Giving Girls a Chance: patterns of talk in co‐operative group work

Whilst there has been much research into differences between boys’ and girls’ involvement in talk in whole class situations, there have been fewer studies analysing the nature of this talk in group work. This study uses episodes of mathematics/technology and language group work to investigate the differences between boys’ and girls’ involvement in talk and the nature of that talk. Findings show that boys and girls contribute differently depending on the curriculum area engaged in, and a clear pattern emerges of how talk is affected by the particular gender balance of the group. Furthermore, the quality of the talk is influenced by the gender balance. In particular the abstract level of talk achieved by girls is depressed when the group composition has more boys than girls.     

Using Concurrent Visual Feedback to Focus Attention in Bimanuai Aiming Movements

We investigated the risk-taking behaviors of 302 men involved in high-risk sports (downhill skiing, mountaineering, rock climbing, paragliding, or skydiving). The sportsmen were classified using a typological approach to personality based on eight personality types, which were constructed from combinations of neuroticism, extraversion, and conscientiousness. Results showed that personality types with a configuration of low conscientiousness combined with high extraversion and/or high neuroticism (impulsive, hedonistic, insecure) were greater risk-takers. Conversely, personality types with a configuration of high conscientiousness combined with low extraversion and/or high extraversion (skeptic, brooder, entrepreneur) were lower risk-takers. Results are discussed in the context of typology and other approaches to understanding who takes risks in high-risk domains.     

Transforming the doctorate from residential to online: A Distributed PhD Learning Technologies

This article discusses a systemic change that expanded the doctorate in Learning Technologies at the University of North Texas to include a distributed option, delivered primarily online. It provides an overview of the development process from concept to initial implementation. The article examines the specific differences that make the online version different from its residential counterpart. We share both the challenges that emerged as well as suggestions for improvement that have come from our experience.     

Television

PLAYING DOCTOR: TELEVISION, STORYTELLING, AND MEDICAL POWER by Joseph Turow (New York: Oxford University Press, 1989—$24.95, ISBN 0-19-504490-8)

COMIC VISIONS: TELEVISION COMEDY AND AMERICAN CULTURE by David Marc (Winchester, MA: Unwin Hyman [formerly Allen & Unwin], 1989—$10.95, paper, ISBN 0-04-445285-3)

NERVOUS LAUGHTER: TELEVISION SITUATION COMEDY AND LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC IDEOLOGY by Darrell Y. Hamamoto (New York: Praeger, 1989—$39.95, ISBN 0-275-92861-6)

INSIDE GILUGANS ISLAND: FROM CREATION TO SYNDICATION by Sherwood Schwartz (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988—$29.95, ISBN 0-89950-339-X)

THE CRITICS' CHOICE-THE BEST OF TV SITCOMS by John Javna (New York: Harmony Books, 1988—$8.95, paper, ISBN 0-517-56922-1)

TELEVISION STUDIES: TEXTUAL ANALYSIS edited by Gary Bums and Robert Thompson (New York: Praeger, 1989—$39.95, ISBN 0-275-92745-8)

THE USE AND ABUSE OF TELEVISION: A SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CHANGING SCREEN by J. Mallory Wober (Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1988—$34.50, ISBN 0-89859-662-9)

AMERICA'S WATCHING: 30TH ANNIVERSARY 1959-1989 actually issued by the now-defunct Television Information Office, but distributed through NAB)

TELEVISION IN TRANSITION: THE VALUE OF BROADCAST TELEVISION IN A CHANGING MARKETPLACE by Philip Jursek and Norman Hecht (1989—price not given, paper, ISBN 0-89-324-067-2)

NAB GUIDE TO ADVANCED TELEVISION SYSTEMS

TELEVISION STATION OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT edited by Robert Hilliard (Stoneham, MA: Focal Press, 1989—$24.95, paper, ISBN 0-240-80027-3)

THE BEST OF SCIENCE FICTION TV by John Javna (New York: Harmony Books, 1989—$8.95, paper, ISBN 0-517-56650-8)

CATALYST IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST is the name of the 1988 CPB annual report (Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 1111 Sixteenth St. NW, Washington DC 20036—free on request, paper)

EXPLORING CAREERS IN VIDEO by Paul Allman (New York: Rosen, 1989—price not given, ISBN 0-8239-1018-0)     

The effect of red blood cell aggregation on velocity and cell-depleted layer characteristics of blood in a bifurcating microchannel

Red blood cell (RBC) aggregation is a multifaceted phenomenon, and whether it is generally beneficial or deleterious remains unclear. In order to better understand its effect on microvascular blood flow, the phenomenon must be studied in complex geometries, as it is strongly dependent on time, flow, and geometry. The cell-depleted layer (CDL) which forms at the walls of microvessels has been observed to be enhanced by aggregation; however, details of the characteristics of the CDL in complex regions, such as bifurcations, require further investigation. In the present study, a microchannel with a T-junction was used to analyze the influence of aggregation on the flow field and the CDL. Micro-PIV using RBCs as tracers provided high resolution cell velocity data. CDL characteristics were measured from the same data using a newly developed technique based on motion detection. Skewed and sharpened velocity profiles in the daughter branches were observed, contrary to the behavior of a continuous Newtonian fluid. RBC aggregation was observed to increase the skewness, but decrease the sharpening, of the velocity profiles in the daughter branches. The CDL width was found to be significantly greater, with a wider distribution, in the presence of aggregation and the mean width increased proportionally with the reciprocal of the fraction of flow entering the daughter branch. Aggregation also significantly increased the roughness of the interface between the CDL and the RBC core. The present results provide further insight into how RBC aggregation may affect the flow in complex geometries, which is of importance in both understanding its functions invivo, and utilizing it as a tool in microfluidic devices.     

Australian Experiences with the Effective Classroom Integration of Information Technology: implications for teacher education

ABSTRACT

In 1992 an Australia‐wide survey was undertaken to determine the most appropriate and effective ways by which classroom teachers have acquired the necessary skills and knowledge to use technology in their curriculum. The survey examined current and changing practice and identified factors which the teachers considered promoted or hindered the effective integration of computer technology. Many teachers felt that their teacher training (pre‐service and in‐service) did not prepare them to effectively integrate computers into their teaching, that it did not include enough time for them to become comfortable with the software, nor did it include support to help them troubleshoot during the early implementation stages. This paper discusses these aspects of the survey results and the implications for teacher education in Australia.