A classwide peer‐modeling intervention package to increase on‐task behavior

Evidence‐based classwide interventions have the potential to help a large number of students by preventing problem behaviors before they become a significant problem in the classroom. Results of a study examining the effectiveness of a classwide peer‐modeling intervention package to improve students' on‐task behavior in the classroom are presented. The classwide intervention took place in three mixed‐grade classrooms (third/fourth, fourth/fifth, and fifth/sixth) with 14–20 students each. Fifteen‐minute intervention sessions occurred approximately two times a week for a total of six to eight sessions. During each intervention session, students watched a 4‐minute videotape segment depicting a peer model demonstrating near 100% on‐task behavior, which was accompanied by verbal coaching and small tangible rewards. Results demonstrated large treatment effects across all three classrooms, which remained large in two of the classrooms at follow‐up 4–8 weeks later. Corresponding positive social validity by participating students and teachers was also documented. Results are discussed in terms of implications, limitations, and future research directions. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The Interaction of Issue and Image Frames on Political Candidate Assessment

This study examined the combined effect of character and policy coverage about a political candidate in news media on voters’ evaluations and thoughts about the candidate. A 2 (issue coverage: present/absent) × 2 (image coverage: present/absent) between-subject factorial experiment was conducted whereby participants (N = 134) read a version of an editorial article that varied in the coverage of a candidate’s character and policy positions. Results indicated that issue and image coverage, each in isolation, enhanced perceptions of the candidate’s image strength and issue strength. However, issue and image coverage when presented in combination compared to in isolation did not enhance perceptions of the candidate and in some cases hindered perceptions of candidate strength. When both coverage types were present, issue coverage dominated image coverage when participants formed image evaluations, whereas image coverage dominated issue coverage when they formed issue evaluations. Similar findings resulted for issue- and image-relevant thoughts. Implications about the effects of multicoverage political messages are discussed.     

Embedding General Education Competencies into an Online Information Literacy Course

ABSTRACT

Assessing core competencies for students who are enrolled in purely online programs poses a challenge to colleges and universities. Our institution has chosen an existing online information literacy course to incorporate and assess general education competencies for an overseas cohort of transfer students. This article presents a brief overview of the course and describes the way in which the course was redesigned to embed and assess the five general education competencies (critical thinking, information literacy, critical reading, quantitative reasoning, and writing).     

Opening Lines of Communication: Book Ordering and Reading Lists,the Academics View

This article outlines and assesses the research into resource management and ordering processes at the University of Northampton and academics' knowledge of these processes. The aim of the research was to identify ways of streamlining the service, to improve communication between academic and library staff, with the objective of an enhanced student experience. The focus groups highlighted concerns around growing spoon-feeding in Higher Education and the ongoing communication barriers between academic and library staff. This article will evaluate the current debates, research, and practices within the sector and present and analyze the findings of the research.     

Acculturation, well-being and classroom behaviour among white British and British Asian primary-school children in the south–east of England: Validating a child-friendly measure of acculturation attitudes

Using a sample of white British and British Asian primary-school children (N = 386, aged 5–11 years), we measured acculturation attitudes (own and perceived outgroup), correlated constructs (ingroup and outgroup affect and identification) and relevant outcomes (self-esteem, classroom demeanour) in a structured interview to validate a customised, child-friendly measure of acculturation attitudes based on Berry's framework. Scale items measuring desire for culture maintenance and intergroup contact loaded onto the predicted factors, were internally reliable and showed concurrent validity with affect and identification. The predictive utility of measures was demonstrated in associations between children's acculturation attitudes (or perceived discrepancies with those of the outgroup) and outcomes such as self-esteem and teacher ratings of emotional symptoms.     

Patterns of intellectual differences of black,hispanic, and white children

Patterns of intellectual differences among children of different ethnic groups on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) were examined. Full Scale IQ was used as a covariate in a multivariate analysis of covariance. The results indicated that when overall IQ is held constant, Black children perform better on verbal tasks, Hispanic children perform better on visual-spatial tasks, and White children perform better on tasks requiring abstract thinking and knowledge of facts. The implications of these results regarding assessment practices are discussed.