Green Publishing in Germany: A Passing Trend or a True Transition?

Greening the German book industry is a large-scale task. This article, based in part on the results of a one-day conference titled “Bio im Bücherregal?” (Engl. translation: “Eco-friendly products on the bookshelf?”) that was held in Mainz in January 2013, considers different perspectives on green publishing in Germany and presents the status quo as well as an outlook. After a brief historical and theoretical overview on the media and the environmental movement, the article presents current developments such as the initiative “Nachhaltig Publizieren” (“Green Publishing”). Initiated in 2011 by the publisher Oekom, the project has become a catalyst for the green publishing movement in Germany. In addition, this contribution introduces publishers and imprints, in particular of children’s books, that strive to fulfill the highest possible criteria for green publishing in certain project areas. Finally, the close connection between green publishing and green content is discussed.     

Quantized H∞ output feedback control for linear discrete-time systems

This paper investigates the robust _H∞$H_{\infty }$ dynamic output feedback control problem for networked control systems (NCSs) with quantized measurements. The measurement losses of the communicated information are considered in an unreliable communication channel. The robust _H∞$H_{\infty }$ dynamic output feedback controllers are designed to handle the measurement losses and mitigate the quantization effects such that the resultant closed-loop NCS is mean-square stochastically stable with a prescribed _H∞$H_{\infty }$ disturbance attenuation performance. The controller existence conditions can be derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Finally, an example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.     

Staying Tuned: TV News Audiences in the Netherlands 1988–2010

The “prestige factor” has been known to social scientists for many‐years. It shows up in the “over‐reporting” that occurs whenever people are asked, to tell an interviewer their income, or the amount of schooling they have had—or the amount of viewing of an educational television station they do. The management of ETV stations is well aware that their audience often isn't as large as reported, and that the same “prestige factor” prevents them from receiving sufficient data from their audience as to the reason why they do or do not view ETV. In the present study, an experimental approach was made. Three different kinds of appeal were used in a promotional campaign designed to cause people to watch an ETV station more often. The results, of each appeal were compared to a group of ETV viewers and non‐viewers who were not exposed to the promotional material.

These data were derived from the Oregon Educational Television Project, which was financed in part by a grant from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. John Shepherd received his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, and is presently Associate Professor of Speech and Director of the Division of Broadcast Services and Televised Instruction at the University of Oregon.     

Potentials,dissonances and reform initiatives in field-based learning and mentoring practices in the early childhood sector in Germany

In Germany, the field-based element in the education/training of early childhood educators is given high priority in the development of professional competencies. Nevertheless, Germany lacks a firmly anchored regulatory and curricular framework for early childhood education and care settings as ‘workplace learning sites’ (Lernort Praxis) and the current approaches towards practical placements have been strongly criticised. Debates have focused on the (inadequate) interface between theory and practice and the overriding influence of the vocational colleges as sites of professional preparation. The examination of existing regulations regarding practical placements shows that the practice sites and the mentors who work there receive too little attention. Beyond this, the education/training of (early) childhood educators is dominated by the vocational colleges – not least because the two places of learning (i.e. the college and the workplace) are assigned to different authorities and ministries. The quality of workplace-based learning can therefore only be enhanced by relevant policy decisions and by integrating the interface between theory and practice on a curricular basis.     

Heidelberg interaction training for language promotion in early childhood settings (HIT)

Beside parents, teachers in early childhood education and care have the greatest potential to foster language acquisition in children. This is especially important for children with language delays, language disorders or bi-/multilingual children. However, they present teachers with a particular challenge in language support. Therefore, integrated language facilitation programmes are needed to promote language acquisition in the daily routine of daycare facilities and kindergartens. In this article, the Heidelberg Interaction Training for Language Promotion in Early Childhood Settings (HIT) is presented as a systematic approach to improve daily interactions between preschool teachers and children. This group training comprises six half-day sessions over a period of six months. The objective is to expand teachers’ knowledge about language development in general and more specifically regarding children with language problems or bi-/multilingual children. Furthermore, teachers learn a responsive interaction style and various strategies of language modelling by means of video supervision and feedback. Teachers’ satisfaction with the training has been evaluated and its efficacy in terms of changes in their behaviour and children's language performance has been proven in several intervention studies and meta-analytic reviews. Lastly, implementation considerations for lasting effects following the HIT are discussed.     

Students’ genre expectations and the effects of text cohesion on reading comprehension

This study raises the question what makes school texts comprehensible by analyzing whether students’ genre expectations about literary or expository texts moderate the impact of different forms of text cohesion on reading comprehension, even when the texts are similar regarding their genre. 754 students (Grade 9) from comprehensive schools read one of four text versions with similar content, but different degrees of local and global text cohesion. The four more or less cohesive texts were introduced as literary texts (part of a story) or as expository texts (newspaper article), although the different genres were only purported and the texts contained both literary and expository passages. Reading comprehension was assessed with multiple-choice-items, semi-open, and open-ended questions. Results demonstrate that global cohesion was profitable for reading comprehension with expository expectations, but not with literary ones. Local text cohesion and both forms of cohesion in combination did not interact with students’ genre expectations and had no main effect on comprehension. When students reading skills and prior knowledge were considered, the interaction was still apparent. Moreover, students with lower levels of reading skills tended to profit especially from texts with global cohesion, whereas the readers with higher reading skills achieved equal means in reading comprehension irrespective of the degree of global text cohesion. The findings are discussed with respect to theoretical aspects of text–reader-interactions, cognitive and emotional components of genre expectations, and the composition and instruction of comprehensible school texts.     

International large-scale assessments in education: Insider research perspectives

International Review of Education -