School placement and classroom participation among children with disabilities in primary school in Norway: a longitudinal study

The purpose of this paper is to address changes in school placement and classroom participation with respect to children with disabilities of primary school age in Norway, as well as examining the factors which explain variation in school placement and classroom participation. School placement refers to whether children with disabilities attend regular school, while classroom participation refers to time spent in regular classrooms at regular schools. The analysis is based on longitudinal data drawn from surveys undertaken in 2003 and 2006, of parents of children with disabilities. Present findings suggest there are no major changes in school placement during primary school years, which is contrary to earlier findings. However, the amount of time children with disability are absent from regular classes does increase significantly as the children become older. Size of municipality population, type of disability and degree of impairment are the main factors which have an impact on school placement. In addition to these, the amount of special education also has an impact on classroom participation. There are small changes in mechanisms that lead children out of both regular schools and classrooms, during their primary school years. However, some of the identified factors strengthen in importance as the children become older. The apparent policy change for older children, from special school placement to an “out of class” practice, is discussed. It could be seen as regular schools’ adaptation to the tension between the prevailing ideology of inclusion and schools’ maintenance of existing practice.     

The teacher work sample: A tool for scaffolding and assessing preservice teachers' early field experiences

Abstract

This article describes adapting teacher work sample methodology from the student teaching level to a 4‐week, 25‐hour field experience occurring relatively early in a teacher education program. The goals of the project were twofold: (a) to examine whether an adapted version of the teacher work sample would promote planning and reflection in preservice teachers, and (b) to explore the potential of an adapted teacher work sample as an assessment tool. Adaptations to the original, such as emphasizing formative over summative assessment, are briefly described. Survey and focus group data from a pilot combined with survey data from a semester of full implementation with 270 teacher candidates indicate the teacher work sample is useful for promoting reflection and an understanding of student assessment. The advantages of the teacher work sample are maximized when teacher candidates are engaged in whole class instruction.     

Conceptualization and Labelling as Cognitive Challenges for Students of Data Modelling

Constructing a data model for a problem area requires identifying and formulating some symbolic representation of the concepts involved, their characteristics, and the relationships between them. Taking a socio-cultural perspective on learning, analysis of classroom dialog is used to identify cognitive challenges met by novice students of data modelling. This paper shows how Vygotskyan theory of concept building sheds light on some psycholinguistic aspects of data modelling. The high-school students in the study displayed a lack of what will be called metalinguistic consciousness. Many of their problems were related to the conceptualisation process of forming entities and assigning appropriate labels to them. In teaching data modelling, there seems to be a need to focus more explicitly on the four-way relationship between (1) concrete or abstract objects of the world, (2) the terms denoting these objects, (3) the related subjective meaning and (4) the symbolic representation in a data model.     

The Blended Business Librarian: Technology Skills in Academic Business Librarian Job Advertisements

The purpose of this study was to identify technological trends in academic business librarianship. Forty-five job advertisements were collected over a 5-year period spanning from 2007 to 2012. Ten technology skill categories were identified, and the frequency at which the skills appeared in the job advertisements was measured. This article also includes a discussion about the impact of technology on business librarianship and recommendations for academic business librarians and employers.     

Risks and Risk‐Based Regulation in Higher Education Institutions

Risk‐based regulation is a relatively new mode of governance. Not only does it offer a way of controlling institutions from the outside but it also provides the possibility of making an organisation’s achievements visible/visualisable. This paper comments on a list of possible risks that higher education institutions have to face. In a second step, it is discussed that a higher education institution changes when a framework of risk‐based regulation is adopted. The paper then illustrates how governance changes when the risk‐based regulation approach is transferred from a UK context to an overall European one with differing traditions of higher education.     

Technology Integration for Students with Disabilities: Empirically Based Recommendations for Faculty

In 3 empirical studies we examined the computer technology needs and concerns of close to 800 college and university students with various disabilities. Findings indicate that the overwhelming majority of these students used computers, but that almost half needed some type of adaptation to use computers effectively. Data provided by the students and by a small sample of professors underscore the importance of universal design in a variety of areas: courseware development, electronic teaching and learning materials, and campus information technology infrastructure. Sex and age of students were only minimally related to attitudes toward computers or their use in our samples. Key findings summarize the problems faced by students with different disabilities as well as the computer related adaptations that are seen as helpful. These are used to formulate concrete, practical recommendations for faculty to help them ensure full access to their courses.     

Kulturelle und künstlerische Aktivitäten Studierender

What are the fields of cultural or artistic activities of higher education students in Germany? To what extent are they related to the studies? Do the parents have some influence on those cultural activities? Due to a lack of data, questions of this type could not be answered yet. Now this is possible based on a survey conducted for the national education report “Education in Germany 2012” whose specific thematic focus was arts education. A high share of nearly two thirds of all students report own cultural or arts acitvities. The rate of active students varies by field of studies and gender. Differences with respect to kind of degree or study period are rather low. While studying 25?% of students give up former cultural activities. Remarkably high is the effect of parental cultural activities that exceeds the impact of the parent’s level of education. The parent’s example also has an influence on the field of the student’s activities.     

Empathy and critical thinking: primary students solving local environmental problems through outdoor learning

The present study explores the outcomes of teaching empathy and critical thinking to solve environmental problems. This investigation was done throughout the duration of an environmental education course within a primary school located in central Chile. A community-based research methodology was used to understand the formation of empathy and critical thinking. The findings reveal a significant benefit in using empathy strategies to engage students regarding the thinking processes involved with solving environmental problems. Using these elements as teaching techniques for environmental education courses can be very helpful in reaching the aims of creating a sustainable citizenry.     

The Reality beyond the Hype: Mobile Internet is Primarily an Extension of PC-Based Internet

The mobile Internet (MI) has been hyped as the next big thing by telecom operators, handset manufacturers, and content providers. However, recent studies indicate that the usage of Internet via mobile phones has remained quite flat. The authors inquire into this discrepancy by focusing on actual usage of the MI and the motivating factors behind its use. Based on focus-group interviews in Norway and Hungary, they argue that MI usage is interrelated with and is an extension of the personal computer (PC)–based Internet. The key motivation behind MI use is to attain information in situations in which the PC is out of reach. In effect, MI has not led to the development of new usages. The expectation that the development of new killer applications will lead to an explosion of new usage is therefore misguided. MI usage is and will perhaps continue to be a mere extension of PC-based Internet usage—and such use activities are the very nature of MI.