Search

This study examined the effects of students' argumentation standpoints on their argumentation learning in the context of socio-scientific issues (SSIs). To that end, four kinds of argumentation standpoints were defined: affirmative standpoints, oppositional standpoints, multiple standpoints, and non-standpoints. These four kinds of standpoints allow for six possible combinations of any two of the different kinds of standpoints, which enabled us to conduct six kinds of 2-team format debates. The resulting differences of students' four types of arguments (i.e., claims, warrants, rebuttals, and qualifiers) generated in six types of debates were examined. This study invited 208 10th-grade students to participate in a quasi-experimental research design. The results showed the affirmative group students demonstrated superior performance in terms of claims and warrants, and the oppositional group students had the largest number of rebuttals. The students in the debate with combinations of affirmative and oppositional groups exhibited the best performance regarding the generation of claims, warrants, and rebuttals. Based on the results, the present study concluded the standpoint had significant effects on the students' argumentation learning, which suggests that teachers can investigate students' standpoint on the learning topic of SSI and their prior knowledge about the standpoint before teaching.

Contribution: This study used a guided reflective thinking mechanism to improve students' acceptance of flipped classrooms while promoting the development of students' will and self-regulated learning strategies to enhance their preclass preparation and participation in classroom activities. Background: Previous research has provided evidence of the impact of flipped classrooms on student learning, but an understanding of the relationship between flipped classrooms, learning strategies, and learning outcomes is limited. Intended Outcome: The learning strategies used by students in the flipped classroom were examined, and the effectiveness of incorporating a guided reflective thinking mechanism into the flipped classroom teaching design of a digital logic (DL) course was evaluated. Application Design: Referring to the strategic learning model, this study integrated the mechanism of guided reflective thinking into the instructional design of a flipped classroom for first-year students in the Department of Electrical Engineering of a junior college in Taiwan. Findings: The results show that the flipped classroom teaching design that guides the reflective thinking mechanism can promote the development of students' strategies to enhance their attitude, motivation, time management, concentration, self-testing, and solving learning difficulties, thereby improving their performance in DL courses. Furthermore, self-testing strategies are the most important predictor of students' performance in DL courses.

Teacher concerns influence how teachers respond to education reform. The 12-Year Basic Education is a curriculum reform focusing on a competency-based curriculum and instruction in Taiwan. The aim of the current study was to investigate the stages and types of gifted education teachers' concerns about competency-based instruction based on the Concerns-Based Adoption Model. A survey was administered to 274 gifted education teachers. The findings indicated that the gifted education teachers' concern profiles were very similar. Teacher concerns fell into three relatively well-defined stages: the Information concern (stage 1), Refocusing (stage 6), and Personal (stage 2). In addition, teacher concerns were clustered into three types: (1) pursuing change agency with dialectical thinking; (2) looking for efficiency by managing resources; and (3) awareness of current situations but working individually. Each type consisted of its own characteristics and the developmental stages of concern. Recommendations for practice and future studies are also provided.

Teach For All (TFAll) is global network of programs based on Teach For America. Since 2007, TFAll has spread to more than 60 countries and had a considerable impact on educational policy across educational jurisdictions. Scant research, however, has examined 'shadow' programs based on this model but unaffiliated with TFAll, such as Teach For Taiwan (TFT). This paper engages in a critical policy analysis of TFT and examines both its emergence and (mis)alignment with educational policy. Our analysis first highlights the inspiration and support TFT has drawn from TFAll and its affiliate programs, despite its unofficial status. The paper then examines how TFT is aligned strategically with recent policy shifts toward deregulation in Taiwanese education. We also find that TFT is misaligned with key educational structures, including the national salary scale for teachers and teacher education system, resulting in a new category of transient teachers who are uniquely positioned in the teaching roles they assume but largely unable to continue teaching beyond TFT. We argue that more attention within education policy studies should focus on the impacts of (un)official TFAll programs -- particularly given their disproportionate power and positioning to effect global educational change -- and their (mis)alignments with national systems.

Many elementary school students find astronomical knowledge difficult to attain. Students cannot observe planetary motion in the universe, which makes the construction of astronomical knowledge abstract and incomprehensible for many students. To cope with this dilemma, this study proposed creative situated learning via augmented reality (AR) and developed an AR-based Cosmos Planet Go App to simulate the motion of planets in the universe. This allowed students to understand the characteristics and features of each planet through its simulated motion in the universe. This study adopted a quasi-experimental method and the qualitative analysis to conduct experiments on teaching astronomy in an elementary school in central Taiwan. The control group students were taught using traditional classroom narrative teaching, and the experimental group students were taught using the AR-based Cosmos Planet Go App. The results showed that students who learned with the use of the AR-based Cosmos Planet Go App performed significantly better than the control students on measures of learning effectiveness, learning motivation, and flow experience. Moreover, learning engagement, which occurs when students can use multiple perspectives to solve problems, is the most important element for evaluating the AR-learning environment in creative situations. This study extended the research field of digital technology-assisted learning to the discussion of integrated creative learning environment, which can be used as the basis and reference for scholars' research.

This study examined how students' position on social-scientific issues (SSIs) influenced their performance on attitude toward science, science conceptual and argumentation learning. It defined two positions adopted by students regarding SSIs: affirmative and oppositional. The interactions between student position and two learning environments -- online and face-to-face -- were explored. A total of 214 11th-grade students from an educational priority area participated in our quasi-experimental study. They were assigned to four groups based on the two variables, position and learning environment. An online argumentation program was developed with a number of functionalities, such as sentence templates, anonymity, and asynchronous discussion blocks, to support the construction of multiple and evidence-based arguments. The findings show that the two variables significantly influenced students' attitude toward science and science conceptual and argumentation learning. There were significant interactions between the two variables in conceptual learning and two categories of argument: warrant and qualifier. The simple main effect analysis showed that the student groups that advocated a position of environmental protection and participated in online argumentation performed best. The follow-up qualitative analysis revealed that their stronger ethical standpoint and richer learning resources facilitated their co-construction of knowledge arguments and reconciliation following dialogue conflicts.

Mainland China and Taiwan have a homogenous macroculture, but a heterogenous microculture. To understand the acculturation of students from mainland China to Taiwan, the present study applies Berry's (1997) two-dimensional model of acculturation, together with the concept of cultural types as its analytical framework, using focus group interviews to analyze different directions of acculturation among students from mainland China in Taiwan. The results show that regarding personal values, due to Taiwan's restrictions on students from mainland China and the fact that they must eventually return to their place of origin, the acculturation of students from mainland China mainly takes the "separation/segregation" mode. Regarding peer selection, due to differences between individuals in their interpersonal choices, they may adopt "separation/segregation" or "integration" modes. Regarding the period of residence in Taiwan, as students from mainland China spend longer in Taiwan, they tend more towards "integration." However, when teachers show greater contempt for the culture of mainland China, the acculturation of students from mainland China tends toward the "separation/segregation" mode.

Recently, due to scarce resources and the need to provide an evidence-base for healthcare professions' education (HPE), HPE research centres internationally have turned to identifying priorities for their research efforts. Engaging a range of stakeholders in research priority setting exercises has been posited as one way to address the issues around reducing researcher bias and increasing social accountability. However, assigning individuals to single a priori stakeholder groups is complex, with previous research overlooking cross-category membership and agreement between individuals across groups. Further, analyses have pitched stakeholder groups against one another in an attempt to understand "who" prioritises "what," and often fails to grasp rationales underlying priorities. A deeper understanding of "who" prioritises "what" research areas and "why" is required to consider applicability of results across contexts and deepen social accountability and transferability. A web-based Q-methodological approach with n=91 participants ("who") from ten pre-classified stakeholder groups was employed with post-sort interviews ("why"). Sixty-seven Q-set items (Chinese/English languages) were developed from previous research ("what"). Participants were mainly from Taiwan, although international researchers were included. Q-sorting was undertaken in groups or individually, followed by post-sort interviews. Eighty-six participants' Q-sorts were included in the final analysis. Intercorrelations among Q-sorts were factor-analysed (Centroid method) and rotated analytically (Varimax method). Interviews were thematically analysed. Six Viewpoints with eigenvalues exceeding 1 were identified (range = 3.55-10.34; 42% total variance; 35/67 topics), mapping high/low priorities for research foci: Workplace teaching and learning; Patient dignity and healthcare safety; Professionalism and healthcare professionals' development; Medical ethics and moral development; Healthcare professionals' retention and success; Preparing for clinical practice. Eighteen rationales for prioritisation were identified: impact, organisational culture and deficit of educators/practitioners were most highly cited. Each Viewpoint, held by multiple stakeholders, comprised a unique set of topic-groupings, target study participants, beneficiaries and rationales. The two most prolific Viewpoints represent how different stakeholder groups highlight key complementary perspectives of healthcare professions' education in the workplace (efficacy of teaching/learning practices, application of knowledge/values). By illuminating the detail around each Viewpoint, and presenting an holistic description of the "who-what-why" in research priority setting, others wishing to undertake such an exercise can more easily identify how stakeholder Viewpoints and their epistemic beliefs can help shape healthcare professions' research agendas more generally.

The ultimate goal of gifted education programs is to cultivate students' competences through challenging, enriching, and engaging opportunities for talent development. The purpose of this review is to present two main approaches of enrichment programs for gifted learners in Taiwan: the programs following the law and the alternative programs initiated by local authorities, private organizations, and researchers. The rationale and practice of program evaluation are also discussed to analyze Taiwan's gifted education program logics and qualities to reflect on the development of these programs. Finally, the prospects of program design and evaluation are proposed: (a) defining the criteria for success or effectiveness, (b) selecting or developing valid and reliable measurement tools and strategies, (c) conducting long-term evaluation plans and follow-up studies, and (d) promoting evidence-based decision-making in gifted education.

Disorientation problems influence student learning. To address this issue, this study uses an integrative approach to investigate the causes and consequences of disorientation problems so that a complete understanding can be obtained. Unlike previous empirical studies, which use statistical techniques, this study attempts to expose unexpected relationships with a data mining approach. The results indicate that the causes of disorientation problems are associated with learners' computer experience, the frequencies and time of using each navigation tool. On the other hand, the consequences of disorientation problems are concerned with learning effort and learning performance. Based on the findings, a framework is proposed to provide guidelines for the development of Web-based learning systems that are able to reduce learners' disorientation problems. (Contains 6 tables and 6 figures.)

The present study describes the design of a simple teaching module for each student to fabricate a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) that could power a small fan motor. The significance of this laboratory exercise is to stimulate students' motivation by visualizing the light being converted into electricity, which is then switched over to kinetic energy, and to inspire them to understand the mechanistic working principles of solar cells and gain the concepts of sustainable green energy. The developed DSSC teaching module could easily power a small fan motor under the light of a halogen lamp, a conventional light bulb, or a compact fluorescent lamp. In addition, the fabrication process allowed replacing the expensive massive pressing machine by using electric irons that are readily available in daily life and made this module cost-effective and easy to assemble by school students. The field studies reveal that both junior and senior high school students were able to complete the module in 2.5 h class session and more than 80% of students successfully constructed the DSSCs to harvest the light to propel their fan motors.

Education research has shown that reflective study can efficiently enhance learning, and the acquisition of knowledge and skills from real-life situations has become a focus of interest for scholars. The knowledge-learning model based on verbal instruction, used in traditional classrooms, does not make use of real-life situations that encourage students to engage in reflective learning. However, by implementing the Ubiquitous Situated Reflective Learning System (USRLS), learners can be provided with real situations, faced in daily life at any time, to encourage them to engage in reflective learning with regard to information pertinent to the class. This study adopted a quasi-experimental design to assess the efficacy of these two learning models. The research subjects were 52 students from two grade 5 classes in one elementary school in the middle part of Taiwan. The USRLS was used for teaching the experimental group, while the traditional oral teaching method was used for the control group. The learning content of fifth-grade life-science technology classes consists of units on burning and rusting in the context of the life sciences and technology. The research results showed that (1) the learning effectiveness of the USRLS is superior to that of the traditional oral teaching model and (2) students in the high-learning achievement (HLA) group are best suited to a text-based self-reflective learning strategy, while students in the low-learning achievement (LLA) group can obtain more help by using a text-based peer-reflective strategy. Students noted that the learning cycle of a situated reflective learning model encouraged them to consider lesson content, helped them review their answers, and enabled them to increase their focus on the concepts and information in the learning task.

In 2012, the Taiwanese Ministry of Education launched a new quality assurance policy entitled 'self-accreditation', aimed at enhancing institutional autonomy, as well as establishing its internal quality review mechanism. In the self-accreditation policy, higher education institutions are encouraged to develop their own quality assurance frameworks based on strategic direction and institutionally specific features. The study adopts qualitative and quantitative approaches to explore the impacts and challenges of the 2012 Ministry of Education self-accreditation policy over Taiwanese universities and accrediting bodies. There are three major findings. 1. Self-accreditation policy had positive consequences and outcomes on university's internal quality assurance capacity building. 2. Inappropriate selection processes of reviewers, arbitrary elimination of standards and indicators, inconsistency across review decisions are the challenges that self-accrediting universities encountered. 3. Under the new quality assurance policy, the roles and responsibilities of external quality assurance agencies should be redefined.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the process of participation in the transformative learning process for invasive species by community volunteers and voluntourists. The results show that children play an important role in motivating adults to accept new ideas, and for both community volunteers and voluntourists, "dialogue" has an important influence on the relationship between self-reflection and new roles. In addition, during the operation of volunteer tourism, the platform provided by local intermediary organizations functioned to link stakeholders in volunteer tourism and promote transformative learning.

This study investigated two science teachers' meta-strategic knowledge (MSK) of argumentation teaching by applying the repertory grid technique (RGT). One teacher was a novice, while the other was experienced in teaching argumentation. Using the RGT, we elicited the objectives and strategies of the two teachers regarding their argumentation teaching involving two social scientific issue (SSI) scenarios. The results showed that the experienced teacher had more varied and organised MSK for teaching argumentation than the novice teacher. Meanwhile, the novice teacher indicated a belief that the learning of argumentation should occur in a more student-centred manner, rather than relying on a traditional lecture-based environment. Consequently, she spent a considerable amount of time engaging students with their peers' ideas through discussion and collaboration. On the other hand, the experienced teacher noticed that most of students had the ability to generate arguments, but that few knew how to argue based on evidence. Therefore, she helped students to collect data from various resources and suggested that they construct their own knowledge framework in order to improve students' ability to incorporate their understanding of scientific knowledge into scientific argumentation.

This qualitative case study explored the operational curricula of an art teacher's responsive pedagogy that focused on the differentiation aspects for artistically talented students in an elementary school in Taiwan. Findings indicate that cultivating a "Jian Zi" is the heart of the value system embedded in the art teacher's responsive pedagogy for the development of art talent. "Jian Zi" means a superior person with both talent and virtue ("Cai De Jian Bei"). Three themes are discussed: (a) qualitatively differentiated curricula for fostering sensitivity to human concerns; (b) harmonic integration between self-pursuits and group intentions; and (c) personalized guidance for well-balanced mixtures of substance and refinement. The art teachers' responsive pedagogy can inspire practitioners to implement a differentiated "attentive living art curriculum" (Gude, 2007) in their classrooms.

Problem-based learning (PBL) is regarded as an effective learning strategy to enhance cognition not only in traditional learning but also in e-learning. In e-learning settings, blogs and micro-blogs can plausibly provide a platform to conduct PBL. Recently, most studies on blogs and micro-blogs have respectively probed satisfaction and learning effectiveness. However, little effort has been made to explore their effectiveness on learning. Therefore, this study explored an application of a PBL approach on a micro-blog and blog by seventh-grade students taking an information ethics course; in particular, the effect of a micro-blog and blog on student learning with different learning achievement levels. Moreover, results showed that the micro-blog had more effect on PBL for low achievement students compared to the blog. This study suggests that using a micro-blog for PBL is more appropriate for the sake of maximizing learning effectiveness, if generally considering students with different learning achievement levels.

The present study investigated the guidance provided by science teachers to resolve conflicts during socioscientific issue-based argumentation activities. A graphical representation (GR) was developed as a tool to code and analyze the dialogue interaction process. Through the GR and qualitative analysis, we identified three types of dialogue reconciling strategies. The first one consists of teacher management, in which the teacher temporarily maintains the right to speak when students get mired in an emotional rebuttal situation. The second strategy involves the use of qualifiers to identify the strengths and weaknesses of an opposing argument. The third strategy consists of providing students with guidance to keep both parties (i.e. the students taking, respectively, the affirmative and negative positions) on the same discussion topic and can be used to assist teachers with forming broad questions that prompt students to conduct deeper discussions. These reconciling strategies were beneficial in that they helped students to argue in a more reflective way.

By gradually placing more importance on game-based education and changing learning motivation by applying game-playing characteristics, students' learning experiences can be enhanced and a better learning effect can be achieved. When teaching the content of Chinese poetry in Taiwanese junior high schools, most teachers only explain the meaning of Chinese poetry, while it is difficult for students to understand why poets write these poems, resulting in learning confusion. This paper implemented a digital game-based situated learning system based on Tang Dynasty poems for learning Chinese poetry to simulate the situations of hardship encountered by poets when writing poetry in animated form to help junior high school students in Taiwan to have greater understanding when learning the content of Chinese poetry. The research results show that students who used the Gourd Tang Dynasty system in game-based instruction had significantly better learning achievements than students who underwent traditional narrative instruction. Among them, students in the low learning ability group improved in their grades significantly more than students in the high learning ability group in terms of their Tang Dynasty poetry learning. Furthermore, the authors examined the predictive relationships between perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and behavioural intention related to the digital game-based situated learning system for Chinese language poetry. The factor of perceived usefulness was a key factor in the students' positive attitudes towards the digital game-based situated learning system. There were no significant differences with respect to individual characteristics (i.e. gender, online game experience and digital learning experience). The results demonstrate that this type of system can be widely accepted by students with different learning experiences.

In the past decade, a number of personalized learning systems have been developed and they mainly focus on learners' prior knowledge. On the other hand, previous research suggested that gender differences and cognitive styles have great effects on student learning. To this end, this study examines how human factors, especially gender differences and cognitive styles, affect learners' reactions to a personalized and non-personalized learning systems based on learners' prior knowledge. Forty-four university students participated in this study. The results show that females and Serialists show positive reactions to the personalized learning system, while males and Holists demonstrate similar reactions to the personalized learning system and the non-personalized learning system. The implications of these results for the design of personalized learning systems are discussed.

E-learning is an important and widespread contemporary trend in education. Because its success depends on the quality of digital materials, the mechanism by which such materials are accredited has received considerable attention and has influenced the design and implementation of digital courseware. For this reason, this study examined the mechanism by which digital materials are accredited in Taiwan by analyzing the effects of this process on the quality of the digital materials accredited between 2009 and 2014 and by exploring its influence on the design and production of these materials. This analysis was used to identify the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning courseware so as to enhance the quality of digital materials. Data were drawn from 240 applications submitted to the Taiwan E-Learning Quality Center between 2009 and 2014, which were evaluated using quality specifications designed by the Taiwan Ministry of Education. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to explore the key factors contributing to the success or failure of attempts to achieve accreditation. The results showed that the grading methods, design of learning activities, quantity and quality of teaching materials, use of different media, motivational techniques, and opportunities for students practice were the most important contributors to accreditation. Moreover, we found significant differences between applications that passed and failed the accreditation assessment along four dimensions: "teaching content and architecture," "design of teaching materials," "the use of computer-aided design," and "media and interface design." Further quantitative analysis revealed that the design of teaching materials was the key contributor to the overall quality of teaching materials. Qualitative analysis showed that designing exercises, examples, and teaching materials according to learners' abilities was associated with successful applications for accreditation. We also found that designs that did not engage learners and low-quality media were associated with failure to obtain accreditation.

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) often leads affected families to experience psychological stress. Pediatric cardiology consultation is important in providing parents with sufficient information and reducing their anxiety to make an informed pregnancy decision. Involving a fetal nurse coordinator may optimize fetal anomaly care. Our study aimed to identify factors associated with parental decision-making for choosing to use pediatric cardiology consultations and pregnancy termination. From September 2017 to December 2018, all fetal CHD cases diagnosed in the second trimester from a primary screening clinic in Taiwan were included (n = 145). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were performed to analyze maternal, fetal, and medical factors for predictors of parental decisions for consultation use and pregnancy termination. Acceptance for fetal nurse coordinator care and pediatric cardiology consultation were 84.8% (n = 123) and 83.4% (n = 121), respectively. Predictors for termination of pregnancy included the following: multiple anomalies (OR: 10.6; 95% CI: 3.6–35.7), chromosomal/genetic abnormalities (OR: 20.2; 95% CI: 3.1–395.8), severe CHDs (OR: 9.8; 95% CI: 4.3–23.4), CHDs that required surgery (OR: 32.4; 95% CI: 11.4–117.8), and physiological single-ventricle (OR: 47.3; 95% CI: 12.4–312.5). Parents who had pediatric cardiology counseling were less likely to terminate the pregnancy (OR: 0.1; 95% CI: 0.0–0.7). Parents with fetal diagnosis having multiple anomalies (OR: 0.2; 95% CI: 0.1–0.7) or chromosomal/genetic abnormalities (OR: 0.1; 95% CI: 0.03–0.9) were less likely to make use of cardiology consultation. Parents who accepted fetal nurse coordinator care were more likely to have pediatric cardiology consultation before pregnancy decision (OR: 149.5, 95% CI: 37.8–821.5). Anomaly complexity appeared to be a strong predictor for termination of pregnancy beyond non-acceptability of prenatal cardiology consultation. Prenatal cardiology counseling may help support the parental decision to continue with the pregnancy. Incorporation of a fetal nurse coordinator care into the multidisciplinary fetal medicine team improved the acceptability of prenatal consultation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a new and shorter Chinese version of Ryff's psychological well-being scale. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: In recent years there have been several versions of this scale, including 84-item, 54-item and 18-item versions. Researchers in different countries have built on Ryff's version to create their own versions in various languages. However, most versions have not yielded improved confirmatory factor analysis results. Shorter versions of the scale in the past were also less reliable in terms of internal consistency. Method: This study used a sample of 820 middle-aged and older people from Taiwan with an average age of 59.8 years. We used structural equation modelling (SEM) to select items for inclusion. Results: After item selection, a new version of 18 items based on Ryff's 84-item version was established with improved confirmatory factor analysis validity and reliability. The results for this 18-item version indicated that factor loadings were at least 0.60, and the reliability alpha coefficients were 0.92 and 0.60--0.75 for its six subscales. Additionally, a significant correlation with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)-15 and quality of life criteria indicate very acceptable criterion-related validities. Conclusion: The 18-item Chinese version does not include any reversely worded items after the item selection processes, thus reducing method artefacts. It also exhibited very acceptable confirmatory factor analysis results.

This study investigated how the different discussion approaches in Facebook influenced students' scientific knowledge acquisition and the nature of science (NOS) views. Two eighth- and two ninth-grade classes in a Taiwanese junior high school participated in the study. In two of the classes students engaged in synchronous discussion, and in the other two classes they engaged in asynchronous discussion. The 83 participating students discussed scientific news that had been posted on Facebook, with a total of seven news stories. Three instruments--a general NOS views questionnaire, a content-related NOS views questionnaire, and a science knowledge test--were administered before, immediately after, and three weeks after the intervention. In addition, student responses to each news story were collected and analyzed. The results demonstrated that regardless of which online discussion group they participated in, students improved their science content knowledge, general NOS views, and NOS analyses of scientific news. Especially, synchronous discussion proved more effective than asynchronous discussion at helping students to develop science content knowledge and increase their view of community aspects of content-related NOS. These findings demonstrated the advantages of quick feedback and responses in synchronous discussion facilitated communication and cognitive development about subject and subject-related nature of science.

With the rapid progress in information technology, interactive whiteboards have become IT-integrated in teaching activities. The theory of multiple intelligences argues that every person possesses multiple intelligences, emphasizing learners' cognitive richness and the possible role of these differences in enhanced learning. This study is the first to investigate the influence of interactive whiteboards on the learning effectiveness of 4th-grade science students in Taiwan from the perspective of multiple intelligences. The experiment in this study was based on a quasi-experimental design. The results indicated that the learning achievement of the students taught using interactive whiteboards was greater than that of the students taught using lectures. Among the students in the experimental group using interactive whiteboards, the learning achievement of the students with weaker logical-mathematical intelligence was higher than that of those with strong logical-mathematical intelligence. In other words, it can be inferred that the interactive whiteboards achieved good learning effects even for the students with weak logical-mathematical intelligence.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to test a cause-and-effect model of factors affecting leisure satisfaction among Taiwanese adolescents. A structural equation model was proposed in which the relationships among leisure motivation, leisure involvement, and leisure satisfaction were explored. The study collected data from 701 adolescent students at a junior college in central Taiwan. Participants were assessed using a questionnaire that captured leisure motivation, leisure involvement, leisure satisfaction and demographic data. The preliminary model fit criteria, overall model fit, and fit of the internal structure of model were used to assess the leisure satisfaction model fit. The results revealed that leisure motivation had no significant effect on leisure satisfaction when leisure involvement was also in the model, but leisure motivation had a significant effect on leisure involvement. Adolescents with higher leisure involvement had more positive leisure satisfaction. We found that 92.0% of the variance in adolescents' leisure satisfaction could be explained by leisure involvement. When leisure involvement was considered in the model, no significant predictive effect on the leisure satisfaction of adolescents was found for leisure motivation. In order to enhance leisure satisfaction, it is strongly suggested that adolescents learn to be involved in leisure activities and obtain support from their family.

Web-based e-learning is not restricted by time or place and can provide teachers with a learning environment that is flexible and convenient, enabling them to efficiently learn, quickly develop their professional expertise, and advance professionally. Many research reports on web-based e-learning have neglected the role of the teacher's perspective in the acceptance of using web-based e-learning systems for in-service education. We distributed questionnaires to 402 junior high school teachers in central Taiwan. This study used the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as our theoretical foundation and employed the Structure Equation Model (SEM) to examine factors that influenced intentions to use in-service training conducted through web-based e-learning. The results showed that motivation to use and Internet self-efficacy were significantly positively associated with behavioral intentions regarding the use of web-based e-learning for in-service training through the factors of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. The factor of computer anxiety had a significantly negative effect on behavioral intentions toward web-based e-learning in-service training through the factor of perceived ease of use. Perceived usefulness and motivation to use were the primary reasons for the acceptance by junior high school teachers of web-based e-learning systems for in-service training. (Contains 5 tables and 3 figures.)

The booming digital-content industry has resulted in an increasing number of e-learning Internet websites that provide online learning services. Recommendations for learning sites are used by diverse learners to identify the most appropriate learning resources. However, research into recommendations about learning has concentrated primarily on suggestions for teaching materials to be used in a particular learning program, and studies have focused on improving the techniques underlying these recommendations without addressing the possibilities for interdisciplinary learning or changes in learner preferences. This study implemented and evaluated a system that recommends interdisciplinary pedagogical resources while recognizing changes in the foci of educational efforts and interests. This system was designed to satisfy individualized learning demands by recommending the most suitable content within an interactive context. Evaluations of learners' attitudes and intentions after using the proposed system revealed widespread acceptance. Data analysis demonstrated that system stability and interface satisfaction were the key factors in learners' attitudes. Indeed, interface satisfaction was the strongest predictor of recommendation accuracy and content satisfaction. (Contains 4 tables and 4 figures.)

Recognition of students' facial expressions can be used to understand their level of attention. In a traditional classroom setting, teachers guide the classes and continuously monitor and engage the students to evaluate their understanding and progress. Given the current popularity of e-learning environments, it has become important to assess the degree of attention during the online learning process. In this study, we used interactive video-capture facial-recognition technology to automatically detect the facial expressions of students as a means of analyzing their attention state during the e-learning process. Participants were divided into three different learning-strategy groups for a course on computer networks. An attention-detection feedback module evaluated participants' attention span during the learning sessions and initiated a response to redirect the participants' attention when they became distracted. The three groups of participants showed significant differences in their course achievement; this was attributed to the different learning strategies used for content presentation. A positive correlation was found between learning improvement and attention, indicating that video-capture facial-recognition technology can be used to provide timely learning assistance and appropriate stimulation to enhance the educational benefits of e-learning. (Contains 5 tables and 3 figures.)

Although many studies focus on information sharing in communities and organisations, little research has been carried out on the antecedents of continuance intention of blog sharing. This study focuses on amateur blogs, which are the major customers for blog service providers (BSPs). The purposes are to investigate the antecedents of continuous blog sharing and determine whether they change with gender, age, and blog experience differences. Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework and related social-psychological foundations, this study proposes outcome expectancy of financial capital, knowledge capital, and social capital, perceived usability, social influence, self-disclosure, and information literacy as the antecedents of continuous blog sharing. A survey of 268 blog authors reveals that usability is a necessary condition for continuous blog sharing. Outcome expectancy for knowledge capital and social capital can encourage continuous sharing behaviour, but expectancy for financial capital does not. Meanwhile, blog sharing is primarily a personal endeavour facilitated by inner self-disclosure, not extrinsic information literacy or social influence. In addition, the antecedents differ according to gender, age, and blog experience differences. (Contains 5 tables and 2 figures.)

As the competition increases in higher education, how to improve teaching quality to promote educational performance becomes a significant issue. Many higher educational institutions (HEIs) make efforts to establish a feedback system to monitor and reflect the outcomes of teaching evaluations. This study aimed to describe the use of the Six-Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, and Control) procedures and the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) method to implement a feedback system step by step. The study proposed some useful instruments to illustrate how evaluations of teaching can be simple and objective by using a questionnaire, how to detect the disadvantages on teaching, and the decision strategy to prioritise disadvantages that are in need of corrective action. HEIs may use these instruments to establish an effective feedback system. (Contains 3 tables and 3 figures.)

In Taiwan, promoting knowledge of "Labor Safety" which relates to life and work right is very important. Safety training and learning effectiveness become essential issues of adult learning. To reduce the costs of educational training, enterprises have also started to aggressively introduce e-learning education training. Unlike the construction industry, few studies have investigated the effectiveness of e-learning and conventional learning. This study tested the effectiveness of the safety education to prevent falls by different learning modes used to assess safety behavior and learning effectiveness during the education training period. According to the average pass rate, satisfaction degree of course and total number of unsafe behavior, the e-learning mode improves learning effectiveness. Additionally, when the e-learning mode is introduced in the construction safety education training, the labor can use the teaching material more independently and multimedia system, such as animated teaching materials, case teaching, and repeated course learning, to reduce the error rate of operation, property loss rate, and light (heavy) injury. Under this condition, the e-learning mode is positively associated with the learning effectiveness of construction safety education training. High learning effectiveness promotes safe behavior during construction operations. (Contains 10 tables and 4 figures.)

Background: Job satisfaction and job stress have been shown to be consistently related in a range of school education studies. The purpose of this research was to investigate how well the job satisfaction of resource room teachers in Taiwan may be predicted through an understanding of their job stress and demographic characteristics. Method: A total of 153 elementary resource room teachers in Taoyuan were questioned using a self-report questionnaire. Following the questionnaire, 10 veteran resource room teachers were asked to provide further insight into their work. Results: For the 135 participants, both the working condition dimension of job stress and education level were significant predictors of job satisfaction. The results are discussed in terms of the Taiwan context. Conclusions: Along with initiatives to improve the professional qualifications of teachers, some changes may assist in improving the job satisfaction of resource room teachers and extending their careers in Taiwan. (Contains 2 tables.)

Innovations in network and information technology have transformed traditional classroom lectures into new approaches that have given universities the opportunity to create a virtual laboratory. However, there is no systematic framework in existing approaches for the development of virtual laboratories. Further, developing a virtual laboratory from scratch is time consuming and costly. This article proposes a systematic framework to classify the activities between learners and instructors in the laboratory and to design the mobile agent-based virtual laboratory by wrapping the existing CAI tools without knowing the source code. Using the existing CAI tools can reduce the time and cost in constructing a virtual laboratory. The framework consists of three parts: mobile agent execution environment, mobile agent and learning platform. Moreover, various mobile agent design patterns are provided for users to design and implement virtual laboratories. This framework of patterns could make mobile agent based virtual laboratories easier to design and understand. The authors' framework has the following merits: adaptability, cost-effectiveness and collaboration. Their framework has demonstrated its feasibility in several applications, including digital circuit, language learning and digital signal processing laboratories. (Contains 1 table and 14 figures.)

In the torrents of globalization and social transition in Taiwan, it is particularly important to reinforce a sense of cultural subjectivity and localization, and promote new trends of arts education that emphasize the development of self and spirit. The fundamental principles of these new trends are: (1) that the purpose of arts education is to cultivate students' humanistic literacy, (2) the content of arts education is developed from an interdisciplinary approach, (3) arts curriculum is predominantly constructed on and implemented within the value framework of the nuclear culture, (4) arts education has to place emphasis on an integral process of comprehensive exploration, critical reflection and creative construction, and (5) the instruction methods of arts education need to be artistic and humanistic. This article describes the contents and implications of the new trends of arts education reform in Taiwan.

This work designs and implements a virtual digital signal processing laboratory, VDSPL. VDSPL consists of four parts: mobile agent execution environments, mobile agents, DSP development software, and DSP experimental platforms. The network capability of VDSPL is created by using mobile agent and wrapper techniques without modifying the source code of the original programs. VDSPL provides human-human and human-computer interaction for students and teachers, and it also can lighten the teacher's load, increase the learning result of students, and improve the usage of network bandwidth. A prototype of VDSPL has been implemented by using the IBM Aglet system and Java Native Interface for DSP experimental platforms. Also, experimental results demonstrate that our system has received many positive feedbacks from both students and teachers.

This article provides an overview of the integrated play groups (IPGs) model designed to support children with autism in play with typical children. A pilot investigation involving 2 Taiwanese children (ages 6-7) found each child made notable gains in reciprocal social interactions and symbolic/pretend play with participating in IPGs. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Background/purpose: Although metronidazole is not recommended to treat Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in Western countries, it was still to be recommended for the treatment of non-severe CDI among Taiwanese adults in 2020. This controversy in the clinical role of metronidazole therapy for CDI was examined in a prospective clinical study.Methods: The study was conducted from January 2015 to December 2016 in three hospitals in Taiwan. Metronidazole treatment failure (MTF) was defined as the persistence of diarrhea after six days of treatment, medication modification (shifting to oral vancomycin), or death after five days of therapy.Results: Overall, 325 patients receiving metronidazole for CDI were included. The overall MTF rate was 48.6% (158 patients). Leukocyte counts of >15,000 cells/mL in peripheral blood (odd ratio [OR] 1.81; P = 0.04) and congestive heart failure (OR 3.26; P = 0.02) were independently associated with MTF. The MTF rate for patients with leukocyte counts of ≤15,000 cells/mL and no congestive heart failure, leukocyte counts of >15,000 cells/mL and no congestive heart failure, leukocyte counts of ≤15,000 cells/mL and congestive heart failure, and leukocyte counts of >15,000 cells/mL and congestive heart failure were 44.2%, 51.8%, 73.3%, and 66.7%, respectively. Of note, patients who experienced MTF had a higher recurrence rate of CDI than those with metronidazole treatment success (13.9% vs. 6.0%, P = 0.02).Conclusion: For Taiwanese adults with CDI, the failure rate of metronidazole therapy approached 50%, which suggests the reappraisal of the therapeutic role of metronidazole therapy, especially for patients with leukocytosis or underlying congestive heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of information and communication technology, online gambling has flourished in Taiwan and caused severe social problems. Online gambling is often combined with various crimes, such as organized crime, fraud, and money laundering, severely affecting social security. Moreover, as the exponential development of technology has given rise to many high-tech crime tools, the police force has encountered many investigation challenges. This paper intends to understand crime and investigate the patterns of online gambling websites through case studies. It is found that online gambling operators have invented a sophisticated business model to circumvent police investigations and to facilitate their defense in the future. This paper summarizes and analyzes the modus operandi and police investigation model and puts forward recommendations on the current difficulties for the reference of practical criminal justice personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the associations between treated and untreated dental caries and periodontitis in young adults. The study enrolled 1289 participants aged 18–45 years in Taiwan. Localized periodontitis was categorized into healthy and stage II/III (n = 936 and n = 353, respectively) based on the 2017 criteria of the World Workshop. Multivariable logistic regression analysis with adjustments for sex, age, tobacco smoking status, betel nut consumption status, metabolic syndrome, and total white blood cell count was used to determine the associations. Decayed tooth numbers were positively associated with localized stage II/III periodontitis [odds ratio (OR): 1.15 (95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.06–2.25)], while filled tooth numbers were inversely associated with localized stage II/III periodontitis in young adults [OR: 0.96 (95% CI: 0.92–0.99)]. Our study confirms the relationship between dental caries and periodontitis by direct evidence that the more decayed teeth there are, the higher the risk of periodontitis and by indirect evidence that the more treated decayed teeth there are, the lower the risk of periodontitis in young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/purpose: Based on the fundamental of the S3-level clinical practice guideline (CPG) for treating stage I-III periodontitis developed by the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP), this consensus report aimed to develop treatment recommendations for treating periodontitis in the Taiwanese population.Methods: The report was constructed by experts from the Taiwan Academy of Periodontology. The following topics were reviewed: (a) the prevalence of periodontitis in Asia and current status of treatment in Taiwan; (b) specific anatomical considerations for treating periodontitis in Asians; (d) educational and preventive interventions and supragingival plaque control; (d) subgingival instrumentation and adjunctive treatment; (e) surgical periodontal therapy; and (f) maintenance and supportive periodontal care. Recommendations were made according to the evidences from the EFP CPG, the published literature and clinical studies in Asians, and the expert opinions.Results: The treatment recommendations for the Taiwanese population were generally in parallel with the EFP CPG, and extra cautions during treatment and maintenance phases were advised due to the anatomical variations, such as shorter root trunk, higher prevalence of supernumerary distolingual root and lingual bony concavity in mandibular posteriors, and thinner anterior labial plate, of the Asian population.Conclusion: The EFP CPG could be adopted for treating periodontitis and maintaining periodontal health of the Taiwanese population, and anatomical variations should be cautious when the treatment is delivered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The Taiwan Biographical Database (TBDB) assembles biographical information of historical personages in Taiwan. It is a digital-humanities-oriented system that supports relational database operations, fulltext search, social network analysis, and geographic information system functions. Objectives. Through semi-automatic named entity recognition from the fulltext of biographies, TBDB assists historians to construct networks of social relationships. However, the fulltext of biographies may not describe all social relationships. Taking advantage of the fact that historical photographs were usually taken on formal occasions, historical photographs may be exploited to uncover additional relationships. This paper describes and evaluates a face detection function in TBDB that utilizes the OpenCV Library to detect faces of historical persons in old photographs. Furthermore, it employs hierarchical agglomerative clustering to combine fragmentary social networks. Results. An experiment using 45 historical photographs found that the face detection function achieved an average recall of 98% recall, but with low precision. To address the low precision rate, a user interface has been implemented in TBDB to facilitate review and deletion of false-positive faces in the photographs. Furthermore, cluster analysis is used to integrate social relationships found in biographies, those detected from historical photographs, and even relationships harvested from external sources, to produce comprehensive social networks for historical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/purpose: Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) accounts for approximately 18% of all epithelial ovarian malignancies in Taiwan and portends a poor prognosis. Here, we sought to investigate whether immunohistochemistry with an anti-pan-cytokeratin antibody cocktail (AE1/AE3) can be used as an adjunct to hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining for improving the detection of isolated tumor cells (ITCs) and micrometastasis to pelvic lymph nodes (LNs). We also assessed whether these lesions may predict disease recurrence.Methods: Pelvic lymphadenectomy specimens were obtained from 197 patients with stage 1 OCCC who had undergone surgery between 2000 and 2018 from Linkou and Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Immunohistochemical staining with AE1/AE3 was applied to a total of 1186 slides. Clusters of metastatic tumor cells, detected immunohistochemically, were classified as ITCs (clusters with diameters of ≤0.2 mm) or micrometastases (tumor cell clusters of >0.2 but ≤2.0 mm). We also assessed the diameter of metastases in patients with positive lymph nodes (stage IIIA1, n = 3, 7 positive nodes).Results: Clusters with a positive AE1/AE3 staining were identified in five (2.53%) of the 197 patients (ITCs, n = 3; micrometastasis, n = 2). Four patients had no evidence of disease recurrence but a patient recurred at follow-up. Metastatic foci of patients with stage IIIA1 disease were all >2.0 mm in size.Conclusion: Immunohistochemical staining with AE1/AE3 can identify micrometastasis or ITCs in LNs missed on routine H&E staining. The role of micrometastasis in predicting recurrent OCCC and implementing on treatment strategies requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a pneumonia-causing pathogen commonly found in pediatric patients in Taiwan. Recently, macrolide-resistant (MR) strains have been emerging globally. The prevalence of pneumonia due to MR- M. pneumoniae (hereafter, MPP) in northern Taiwan before 2017 has been reported to be 12.3–24%. The prevalence of MR-MPP within a specific location can vary. Hence, we investigated the prevalence of MR-MPP in southern Taiwan. Eighty-one children with PCR-confirmed MPP were enrolled between July 2016 and June 2019. They were assigned to macrolide-sensitive (MS) and MR groups based on their PCR results, and their clinical manifestations and laboratory data were compared. The proportions of patients with MS-MPP and MR-MPP varied with time. The average ratio of the proportion of MR-MPP was 54.3% in this study. Patients with MR-MPP had lower neutrophil counts, higher lymphocyte counts, and higher platelet counts than those with MS-MPP. In contrast with the 40% of the MR-MPP group that still had a fever after three days of azithromycin treatment, only 11.8% of the MS-MPP group still had a fever. Our study provided valuable epidemiological survey information for children with MR-MPP in southern Taiwan. The prevalence of MR-MPP was different from that reported in previous studies in northern Taiwan. Specific MR strains should be considered in children with MPP if they still have a fever after three days of macrolide treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently telecom fraud has become a severe problem worldwide, resulting in billions of dollars each year. To prevent telecom fraud, Taiwan National Police Agency proposes an Anti-money Mule Project to detect and arrest mules responsible for withdrawing victims' ATM cash from telecom fraud. This study used the Python program to integrate visual data for the following three significant phases: time series, spatial connection, and geographic map data. These phases can analyze 2,238 remittance accounts that were withdrawn transaction records by the money mules. Our research results have demonstrated that Spatio-temporal analysis could help investigators linkage transaction records by the same money mule, narrow down the scope of the investigation, and increase the possibility of finding out the suspect. The Spatio-temporal analysis is successfully applied as a systematic, proactive investigation technique in Taiwan's telecom fraud investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interorganizational relationships are vital for innovation and competitive advantage. However, research has primarily focused on high-tech and biopharmaceutical sectors, leaving a gap in understanding their impact on traditional manufacturing industries, which is crucial for a nation's economic development. The current academic discourse lacks a comprehensive understanding of how traditional manufacturing firms strategically configure alliance portfolios to foster innovation over longer time horizons. To address this gap, this study investigates international alliance partnerships in the Japan-Taiwan context, emphasizing external resources and inter-firm linkages as competitive advantage sources. It examines resource management and alliance portfolio configuration within traditional industries, specifically Japanese-Taiwanese alliances in China's automotive and machine tool manufacturing sectors. Findings shed light on the intricate nature of alliance portfolio configuration in traditional manufacturing, involving careful partner selection and resource adjustment through exploitation and exploration. The research offers valuable insights into dynamic alliance development and factors influencing innovation. It presents three propositions and identifies trust, equity commitment, firm capabilities, proactiveness, alliance resource redundancy, and domain segmentation as driving factors. This study contributes to theoretical and empirical knowledge, examining research implications while acknowledging limitations. Future research directions should address these limitations and examine further avenues, deepening our understanding of the complexities involved in driving innovation through interorganizational relationships in industries that lay the foundations for economic growth. • Long-term alliances characterized by trust and equity commitments tend to exhibit an Optimization alliance portfolio configuration, with limited new partners. • Regular evaluation of equity proportions is critical for smooth alliance operation and long-term innovation goals. • A proactive learning approach through joint ventures can reinforce competitive advantage in traditional manufacturing. • Learning-oriented firms may prioritize expanding their alliance portfolio over resource utilization to build competitive advantage. • Utilizing redundant network resources and domain segmentation enables expanding the alliance portfolio with both new and existing partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/purpose(s): This study aimed to investigate clinical features and antimicrobial susceptibility of inpatient children with nontyphoidal salmonellosis from 2010 to 2018.Methods: We retrospectively collected pediatric patients with nontyphoidal Salmonella infection confirmed by positive cultures in a tertiary medical center in Taiwan from 2010 to 2018. Patients' characteristics, clinical manifestations, and laboratory data were collected. Serogroup category and antimicrobial susceptibility were also analyzed.Results: Of total 569 isolates, ampicillin resistant rate was 53% in average, third-generation cephalosporin resistant rate was 6.7%, ciprofloxacin resistant rate was 9% and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistant rate was 30%. Compared to the resistant rates in 2010, the resistance rate of third generation cephalosporin was significantly higher (3.4% vs. 11%, p = 0.003) but that of ciprofloxacin was significantly lower (20% vs. 11%, p < 0.001) in 2018. Among 297 inpatients with nontyphoidal salmonellosis, Group D (38%) was the most common in the bacteremia patients whereas Group B (48%) was the most common in the non-bacteremia patients. Among 244 immunocompetent inpatients with community-acquired salmonellosis, the bacteremia patients had significantly longer fever duration and diarrhea duration before hospitalization (p < 0.001), and significant higher rate of anemia (p = 0.028) due to either thalassemia trait or prolonged disease course than the non-bacteremia patients.Conclusion: Third-generation cephalosporin was still the drug of choice for nontyphoidal Salmonella infection in children though the resistant rate increased progressively. Significant risk factors associated with bacteremia were longer fever and diarrhea duration and anemia due to either thalassemia trait or prolonged disease course in immunocompetent children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]