Preparing children for reading

Most practical in a situation where one-to-one relationships thrive, this constructive method of preparing children for reading will be of special interest to family day care providers, caregivers in infant and other centers with low caregiver/child ratios, and parents.Gerard Giordano is Associate Professor of Reading Education and Coordinator of Reading Programs at New Mexico State University's College of Education. He can be reached at the College, Box 3AC, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003.     

Shared values as anchors of a learning community: A case study in information systems design

This paper examines the role in both individual and organizational learning of the system of values sustained by a community undertaking a design task. The discussion is based on the results of a longitudinal study of a community of novice information system designers supported by a Web-based shared design memory which allows reuse of design precedents, the sharing of peer reviews and the examination of links established among design cases as a consequence of partial reuse. It is argued that values are primarily constructed and transmitted by 'ways of talking' about the design artifacts, are used by the learners to generate meanings relevant to engage in the design activity and as a way to manage the complexity of the design task. By taking into account some insights concerning values creation and transmission, respectively, from the communities of practice and memetics theoretical frameworks, some conclusions are drawn on how a digital medium, such as the shared memory, can better anchor the learning process.     

Guilt,Shame, and Empathy as Predictors of Coping Engagement among United States College Students

College students experience a myriad of stressors in their daily lives. These stressors are associated with negative outcomes for students, both to their academics and well-being. Healthy, effective coping strategies may support students in navigating personal distress. One of the primary aspects of counselling is to help clients develop and apply such strategies. This study aimed to identify intrapersonal factors that predict types of coping strategies. Participants (N?=?416) identified as undergraduate college students attending a large public university in the southwestern United States. Results indicated that a problem-focused engagement coping strategy was associated with maladaptive factors such as shame and personal distress. Additionally, a problem-focused engagement coping strategy was predicted by potentially more helpful intrapersonal characteristics including guilt (as a motivator) and two dimensions of empathy. Finally, mean comparisons indicated statistically significant differences between identified gender and coping strategies. Implications for college counsellors are discussed.

     

Doctoral students’ access to non-academic support for mental health

Increased doctoral student numbers has led to a growth in studies dedicated to doctoral experience. These studies have raised a range of mental health concerns around workload, supervision processes and student well-being. Despite these challenges being well documented, few studies have looked at doctoral student’s experiences of accessing non-academic support services. This article presents the findings of a mixed-method study to investigate doctoral experiences of non-academic support, conducted at one British university with a large postgraduate research population. Drawing on focus groups and a student survey, the article concludes that many doctoral students are not accessing institutional support when they could benefit from it, with many turning to external support mechanisms including family, personal doctor and online resources. Five institutional recommendations are proposed to develop improved dedicated doctoral student mental health support: clear signposting, online self-help, workshops, parity of support and supervisor training.     

Effects of Vicarious Racism Exposure via the Media on College Students of Color: Exploring Affect and Substance Use

Given the potential negative effects of vicarious racism, we sought to examine the impact of vicarious racism via the media on college students of color. Using a sample of 217 college students of color, we analyzed positive and negative affect and craving for alcohol and marijuana before and after exposure to media stimuli. Split‐plot analysis of variance results revealed a statistically significant interaction effect between time and group for negative affect, but not cravings for substances.     

Exploring the Relationship Between Social Interest,Social Bonding,and Collegiate Substance Abuse

Substance abuse continues to be prevalent on college campuses. This study explored the relationships between social interest, social bonding, and hazardous drinking and marijuana use among college students. Results indicate that the social bonding elements of religious commitment, respect for authority, and acceptance of conventional beliefs, along with social interest, significantly differ between groups of students engaged in hazardous drinking and marijuana use.     

Peer assessment among first year medical students in anatomy

Peer assessment has been shown to be an effective tool to promote professionalism in medical students. Peer assessment may be particularly useful in anatomy dissection laboratory as the required close collaboration and long hours of anatomy laboratory provide students insights into their peers' work habits and interpersonal skills. The objective of this study was to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze the use of a validated peer assessment tool in Gross Anatomy. Students in a first year medical school class evaluated three members of their dissection group using an online survey tool. The mid‐course and end‐of‐course evaluation included open‐ended comments, as well as a five‐point scale that measured three work habits, two interpersonal attributes and one overall score. All 267 students completed the assignment. The overall score and four of the five other assessed categories showed significant improvement from the mid‐ to end‐of‐course evaluations. Quantitative and qualitative data also revealed significant improvement among the students who received the lowest mid‐course assessments. Seventy‐six percent of the class agreed with the statement: “Based on the feedback I received, I made a change in how I worked with or taught my peers.” The use of this peer assessment tool used by students in anatomy was associated with improvements in work habits and interpersonal attributes, particularly by the cohort of students who received the lowest mid‐course feedback. Peer assessment offers students an opportunity to improve their interpersonal skills and work habits. Anat Sci Educ 7: 144–152. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.     

Preparing preschoolers for creative writing

Recently I joined a health club. On my first visit to the club I was introduced to Fred, my counselor. Fred asked if I had ever belonged to a health club. I had not. He took me to the free weight room and showed me how to exercise with barbells. He showed me treadmills, stationary bicycles, and 48 different weight-lifting machines.Gerald Giordano is Associate Professor of Education at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.     

The Effect of Fine Motor Skill Activities on Kindergarten Student Attention

This study explored the effect of fine motor skill activities on the development of attention in kindergarteners (n = 68) in five classes at a suburban public school in the Intermountain West through a pretest/posttest experimental group (n = 36) control group (n = 32) design. All children received the regular curriculum which included typical fine motor activities such as painting, coloring, writing, and play activities with small items. The treatment was a series of supplemental fine motor activities in which children used tongs, tweezers, and spoons to move small items. The assessment was the attention subtest of the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS) (Naglieri, J. A., & Das, J. P. (1997a). Cognitive assessment system. Itasca, IL: Riverside). A significant group × sex interaction with females positively responding to the treatment was found, suggesting that fine motor skill activities are effective in increasing female kindergartners’ attention. Further studies exploring effective materials for males and factors such as student choice and interest are needed.     

Play learning

When I was 15 years old, I entered a private school. When I was 17, I was expelled. The Batman incident was the major cause of the expulsion.Gerard Giordano is Associate Professor of Education at New Mexico State University.