In practice: Enriching the student learning experience through community service learning

Cecil D. Bradfield and R. Ann Myers are professors of sociology and social work at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where they cofounded the JMU Center for Service-Learning. The Center is noteworthy in its dedication to (and success in) serving equally the academic learning needs of students and the needs of the community. Here Bradfield and Myers describe the Center and at the same time examine what makes service learning different from community service.     

Research Issues in Systems Implementation, Risks and Tradeoffs

This article identifies open research issues in the management of electronic records in complex systems over time, with an emphasis on system development and implementation. The author proposes that it is necessary for archivists to address the issues at three levels: the organizational/professional level, the technological infrastructure level, and the system- and function-specific level. The paper discusses the technological factors which influence archivists' ability to manage electronic records currently being created, and goes on to recommend that archivists broaden their technological knowledge base, work toward influencing others in their organizations to gain buy-in, and develop models and success stories for positively influencing the development of electronic systems.     

Listening to Mothers II as a Catalyst

The Listening to Mothers II report is not only a document; it is a tool that is accessible to childbirth educators. By becoming familiar with its contents, educators can use the information to help expectant parents think about options available to them and inspire them to use evidence-based information as they make choices for the birth of their child.     

Parents of deaf children seeking hearing loss-related information on the internet: the Australian experience

Parents whose children are diagnosed in an infant screening program are required to make some difficult choices about the management of the hearing loss at a time when they are emotionally vulnerable. They are required to evaluate information and outcomes regarding issues such as technology for hearing impairment, communication options, education, and rehabilitation. The World Wide Web has become an important resource of health information for both health consumers and practitioners. The ability to obtain accurate health information online quickly, conveniently, and privately provides opportunity to make informed decisions. However, little is known about the level of the use of the Internet to acquire health information, particularly in the case of parents of deaf children seeking information. This study confirms that searches for health information on the Internet are conducted primarily by mothers. In the Australian context, there is minimal online information available to families beyond early intervention. Information on education issues, mental health, and deafness or the day-to-day management of a child or adolescent with a hearing loss are neglected topics on Web sites. This study also revealed that the majority of respondents had never visited HealthInsite or Medline Plus, two gateway sites for reliable consumer health information, although the information on these sites is more generic in nature and unlikely to assist parents to make informed choices on complex issues such as communication options or education. However, the study suggested that half the parents have talked to their doctor or hearing professional about information they found on the Internet, which is an encouraging tendency.     

Developmental pathways to integrated social skills: the roles of parenting and early intervention

Dynamic skill theory was utilized to explain the multiple mechanisms and mediating processes influencing development of self-regulatory and language skills in children at 14, 24, and 36 months of age. Relations were found between family risks, parenting-related stresses, and parent-child interactions that contribute either independently or through mediation to the child's acquisition of self-regulatory skills even when accounting for the influence of language development. Variation in impacts between control and Early Head Start (EHS) intervention samples was compared to explore the sequence of developmental mechanisms over time. Findings indicate that EHS protects parenting, child language, and self-regulatory development from the effects of demographic risks and parenting stress, and thus supports parents to raise healthy children.     

‘Here I come again’: the cost of success for higher education students diagnosed with autism

This qualitative study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to consult with 16 autistic UK higher education (HE) students about their experiences of success. An in-depth participatory approach encouraged participants to become co-analysts of their data.

Participants offered counter-narratives to deficit-based interpretations of autism, giving accounts of making themselves ‘extra-visible’ as autistic in order to assert their rights. The autism diagnosis was perceived both as an aid to self-understanding and a cause of additional barriers. In raising awareness of their own needs, participants contributed to broader understandings of autism within their academic communities, inadvertently becoming educators and role models. The research highlights the extra effort required by autistic students to thrive within higher education and the barriers imposed by current requirements to both pursue formal diagnosis, and to disclose it in order to receive adjustments. The research was novel in its approach and in its focus on success, revealing original findings in relation to the challenges and barriers faced by high-achieving autistic students, and the implications for a more inclusive higher education curriculum and environment are considered.     

The analysis of eye-movement recordings from samples of underachieving secondary and primary students

Summary The graphing of eye movements during the reading act may prove to be a valuable tool for the reading laboratory director. It can be seen from the analysis of data from the initial samples tested that changes in eye graphs for fixations, regressions, and rate do occur as a result of training in reading; that consistent patterns of change occur for fixations, regressions, and rate; and that the pattern of correlations of eye graph data and standardized test scores is consistent although the correlations are too low to be considered predictive. The basic deficiencies in the present study are the number of eye graphs administered and the lack of standardized test data for comparison at the time of eye graph administration. Studies in progress at present will include data from a minimum of five graphs and standardized pre- and posttest results will be available.     

The Social Competence of Children Born Prematurely: Effects of Medical Complications and Parent Behaviors

36-month-old, full-term children (n = 21) and low-birthweight (LBW) children of high (n = 25) and low (n = 23) medical risk status were observed in interactions with mothers in teaching and social context. Child compliance, self-directed behaviors, and problem behaviors were evaluated as well as associations among aspects of children's social competence, mothers' behaviors, and context factors. Degree of medical risk was associated with impairments in children's self-directed behavior and quality of response to maternal directives. Mothers of LBW children showed a smaller proportion of behaviors that provided choices compared to mothers of full-term children. Medical complications, children's cognitive status, and mothers' interactive behaviors were significantly associated with LBW children's social competence. Results of regression analyses suggested that mothers and LBW children influence each others' behavior in ways similar to mothers and full-term children in both teaching and social contexts.