The Effects of Sex in Television Drama Shows on Emerging Adults' Sexual Attitudes and Moral Judgments

This study tests the effects of exposure to sexual television content on emerging adults' sexual attitudes and moral judgments. One hundred and ten college freshmen were randomly assigned to view shows that portrayed either positive or negative consequences of sexual intercourse. Results indicate that exposure to shows that portray negative consequences of sex leads to more negative attitudes toward premarital intercourse and to more negative moral judgments of characters engaged in this behavior. Results were observed immediately after the viewing and persisted 2 weeks later. Findings are discussed in light of social cognitive theory and previous media effects research.     

Examining Relational Maintenance in Parasocial Relationships

This study investigates relational maintenance in parasocial relationships (PSRs) by applying an interpersonal model of friendships (the investment model) and an exploratory mediated model. Undergraduate students (N = 490) reported on their relationships with a close friend and a favorite mediated personality. Despite differences in the strengths of associations, the investment model largely predicted commitment in PSRs through similar processes as it did in friendships. Specifically, greater relational investment and satisfaction predicted relational commitment. Unlike in interpersonal relationships, though, attractiveness of alternatives was unrelated to commitment in PSRs. The study further found that parasocial strength was predicted by identification with and commitment to the character and by the character's integration within a larger social network. The findings extend past applications of interpersonal theories to the media context and support the importance of assessing relational commitment, investment, and network status in PSRs.     

Design patterns for teaching in academic settings in future learning spaces

A Future Learning Space (FLS) is a dynamic and a technology-rich learning environment that enables teaching and learning using innovative pedagogical methods. However, introducing innovation and technology into any educational setting, whether in K-12 schools or higher education institutions, is known to be challenging. This paper introduces design patterns (DPs) for teaching in FLS. The patterns emerged from creative teaching in a college of education, which was preceded by mentoring for some of the lecturers. The patterns involve hybridity, including both formal and informal social structures and a combination of physical and digital tools mediating individuals’ interactions with peers. Based on a process of mining patterns, we extracted four DPs for teaching in academic FLS. The patterns, which encapsulate threads of hybridity, are: convergent groups; teaching in an interactive orchestrated learning space; presentation fair; and Think-Join-Share. These patterns can be used as learning design scaffolds in a social constructivist approach in which pedagogy, technology and space interact.     

The forum

The author's conviction that the marketing of family planning must be done in the same manner as any other commodity is outlined. The family planner must 1) motivate, 2) make efficient use of physical location, and 3) educate. Some comments on the importance of nonclinical education of the consumer are presented. The education family planning must acquire an "aura of normality" within the standard educational process such that is image in the public's mind is brought out from behind the ignorance of the past.     

Investigating Divergent Outcomes in Organic Chemistry I

Research in Science Education - In the USA, Organic Chemistry I is a gateway course for undergraduate students seeking careers in medical- and health-related fields. Estimates of failure and...     

Sexual Socialization Messages on Television Programs Most Popular Among Teens

This paper examines the portrayal of sexual messages in the top 20 most popular television programs among teenagers in the United States. It compares findings from the 2001–2002 and 2004–2005 seasons. Results show that these programs contained a large number of sexual messages, though their frequency decreased over time. Most messages about sex were in the form of conversations. About 1 in 2 shows included portrayals of sexual behaviors, mostly precursory behaviors. Sexual risk and responsibility concerns were rarely addressed. Most consequences for sexual intercourse portrayed in 2004–2005 were negative, a significant change from 2001–2002. The findings' implications for adolescents' sexual socialization are discussed.     

It Only Happens Once: Adolescents’ Interpretations of Mediated Messages About Sexual Initiation

The current study examines adolescents’ interpretations of a televised scene narrative describing a sexual initiation encounter. The study uses the media practice model as a theoretical framework. Two hundred ninety-three 10th, 11th, and 12th graders suggested possible endings to the narrative, reflecting their outcome expectancies for sexual initiation. The adolescents’ suggested scene endings were divided into 10 categories, including emotional, physical, and relational outcomes. A thematic analysis of their outcome expectancies revealed some shared themes, but important individual differences based on gender and sexual experience also were identified, consistent with media practice model assumptions. Male students were more technical and less emotional than female students in their scene interpretations. Adolescents without sexual experience suggested more simplistic and deterministic outcomes than more sexually experienced teens. The study contributes to the understanding of adolescents’ interpretation of mediated narratives in the context of sexual initiation and supports their complex, active, and developmentally consistent understanding of this topic.     

Designing for discovery learning of complexity principles of congestion by driving together in the TrafficJams simulation

We propose and evaluate a framework supporting collaborative discovery learning of complex systems. The framework blends five design principles: (1) individual action: amidst (2) social interactions; challenged with (3) multiple tasks; set in a (4) a constrained interactive learning environment that draws attention to (5) highlighted target relations. The framework addresses a persistent tension in discovery-based pedagogy between offering students the freedom to initiate, experiment, and explore and providing them with tailored experiences with many instances of particular relations underlying the target conceptual structure. The framework was realized with TrafficJams, a participatory simulation in which students drive together. A class of high-school students worked with TrafficJams over 2.5 h. The teacher’s role was to orchestrate the activity but there was no explicit instruction of the traffic and complexity principles. The students completed pre- and post-test questionnaires and their activities were observed and logged. In terms of driving in the simulation, the students learned to drive in ways that reduced congestion in traffic by decreasing lane and speed changes, and keeping their speed down. Even though there was no explicit teaching, half of the students learned that car speed distribution alone can generate traffic jams with no additional causes; and, keeping a safe following distance from the next driver increases everyone’s speed. Our study suggests that the learning environment partially met both the overarching design goal of constrained discovery and the specific content goal of systems reasoning.     

The cathedral’s ivory tower and the open education bazaar – catalyzing innovation in the higher education sector

ABSTRACT

Will open education replace traditional higher education, or augment it? Digital innovation in the higher education sector is fuelling speculation about the transformation of higher education and the future role of universities. Much of the speculation makes questionable implicit assumptions about current and future business models in the higher education sector. This conceptual paper applies an innovation management perspective to critically examine the use and misuse of the business model concept in the context of digital innovation in the higher education sector. Using Raymond’s metaphor of the cathedral and the bazaar which contrasted traditional commercial software development (the cathedral) with open source software development (the bazaar). We analogise this relationship with the relationship between ‘cathedral-type’ business models in traditional higher education (e.g. universities) and ‘bazaar-type’ business models in open education (e.g. open educational resource publishers). Using the historical perspective we now have on the software industry’s evolution we critique the ubiquitous replacement narrative of destruction and disruption of the sector, and propose an alternative narrative of interdependence and mutual innovative catalysis. We predict that higher education ecosystems will be based on synergistic relationships between organisations that represent many gradations on the continuum between ‘cathedral-type’ and ‘bazaar-type’ organisations.