A Self-Insured Health Program: From Crisis to Opportunity

Moberly Area Community College faced a crisis in healthcare coverage that eventually lead to enhanced benefits, greater control, plan stability, and increased flexibility through a self-insured program. Presented here is how Moberly Area Community College overcame the health care coverage crisis and how other institutions can benefit from the lessons we learned from the process.     

Community College Engineering Students’ Perceptions of Classroom Climate and Fundamental Engineering Skills

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine community college engineering students’ perceptions of their classroom climate and how these perceptions are related to fundamental skills in engineering. The study was guided by the following research question: How are community college engineering students’ perceptions of their fundamental engineering skills related to their perceptions of classroom climate? Data from a 2009 National Science Foundation sponsored project, Prototype to Production: Processes and Conditions for Preparing the Engineer of 2020 (P2P), which contains information from students in 15 pre-engineering community college programs, were examined. Measures of classroom climate and fundamental skills related to engineering were first established through an exploratory factor analysis. In order to explore differences in student perceptions by individual characteristics and by institution, hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used. Results indicated that for community college engineering students, a warmer perception of classroom climate was associated with a higher perception of fundamental engineering skills. At community colleges, class sizes are generally smaller, especially compared to introductory courses at universities, and may provide a warmer climate for students considering beginning their engineering degrees. Given the diversity within community colleges, these institutions may provide an important pathway for underrepresented groups in engineering.     

The perceptual gaps in using a learning management system: Indigenous cultural perspectives

ABSTRACT

Learning management systems (LMS) have been utilised for enhancing the quality of learning and teaching in higher education, yet the cultural needs of Indigenous students are rarely considered. The study reimagines culturally inclusive learning in an LMS by critically reviewing theories of culturally inclusive learning and Indigenous pedagogical values. It explores perceptual gaps between Indigenous cultural needs and the current use of an LMS through analysis of data collected from Indigenous students and academic staff via an online questionnaire (n = 100) and face-to-face interviews (n = 20) at one Australian university. As a result, it articulates and unpacks mythical perceptions of using an LMS. Consequently, there is clear evidence that Indigenous students expect to experience more human-to-human interactions and develop a sense of community through the use of available communication tools, whereas academic staff tend to rely on a binary opposition between pedagogy and culture in which culture is regarded as a subordinate concept to pedagogy.     

Film Industry Studies

Gary Prebula and Mario Berguiristain: INSTRUCTOR'S MANUAL—A COMPLETE COURSE OUTLINE FOR THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER (Hollywood: The Hollywood Reporter, 1983—$10.00).

John P. Driscoll's COMMUNICATING ON FILM (available from Stipes Publishing Company, 10-12 Chester Street, P.O. Box 526, Champaign, Illinois 61820—$4.80, paper).

Peter Von Arx, FILM DESIGN (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1983—$40.50).

Marc Sigoloff's THE FILMS OF THE SEVENTIES: A FILMOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN, BRITISH, AND CANADIAN FILMS 1970-1979 (McFarland & Company, Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640—$29.95).

THE OFFICIAL HOLLYWOOD HANDBOOK (New York: Pocket Books, 1984- $6.95, paper).     

Implementing Citizenship in the English Secondary School Curriculum: A Follow-Up Study

This article represents a follow-up snapshot of a group of state secondary schools in the North of England. It examines the progress of the schools in the second year of the statutory inclusion of citizenship in the revised National Curriculum. The writers use the same modus operandi as in the previous article (Calvert and Clemitshaw, 2003) to present a picture of both the management and curriculum aspects of the changes. The article draws on data from interviews with the citizenship co-ordinators (CCs) of each school, and there is an overview in the form of a grid. Readers are encouraged to look back at the previous article to track the changes that have taken place since September 2002.
The study reveals that there are some common patterns and difficulties emerging, particularly with regard to assessment and reporting and some of the problems that have always beset PSHE and pastoral care. These same issues are predictably affecting the progress of the initiative. Principally, the status of the subject, resourcing and levels of understanding, training and commitment of staff are ongoing problems. A leitmotiv running through the interviews is the constant pressure of other initiatives and their effects on change at a time of internal turbulence for a number of the schools. Some progress is being made and it would have been unrealistic to expect all schools to adopt the subject without difficulty but, in spite of the CCs' best efforts, there are still issues that might give cause for concern and that are graphically highlighted by individual cases.     

Implementing Citizenship into the English Secondary School Curriculum

This article represents a snapshot of ten state secondary schools in the north of England immediately prior to the implementation of the statutory inclusion of citizenship in the revised National Curriculum. It includes data from interviews with the citizenship coordinator of each school and offers a range of responses by schools to the change. The two authors respectively, bring to the study their experience of Educational Management and Humanities and offer two different perspectives on the management of change, curriculum planning and implementation. Practical issues of status of the subject, resources, structures and staff development sit alongside contested issues of philosophy, content, pedagogy and outcomes.
Whilst recognizing the qualities and the commitment of the citizenship coordinators, a number of issues are raised that might give cause for concern at the medium to long-term future of this curriculum development.     

你属于你自己吗?

Salvador Dolly为了鉴定自己是否适合生育,提供了基因例行检验血样.负责检验的高级基因检验公司(Advanced Genetic TestingCompany)将富余的血样卖给了NuGenEra生物技术公司.后者发现Dolly的基因竟然能抗艾滋病毒(HIV).     

The effect of distance learning classroom design on student perceptions

This study investigated the effects of camera angle and monitor placement in a simulated distance-learning environment. Of particular interest were the effects on perceived instructor credibility and immediacy behaviors. A videotape of a lecture on an academically relevant topic was produced using a high-angle and an eye-level camera. Participants viewed one of the presentations in either a traditional classroom design (one monitor, front center of room) or in small groups with a monitor for each group. Participants were observed as they viewed the videotape of interest, following which they completed a questionnaire and posttest. Results suggest that an eye-level camera, and multiple monitors with groups of 4–5 students positively influence instructor credibility, immediacy, and interactions. The implications of these findings and recommendations for design of a distance-learning classroom are discussed.