Learning to compose digitally: the effect of prior computer use and keyboard activity on NAEP writing

Writing is critical for college and career readiness, yet secondary students in America are not good writers (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012). Unfortunately, researchers know relatively little about secondary students’ writing skills, and even less about their digital writing. In this study, we explored prior computer use, keyboard activity during writing, and their relations to writing achievement using the 8th grade 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress writing assessment, the first national computer-based writing assessment for U.S. secondary students. We found that prior computer use predicted students’ writing skills directly (0.08) and indirectly (e.g., keypresses, 0.14) via keyboard activity during the test. We found differential effects for certain groups including current English learners and disadvantaged students. We also found a small positive interaction effect of prior use and keypresses on writing. That is, the benefits of prior computer use for school writing and the value of students’ additional keypresses on writing achievement were amplified when both were present.

     

In-Service Education of Counseling Supervisors

The literature indicates that little attention has been given to the in-service education of counseling supervisors. This article describes such a program carried out by the New York State Employment Service and the University of Rochester. Three small groups (total N = 25) met periodically during one year. The group leader helped the members deal with practical, existing problems. He also related these to the theoretical concepts presented in prior institutes. Initial evaluation indicated very positive reactions by the supervisors. Discussion points out the utlization of this model for various types of counseling supervisors.     

Selected characteristics,roles, goals,and satisfactions of department chairmen in state and land-grant institutions

Chairmen at 38 state and land-grant institutions were found to be involved in three major roles: academic, administrative, and leadership. The academic role consists of duties of student involvement and research activities. Chairmen enjoy this role and report high emphasis on concurrent goals but feel frustrated in terms of time to pursue commensurate activities. The administrative role requires the majority of time and also contains some of the less desirable duties. In addition, administrative goals are seen as over-emphasized. The leadership role involves tasks related to academic personnel and program development. It is a major satisfaction realized by accepting the position of chairman. Developing abilities of faculty members and maintaining academic freedom are the two most important goals in this role. The respondents also made suggestions on changes and development programs which would improve their effectiveness.     

Teacher Beliefs about Adolescent Development: Cultural and organizational impacts on Japanese and US middle school teachers' beliefs

Teacher beliefs can greatly influence the school experiences of young adolescents. In this study, the authors analyze a bi-national survey about teacher beliefs surrounding puberty, adolescence and academic items. The authors find significant differences between Japanese and US teachers of young adolescents with regard to the onset and duration of puberty, adolescence and rebellious attitudes. Items concerning teachers' impact on students reflect a pattern that shows both cultural differences and cross-national trends. The authors discuss the survey results in light of previous qualitative studies of Japanese education, and suggest directions for future research.     

Teaching Methods in Higher Education: The Changing Scene,with Special Reference to Small‐group Work

The paper opens with a brief statement of the two conceptual frameworks on which the analysis is based. The author then takes up in turn the five classical methods of shaping students' learning: didactic instruction in the form of lectures; discussion methods; practical work in laboratories, studios etc; provision for the students' private study, including individualized learning techniques and computer‐based methods; and the assessment of students' progress. He outlines the main departures from customary practice in each area, with special attention to small‐group techniques. Finally, since a critical aspect of development is the dissemination of fresh techniques, there is a section on development strategy.     

Innovative techniques for advanced writing classes: Modification of point of view

Changing narrators in a literary passage is a pedagogical technique that can enliven composition, yet which still presents a challenge to students. Assuming the original narrator to be omniscient, any new narrator's perception of a situation can only be fragmentary. The challenge lies in giving that new narrator total awareness of events, and in doing so logically. This means rearranging events, modifying the text, and essentially recreating it. The degree of difficulty can be increased by selecting as narrator a character with limited perception of a situation, or one totally absent from the story. For an added dimension of novelty and challenge, the passage can be narrated from the perspective of an inanimate object.His training was in medieval French literature, and he published articles on the chansons de geste in a number of journals over the years. Beginning quite recently, he has become more interested in pedagogy, i.e., the teaching of French, civilization, creative writing, etc. He has written articles that have appeared and are scheduled to appear in such journals as French Review, Contemporary French Civilization, ADFL Bulletin, on such varied topics as Business French, Creative Writing, and the French Liberation. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University.     

Test Assembly Implications for Providing Reliable and Valid Subscores

This study investigates the relationships among factor correlations, inter-item correlations, and the reliability estimates of subscores, providing a guideline with respect to psychometric properties of useful subscores. In addition, it compares subscore estimation methods with respect to reliability and distinctness. The subscore estimation methods explored in the current study include augmentation based on classical test theory and multidimensional item response theory (MIRT). The study shows that there is no estimation method that is optimal according to both criteria. Augmented subscores show the most improvement in reliability compared to observed subscores but are the least distinct.     

A short review of information and communication technologies and basic education in LDCs—what is useful, what is sustainable?

Information and communication technologies such as radio and television have long been used in education. The advent of the technology of the Internet has created pressure for Internet access in primary and secondary schools across the world. This paper reviews some of the available evidence on the impact and cost of such technologies in developing countries. It concludes that while there is strong evidence for the efficacy and efficiency of interactive radio instruction, the evidence on the impact of computer-supported education remains mixed, and costs are prohibitive for many LDCs (less developed countries).     

Writing evaluation: rater and task effects on the reliability of writing scores for children in Grades 3 and 4

We examined how raters and tasks influence measurement error in writing evaluation and how many raters and tasks are needed to reach a desirable level of .90 and .80 reliabilities for children in Grades 3 and 4. A total of 211 children (102 boys) were administered three tasks in narrative and expository genres, respectively, and their written compositions were evaluated in widely used evaluation methods for developing writers: holistic scoring, productivity, and curriculum-based writing scores. Results showed that 54 and 52% of variance in narrative and expository compositions were attributable to true individual differences in writing. Students’ scores varied largely by tasks (30.44 and 28.61% of variance), but not by raters. To reach the reliability of .90, multiple tasks and raters were needed, and for the reliability of .80, a single rater and multiple tasks were needed. These findings offer important implications about reliably evaluating children’s writing skills, given that writing is typically evaluated by a single task and a single rater in classrooms and even in some state accountability systems.