Do pigeons prefer information in the absence of differential reinforcement?

Prior research has indicated that pigeons do not prefer an alternative that provides a sample (for matching to sample) over an alternative that does not provide a sample (i.e., there is no indication of which comparison stimulus is correct). However, Zentall and Stagner (Journal of Experimental Psychology. Animal Behavior Processes 36:506?C509, 2010) showed that when delay of reinforcement was controlled, pigeons had a strong preference for matching over pseudomatching (i.e., there was a sample, but it did not indicate which comparison stimulus was correct). Experiment 1 of the present study replicated and extended the results of the Zentall and Stagner (Journal of Experimental Psychology. Animal Behavior Processes 36:506?C509, 2010) study by including an identity relation between the sample and one of the comparison stimuli in both the matching and pseudomatching tasks. In Experiment 2, in which we asked whether the pigeons would still prefer matching if we equated the two tasks for probability of reinforcement, we found no systematic preference for matching over pseudomatching. Thus, it appears that in the absence of differential reinforcement, the information provided by a sample that signals which of the two comparison stimuli is correct is insufficient to produce a preference for that alternative.     

Can the use of background music improve the behaviour and academic performance of children with emotional and behavioural difficulties?

Historically, there have been many claims regarding the beneficial effects of music on behaviour and development, but there has been little empirical work to verify them. Our present research studied the effects of providing background music in the classroom on the behaviour and performance in mathematical tasks of ten children attending a school for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, who exhibited a high frequency of disruptive behaviour. There was a significant improvement in behaviour and mathematics performance for all the children. The effects were particularly marked for those whose problems were related to constant stimulus-seeking and over-activity. Improvements were also observed in improved co-operation and a reduction in aggression during the lessons immediately following the study.     

Easy,collaborative and engaging – the use of cloud computing in the design of management classrooms

Background:?Cloud computing has recently received interest in information systems research and practice as a new way to organise information with the help of an increasingly ubiquitous computer infrastructure. However, the use of cloud computing in higher education institutions and business schools, as well as its potential to create novel learning environments remains an underresearched topic.

Purpose:?To address the research gap, this paper investigates how the capabilities of cloud computing have fostered collaborative learning processes of students in the design of management classrooms. The research project has taken place in a three-year period and has covered five post-graduate knowledge management classes, which have been situated in the context of business education.

Research design and sources of evidence:?I have used an illustrative case study of five knowledge management classes as research design to explore and describe interconnections between methods of social constructionism and cloud computing properties which enhance collaborative learning experiences of students in the classroom. To develop a theoretical background for the case study, I first review literature on constructivist and experiential learning, new management profiles, and information systems. In the empirical part of the case study, I have observed the experimental blending of constructivist learning methods and the cloud computing platform Google Apps for Education in three post-graduate classes and two Executive Master of Business Administration classes on the topic of knowledge management. For the data collection, I have focused on collaboration processes to understand how students have used various cloud computing tools to work together, and how their usage has affected interaction and reflection in the observed courses.

Results:?Findings show that collaborative properties of cloud computing, when they are undergirded by methods of social constructionism, influence learning factors on cognitive, emotional, spatial and group levels and lead to substantial changes in teacher/student roles and behaviours. The ease-of-use, playfulness and immediacy of cloud platforms creates collaborative learning spaces and has the potential to foster lateral thinking and problem solving of students in the classroom.

Conclusions and contribution:?By illuminating mutual interrelations between learning factors, constructivist principles and cloud computing properties, the paper enriches the literature on the innovative use of information system technologies in universities and business schools. The paper provides, in addition, practice-oriented insights for pedagogical and methodological choices that undergird the capabilities of cloud platforms to foster collaborative learning processes of students in higher education institutions.     

Investigating the use of the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) test results

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a nationwide testing program for literacy and numeracy in Australia. Several studies explored and used NAPLAN numeracy test results as a source of valuable data and a potential means to improve education. This paper presents a systematic literature review to investigate the use of NAPLAN numeracy test results in those peer-reviewed articles in relation to the purposes of NAPLAN results mentioned by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). Findings showed a variety of uses of the NAPLAN numeracy test results in these studies. Most of the studies used the test results to map student progress and identify strengths and weaknesses in teaching. A significant number of studies used the NAPLAN numeracy test results that differ from the purposes mentioned by ACARA. The review concluded that there is currently insufficient use which reflects the purpose of NAPLAN test results.     

Predicting teachers’ use of digital learning materials: combining self-determination theory and the integrative model of behaviour prediction

In this article, we report on a study that investigated the motivational (e.g. intrinsic motivation) and dispositional variables (e.g. attitudes) that determine teachers’ intention to use or not to use digital learning materials (DLMs). To understand the direct and indirect relationships between these variables, we replicated a study in which self-determination theory (SDT) and the theory of planned behaviour/integrated model of behaviour prediction (IMBP) are combined and a distinction was made between global level psychological needs, and contextual level as well as situational level motivational constructs. Using a sample of 1273 teachers, our preliminary findings support the findings of the previous study. The combined model potentially provides us with a more comprehensive explanation of teachers’ volitional behaviour regarding their use of DLMs in their pedagogical practices than would be possible on the basis of SDT or IMBP alone.     

The identification of students’ alternative conceptions in biology by the use of creative writing

Children, Power and Schooling. How Childhood is Structured in the Primary School By Dympna Devine Trentham Books Ltd. 2003, ISBN: 1 85856 271 6 (pbk)     

Externalizing behaviour and academic performance – the cross-lagged relationship during school transition

The current study examined the over-time association between externalizing behaviour problems and academic performance during school transition in a cross-lagged design. The main focus was to reveal whether the externalizing behaviour composite and its components separately, including symptoms of CD and ADHD, differ in their relationship with academic performance; and if controlling child- or family-related covariates altered the strength or direction of the relationship. Externalizing behaviour composite was associated with a decrease in academic performance over a 1-year time lag. Academic performance at Grade 6 was associated with low CD symptoms at Grade 7. The effect remained significant when child-related covariates were controlled, but not after controlling family-related covariates. ADHD symptoms systematically had a negative effect on grade 7 GPA, even after child- and family-related covariates were controlled. The results indicate that during early adolescence and school transition, CD and ADHD symptoms differ in their association with academic performance.     

Parenting and adolescents’ values and behaviour: the moderating role of temperament

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of parenting and adolescent fearfulness on adolescents’ pro‐social values and pro‐social and antisocial behaviour. A total of 134 adolescents (M age = 16.22, 72 girls, 62 boys) responded to questions regarding their own fearfulness, pro‐social values and pro‐social and antisocial behaviour, as well as their perceptions of maternal attachment and maternal appropriateness. Results revealed few main‐effect findings, most notably a negative relation between attachment and antisocial behaviour. However, findings pointed to several multiplicative relations as a function of parenting, adolescent fearfulness, and child gender, including: (1) maternal appropriateness was more important for boys than for girls, (2) maternal attachment was related to greater importance of pro‐social values and higher pro‐social behaviour for boys low on fear and (3) maternal appropriateness was related to lower antisocial behaviour for boys low on fear. The discussion focuses on the importance of examining the multiplicative relations between parenting and adolescent temperament and the implications of this for both educators and parents.     

Do emotions and prior performance facilitate the use of the learner-generated drawing strategy? Effects of enjoyment,anxiety, and intramathematical performance on the use of the drawing strategy and modelling performance

The use of self-generated drawings has been found to be a powerful strategy for problem solving. However, many students do not engage in drawing activities. In this study, we investigated the effects of the enjoyment of the drawing strategy, anxiety about the drawing strategy, and prior intramathematical performance on the use of the drawing strategy and modelling performance. We explored the role of the drawing strategy as a mediator between emotions and modelling and whether intramathematical performance moderated the effects of emotions (N = 220, mean age 14.5 years). Enjoyment and anxiety with respect to generating drawings and intramathematical performance predicted the use of the drawing strategy. Enjoyment positively affected modelling performance indirectly via the use of the drawing strategy. Anxiety negatively affected modelling performance via the use of the drawing strategy for students with lower intramathematical performance. Our findings demonstrate that experiencing activating emotions (i.e., enjoyment and anxiety) with respect to strategies and prior intramathematical performance are important for strategy use and modelling performance. Implications for the theory of self-generated drawing and the control-value theory of achievement emotions and practical implications for training and supporting the drawing strategy are discussed.     

Evaluation of the use of team teaching for delivering sensitive content – a pilot study

Many programmes in further and higher education contain sensitive areas of content, such as diversity, racism, power and privilege, breaking bad news, counselling, sex education and ethical decision making. Team teaching may be a useful method for delivering sensitive areas of course content. This article presents a pilot study that was undertaken on the use of team teaching to deliver the ethical decision‐making component of a continuing professional development (CPD) module for trained nurses. The findings of the pilot study are presented and mapped against different models of team teaching from the literature, and they indicate that students found three key benefits of team teaching for this sensitive content area: the value of having differing perspectives; the way in which team teaching enhanced small group work during the teaching session; and the value of team teaching in the development of students' cognitive skills.     

Predictors of teachers’ use of ICT in school – the relevance of school characteristics,teachers’ attitudes and teacher collaboration

This paper is based on the research question of what predictors (school characteristics, teachers’ attitudes, teacher collaboration and background characteristics) determine secondary school teachers’ frequency of computer use in class. The use of new technologies by secondary school teachers for educational purposes is an important factor regarding school and teaching processes. The use of digital media in schools is, among other things, associated with the goal of supporting learning processes and improving the quality of education. This contribution identifies relevant factors by means of multiple regression analyses of the teachers’ frequency of computer use for instruction in five countries (the Netherlands, Denmark, Australia, Poland and Germany) to get an idea of how to support the frequency of the use of computers in class. The analyses and findings are based on the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) study of International Computer and Information Literacy Study 2013 (ICILS), which investigates the computer and information literacy (CIL) of secondary school students and the contexts in which students develop CIL in 21 countries. Antecedents concerning school characteristics, teachers’ attitudes and teacher collaboration on the process level and background characteristics of secondary school teachers (N = 8.920) are examined in order to gain further insight into the nature and effect of predictors for secondary school teachers’ in-class use of information and communications technology. The analyses show that there are more country-specific results than similarities between the countries selected. In all countries, antecedents concerning teachers’ attitudes are more relevant for teachers’ in-class use of computers than school characteristics or teacher collaboration on the process level.     

Investigation and analysis of hazardous waste in the Three Gorges Area of Chongqing region

IntroductionaChongqingistheonlymunicipalundertheCentralGovernment(MCG)inwesternChinaandthelargesteconomicalcenterattheupperreachesoftheYangtzeRiver.Itsareais8.24×104km2withapopulationofmorethan30million.Ithasvariousindustriesgivingprioritytoheavychemicalindustrythatiseasytoproducehazardouswaste(HW)pollutionbecauseoflowtechnicalandmanagementlevel.AstheHWmanagementintheThreeGorgesAreaofChongqingregionwasstartedrelativelylate,thedeclaredHWsarenotcomplete[1].Thisworkisintendedtogiveacompl…     

The contradictory effect of the ‘global’ on the ‘local’: Japanese behaviour and attitudes towards English use in local contexts

This paper aims to establish that globalised social and linguistic changes have a more complicated impact on local behaviours and attitudes than is believed. Based on statistical analysis of nationally representative surveys in Japan, the paper presents evidence against the following two propositions: (1) globalisation increases local demand for English use and (2) local enthusiasm for English-education reforms is a direct outcome of globalisation. The findings of the study suggest a significant disconnect between these discourses and reality. Therefore, this paper discusses the power of discourse in constructing images of globalisation and the global spread of English.     

Preservice teachers’ perspectives on the definition and assessment of creativity and the role of web design in developing creative potential

This empirical study explores the perspectives of eight preservice teachers on the meaning and assessment of creativity and the role of web design in developing creative potential. Data sources included eight semi-structured interviews analyzed by three independent raters, web design checklists, and interviewer’s notes. Five themes emerged from participant responses during data analysis: a) definition of creativity, b) assessment of creativity, c) creativity and instructional strategies, d) creativity and problem solving, and e) creativity and web design. Web design is viewed as a process of ill-structured problem solving that educators can integrate in the curriculum to link content knowledge with the construction of a tangible product. Each of the web design steps, according to these preservice teachers, is important in developing and realizing the creative potential because they require comprehension, analysis, synthesis, application, and evaluation skills to create a unique product.     

Applying brand management to higher education through the use of the Brand Flux Model™ – the case of Arcadia University

Within an increasingly more competitive landscape, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are becoming more marketized and promotionalized. Brand building is becoming a strategic administrative goal, yet clear brand management models are lacking. This paper utilizes the Brand Flux Model^? to assist in tracking the fluxing nature or historical patterns of branding practices, and provides a graphic representation for following changes in branding or changes in position that result in either Reinforcing an existing brand, or Revitalizing, Refocusing, Renaming, or Retiring a brand. Through a case analysis of an HEI that eventually underwent a radical renaming, the various phases of the Brand Flux Model^? are explored and the critical aspect of ongoing brand management efforts is reinforced. The paper also highlights why periodic brand audits are necessary to ascertain that what the institution believes it is promoting and projecting is consistent with the actual brand image held by stakeholders, and suggests that benchmarking brand management efforts and correlating them with the stage and actions of the Brand Flux Model^? can assist in understanding branding as a growth platform for service organizations. For practitioners, this study provides a model to assist in brand management and renaming scenarios, and offers insight into channels for optimal corporate strategy. It demonstrates that making changes in branding or changes in position in order to Revitalize, Refocus (rebrand and reposition) or even Rename a brand, and then Reinforce those decisions, is critical to maintaining brand health.     

Self‐reported and actual use of proactive and reactive classroom management strategies and their relationship with teacher stress and student behaviour

This study investigated the relationship between primary school teachers’ self‐reported and actual use of classroom management strategies, and examined how the use of proactive and reactive strategies is related to teacher stress and student behaviour. The total sample consisted of 97 teachers from primary schools within Melbourne. Teachers completed four questionnaires which gathered information on demographics, disruptive student behaviour, teacher management strategies, and teacher self‐reported stress. In addition, 20 of the 97 teachers were observed in their classrooms while teaching, with teacher behaviour management strategies and student on‐task behaviour recorded. Observation and questionnaire data were then matched. The findings indicated that teacher self‐reports accurately reflect actual practice, that relatively minor forms of student misbehaviours are a common concern for teachers, and that teachers are spending a considerable amount of time on behaviour management issues. The findings also revealed that the use of predominantly reactive management strategies has a significant relationship with elevated teacher stress and decreased student on‐task behaviour. These findings have important implications for teaching practices and student learning.