Providence College

About: Providence College is a education organization based out in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & The Internet. The organization has 2794 authors who have published 4510 publications receiving 82364 citations.

The Privacy Paradox: Personal Information Disclosure Intentions versus Behaviors

Abstract: Impelled by the development of technologies that facilitate collection, distribution, storage, and manipulation of personal consumer information, privacy has become a “hot” topic for policy makers. Commercial interests seek to maximize and then leverage the value of consumer information, while, at the same time, consumers voice concerns that their rights and ability to control their personal information in the marketplace are being violated. However, despite the complaints, it appears that consumers freely provide personal data. This research explores what we call the “privacy paradox” or the relationship between individuals’ intentions to disclose personal information and their actual personal information disclosure behaviors.

Learner readiness for online learning: Scale development and student perceptions

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a multidimensional instrument for college students' readiness for online learning. Through a confirmatory factor analysis, the Online Learning Readiness Scale (OLRS) was validated in five dimensions: self-directed learning, motivation for learning, computer/Internet self-efficacy, learner control, and online communication self-efficacy. Research data gathered from 1051 college students in five online courses in Taiwan revealed that students' levels of readiness were high in computer/Internet self-efficacy, motivation for learning, and online communication self-efficacy and were low in learner control and self-directed learning. This study found that gender made no statistical differences in the five OLRS dimensions, but that higher grade (junior and senior) students exhibited significantly greater readiness in the dimensions of self-directed learning, online communication self-efficacy, motivation for learning, and learner control than did lower grade (freshman and sophomore) students.

Networks, platforms, and strategy: Emerging views and next steps

Abstract: Research summary: A substantial and burgeoning body of research has described the influence of platform-mediated networks in a wide variety of settings, whereby users and complementors desire compatibility on a common platform. In this review, we outline extant views of these dynamics from the industrial organization (IO) economics, technology management, and strategic management perspectives. Using this review as a foundation, we propose a future research agenda in this domain that focuses the on the relative influence of network effects and platform quality in competitive outcomes, drivers of indirect network effects, the nature and attributes of complementors, and leveraging complementor dynamics for competitive advantage. Managerial summary: In many industries, such as social networks and video games, consumers place greater value on products with a large network of other users and a large variety of complementary products. Such “network effects” offer lucrative opportunities for firms that can leverage these dynamics to create dominant technology platforms. This article reviews current perspectives on network effects and the emergence of platforms, and offers several areas of future consideration for optimal strategies in these settings. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

X-ray reconstruction of moving morphology (XROMM): precision, accuracy and applications in comparative biomechanics research.

Abstract: X-Ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM) comprises a set of 3D X-ray motion analysis techniques that merge motion data from in vivo X-ray videos with skeletal morphology data from bone scans into precise and accurate animations of 3D bones moving in 3D space. XROMM methods include: (1) manual alignment (registration) of bone models to video sequences, i.e., Scientific Rotoscoping; (2) computer vision-based autoregistration of bone models to biplanar X-ray videos; and (3) marker-based registration of bone models to biplanar X-ray videos. Here, we describe a novel set of X-ray hardware, software, and workflows for marker-based XROMM. Refurbished C-arm fluoroscopes retrofitted with high-speed video cameras offer a relatively inexpensive X-ray hardware solution for comparative biomechanics research. Precision for our biplanar C-arm hardware and analysis software, measured as the standard deviation of pairwise distances between 1 mm tantalum markers embedded in rigid objects, was found to be ±0.046 mm under optimal conditions and ±0.084 mm under actual in vivo recording conditions. Mean error in measurement of a known distance between two beads was within the 0.01 mm fabrication tolerance of the test object, and mean absolute error was 0.037 mm. Animating 3D bone models from sets of marker positions (XROMM animation) makes it possible to study skeletal kinematics in the context of detailed bone morphology. The biplanar fluoroscopy hardware and computational methods described here should make XROMM an accessible and useful addition to the available technologies for studying the form, function, and evolution of vertebrate animals. J. Exp. Zool. 313A:262–279, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.