Assessment of general education at Clayton State College

This article is an excerpt from a report issued by Clayton State College and from an article by B. R. Rice and E. W. McElroy, “General Education at Clayton State College” in Outcomes: The Quarterly Journal of the Network for Outcome-Based Schools, 10 (1), Spring 1991.     

A new look at the age of technology

Dr Margaret Mead received the Kalinga Prize for 1970 on 2 December 1971, at a ceremony presided over by René Maheu, Director-General of Unesco.The Kalinga Prize is awarded annually by Unesco to a scientist, writer, editor, speaker or radio programme editor whose work has significantly contributed to the interpretation of science as an instrument for improving the welfare of mankind, enriching the culture of nations and answering human and social problems. It was established in 1951, and is based on a grant made by B. Patnaïk, from the State of Orissa, India. Prospects reprints here the text of Dr Mead's speech: Margaret Mead is a prominent anthropologist and author of many works, including Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies, Male and Female, Culture and Commitment: A Study of the Generation Gap,and A Rap on Race (with James Baldwin).     

Teaching French Literature at a distance at university level

How does one teach literary analysis and sensitivity at a distance? Examples of the approach of the French National Centre for Distance Education are given for the French Literature examinations at the two‐year degree level (Diplôme d'Etudes Universitaires Generates).     

Winning at the Publication Game

Prospective authors submitting articles to The Clearing House or other professional journals should realize that publishing success depends, in part, on game strategies. This article by the Executive Editors of TCH identifies ten strategies, based on metaphors from competitive sports, that can help authors win at the publication game.     

The Stranger: Adventures at zero point

Abstract

In one of his notebooks, Albert Camus describes, The stranger, The myth of Sisyphus, Caligula and The misunderstanding as pertaining to a series; a schema that suggests that if one were to write about one of these literary works, one would be writing about parts of a whole unless one also engaged with the others. Whether one does this or not, may or may not reflect the nature of the relationship one sees these texts as sharing. The stranger and The myth of Sisyphus share something unique: they are both as Camus describes them, zero points; a zero point here being understood as the zero point at which one thinks about one’s existence. This article begins with a reflection upon the relative philosophical value of understanding The myth of Sisyphus as a work of art and then occupies itself with how this understanding might provide an opportunity for self-reflection when reading The stranger. The reading of The myth of Sisyphus is not used so much to better understand Meursault (the protagonist of The stranger) and his story but to invert our interpretative methodology such that it is possible to speak to the reader as a significant actor. The novel is thought of in terms of the gifting of a philosophical problem, a problem which the author of this article attempts to understand from the point of view of how one might see oneself as paradoxically implicated in the drama of its articulation. It is this paradox that will lead us to speak of the narrative of The stranger as referring to a problem in how philosophy speaks to our experience of education.     

Registration at the third annual convention 1917

A Case Book in Discussion. By Frank C. and Mary B. Mckinney, with an introduction by Joseph V. Denny. New York: The Ronald Press, 1930: pp. vi, 267 ; $2.00.

Suggestions for instructors. By the same authors; 28 pp.

The Fred Newton Scott Anniversary Papers. By Former Students and Colleagues. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1929: pp. ix, 319.

Daniel Webster. By Allan L. Benson. New York: Cosmopolitan Book Corporation, 1929 ; pp. viii, 402.

Elements of Public Speech. By J. K. Horner. New York: D. C. Heath and Company, 1929; pp. xi, 313.

Literature for Oral Interpretation. By Eiohard Dennis Teall. Hollister. Ann Arbor, Michigan: George Wahr, 1929; pp. 752. $3.60.

Anniversaries and Holidays. By Mary Emogene Hazeltines American Library Association, 520 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, 1929: pp. xx, 288.

A Practical Handbook of Play Production. By D. C. Ashton.

A Book of Dramatic Costume. By Edith Dabney and C. M. Wise. New York: F. S. Crofts and Co., 1930; pp. x, 163. $3.

Theatre Management. By Sanford E. Stanton. New York: D. Ap‐pleton and Company, 1929; pp. vii, 154; $1.50.     

Worlds of Literacy Worlds Apart: Reading at Home and at School

This article considers the findings of a literacy survey with Year 7 students who had experienced difficulties with reading. It highlights the range of texts and events that these students were choosing to engage with outside school and the mismatch between home and school literacy. The findings signal a need to go beyond the traditional reading test to uncover the texture of literacy experience and achievement in students' lives.     

Faculty at work: Focus on teaching

Within the framework of cognitive motivation theory, selected personal and environmental motivational variables for faculty in English, chemistry, and psychology from community colleges, comprehensive colleges and universities, and research universities were regressed against faculty allocation of work effort given to teaching. The data came from a 1988 national survey. Gender (sociodemographic); quality of graduate school attended, career age, and rank (career); self-competence, self-efficacy, institutional commitment, personal interest in teaching, and percent time preferred to give to teaching (self-valuations); and institutional preference, consensus and support, and colleague commitment to teaching (perception of the environment) were entered into regressions.R ² were generally strong (.86 for community college chemists) and significant. For all institutional types, self-valuation and perception of the environment motivators significantly accounted for the explained variance whereas sociodemographic and career variables did not.     

Leveraging feminism at Barnard

In addition to being editor ofAcademic Questions     

Topic: The morale of teachers in a world at war

Science Related to Life: Book Two, Heat and Health. By Reh. American Book Co., New York, 1932. Pp. 192.

Embryology. By Mary T. Haeman. Philadelphia: Lea &; Febiger, 1932. Pp. 2–476.

Educational Biology. By William H. Atwood and Elwood D. Heiss. Philadelphia: P. Blakiston's Son and Company, 1933. Pp. xiii + 475.

Problems in Biology. By George W. Hunter. New York: American Book Company, 1931. Pp. v + 706.

Practical Bacteriology. By T. J. Mackie and J. E. McCartney. New York: William Wood and Company, 1931. Pp. xv + 421.

The Collection and Preservation of Animal Forms. By Morris M. Wells. Chicago: General Biological Supply House, 1932. Pp. 72.

A Textbook of Histology. By J. Lewis Bremer. Philadelphia: P. Blakiston's Son &; Co., Inc. Pp. 568.

Elementary Bacteriology. By Joseph E. Graves and Ethelyn O. Graves. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company, 1932. Pp. 5–535.

Directing Language Power in the Elementary School Child. By Caroline J. Trommer and Teresa A. Regak. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1933. Pp. xii + 497.

Adventures, Book I; Trail Fires, Book II; Eastward Ho! Book III; Higher Levels, Book IV. By Grace Walker, Neli. F. Bartels and Mary E. Marye. (A series of work‐books) New York: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1932.

Effective Instructional Leadership. By a Committee, Rudolph D. Lindquist, Chairman. New York: Columbia University, 1933. Pp. ix + 183.

On Teaching English. By Howard Francis Seely. New York: American Book Company, 1933. Pp. xix + 391.

My Life Book. By Neal Stoddard. Cincinnati: American Book Company, 1933. Pp. vi + 106.

Fundamentals of Bookkeeping and Business. By Charles E. Bowman and Atlee L. Percy. Cincinnati: American Book Company, 1933. Pp. viii + 316.

The New First Course in Home Making. By Maude Richman Calvert and Anne E. Richardson. Atlanta: Smith, Hammond and Company, 1932. Pp. xiii + 507.

The Role of the Teacher in Personnel Work. By Ruth StranG. New York: Columbia University, 1932. Pp. xv + 332.

An Orientation Course in Education. By Joseph S. Butterweck and J. Conrad Seegers. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1933. Pp. vi + 392.

Education and Certification of Elementary Teachers. Frank P. Bachman. Field Study No. 5 of the Division of Surveys and Field Studies, Peabody College.

Modern School Administration—Its Problems and Progress. By John C. Almack. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1933. Pp. viii + 382.

The Evolving Common School. By Henry C. Morrison. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1933. Pp. 62.

State Scholarship Students at Hunter College of the City of New York. By Adele Bii dwrsee. New York: Columbia University, 1932. Pp. xii + 138.

Teaching History in the High School. Mary E. Peck. Published by the State Teachers College, Farmville, Virginia, 1933.

Forward Steps in Thinking and Writing. Wilson‐Rubado‐Scovlle and Johnson. Silver Burdett &; Co., 1933.

A Point Scale of Performance Tests. By Grace Arthur. New York: The Commonwealth Fund, 1933. Pp. xi + 106.

Principles of Genetics. By Edmund W. Sinnott and L. C. Dunn. New York: McGraw‐Hill Book Company, Inc., 1932. Pp xvi + 441.

New High School Arithmetic—Revised. By Webster Wells and Walter W. Hart. New York: D. C. Heath and Company, 1933. Pp. viii + 357.

Teacher Absence and Leave Regulations. By William D. Kuhlman. New York: Columbia University, 1933. Pp. viii + 75.

Co‐operative Citizenship. By Joseph Irvin Arnold. Evanston, Ill.: Row, Peterson and Co., 1933. Pp. lii + 716.

Stimulation of Educational Undertakings. By J. Wayne Whightstone. New York: Columbia University, 1933. Pp. viii + 76.

Biology and Human Welfare (New Edition). By James Edward Peabody and Arthur Ellsworth Hunt. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1933. Pp. xii + 658.     

Inverted puritanism at Brown University

in addition to being editor ofAcademic Questions and chairman of the National Association of Scholars     

Paradise lost at San Francisco state

Editor's Note: From time to time,Academic Questions, under the heading “Voces Academicae,” publishes interviews with teachers and scholars whose experiences and reflections provide a telling commentary on the nature of contemporary university life. In this interview four faculty members at San Francisco State University discuss the great strike of 1968 and its continuing impact on the life of their institution.     

Properties of vortex system with random columnar defects at zero temperature

The properties of a two-dimensional vortex system with random columnar defects were studied by cooling the vortex system to zero temperature. The vortex lattice became more and more disordered with increasing pinning strengthf _p. At smallf _p, a triangular vortex, lattice away from the pins was observed. The peak of structure factorS(G₀) of the vortex lattice decreased with pinning strengthf _p, which accorded with the finding that the probability of vortex to be pinned increased withf _p. Some of our results agreed with experimental findings. Project supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (NKBRSF-G19990646) and Zhejiang Province Scientific Foundation (199031).     

The Humanities at Michigan State University

The author discusses a project called "The Sunflower Symposium," named in honor of Simon Wiesenthal's The Sunflower (1998). The project was a catalyst for discussions on legalized discrimination, the infringement of civil rights, (in)justice, (in)tolerance, and civic responsibility, influencing students to connect the Holocaust to other world events. It proved an effective pedagogic method for examining critically and taking action on important global issues. Evidence of the effectiveness of this message is presented and suggestions for integrating literature into courses are offered.     

Newtonian in mind but Aristotelian at heart

This article discusses some core features of Aristotelian physics, and looks at their transformation by first Galileo, and then Newton. It shows how the Aristotelian view was rooted in commonsense, and indicates why this is the reason that such understandings prove so resistant to physics instruction. Some suggestions are made for guiding effective pedagogy.Morecover, mechanics is to physics what the skeleton is to the human figure — at first glance it may appear stiff, cold, and somewhat ghastly, but even after a brief study of its functions one experiences with mounting excitement the discovery of an astonishingly beautiful design, of a structure that is ingentiously complex, yet so simple as to be almost inevitable. (Gerald Holton, Introduction to Concepts and Theories ln Science)Mechanics is one of the branches of physics in which the number of principles is at once very few and very rich in useful consequences. On the other hand, there are few sciences which have required so much thought — the conquest of a few axioms has taken more than 2000 years. (Rene Dugas, A History of Mechanics)Although it is unsafe to read logical necessity into particular historical developments, the special position occupied by mechanics amongst the other branches of physics and natural science must be emphasised, for it was this special position that made it the starting point of modern science. (S. Sambursky, The Physical World of the Greeks)There is, in nature, perhaps nothing older than motion, concerning which the books written by philosophers are neither few nor small; nevertheless I have discovered by experiment some properties of it which are worth knowing and which have not hitherto been either observed or demonstrated. (Galileo Galilei, Dialogues Concerning Two New Sciences)Of the intellectual hurdles which the human mind has confronted and has overcome in the last fifteen hundred years, the one which seems to me to have been the most amazing in character and the most stupendous in the scope of its consequences is the one relating to the problem of motion. (Herbert Butterfield, The Origins of Modern Science: 1300–1800)In the Beginning was Mechanics. (Max von Laue, History of Physics)I offer this work as the mathematical principles of philosophy, for the whole burden of philosophy seems to consist in this — from the phenomena of motions to investigate the forces of nature, and then from these forces to demonstrate the other phenomena. (Isaac Newton, Preface to the Principia)     

Looking at Teacher Practices Through the Lens of Parenting Style

In this article, the author used a parenting style framework to explain mixed evidence about the influence of teacher practices on student outcomes. Participants included 3 fifth-grade math teachers and 45 of their students. The author assessed teacher practices, teaching style (i.e., demandingness and responsiveness), student engagement, self-efficacy, and standardized achievement test scores. The most academically and socially competent students were those who experienced an authoritative teaching style (i.e., consistent classroom management, support of student autonomy, and personal interest in students). The author found disengagement and limited ability beliefs in the authoritarian context (i.e., consistent classroom management but limited autonomy support and limited personal interest in students). She found smaller academic gains in the permissive context (i.e., inconsistent management, autonomy support, and interest in students).     

Inclusive education at the centre of human development issues in Togo

In the concept of inclusive education, the adjective inclusive stands for a universal vision for education for all students. It stands for the mobilisation of various resources in the field of education, for achieving UNESCO's Education For All agenda. Inclusive education aims to combat discrimination and give meaning to difference; that is to say, to the education of students with disabilities and students with special needs. It must be understood and oriented within the framework of the national education strategy. This article presents an analytical study on the system of itinerant teachers initiated in North Togo by the non-governmental organisation Humanity & Inclusion. A practical and inclusive pedagogy project is described as an example of the implementation of inclusive education practices in Togo. Inclusive education is not an immutable concept and does not have a single method of implementation applicable to all countries and to all situations of need. This article reflects on the impact of inclusive education as a pedagogy, to contribute to a continued development of practices for the academic and social inclusion of children with disabilities. Specifically, different actors and interventions in the establishment of inclusive education practices in Togo are identified. Necessary and adequate means for the continued development of national inclusive education policies in Togo are proposed.     

Implementing an ROI Measurement Process at Dell Computer

This return-on-investment (ROI) evaluation study determined the business impact of the sales negotiation training course to Dell Computer Corporation. The specific metrics used include profit margin and margin attainment percentage, units sold and attainment percentage, total revenue and attainment percentage. The study applied a five-step ROI measurement process used at Dell Computer. The process steps include Plan-Develop-Analyze-Communicate-Leverage. Using this process, this particular case study involved 57 participants who attended the Dell Situational Negotiation course and an equivalent control group. To collect data, the corporate sales information database was used to compare pre- and post-training metrics for both training and control groups. A cost benefit analysis was also conducted to determine ROI of the training. Among the key findings of the study are:

• •These results have to be communicated to executive and management staffs for them to recommend the training to those who have not yet attended.
• •Coaching and reinforcement efforts for the course have to be stepped up so that these improvements can be sustained.
• •Due to the significant results of this study, the course should be included in development plans of sales representatives, account executives, sales managers, and regional sales managers.
• •It is suggested that a follow-up study be done to identify specific negotiation skills and tools that are being used on the job.

     

Carving Metacognition at Its Joints: Protracted Development of Component Processes

Two experiments investigated the development of metacognitive monitoring and control, and conditions under which children engage these processes. In Experiment 1, 5‐year‐olds (N = 30) and 7‐year‐olds (N = 30), unlike adults (N = 30), showed little evidence of either monitoring or control. In Experiment 2, 5‐year‐olds (N = 90) were given performance feedback (aimed at improving monitoring), instruction to follow a particular strategy (aimed at improving control), or both. Across conditions, feedback improved children's monitoring, and instruction improved both monitoring and control. Thus, children's poor metacognitive performance likely reflects a difficulty engaging the component processes spontaneously rather than a lack of metacognitive ability. These findings also suggest that the component processes are distinct, with both undergoing protracted development.     

Dutch home-based pre-reading intervention with children at familial risk of dyslexia

Children (5 and 6 years old, n = 30) at familial risk of dyslexia received a home-based intervention that focused on phoneme awareness and letter knowledge in the year prior to formal reading instruction. The children were compared to a no-training at-risk control group (n = 27), which was selected a year earlier. After training, we found a small effect on a composite score of phoneme awareness (d = 0.29) and a large effect on receptive letter knowledge (d = 0.88). In first grade, however, this did not result in beneficial effects for the experimental group in word reading and spelling. Results are compared to three former intervention studies in The Netherlands and comparable studies from Denmark and Australia.