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Distance education has been an important research issue of multimedia computing and communication. Since the instructional activities are implemented on cyberspace, how to control behaviors of students and to increase the degree of communication awareness have been a challenging issue. We propose a system based on the scaffolding theory. Behaviors of students are supervised by an intelligent control system, which is programmed by the instructor under our generic interface. The interface is built based on virtual reality and real‐time communication technologies. Students and instructors have their individual avatars that are controlled by a video game like navigation. Those behaviors that violate virtual campus regulations are detected and interceptive actions are performed. The proposed system is implemented on a Windows system and can be used for general purpose of distance education.

The Internet has become a popular medium for information exchange and knowledge delivery. Several traditional social activities have moved to the Internet, such as distance learning, tele‐medical system and. traditional buying and selling activities. Online merchants must know what users want, so providing recommendation services is an important strategy. Analyzes users’ on‐line behavior and interests, and recommends to them new or potential products. The analysis mechanism is based on the correlation among customers, product items, and product features. An algorithm is developed to classify users into groups and the recommendation is based on the classification. The system can help merchants to make suitable business decisions and provide personalized information to the customers. A generic mobile agent framework for e‐commerce applications is proposed. The aforementioned collaborative computing architecture for the recommendation system is based on the framework.

Students with mathematics-related learning difficulties (MLD) experience difficulties in many areas of mathematics achievement; without intervention, these difficulties will persist. In this chapter, I first review research examined cognitive processes deficits of MLD. Because difficulties in learning mathematics are presumably due to these cognitive deficits, findings of these studies can shed light on developing effective intervention programs. Second, using Response to Intervention (RTI) as a framework to distinguish the intensity level of intervention, I review findings from existing Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention studies and synthesize the instructional approaches used in these studies as well as the factors researchers used to intensify the intervention. Finally, Data-Based Individualization (DBI), a systematic approach to intensify intervention, commonly used at the Tier 3 level, is review. Suggestions for future research directions for intensive mathematics intervention are also provided.

The vast majority of research on traditional leadership focuses on effective and positive leadership behavior. However, scholars have begun to pay attention to the impact of negative leadership behavior on employees and the organization. Hence, the main purpose is to examine the effects of abusive supervision. While the literature does not examine the time future orientation of the effects of abusive supervision, the purpose of this paper is to fill up this gap and examine the moderating role of future orientation.

A total of 584 valid questionnaires were collected from respondents aged between 21 and 30 years old and analyzed using the hierarchical regression and structural equation modeling method.

The main results show that abusive supervision positively affects counterproductive work behavior and future orientation positively moderates both the relationship between abusive supervision and originality behavior and the relationship between abusive supervision and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).

This study demonstrates the moderating roles of future orientation in the effects of abusive supervision, and thus deepens the understanding of the moderating effect. It departs from the prior works and presents a more detailed examination examines the distinct dimensions of personality traits. It makes three main theoretical contributions. First, it introduces uncertainty management theory as a means to interpret the effects of abusive supervision. Second, it contributes to the literature on abusive supervision. Third, it does not lead to discovery as an OCB and originality, conclusions which differ from the results suggested in past literature.

This study aims to apply theory on consumer learning in virtual experiences to compare how media technologies (i.e. virtual reality [VR] and standard websites) and users’ gender influence the ways in which tourists gather pre-purchase information.

A laboratory experiment with fully immersive VR was conducted to examine consumers’ behavior in gathering pre-purchase information. The sample comprised 128 consumers who had taken a cruise vacation or who were considering purchasing a cruise package in the near future.

The results generally reveal the central role of the feeling of presence, which, in turn, positively impacts users’ enjoyment and aspects of consumer learning (i.e. brand attitude, product knowledge and purchase intent). In particular, the results suggest that compared with standard websites, VR facilitated the tourists’ learning as consumers, especially among women, who tend to dominate the information-gathering stage of planning family vacations.

The results imply that travel agencies and tourism centers working with cruise vacation companies should incorporate VR to make their offers more attractive, especially to women.

The study was the first to apply theory on consumer learning in the cruise tourism industry, specifically to compare fully immersive VR devices versus standard websites and gauge the effect of gender.

Purpose: Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) young adults smoke at rates much higher than the general population. Young adults, in general, are less likely to seek medical help for smoking cessation and LGB individuals are less likely to seek health care generally. Alternative methods to encourage smoking cessation are necessary. This research seeks to establish whether LGB young adults in California would be willing to use social media for smoking cessation.

Approach: We conducted 41 qualitative interviews among LGB young adults in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles in Fall 2014.

Findings: The results suggest that our participants were interested in a LGB-focused social media intervention, as long as the intervention was private or anonymous and moderated. Further, across topical areas our participants spoke extensively about the import of social connections. We may be able to leverage these connections to encourage cessation.

Research Limitations: This is a qualitative, non-generalizable dataset from a fairly limited geographic area.

Public Health Implications: Online smoking cessation interventions aimed at young adults would benefit from further testing with LGB young adults to ensure efficacy among this population. In addition, states and localities concerned about young adult LGB smoking might benefit from investing in an online socially mediated cessation forum. Online interventions could be scalable and might be useful for other groups who regularly face discrimination, stigma, or other stressors that make successful smoking cessation difficult.