The Impact of Computer-Assisted Learning on Academic Grades: An Assessment of Students' Perceptions

Abstract

This study examines student perceptions of the usefulness of Computer-Assisted Learning (CAL) packages in learning accounting concepts in terms of the influence on academic performance. Various additional factors affecting academic performance [such as gender, prior studies of accounting, and computer systems, together with entry background] are incorporated in the development of a multiple regression model, together with perceptions of CAL. The study uses a sample of 280 second-year undergraduate accounting students from an Australian university to test the model. In contrast to prior studies (e.g. Lane and Porch, 2002, Accounting Education: an international journal, 11(3), pp. 217–233), this study showed that positive perceptions of the usefulness of CAL significantly influenced performance. Additionally, it was found that international students, many of whom enter university at the second year level having obtained advanced standing credits, had significantly poorer performance than local students. The findings show that gender, prior studies of accounting and computing systems were not significant influences on academic performance. Overall, the results have implications for accounting educators utilising CAL in courses as a means of improving students' understanding of accounting concepts and academic performance.     

Do Jobseekers Value Diversity Information? Evidence from a Field Experiment and Human Capital Disclosures

We examine how information about the diversity of a potential employer's workforce affects individuals’ job-seeking behavior. We embed a field experiment in job recommendation emails from a leading career advice agency in the United States. The experimental treatment involves highlighting a diversity metric to jobseekers. Our results indicate that disclosing diversity scores in job postings leads jobseekers to click on firms with higher diversity scores, with such effects varying across jobseeker demographics. A follow-up survey provides evidence on potential explanations for why jobseekers value diversity information. We then examine how jobseekers’ preferences for diversity relate to disclosure choices under the U.S. SEC Human Capital Disclosure requirement. We find that firms in industries characterized by higher jobseeker responsiveness to diversity information tend to voluntarily disclose diversity metrics in their 10-Ks under these new disclosure requirements.     

基层审计机关负责人工作压力与工作满意度的研究

本研究使用问卷调查方法对基层政府审计机关负责人的工作压力与工作满意度做了探索性的研究,发现:在影响这类人员工作压力的因素中,个体差异因素的贡献远高于各类工作满意度的因素;而影响他们个人工作满意度的因素却是其它与人际关系有关的满意度、应对方式等,个体差异的效应并不显著;与工作满意度密切相关的职业成就感也是受由与人际关系有关的满意度、应对方式等因素显著影响的。由此可认为,工作压力更多是由生理性或经验性的因素调节的,而满意度更多是由人际关系、应对方式等社会性因素调节的,而职业成就感,就其影响因素的结构来看,应与工作满意度类似,两者在将来的相关研究可以看作是同类因素。     

关于中国财政风险的几个问题

目前我国主要从财政直接负债、或有债务和财力配置结构变动等方面研究财政风险,这些观点存在着缺乏现代经济学理论基础、与我国实际不相符、与我国的基本经济政策无法配套等问题;就理论而言,财政风险具有效率性风险、分配性风险和磨擦性风险三个层次;建议合理划分我国财政风险的层次性,并科学判断我国财政风险。     

中国上市公司高管学术经历对企业现金持有的影响

依据沪深A股上市公司2008-2017年数据,考量高管学术经历对企业现金持有的影响。结果表明：高管学术经历通过风险特质和创新活动影响现金持有水平;高管学术经历与现金持有水平正相关,行业竞争的缓和会削弱二者的正相关关系;相对于国有企业,高管学术经历对非国有企业现金持有水平的影响更显著。     

A longitudinal study of concern and judged risk: the case of Ebola in the United States, 2014–2015

The goal of the present study was to investigate whether playing a serious game concerning natural and man-made risks leads to increased risk awareness and additional information search. As an experimental task, we developed a serious board game. Fifty-six students participated in the experiment; half of them played the serious game whereas the other half only filled in a questionnaire at pretest and posttest (after two weeks). Participants who had played the game were more aware of risks in their own environment. Furthermore, playing the serious game counterbalanced the decline in self-efficacy as seen in the control condition. In both conditions, participants gathered more information on natural risks. This positive effect in the control condition is probably a side effect of the method used: a reasonably elaborate questionnaire in combination with a delay of two weeks. In all, the results provide a positive basis for further development of the game and to use it on a larger scale to empower citizens to take more responsibility for their own safety.     

高校负债的成因与对策

高校负债表面上看是高校扩招的直接后果,但其本质却是由高等教育准公共产品性质所决定,政府的宏观经济政策推动的。过度负债导致了目前高校的还贷危机。为此,政府一方面要通过各种手段协助高校清偿旧债;另一方面,要合理控制债务规模,加大投入,加强管理,拓宽教育融资渠道,做好高校债务风险防范工作。     

Disability Risk, Disability Benefits, and Equilibrium Unemployment

This paper analyses the labour market and efficiency effects of various kinds of disability policies. It therefore extends Pissarides (1990) model of equilibrium unemployment with disability risk and disability benefits and allows for the improper use of disability schemes by the unemployed. The paper finds that recognition of this improper use can reverse the ranking of policies. In addition, it concludes that disability policies that reduce the participation in disability schemes tend to increase the rate of official unemployment. Only policies that lower the rate of disability shocks succeed to reduce both the participation in disability and unemployment schemes.     

Italian consumers’ attitudes towards food risks: self-protective and non-self-protective profiles for effective risk communication

The study aims to assess Italian consumers’ attitudes towards food risks and seeks to outline their socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics on the basis of their attitudes (self-protective and non-self-protective) towards food risks. Using the Computer-assisted telephone interviewing survey method, a sample of 1000 Italian consumers was interviewed on risk perception issues and general eating habits. Factor analyses on the consumers’ propensities to read the label when buying a food product for the first time, their propensities to seek food-related information and their perceived levels of exposure to food risks have enabled us to define Italian consumers’ attitudes towards food risks. Distinguishing between consumers with more self-protective attitudes and those with less self-protective attitudes and identifying their distinctive socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics (e.g. gender, age, the frequency with which respondents do grocery shopping and the channels used for further inquiry) are crucial for communication campaigns aimed at reducing consumers’ exposure to food risks.     

借鉴国际经验 构筑我国中小企业发展的财政政策支持体系：财政支持非公有制经济发展的重要举措

大力发展非公有制经济是我国“十五”期间经济结构调整的重点内容之一，中小企业是非公经济的最主要形式，已在我国的经济中占有越来越重要的地位，特别是对促进经济增长、缓解就业压力、增加地方财政收入等方面发挥着不可替代的作用。但目前中小企业的进一步发展面临着融资困难、人才缺乏、负担过重等多种障碍，因此，如何促进中小企业的发展是成为我国面临的一个重要课题。西方发达国家在利用财政促进中小企业发展方面有许多可供借鉴的成功经验。本文在借鉴西方各国促进中小企业发展的财政政策基础上，结合当前我国中小企业发展中存在的实际困难，立足我国现实国情，选择适合的财政政策促进我国中小企业发展，使之成为我国的一个新的经济增长点和财源增长点。