Student Perception Of Traditional Versus Alternative Textbook Value
In today’s environment of rising tuition and textbook costs, we surveyed business majors concerning their preferences regarding various text options that are available for their academic studies. Specifically, we surveyed 329 students enrolled in upper-level business courses at a midlevel Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accredited Midwestern university. Students were asked to report the variety of classroom texts that they have utilized in the past and their text preferences based on their text experiences From the sample of students, 67% reported that they had used an online e-text for one or more of their classes. However, only 41 of the 220 students, or 19%, believed that the online e-text was a better learning vehicle or more convenient than the traditional text they used in their other classes. The entire sample of 329 students was also asked if they had a preference for a course text mode based on whether the course was a part of their major, involved extensive reading, analytical work, or was terminology oriented. In all areas, the students indicated a slight or strong preference for the traditional hard text.
But I Want a Real Book : An Investigation of Undergraduates' Usage and Attitudes toward Electronic Books
During the fall of 2004, the Head of Electronic Resources at the College of Mount St. Joseph’s Archbishop Alter Library conducted a survey using a paper-based questionnaire and administered it to several randomly chosen undergraduate courses. The goal of the study was to investigate the college’s undergraduates’ usage and attitudes toward electronic books. The study grew from the college librarians’ informal observations of students’ reactions, many times negative, to e-books over a four-year period. Results ran counter to what one might expect of undergraduates belonging to the Millennial or “net” generation. The findings show that students have mixed feelings about using e-books; students will use e-books but prefer using traditional print books. The study gives insight into where electronic and print media are in the current academic realm.
Experimental Study on Acoustic Agglomeration of Fine Particles from Coal Combustion
The removal of fine particles in coal-fired fumes was experimentally studied based on acoustic agglomeration. An experiment facility was designed and set up. In this facility, a fluidized bed coal combustor was used as fume generator, and an Electrical Low Pressure Impact or (ELPI) was used to measure the fine particle concentration and size distribution in the fumes. The results show that under the effect of high intensity sound waves, there is good performance to remove fine particles in coal-fired fumes, which with a number mean diameter of 0.07μm. Especially, under the conditions of the frequency of 1 000Hz and the sound intensity of 161.5dB, the number concentration of 0.0233~9.314μm particles decreased by 85.2%, and their mass concentration decreased by 92.5%.