Speech for international students

The purposes of the investigation reported were to determine, on the basis of the tournament debaters studied, (1) which, if any, of the “stock”; issues were given important consideration; (2) which “stock”; issue was given the greatest consideration; and (3) if one “stock”; issue did become most important, at what point in the debate dis this usually occur.     

Scholarly Honesty,Textbooks and Teaching

Three teacher educators recount cautionary tales to serve as a catalyst for -discussion and share their collective musings about teaching, accountability, and assessment. From ongoing reflection and conversations, three themes emerged: expertise, certainty, and orthodoxy. They begin by clarifying their understandings of these three areas and then provide commentary about each one.     

Interdisciplinarity and education: towards principles of pedagogical practice

Abstract

Purpose:

This article contributes new empirical evidence and nuanced analysis on the gender difference in access to extension services and how this translates to observed differences in technology adoption and agricultural productivity.     

Expectancy theory outcomes and student evaluations of teaching

As student evaluation of teaching (SET) instruments are increasingly administered online, research has found that the response rates have dropped significantly. Validity concerns have necessitated research that explores student motivation for completing SETs. This study uses Vroom's [(1964). Work and motivation (3rd ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons] expectancy theory to frame student focus group responses regarding their motivations for completing and not completing paper and online SETs. Results show that students consider the following outcomes when deciding whether to complete SETs: (a) course improvement, (b) appropriate instructor tenure and promotion, (c) accurate instructor ratings are available to students, (d) spending reasonable amount of time on SETs, (e) retaining anonymity, (f) avoiding social scrutiny, (g) earning points and releasing grades, and (h) being a good university citizen. Results show that the lower online response rate is largely due to students’ differing feelings of obligation in the 2 formats. Students also noted that in certain situations, students often answer SETs insincerely.     

How does student peer review influence perceptions,engagement and academic outcomes? A case study

Involving students in peer review has many pedagogical benefits, but few studies have explicitly investigated relationships between the content of peer reviews, student perceptions and assessment outcomes. We conducted a case study of peer review within a third-year undergraduate subject at a research-intensive Australian university, in which we examined: (1) students’ perceptions of the peer review process before and after peer review, (2) content of the peer reviews and what kinds of feedback were adopted and (3) the effect of participation in peer review on performance (grades) in the assessment task. Students overwhelmingly perceived peer review to be beneficial, and the opportunity to participate in peer review resulted in a significant improvement in the quality of work submitted for assessment. Students who benefited most from peer review were those of below-median performance, and the magnitude of benefit was related to the degree to which students engaged with the peer review process. Our study confirms that participation in peer review can lead to important improvements in performance and learning outcomes.     

Using the Illinois test of psycholinguistic ability with bilingual and monolingual language‐impaired children

The current popular case against the use of standardised ability tests in bilingual assessment is not as unequivocal as may be commonly assumed. Evidence currently available indicates that such tests generally measure the same constructs, with equal accuracy, regardless of language backgrounds. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to this debate by presenting a detailed comparison of the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Ability (ITPA) profiles of monolingual language‐impaired children who have received the diagnosis ‘specifically language‐impaired’ (SLI) (N = 95) and ITPA profiles of bilingual children who are referred for assessment of their language problems (N = 43). It is concluded that most bilingual children suffer from a ‘knowledge‐based’ problem, while most monolingual children suffer from a more fundamental ‘processing‐based’ problem. By presenting this analysis, we hope to contribute to the general debate about whether this commonly used test can be used in the assessment of bilingual children.     

THE LIFE ENRICHMENT PROGRAM FOR OLDER ADULTS: AN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATIONAL MODEL

The question of what is uniquely possible for the older adult learner is seldom asked by adult educators. Dealing with a population whose educational experiences are largely pedogogical, instructional programs have often attempted to continue this model of teacher‐selected content and methodology. This paper is a review of an experimental educational program designed to provide experiential activities related to learning needs and potentials of the older adult. The nature of the format allowed participants maximum opportunity to. identify and achieve personal learning goals. Evaluation procedures were designed to test the hypothesis that older adults respond meaningfully to programs designed to meet their needs rather than the educator's preconceptions. Results of the study indicate successful achievement of the goals of the project and an expanded level of psychosocial functioning of the older adults.