Decision matrices are valuable engineering tools. They allow engineers to objectively examine solution options. Decision matrices can be incorporated in K-12 classrooms to support authentic engineering instruction. In this article we provide examples of how decision matrices have been incorporated into 6th and 7th grade classrooms as part of an…

The authors propose a working definition of ethical Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), advance an ethical framework for SoTL inquiry, and present a case study that illustrates the complexity of ethical issues in SoTL. The Ethical SoTL Matrix is a flexible framework designed to support SoTL practitioners, particularly in the formative…

The previous articles on class size and other productivity research paint a complex and confusing picture of the relationship between policy variables and student achievement. Missing is a conceptual scheme capable of combining the seemingly unrelated research and dissimilar estimates of effect size into a unified structure for policy analysis and…

The Lithuanian Informatics Olympiad is a problem solving contest for high school students. The work of each contestant is evaluated in terms of several criteria, where each criterion is measured according to its own scale (but the same scale for each contestant). Several jury members are involved in the evaluation. This paper analyses the problem…

Benford's law of the "first digits" states that in spite of intuitively expected equal frequency of 1/9 of the decimal digits r = 1, ... , 9 appearance on the first place of any number, various empirical studies show another pattern of these frequencies distribution, which is log[subscript 10](1 + 1/r). The article considers this law and other…

Shows how a matrix, developed for identifying various strategies of curriculum development, can provide a basis for making a policy analysis of alternative strategies. (RM)

This seventh in a series of articles discussing expert system construction focuses on two ways to create a structure that determines a decision: (1) rule-based, or deductive, implementation; and (2) example-based, or inductive, implementation. Probability factors and confidence levels are discussed, and an example is given for selecting an…

Clarifies the basic terminology of needs analysis, proposes a framework for conducting needs analyses, and discusses trends and issues in needs analysis as they apply to improving performance in organizations. Topics include needs; needs assessment; needs analysis; training requirements analysis; needs analysis plan; perception analysis, including…

Discussion of the preparation of knowledge for problems appropriate for expert systems focuses on relationships among problem attributes and their solutions through the creation of a solution matrix. Two examples are given, one for wine selection and one for decisions that an automobile manufacturer's sales force might have to make. (LRW)

The Course Selection Matrix Chart helps student and counselor produce an objective ranking of available courses. The versatile and convenient five-step self-help method can accommodate comparison of up to seven courses and may be modified to compare items other than courses. (MSE)

Describes MATRIX-1, a small group activity that can be used to show interrelationships between various factors. Examples include values clarification; procedural phases; relationships among people; resource allocation; related concepts; and group decision making activities. Modifications to MATRIX-1 are discussed that allow for variations in…

Discusses collection development policy as means to express and systematize guidelines for collection building that fulfill three basic functions: the referential, the generative, the rhetorical. Division of policy into subject categories, and use of "collection levels" to rank the collection and collecting effort for each subject are…

The most difficult task for campus planners is making site selection recommendations based on qualitative facts that cannot be compared to each other. Any means of alternative site evaluation should include a flexible system of comparing such far-ranging criteria as visual impact, access to parking, and site development cost. (MLW)

Matrix management provides a flexible method of responding to today's complex challenges in a way that supports a traditional organization and at the same time recognizes the necessity to draw upon the total resource needs of the institution through project teams. Operation at Kings College is described. (MLW)

Examines factors to consider when selecting materials to be digitized: copyrights; intellectual nature of the source materials; current and potential users; actual and anticipated nature of use; format and nature of the digital product; describing, delivering, and retaining the digital product; relationships to other digital efforts; and costs and…