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This case study looks both backwards and forwards at real and potential incidents and risks created by the use of various levels of self-driving vehicles. The case provides background on autonomous vehicle technology, the legal and risk management frameworks involved, and a variety of scenarios for students to consider. The scenarios provide the foundation for discussion of autonomous vehicle introductions and operations, as well as considerations for how other new technologies may be launched.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the legal regulation of cross-border commercial agency agreements in two main legal systems: civil law and common law. It should be noted that the legal regulation of international commercial agency agreements is fragmented; therefore, the general principles of agency law could be applied in order to propose sustainable solutions in international commercial agency relationships. In this paper, the authors consider the effectiveness of these general rules in commercial agency agreements and conclude that the lack of common international regulation for leads to the application of conflicting national rules that are not sufficient in aligning the sustainable interests of all parties of such complex legal relations.

Understanding the psychological contract (PC) perceptions of college students is crucial for attracting and retaining them as early-career employees. We explore how gender and social comparison orientation (SCO) serve as antecedents and moderators of PC breach. Potential PC obligations were examined across 34 teams of full-time business students. Moderated relationships between SCO and gender were examined relative to PC development, breach, and commitment via a survey following a semester-long team project. Results showed that gender significantly influenced obligation perceptions, with females possessing stronger obligations of their team. Positive relationships existed between SCO and the strength of reported obligations and with breach perceptions. Breach was negatively related to affective commitment to the team. Gender moderated several relationships, with females generally showing stronger, significant associations, consistent with relational PC expectations (Adams et al., 2014). Given the rise of the boundaryless career (Kost et al., 2020), results enhance our understanding of implicit obligations college students hold in applied learning projects that further career-readiness. Results suggest that professors and career services staff can reduce the gap between students' perceptions of their soft skills and employer expectations (Stewart et al., 2016). This study also facilitates our understanding of factors influencing team commitment, composition and perceived obligations.

The growth and competitiveness of any business, especially micro and SMEs, will increasingly depend on the ability to apply new knowledge, organisation and working methods, as well as the capacity to engage in the commercialisation of research and development to develop new products, services, or processes. In the information society, the development of new products, services, and processes requires the use of innovations resulting from the intellectual activity of creative people. For creators and successors in title of intellectual property rights (various projects, trademarks, inventions, computer programs, etc.) to be able to successfully develop and market their products, they need a functioning IPR protection system. The research found that it is essential for the company to acquire the rights to the works created during the employment contract, and it would be necessary to reasonably limit the author's right to withdraw the work created during the employment relationship.

We propose and evaluate contractual- and Intellectual Property (IP) instruments in support of research collaboration partnerships between universities and the Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME)-industry, and more specifically in the South African context. Interviews were conducted with executives from 11 South African originated SMME's in the high-technology industry. The findings of this study and potential solutions were then verified and validated with SMME's, large multinational industry and universities (in South Africa and international) and can be considered as good practice principles to assist in industry-university collaboration (IUC). One aspect that was reported with high occurrence, is the matter of IP valuation, as it can often create further barriers in IUC. The question regarding how to value the IP and any rights relating thereto (IPR's), is attended to in this study and shared experiences from industry and universities provide insights in the considerations and principles to be used when entering discussions regarding IP valuation.

In recent years, machine translation post-editing (MTPE or PE for short) has been steadily gaining ground in the language industry. However, studies that examine translators' perceptions of, and attitudes towards, MTPE paint a somewhat negative picture, with PE pricing methods and rates being a major source of dissatisfaction. While the European Master's in Translation Competence Framework stresses the importance of preparing translation graduates for market challenges, to date there have been no concrete suggestions for practical activities designed to introduce MTPE-pricing-related topics into the translation classroom. The present article aims to address this gap by describing a teaching unit developed for master's students. The activity includes comparing three MTPE pricing methods commonly used in the industry: word-based, time-based and effort-based rates. Using authentic performance data from individual PE tasks carried out in MateCat, students were able to discover the different levels of remuneration they would receive for the same task, depending on the pricing method applied. The results, which show wide variation across both methods and students, proved useful in raising students' awareness of the thorny issue of setting PE rates and sparking reflection on the financial implications of accepting PE assignments.

Britney Spears's 2020 testimony about her 13-year conservatorship highlighted ethical concerns surrounding surrogate decision making. Social workers engage with families and clients in conservatorship/guardianship arrangements. However, social work educational programs spend little time preparing students for surrogate decision making and advocacy. Guided by the pedagogical technique of scaffolding and the Spears family case, this teaching note presents a foundational understanding of surrogate decision-making arrangements: conservatorship of the estate, conservatorship of a person, temporary conservatorship, permanent conservatorship, medical justification for conservatorship, controlling fertility, legal counsel, labor in conservatorship cases, and alternatives for guardianship. Content in this area will benefit social work students who intend to work with older adults, adults with mental health conditions, and adults with disabilities.

This paper presents the first systematic investigation into the search engine optimization practices of major contract cheating websites in the United States. From a business perspective, visibility in organic search engine results is considered one of the top client recruitment tools. The current understanding of student recruitment strategies by these companies remains largely unexplored in both academic literature and popular press. Replicating the business research practices used in the search engine optimization industry, comprehensive search engine ranking and traffic data was obtained for the 38 largest contract cheating websites in the US. The overall objective was to illuminate the strategies that these companies take to get their services at the top of the search results of as many students as possible -- not just the relatively small proportion of students actively cheating. The results show that these companies dominate the search results for not just students searching to cheat, but also for naïve search efforts, when students are simply doing genuine research or classwork. These nefarious companies use highly sophisticated search engine manipulation strategies to bait naïve student searchers onto their sites, thus enabling the potential to switch them to cheaters. Higher education institutions, armed with the specific details provided in this study, can use the strategies outlined in the discussion to directly and negatively impact on the success of these contract cheating services.

In this article, we explore whether the evaluation instruments used in the teacher selection process in Peru are good predictors of teacher effectiveness. To this end, we estimate teacher value-added (TVA) measures for public primary school teachers and test their relationship with Peru's results of two rounds of the teacher evaluation (i.e., a centralized national stage and a decentralized stage performed at the school level). Our findings indicate that among the instruments that comprise the national stage of the process, the logical reasoning and curricular and pedagogical knowledge subtests have the strongest relationship with the TVA measure, while the weakest relationship is found with the reading comprehension component. Also, we find that the weighted aggregate score has a higher relationship with estimated TVA than the specific subtests. At the school-level stage, we find no significant relationships with our measures of TVA for math, as well as a nonrobust relationship for the classroom observation and interview evaluation instruments for reading. Moreover, we find relationships between our TVA measure and several teacher characteristics: TVA is higher for female teachers and for those at higher salary levels while it is lower for teachers with temporary contracts. These results provide lessons for the design and implementation of evaluation instruments in teacher hiring processes around the world.

As students' achievement is correlated with self-regulation, finding interventions promoting self-regulated learning (SRL) in online courses is a current focus of research. However, few studies have explored the potential of contract learning in scaffolding and developing SRL in non-traditional learners who have work and family and are at risk of dropout. Here, we investigate the utility of contract learning as an individualized learning approach in developing self-regulation in non-traditional learners during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a qualitative approach, we collected data from the experience of one teacher and seven non-traditional learners in an online English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course. The data were collected from teacher logs over eight months and semi-structured interviews with the students. The results of deductive thematic analysis of the data indicate that contract learning positively affected the forethought, performance, and self-reflection phases. Further, despite the cognitive, emotional, external, motivational, and behavioral challenges aggravated by the pandemic, the teacher's efforts to implement contract learning affected the persistence and effort, goal setting, strategic planning, and time management of most learners (N = 4). Possible reasons for the learners' success and failure and the implications for developing SRL skills in students at risk of dropout in online English courses are discussed.

Business schools seek to prepare students for the workplace with employer-valued skills such as communication, teamwork, and application of knowledge. As such, a common practice for business and management educators is to involve students in collaborative team-based assignments and community projects. For example, to facilitate the development of teamwork skills, faculty members may have students create a team charter, which involves student teams identifying goals, roles, and norms. However, empirical evidence of the value of team charters is limited. This study examined student perceptions of team charters to determine if they played a role in effective teamwork or if other variables accounted for team success. The study entailed an analysis of a mid-semester team evaluation survey and an end-of-semester team charter survey. Findings indicated that overall, including the development and application of student charters in student group projects leads to several significant benefits and learning outcomes. However, the perceived usefulness of charters varies among students by level of experience and year in school.

Rural school leaders encounter an array of complex issues that require legal counsel. Student discipline, contract disputes, employee conduct, special education, and a host of other topics require school boards and superintendents to utilize school attorneys. This descriptive phenomenological study explored the daily experiences of ten school attorneys representing multiple school districts in rural areas. Three salient themes emerged (a) the work of a school attorney, (b) relationships and interactions with school personnel, and (c) insights for others. Themes provide a comprehensive picture regarding school attorneys' roles, responsibilities, and engagements with school personnel within rural schools. Implications, including the importance of building relationships between school attorneys and school leaders and of gaining experience in schools are offered. Finally, future research with more school attorneys specializing in special education and disability law, who represent diverse and rich backgrounds in rural settings would augment the findings from this study.

This study estimates the association of participation in a nine-week online educational program to prepare students for post-graduate (juris doctorate) education and law school grades. We collected registrar data from 17 U.S. law schools for participants and non-participants from the same year and a prior year. We compared first-semester law school grades between participating and non-participating students weighted by propensity scores. Course participation was associated with improved first-semester grades in a keyed course (Contracts Law) and overall grade point average. According to pre- and post-survey responses, a substantial portion of those who completed the program reported feeling more prepared for law school.

This paper deals with the role of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) among staff on teaching-only contracts in UK higher education, particularly in contrast with the activities of research-active staff. Drawing on the results of a quantitative study carried out during the summer of 2021 among modern foreign language teachers in 64 UK universities, the questions of the status and purpose of SoTL are addressed. The results of the survey show that, beyond the traditional two-tier division of academic labour based on the research vs. scholarship dichotomy, a third group of academic staff with no research or SoTL responsibilities has emerged in recent years. The paper concludes with recommendations to review the existing divisions between staff on research, SoTL and teaching-only contracts in order to create a more inclusive academic environment where individuals in different types of academic posts can fulfil their scholarly potential.

Schools of business aim to help students develop employer-valued skills, which include communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and application of learning. This can be achieved through team assignments and community-based learning. Such approaches help students apply the concepts they are learning, collaborate with others, develop managerial skills, and solve real-life workplace issues. Teamwork is commonly thought to be enhanced when students establish a team charter outlining their goals, norms, and processes. Research on the value of team charters in business education, however, is limited. This study examined the role of team charters on student perceptions of working well together. Data was collected and analyzed from a mid-term team evaluation and a final team charter assessment. Findings indicated that perceived value of team charters differs across the year in school and tends to be higher for less experienced students. The provision of a structured project roadmap clarified team member roles, responsibilities, personal accountability, and team vision.

The study employs a sequential explanatory mixed-method design and aims to understand contract cheating behavior by conducting a survey of 1,081 undergraduate students in Indonesia and following up with five respondents to explore those results in more depth. In the first quantitative phase, we collected a variety of information from questionnaires about students' practice with contract cheating. However, the interviews provided considerable depth of the students' experiences, motivations, and attitudes toward contract cheating. Of the 1,081 participants, 73 students (6.75%) reported engaging in contract cheating. The survey responses revealed preliminary insight into students' experiences with contract cheating and the prevalence of this phenomenon in Indonesia. In the semi-structured interviews with a subsample of survey participants (n = 5), we applied the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to elicit attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral controls toward contract cheating. Our study revealed that students will have a higher chance of pursuing contract cheating when: (1) they believe that contract cheating provides various benefits (positive attitude toward contract cheating); (2) many of their friends are doing the same thing and expect them to do the same (subjective norms); and (3) they can control their contract cheating behavior to avoid being caught (perceived behavioral control).

Researchers in many disciplines work with ranking data. This data type is unique in that it is often deterministic in nature (the ranks of items "k"-1 determine the rank of item "k"), and the difference in a pair of rank scores separated by "k" units is equivalent regardless of the actual values of the two ranks in the pair. Given its unique qualities, there are specific statistical analyses and models designed for use with ranking data. The purpose of this manuscript is to demonstrate a strategy for analyzing ranking data from sample description through the modeling of relative ranks and inference regarding differences in ranking patterns between groups. An example dataset of university faculty ratings of job characteristics was used to demonstrate these various methods, and the ways in which they can be tied together to obtain a comprehensive understanding of a ranking dataset. The analyses were carried out using libraries from the R software package, and the code for this purpose is included in the appendix to the manuscript.

Public comments offered by citizens at local school board meetings play an important role in shaping the educational policy process. However, educational researchers have underexamined them in debates about educational policy change. Drawing from critical discourse analysis, this study examines the public comments offered at a school board meeting where a proposal to terminate a contract with the police department and remove school resource officers from schools was being considered. In particular, this study is interested in the arguments that stakeholders use to express their support for or opposition to the board's proposal. My findings highlight the logics that stakeholders employ to let their perspectives be heard including conflicting notions of safety, the possibilities for alternatives, and individual encounters with "good" police. As more districts across the United States consider removing police, this study contributes new insights into the influence of public opinion on policy decisions, as well as into community attitudes toward police in schools.

Previous research has shown that temporary employment is negatively associated with many psychological and job-related outcomes, such as well-being, health, wages, organisational commitment, and job satisfaction. Among recent doctoral graduates, the proportion of temporary contracts is particularly high. However, research on the association between contract type and job satisfaction specifically among doctoral graduates is scarce. Therefore, whether and how obtaining permanent employment affects doctoral graduates' job satisfaction remains a notable research gap that we intend to narrow by using panel data from a recent doctoral graduation cohort and by adopting a panel research design. We examine what effect obtaining permanent employment has on doctoral graduates' job satisfaction and whether this effect differs by labour market sector. We use panel data that are representative of the 2014 doctoral graduation cohort in Germany and their career trajectories up to five years after graduation. We apply fixed-effects regression to approximate the within-effect of obtaining a permanent employment contract on job satisfaction. The analyses indicate that obtaining permanent employment increases doctoral graduates' job satisfaction and that this increase is not driven by time-varying confounders. We also find that doctoral graduates' labour market sector moderates the effect: the increase in job satisfaction is highest in the academic sector and statistically significantly different from that in the private sector. Overall, this paper offers new insights into the effect of obtaining a permanent contract on the job satisfaction of recent doctoral graduates throughout their first years after graduation, when they are often employed on temporary contracts.

Author contracts in scholarly publishing serve to outline the rights and permissions for each party in the use and redistribution of a work throughout the life of its copyright term. Although rights and licensing expectations for open access publishing--the "open access ethos"--have been detailed in the Budapest Declaration, Plan S Principles, and other documentation, studies that explore the implementation of these ideals in contracts between authors and publishers have been limited in focus and scope. This study seeks to initiate a holistic approach toward evaluating open access journal agreements that is not limited by region or discipline, with the aim of discerning best practices as well as delineating common points of deviation. The authors distributed a survey to contacts from journals in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), including both journals with and without a DOAJ Seal. The results suggest that DOAJ Seal status is central to alignment with the open access ethos and that there is more misunderstanding about the importance of copyright and licensing terms than shown in previous research. This research contributes to discussions pursuing a future of open access publishing that supports authors' rights as a central tenet.

In this paper, we draw upon in-depth interviews with teachers and administrators in 18 unionized charter schools around the country to investigate teachers' motivations for unionization. Our results suggest that while mismanagement and distrust are often the proximate cause of charter unionization efforts, both material and purposive goals--greater job security and pay as well as increased voice in school decision-making--power organization drives and contract negotiations. Our evidence suggests unionization and collective bargaining agreements can create more transparency around pay and development, which teachers desired. But, sometimes unionization carried unanticipated risks for administrators--salaries increased faster than revenues and teacher development became constrained by newly formed collective bargaining agreements.

In our descriptive exploratory qualitative study, we investigated the issue of contract cheating in Iranian higher education contexts. Through our analysis, we provide insights into measures taken in Iran to prevent contract cheating and mitigate its effects. Our study analyses secondary data including scholarly articles, published media, and the country's current policies. Results showed that more empirical primary data from which to draw definitive conclusions is needed, and as such, developing an evidence-based body of knowledge about the prevalence and characteristics of contract cheating in Iran remains a persistent call to action. Our analysis of scholarly studies (n = 102) and grey literature sources (n = 195) showed an overarching lack of university accountability; students' motives for engaging in contract cheating; and lack of appropriate legislation were enabling factors. We conclude that Iran lags behind other countries with regards to what is known about contract cheating and how to address it; as such, we conclude with a call to action for increased supports for education; policy and legislation; and scholarship.

This paper provides a systematic and critical review of the existing literature on the phenomenon of 'commercial contract cheating' (CCC). Unlike some existing systematic reviews generally on CCC, this paper focuses on the potential causes and suggested preventative measures specifically, intending to develop effective interventions on the basis of empirical insights. We reviewed primary studies with empirical data and systematic reviews focusing on higher education published between 2012 and 2020. A logic model is developed to graphically indicate the complex and dynamic interplay between a variety of factors identified. Our inquiry reveals a highly specified, uncoordinated and fragmented research landscape that urgently needs integrated, holistic and critical reflection. It shows that the current research is still far from establishing causal relationships as the scholarship opts to reveal an abundance of contextual factors identified only, without probing the relational dynamics or striving for causality. A range of broad and tentative recommendations are proposed on that basis but are barely empirically examined. We also attend to lack of conceptual clarity and work towards a more inclusive and future-proof definition of CCC beyond assignment-based conceptualisation. It is argued that CCC should never be reduced to plagiarism (a natural inclination inspired by the plagiarism research tradition) nor neutralised as a legitimate business (a potential risk revealed mostly by the supply side research). As an interdisciplinary field, CCC should move beyond student perceptions of education cheating and affordability, while including more inquiries into the exploitative, predatory nature of the industry.

Prevalence of contract cheating and outsourcing through organised methods has received interest in research studies aiming to determine the most suitable strategies to reduce the problem. Few studies have presented an international approach or tested which variables could be correlated with contract cheating. As a result, strategies to reduce contract cheating may be founded on data from other countries, or demographics/situations which may not align to variables most strongly connected to engagement in outsourcing. This paper presents the results of a series of statistical analyses aimed at testing which variables were found to be predictors of students' self-reported formal outsourcing behaviours. The data are derived from an international research study conducted in 22 languages, with higher education students (from Europe, the Americas and Australasia. Analyses found that country and discipline of study as well as the rate at which respondents n = 7806) believed other students to be cheating, were positively correlated to their cheating behaviours. Demographic variables did not show strong statistical significance to predicting contract cheating.

The purpose of this research was to ascertain whether there had been any improvement in students' metacognitive and critical thinking skills through the development of the 'Teaching Factory Based on Troubleshooting' (TEFA-T) model in automotive vocational learning. The research had both quantitative and qualitative components and applied the 4D procedures, viz define, design, develop and disseminate. The subjects for the control and experimental groups were 32 students, and each was each group used an effectiveness test. The results showed that the TEFA-T learning model carried out the novelty value of the model syntax using the following activity steps: (1) identifying product problems, (2) defining the product problems, (3) generating and selecting several alternative solutions, (4) designing solving techniques, (5) ordering work contracts, (6) designing a product work schedule, (7) executing orders, (8) quality control, and (9) assessment. The test results showed that the TEFA-T Learning Model is valid using the Aiken'V formula and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structure Equation Modeling (SEM), with a Chi-Square and x2 /df values of 219.76 and 0.8292, used to determine the model fit test (goodness-of-fit models). Furthermore, the practicality test declared it "Very Practical" with an average score of 4.56 and an Achievement of 90.02%. In conclusion, using the TEFA-T learning model to improve students' academic achievement, metacognitive, and critical thinking skills appeared to be effective (Sig. 2- tailed value is less than 0.05).

Clearly written agreements between parties serve as crucial components in ensuring the creation, effectiveness, success, and sustainability of any partnership. Professional Development Schools (PDSs) are no exception. Highlighted in Essential 6 of both the original and updated versions of the National Association for Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) guiding statement document, "What it Means to Be a Professional Development School" (NAPDS 2008; 2021), is the need for an articulated agreement to serve as a foundation of understanding among all parties involved. Presented in this article is the Revised Essential 6.

In 2019, the U.S. Department of Education (DED) began increasing its enforcement of the Higher Education Act, Section 117 statute, which provides instructions for institutional reporting regarding foreign and contracts. The three questions guiding this article include: What were DED's stated premises for the investigations? How was international engagement characterized in the notices? And finally, what traits, characteristics, and/or qualities were attributed to different actors? After providing an overview of Section 117, this article examines the notices of investigation issued by DED between 2019 and 2021 to better understand how the Agency discursively characterized malign and/or undue foreign influence utilizing a discourse historical analysis approach. After exploring these questions, this article then discusses the problematic assumptions revealed by four frames which emerged from the notices of investigations and concludes with a brief reflection on the continued challenges for universities and their international engagement (broadly defined) moving forward.

In this descriptive study, we utilized the national database that was obtained from the international APIKS, Academic Profession in the Knowledge -- Basic Society survey, where 3,776 Mexican professors participated from the different public research centers, federal public institutions, state public institutions, technological public institutions, as well as from private institutions. This research emphasizes on the analysis of the public technological institution subsystem, in the variables of gender, preference between teaching and research contract situation, salary, labor and salary, professional environment, that are part of the elements composing the instrument applied to the professors working in higher education institutions. One of the purposes is to find out more about productivity, degree of satisfaction about the conditions and academic work nationwide.

School-law enforcement partnerships benefit from well-written memorandums of understandings (MOUs) that have been collaboratively developed with input from school law enforcement agencies and school divisions. While many school-law enforcement partnerships report having MOUs, little is known about what information the MOUs provide. We conducted a content analysis of 73 MOUs from school-law enforcement partnerships in Virginia. We coded the MOUs to obtain information about MOU structure and format and the coverage of three topic areas: school resource officer (SRO) roles, SRO training, and SRO role in school discipline. Our analysis revealed most MOUs cover the three topic areas, but what the MOUs said about these topics varied tremendously. The findings suggest all those involved in MOU development might benefit from easily accessible, streamlined resources that outline what specific issues need to be addressed when creating MOUs and how to navigate nuanced discussions about the roles and training of SROs.

Between 2003 and 2016, the percentage of undergraduates taking at least one course online nearly tripled, increasing from 15.6 to 43.1. Initially, that enrollment was concentrated in the proprietary, or for-profit, higher education sector. In response, and to make up for declining numbers of "traditional" college students and the resulting revenue shortfalls, some public colleges and universities formed arrangements with for-profit education companies. Private education companies, often referred to as online program managers (OPMs), manage hundreds of online degree programs for public colleges and universities, though the public--including the students and faculty in the programs--is too often unaware. Public-private partnerships can be found up and down the education sector and throughout the typical campus, where they are relied on for housing, dining, maintenance, and parking services. In reality, such partnership billing is meant to sugarcoat what is really happening: outsourcing. In many respects, colleges and universities in these arrangements have outsourced their core functions and shifted control of a public good into the hands of private, for-profit companies.

In the long history of higher education, there have been many endowment gifts that have strengthened institutions and brought about profound public benefits, but there are sometimes disappointment and controversy. Savvy donors need to think carefully before entering into endowment agreements which are difficult to change before death and virtually impossible after death. Investing in higher education is a worthy goal, but it should be done with both eyes open.