BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:
National Curriculum Assessment: A Review of Policy 1987–1994 Richard Daugherty (1995)
Beyond Testing: Towards a Theory of Educational Assessment Caroline Gipps (1994)
Effective Assessment and the Improvement of Education: A Tribute to Desmond Nuttall Roger Murphy and Patricia Broadfoot (1995)
Working with Parents of Children with Special Needs Hornby, G.
Changing Theories and Practices of Discipline Roger Slee (1995)
Christian Assemblies for Primary Schools Swain, Revd. S. (1995)     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:
Making Difficulties: Research and the Construction of SEN
One of the family RNIB (1995)
1) First sight
2) Going my way
3) Making contact
4) That's what it's all about
One of the family - the complete set RNIB (1995)
Innovations in Educating Communities about Learning Disabilities
Turn Your School Round Mosley, J. (1993)
Coping with Unhappy Children Varma, V. (ed.) 1993
Extending Horizons A partnership project by The National Council for Educational Technology (1995)
Putting the Code of Practice into Practice Wedell, K. (1995)
Towards inclusive schools? Catherine Clark, Alan Dyson and Alan Millward (eds.) (1995)
Children's Understanding of Disability Lewis, A. (1995)     

Reviews

Book reviews in this article
Bates, A W (Tony) (1995) Technology, Open Learning and Distance Education
Crook, Charles (1994) Computers and the Collaborative Experience of Learning
Gipps, Caroline V (1994) Beyond Testing
Glover, Derek & Mardle, George (1995) eds The Management of Mentoring: Policy Issues
Harris, Jean Presentation Skills for Teachers Knight, Jim Delegation Skills for Teachers Nelson, Ian Time Management for Teachers
Cotton, Julie (1995) The Theory of Learners , The Theory of Learning , The Theory of Assessment
Holland, Paul & Wainer, Howard (1993) eds Differential Item Functioning
Nathan, Marilyn (1995) The New Teacher's Survival Guide
Riley, Kathryn A & Nuttall, Desmond L (1994) eds Measuring Quality Education Indicators
Ashworth, Allan & Harvey, Roger (1994) Assessing Quality in Further and Higher Education
Schank, Roger & Cleary, Chip (1995) Engines for Education
Sheilds, Mark A (1995) ed Work and Technology in Higher Education: The Social Construction of Academic Computing     

Grass roots: Instructional television fixed service in Arizona

Böje Holmberg, Theory and Practice of Distance Education, 2nd edition, (London and New York: Routledge, 1995, 246 pp., $75.00).     

The design process for PLATO®

Conclusion The final product, PLATOMath Problem Solving, was the result of many months of design, iteration, learner trials, and hard work. Each activity has enough depth to promote exploration, but enough coaching to provide structure and establish a strategic-level dialog with the learner. The result is courseware that truly promotes strategic approaches to math problem solving. For more information, visit us atwww.plato.com. You might also be interested in the following : Hall, E. P., Gott, S. P., & Pokorny, R. A. (1995). Aprocedural guide to cognitive task analysis: The PARI methodology. Report AL/HR-TR-1995-0108. Brooks Air Force Base, TX: Human Resources Directorate. Foshay, R., & Kirkley, J. (1998).Principles for teaching problem solving. Technical Paper #4. Bloomington, MN: PLATO Learning, Inc.     

The acquisition and use of an adaptive strategy for estimating numerosity

This study investigates the development of an adaptive strategy for the estimation of numerosity from the theoretical perspective of “strategic change” (Lemaire & Siegler, 1995; Siegler & Shipley, 1995). A simple estimation task was used in which participants of three different age groups (20 university students, 20 sixth-graders and 10 second-graders) had to estimate 100 numerosities of (colored) blocks presented in a 10x10 rectangular grid. Generally speaking, this task allows for two distinct estimation procedures: either repeatedly adding estimations of groups of blocks (=addition procedure) or subtracting the estimated number of empty squares from the (estimated) total number of squares in the grid (=subtraction procedure). A rational task analysis indicates that the most efficient overall estimation strategy consists of the adaptive use of both procedures, depending on the ratio of the blocks to the empty squares. The first hypothesis was that there will be a developmental difference in the adaptive use of the two procedures, and according to the second hypothesis this adaptive use will result in better estimation accuracy. Converging evidence from different kinds of data (i.e., response times, error rates, and retrospective reports) supported both hypotheses. From a methodological point of view, the study shows the potential of Beem’s (1995a, 1995b) “segmentation analysis” for unravelling subjects’ adaptive choices between different procedures in cognitive tasks, and for examining the relationship between these adaptive choices and performance.     

Software review: Groupware gains momentum

Theoretical Principles of Distance Education. D. Keegan, ed. (London: Routledge, 1993, 272 pp., $54.95).

Open Learning Courses for Adults: A Model of Student Progress. David Kember (Educational Technology Publications, 1995, 271 pp.)     

Issues in inter‐state delivery of educational programs using telecommunications technologies

Technology, Open Learning and Distance Education. A. W. Bates. (London and New York: Routledge, 1995, 280 pp., $75.00 hard/$24.99 soft).

Distance Learners in Higher Education: Institutional Responses for Quality Outcomes. Chère Campbell Gibson, ed. (Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing, 1997, pp. 143, $19.95).     

Will it be possible to integrate young people in a society undergoing transformation?

Ph.D. Senior researcher at the Scientific Research Centre of the Institute of Youth (Moscow). Specialist in studies of youth policies and civil society. Author ofInternational experience of public support of the youth organizations (1995) andSituation and prospects of social voluntary action in Russia (1995).     

Review section

Structural Equation Modeling: Concepts, Issues, and Applications. Rick H. Hoyle (Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1995, 289 pages.

Statistics as Principled Argument. Robert P. Abelson. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1995, 198 pages.     

The impact of a management protocol on the outcomes of child abuse in hospitalized children in Hong Kong

OBJECTIVE: To study the outcomes of children hospitalized for suspected child abuse before and after the implementation of a management protocol in a hospital in Hong Kong. STUDY PERIOD: Two 2-year periods before (1994-1995) and after (2002-2003) the implementation of the protocol in 1998. METHODS: This is a retrospective hospital chart review in which the patients' characteristics, the use of laboratory and radiological examination, abuse substantiation and official registrations are compared between the two study periods. RESULTS: There were 109 and 320 patients admitted for evaluation of child abuse for the periods 1994-1995 and 2002-2003, respectively. Children in both periods were similar in sex ratio, proportion of severe forms of child abuse, rates of abuse substantiation and inclusion in the Child Protection Registry. After the implementation of a management protocol, there has been a significant drop in the proportion of children subjected to investigations such as blood counts (86% vs. 16%, p<.001), clotting study (75% vs. 9%, p<.001), and skeletal survey (78% vs. 6%, p<.001). The average length of hospital stay also dropped from 15.3 days to 6.1 days (p<.001). CONCLUSIONS: There has been an almost threefold rise in the number of child abuse cases handled at the hospital during the 10-year interval. With the implementation of a management protocol, only a small proportion of children need laboratory investigations or skeletal survey without any drop in abuse substantiation and official registration. The length of hospital stay has also been significantly reduced.     

Utilizing Adventure Education Within the Model of Moral Action

Character development has long been an assumed if not easily observed goal of physical activity. Shields and Bredemeier(1995, 2001) proposed a structural developmental model of moral action strongly based on the work of Rest (1984, 1994) along with the significant contributions of Piaget (1923), Kohlbcrg (1981, 1984), and Haan (Haan, Aerts, & Conper, 1985). Adventure education is an experientially based approach that utilizes cooperative physical activities to foster self esteem, trust, communication skills, self awareness, confidence, and the ability to problem solve (Bissnn, 1999: Prouty, 1999). The purpose of this paper is lo explore how adventure-based intervention strategies correspond with the theoretical tenets and implementation guidelines of the model of moral action. The major tenets of the model of tnoral action (Shields & Bredemeier, 1995, 2001) and adventure education are discussed. The extent to which adventure education may act as a conduit for the moral education strategies forwarded by the model of moral action is discussed.     

Geography teaching in the twenty-first century

Conclusion At a time when transnational communities are being created which extend beyond the confines of regions and natio-States, geographers are questioning the very foundations of their discipline and their function in society. Not only do they no longer avoid acknowledging their role in the transmission of spatial, regional and national identity, but they no longer act solely within the framework of the nation-State. The juxtaposition of local and world considerations prompts them to embark upon new inquiries tending towards the teaching of a conceptual and topical geography which can mobilize pupils and teachers alike according to broad social, temporal and spatial principles. Human beings, frail creatures of the earth, have only one real tool adapted to the vastness of the spaces with which we have to grapple: the mind (Ratzel, 1988). Born in 1944. Professor of geography at the University of Geneva, having taught in Canada and France. He holds a doctorate from the Sorbonne and has studied geography and regional sciences in France and the United States of America. He has been chief examiner at the International Baccalaureat Office. He is now President of the Western Regional Science Association and the Swiss Association of University Lecturers. His recent publications, as author or editor, include:Encyclopédie de géographie [Encyclopedia of geography] (2nd ed., 1995),Introduction à la géographie humaine [Introduction to human geography] (5th ed., 1995) andLes concepts de la géographie [Geographical concepts] (3rd ed., 1995). He is editor-in-chief of the series entitled ‘Géographie’ at the Anthropos publishing house, Paris.     

Socio-Politically Relevant Pedagogy for Immigrant and Refugee Youth

In this article, the authors discuss how one public high school became a site for socio-politically relevant pedagogy for immigrant and refugee youth, building on the concept of culturally relevant pedagogy that has been discussed in educational scholarship (Howard, 2001, 2003; Ladson-Billings, 1994, 1995a, 1995b). By exploring newcomer youth's understandings of their experiences, self-conceptions, and positioning in the global economy, the authors draw on a three-year qualitative case study utilizing ethnographic methods to highlight the key tenets of a socio-politically relevant pedagogy for youth who lead transnational lives. The key tenets proposed include: (1) the cultivation of critical consciousness around global inequalities and transnational migration; (2) the creation of formal and informal avenues for reciprocal learning between families/communities and schools; and (3) support and care for the material conditions of students' and families' lives.     

A definition of dyslexia

This paper elaborates on the components of a working definition of developmental dyslexia. It follows the general format of a paper by Lyon published in Annals of Dyslexia in 1995, which elaborated on a working definition proposed in 1994 (Lyon, 1995). The current definition agreed on by the work group updates and expands on the working definition from 1994.     

Single-sex computer classes: An effective alternative

Conclusion Considering the technology gender gap that exists today, there can be no doubt that our current educational system is not engaging female students in technology or awakening them to possibilities of the technology industry as a career. Females are not afraid of computers or lack the ability to master computer skills, but they find the computer environment objectionable (http : / / www.aauw.org/2000/ techsavvybd.html). Several factors within the educational system heighten these objections and impede female progression through technology classes. It is these factors that our educational system must address. Single-sex computer classes offer female students the educational advantages of learning in a comfortable, non-threatening classroom environment where they are encouraged to enthusiastically participate in classroom discussions and activities (Kumagi, 1995). In these classes, curriculum may be adjusted to reflect the need females to see computers as productivity tools (Caplice, 1994). As a result of positive experiences gained while attending single-sex computer classes, females are more likely to pursue higher level computer classes. Although it is possible to argue that single-sex computer classes do not mirror the real world females must contend with once outside the classroom, they are, however, effective interim interventions to enable females to lessen the current technology gap (Kumagi, 1995).     

网络教学中的教师角色实证研究

在网络教学中,教师的职责主要通过发布帖子体现.本研究中,笔者首先利用Berge(1995)的教学性、管理性、社会性、技术性四维角色模型,通过对教师发布的帖子进行内容分析,对三位高校教师、两位中学教师的在线教学角色进行了研究,其中,各有一位高校教师和中学教师是第一次开展网络教学.研究发现,教学性角色和管理性角色是教师最重要的两个角色.同时,笔者还利用社会网络分析(SNA)方法,对包括教师和排除教师两种情况的交互网络进行了分析,独立样本t检验发现,当把教师从交互网络中排除出去后,密度差异和入度网络中心势的差异在统计学上达到显著,这说明教师在交互过程中具有重要的影响.对于出度网络中心势分析,排除中学教师后交互网络的降幅在70%以上.中学师生交互网络和高校新手教师交互网络呈现了更多的以教师为中心的特点,而有经验高校老师参与的师生交互网络体现了更多的以学生为中心的特点.最后,笔者指出了本研究所存在的局限,并对后续研究计划进行了讨论.     

THE CHANGING SOCIAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF NURSING STUDENTS IN NEW SOUTH WALES

This study had two major aims: 1) to establish a reliable data base on the social and demographic origins of nursing students in New South Wales universities since the introduction of the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) and the change from diploma to degree level programs; and 2) to compare the social and demographic origins of nursing students in higher education programs in 1995 with the data base established by Wright in New South Wales in 1986 to detect changes over time. Comparison of data from the 1986 group (N=447) and the 1995 group (N=512) revealed that there was a no significant difference between the two cohorts on the socio‐economic variable. There was, however, a significant difference in the SES variable between the 1986 and 1995 sample for the female group. From a household perspective, there was a significant difference in the number of siblings, and income received by the mother between the 1986 and 1995 cohorts. In addition, no support was found for the assertion that country students would be disadvantaged with the move to higher education programs. It was also found that almost 79.3% of the 1995 group chose to delay their HECS payment until they entered the workforce.     

Book Reviews

Psychology Spelling and Education Chris M. Sterling and Cliff Robson Multilingual Matters Ltd 1992 Adelaide $39.50 (Paperback) $114.00 (Hardback)

Computers and Schools Lawrie Shears (editor) 1995 Camberwell, Victoria Australian Council for Educational Research $24.95 Paperback, 17cm × 25cm, 149 pages

Dyslexia ‐ An Introductory Guide Jim Doyle 1996 London, UK Whurr Publishers Ltd $28.00

? Students at Risk: A Review of Australian Literature 1980–1994, ACER Research Monograph No. 46 ? Programs for At‐Risk Youth: A Review of the American, Canadian and British Literature since 1984, ACER Research Monograph No. 47 No. 46: Margaret Batten & Jean Russell No. 47: Graeme Withers & Margaret Batten 1995 Melbourne, Australia The Australian Council for Educational Research Limited $49.94 (Total for both books) $5.00 (Postage within Australia) Telephone: (03) 9277 5656

Understanding English Reading comprehension and traditional and functional grammar for primary schools ‐ Book 5 Catherine Silk 1994 Brookvale, Australia Educational Supplies Pty Ltd, Dominie $8.95

Dyslexia: Theory & Practice of Remedial Instruction 2nd Edition Diana Brewster Clark & Joanna Kellogg Uhry October 1995 Timonium, Maryland USA York Press Inc. US$27.50 Paperback, Size 23cm x 15.5 cm., 284 pages.

Spelling Development, Disability, and Instruction Louisa Cook Moats, Ph.D. November 1995 Timonium, Maryland USA York Press Mackennan & Petty Unit 4, 809 Botany Road, Roseberry NSW 2018 PO Box 145, Roseberry NSW 2018 US$21.00 Size 23cm x 15cm, 137 pages.     

Reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
Colin W. Evers & Gabriele Lakomski, Knowing Educational Administration: Contemporary Methodological Controversies in Educational Administration Research , Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1991: Reviewed by J.C. Walker
Tony W. Johnson, Discipleship or Pilgrimage?: The Educator's Quest for Philosophy , State University of New York Press, Albany, NY, 1995: Reviewed by James S. Kaminsky
Donald Arnstine, Democracy and the Arts of Schooling , State University of New York, Albany, NY, 1995: Reviewed by Karl Hostetler
Carollyne Sinclaire, Looking For Home. A Phenomenological Study of Home in the Classroom , State University of New York Press, Albany, NY, 1994: Reviewed by Barry Bamford
Helen Raduntz (ed.) Potential and Opportunity: Critical Issues for Australian Catholic Education into the 21st Century , Auslib Press, Blackwood, n.d.: Reviewed by Michael Furtado