Learning Partnerships in Practice: Orientation,Leadership, and Residence Life

Committed to improving how their various programs serve student learning, Taran Cardone, Elizabeth Stoll Turton, Gerald Olson, and Marcia Baxter Magolda describe how their participation in Miami University's Community of Practice on Engaged Learning (COPEL) helped them create developmentally appropriate, learning‐centered approaches that support the complex task of student self‐authorship.     

Fluorescence and photodegradation of Xuan paper: The photostability of traditional Chinese handmade paper

Xuan paper is a type of Chinese handmade paper produced for traditional calligraphy and painting in China since the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), and is therefore an important cultural heritage material. In this study, the fluorescence and photochemical properties of Xuan paper were investigated. Xuan paper exhibits auto-fluorescence in the blue spectral range (450–500 nm) and UVA photolysis of the paper resulted in a substantial reduction in the blue fluorescence together with the formation of chromophores absorbing in the visible spectrum, resulting in photoyellowing of the paper. A more significant yellowing of paper was observed when irradiated in the dry state than under wet conditions. The associated photogeneration of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide from three types of Xuan paper samples during irradiation showed a correlation between the yields of reactive oxygen species and their relative yellowing rates. The results are interpreted in terms of sensitised photooxidation via a mechanism of electron transfer involving the fluorophores in their excited singlet states being responsible for the photodegradation of Xuan paper. SEM/EDS analyses were performed on the Xuan paper samples to investigate their morphological and elemental characteristics. Silica-containing fibres characteristic of a special rice straw that grows in siliceous soil were observed in all types of Xuan paper. Micron-sized calcium precipitates possibly formed from the “lime-steaming” manufacture process were shown to protect against the acidification of paper during accelerated thermal ageing.     

Classroom Questioning with Immediate Electronic Response: Do Clickers Improve Learning?

A number of studies have focused on how students and instructors feel about digital learning technologies. This research is focused on the substantive difference in learning outcomes between traditional classrooms and classrooms using clickers. A randomized block experimental design involving four sections of undergraduate Operations Management classes was used to determine if clicker systems increase student learning of both quantitative and conceptual material in Operations Management. Learning was measured using the difference between the scores on an entrance examination and the final examination. The findings of this research provide evidence that the use of immediate feedback using a technology like clickers can have a positive impact on student learning as measured by test scores.     

Learners and learning contexts: international perspectives on new alignments for the digital age

Educational technology research and development - Twelve papers representing 59 authors from 16 different nations are included in this special issue addressing the theme of ‘Learners and...