Exploring classroom life through cogenerative dialogues

In response to Shady’s reflection on his experience as a teacher-researcher in which he explored different cogen structures, we consider fluid participant configurations using cogens as a research method to provide insights into classroom life. Our cogens illuminated the role of symbolic, cultural and social capital in student–teacher alignments that changed across different classroom situations. In Shady’s study, as well as our own, respectful student–teacher relationships that involved the teacher and students first establishing common social capital, enabled the teacher to “be in with” the students, and vice versa. We raise questions about how the structure of cogens might affect the nature of the dialogue that is cogenerated.     

Continuous removal of glycerol from frozen-thawed red blood cells in a microfluidic membrane device

Cryopreservation of human red blood cells (RBCs) in the presence of 40% glycerol allows a shelf-life of 10 years, as opposed to only 6 weeks for refrigerated RBCs. Nonetheless, cryopreserved blood is rarely used in clinical therapy, in part because of the requirement for a time-consuming (∼1 h) post-thaw wash process to remove glycerol before the product can be used for transfusion. The current deglycerolization process involves a series of saline washes in an automated centrifuge, which gradually removes glycerol from the cells in order to prevent osmotic damage. We recently demonstrated that glycerol can be extracted in as little as 3 min without excessive osmotic damage if the composition of the extracellular solution is precisely controlled. Here, we explore the potential for carrying out rapid glycerol extraction using a membrane-based microfluidic device, with the ultimate goal of enabling inline washing of cryopreserved blood. To assist in experimental design and device optimization, we developed a mass transfer model that allows prediction of glycerol removal, as well as the resulting cell volume changes. Experimental measurements of solution composition and hemolysis at the device outlet are in reasonable agreement with model predictions, and our results demonstrate that it is possible to reduce the glycerol concentration by more than 50% in a single device without excessive hemolysis. Based on these promising results, we present a design for a multistage process that is predicted to safely remove glycerol from cryopreserved blood in less than 3 min.     

From the Editor

Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability -     

From the Editor

Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability -     

Teaching Education about Sexuality: a Scottish Regional Case Study

This article examines the efficacy of policy and practice, within one Scottish region, of education about sexuality in secondary schools. The primary focus is on teaching sexuality to pupils with recorded learning difficulties, with a particular emphasis on the concepts of inclusion, normalisation and integration. The authors are Sheila Watt, Lecturer in the School of Education, University of Dundee; Elizabeth Horn, a teacher of pupils with special educational needs; and Cassie Higgins, a research assistant also based in the School of Education at the University of Dundee.     

Using Film Text to Support Reluctant Writers

This article is the result of working with several schools concerned with improving achievement in boys' writing. It begins by describing a range of effective teaching and learning strategies, observed in my role as a Literacy Consultant, which had a positive influence on writers especially boys. The article goes on to explore how a small group of boys, described by their teacher as ‘reluctant writers’, were encouraged by the use of film text to make the most of their preferences for action‐driven narratives to improve story writing. It suggests that ‘slowing down’ this action in the author's eye gives pupils, and boys in particular, an opportunity to consider detail to enhance composition in the same way that a film director uses camera angles to capture the viewer's attention.     

Effects of strategy-oriented training on children’s inference drawing from pictures

It is important that children learn to draw inferences from pictures. But can that ability be taught? This study sought to develop the picture-interpretation strategies of fourth-grade children by providing training in the use of such verbal guidelines as “Help yourself to all the given information.” The program apparently helped the children produce more inferences, but did not enhance their skills in evaluating inferences at least not over the 16 30–40 minute sessions devoted to the training.     

Assessing Enhancement of Learning, Personal Learning Environment, and Student Efficacy: Alternatives to Traditional Faculty Evaluation in Higher Education

This study was informed by three bodies of important literature: (1) research on faculty teaching performance and course evaluation in higher education, (2) research on students' personal (constructivist-based) views of characteristics of teaching and learning environments, and (3) human efficacy. The article describes the development and validation of a new measure designed to assess students' perceptions of the extent to which higher education learning environment characteristics enhance students' personal learning. Results of factor analyses of the Student Assessment of Teaching and Learning (SATL) and criterion-related validity analyses are reported for 2,190 students in 145 separate classes. Criteria used for analysis are (1) measures of students' perceptions of constructivist-based, personal learning environments and students' self-efficacy beliefs, (2) course emphasis on higher-order thinking skills and personal and applied knowledge, and (3) two summative judgments of overall course quality. Implications of the findings are discussed in light of using student rating information for formative evaluation purposes and using students' reflections on personal learning as an element of assessing the quality of teaching and learning in higher education settings. This latter view is contrasted to procedures that are more traditionally used to evaluate faculty, teaching, and course characteristics.