Cochlear implants (CIs) have revolutionized the field of audiology, providing a life-changing solution for children with bilateral profound hearing loss. Expanding criteria has allowed children with significant unilateral hearing loss (UHL) to benefit from this technology as well. The practice is not without controversy, however. While we have…

Using data to inform classroom decision-making is a salient facet of teachers' professional practice. However, some evidence suggests that teacher data use practices are unevenly distributed within and across school contexts. In response, the present study examined school-level (elementary, middle, and high) differences in four categories of data…

In this study, we used a paper-pencil questionnaire to investigate whether teachers, administrators, and parents differed in their preferences and accuracy when interpreting visual data displays for decision making. For the data analysis, we used nonparametric tests due to violations of distributional assumptions for using parametric tests. We…

This article discusses five generally accepted reasons to use data as a part of an educator's ongoing professional practice. Of course, there are many other more specific reasons one might look at data, but these five cover the overarching need in an educational setting. The five major purposes for using data are: (1) To enhance understanding and…

My dissertation utilizes an explanatory, sequential mixed-methods research design to assess factors influencing community college students' transfer probability to baccalaureate-granting institutions and to present promising practices in colleges and states directed at improving upward transfer, particularly for low-income and first-generation…

Analyzed group discussions associated with 68 high-quality and 29 low-quality decisions made by comparably informed groups using cross-contact comparison. Found vigilance, second-guessing, and accurate information processing associated with high-quality decisions; faulty information processing and improbable fantasy chains with low-quality…

Experiment dealt with selecting political candidates. Results provide some limited support for the hypothesized importance of matching information presentation formats to decision-making strategies. However, the most effective pattern of matching turned out to be in the opposite direction of the prediction. Discusses methodological issues. (PD)

Defines the technology assessment (TA) movement as an attempt to link research and policy-making communities in federal government. Decision oriented, TA is used to: (1) identify problems, issues, and applicable technologies, (2) establish relevant effects and impacts, and (3) develop and evaluate policy and decision alternatives. Procedures and…

Describes various methods of measuring information contained in a database or in a document collection. Economic worth or utility of information to the user is discussed, the value of data in decision making is considered, and an example comparing information in two library collections is presented. (41 references) (LRW)

Considering an organizational phenomenon from more than one theoretical perspective may be more fruitful than using a single rational approach. There is a danger that the restriction of information generation caused by the single approach may produce a false certainty engendered in part through the methodology itself. (Author/WM)

The preparation and use of data needed to make objective, useful comparisons in higher education are considered. The needs for comparative data in higher education, including demands for accountability and strategic planning, are reviewed. In addition, data-related problems are considered: problems of narrowness, misrepresentation, sameness,…

Comparative education can deepen understanding of our own education and society, be of assistance to policymakers and administrators, and form a most valuable part of teacher education. Like all applied fields, however, it is open to potential abuse by those who would use its results to support--or oppose--specific change programs. (BRR)

Examined impact of mood, age, and gender on decision processes in a job-selection task for seventh through twelfth graders and adults. Found that females discarded more information and took longer to decide in negative versus positive or neutral moods. Junior high females were more pessimistic about their chances to obtain their desired job;…

A comparative analysis of two decision making strategies was conducted. One strategy compared alternatives on their best attributes for "the best payoff," while the other strategy called for accepting the first alternative that achieved all minimum cutoff values for all attributes. The subjects, 211 college students, selected a mayoral preference…

Most research on information utilization in judgment and decision making has followed two basic approaches: "regression" and "Bayesian." Each has characteristic tasks and characteristic information that must be processed to accomplish these tasks. There has been a tendency to work within a single approach with minimal communication between the…