Coping With Plenitude: A Computational Approach to Selecting the Right Algorithm

Sociologists increasingly face choices among competing algorithms that represent reasonable approaches to the same task, with little guidance in choosing among them. We develop a strategy that uses simulated data to identify the conditions under which different methods perform well and applies what is learned from the simulations to predict which method will perform best on never-before-seen empirical data sets. We apply this strategy to a class of methods that group respondents to attitude surveys according to whether they share construals of a given domain. This allows us to identify the relative strengths and weaknesses of the methods we consider, including relational class analysis, correlational class analysis, and eight other such variants. Results support the “no free lunch” view that researchers should abandon the quest for one best algorithm in favor of matching algorithms to kinds of data for which each is most appropriate and provide direction on how to do so.

Intentional Citizenship and Regime Types

This chapter applies the idea of “intentional citizenship” to real-world states and their citizens. It examines people’s attitudes to their state as reported in cross-national attitude surveys on national identity. This data demonstrates that in most democratic countries, large majorities of the population have a fairly strong attachment to their country or their state, and are its intentional participants. As such they are liable for a nonproportional distribution of their states’ remedial obligations. The chapter then turns to examine the scope of intentional citizenship in nondemocratic states. Using recent studies from comparative politics on the nature of nondemocratic states, it examines the ways in which patterns of civic participation, state oppression and state manipulation affect intentional citizenship.

PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT OF TPACK APPROACH-BASED MATHEMATICS SUBJECTS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Assessing students' knowledge and success during and after learning and teaching is an ingrained part of education because it offers the most important specifics for teachers. This action research aims to determine the influence of portfolio assessment in TPACK-based mathematics subjects. The two methods used include student portfolio attitude surveys and teacher surveys. It found that most students had a clear understanding of how portfolios were created and recognized that portfolios could help them in learning maths better in many aspects. Likewise, most teachers consider portfolios practical especially in pointing out student problems and monitoring their learning progress.

Religious shifts may alter Arab politics and society

Attitude surveys in the Middle East indicate a gradual decline in religious observance, mostly driven by young people

Public attitudes toward new technologies: Our post-truth, post-trust, post-expert world demands a deeper understanding of the factors that drive public attitudes

Public attitude surveys are the prime method used to assess public attitudes to science and technology, but can also be very problematic—as evidenced in the number of different polls that come up with different findings. Toward better understanding of what drives public attitudes, it has become more relevant to find out “Why” people think what they do about science and technology than to know “What” they think. Recent research into how values drive attitudes has been very important to our increased understanding. However, in a post-truth, post-trust, post-expert world—where notions of truth, trust, and expertise are now commonly contested—we need to also better understand the social and media environments we are now living in, and how they affect attitudes to new technologies.

EVALUATION AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF INFOGRAPHICS IN RADIOLOGY EDUCATION

Interest in the need for systematic radiology education has increased since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Practice and attitude surveys on radiology education have been previously undertaken and indicate that there is currently limited quantitative knowledge on the use of radiation and radiological consequences. Although maintenance of an education system and measurements of its effects on knowledge levels have been conducted, no novel developments have been made in the methods of measurement. In this study, we measured the effect of the infographics to develop more effective educational materials and lecture methods in radiology education. In addition, we quantitatively evaluated the effects of using infographics on changes in knowledge levels using statistical analysis.