INTELLECTUAL ABILITIES AND THE USE OF METAPHORS IN SOLVING PROBLEMS

Little is known about the use of metaphors in problem solving. In this study, a group of 20 year olds attempted to solve problems with the help of different kinds of metaphors (apt vs. nonapt; remote vs. literal). Different kinds of metaphors were valuable for different aspects of problem solving and for people of differing levels of creativity, but the use of metaphor did not depend on level of intelligence. Literal metaphors did not impede creative thinking, as long as they were apt.

     

Travelling towards change in assessment: Policy,practice and research in education

Whilst there is evidence of significant investment in policy-led initiatives to raise attainment in schools, there is rather less evidence of the positive impact of such initiatives. In this paper we explore stakeholder views of recent initiatives in assessment in Scotland in an attempt to discern the relationships between assessment policy, research and practice in schools. Against a background of major assessment initiatives and by drawing on data from two national consultations, the paper illustrates the complexities inherent in following advice for policy developments to begin from where people are now. Finally, the paper explores the possibility of a new assessment journey for researchers, teachers and policy-makers, one which acknowledges the complex process of community-based transformational change.     

Competency and training issues related to the integration of career counseling and mental health counseling

Summary Career counseling cannot be neatly separated from the counseling that affects the remainder of clients' lives, and mental distress cannot be considered independent of the career which encompasses so much of an individual's world. Life is complex and includes many facets which counselees bring to the counseling relationship. Counselors must be able to deal with the major issues in clients' lives including career issues and issues of mental health. Minimum skill for counselors would include the ability to assist a range of clients and the knowledge to effectively refer others. For too long career counseling and mental health counseling have been viewed as separate entities. This view of career and mental health counseling as separate is inconsistent with the development of counseling as a profession and does not serve potential clients well.Spencer G. Niles, D.Ed. is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education and Robert H. Pate, Jr., Ph.D. is a Professor of Counselor Education and Chair of the Department of Human Services in the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia.     

Differential relationships between language skills and working memory in Turkish–Dutch and native-Dutch first-graders from low-income families

In the Netherlands, Turkish–Dutch children constitute a substantial group of children who learn to speak Dutch at the age of four after they learned to speak Turkish. These children are generally academically less successful. Academic success appears to be affected by both language proficiency and working memory skill. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between language skills and working memory in Turkish–Dutch and native-Dutch children from low-income families. The findings revealed reduced Dutch language and Dutch working-memory skills for Turkish–Dutch children compared to native-Dutch children. Working memory in native-Dutch children was unrelated to their language skills, whereas in Turkish–Dutch children strong correlations were found both between Turkish language skills and Turkish working-memory performance and between Dutch language skills and Dutch working-memory performance. Reduced language proficiencies and reduced working-memory skills appear to manifest itself in strong relationships between working memory and language skills in Turkish–Dutch children. The findings seem to indicate that limited verbal working-memory and language deficiencies in bilingual children may have reciprocal effects that strongly warrants adequate language education.     

Chalkface challenges: a study of academic dishonesty amongst students in New Zealand tertiary institutions

This paper presents the findings of two investigations into the prevalence and profile of academic dishonesty amongst students in New Zealand’s tertiary institutions and compares this with findings from other studies. Staff and students report on their personal experiences of academic dishonesty and these are compared with official information requested and supplied by the institutions. Ways in which academic dishonesty are dealt with are discussed, including the reasons given by staff and students for lack of action. Staff and student reactions to institutional policies on the issue are presented, analysed and compared with data from other studies. Finally the study examines methods utilised by academic staff to minimise the occurrence of dishonest behaviour.     

Measuring perceptions of the learning environment and approaches to learning: validation of the learn questionnaire

While focus on quality in Danish higher education has been growing in recent years, limited attention has been devoted to developing and thoroughly validating instruments that allow collecting data about university students’ perceptions of the teaching-learning environment. Based on data from a large sample of Danish university students, a Danish version of the Learn questionnaire was validated using confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis. Analyses confirmed the existence of three scales reflecting students’ approaches to learning and six scales reflecting students’ perception of the teaching-learning environment. The results suggest that the Danish version of Learn is a valid instrument to be used for evaluation of the teaching-learning environment as well as for research into Danish university students’ learning strategies.     

SeeWord—a personal word processing environment for dyslexic computer users

SeeWord is a highly configurable word processing environment, which assists dyslexic users when producing and reading text. The software was developed using a user-centred development cycle where user feedback contributed to each revision. Evaluations showed that users were able to find individualised combinations of settings using the specialised software, which they used in preference to the black-on-white text that is usually displayed on computer monitors. Three separate prototypes of the software were developed and evaluated. The third prototype was used in an experimental study with 6 dyslexic school pupils. The research showed that 5 out of the 6 dyslexic users aged 14–16 years benefited from the use of specialised software when reading text from a computer screen. Participants were able to read standard texts from a screen significantly more accurately with the aid of SeeWord. All participants reported that they felt they could read text from the screen better using the software. The results suggest that a larger scale evaluation of the software would provide valuable information about problems associated with computer use by people with dyslexia. A further study into the visual processes involved in dyslexia would also be of great value.