Performance measurement: Does education impact productivity?

This study investigated the impact of managers' educational levels on productivity in the commercial poultry industry in Ghana. The level of education of 33 production managers of the poultry farms were factored into a Cobb‐Douglas production function with other explanatory variables. The computed percentage change in productivity due to higher education relative to secondary education was 10%. The interaction terms of basic education, experience, and extension visits were positive and not statistically significant. Targeting management education could increase productivity in the commercial poultry industry. Educated managers have a higher propensity to adopt technology and alternative production mix for effectiveness and efficiency. This study concludes that higher educational level had a positive impact on productivity in the commercial poultry industry and should be harnessed for improved performance in the domestic and global market.     

Re-examining cognition during student-centered,Web-based learning

During student-centered learning, the individual assumes responsibility for determining learning goals, monitoring progress toward meeting goals, adjusting or adapting approaches as warranted, and determining when individual goals have been adequately addressed. This can be particularly challenging while learning from the World-Wide Web, where billions of resources address a variety of needs. The individual must identify which tools and resources are available and appropriate, how to assemble them, and how to manage and support their unique learning goals. We analyze the applicability of cognitive principles to learning from Web-based multimedia, review and critically analyze issues related to cognition and student-centered learning from Web-based multimedia, and describe implications for design research and practice.     

Evaluating phonological processing skills in children with prelingual deafness who use cochlear implants

This study investigated the phonological processing skills of 29 children with prelingual, profound hearing loss with 4 years of cochlear implant experience. Results were group matched with regard to word-reading ability and mother's educational level with the performance of 29 hearing children. Results revealed that it is possible to obtain a valid measure of phonological processing (PP) skills in children using CIs. They could complete rhyming tasks and were able to complete sound-based tasks using standard test materials provided by a commercial test distributor. The CI children completed tasks measuring PP, but there were performance differences between the CI users and the hearing children. The process of learning phonological awareness (PA) for the children with CIs was characterized by a longer, more protracted learning phase than their counterparts with hearing. Tests of phonological memory skills indicated that when the tasks were controlled for presentation method and response modality, there were no differences between the performance of children with CIs and their counterparts with hearing. Tests of rapid naming revealed that there were no differences between rapid letter and number naming between the two groups. Results yielded a possible PP test battery for children with CI experience.     

Determining the business impact of knowledge management

This case study describes an evaluation of business impact and return on investment (ROI) for the Knowledge Exchange, a knowledge management (KM) system within Accenture. The evaluation used a continuous measurement design to allow impact and ROI to be tracked across time and groups. The results demonstrated a significant positive impact on productivity, based largely on the effect on time savings realized by leveraging a useful KM system across a large population of employees.     

Identifying exemplary science teachers through students’ perceptions of their learning environment

The purpose of this study was to examine students’ psychosocial perceptions of their science classroom learning environment in order to identify exemplary teachers. This mixed-method study used the valid and reliable What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire with over 3,000 middle school students in 150 classrooms in Australia. Exemplary teachers were defined as those whose students’ perceptions were more than one standard deviation above the mean for three of the five scales of Student Cohesiveness, Teacher Support, Involvement, Task Orientation and Equity. The reliability of the WIHIC scales ranged from 0.75 to 0.87. Eta² showed that the WIHIC was able to distinguish between the perceptions of the students in the classroom. The construct validity of the WIHIC for identifying these exemplary teachers was confirmed through interviews with students and these views are reported in the article.     

Towards a More Inclusive Profession: Teacher recruitment and ethnicity

Since coming to office in May 1997, the British Labour Government, with its commitment to social inclusion, has undertaken various policy initiatives to broaden access to public sector occupations, including teaching. In this paper, we focus on the participation of ethnic minority students in the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). We present the findings of a national empirical study drawing on data from a questionnaire survey and interviews with PGCE staff and students. Particular consideration is given to the students' motives for entering teaching and their images of the profession; the factors influencing their choice of course and institution; their experiences during training and their perceptions of the constraints upon ethnic minority recruitment. We also consider the strategies employed by PGCE staff to attract and retain ethnic minority recruits to the PGCE, and examine the dilemmas that they face when responding to ethnic diversity. We conclude with a discussion of the policy implications of the research and a commentary on the methodology employed in the research. Dès son début en mai 1997, le gouvernement travailliste du Royaume-Uni a suivi des politiques favorisant l'accès des minorités aux carrières dans les services publics, y compris celles de l'enseignement. Dans cet exposé, nous nous concentrons sur la participation d'étudiants de minorités ethniques au Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). Nous présentons les résultats d'une large étude empirique utilisant les données obtenues à partir d'une enquête nationale et d'entretiens avec les professeurs et les étudiants du PGCE. En particulier, nous examinons les motivations qui font que les e´tudiants choisissent une carrière d'enseignant et leur image de la profession; les influences sur leur choix de cours et d'université; leurs expériences pendant la formation et leur avis sur les contraintes qui empêchent le recrutement des minorités ethniques. Nous discutons aussi les stratégies suivies par les universités pour attirer et retenir les e´tudiants de minorités ethniques, et nous examinons les dilemmes qui se présentent. Finalement, nous discutons des portées de cette recherche sur la politique nationale, et de la méthodologie de l'étude. Desde la instauración del gobierno laborista Británico en Mayo de 1997, y dado su compromiso en materia de inclusión social, éste ha llevado a cabo varias iniciativas con el fin de ampliar el acceso a las ocupaciones del sector público, incluyendo la profesión de educador, a las minorías étnicas. En este artículo, los autores examinan la participación de estudiantes en los Programas de Post-Graduados en Educación (PGCE) en Inglaterra y Gales. Se presentan los resultados de un estudio de gran escala obtenido a través de la aplicación de un cuestionario nacional y de entrevistas con el personal y los estudiantes de los programas de PGCE. Se presta atención especial a la motivación de los estudiantes para ingresar a la profesión de educador y a la imagen que tienen de la profesión; los factores que influencian su elección tanto de programa como de institución; sus experiencias durante la formación; y sus percepciones sobre las dificultades del reclutamiento de minorías étnicas. Los autores también consideran las estrategias empleadas por el personal de los programas del PGCE para atraer y retener a alumnos de minorías étnicas y examinan los dilemas que se encuentran frente a la diversidad étnica. El artículo concluye con una discusión sobre las implicaciones de esta investigación en las políticas. Seit ihrem Antritt im Mai 1997 hat die neue Britische Regierung eine Politik der Erleichterung des Zuganges fuer Vertreter ethnischer Minderheiten in Berufe des öffentlichen Dienstes verfolgt. Diese Politik schliesst auch den Berufsstand der Lehrer ein. Der vorliegende Beitrag konzentriert sich auf Studenten ethnischer Minderheiten, die an PGCE Programmen in England und Wales teilnehmen. Es werden Ergebnisse einer grossangelegten Studie präsentiert, deren Daten aus einer landesweiten Umfrage (per Fragebogen) und Interviews von Lehrern und Studenten der PGCE Programme stammen. Besondere Aufmerksamkeit wurde auf folgende Aspekte gerichtet: Was ist die Motivation der Studenten das Lehrfach zu wählen? Welche Vorstellungen haben die Studenten von dem von ihnen gewählten Beruf? Welche Faktoren beeinflusste sie bei der Wahl ihrer Kurse und Ausbildungsstaette? Welche Eindrücke und Erfahrungen machten sie während der Ausbildung? Wie schätzen sie die Probleme und Hindernisse bei der Anwerbung von Vertretern ethnischer Minderheiten für den Lehrerberuf ein? Strategien von PGCE Lehrern eingeschriebene Studenten etnischer Minderheiten zu behalten und neue anzuwerben wurden ebenso bedacht, wie auch die Probleme die daraus entstehen können. Der Beitrag endet mit einer Diskussion von möglichen Auswirkungen der Studie auf die von der britischen Regierung verfolgten Politik.     

Research on “fortuitous” communication: A review

Summary In these two articles we have proposed a schematic theoretical model for the study of communication, one which subsumes both face-to-face and mass communication but is intended as an orientation to a general theory of mass communication. In addition we have used the model as a framework for a review of a part of the literature of mass communication and have attempted a brief assessment of the present state of our knowledge of the field. This paper presents one application of the authors’ conceptual model of the communication process published in the last issue of AVCR. Here they are attempting to order the existing research findings on “fortuitous” communication in relationship to their model. Malcolm S. MacLean, Jr., and Bruce H. Westley are assistant professors of Journalism, The University of Wisconsin.