校本教学研究的实践形式

校本教研是推进教学改革和促进教师专业化成长的根本支撑和内在动力。校本教研中,教学型教研,以教为着眼点,以课例为载体;研究型教研,以研为着眼点, 以课题为载体;学习型教研,以学为着眼点,以阅读为主线。提倡教学型教研,防止校本教研神化;提倡研究型教研,防止校本教研泛化;提倡学习型教研,防止校本教研窄化。这三种校本教研的有机结合完整地体现了校本教研的内涵和外延。     

Engaging young students in scientific investigations: prompting for meaningful reflection

This study examined the verbal prompts a tutor used to promote reflection and young students’ responses to these prompts. Seven children (ages 8–12) participated in 260 min of one-on-one tutoring to learn scientific concepts related to gear movement; the tutor spontaneously provided these students with 763 prompts for reflection. Prompts reliably induced reflection: Students responded verbally 87% of the time. Turn-by-turn discourse analysis revealed seven distinct types of prompts and 11 distinct types of verbal responses. High-level prompts were strongly associated with high-level responses. A log-multiplicative association model with two dimensions (temporality and certainty) represented the relationships between prompt and response types; from this model, odds ratios estimated the strength of association between specific pairs of prompt and response types. Findings are discussed in terms of the effects that reflection may have on students’ developing understanding of scientific concepts.     

Positive Effects of Converting a Food and Bioprocessing Analysis Course to an Inquiry‐Guided Approach

Abstract: Food science laboratory courses are traditionally taught as a series of preplanned laboratories with known endpoints. In contrast, inquiry‐guided (IG) laboratories allow students to ask questions, think through problems, design experiments, then adapt and learn in response to unexpected results. This study examined the effects of converting the course, “Analytical Techniques in Food and Bioprocessing Sciences” from a traditional approach (2008 to 2010 data) to an IG approach (2011 data) by assigning teams of 2–3 students a food and a set of 5 analyses to conduct over the course of the semester. Students were required to choose and justify the use of specific methods for each analysis, as well as to develop a supply list and a budget for the semester‐long project. During the semester, students were required to post and discuss their weekly progress with the instructor, teaching assistants, and the rest of the class using an online discussion forum. At the end of the semester, students were required to present the results of their analysis in both oral and written formats. Overall course grades were significantly higher (P≤ 0.05) using IG in 2011 compared to 2010 and 2009, but not to 2008 grades. Numerical course evaluations for the instructor, overall course, and lab, as well as written course evaluations all significantly (P≤ 0.05) improved. This suggests that an IG approach may measurably improve student performance in terms of course grades and the ability to complete semester long projects. It may also increase student satisfaction with the course, as measured by numerical and written end of semester surveys.     

Canadian Communications

MASS MEDIA AND THE CONSTITUTION: AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SUPREME COURT DECISIONS by Richard F. Hixon (New York: Garland Publishing, 1989—$85.00, ISBN 0-8240-7947-7)

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EDUCATIONAL MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY edited by Derick Unwin and Ray McAleese (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1988—price not given, ISBN 0-313-23996-7)

KNOWLEDGE INDUSTRY 200: 1987 EDITION edited by Ira Mayer (White Plains, NY: Knowledge Industry Publications, with library distribution by Gale Research, Detroit, 1987—price for latter is $250, ISBN 0-8103-4254-5)

RADIO AND TELEVISION: A SELECTED, ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY, SUPPLEMENT TWO: 1982-1986 by Peter Pringle and Helen Clinton (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1989—$27.50, ISBN 0-8108-2158-3)

THE BROADCAST COMMUNICATIONS DICTIONARY edited by Lincoln Diamant (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1989—$35.00, ISBN 0-313-26502-X)

THE LIBRARIAN'S COMPANION: A HANDBOOK OF THOUSANDS OF FACTS AND FIGURES ON LIBRARIES/LIBRARIANS, BOOKS/NEWSPAPERS, PUBLISHERS/BOOKSELLERS by Vladimir F. Wertsman (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1987—$35.00, ISBN 0-313-25500-8)

INDEX TO JOURNALS IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES THROUGH 1985 edited by Ronald J. Matlon (Speech Communication Association, 5105 Backlick Rd., Bldg. E, Annandale, VA 22003—$40.00, paper, ISBN not provided)

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND SERVICES edited by Amy Lucas (Detroit: Gale Research, 1988—$420 for a three volume set, ISBN for the set: 0-8103-2646-9)

COMMUNICATIONS GLOSSARY (Canadian Law Information Council, 5th Floor, 161 Laurier Ave. West, Ottawa, Ontario KIP 5J2—$30 each in Canadian funds, no ISBN provided)     

Self-Assessment of Gerontology Teaching Practice: A First-Step in Enhancing Student Learning

This article discusses self-assessment of gerontology teaching practice. Through a process of self-reflection one may find insight into their teaching and, concomitantly, develop best-practices for enhancing student learning in gerontology. A self-assessment framework is presented, illuminating best-practices in the areas of the lecture-discussion cycle and teacher-student interactions. The self-assessment areas and reflective questions, while not exhaustive, will hopefully lead gerontology professors to a more expansive inquiry of their teaching practice and the impact it has on student learning. Regular self-assessment of teaching practice may lead to more effective instruction in undergraduate or introductory gerontology courses as well as enhancement of student learning outcomes.     

Response bias in follow-up studies of college students

The problems of response bias in longitudinal studies of college students are examined. An extensive follow-up questionnaire was sent to 1,253 college seniors who had participated in a similar survey as freshman four years earlier. Careful measure of student responsiveness in relation to various techniques designed to increase the proportion of responders (e.g., postcard, telephone contact) were kept.The less responsive groups were significantly different from their more responsive counterparts on nearly a dozen variables representing a wide variety of content areas, including academic achievement, self-concept, alcohol consumption, social deviance, and major choice preferences. Controlling for sex and socioeconomic status served to reduce, but not eliminate, these biases. Overall, the results indicate that researchers cannot account for follow-up nonresponse bias by making statistical adjustments according to data available at initial testing. The results are discussed in light of identifying the reasons for nonresponse, and attempting to develop categories of nonresponders who may be motivated to cooperate by different types of follow-up techniques.