Pictures as Feedback in Single Word Learning

A number of recent studies have indicated that familiarity with pictures can interfere with single word learning, if the pictures are presented with their written equivalents. Research has also suggested that focusing children's attention on written words while responding to the paired stimuli is not sufficient to overcome this interference. Two experiments were carried out to investigate the possibility of eliminating the adverse effects of pictures by encouraging children to elicit naming‐responses in the absence of the pictures and then using pictures as response feedback. The results indicated that this feedback cueing technique can avoid the adverse effect of pictures and achieve a learning rate equivalent to that obtained when words were presented alone. It was concluded that pictures could be used in a way which did not hinder learning, but there is no evidence to suggest that they can be used in a way to enhance learning.     

Affecting Education Policy through Border Crossing between Special Education and General Education

ABSTRACT

A review of current self-study research related to teacher education policy in the United States indicates that at local, university, and state levels teacher educators are affected emotionally and professionally by policy and, in most cases, feel that policy is something done to teacher educators as opposed to something to which they can contribute and make a difference. In this article, we use our review as a base from which to consider how both special educators and general educators might use self-study to know one another better, to work collaboratively to affect policy, and to understand how policy affects them. We argue that teacher educators must work together across content areas in order to interrogate the implementation and impact of policy and to influence the development and implementation of policy.     

An examination of the relationship between Facebook groups attached to university courses and student engagement

Educators and researchers are increasingly interested in the benefits of using Facebook groups attached to university courses, largely around connectedness, engagement and sense of belonging. However, thus far, there have been no broad-scale investigations on the potential outcomes of course-attached Facebook groups. The current study used both within- and between-group analyses on 471 participants, in order to investigate whether courses with an attached official or unofficial Facebook group was related to increased student engagement (in the categories of relationships with faculty members, peer relationships, behavioural engagement, cognitive engagement, valuing and a sense of belonging) and degree identity compared to courses without Facebook groups. Results indicated that students reported interacting more with unofficial than official Facebook groups. Courses with an official Facebook group had significantly greater staff connectedness compared to courses without an official Facebook group, while courses with either an official or unofficial Facebook group had a significantly higher peer relationships compared to courses without any Facebook group. Students with either an official or unofficial Facebook group had a significantly higher sense of belonging. Though students with either an official or unofficial Facebook group reported higher degree identity, this may be primarily due to the unofficial, rather than official Facebook groups; this difference may only exist in the unofficial, but not the official Facebook groups.     

Autonomy and control: a university funding formula as an instrument of public policy

Formulas are used in many jurisdictions to allocate public funds among universities which may then have considerable autonomy in the internal allocation of those funds. This paper provides first an overview of formula funding as it affects university education. This is followed by an exposition on the balance between autonomy and accountability in the Province of Ontario. Formula funding in Ontario is used as a case study to evaluate how effective formula-funding has been in encouraging autonomous universities to work towards the attainment of public policy objectives. The analysis shows that four mechanisms have in fact been used - namely formula funding, designated extraformula grants, incentive funding, and controls - and that some objectives are better supported by different mechanisms. The paper concludes with a discussion of the evolution and an evaluation of formula funding in Ontario against the objectives given for its introduction.     

Behaviour and misbehaviour of Latino children in a time of zero tolerance: mothers' views

Thirty‐eight Latin American mothers with young children tell of their perceptions of school discipline and comportment issues and talk of their children's encounters with ‘zero tolerance’ legislation, and related rules for conduct, implemented by the local school boards. The purpose of this exploratory study is to understand: (a) parents' views of and concern about disciplinary practices at school; (b) parents' ideas about the connection between home and school discipline; and (c) parents' understanding of the officially prescribed consequences of behaviour identified as non‐tolerable. Implications of the findings are discussed with regard to professional practice.