Systematic Identification of High "Value-Added" in Educational Contexts (SIVA)

Report (2022)

The aim of the SIVA project is to investigate differences between schools with stable high value-added (VA) scores to those with low or medium VA scores to learn about their effective pedagogical ... [more ▼]

The aim of the SIVA project is to investigate differences between schools with stable high value-added (VA) scores to those with low or medium VA scores to learn about their effective pedagogical strategies. We attempt to achieve this goal through classroom observations and questionnaires for students in grade 2, their parents, their teachers, as well as school presidents. More specifically, with the present study we want to learn from target schools with stable positive VA scores – a statistical method usually used to estimate schools' effectiveness. We will use VA modelling constructively to compare those schools identified as highly effective (i.e., with high VA scores) to schools with medium or low VA scores on variables such as pedagogical strategies, student background, and school climate. To this end, a mixed-methods design based on questionnaires, observations, and results from the Luxembourg School Monitoring Programme ÉpStan (LUCET, 2021) will be applied. The content of the investigation is based on a synthesis of models of school learning and quality, focusing on aspects such as school organization or classroom management (e.g., Hattie, 2008; Helmke et al., 2008; Klieme et al., 2001) and is extended by specificities about the Luxembourgish school system, which are not represented in international school learning models (such as the division into two-year learning cycles, the multilingual school setting, and the diverse student population). With the aim to obtain a preferably broad picture, students, parents, teachers, school presidents and regional directors will be investigated. While parents, teachers, school presidents and regional directors can—as adults—fill out questionnaires individually, obtaining the opinion from children at such a young age can be challenging. The SIVA project tackles this issue by choosing item formats that are appealing and understandable for young children (see, e.g.,Lehnert, 2019), as well as by including classroom observations conducted by neutral educational experts (please, find both the questionnaires and observation sheets in the attachments). [less ▲]

Systematic molecular measurements reveal key microbial populations driving community-wide phenotype

Poster (2013)

Natural microbial communities are heterogeneous and dynamic. Therefore, a major consideration for multiple omic data studies is the sample-to-sample heterogeneity, which can lead to inconsistent results ... [more ▼]

Natural microbial communities are heterogeneous and dynamic. Therefore, a major consideration for multiple omic data studies is the sample-to-sample heterogeneity, which can lead to inconsistent results if the different biomolecular fractions are obtained from distinct sub-samples. Conversely, systematic omic measurements, i.e. the standardised, reproducible and simultaneous measurement of multiple features from a single undivided sample, result in fully integrable datasets. Objective In order to prove the feasibility and benefits of such systematic measurements in the study of the respective contributions of different populations to the community-wide phenotype, we purified and analysed all biomolecular fractions, i.e. DNA, RNA, proteins and metabolites, obtained from a unique undivided sample of lipid accumulating microbial community (LAMC) from wastewater treatment plant and integrate the resulting datasets. Methods One time point of particular interest was first selected out of 4 LAMC samples for its high diversity and strong lipid accumulation phenotype. Then, the systematic measurement strategy was applied to the selected undivided LAMC sample and the purified biomolecules were analysed by high-throughput techniques. DNA and RNA sequencing reads were assembled at the population-level using different binning strategies. A database, containing predicted proteins, was constructed to identify the detected peptides. Finally, all biomolecular information was mapped onto the assembled composite genomes to identify the precise roles of the different populations in the community-wide lipid accumulation phenotype. Results Metabolomics and 16S diversity analyses were used to select the sample of highest interest for detailed analysis. The systematic measurements of the selected sample followed by data integration have allowed us to probe the functional relevance of the population-level composite genomes, leading to the identification of the LAMC key players. Conclusion As community phenotype is not the sum of the different partner phenotypes, understanding a microbial community system requires more than the study of isolated organisms. Even if both approaches are complementary, top-down systematic approached only provides a holistic perspective of micro-ecological processes. [less ▲]

Systematic prediction of health-relevant human-microbial co-metabolism through a computational framework

in Gut Microbes (2015), 6(2), 120-130

The gut microbiota is well known to affect host metabolic phenotypes. The systemic effects of the gut microbiota on host metabolism are generally evaluated via the comparison of germfree and conventional ... [more ▼]

The gut microbiota is well known to affect host metabolic phenotypes. The systemic effects of the gut microbiota on host metabolism are generally evaluated via the comparison of germfree and conventional mice, which is impossible to perform for humans. Hence, it remains difficult to determine the impact of the gut microbiota on human metabolic phenotypes. We demonstrate that a constraint-based modeling framework that simulates “germfree” and “exgermfree” human individuals can partially fill this gap and allow for in silico predictions of systemic human-microbial cometabolism. To this end, we constructed the first constraint-based host-microbial community model, comprising the most comprehensive model of human metabolism and 11 manually curated, validated metabolic models of commensals, probiotics, pathogens, and opportunistic pathogens. We used this host-microbiota model to predict potential metabolic host-microbe interactions under 4 in silico dietary regimes. Our model predicts that gut microbes secrete numerous health-relevant metabolites into the lumen, thereby modulating the molecular composition of the body fluid metabolome. Our key results include the following: 1. Replacing a commensal community with pathogens caused a loss of important host metabolic functions. 2. The gut microbiota can produce important precursors of host hormone synthesis and thus serves as an endocrine organ. 3. The synthesis of important neurotransmitters is elevated in the presence of the gut microbiota. 4. Gut microbes contribute essential precursors for glutathione, taurine, and leukotrienes. This computational modeling framework provides novel insight into complex metabolic host-microbiota interactions and can serve as a powerful tool with which to generate novel, non-obvious hypotheses regarding host-microbe co-metabolism. [less ▲]

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Interventions for Sexual Health Promotion Involving Serious Digital Games.

in Games for health journal (2015), 4(2), 78-90

OBJECTIVE: Serious games may be effective in promoting sexual health behavior. Their confidential nature may encourage users to discuss sensitive sexuality topics. Furthermore, they can tailor messages to ... [more ▼]

OBJECTIVE: Serious games may be effective in promoting sexual health behavior. Their confidential nature may encourage users to discuss sensitive sexuality topics. Furthermore, they can tailor messages to the individual's needs and may be intrinsically motivating. This meta-analysis investigates the effectiveness of interventions for sexual health promotion that use serious games. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A database search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and PsycINFO for publications before the end of July 2013. Serious digital games studies measuring effects on behavior or its determinants, using a control condition, allowing the calculation of an effect size (Hedges' g, random-effects model) were included. RESULTS: Seven game studies for sexual health promotion were included. These showed positive effects on determinants (g=0.242; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.129, 0.356), albeit of small effect size. The effects on behavior, measured in only two studies, were not significant (g=0.456; 95 percent confidence interval, -0.649, 1.561). Most games did not use many game features that are considered to be immersive or enhancing flow. Instead, there was a strong reliance on pure gamification features, such as rewards and feedback. CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness of the next generation of games may be enhanced by building on the behavioral change and educational gaming literatures (e.g., using role-play and simulation game formats, individual tailoring, offering adaptation in the difficulty of the challenge, and amount and timing of the feedback). There is a need for studies with rigorous evaluations of game effectiveness, longer-term follow-up, and using measures of behavior rather than merely their determinants. [less ▲]

A systematic review of self-care assistive technologies for aging population

in Boll, Thomas; Ferring, Dieter; Valsiner, Jaan (Eds.) Cultures of care in aging (2018)

A gradual decline in functional and mental capacity as well as a growing risk of care dependency constitute major concerns of life in old age. These should become larger and more urgent in future, because ... [more ▼]

A gradual decline in functional and mental capacity as well as a growing risk of care dependency constitute major concerns of life in old age. These should become larger and more urgent in future, because the number of people 80+ is projected to more than double from 2010 to 2050 at least in EU and OECD countries. On the other side, there is a strong desire of older people, their relatives and policy makers to maintain the autonomy in old age as long as possible. In reaction to this, there have been strong social policy recommendations to develop and promote the use of assistive technologies (ATs). Whereas systematic reviews already exist for several other kinds of ATs, reviews about self-care ATs are still missing. Based on systematic literature searches in PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar databases 203 papers were identified of which 12 were included according to our selection criteria. The methodological quality of all the reviewed studies is evaluated. We reviewed findings on indicators of independent living as efficiency criteria as well as evidence about facilitators and barriers of using these technologies. Self-care ATs turned out to be efficient with respect to reduced care hours and increased independence level. The actual use of these ATs was associated with personal, contextual, and device factors. Lack of randomized control trial studies and a need for further research about ATs in several domains of self-care activities is revealed. Based on the findings of the current review, we generate recommendations for future research. [less ▲]

A systematic review on the engineering of software for ubiquitous systems

in Journal of Systems and Software (2016), 118

Context: Software engineering for ubiquitous systems has experienced an important and rapid growth, however the vast research corpus makes it difficult to obtain valuable information from it. Objective ... [more ▼]

Context: Software engineering for ubiquitous systems has experienced an important and rapid growth, however the vast research corpus makes it difficult to obtain valuable information from it. Objective: To identify, evaluate, and synthesize research about the most relevant approaches addressing the different phases of the software development life cycle for ubiquitous systems. Method: We conducted a systematic literature review of papers presenting and evaluating approaches for the different phases of the software development life cycle for ubiquitous systems. Approaches were classified according to the phase of the development cycle they addressed, identifying their main concerns and limitations. Results: We identified 128 papers reporting 132 approaches addressing issues related to different phases of the software development cycle for ubiquitous systems. Most approaches have been aimed at addressing the implementation, evolution/maintenance, and feedback phases, while others phases such as testing need more attention from researchers. Conclusion: We recommend to follow existing guidelines when conducting case studies to make the studies more reproducible and closer to real life cases. While some phases of the development cycle have been extensively explored, there is still room for research in other phases, toward a more agile and integrated cycle, from requirements to testing and feedback. [less ▲]

Systematic systemics: Causality, catalysis, and developmental cybernetics

in Cabell, Kenneth; Valsiner, Jaan (Eds.) The catalyzing mind: Beyond models of causality (2014)

Systematic trading behaviour and its informational effect: evidence from the OMXH

in Applied Financial Economics (2014), 24(22), 1421-1427

By using signed small trade turnover (SSTT) as a proxy of investors’ systematic trading behaviour and permanent price effect (PPE) as a proxy for informed trading, this article investigates the short-term ... [more ▼]

By using signed small trade turnover (SSTT) as a proxy of investors’ systematic trading behaviour and permanent price effect (PPE) as a proxy for informed trading, this article investigates the short-term outperformance of high SSTT stocks for categories of investors on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki (OMXH) and whether the outperformance is best understood in the context of investor trading behaviour or informed trading. This study finds that the trading of high SSTT stocks is associated with a lower PPE than the trading of low SSTT stocks, which implies that the trading of high SSTT stocks is less informed than the trading of low SSTT stocks, and that the short-term outperformance of high SSTT stocks relative to low SSTT stocks is best explained within the behavioural finance framework, that is, by investors’ bias towards popular stocks proxied by SSTT, and not within the rational framework, that is, by informed trading proxied by the PPE. These findings are economically and statistically significant for all types of investors. [less ▲]

The systematic variation of task characteristics facilitates the understanding of task difficulty: A cognitive diagnostic modeling approach to complex problem solving

in Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling (2014), 56(1), 83-103

Since the 1960ies, when pioneering research on Item Response Theory (IRT) was published, considerable progress has been made with regard to the psychometrical quality of psychological assessment tools ... [more ▼]

Since the 1960ies, when pioneering research on Item Response Theory (IRT) was published, considerable progress has been made with regard to the psychometrical quality of psychological assessment tools. One recent development building upon IRT is the introduction of Cognitive Diagnostic Modeling (CDM). The major goal of introducing CDM was to develop methods that allow for examining which cognitive processes are involved when a person is working on a specific assessment task. More precisely, CDM enables researchers to investigate whether assumed task characteristics drive item difficulty and, thus, person ability parameters. This may – at least according to the assumption inherent in CDM - allow conclusions about cognitive processes involved in assessment tasks. In this study, out of the numerous CDMs available the Least Square Distance Method (LSDM; Dimitrov, 2012) was applied to investigate psychometrical qualities of an assessment instrument measuring Complex Problem Solving (CPS) skills. For the purpose of the study, two task characteristics essential for mastering CPS tasks were identified ex-ante – degree of connectivity and presence of indirect effects by adding eigendynamics to the task. The study examined whether and how the two hypothesized task characteristics drive item difficulty of two CPS dimensions, knowledge acquisition and knowledge application. The sample consisted of 490 German high school students, who completed the computer-based CPS assessment instrument MicroDYN. The two task characteristics in MicroDYN items were varied systematically. Results obtained in LSDM indicated that the two hypothesized task characteristics, degree of connectivity and introducing indirect effects, drove item difficulty only for knowledge acquisition. Hence, other task characteristics that may determine item difficulty of knowledge application need to be investigated in future studies in order to provide a sound measurement of CPS. [less ▲]

Systematization of threats and requirements for private messaging with untrusted servers. The case of E-mailing and instant messaging

in International Conference on Information Systems Security and Privacy, Malta 25-27 February 2020 (2020, February)

Modern email and instant messaging applications often offer private communications. In doing so, they share common concerns about how security and privacy can be compromised, how they should face similar ... [more ▼]

Modern email and instant messaging applications often offer private communications. In doing so, they share common concerns about how security and privacy can be compromised, how they should face similar threats, and how to comply with comparable system requirements. Assuming a scenario where servers may not be trusted, we review and analyze a list of threats specifically against message delivering, archiving, and contact synchronization. We also describe a list of requirements intended for whom undertakes the task of implementing secure and private messaging. The cryptographic solutions available to mitigate the threats and to comply with the requirements may differ, as the two applications are built on different assumptions and technologies. [less ▲]