Pluralism and its Purposeful Introduction to a Jewish Day School

Pluralism is an ambiguous term with a multiplicity of meanings. In recent decades there has been a proliferation of a newer category of Jewish Day Schools, the Jewish Community School. Jewish Community Schools distinguish themselves by positioning pluralism as a foundational concept of their school's ethos. Very little is known about how individuals within these schools understand the notion of pluralism. This case study uses in-depth interviews, documentary research, and school observations to determine how policymakers in one such Community School think about pluralism in general, and how this understanding influences their vision for the school's Jewish Education.     

Defending Dramatism as ontological and literal

For twenty years, scholars have contested Burke's argument—originally offered at an Eastern Communication Association convention — that dramatism is ontological and literal. These Burkean scholars have instead emphasized dramatism as epistemological and metaphorical. In this essay, I reread this dispute in support of Burke's position. I conclude that this debate contains two separate claims by Burke: (1) dramatism is ontological, and not epistemological, because it begins with language as action, not representation; and (2) this starting‐point can claim a privileged (literal) status because it offers the most complete approach to its topic. Through this interpretation of the debate, I make a case for a rehabilitated (and ontologically‐grounded) notion of literality—and sketch its implications for contemporary rhetorical theory.     

Beyond Construction: Five arguments for the role and value of critique in learning science

This paper argues that science education has overemphasized the importance of construction at the expense of critique. In doing so, it draws on two key premises—Ford's argument that the construction of knowledge requires a dialectic between construction and critique and Mercier and Sperber's theory of argumentative reasoning that critique is essential for epistemic vigilance. Five separate cases are presented which argue that the absence of critique within school science limits the opportunities for students to engage in scientific reasoning making the learning of science less effective. These five arguments incorporate research literature surrounding the nature of science, epistemology, literacy, pedagogy, and motivation. Furthermore, we draw on data collected from cognitive think-aloud interviews to show that students can, with the appropriate prompts, engage in the important epistemic activity of critique. We conclude by examining the implications for the teaching and learning of science. In essence, we argue that the undervaluing of critique within the curriculum and pedagogy of school science results in a failure to develop the analytical faculties which are the valued hall mark of the practicing scientist; a misrepresentation of the nature of science; and, more importantly, a less effective learning experience. Critique, therefore, needs to play a central role in the teaching and learning of science.     

Sequential effects of high and low instructional guidance on children’s acquisition of experimentation skills: Is it all in the timing?

We report the effect of different sequences of high vs low levels of instructional guidance on children’s immediate learning and long-term transfer of simple experimental design procedures and concepts, often called “CVS” (Control of Variables Strategy). Third-grade children (N = 57) received instruction in CVS via one of four possible orderings of high or low instructional guidance: high followed by high (HH), high followed by low (HL), low followed by high (LH), and low followed by low (LL). High guidance instruction consisted of a combination of direct instruction and inquiry questions, and low guidance included only inquiry questions. Contrary to the frequent claim that a high degree of instructional guidance leads to shallow learning and transfer, across a number of assessments—including a 5-month post-test—the HH group demonstrated a stronger understanding of CVS than the LL group. Moreover, we found no advantage for preceding high guidance with low guidance. We discuss our findings in relation to perspectives advocating “invention as preparation for future learning”, and the efficacy of “productive failure”.     

Directed Time,a Year on: staff perspectives

This study is a follow up to a previously published article in this Journal (Vol. 8(3), 1988), which sought to examine the allocation and management of directed time from a headteacher's perspective. The purpose here is to consider the ramifications of imposed time budgeting for teaching staff and to examine the impact of directed time, a year after its imposition, on school systems.     

Modeling and Diagnosing Domain Knowledge Using Latent Semantic Indexing

A Latent Semantic Index (LSI) was constructed from arguments made by navy officers concerning events in an anti-air warfare scenario. A model based on LSI factor values predicted level of domain expertise with 89% accuracy. The LSI factor space was reduced using MDS to five dimensions: aircraft route, aircraft response, kinematics, localization, and an unclassifiable element. Arguments in the localization category were reliably more common among officers with the greatest expertise. Automated classification of arguments into these elements achieved 84% accuracy. LSI may be a useful tool for automating aspects of modeling expertise and diagnosing knowledge deficiencies.     

Down the slippery slope: Ethics and the technical writer as marketer

This article discusses some of the ethical dilemmas faced by writers who prepare marketing materials in engineering organizations; such writers include traditional technical writers whose documents are influenced by the marketing interests of the company and “boundary spanners” who write both technical and promotional materials. The article describes social, political, economic, and legal changes in the professions during the last 30 years and the growing influence of market‐driven decisions on ethical decision‐making. It briefly surveys the marketing literature that engineering marketers are reading. Finally, it suggests a question that marketing writers should ask themselves in examining rhetorical choices.     

Guides to sustainable connections? Exploring human–nature relationships among wilderness travel leaders

This paper explores and critically interprets the role wilderness travel may play in fostering environmental sustainability. The paper draws upon two qualitative studies that sought to understand human–nature relationships as experienced by different groups of wilderness travel leaders in Canada. According to leaders involved in the studies, wilderness experience enhances emotional connections to nature and encourages a desire to foster similar nature connections among others (i.e. the campers/clients of wilderness trips). However, our interpretations show that leaders’ perceptions of wilderness are varied and ambiguous, and that the priority given to ‘experience’ may help to re-inscribe dominant discourses in which nature and culture are dichotomized. The paper discusses these complexities and sheds light on the potential of wilderness experience to contribute to the individual and social transformations that environmental sustainability calls for.