Flexibility as a Key Construct in European Training: Experiences from the TeleScopia Project

Increasing the options available to the learner as to when, how, where, with what materials, and what he or she learns is becoming increasingly important, not only for personal and educational reasons but also for economic motivations. Increasing the flexibility of training for persons already in the work force is seen as particularly appropriate, and telematics applications are expected to have particular value in facilitating more-flexible course delivery in training and workplace contexts. In this analysis we consider the concept "flexibility of training" in more detail, decomposing it into a series of, sometimes incompatible, dimensions and presenting some propositions as to likelihood of the different flexibility dimensions becoming implemented in practice. The study of flexibility relative to trans-national tele-learning is illustrated through its central role in the research component of the TeleScopia Project, sponsored by the Commission of the European Community.     

Fluency Transfer: Differential Gains in Reading Speed and Accuracy Following Isolated Word and Context Training

While fluent reading is recognized as a primary goal of educational instruction, the methods that best promote the development of fluency remain unclear. Two experiments are reported that examined increases in reading fluency of a novel passage following two types of training. In the context training condition, children learned to read a set of target words in a story context, while in the isolated word training condition, fluency with a target word set was gained from a computerized word naming game. Transfer of fluency to reading these words in a new context was then measured by gains in reading speed, accuracy, and comprehension of a novel story. Results indicated that young readers showed speed benefits on transfer stories following both context and isolated word training, but the increases were larger following context training.     

Young Children's Long-Term Retention of a Pediatric Examination

Children at ages 3, 5, and 7 ( N = 187) provided reports of their physical examinations immediately following the checkup and after a delay of either 1, 3, or 6 weeks, or only after 3 weeks. The protocol used for all interviews consisted of initial general prompts, followed by increasingly specific questions as needed. Recall of standard features of the examinations was scored, along with responses to questions concerning acts that did not occur. Retention of the event was extensive and accurate. Although clear age effects were observed in recall, the delay interval did not strongly affect performance over the 6-week period. The amount of forgetting was significant at ages 3 and 5, but not at age 7. With increasing age, a greater percentage of the features was spontaneously recalled. When presented with incongruous questions, all children evidenced rates of correct denials that exceeded chance and few errors of commission. The initial interview did not affect delayed recall. Implications for children's testimony are discussed.     

Two scenarios for productive learning environments in the workplace

Productive learning is defined as learning that can be reused, in application to new problem situations in an organisation or for assimilation and reflection in structured learning situations such as courses. An important but underexploited form of productive learning relates to the capture and reuse of the tacit knowledge of members of an organisation. Two approaches for this reuse of tacit knowledge are discussed, along with instructional strategies and technologies to support the knowledge capture and reuse process within each of the approaches. In one of the illustrated approaches the emphasis is on how those in mentor or supervisor positions can more systematically support the diffusion of their own tacit knowledge to those of their mentees and in the process create new knowledge for reuse in other situations. In the second illustration, a change in orientation from knowledge transfer to knowledge creation and sharing in the formal training programmes of the organisation is the focus. An underlying database as well as easy-to-use tools for resource entry and indexing are key elements in facilitating the reuse of experience-based resources within and across both informal and formal learning.     

Student knowledgeability,student sex,class size,and class level: Their interactions and influences on student ratings of instruction

Student knowledgeability, class size, and class level were found to significantly influence students' ratings of instruction. In general, the more knowledgeable the student in an area, the higher his ratings of courses and instructors in that area. Also, large courses and advanced courses were most highly rated by students. The effect of student sex on student ratings of instruction varied as a function of the particular aspect of instruction being evaluated. Significant interactions among the four main effects were also found across the judgmental dimensions students utilized in evaluating instruction, as assessed by factor analysis. Student knowledgeability and class size were found to be the main predictors of student ratings on these dimensions.     

Word processing as an assistive technology tool for enhancing academic outcomes of students with writing disabilities in the general classroom

This study investigated the use of a word processor for enhancing the academic outcomes of three students with writing disabilities in a junior high school. A single-subject ABAB design was used to compare academic output produced during class time with and without a computer equipped with a word processor. The number of spelling errors, the number of reading errors, and the number of words used per text were counted, and the overall structure and organization of text were examined across all in-class materials. The data demonstrated a clear difference between handwritten and computer phases. In traditional paper-and-pencil phases, students produced outcomes that had more spelling mistakes, more reading errors, and lower overall quality of organization and structure in comparison with the phases in which a computer equipped with a word processor was used. The results did not indicate any noticeable difference in the number of words per text. Implications and future research directions are discussed.     

妈妈的作家梦

“总有一天,妈妈会成为一名作家的。”她告诉我们。要是我没有打开那个旧松木箱子就好了,因为在我找到的那层褥子下面放着那个熟悉的盒子,上面用铅笔写着“采用信”。如今,上面残存的妈妈平素最喜欢佩戴的玫瑰的淡淡芳香扑面而来,我再次凝视着妈妈的作品盒。此刻,如烟的往事潮水般汹涌而来, 无尽的悲伤像浓雾一样弥漫了我的整个身心。她那成为一名作家的美好梦想最终也没能成为现实。我最初知道妈妈非常想成为一名作家     

What do Underprepared Students Learn about Measurement from Introductory Laboratory Work?

This study investigates changes in students' understanding of various aspects of measurement before and after participating in two different introductory laboratory courses at two universities in South Africa. Students' ideas were sought using a probe into their understanding of data collection, data processing and data comparison. The responses were analysed using a model which identified subjects as adhering to either a point or set paradigm. Considerable gains were made during instruction with both groups, though some important differences were identified between them. Neither group could be identified after instruction as full adherents to the set paradigm which was a goal of the instruction. Rather, the majority were found to use ad hoc or rote set action, while using point reasoning.     

Comparison of Subjective and Objective Judgments of Children’S Drawings

This paper presents a user-oriented technique to analyze dichotomous data arising from a double repeated measures 2 × 2 design. The design under consideration occurs most frequently in survey research in which two matched samples of subjects are measured at two points in time on a dichotomous dependent measure. Test statistics are presented that test for change on the dependent measure over time for each sample separately, as well as an interaction test statistic that compares the change rates between the two samples. An extension of the technique to higher order two-dimensional tables is also suggested.