“Picturing Them Right in Front of Me”: Guidelines for Implementing Video Communication in Online and Blended Learning

We provide actionable strategies that teachers can follow when implementing asynchronous video communication and feedback in their own courses. These strategies are based on our own research over many years in the use of asynchronous video in online teaching, as well as our review of the literature, and are provided to foster greater discussion on the pedagogical strategies surrounding the use of video in online teaching.     

An Educational Process Model for Use in Research

An analysis of the formal educational process utilizing a pseudo-systems analysis approach was undertaken to identify and define the major input components which account for or cause changes in the major output component of learning defined in terms of learner behavioral change. Approaches to the experimental study of this process as defbed and delineated were suggested. The importance of studies which examine the higher order interaction areas was emphasized and justified on the basis of informational output maximization which accompanies experimental research of the higher order interaction areas of the input model.     

Reactions to a diagnosis of dyslexia among students entering further education: development of the 'resistance–accommodation' model

Research into the psychological consequences of receiving a diagnosis of dyslexia during adolescence is a newly emerging field. In this article, David Armstrong, senior lecturer in education at Edge Hill University, and Neil Humphrey, senior lecturer in the psychology of Education at the University of Manchester, report on a qualitative study which explored this issue with a group of 20 students with dyslexia in a large college of further education in the north-west of England. Drawing on the outcomes of individual interviews and focus groups, analysis of student responses led to the development of a provisional 'resistance–accommodation' model that seeks to explain the psycho-social processes involved in 'living with the label' of dyslexia, and how such processes might impact upon later outcomes. The 'resistance–accommodation' model and the data contained in this study are discussed in the light of wider aspects of psychological theory and research. The authors also take account of recent literature exploring how students with dyslexia assess self in relation to the label.     

Becoming an academic: international perspectives

Stress during doctoral study is common; however, its presence is of concern to students as it has a deleterious impact on well-being and performance, and to the university which has a duty of care to students and the desire to promote a supportive research environment. This article reports on the qualitative findings from an online survey that sought to identify students’ experiences related to stress during the early-stage doctoral study. All newly enrolled PhD students at the University of Otago (New Zealand) received invitations to participate and respond to two questions related to stress during the early-stage doctoral study. In total, 152 survey responses were acquired from 352 first-year PhD students (response rate 43.2%). Nine main areas of concern were identified from an inductive thematic analysis of participants’ responses. Key stressors were time pressure, uncertainty about doctoral processes, sense of belonging in scholarly communities, and financial pressures. Some findings are contrary to previous research with novel perceptions on the student–supervisor relationship, different financial issues, and transition stresses contrary to previous research; this may reflect the changed academic landscape of doctoral studies. Findings provide insight into potential support strategies to better support early-stage PhD students.     

Gender equity in televised sports: A comparative analysis of men's and women's NCAA division I basketball championship broadcasts, 1991–1995

This study compares the variety and frequency of camera shots and graphics in broadcasts of men's and women's NCAA Division I championship basketball games from 1991 to 1995. Hypotheses predict that broadcasts of women's games—in comparison to broadcasts of men's games—employ fewer camera shots and graphics, use camera shots and graphics of longer duration, and consume significantly less broadcast time. The data partially confirms the first two hypotheses but rejects the third.     

Executive function skills of 6–8 year olds: Brain and behavioral evidence and implications for school achievement

Academic and social success in school has been linked to children’s self-regulation. This study investigated the assessment of the executive function (EF) component of self-regulation using a low-cost, easily administered measure to determine whether scores obtained from the behavioral task would agree with those obtained using a laboratory-based neuropsychological measure of EF skills. The sample included 74 children (37 females; M = 86.2 months) who participated in two assessments of working memory and inhibitory control: Knock–Tap (NEPSY: Korkman, Kirk, & Kemp, 1998), and participated in event-related potential (ERP) testing that included the directional stroop test ( DST, Davidson, Cruess, Diamond, O’Craven, and Savoy (1999)). Three main findings emerged. First, children grouped as high vs. low performing on the NEPSY Knock–Tap Task were found to perform differently on the more difficult conditions of the DST (the Incongruent and Mixed Conditions), suggesting that the Knock–Tap Task as a low-cost and easy to administer assessment of EF skills may be one way for teachers to identify students with poor inhibitory control skills. Second, children’s performance on the DST was strongly related to their ERP responses, adding to evidence that differences in behavioral performance on the DST as a measure of EF skills reflect corresponding differences in brain processing. Finally, differences in brain processing on the DST task also were found when the children were grouped based on Knock–Tap performance. Simple screening procedures can enable teachers to identify children whose distractibility, inattentiveness, or poor attention spans may interfere with classroom learning.     

Comparison of performance and attitude in traditional and computer conferencing classes

Abstract

A 1992 survey of the thirty‐five Oklahoma schools that received satellite downlinks as part of the 1988–1990 Midlands Consortium Star Schools grant investigated the extent to which schools were continuing to use the equipment and the impact of satellite access on their educational programs. Four schools did not use their downlinks in 1991–92, and two of the four also did not use the equipment in 1990–91; thirty‐one schools were continuing to use the equipment to receive student and/or staff development programming. Sixty‐one percent of thirty‐three respondents believe satellite access has very significantly or significantly improved the educational program for students at their school; 39% believe it has very significantly or significantly improved their overall staff development program. Forty‐eight percent of respondents reported a decrease in use since the first year of operation; 76% of respondents anticipate an increase in use in the future.