Criminal investigation of child sexual abuse: a comparison of cases referred to the prosecutor to those not referred

OBJECTIVE: The present study sought to identify characteristics of child sexual abuse cases which differentiate cases referred for criminal prosecution ("criminal-action") from those not referred ("dropped") by investigators. METHOD: The study sample consisted of 1043 children who completed a forensic interview for sexual abuse that allegedly occurred at the hands of an adult between January 1, 1993 and December 31, 1996 in Bernalillo County of New Mexico. Data was systematically obtained from forensic interview files and offender records at the local prosecutor's office. RESULTS: Differences between criminal-action and dropped cases were found in relation to the children (age, sex and ethnicity), the alleged offenders (age, sex and relationship to child), and the case characteristics (disclosure and injury to the child). CONCLUSIONS: The present study provided insight into the characteristics of a previously ignored population (reported child sexual abuse cases that are not referred for prosecution). Recommendations are made to address the needs of these children and their families.     

DEVELOPING CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

The development of creative problem solving in a civil engineering degree course since the late 1960s is outlined. It is shown that prior to the Finniston Report, Middlesex Polytechnic had begun to educate civil engineers to meet an ever changing world.

The results of a psychological testing programme confirm that it is possible to increase the creative ability of students during a civil engineering degree course. An attempt is made to predict the performance of students on examinations and current lines of research are indicated.     

Student ratings and various instructional variables from a within-instructor perspective

The relationship between class size, instructional method, course level, reason for enrollment, and student ratings of instruction was assessed from a within-instructor perspective. Two hundred fifty-four pairs of courses taught by the same instructor were correspondingly identified and subjected to a stepwise multiple regression procedure. Only class size was found to be a significant predictor of ratings once individual differences between instructors were controlled, hence underlining the importance of (1) taking cognizance of the size of the course when using student ratings of instructors as a measure of teaching effectiveness, and (2) controlling for systematic variation due to instructor idiosyncracies in instructional research.     

Wearable Textiles to Support Student STEM Learning and Attitudes

Journal of Science Education and Technology - Electronic textiles, especially those that can be worn (wearable textiles) are gaining traction within the P12 education community. The technology...     

What Would Physical Educators Know About Movement Education? A Review of Literature, 2006–2016

This review article identifies the conceptual underpinnings of current movement research in physical education. Using a hermeneutic approach, four analogies for movement education are identified: the motor program analogy, the neurobiological systems analogy, the instinctive movement analogy, and the embodied exploration analogy. Three issues related to logical consistency and its relevance for movement education are raised. The first relates to tensions between the analogies and educational policy. The second concerns differences among the four analogies. The third issue relates to the appropriateness of specific analogies for dealing with certain movement contexts. In each case, strategies for improvement are considered. The article concludes with a brief summary, along with reflections on issues that require further attention.     

Bottom: A Case Study Comparing Teaching Low Ability and Mixed Ability Year 9 English Classes

This article takes the form of a case study which compares two Year 9 English groups ‐ one mixed ability, one a low set ‐ and the different approaches used to prepare the pupils for their SATs. The focus of observation has been on the differing opportunities made available to a mixed ability set, contrasted with a bottom set, and identifies clear implications that lower set pupils are offered a significantly limited range of teaching strategies in the delivery of the National Curriculum. The article indicates that the benefits of selective setting in English are for adults rather than children, and argues that placement in a low set has a detrimental effect on pupils rather than providing an appropriate learning environment. Finally, the article draws attention to the long‐held anomaly that whilst setting continues to proliferate in the UK education system, there is no clear evidence that it has any positive impact on pupil performance.     

Author Languages for Computer-Based Learning

Author languages provide a means to facilitate the development of courseware material for use in computer-based instructional systems. In this paper the role of an author language is explained and some examples of those currently available on small, medium and large computers are briefly described. Particular emphasis is given to exploring the author's interface with these systems. Future developments in author languages are likely to be significantly influenced by current trends in microelectronics, telecommunications, video and information storage technology. In view of this, three important problems need to be discussed: author language evaluation, system integration and the dissemination of courseware materials. Each of these topics is briefly considered.     

Pedagogical intersectionality: exploring content,technology, and student-centered learning through a problem based/project based approach

ABSTRACT

A narrative case study exploring the course design and implementation of a capstone undergraduate course for future teachers taught with a lens of pedagogical intersectionality, an integration of K-12 history-social science content, advocating for students, and technology. Four undergraduate students’ perspectives on the taught concepts of culturally sustaining pedagogies, universal design for learning and social justice through multimodal approaches resulting in the creation and facilitation of a digital one-day lesson (DODL) that incorporates course tenets and use of technology. Data was collected from course surveys, reflections, DODL lesson plan, and DODL Post microteaching reflections. Themes generated from the data sources were personal learning experiences, cultural respect and acknowledgement, pedagogical growing pains, fatigue, and synthesis occurring in DODL. Collaborators responded to student comments and reflected on course design and goals to foster independent learning of course tenets. Future research will involve additional analysis of subsequent sections of the course based on feedback and reflective modifications learned through this project.     

A Practical Introduction to Authoring for Computer-Assisted Instruction. Part 4: STAF

STAF is an authoring facility that was developed primarily to aid the teaching of science-based subjects. Since its development it has been used for the production of courseware that embodies a variety of different instructional strategies. This paper provides an overview of STAF, outlines some of its strengths and weaknesses as an author language and then describes some current areas of computer-based teaching in which it is used.     

A model of career development for a multicultural work force

This article highlights a career development model (Coleman, 1989) designed for use with multicultural and diverse populations. Individuals from these backgrounds sometime encounter difficulties with their career development, and the model was created to focus on the particular issues, needs, and concerns of multicultural populations. The career development model consists of six components: 1) Introduction and Orientation; 2) Self-Assessment; 3) Decision Making; 4) Educational, Occupational, and Community Information; 5) Preparation for Work, Leisure, and Retirement; and 6) Research and Evaluation. A discussion of the barriers encountered by multicultural populations is included, along with implications for counseling and development professionals.