Peer Tutoring for College Students with Disabilities

In an exploratory study, peer tutoring in higher education is examined for students with visual impairment and students with learning disability (LD). Data were collected by means of interviews and focus groups. Findings indicate both academic and social benefits for tutees and tutors. Difficulties encountered are discussed, and differences between the two populations are raised. It is suggested that the visibility and complexity of the student's disability affected the tutoring encounter. Professional guidance is suggested as a means of reducing tutoring problems and increasing benefits.     

The effects of instructional method upon the acquisition of inquiry skills

This study investigated the effects of Guided Discovery vs. Didactic methods of instruction upon the acquisition of certain inquiry skills. At the same time, the effects of method on the attainment of factual-conceptual achievement was assessed. Hypotheses of no interaction of the methods variable with the learner variables—sex, measured intelligence, creativity, interest in science, general scholastic achievement, and science achievement—were also tested. The sample consisted of 140 8th-grade students. The duration of the experimental unit was six weeks. The subject matter was the same for each, “Early Man in America.” The results favored the Didactic group for the factual-conceptual achievement and the Guided Discovery for the acquisition of inquiry skills. However, in the latter there was an interaction of method with levels of measured intelligence and achievement.     

Behavior patterns in pigeons during autoshaping with an incremental conditioned stimulus

Pigeons were trained on a variant of the autoshaping procedure in which a keylight stimulus of increasing brightness was used to signal the passing of a 30-sec interfood interval (IFI). Key-pecking developed in all subjects within the first session (65 trials). Within trials, pecking began midway through the IFI, increased throughout the remainder, and decreased just before food delivery. Other behavioral stereotypies were also recorded: Low light levels were associated with a retreat to the rear of the test chamber, and medium light levels (during the midportion of the IFI) were associated with high rates of pacing toward and away from the food source. Probe trials revealed that pecking, pacing, and retreat were all under strong stimulus control; that is, when the light was held constant at its lowest or highest brightness, or when the brightness ramp was presented in reverse order, the behavior pattern almost invariably remained tied to stimulus brightness. Results are discussed in terms of associative and nonassociative sources of the form and sequential characteristics of the behavior.     

Black males' self‐perceptions of academic ability and gifted potential in advanced science classes

The purpose of this research effort was to examine Black male students' self‐perceptions of academic ability and gifted potential in science. The purposeful sample consisted of nine Black males between the ages of 14 and 18 years. Four categories of self‐perceptions of academic ability and gifted potential emerged from the data. These included: (a) gifted high achievers; (b) gifted “could do better” high achievers; (c) gifted “could do better” situational nonachievers; and (d) gifted “could do better” underachievers. Science teachers' influences that referenced participants' academic achievement pointed to validation. Participants' perceptions regarding how science teachers' influenced their academic performance focused on science teachers' content knowledge. Power dynamics germane to Black male participants' value or worth that directed their efforts in science learning environments are discussed. Implications are posited for science teaching, science education programs, and future research. This research endeavor was based on two premises. The first premise is that Black males' self‐perceptions of academic ability affect their science academic achievement. The second premise is that, given parental, peer, and community influences, science teachers have considerable influence on students' self‐perceptions of academic ability. However, the focus of this research was not on parental influences, peer influences, or any potential influences that participants' communities may have on their academic achievement. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 42: 888–911, 2005     

Getting Inside Knowledge: the application of Entwistle's model of surface/deep processing in producing open learning materials

The work carried out in this study is the result of an Open Learning in Business Education (OLBE) project from 1990‐1995, in which business education students training as teachers and lecturers were required to produce open learning materials on intercultural communications for use in the classroom. Distinctive stages, designed to maximise the effectiveness of this challenging learning task, were refined over the course of the project period. An analysis of student responses at the different stages enabled the authors to distinguish features of ‘deep’ and ‘surface’ learning (Entwistle), a construct widely recognised in the field of learning psychology and particularly well suited to the objective of evaluating and enhancing the quality of learning in the project. A particular sequence of learning modes which included a considerable degree of learner autonomy, combined with regular group discussions and feedback, were considered to have produced some impressive learning outcomes. However, subject matter involving culture is inherently difficult to grasp as it can only be understood in relative, rather than objective, terms. Thus, an established model of the dimensions of culture, recognised in the social sciences (Hofstede), was recently used to analyse further, from collated responses, the depth of student understanding of the concept of cultural variation on each of five dimensions. An overview of the general transition from surface to deep learning which was evident for most students during the progress of the project stages is provided in this paper. The authors believe that the progressive and varied format of the project with the strongly motivational open learning production task, encouraging students themselves to view knowledge and concepts from a learner's perspective, has a wide range of potential applications.     

A rubric for comparing dissimilar text materials

TechTrends - As you can see, this is a rather holistic view. These categories may have to be expanded depending on the particular needs of your task. However, it seemed to be efficient. This...     

Teacher Testing and Certification: An Historical Perspective from Ontario

Certification tests for elementary teachers in Ontario were introduced in 1871 and in 2002. Although the provincial government’s stated goals for the testing programs were similar, the 2002 program was opposed by the initial teacher education programs and the teachers’ associations, but the 1871 program was not. The authors argue that much of this difference can be attributed to the relationship of the tests to other requirements for certification and the process for determining the content of the tests.