Digital Commons@Georgia Southern

Reliability-Based Analysis of Service Recovery

Jacob V. Simons — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 08:18:35 PDT

To succeed, service businesses must offer their customers high‐quality, reliable service. However, many of the characteristics that make services unique also make it difficult to ensure consistently correct performance. To promptly identify and correct errors when they occur, service managers have been advised to include recovery steps in their service processes. However, while service recovery has anecdotal support, the literature has so far not offered management tools for analytically evaluating a system's needs for recovery measures or assessing their potential benefit. To provide such a tool, this paper transfers the logic of reliability theory, which is widely used in the design of electrical and mechanical systems. The application of this approach yields several useful insights for managers, to include the effects of various process structure characteristics.

An Analytical Approach for Allocating Service Recovery Efforts to Reduce Internal Failures

Jacob V. Simons et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 08:09:34 PDT

Prior research substantiates the value of compensating customers for poor quality. However, little guidance has been provided for the recovery of errors while service delivery is in progress. The authors provide analytical models inspired by reliability theory to guide managers in allocating their investments in service recovery. Models are constructed to achieve four different objectives and converted to Lagrangian formulations for solution. Example solutions illustrate the contrast in investment allocations.

Pick a Number... Any Number?

Jacob V. Simons et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 08:02:49 PDT

A recent classroom revelation caused us to reconsider the adequacy of the instructions offered in our textbooks for one of our most elementary quantitative methods. Specifically, we found that many students were mystified concerning how to pick an initial objective function value when plotting an isoprofit line in order to graphically solve a linear programming problem. We observed that this seemingly insignificant issue was causing a surprising amount of wasted time, confusion, and even anxiety. Our experience indicated that students do not necessarily possess any consistent intuition for choosing an appropriate initial value. We confirmed this perception through informal experimentation. We reviewed several textbooks and found that most simply do not bother to address this issue. Therefore, we devised a simple, comprehensible method which we have taught our students to resolve or avoid this problem. Although we quickly found the method to be helpful for many students, we conducted an experiment to formally measure its effect.

Who's Running This Operation?

Jacob V. Simons — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 07:59:18 PDT

A Multivariete Methodology for Selection of Accreditation Peers

Jacob V. Simons et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 07:56:44 PDT

This paper describes one college’s effort to identify peer institutions for accreditation comparisons. Previously, peers had been chosen subjectively. A cross-disciplinary faculty team first identified relevant data that could serve as the basis for a more objective method. The authors then constructed a spreadsheet that allowed exploration of alternative models evaluated according to a multivariate, phi-square performance measure.

Process Flow and Scheduling in the Fairbanks County State Court

Jacob V. Simons et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 07:46:33 PDT

The state court system is responsible for trying alleged violations of state law which occur within a particular county. Judge John Bernard and Solicitor Lee Palefsky run the Fairbanks County state court system on a part-time basis. The court process operates on a quarterly cycle. Similar types of offenses are scheduled together in half-day blocks, so that 40 or more cases may be scheduled for the same date and time. When court convenes, defendants, law enforcement officers, witnesses, and lawyers must all wait for their case to be heard. Multiple factors make the waiting time highly uncertain. The court would like to minimize both the frequency and duration of court appearances. However, actions which optimize one of these measures for one type of participant are likely to compound problems for others.

Requirement Allocations under Alternative Supplier Pricing Schemes

Gerard Burke et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 07:13:06 PDT

Push and Pull Supply Chains

Gerard Burke — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 07:11:08 PDT

An Analysis of Compound Bullwhip Effect Causes

Gerard Burke et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 07:09:26 PDT

Analyzing Compound Causes of the Bullwhip Effect

Xiaolong Zhang et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 07:05:00 PDT

This paper investigates compound causes of the bullwhip effect. We consider a distribution system with cross-correlated demand streams. We examine a baseline scenario in which only forecasting causes the bullwhip effect and then introduce other sources including order batching, price variations, and shortage rationing into the problem. The compounded effects are decomposed and their manitudes are examined in relation to the parameters of the model.

Branch and Bound Algorithm for the Separable Piecewise Linear Concave Cost Allocation Problem

Gerard Burke et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 06:59:55 PDT

Links in Supply Chain Leadership and Financial Performance

Gerard Burke et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 06:54:43 PDT

Analysis of Compound Bullwhip Effect Causes

Gerard Burke et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 06:51:10 PDT

A Newsvendor Inventory Model with N Stochastic Yield Suppliers

Gerard Burke et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 06:48:25 PDT

Relational Supply Chain Capabilities: A Relational Progression Perspective

Amit Arora et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 06:42:30 PDT

Market-Oriented Supply Chain Sustainability: A Grounded Theory Approach

Amit Arora et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 06:39:42 PDT

Measuring the Effect of Supply Chain Collaborations and Market Turbulence on Performance Outcomes

Amit Arora et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 06:33:53 PDT

Collaboration is increasingly being viewed in the industry as a key to fostering performance and growth especially as the supply chains are becoming complex due to globalization. This research study discusses collaboration as an important supply chain strategy, and provides a framework for performance evaluation of the firm employing collaboration with its supply chain partners. Drawing on the relational view as the basis of collaboration, a COLLABORATION-TURBULENCE conceptual framework is suggested, and hypotheses are developed from the extant literature and tested using sample data collected from firms in India and United States. It was found that the level of supply chain collaboration between supply chain partners has a positive influence on the operational and relational outcomes which leads to a positive influence on the firm performance. In addition, based on behavioral and contingency theories, it was found that market turbulence moderates these relationships, having a positive influence on collaboration-operational outcomes link and a negative influence on collaboration-relational outcomes link. Managers who are confident about the level of collaboration in their supply chain can use this to decide whether to emphasize on operational or relational outcomes in times of market turbulence which will be critical to ensuring success of the firm.

An Analysis of Batching and Multiple Demand Streams on the Bullwhip Effect

Gerard Burke et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 06:30:54 PDT

This research investigates coincident causes of the bullwhip effect (BWE) and considers their separate and aggregate effects in a triadic supply chain with fixed period inventory systems. Interacting effects of demand autocorrelation, cross-correlation and temporal batching are analyzed to characterize various scenarios where the BWE is dampened or amplified.

Measuring the Sustainability Performance of Logistics and Shipping Services Companies: Impact of Economic, Environmental and Social Dimensions

Amit Arora et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 06:27:23 PDT

The purpose of this paper is to develop a mathematical model to determine the sustainability index of companies in logistics and shipping services industry that will enable a company to track its sustainability over time and also help to compare its sustainability efforts with other companies.

An Empirical Analysis of the Vulnerability-Efficacy Tradeoff

Willis Mwangola et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 06:14:17 PDT

This study examines and quantifies the relationship between three main factors: globalization, inter-firm dependence, and efficiency driven operational strategies, which improve firm performance while simultaneously increasing firm vulnerability. Using archival data, we analyze these relationships by quantifying their non-linear effect on profitability, thereby providing evidence of the tradeoff.

Clash of Two Titans: Overall Impact of Brand Equity on Inventory Level

Akhadian S. Harnowo et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 05:56:41 PDT

The purpose of this research is to examine the overall impact of brand equity on inventory level. Although both are important, marketing and management literatures seem to suggest that brand equity negatively impacts inventory level through gross margin. This paper employs secondary data from Compustat database to test the hypotheses.

Risk vs Reward: Examining Performance Tradeoffs of Efficiency and Complexity in Supply Chain Operations

Willis Mwangola et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 05:52:18 PDT

Efficiency driven operations are essential to improving firm performance. However, they potentially increase firm vulnerability. Similarly, complex operations, arising from increased globalization and product diversification, also improve performance while increasing vulnerability. Through response surface analysis, this study quantifies the non-linear effects of these two factors on firm performance.

Does Supply Chain Information Technology Improve Firm Performance? A Meta-Analytic Evaluation

Akhadian S. Harnowo et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 05:48:49 PDT

Previous studies of Supply Chain Information Technology (SCIT) report various and sometimes contradictory relationships between SCIT and firm performance measures. We consolidate empirical findings from published studies and seek general insights on this topic. By doing so, we also reveal opportunities to better develop aspects of this research area

Risk vs Reward: Examining Performance Tradeoffs of Efficiency and Complexity in Supply Chain Operations

Willis Mwangola et al. — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 05:45:34 PDT

Newsroom

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 05:23:25 PDT

Effects of Bullwhip on Item and Store Level Performance

Cesar Ayala et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 13:51:42 PDT

We examine how information and material distortions affect inventory management performance of a major retailer. Bullwhip effects (BWEs) are individually calculated for dozens of products carried by dozens of retail locations. Relationships between item/store-level BWEs and item/store-level performance measures including gross margins, stockouts and inventory levels are tested and reported.

Strategy Framework of Market-Oriented Supply Chain Sustainability

Amit Arora et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 13:41:44 PDT

The purpose of this paper is to present a framework of market-oriented supply chain sustainability derived from sustainability reports of firms. To achieve this purpose, a structured content analysis using Crawdad software on sustainability reports is conducted and optimization routines for teasing out themes from these data are developed.

Does Supply Chain Information Technology Improve Firm Performance? A Meta-Analytic Evaluation

Akhadian S. Harnowo et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 13:38:03 PDT

Can Information Technology Overcome Perils of Supply Chain Complexity?

Akhadian S. Harnowo et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 13:34:19 PDT

Supply chain complexity has long been considered a potential source of detrimental firm performance. Utilizing secondary data, we not only evaluate the extent to which supply chain complexity impacts firm performance, but also whether or not Information Technology capabilities are able to mitigate any such negative performance effects.

Emergent Supply Chain Sustainability Strategies of Top Sustainable Manufacturers

Mohammed Anas Irfan et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 13:27:50 PDT

This study seeks to advance research and practice on supply chain sustainability by exploring strategies associated with market-oriented supply chain sustainability. We capture a holistic view of supply chain sustainability by integrating all key stakeholders into strategy development through the notion of market-oriented sustainability. Data in the form of sustainability reports of leading organizations of four manufacturing industry sectors was objectively coded and analyzed using text analysis software and linear programming techniques. Based on our analysis we propose a framework of seven market-oriented supply chain management sustainability strategies. Further, our analysis reveals that innovation as a market-oriented sustainability strategy has strong interactions with the other six market-oriented sustainability strategies.

An Integrated Index for Triple Bottom Line Performance of the Big Three Firms in Logistics and Shipping Services Industry

Nihar Kumthekar et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 13:18:58 PDT

This research investigates a crucial aspect of managing sustainability in organizations, i.e., sustainability performance measurement, with a focus on developing a methodology for jointly measuring and comparing the sustainability performance of companies in a particular industry. We utilize two complementary methodologies – linear aggregation and data envelopment analysis, to create a unique index consisting of sustainability indicators. The method is demonstrated using three major firms in the logistics and shipping services industry. The mathematical models formulated in this research are flexible to include or exclude any number of sustainability indicators and provide an easy-to-comprehend tool for the managers to evaluate their sustainability efforts over a period of time. This research contributes to practice by aligning social and environmental indicators on the same scale and comparing the performance of companies using the ratios of these indicators.

Supply Chain Management

Gerard Burke et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 12:34:06 PDT

Supply Chain Management

Gerard Burke et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 12:30:24 PDT

Supply chain management (SCM) facilitates delivery of the right products or services to the right place in the right quantity for the right price. It also uncovers dormant synergies or enhances existing synergies among trading partners. This chapter outlines the fundamental strategies, members, and activities of a supply chain, and how information technologies enable better management of the supply chain. Currently, basic challenges in improving supply chain performance are embedded in the adversarial tension of competitive markets. Overcoming inherent distrust and fostering collaboration among decentralized supply chain members is a major challenge faced by today's supply chain managers. The capability to provide visibility of the entire supply chain's status to each supply chain member through SCM software fosters cooperation, and thus information technology can be viewed as a critical enabler of supply chain coordination.

Measuring the Effect of Supply Chain Collaborations and Market Turbulence on Performance Outcomes

Amit Arora et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 12:07:18 PDT

The Push and Pull of Product Demand on Supply Chain Models

Gerard J. Burke — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 11:51:01 PDT

In business we strive to satisfy our customers in economically efficient ways. As we drive inefficiency out of our internal organization, we may realize that our ability to fully satisfy demand as efficiently as possible is constrained by our suppliers or our distribution channel. Supply chain management (SCM) strives to direct an organization's internal and external influence to efficiently deliver maximum value to the end customer. To this end, it is wise to understand the nature of product offerings so that we may tailor our supply chain model to best suit our products. Once we understand key aspects of our products, such as demand characteristics, we can better design and manage our supply chain. A supply chain's focus, whether on physical efficiency or market responsiveness, determines its primary purpose, manufacturing process, inventory strategy, lead time targets, supplier criteria, and product design strategy. SCM balances cost efficiency objectives with responsiveness requirements by managing supply, transformation and distribution relationships. A comparison of DELL Inc. and Toyota Motor Corporation illustrates these supply chain links.

Single Versus Multiple Supplier Sourcing Strategies

Gerard J. Burke et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 11:47:48 PDT

Successful supply chain management necessitates an effective sourcing strategy to combat uncertainties in both supply and demand. In particular, supply disruption results in excessive downtime of production resources, upstream and downstream supply chain repercussions, and eventually a loss in the market value of the firm. In this paper we analyze single period, single product sourcing decisions under demand uncertainty. Our approach integrates product prices, supplier costs, supplier capacities, historical supplier reliabilities and firm specific inventory costs. A unique feature of our approach is the integration of a firm specific supplier diversification function. We also extend our analysis to examine the impact of minimum supplier order quantities. Our results indicate that single sourcing is a dominant strategy only when supplier capacities are large relative to the product demand and when the firm does not obtain diversification benefits. In other cases, we find that multiple sourcing is an optimal sourcing strategy. We also characterize a non-intuitive trade-off between supplier minimum order quantities, costs, and supplier reliabilities. Finally, we examine the robustness of our results through an extensive numerical analysis of the key parameters of our model.

Allocating Procurement to Capacitated Suppliers with Concave Quantity Discounts

Gerard J. Burke et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 11:44:12 PDT

We consider a procurement problem where suppliers offer concave quantity discounts. The resulting continuous knapsack problem involves the minimization of a sum of separable concave functions. We identify polynomially solvable special cases of this NP-hard problem, and provide a fully polynomial-time approximation scheme for the general problem.

Heuristics for Sourcing from Multiple Suppliers with Alternative Quantity Discounts

Gerard Burke et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 11:30:06 PDT

In this paper, we analyze the impact of supplier pricing schemes and supplier capacity limitations on the optimal sourcing policy for a single firm. We consider the situation where the total quantity to be procured for a single period is known by the firm and communicated to the supplier set. In response to this communication, each supplier quotes a price and a capacity limit in terms of a maximum quantity that can be supplied to the buyer. Based on this information, the buyer makes a quantity allocation decision among the suppliers and corresponding to this decision is the choice of a subset of suppliers who will receive an order. Based on industry observations, a variety of supplier pricing schemes from the constituent group of suppliers are analyzed, including linear discounts, incremental units discounts, and all units discounts. Given the complexity of the optimization problem for certain types of pricing schemes, heuristic solution methodologies are developed to identify a quantity allocation decision for the firm. Through an extensive computational comparison, we find that these heuristics generate near-optimal solutions very quickly. Data from a major office products retailer is used to illustrate the resulting sourcing strategies given different pricing schemes and capacity limitations of suppliers in this industry. We find for the case of capacity constrained suppliers, the optimal quantity allocations for two complex pricing schemes (linear discount, and incremental units discount) are such that at most one selected supplier will receive an order quantity that is less than its capacity.

Optimal Requirement Allocation among Capacity Constrained Discount Quoting Suppliers

Gerard Burke et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 11:27:03 PDT

We consider a problem motivated by a central purchasing organization for a major office products distributor. This purchasing organization must source a quantity of a particular resale item from a set of capacitated suppliers. In our case each supplier offers an incremental quantity discount purchase price structure. The purchaser’s objective is to obtain a quantity of a required item at minimum cost. The resulting problem is one of allocating order quantities among an approved supply base and involves minimizing the sum of separable piecewise linear concave cost functions. We develop a branch and bound algorithm that arrives at an optimal solution by generating linear knapsack subproblems with feasible solutions to the original problem.

Sourcing Decisions with Stochastic Supplier Reliability and Stochastic Demand

Gerard Burke et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 11:22:35 PDT

Supplier sourcing strategies are a crucial factor driving supply chain success. In this paper, we investigate the implications of uncertain supplier reliability on a firm's sourcing decisions in an environment with stochastic demand. In particular, we characterize specific conditions under which a firm should choose a single versus multiple supplier sourcing strategy. In an environment with both uncertain demand and supply, we characterize the total order quantity, the number of suppliers selected for order placement, and the allocation of the total order quantity among these selected suppliers. For deeper managerial insight, we also examine the sensitivity of the optimal sourcing decisions to interactions between uncertainties in product demand and supply reliability. We show that sourcing from a single supplier is an optimal strategy for environments characterized by high levels of demand uncertainty or high salvage values. A numerical analysis based on data obtained from an office products retailer further reinforces our analytical results. In addition, we also find that when minimal order quantities are imposed, there are situations where it is not optimal to place an order with the lowest cost supplier.

An Analysis of Compound Bullwhip Effect Causes

Xiaolong Zhang et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 11:15:45 PDT

This research investigates compound causes of the bullwhip effect (BWE) by considering an inventory system with multiple price-sensitive demand streams. Joint price and demand dynamics are captured by a vector time-series process that incorporates the stochastic co-movements in price and demand. We study two BWE measures, one for each demand stream individually and one for the aggregated demand. We show that demand parameters including demand autocorrelation, cross-correlation, and price sensitivity serve as root causes of the BWE. We prove that the impact of these parameters on the BWE can be additively decomposed. Conditions are established under which a pair of simultaneous compound causes may attenuate or dampen the BWE. When demand streams are aggregated, we derive a pooling factor that quantifies the impact of demand aggregation on order stability. When positive, the pooling factor corresponds to a synergy effect that captures the gain in the stability of the pooled orders. Conditions for the existence of the synergy effect are obtained for several special cases involving a zero leadtime. We also discuss how our analytical findings can be managerially applied to bullwhip mitigation strategies.

A Cost-Based Model for Customer Batching in Mass Service Operations

Jacob V. Simons et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 11:08:08 PDT

Customers of mass services have similar needs. Therefore, operations managers have options to process customers in batches, rather than individually. While batching in manufacturing may reduce setup time, batching in services may reduce both setup and processing time. Although substantial prior research has been done on batch sizes in the manufacturing context, significant differences in cost structures complicate direct application of these models to services. Of special concern for polices regarding batching in service operations are immediate temporal effects on and preferences of customers. This paper synthesizes and extends previous research to develop and analyze an economic model for determining optimal batch sizes for many mass service scenarios.

Conditional Lot Splitting to Avoid Setups While Reducing Flow Time

Jacob V. Simons et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 10:49:57 PDT

Previous research has clearly and consistently shown that flow time advantages accrue from splitting production lots into smaller transfer batches or sub-lots. Less extensively discussed, and certainly undesired, is the fact that lot splitting may dramatically increase the number of setups required, making it impractical in some settings. This paper describes and demonstrates a primary cause of these “extra” setups. It then proposes and evaluates decision rules which selectively invoke lot splitting in an attempt to avoid extra setups. For the closed job shop environment tested, our results indicate that conditional logic can achieve a substantial portion of lot splitting’s flow time improvement while avoiding the vast majority of the additional setups which would be caused by previously tested lot splitting schemes.

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 10:04:39 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 09:47:48 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 08:24:04 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 08:18:19 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 08:07:22 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 08:07:17 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 08:07:11 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 08:07:06 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 07:37:31 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 07:37:23 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 07:37:15 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 07:37:07 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 07:09:17 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 07:09:08 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 07:09:00 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 07:08:52 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 07:08:44 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 05:47:22 PDT

Newsroom

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 05:47:13 PDT

Using an Apple iPad and Communication Application to Increase Communication in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Jamy H. Meeks — Sun, 02 Jul 2017 09:27:48 PDT

With the increase in the number of students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it is imperative to determine productive interventions to enhance communication skills. Recent investigations regarding the use of speech generated devices (SGD), such as the Apple iPad, to communicate have been performed with mixed results (Flores, Musgrove, Renner, Hinton, Strozier, Franklin, & Hill, 2012). The researcher used a single subject design, incorporating multiple baselines across settings, for two preschool students diagnosed with ASD in a public preschool during snack time and center time. The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of a SGD increased requesting skills in students with ASD and if the communication behavior transferred across settings. Both students demonstrated an increase in communication using the iPad across settings, however generalization from one setting to another for the same behavior (requesting a snack) were inconclusive. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Georgia's Senior Citizen Tuition Waiver Program: Literature Review, Pilot Study, Evaluation Proposal, and Recommendations for Future Research

Donald L. Ariail — Sun, 02 Jul 2017 09:27:45 PDT

Georgia's Senior Citizen Tuition Waiver Program (SCTWP) became law in 1976. This program allows senior citizens age 62 and older to attend University System of Georgia (USG) institutions tuition free. With the ultimate aim of improving the current program, the purpose of the proposed evaluation of the SCTWP is to determine the ongoing implementation of the program including the status of the promotion of the program, the assistance being provided to seniors aimed at facilitating entry into the program, and the level of satisfaction of program participants. Preliminary research indicates that information about the program may be difficult to obtain or misleading, that the program is not actively promoted, that there is a relatively low rate of participation and graduation, and that USG institutions differ in the way they administer the program. Suggestions are provided for conducting a more thorough investigation of the SCTWP's current implementation and efficacy: e.g., by acquiring data through individual interviews, surveys, and/or focus group sessions with current and former program participants and admissions officers; by reviewing the SCTWP content of all USG Web sites and catalogues; and, by determining the awareness by Georgia's senior citizens of the availability of the SCTWP.

An Examination of the Testing and Spacing Effects in a Middle Grades Social Studies Classroom

Mary C. Liming et al. — Sun, 02 Jul 2017 09:27:42 PDT

This study investigates the relation between review spacing and question format on student retention. Participants in an 8th grade Georgia Studies class reviewed previously learned material either in one sitting (massed review) or in multiple sessions (spaced review). Following the review, each participant answered questions either in multiple choice or short answer format. Subsequent to answering the questions, all students received feedback. One week following the completion of the reviews, students were given a post test. One month after the post test, students were given a final test. Pre-, post- and final tests were identical and no treatment occurred between the posttest and the final test. Correlational analyses of review spacing and question format suggest that spaced review is positively related to success on the posttest. There was no such finding related to massed review or question format on the posttest. Additionally, neither review spacing or question format had any correlational effect on the final test. Results suggest that spaced review is beneficial, but that the benefit is lost over time.

The Influence of the CSU Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program on Undergraduates' Teaching Plans

Cindy S. Ticknor et al. — Sun, 02 Jul 2017 09:27:39 PDT

The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program offers academic and financial support for students pursuing secondary teaching certificates in STEM fields. In return, students commit to teaching in high-need K-12 school districts. The Noyce Program has had uneven results in increasing the number of teachers in high needs schools. Large scale studies of its impact indicate the program is not likely to influence decisions to teach but may persuade participants to initially teach in high needs schools. To better understand the influence of the Noyce Program, we offer case studies of two Noyce scholarship recipients at different stages: (1) a former scholarship recipient who has graduated and is currently teaching, and (2) a second-year recipient who is currently pursuing a teaching certificate. This qualitative analysis provides insights that may have implications for optimizing scholarship programs for recruiting and retaining highly qualified STEM teachers.

Using Discourse Analysis to Understand the Relationships and Practices of Pre-service Co-teachers

Toni Strieker et al. — Sun, 02 Jul 2017 09:27:36 PDT

Early in 2016, the Council on Accreditation of Educator Providers (CAEP) (caepnet.org, 2016) published a new set of standards that called for increased collaboration of university-school partners by means of co-construction clinical experiences. In designing the new models, pre-service co-teaching, conducted by the teacher candidate and collaborating teacher, emerged as a promising practice in teacher education (Arshavskaya, 2014; Perry, 2016). However, even with the current enthusiasm for the establishing the new practices, a working definition of pre-service co-teaching remains elusive. Thus, the study of the voices of educators who are involved in co-teaching is essential as universities make the transition from single-taught to co-taught clinical experiences. This study presents a discourse analysis of the voices of 21 teacher candidates who were enrolled in a year-long, co-taught clinical experience, along with the voices of 29 mentor teachers. The findings of this study describe the terms and language used by our candidates and mentor teachers to describe their relationships and practices. The implications for these findings are discussed in terms of our new understandings of the nuances of co-teaching and how they may be used to shape a common definition of pre-service co-teaching.

Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions about the Effectiveness of the TOON Comic Books in Their Guided Reading Instruction

Ewa McGrail et al. — Sun, 02 Jul 2017 09:27:33 PDT

Recently, education and literacy researchers have acknowledged educational merit in guided reading that incorporates interactive and authentic reading texts, such as graphic novels, which meet the needs of today’s predominantly multimodal learners (Jennings, Rule, & Zanden, 2014; Kist & Pytash, 2015). This qualitative study explores through interviews and a questionnaire the perceptions of pre-service teachers about the effectiveness of the comic book series known as TOON comics in guided reading with struggling readers and writers, from kindergarten through fifth grade. Pre-service teachers have expressed positive views concerning the use of these comic books in guided reading instruction with their struggling readers and writers. They plan to use this comic book series in the classroom in the future and they offer suggestions for addressing the challenges this genre may bring to their students.