Questionnaire oft to be electronic
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Ventura Highway (America)
Topic: Questionnaire
So, this morning I had a meeting with Donna and Nick ... and I handed over my questionnaire to them to make into an electronic format - so that's great since I have to do that myself. Anyway, Doug, James and I did some correction on it yesterday - not sure if it is perfect - but we'll see as time progress. Donna says she'll have something for me by mid next week ... so, we'll see how that goes. I have to in the meantime get a list of these British lecturers and that seems to be a daunting task since I have exams etc coming up and I have to study those also - anyway, need to send these of as soon as possible although I told Donna by the end of April ... I really will prefer by the 15th or thereabouts and that is next Friday ... so, got to get cracking on those email addresses.

Well, I've also included the ATI from John in that - I haven't read much literature in it - but yet I am using it - so I hope I don't find too much problem ... I am not certain what to do about analysis as yet - I know I should have determined the analysis beforehand - but there just isn't time if I expect to get this off by April ... not sure how to link this with the linear programming questionnaire, well I could see if there are any correlations between some of the factors in the ATI to the focus and teaching of somethings in the linear programming questionnaire - I hope it does not come down to only descriptive statistics - I really need some inferential stuff.

I wonder if I should ask how long the person has been teaching LP - I'm just wondering if that will have some influence on what is being taught - since the old school might like to have all the details of the LP.

Anyway, I need to find the RASI ... got to ask John for his latest copy - dreading doing that though - not sure how willing he is to part with that - I did find a copy of the NASI because it is included in Thang's paper. Not sure how it is different - well I think the RASI that John uses is 52 items whilst the NASI that Thang uses is 53 items - so need to see the difference. Thang said she used some items from the original ASI and from the RASI - so will have to look at that - have not read the paper completely as yet - but it looks interesting - probably Linda has a copy of the RASI - will have to check with her.

Literature Review Assignment!
Mood:  rushed
Now Playing: Somebody like you (Keith Urban)
Topic: Literature Review
I have a DTZY 840 assignment due tomorrow on literature review ... and I haven't started so it is making me feel tense. I still not sure what to do ... you see when I re-read my initial proposal it was on software use and I was planning to do the literature review on teaching styles so then I had to go look up stuff on software and teaching. That took me awhile but I then decided to put everything into Endnote since ... I don't have a reason why - but figured I should do it since it will be easier when I was quoting ... so did that for about 60 papers!

The good thing is that some of the papers I found were actually related to linear programming and software so that was good. The only way I found it was using scholar.google.com, since google has such as better search engine than the journal databases. I felt good though that I actually found some of these papers ... I realised I was using the wrong key words ... I should use MS/ OR rather than just linear programming. My other problem is that these papers don't look as if they come from referred journals ... some are from OR/MS Today (which is really a magazine), Interfaces and Informs Transactions on Education. I did find a paper on survey on OR/ MS in MBAs back in 1996 in US universities - so that was great.

I did see that some of the people recommended using the spreadsheets for these courses rather than specialised software such as Lindo etc. whilst others recommended the opposite. But it was mostly the business disciplines were recommending using the spreadsheet (then again most of the literature were about MBAs!) ... but Winston suggested that spreadsheets should be used by non-quantitative students such as the business and the other specialised programmes for the quantitative based students. So, I guess I can talk about that - but it has to be 2000 words!!! Don't know what I can speak about for that length!

Anyway, let me get cracking - because if I don't start it will never finish.

Some questions for the Computational and Learning Questionnaire
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Put your head on my shoulders (Paul Anka)
Topic: Questionnaire
James and Doug basically made me scrapped my two dimensional questionnaire, because it is going to be difficult to find relationships if the two dimensions don't correlate (there were some more arguments :D). Anyway, they probably know what's best - especially since this is a one year project - must make it as simple as possible - probably for the Ph.D can revisit that. Well, actually they did say that, probably, in this year find some foundation for those two dimensions and that type of questionnaire would become more meaningful.

So, James and Doug wants me to create some questions for the questionnaire by the 21st and not to worry about dimensions and scales!!! Sheesh ... suddenly realized how close that is, because the truth is I'll have to create it somewhere around the 17th so, I can send it off with the agenda, but I have DTZY840 due on the 18th.

Anyway, not sure what kind of questions to ask as yet. I have to find some questions that characterize the software and I am not sure if they should be yes/no or scaled questions. Let me think of some of the questions I can have related to the formulation of the problem:

1. Are students required to know how to formulate linear programming questions? (I wonder if giving an importance scale might be better - or something along AHP).

2. Is the formulation done by paper and pen or in the computer?
(I think I am going off track, the questions have to relate to defining computational and learning software - I am getting lost!)

Let me try some questions along the line of computation:

1. Are you aware if your software allows you to display the tableaus?

2. Are you able to choose the pivot row and variable without prompting from the software? (Was looking up on the net and see some people refer to it as the pivot element rather than variable and some just say the entering variable or basic variable)

3. Do you use the software to find the solution for the linear programming problem? (you see this is why I think there should be some scale - since everyone is going to use the software for some solution - yeah but thinking if there is only one yes to a list of questions then obviously using computational).

4. What algorithm is taught to students for using the software? (I am hoping it is simplex algorithm and nothing like interior-point or not only the network problems!)

5. What method are used for learning the simplex algorithm? (Using tableaus or matrices ... obviously can only answer this question if the previous one is answered simplex algorithm)

I think some practical course questions are also needed:

1. For how long is linear programming taught for in the course?
(Guess this can be a scale like 2 hrs, 8 hrs, 20 hrs - this will vary depending on the type of course I think).

2. What is the software used in conjunction with linear programming (if any)? (Not sure if I should provide a list or ask them to write it down.)

3. Are students provided with a workshop/ computer session for familiarization of the software? (Well, guess they should - unless it is some kind of TI calculator which they may be familiar with)

4. Is there a linear programming project associated with the course to use the software? (Not sure how useful this is - but in UWI students did this).

5. For which students is the course geared to? (I'm thinking maths, business and engineering - but there is also OR, agriculture, engineering management, business management, industrial engineering and economics that might have various levels).

6. Which department is the course based in? (Some courses although a business course could be taught by the math department - I'm thinking the math dept might influence the business style of course - guess that is where I can throw in some factor analysis - or the very least loglinear or logistic regression).

You know I am thinking, probably should make this a scorecard, like the first half positive towards learning software, so if answered yes, then add those points up, and the second half to computational software and if answered no, then those become points to add. A high score means using the software in a more learning basis. I will need to mix the questions up to ensure validity and reliability of the questionnaire.

Third Party Monitoring
Mood:  chatty
Now Playing: Georgy Girl (The Seekers)
Topic: Third Party Monitoring
So, had my third party monitoring just now with Mary. That went well, I had no complaints, so we spent some time talking about MK, UK, London and Trinidad. Plus, its her job to hear me speak about those things to see if there is any complaints. Everyone thinks I'm being upbeat - which is kind of strange since I don't feel as upbeat as people think I do! Denise stopped me this morning - and asked me how things were going - and I told her things were going fine - as I say I have no problems with the OU or MK. Everyone thinks I'm gonna complain about - everything is fantastic so far - possibly when my real research starts - I'll have my bouts of depression. Sometimes, I'm stressed about the TMAs, but, pretty ok overall.

Computational and Learning Questionnaire
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: Karma Chameleon (Culture Club)
Topic: Questionnaire

So, had an informal meeting yesterday with Doug and James ... that went well ... James and I were updating Doug on the position of my research ... and its great to get Doug's input ... at first I was wondering if he would have added anything ... but he did!! I definitely think I should have as much people on my supervisory meetings as possible ... they do add ideas for you.

Anyway, what he said was that I should create a questionnaire that will be able to classify how lecturers use their software (or if at all) and try to make it a continuum such as from black-box to hand written. I think however the continuum in teaching linear programming should have two dimensions with respect to the:

1. teaching of the linear programming - that is from completely learning oriented to completely computational oriented

2. teaching using the software - that is from completely software oriented to completely hand-work oriented

Therefore, there can have four combinations:

1. hand work-learning oriented

2. hand work-computational oriented

3. software-learning oriented

3. software-computational oriented

Now, not sure what is teaching that is learning oriented - but I think I mean understanding the concepts - so I guess probably the nitty-gritty of why they are doing stuff - but I'm conflicted now ... won't the nitty gritty implied that you're doing the computational stuff??? I guess I should imply that the computational stuff means where the answer is given or maybe I should call that the blackbox approach. So, for hand-written I mean everything is done by hand, and by software I mean everything is done by software, the student doesn't touch pen and paper.

Alright, if I am going with that, I'm theorizing that math students in particular will most likely go with learning and hand written, learn the nitty gritty and do all iterations by hand. In this case they are using intermediate steps but practically. Then I am theorising that those who have learning and software, these will use intermediate step software.

So, what I'm saying there is two types of teaching one with intermediate steps and one without. Hmmm ... this comes to an interesting aspect ... does how the teacher teach the course relate to their intentions or beliefs ... i.e. how is learning-software related to their intentions or beliefs?

I think I've totally confused myself as yet! I am not sure what I am measuring any more .... oh well got to untangle this web I wove just now ... my brain is tied up in knots!

John's paper
Mood:  lazy
Now Playing: Dekho Maine Dekha Hai (Love Story)
Topic: Factor Analysis
Well, I've been reading the paper John sent me on "Teacher's beliefs and intentions concerning teaching in higher education" (first author is Norton, L.). I only have the author's proof mind you ... so the document might change ... but so far very interesting document ... I am taking my time reading through it since I believe I may use similar methodology in my work. I've only read the first 9 pages of the 35 page document!!!!! Oh well, I took a short break to read up on factor analysis in Andy Field's "Discovering Statistics" - it is much easier read than Howell's "Statistical Methods for Psychology" ... besides Howell doesn't have factor analysis. Had to do that before I proceed further into the paper - because I think I would have been lost!

I think I've finally understand factor analysis ... (well ... at least to understand the words when I read the article) ... for so many years when I read those stupid papers on their questionnaires and their mention of factor loadings and varimax used to get me so confused ... and what they meant by a factor ... I finally think I know ... Could you imagine, these factors that these people supposingly discover, are just a figment of their imagination ... well, not literally, but they are taking variables that cluster together ... and then they 'dream up' some word that will describe what these variables are describing ... like if age correlated with sex (M/F) and those two correlated with hair colour ... then they will say that factor is personal characteristics ... but whose to say the factor is actually personal characteristics but not describing something different ... you got to know good vocabulary to come up with these factor words ... to know what they could be related to ... you should take an English course in word association for factor analysis in my opinion. As for varimax ... its just simply a way of understanding the data better by transforming it... and the transformation is accomplished by just rotating the data about the factor axes - yup the factors - whatever name you decide to call them, can be considered on their own right as a kind of variable, and have relationships with one another, and hence can be plotted as a graph, with each having an axis!! If the variable (a real variable from the questionnaire) seems to be more incorporated towards one factor then it has a higher factor loading (basically a larger value on that factor's axis). But yeah that reminds me ... these variables from questionnaires ... what exactly are they?? I mean Field gave me the impression that the variables can be a question from the questionnaire ... but reading other people's papers ... I got the impression that variables are pre-determined and questions are asked that relate to that variable, and the means from these questions are used to represent the score of the variable. Now ... who's to say that those questions accurately measure that variable?? Won't a separate factor analysis will be needed on these set of questions, to see if they are measuring one thing i.e. the variable - then from a factor analysis, only one factor should be given ... not sure if this is sense to anyone out there ... but it is making perfect sense to me!

John's paper by the way is looking at teaching beliefs and teaching intentions of teachers in higher education institutes ... cool isn't it? They used a questionnaire based on some guys called Gow and Kember ... can't find a reason why they used it -probably in the paper somewhere and I am missing it. Anyway, this will be cool to check if teaching beliefs or intentions are related to the use of software and its types ... don't you think? Well ... first got to develop a questionnaire like Gow and Kember for classifying the software into computational and learning tool (unless I can find one ... somebody help me please!!!)... and maybe then I can find some factors ... and throw in the words varimax and factor loading wherever I feel like!

Lindo and its tableau
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Kabhi Kabhi (one of my favorite songs!)
Topic: LP Software
I'm thinking that probably for the tableau when it comes to problems with excess and artificial variables, that the way to treat this is to first convert the problem into a two-phase problem, with the new objective function ...

...Just did that ... found out it doesn't work, since there is a number in the objective function, and all numbers in the objective function must be associated with a variable. Oh well, not sure what method it is using to solve these problems, but I did the tableau and pivot actions several time, and although when I am doing it, it is claiming the solution is infeasible, it eventually reaches an optimal solution. I wonder if this is the interior point algorithm ... I don't think I have ever done that algorithm - so, probably why I don't understand what Lindo is doing.

Concepts, Questionnaires and new Journal
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: some Indian song
Topic: Methodology
Thought I would note this down before I forgot ... it was something that James said. This is how does the LP course transforms itself because of the use of software ... or are students challenges in the course because of the use of the software or the use of the computer or the actual LP concepts and principles.

Anyway, I've been looking up the International Journal of Technology in Mathematics Education, formerly the International Journal of Computer Algebra in Mathematics Education formerly the International Derive Journal. The library doesn't subscribe to it, but was able to look up some abstracts, and it seems to be a journal that I might use in the future. I just emailed Helen and asked if she could subscribe to it. Hossein Zand published a paper in there recently ... probably I could get some backing up from him, although I don't know him (well personally - seen him around) - but read his work!!

John had suggested I set up an interview with him, and I think I should do that, at least to sound off my questionnaire. Jonathan had suggested I interview someone first and from that develop the questionnaire questions, which seems like a good suggestion.

Supervisory meeting
Mood:  lazy
Now Playing: song from Mohabbatein
Topic: LP Software
I had my supervisory meeting on Monday, it seems as if my research might go somewhere yet ... we are thinking about correlating lecturer's view of software with that of the approaches to study view of students ... seems like fun ... but got to unpack my computational and learning tool meanings at the moment.

This morning I demonstrating three software packages to James (Doug called in sick) - Lindo, WinQBS and Solver. James pointed something out to me how specialized some of the terms were like such as iterations, tableau, simplex algorithm, reduced cost, dual price, sensitivity analysis, shadow price etc. I had never thought about that, and I can see where problems can arise. James pointed out that depending on your background these concepts might be easier, for example people with linear algebra, may find the concept of elementary row operations (eros) much easier to comprehend ... and possibly people in economics etc. may find shadow prices something easier.

I discover this morning that Lindo has a tableau function in which you can view the iterations, and even do them yourself, but it doesn't seem to work with equations requiring the dual simplex algorithm, I think in that case, you may have to put in the new objective function. This is better than the WinQBS I think, for the simple reason, that you make the decisions, while WinQBS helps you along with the answer, by highlighting the next pivot variable and row (although you can choose to change the pivot variable) ... may be there is a way to switch that off. Plus WinQBS allows you to put the variable in as text (like Lindo) or as a matrix (Solver). However, solver is nicer since it allows exploration with variables, i.e. changing the values of the changing variables or using even goalseek to see there immediate impact.

James gave me an idea though of probably using other lecturers from outside of the UK, as that might increase response in the survey, and we can do that as a web-survey ... only problem with that, is that it does not link with the students ... probably, I can choose a select set of lecturers and use their students, so a smaller sub-set of the study, in other words. I'll have to develop the criteria for why I chose those lecturers ... I don't think it is good enough to say because they were interesting.

That reminds me ... I think my literature review may have to contain a section expounding the good and bad between LSI and ASI. Also, have to learn some lingo ... do students learn?? Or is knowledge transferred?

Conjectures of research question
Mood:  bright
Now Playing: don't have a clue what the name of the song is!
Topic: Research questions
I found out today that my first comments on this blog was made on January 26! Guess what ... it was somebody from the OU - which makes it a bit too close to home.

Anyway, created a list of research questions for James and Doug about 2 weeks ago, and it seems as if we are going with the original research question. But they asked me to unpack what I mean by computational and learning tool - oh that has got me stumped. James like the idea a bit better now - I think - at least got that impression from our meeting, because I was able to make conjectures about the different disciplines. Now these conjectures are based on my experience of teaching LP, so I figured that

1. Mathematics students: most likely would not use any of the LP software, since it is all into the mechanistics of mathematics. But I think I am more likely to find learning LP software here ... if any.

2. Business and Management students: I think most likely they would use the computational software, simply, because they need to apply the answer to make a managerial decision, and they are not into the understanding of heavy maths.

3. Engineering students: I feel these can use either ... if I group the OR students here, I think they will use the learning tools, and if it is the engineering management students it will be computational tools.

So, that's my conjectures. Still haven't gotten around to unpacking the ideas of computational and learning tools ... not certain what is meant by unpacking so stuck there. I think what Doug meant is to find the components that make up these words. Possibly, why they decided we should have a demonstration of the software. Well, so far, I've gotten two software (WinQBS and Lindo), got the Solver Add-in, I think there is another add-in but I can't remember the name, its something like XLP - got to find it and install it and I have some java applet programmes. Only problem, one of the better one, claims I have to update my java applets, I think I have to install a JRE - that will take ages to download! Oh well, I guess I can demonstrate how those are use, and probably between my supervisors and I we can figure what relates to computational and learning tools.

I wanted to relate it to about 6 different aspects in LP problems itself, these are:

1. Formulating the problem

2. Inputting the problem into the computer

3. Understanding of the simplex algorithm (or other method)

4. Interpretation of the results

5. Interpretation of the sensitivity analysis

6. Application of results to problems

Anyway, still not sure where I stand ... wonder if I have said so far even makes sense! Well, promised my supervisors a draft outline of a proposal by today!!! Wondering if I can make that deadline I've imposed on myself ...

Anyway, I'm going back to work on my ethnography - got a TMA due Tuesday coming.