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An examination of prior Web pages shows that the typical university will sometimes make a discontinuous change to its Web site (i.e., a sudden, major shift in a Web site between two points in time). This exploratory empirical study examines reasons for such discontinuous changes, surveying university Webmasters at a variety of institutions where discontinuous Web site changes had occurred. Universities varied by type (public, private), by level (Bachelors, Masters, PhD), and by nation (Canada, USA). Four reasons for discontinuous Web site change, identified in an earlier study of discontinuous Web site change in state governments, were compared: rational, marketing, political, and institutional. According to the university Webmasters surveyed, rational reasons for change were most important, followed by marketing, institutional, and political reasons, in that order. The ordering of reasons reflects statistically significant differences among types of reasons. Results did not vary by type, level, or nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to reconcile viewpoints on the role of errors in the design of computer-based training (CBT) systems. From one perspective, errors are detrimental to learning; from another, they can be beneficial. The results of an experiment are presented and discussed. When a CBT system is designed to allow learners to correct their own errors, they learn significantly more than when errors are prevented. When learners are allowed only to correct errors that others have made, they do not learn significantly more than when errors are prevented. Implications for the design of CBT systems and possibilities for future research are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An examination of prior Web pages shows that the typical university will sometimes make a discontinuous change to its Web site (i.e., a sudden, major shift in a Web site between two points in time). This exploratory empirical study examines reasons for such discontinuous changes, surveying university Webmasters at a variety of institutions where discontinuous Web site changes had occurred. Universities varied by type (public, private), by level (Bachelors, Masters, PhD), and by nation (Canada, USA). Four reasons for discontinuous Web site change, identified in an earlier study of discontinuous Web site change in state governments, were compared: rational, marketing, political, and institutional. According to the university Webmasters surveyed, rational reasons for change were most important, followed by marketing, institutional, and political reasons, in that order. The ordering of reasons reflects statistically significant differences among types of reasons. Results did not vary by type, level, or nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the home pages of the 50 US states over the years 1997–2002 to discover the dimensions underlying people''s perceptions of state government home pages, to observe how those dimensions have changed over the years, to identify different types of state home pages, and to see how these types have changed. We found that three primary dimensions explain the variation in perceptions of home pages. These are the layout of the page, its navigation support, and its information density. Over the years, variation in navigation support declined and variation in information density increased. We discovered that four types of state government home page have existed continuously from 1997 to 2001. These are the ‘Long List of Text Links’, the ‘Simple Rectangle’, the ‘Short L’, and the ‘High Density/Long L’. To this taxonomy, two other page types can be added: the ‘Portal’ page and the ‘Boxes’ page. The taxonomy we have identified allows for a better understanding of the design of US state home pages, and may generalize to other categories of home pages. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A practical class using clicker training of chickens to apply knowledge of how animals learn and practice skills in animal training was added to an undergraduate course. Since attitudes to animals are related to their perceived intelligence, surveys of student attitudes were completed pre-and post-the practical class, to determine if (1) the practical class changed students' attitudes to chickens and their ability to experience affective states, and (2) any changes were related to previous contact with chickens, training experience or gender. In the post-versus pre-surveys, students agreed more that chickens are easy to teach tricks to, are intelligent, and have individual personalities and disagreed more that they are difficult to train and are slow learners. Following the class, they were more likely to believe chickens experience boredom, frustration and happiness. Females rated the intelligence and ability to experience affective states in chickens more highly than males, although there were shifts in attitude in both genders. This study demonstrated shifts in attitudes following a practical class teaching clicker training in chickens. Similar practical classes may provide an effective method of teaching animal training skills and promoting more positive attitudes to animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Many students who participate in online courses experience frustration and failure because they are not prepared for the demanding and isolated learning experience. A traditional learning theory known as self-directed learning (SDL) is a foundation that can help establish features of a personalized system that helps students improve their abilities to manage their overall learning activities and monitor their own performance. Additionally, the system enables collaboration, interaction, feedback, and the much-needed support from the instructor and students' peers. A Web 2.0 social-technology application, MediaWiki, was adopted as the platform from which incremental features were developed to utilize the fundamental concepts of SDL. Students were able to customize content by setting specific learning goals, reflecting on their learning experiences, self-monitoring activities and performances, and collaborating with others in the class. SDL skills exist to some degree in all learners, this study finds that students' SDL abilities can improve when a course adopts a personalized and collaborative learning system that enables the students to be more proactive in planning, organizing, and monitoring their course activities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Administration of an opioid antagonist, nalmefene, altered operant learning in laying hens. • Nalmefene suppressed both learning and performance of three tasks. • Opioid system likely plays a role in mediating rewarding experiences for laying hens during operant learning. There is limited research into mesolimbic function specific to birds and, specifically, how neurobiological reward mechanisms affect learning in domestic laying hens (Gallus gallus domesticus). A more thorough understanding of these mechanisms has implications for the improvement of welfare. Reward is proposed to involve two separate processes of 'wanting' regulated by dopamine and 'liking' regulated by opioids. This study examined the effect the opioid antagonist, nalmefene, on learning in domesticated hens. Eighteen Isa Brown hens were randomly assigned into either a saline or nalmefene treatment group. Hens in the saline group (N = 9) received 0.9 % saline (0.5 mL/kg pectoral muscle injection). Hens in the nalmefene treatment group (N = 9) were administered an opioid antagonist (0.4 mg/kg nalmefene in 0.9 % saline pectoral muscle injection) to disrupt the reward pathway. Prior to administration of treatments, hens were habituated to the training table, cup and trainer. Training occurred over three consecutive days on a series of three tasks using operant conditioning. Hens were dosed with either saline or nalmefene thirty minutes prior training. Hens were trained for one five minute session each day. Learning tasks included (1) pecking a target, (2) colour stimulus discrimination, and (3) pecking a target on cue presentation. All tasks were trained by the same trainer who was blind to treatment, using clicker training to shape responses. By the final day of training (Day 3), more saline hens had completed Task 1 and Task 2 than hens that received nalmefene (P < 0.0001). No hens in the nalmefene treatment group completed any training task. This study demonstrates that hens treated with an opioid antagonist failed to learn any tasks during operant training sessions, using a food reinforcer, over three days. We show that hens did not learn when the ability to experience reward is blocked, providing evidence that performing operant tasks is rewarding to hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]