Educators in many disciplines are too often forced to rely on intuition about how students learn and the effectiveness of teaching to guide changes and improvements to their curricula. In computer science, systems that perform automated collection and assessment of programming assignments are seeing increased adoption, and these systems generate a great deal of meaningful intermediate data and statistics during the grading process. Continuous collection of these data and long-term retention of collected data present educators with a new resource to assess both learning (how well students understand a topic or how they behave on assignments) and teaching (how effective a response, intervention, or assessment instrument was in evaluating knowledge or changing behavior), by basing their decisions on evidence rather than intuition. It is only possible to achieve these goals, however, if such data are easily accessible. I present an infrastructure that has been added to one such automated grading system, Web-CAT, in order to facilitate routine data collection and access while requiring very little added effort by instructors. Using this infrastructure, I present three case studies that serve as representative examples of educational questions that can be explored thoroughly using pre-existing data from required student work. The first case study examines student time management habits and finds that students perform better when they start earlier but that offering extra credit for finishing earlier did not encourage them to do so. The second case study evaluates a tool used to improve student understanding of manual memory management and finds that students made fewer errors when using the tool. The third case study evaluates the reference tests used to grade student code on a selected assignment and confirms that the tests are a suitable instrument for assessing student ability. In each case study, I use a data-driven, evidence-based approach spanning multiple semesters and students, allowing me to answer each question in greater detail than was possible using previous methods and giving me significantly increased confidence in my conclusions. / Ph. D.

在網際網路普及率高居不下的時代裡，知識工作者平日使用網路之時間比例已有逐年升高的趨勢。在這種潮流下，工作場域中知識工作者花費於網路訊息傳播的時間，佔用工作時間之比率驚人，尤以電子郵件為甚。對於使用電子郵件所產生的問題，使用者似乎感到能力不足，而且在面對超載的資訊流通量時，更覺得難以應付。因為個人不佳的電子郵件使用習慣所引發的問題，都會直接或間接衝擊到時間資源的運用以及增加時間的壓力。因此，瞭解如何有效處理電子郵件，對於知識工作者的生產力非常重要。 本研究採用Creswell所提出之三階段混合方法探討研究議題。首先，第一階段採用質性之焦點群體訪談法，瞭解知識工作者典型的電子郵件使用行為。第二階段以大樣本的調查研究，探討知識工作者的人格主動性如何經由電子郵件管理行為影響其電子郵件使用時間控制感及工作時間控制感，並以社會認知理論及目標設定理論之整合觀點探討。第三階段以實地實驗的方式，在實際組織場域中進行員工電子郵件管理教育訓練，以觀察是否能產生訓練遷移之效果，亦即提升受訓者之電子郵件自我效能、電子郵件時間管理行為及電子郵件使用時間控制感。 第一階段焦點群體訪談的重要結論包括：1)使用者被電子郵件支配著，但他們往往毫無知覺；2)日常工作使用上，電子郵件的弱點卻變成其強項；3)具有資訊系統背景的使用者，不必然會使用電子郵件工具的複雜功能；4)電子郵件被認為是平面媒體，而非即時互動媒體；5)電子郵件在工作場合，已經大幅度地取代面對面溝通；6)電子郵件使用者習慣性地使用副本轉寄功能，但並非出於真正的需要；7)使用者並不常將工作或個人電子郵件分開處理；8)使用者非常珍惜學習電子郵件功能的機會，但機會並非輕鬆即能獲得。有關以上相關結論及看法間之對照情況也在本文中提及。另外，本階段也歸納出有效率使用電子郵件之方法，並據以發展下一階段調查研究法之問卷。 第二階段經由251位知識工作者之分析結果顯示，人格主動性透過電子郵件時間管理行為及電子郵件自我效能，可以推測電子郵件使用時間控制感及工作時間控制感。此外，電子郵件自我效能較高者，其電子郵件時間管理行為的評量分數也較高。 第三階段實地實驗共涵蓋280位受測者，其中實驗組有175位，控制組有105位。ANCOVA分析之結果顯示，相較於控制組，實驗組之受測者經過教育訓練後展現較高的電子郵件自我效能及較佳的電子郵件時間控制感，但是受測者於訓練後並未投入更多心力於電子郵件時間管理行為。此外，接受此電子郵件訓練課程一個月後，平均每一位受訓者節省約17%之電子郵件使用時間。 / At the high widespread rate of the Internet era, the time spent on the Internet among knowledge workers has gradually increased. Because of this trend, these people have spent an alarming proportion of their work time on message communications tools, such as emails. Problems arising from e-mail management make users helpless particularly when they have to deal with information overload. Problems caused by inefficient e-mail use would directly/ indirectly affect the time resource, inevitably increasing time pressure to the workers. Therefore, it is essential for knowledge workers to understand how to use e-mail efficiently to heighten their productivity. This study adopted Creswell’s three-phases mixed methods to investigate our research issues. First, this study investigates the e-mail usage behavior of knowledge workers through an in-depth literature review and a focus group discussion. Then, a sample survey method, along with a social cognitive theory and a goal setting theory, was adopted to investigate how personality affects perceived control of time in the context of e-mail handling. The third phase includes a quasi-experimental field study carried out in an organizational setting to examine the effects of an e-mail management training program on e-mail self-efficacy, e-mail-specific time management behavior, and time control over e-mail use. The important findings in phase one include : 1) people are ruled by e-mail, but they think otherwise; 2) in daily usage, many weaknesses of e-mail are turned into strengths; 3) an information system background does not necessarily lead to sophistication in using e-mail tools; 4) e-mail is regarded as a print medium rather than an interactive medium; 5) e-mail to a large extent replaces face-to-face communication in the workplace; 6) e-mail users use the carbon copy and forwarding features habitually and not out of necessity; 7) users do not usually handle work-related and personal e-mail messages separately; and 8) users seek opportunities to learn about e-mail functionality out of convenience, but these are not attained with ease. A contrast between these findings and conventional wisdom concludes this study. In addition, we also conclude efficient e-mail usage approaches in this phase and develop the questionnaire for the next stage. Based on data collected from 251 knowledge workers in second phase, the results show that personality predicts perceived control of time in e-mail handling and work through both e-mail-specific time management behavior and e-mail self-efficacy. In addition, higher e-mail self-efficacy leads to improved e-mail-specific time management behavior. The field experiment in third phase includes 280 subjects, with 175 subjects in the experimental group, and 105 subjects in the control group, the ANCOVA results show that, after the training, the subjects exhibited greater e-mail self-efficacy and better time control over e-mail use but not paid more attention to e-mail-specific time management behavior According to the study reported here, this employee training program leads to a perceived time saving of about 17%.

Thesis "Beginning teacher - analysis of his personality, work and the most common problems in his work" deals with the personality of a beginning teacher, mentions the most common problems in his work and tries to find ideas for improving the situation. As the same times in analyses the selected components of his personality, which usually participates the lack of attention, especially in preparing future teachers, and which usually not mentioned in proper context. It focuses primary on the professional competence of teachers in relation to the student's core competencies as well as in other contexts. It also discusses the role of novice teachers in the context of the transformation of the Czech education system and also in the context of the Lisbon process. Analyses of key documents are included too. Great attention is paid to think about the different problematic areas concerning the work of novices teachers. In this context, the author focuses on the matter of authority and educational styles. It is based not only on the special literature but also on the sound, which took the form of numerous interview, surveys, questionnaires and observation. In conclusion, there are suggested recommendations of improving the situation of beginning teachers with regard to the analysis of the current academic...

Youth sport is acknowledged as an ideal setting for promoting positive youth development. In particular, youth sport participation has been linked to life skills development and psychological well-being. The coaching climate has been proposed to play a role in facilitating such positive outcomes. Nonetheless, few measures exist to examine life skills development through sport and it is unclear how positive youth development may be facilitated by the coach. Using existing and newly developed measures, this thesis examined how the coaching climate is related to life skills development and psychological well-being in youth sport participants. Phase 1 of this programme of research investigated Benson and Saito’s (2001) conceptual framework for youth development theory and research within sport. Study 1 examined a model whereby the coaching climate is related to life skills development (personal and social skills, cognitive skills, goal setting, and initiative); which, in turn, is related to participants’ psychological well-being (self-esteem, positive affect, and satisfaction with life). Data from 202 youth sport participants suggested that an autonomy supportive coaching climate was positively related to all four life skills. Further analysis revealed that the development of personal and social skills mediated the relationships between coach autonomy support and all three indices of psychological well-being. However, the validity of the scale used to measure life skills was brought into question during this study. Therefore, the studies which follow developed and validated a new scale which could accurately assess eight key life skills young people learn through sport. Phase 2 of this programme of research involved developing and validating a scale which measures life skills development through sport. Study 2 outlines the initial development of a scale which would assess whether young people learn the following life skills through sport: teamwork, goal setting, time management, emotional skills, interpersonal communication, social skills, leadership, and problem solving and decision making. This study involved defining each of the eight life skills, deciding what components made up each life skill and developing items which could assess each life skill. The initial item pool was reviewed by 39 academics, with between two and seven experts assessing the items for each of the eight life skills. Using the ratings and comments provided by experts, the first version of the Life Skills Scale for Sport (LSSS) was developed. Study 3 reduced the number of items contained within the LSSS from 144 to 47 items using both exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and descriptive statistics. For this task, 338 youth sport participants completed the LSSS. EFA results supported the unidimensional factor structure of each of the eight subscales. Each subscale also displayed adequate internal consistency reliability. Study 4 examined the factor structure of the LSSS using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with an independent sample of 223 youth sport participants. After the removal of four emotional skills items, seven of the eight subscales and the revised 43-item scale displayed adequate model fit. Results supported both the convergent and discriminant validity of the LSSS and each of the eight subscales displayed adequate internal consistency reliability. Study 5 assessed the test-retest reliability of the LSSS with an independent sample of 37 youth sport participants. Each participant completed the scale on two occasions which were two weeks apart. Results revealed that time 1 and time 2 scores were relatively unchanged over this two-week period, providing evidence of test-retest reliability. Phase 3 of this programme of research involved re-testing Benson and Saito’s (2001) framework. Study 6 retested the coaching climate – life skills development – psychological well-being model from Study 1 using the LSSS. Data from 326 youth sport participants suggested that an autonomy supportive coaching climate was positively related to young people learning teamwork, goal setting, time management, emotional skills, interpersonal communication, social skills, leadership, and problem solving and decision making. The total amount of life skills a young person developed through sport was positively related to their self-esteem, positive affect and satisfaction with life. Again, the factor structure and reliability of the scale was supported. The findings from this PhD research suggest that the coaching climate plays an important role in young peoples’ development through sport. Specifically, an autonomy supportive coaching climate was positively related to life skills development and psychological well-being in youth sport participants. This thesis also provides researchers with a valid and reliable measure of life skills development through sport. Future research using the LSSS should examine other factors (e.g., peer relationships) which may promote positive youth development through sport. Additionally, future studies can use the LSSS to examine the efficacy of existing programmes (e.g., the SUPER programme) which teach life skills through sport. Such research will help guide coaches and sports programmes efforts to promote positive youth development through sport.

This study is to investigate the influence of entrepreneurial activities on teaching at universities. Specifically, the study focuses on entrepreneurial activities' effect on professors' time allocation. The dataset analyzed was constructed from the survey conducted by University of Illinois at Chicago in 1998. The sample was drawn from American academic professional associations' members of the four fields: experimental biology, physics, mathematics, and sociology. Based on the data of 133 professors, the study shows that professors with paid consulting work tend to spend less time in teaching when research activities are controlled. Insignificant are the other variables about entrepreneurial activities: patent application, industry funding, and research collaboration with industry. Also, more research time is likely to result in less teaching time. Insignificant are the other research-related variables: research funding at large and collaborative research in general. In terms of personal and institutional conditions, assistant professors tend to invest more time in teaching than senior professors, but they are likely to reduce more time on teaching than their senior counterparts for increasing research time. Finally, biology and sociology professors tend to allocate less time to teaching than physics and mathematics professors. In a word, entrepreneurial activities and research tend to conflict with teaching at the level of individual professors' time allocation.

Learners in Lesotho Primary Schools struggle to communicate in English as a second language. The effect of this problem is observed in schools, national tests and examinations. This study focused on determining reasons for learners’ failure to communicate through English in Lesotho Primary Schools. The study was conducted in three Primary Schools in Berea District. Grade six learners and grade six educators were purposively selected as an appropriate sample as they are the senior grades who have experience in primary level. A combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods was employed in this research. The purpose of using these two methods was to allow the responses from quantitative research to be illuminated by the qualitative research. The data was gathered by a questionnaire for learners and interviews for educators. The study showed that some of the factors that contribute to learners’ failure to communicate in English are: non-implementation of English as a medium of instruction; failure to use variety of materials and methods; insufficient time to practice English components as educators teach less than six periods per week while they are expected to teach six periods per week; insufficient skills and techniques used to motivate learners to learn English as a second language; and inadequate interaction between the school and parents. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

This thesis is devoted to management of construction contract and the thesis is divided into two parts – theoretical and practical. The theoretical part is focused on familiarizing with some concepts of project management, cost control, time management and risk management. At the end of the theoretical part, there are described types of construction of a family house. Practical part involves applying these principles on the example of the particular construction work contract. It also describes and analyzes organization of construction contract and together with risk management meets the appointed target. The desired output of theses is processing of necessary documents for the management of specific construction contract by house raising.

This thesis is concerned with developer project Rezidence Austerlitz in Slavkov u Brna realized by KALÁB company. It describes managing this project from buying the grounds to selling the real estate to clients. At the same time the thesis deals with the project's financing, time schedule and assesses market and construction risks. Part of the work is also analyzing the estate market which adverts to evolution of housing construction across the whole Czech Republic in the past ten years. Progress of real estate construction in Jihomoravský kraj is described in detail, including the progress of estate valuation.

The diploma thesis deals with the issue of the building technology project of the structural work of industrial building belonging to CECHO company in Polnička. The industrial building consists of two building objects, shop floor and office building. The main aim of the thesis is to focus on the time and financial management of the construction, schedule, site equipment management including time schedule of establishment and removal of temporary site equipment objects and their rental costs, transport routes planning, proposal of main building equipment, oversized transport and technological regulations including inspection and test plans of quality. Last but not least, the thesis is also aimed at the itemized budget.

The thesis deals with the topic of building orders are how they are managed by contracting authority or client. It presents building order as a project, and describes the way in which this project is organized, prepared and implemented. It also highlights all the factors that have impact on how building orders are managed. And since the most important of these factors is construction costs, the thesis provides an analysis of one particular building order from this perspective, listing all the things that are involved in the construction costs and pointing out in what way. The accuracy of the expected costs is then compared with construction engineering price indicators.