Friendships in Children with Developmental Disabilities

Studies of friendships in children with developmental disabilities have evolved primarily from the research on children with typical development. As a result, the theories, definitions, and difficulties in measuring friendship have also been carried over to the research on children with developmental disabilities. Children with developmental disabilities, however, present unique issues that warrant consideration. Special consideration should be given to measurement issues, developmental level, the etiology or type of disability of the child, the experience and context of the child with the disability, and individual characteristics. Given these considerations, we make some suggestions for the study of friendships in atypical children.     

Modeling and Diagnosing Domain Knowledge Using Latent Semantic Indexing

A Latent Semantic Index (LSI) was constructed from arguments made by navy officers concerning events in an anti-air warfare scenario. A model based on LSI factor values predicted level of domain expertise with 89% accuracy. The LSI factor space was reduced using MDS to five dimensions: aircraft route, aircraft response, kinematics, localization, and an unclassifiable element. Arguments in the localization category were reliably more common among officers with the greatest expertise. Automated classification of arguments into these elements achieved 84% accuracy. LSI may be a useful tool for automating aspects of modeling expertise and diagnosing knowledge deficiencies.     

A critical reflection on using food as learning materials

Abstract

As early childhood teacher educators, we are thoroughly immersed in conversations about developmentally appropriate practice. Whether teachers should incorporate the use of food as learning materials is a case in point. As with many other concerns we ponder in our field, our task must be to define, clarify, and consider multiple perspectives in the pursuit of a rational justification of our position. In this paper we report the results of our careful review of theory and research that leads us to propose that using food as art material violates principles of best practice for three main reasons, because it: (1) teaches young children that it is acceptable to eat play materials and to play with food, (2) teaches young children that it is acceptable practice to waste limited resources, (3) violates many premises of multicultural education, or teaching children about diverse ethnic groups.     

Succession Planning for Libraries

ABSTRACT

It is imperative for libraries of all types to be responsive to the forecasted changes in the demographics of the library workforce. Succession planning is a key strategy for ensuring that libraries are prepared to meet changing and emerging organizational needs. Succession planning is broadly defined as a range of activities focused on both internal and external talent development to fill anticipated needs for library leadership and other key personnel. The aim of this article is to offer a number of recommendations relevant for LIS education to help build an awareness of succession planning for future library managers. In particular, practical ideas for course-related activities and assignments that may help to incorporate succession planning more fully into the LIS curriculum are discussed.     

Differences in anticipatory anxiety and adaptation rate as a function of affect management strategy

This study applies Eysenck's (1967) and Buck's (1984) psychophysiological theories of anxiety development to explain individual differences in anticipatory anxiety and rate of adaptation during public speaking. Sensitivity to anxiety creating stimuli predispose individuals to either an internalizing or externalizing affect management strategy. Because social conditioning and neurological processes combine to create anxiety, internalizing individuals are more responsive to punishment and are more likely to appraise an anxiety‐provoking situation as threatening than are externalizers. However, their overall conditionability permits internalizers to adapt to speaking situations more rapidly than their externalizing counterparts who are less susceptible to negative reinforcement. The findings are reviewed in light of various phobia reducing treatment strategies, such as flooding, systematic desensitization, and cognitive appraisal therapy.     

The effects of taste extinction on ingestional potentiation in weanling rats

Four experiments investigated taste potentiation in weanling rats. In Experiment 1, the animals that drank a conditioning compound of denatonium and saccharin consumed significantly less on the test than controls that drank only saccharin during conditioning. This enhanced saccharin aversion was decremented by postconditioning extinction to denatonium in Experiment 2, and no generalization of saccharin aversions to the denatonium was observed in Experiment 3. Extinction of either saccharin or denatonium aversions after compound conditioning was shown in Experiment 4 to result in substantial decrements in aversions to the compound. The relationship of these outcomes to a multiple-association account of potentiation and to the role of discrimination processes in ingestional learning is discussed.     

A comparison of outcomes of virtual school courses offered in synchronous and asynchronous formats

As part of the formative evaluation of Alabama's pilot of its virtual schooling system (the Alabama ACCESS Distance Learning Program), the Alabama State Department of Education examined outcome data from courses offered in the two distance delivery systems: web-based course management and interactive videoconferencing (IVC). In light of Bernard et al's. [Bernard, R., Abrami, P., Lou, Y., Borokhovski, E., Wade, A., Wozney, L., et al. (2004). How does distance learning compare with classroom instruction? A meta-analysis of the empirical literature. Review of Educational Research, 74(3), 379–434] recent meta-analysis finding that asynchronous distance environments generally had more positive outcomes than synchronous ones, a comparison of online (asynchronous) and IVC (synchronous) platforms provided an opportunity to explore and shed more light on outcome comparisons between synchronous and asynchronous platforms. Though there were some outcome differences, the dominant finding was of no differences between platforms.     

Paradigms in collision: The far-reaching controversy over the samoan researches of margaret mead and its significance for the human sciences

Derek Freeman has been a member of the Research School of Pacific Studies of the Institute of Advanced Studies of the Australian National University since 1955. This essay is adapted from a public lecture given at the Australian National University on 23 October 1991; the entire lecture is to be published in pamphlet form by the Research School of Pacific Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia 2601.