Teaching Now with the Living: A Dialogue with Teachers Investigating Contemporary Art Practices

The Education Departments of Tate Modern and Goldsmiths College collaborated with a group of teachers to find out what they understood by the term ‘contemporary art’ and to discover the conditions that enable contemporary art practices in the classroom. We explored questions with eleven teachers, from both primary and secondary schools, during the Autumn of 2004. Although the cultural/ethnic context of the schools the teachers worked within was diverse, they shared a commitment to working with contemporary art in the classroom and exploring new pedagogies in this field. Their engagement with contemporary art and their revealing and compelling experiences are documented, contextualized and summarized. Samples of the discussions form the substance of this article. This is preceded by an analysis of the success of socially‐orientated contemporary art in the wider global context and its contrast with the omission of these practices in many schools. Conclusions have been tentatively drawn about how the curriculum may be better served by the use of contemporary art, as well as the means by which new learning methods may be facilitated.     

Motivational Interviewing Strategies for Disaffected Secondary School Students: A case example

This study considers the application and effectiveness of Motivational Interviewing (MI) as an intervention strategy for secondary school pupils experiencing disaffection. Using a case study example, the process of intervention and the use of specific techniques from other psychological approaches are described. Results identify issues concerning the process of MI and discuss implications of MI work for the educational practitioner. In conclusion, a positive evaluation of the general usefulness of the model within current educational psychology practice is made, highlighting possibilities to evaluate applications of MI interventions involving psychologists with younger pupils or teachers and parents.     

Service-learning in engineering: a valuable pedagogy for meeting learning objectives

Service-learning is an educational practice that has been used successfully in many disciplines, and is defined as ‘a credit-bearing, educational experience in which students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility’ (Bringle, R. and Hatcher, J., A service-learning curriculum for faculty. Michigan J. Community Service-Learning, 1995 Bringle, R. and Hatcher, J. 1995. A service-learning curriculum for faculty. Michigan J. Community Service-Learning, 2: 112–122.  [Google Scholar], 2, 112–122). This research examines a first-year biological engineering design course that incorporated a service-learning project. Students participated in a survey and in focus groups to explore how well the service-learning project helped them to meet EC 2000 a–k objectives. Results showed that the service-learning project was a useful teaching method for accomplishing the learning objectives set forth by the instructor and by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology. Women and non-white participants in this study generally assessed their learning outcomes to be greater than white males, which could have important implications in the recruitment and retention of such students in engineering.     

Learning computer programming at a distance

Several strategies for distance education in computer programming are described with particular reference to the provision of computing facilities and the integration of theory and practical work. Experience from two years of presentation of two different courses has shown that the most satisfactory results are obtained with portable stand‐alone microcomputers loaned off‐campus, and course design based on a modified Keller plan in which each unit has interactive practical exercises preceding the discussion of theory topics.     

Child Care Subsidy and Program Quality Revisited

Research Findings: Previous research has documented conflicting results on the relationship between program quality and the percentage of children receiving subsidized child care (subsidy density) in early childhood centers. This research examined the relationship between subsidy density and the quality of infant and preschool classrooms in child care centers, taking into consideration teacher education and salary as well as other structural variables associated with quality. A multimethod evaluation was conducted with 110 child care centers utilizing an interview of center directors as well as classroom observations using standardized measures of quality and language/literacy in the classroom. Regression analyses indicate that subsidy density does not predict the quality of infant classrooms. However, subsidy density is a significant predictor of the quality of preschool classrooms. Teacher education is predictive of some quality indicators, but teacher salary is not. Practice or Policy: Practice and policy implications are discussed to promote the quality of child care centers that serve low- income children. Statewide initiatives should target centers with higher subsidy density for quality improvements. Local programs and state policy should provide teachers with opportunities to obtain additional education and then offer incentives to remain in their current early childhood settings.     

Navigating Community College Transfer in Science,Technical, Engineering,and Mathematics Fields

Given financial barriers facing community college students today, and workforce projections in science, technical, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, the costs of unnecessary delays while navigating transfer pathways are high. In this phenomenological study, we analyzed the delay experiences of 172 students (65% female) navigating community college transfer pathways in STEM fields in Massachusetts. When focusing on institutional delays, three central elements emerged: (a) informational setbacks from dissatisfactory advising, (b) imperfect program alignment with four-year institutions, and (c) college resource limitations. Students took unnecessary courses or could not get into courses in a timely manner, resulting in lost time, money, and credit. An accumulation of delays is particularly detrimental to STEM women and men, given the sequential nature of their programming. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.     

Evaluation Findings from High School Reform Efforts in Baltimore

The Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS) is one of the first urban districts in the country to undertake large-scale high school reform, phasing in small learning communities by opening new high schools and transforming large, comprehensive high schools into small high schools. With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a dozen local foundations, and school reform developers and technical assistance providers, BCPSS opened 18 small high schools between 2002 and 2006. Using data from surveys, administrative records, and site visits, we examine the implementation and outcomes of these reform efforts. Although BCPSS high schools met many obstacles while implementing the reform, including continual leadership turnover and limited resources, students and staff in the small learning communities reported more positive social and academic environments than their counterparts in the district's comprehensive high schools. In addition, students in small, newly created high schools demonstrated positive academic outcomes (e.g., higher test scores, engagement) relative to students in the other schools in the district.     

Effects of time of day and distance upon accuracy and consistency of throwing darts

Abstract

We examined variations in dart-throwing performance during the daytime in 12 participants. Two distances from the dartboard were investigated – the normal distance (short throws) and another 50% further away than this (long throws). Intra-aural temperature and subjective fatigue were measured, and errors in performance were assessed as the radial distances of throws from the bulls-eye and the standard deviation of these distances. Long-distance throws improved significantly throughout the daytime and correlated positively with intra-aural temperature (r = ?0.49, P = 0.002 and r = ?0.49, P = 0.002 for errors and standard deviation of errors, respectively), but not with subjective fatigue (r = ?0.10, P = 0.56 and r = ?0.05, P = 0.74 for errors and standard deviation of errors, respectively). Short-distance throws were associated less with intra-aural temperature (r = ?0.46, P = 0.005 and r = ?0.17, P = 0.31 for errors and standard deviation of errors, respectively), and worsened with fatigue (r = +0.34, P = 0.040 for errors). Compared with the short-distance throws, the long-distance throws were performed significantly less well than could be accounted for by the increased distance (mean errors were increased 1.67 – 2.78 times and standard deviation of errors of errors 1.58 – 3.68 times), supporting the concept of a trade-off between force of contraction and accuracy of performance. Throwing darts can be used as a model for investigating factors that influence motor performance, and our results indicate that the effects of time of day upon performance depend upon the relative importance of force and accuracy.