合《美国文化解读》教学实例,对大学英语选修课程体系在教学和管理方面提出了一些设想和对策。