We explore the various Mathematica functions for performing Gaussian elimination, specifically when the linear system contains input parameters. On the one hand, we want the solution, perhaps heuristically found, to be in terms of the input parameters, and as general as possible. On the other hand, we must adhere to all necessary conditions and…

Librarians insist that one of the ways they can contribute to the fight against mis-and disinformation is by teaching information literacy. Yet the demands they place on individuals-- whether through lengthy checklists or expectations that individuals interrogate every piece of information encountered--are unrealistic in view of information…

This work presents a systematic review whose objective was to identify heuristics applicable to the evaluation of the usability of educational games. Heuristics are usability engineering methods that aim to detect problems in the use of a system during its development and/or when its interface is in interaction with the user. Therefore, applying…

Nonlinear effects are both underreported and underrepresented in counseling research. We provide a rationale for evaluating nonlinear effects and steps to evaluate nonlinear relationships in counseling research. Two heuristic examples are provided along with discussion of the results and advantages to evaluating nonlinear effects.

Evaluation is defined by its central task of valuing--the process and product of judging the merit, worth, or significance of a policy or program. However, there are no clear-cut ways to consider values and render value judgments in evaluation practice. There remains contention in the evaluation field about whether and how to make value judgments.…

Visual inspection of luggage using X-ray technology at airports is a time-sensitive task that is often supported by automated systems to increase performance and reduce workload. The present study evaluated how time pressure and automation support influence visual search behavior and performance in a simulated luggage screening task. Moreover, we…

Although interest in contemplative pedagogies has grown considerably in higher education, faculty have relatively few resources available to help them make evidence-based choices about the use of different contemplative pedagogies in particular disciplinary or course contexts. We propose adapting a framework from the Scholarship of Teaching and…

One of the main responsibilities of school librarians is to teach students to evaluate the credibility of information. There is little evidence to suggest that students are being explicitly taught how to evaluate news obtained through social media. As avenues for giving and getting information evolve, so must ways of teaching students so that they…

Despite widespread recognition of the need to improve assessment in higher education, assessment tasks in individual courses are too often dominated by conventional methods. While changing assessment depends on many factors, improvements to assessment ultimately depend on the decisions and actions of individual educators. This paper considers…

Designing learning opportunities is an integral part of the work of all educators. However, educators often lack the design skills and knowledge that professional designers have. We thus need more empirical research on the "demand side": how do educators design technology-enhanced learning activities, and how do we provide them with…

In this study, we explore the heuristic decision-making skills of undergraduate students as they incorporate information into their persuasive speeches. We interviewed 26 students enrolled in an introductory communication course to ascertain their information literacy for vetting sources for their public speeches. From their responses, we…

Widespread participation in collaborative writing and public discourse on blogs, news sites, Wikipedia and other online information sources is creating a new class of information literacy skills. In a series of qualitative studies, I examined high school students' information assessment practices as they helped build a collaborative online…

Teaching practices within educational institutions have evolved through the increased adoption of technology to deliver the curriculum and the use of computers for assessment purposes. For educational technologists, there is a vast array of commercial computer applications available for the delivery of objective tests, and in some instances,…

The past few years has seen a proliferation of novice programming tools. The availability of a large number of systems has made it difficult for many users to choose among them. Even for education researchers, comparing the relative quality of these tools, or judging their respective suitability for a given context, is hard in many instances. For…

Three indicators of undergraduate students' (n = 197) source evaluation were investigated as students completed an academic task requiring the use of multiple texts. The source evaluation metrics examined were students' (1) accessing of document information, (2) trustworthiness ratings, and (3) citation in written responses. All three indicators…