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.     

Innovative Alcohol Education Program for College and University Judicial Sanctions

Violations of alcohol policies constitute most of the judicial referrals on college campuses. Many counseling centers provide alcohol education as the primary sanction for these violations. These classes are often ineffective. This article presents a new alcohol education model that uses group counseling with peer counselors.     

Life and Literature: Continuities and Discontinuities

This essay calls attention, first, to some of the significant discontinuities between life and literature, living and telling. Perhaps foremost among them is the fact that while living takes place now, in the present moment, telling must await the passage of time. This element of delay, it is argued, underscores the potential importance of narrative: in the context of moral life especially, it can serve a kind of rescue function, allowing for a measure of insight often unavailable in the flux of the moment. These discontinuities between life and literature notwithstanding, it is maintained herein that there also exist deep continuities between life and literature, and that literature can illuminate life precisely because it articulates and binds those features of experience that reach for narrative. By spelling out these continuities, we open the way toward deepening our understanding of the narrative fabric of life itself.     

Preservice Interns Implement Service-Learning: Helping Young Children Reach Out to Their Community

Service Learning (S-L) is an integral component of the Early Childhood preservice curriculum at the University of South Carolina. In spite of the fact that our college students had experienced the benefits of S-L first hand during their professional education, they had not become adept at implementing this experiential pedagogy into their own preschool and primary classrooms. This article describes the strategies the authors used to motivate their college students to integrate S-L into the classrooms where they were completing their capstone internship. It recounts these teacher education students' successes in planning and implementing effective S-L projects and identifies the benefits that came to the preservice teachers, their young students, and the schools and communities where they taught.     

Kids can learn first aid

Four-year-old Tony is playing outside in his yard. His mother is down in the basement clearing out some cupboards. Tony decides to go exploring in the hedge at the side of the yard. He trips and falls on a broken bottle that is lying underneath the shrubs.Lory Freeman has taught first aid to children and conducted workshops for educators on teaching first aid. She is the author ofA Kid's Guide to First Aid, It's My Body, andLoving Touches (Parenting Press).     

Reasonable Errors in Basic Reasoning

Abstract Young children often make mistakes with chains of arguments. In order to understand these, we have to ask whether each step in the chain is appropriately represented. A technique for investigating this has been reported in the literature and Margaret Donaldson has put forward a suggestion as to why the children may make mistakes. The present experiment provided a test of this by removing a particular variable from the experiment, but errors were still plentiful. A possible strategy for reasoning was identified and the experimental design included one variable intended to block the operation of that strategy and another variable intended to hamper it if it occurred. Only the latter variable had a reliable effect. It is suggested that the children were coming to the wrong conclusion in rather a sensible way. A logical error does not necessarily mean that the child's method of reasoning is defective. It may mean that the child is exericising reasoning upon slightly different contents from those typically mentally represented by an adult.     

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.