Sociologists increasingly face choices among competing algorithms that represent reasonable approaches to the same task, with little guidance in choosing among them. We develop a strategy that uses simulated data to identify the conditions under which different methods perform well and applies what is learned from the simulations to predict which…

This article analyses and discusses dilemmas, ambivalences and problematic issues related to research ethics. This is done firstly by making a distinction between procedural research ethics and particularistic research ethics. Such a distinction reflects a theoretical construction and generalization. In practice, there can be a very close…

When correlation between variables is not explicit, data can be collected by adapting the quantitative measurement tools in use for quantitative measurement of possibility, a nonlinear measurement. This adaptation is possible because measurement data can be evaluated more qualitatively using parameters for possibility. These can be defined as…

One common score reported from diagnostic classification assessments is the vector of posterior means of the skill mastery indicators. As with any assessment, it is important to derive and report estimates of the reliability of the reported scores. After reviewing a reliability measure suggested by Templin and Bradshaw, this article suggests three…

We examine how the politics of knowledge production limit research on the relationship between immigration status and social inequality. We centre the practices of methodological nationalism in Canada, a traditional country of permanent immigration in which temporary migration has become a core feature of the immigration system. In this case,…

In recent years, online education has been given more and more attention with the widespread use of the internet. The teaching procedure divides space and makes time for online learning; though teachers cannot control the learners accurately, the state of education calculates learners' learning situation. This paper explains that the discourse…

In Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), learners can post both text comments and overall ratings regarding the courses. There is growing interest in assessing the consistency of online reviews and the determinants of learner satisfaction. This study analyses the disconfirmation effect between textual review topics and the determinants of learner…

This article offers a brief overview of historical linguistics and explores the value of historical "sign" linguistics. The specific focus of the article is on the question of the extent to which the concept of "sign language families" is a legitimate and useful one. It is suggested that although lateral transmission and…

Since the COVID pandemic, universities propose online education to ensure learning continuity. However, the insufficient preparation led to a major drop in the learner's performance and his/her dissatisfaction with the learning experience. This may be due to several reasons, including the insensitivity of the virtual learning environment to the…

The Australian brushtail possum ("Trichosurus vulpecula") is one of many animal species classifed as alien under the biosecurity system in New Zealand. However, it is against the possums that a relentless campaign is perpetrated. This article attempts to explain some of the many reasons behind such intense negativity, and in doing so,…

In this paper, we survey current evidence on cognitive precursors of reading in different orthographies by reviewing studies with a cross-linguistic research design. Graphic symbol knowledge, phonological awareness, morphological awareness, and rapid automatized naming were found to be associated with reading acquisition in all orthographies…

This paper explores relationships between environment and education after the Covid-19 pandemic through the lens of philosophy of education in a new key developed by Michael Peters and the Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (PESA). The paper is collectively written by 15 authors who responded to the question: Who remembers Greta…

There is an increasing attention to the phenomenon referred to as "twice exceptional" ("2e") children, namely, children who demonstrate both exceptional abilities and disabilities. In this essay, this concept is applied to delinquency and/or emotional-behavior disorder and gifts (talents) in the performance arts, exploring the…

Advanced modeling of item response data through the item response theory (IRT) or item factor analysis frameworks is becoming increasingly popular. In the social and behavioral sciences, the underlying structure of tests/assessments is often multidimensional (i.e., more than 1 latent variable/construct is represented in the items). This review…

The definitions of "negative knowledge" and the studies in this regard published to date have not considered the categorial distinction Wittgenstein established between knowledge and certainty. Hence, the important role that certainty, despite its omission, should have in these definitions and studies has not yet been shown. In this…