Background: The wisdom of crowds and collective decision-making are important tools for integrating information between individuals, which can exceed the capacity of individual judgments. They are based on different forms of information integration. The wisdom of crowds refers to the aggregation of many independent judgments without deliberation…

This chapter discusses using technology to create Personalized Learning Pathways. Adaptable for any class format, such applications offer solutions for establishing competency, promoting deep and active learning, and empowering the instructor's data-driven decision-making.

Research examining the outcome of pediatric cochlear implantation consists of certain limitations, including the use of assessments that are often restricted to auditory-spoken skills, biased recruitment practices, and lack of consideration for identity development. To better understand the long-term outcome of implantation, it is vital to seek…

This article considers to what degree the UK depends on nuclear power for the generation of electricity and examines the problems, environmental and technical, associated with radioactive waste. Historical failings, the waste backlog, classification, modern handling techniques and with decisions about final disposal are outlined to provide an…

During emergency situations, such as natural disasters or the current pandemic, there may not be immediate access to research-based information or information may be nonexistent or conflicting. In such scenarios, Extension personnel may be required to make best guesses based on "what is known so far." Depending on the urgency of the…

'Educational Goods' is a provocative text which makes important contributions relevant to a wide readership, and this examination of the text suggests it may be necessary to further complicate the concept of educational goods. In particular, it takes issue with the universalising of the 'good' which has been a key feature of colonisation that…

Human decision making is partly determined by the verbal stimuli involved in a choice. Verbal stimuli that may be particularly relevant to human decision making are the words "should" and "like," whereby "should" is presumably associated with what one ought to choose, and "like" is presumably associated with…

Research use in educational decision-making has been encouraged and well documented at the K-12 education level in the United States but not in higher education, or more specifically for educational technology. We conducted a qualitative study to investigate the role of research in decisions about acquiring and using educational technology for…

Consumers' perceptions of the terminology used on food production labels may lead to a perceived risk, which influences their grocery shopping decisions. Risk perception is the consumers' belief that he or she may be exposed to something that is harmful or uncertain. Women are more aware of food labels due to their perceived risk associated with…

Faculty members experience a gap between how they would prefer to spend their work time and how they actually do so. In this article we report results from a four-week workshop called "The Terrapin Time Initiative." It was guided by theories of behavioral economics and behavioral design, which suggest that small changes to the context,…

Senior leadership teams are the key decision-makers invested with authority who work collectively to achieve organizational goals. While there is a rich literature on this topic across many disciplines, there is a dearth of research on this topic in higher education. In this article we argue for the need for research on senior leadership teams…

Students' choice of college major is related to their interests (Porter and Umbach in Res High Educ 47:429-449, 2006), and students whose major is well-aligned with their interests are more likely to persist in that major (Allen and Robbins in Res Higher Educ 49(1):62-79, 2008) and complete a college degree in a timely manner (Allen and Robbins in…

Data interpretation can be difficult. Data visualization techniques from the manufacturing industry make interpretation easier. Control charts display trends in context, so it is clear when performance is truly changing and when it is not. Decision makers know when to act, when to maintain, and when to celebrate. This article discusses the use of…

This chapter uses feminist and empowerment theories as a framework to examine how women in mid-level professional leadership perceive their level of influence and define leadership. Results indicate that empowerment behaviors are central when these women engage in opportunities to influence institutional decision-making, in the ways they identify…

The leadership of librarians (notably, school librarians) is sometimes invisible, or at least rarely acknowledged. This chapter explores one academic's experiences as a school librarian and the inherent leadership roles embedded in her work. Despite years of impact studies, the visibility of the school librarian as a competent school or university…