The Teacher as Thinker

The authors explore how and to what extent students use their textbooks. Data was collected through a survey regarding when reading is primarily done, how the textbook is used for studying, and which specific study strategies the students used. The results indicate that students know it is important to read, know the professor expects them to read, and know it will impact their grade, yet most students still do not read the textbook. Finally, we also examine what students feel would motivate them to increase their usage of the textbook.     

“If you hit me again,I'll hit you back:” Conflict management strategies of individuals experiencing aggression during conflicts

In interpersonal relationships characterized by aggression, the negotiation of conflict is especially significant. The present study examined the conflict management strategies used by 31 individuals who had experienced verbal and/or physical aggression during conflicts with their partners. Sillars’ (1986) conflict tactics coding system was used as a framework to analyze 960 pages of transcribed data. The results of this deductive content analysis indicated that the participants reported using primarily Distributive conflict strategies. Analytic induction was also used to interpret nonverbal forms of conflict management, revealing three common tactics: crying, nonverbal avoidance, and aggression. Implications for using these conflict strategies in interpersonal relationships characterized by aggression are discussed.     

Feeling Valued Matters: An Examination of Instructor Confirmation and Instructional Dissent

This study explored the relationship between effective instructor behavior—instructor confirmation—and a potentially negative student behavior—instructional dissent. Previous studies demonstrate that student characteristics provide a limited explanation for how students express dissent (e.g., Goodboy & Myers, 2012 Goodboy, A. K. & Myers, S. A. (2012). Brief report: Instructional dissent as an expression of students’ verbal aggressiveness and argumentativeness traits. Communication Education, 61, 448–458. doi:10.1080/03634523.2012.699635[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). Thus, scholars have begun to investigate the influence of instructor behaviors along with student characteristics to understand why students express dissent (LaBelle, Martin, & Weber, 2013 LaBelle, S., Martin, M. M. & Weber, K. (2013). Instructional dissent in the college classroom: Using the instructional beliefs model as a framework. Communication Education, 62, 169–190. doi:10.1080/03634523.2012.759243[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). This study revealed that instructor confirmation negatively related to expressive and vengeful dissent, but not rhetorical dissent. Further, the three dimensions of instructor confirmation functioned differently in accounting for variance in expressive and vengeful dissent. Future research should build towards a model of instructional dissent model that reflects the unique characteristics of the instructional context and modifiable instructor behaviors.     

Theodore Roosevelt's preparedness oratory: The minority voice of an ex‐president

Roosevelt urged war preparation and active retaliation when neutral policies prevailed and when the mood of the nation was one of noninvolvement abroad.     

Insights into Information-seeking and Communicating Behaviour of Academics

This paper discusses the information-seeking behaviour of academics in relation to the productivity of academics in South African Universities, with particular reference to the University of Zululand, through a survey of 105 academics. It was established that the nature of the discipline and the rank of the academic, which normally corresponds with the academic qualification, experience, exposure and research productivity level, largely determine the information-seeking behaviour. Academics mainly need information for career development, and occupational and professional needs. Furthermore, university libraries, which currently face budget cuts on acquisitions, still play a pivotal role in information access by the academics. It is confirmed that the use of “local environment” is dominant for intra- and inter-university information access network and system. It is recommended that avenues that work colleagues can use to interact should be supported, and career challenges that stimulate productivity by academics, such as research and publication, should be maintained and sustained.     

Spreading the ETD Gospel: A Southern Africa Perspective

Rhodes University mounted its first digital thesis on the World Wide Web in 1998 and became the first institution in Africa to do so. Since then, the number of available theses and dissertations has steadily increased as more students come to appreciate the importance of submitting digital files or their theses. Also, the university Senate has now made it mandatory for students to submit digital files of their theses and dessertations. In order to make electronic theses and dissertations (ETD) produced by tertiary institutions in Southern Africa readily available, universities in the Southern African region were invited to join in the ETD initiative. This would lead to the building of a digital library of theses and dissertations in the region. A few institutions have responded positively and, based on the adoption of our approach, have speedily gained approval of their governing bodies to embark on ETD projects. In addition, the South East Academic Libraries (SEALS), a library consortium of tertiary institutions in the Eastern Province of South Africa, is considering an ETD programme since this would promote collaboration between research programmes at separate universities/technikons by making research work visible and accessible via a network archive.

It is, however, surprising that some institutional leaders appear not to have realized that the digital revolution makes it imperative for institutions to use digital and publishing technologies innovatively in the provision of information as well as in the preservation and dissemination of the institutions' intellectual property.

The paper will review existing African theses and dissertation projects, including the Database of African Theses and Dissertations (DATAD) and the African Universities Dissertations Abstracts (AFUDA) projects, it will discuss the status of the Rhodes University project, responses from other institutions in the region and make suggestions for accelerated involvement of tertiary institutions in Africa, especially Southern Africa, in the international network of theses and dissertations.     

Brain,Brow, and Booty: Latina Iconicity in U.S. Popular Culture

We were shooting on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum one night. It was lit romantically, and Jennifer was wearing an evening gown, looking incredibly stunning. Suddenly there must have been a thousand people screaming her name. It was like witnessing this icon. (Ralph Fiennes in the New York Times, 2002, p. 16, emphasis added)

This stamp, honoring a Mexican artist who has transcended “la frontera” and has become and icon to Hispanics, feminists, and art lovers, will be a further reminder of the continuous cultural contributions of Latinos to the United States. (Cecilia Alvear, President of National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) on the occasion of the introduction of the Frida Kahlo U.S. postage st& 2001; emphasis added)

“Nothing Like the Icon on the Fridge” (column about Salma Hayek’s Frida by Stephanie Zacharek in the New York Times, 2002 Zacharek, S. 2002. The New Season/Movies; Nothing Like the Icon on the Fridge. The New York Times, : 41 Sep.8.Section ZA [Google Scholar]).     

Film Technology

Ralph N. Sargent's Preserving the Moving Image (Washington: Corporation for Public Broadcaiting and National Endowment for the Arts, 1974---$3.95, paper)

Rene L. Ash's The Motion Picture Film Editor (Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1974---$6.00)

John Hales (ed.) Computer Animation (New York: Hastings House, 1974---$20.00)

George Fox's Earthquake: The Story of a Movie (New York: Signet Film Series, 1974---$1.25, paper)     

Books on Research Methodology

Mary N. Barton and Marion V. Bell's compilation Reference Books: A Brief Guide (Baltimere: Enoch Pratt Free Library, $1.25)

Martha L. Hackman's The Practical Bibliographer (Prentice-Hall, $5.95 cloth, $2.95 paper)

Hubert M. Blalock An Introduction to Social Research (Prentice-Hall, $5.95 cloth, $2.95 paper)     

Books on Broadcasting

Albert C. Book and Norman D. Cary's The Television Comercial: Creativity and Craftsmanship (Decker, $6.95 paperback)

Stuart N. Hyde's Television and Radio Announcing (Houghton-Hifflin, $9.95)

William O. Johnson Jr.'s Super Spectator and Electronic Lilliputian (Little-Brown, $6.95)