Background: Testing and teaching are interrelated in education process; using various kinds of tests, teachers are able to anticipate the strong and weak points of learning in students, their progress and their accomplishment. The influence of test on teaching and learning is commonly referred to as washback. Testing washback is a twisted concept that becomes even more complex under a various i...

This paper describes a heuristic Bayesian method for computing probability distributions from experimental data, based upon the normal distribution form of the influence diagram. An example illustrates its use in medical technology assessment. This approach facilitates the integration of results from different studies, and permits a medical expert to make proper assessments without considerable...

This paper presents a framework for analysis of how IT systems add business value by causally affecting the structure of organizations. The well established theory of organizational behavior developed by Mintzberg combined with more recent research on business value of IT is used to develop a quantitative theoretical framework showing which business values are affected by IT in relation to the ...

It has been established that normative social influence can be used effectively in persuasive technology. However, it is unknown whether the application of more social pressure makes it more effective. To test this hypothesis, a quantitative experiment was conducted on the online social network Facebook. Although evidence to support the hypothesis was found, it cannot be concluded from this exp...

We present a probabilistic model that assesses student emotional reaction during interaction with an educational game. Following a well-known cognitive theory of emotions (the OCC theory), the model predicts a student’s emotional state by assessing the student’s appraisal of her interaction with the game, in light of the student’s goals and personality. We illustrate how the model relies on a D...

Web-based distance learning provides a flexible environment for students, but there is a lack of interaction between students and the instructor. To overcome this drawback, we propose a systematic assessment mechanism to enhance interaction between both sides and to maximize student learning performance. This mechanism is presented by means of a new courseware diagrams, which combines useful to...

Motivated by a desire to extend the Social Influence Model of Technology Use, this paper empirically examines the impact of normative social influence on group media preference patterns and group meeting outcomes in a setting where established groups voluntarily used various communication media over a three-month software development project period. The overall results suggest that conformity t...

This paper presents a pedagogical agent designed to support students in an embodied, discovery-based learning environment. Discovery-based learning guides students through a set of activities designed to foster particular insights. In this case, the animated agent explains how to use the Mathematical Imagery Trainer for Proportionality, provides performance feedback, leads students to have diff...