Advancements in instructional design theory: Contextual module analysis and integrated instructional strategies

In the past decade, research and theoretical advancements in both cognitive science and instructional technology have led to updates in instructional design theory. In this article, we review two areas in which the updates make important contributions: information analysis for higher-order cognition, and instructional strategies to improve acquisition of such higher-order processes. From our reviews of the literature, we propose procedures for conducting a contextual module analysis and designing integrated instructional strategies. An additional purpose of the article is to demonstrate the need for researchers in educational technology to lead in the discovery of theories contributing to acquisition of higher-order cognition.     

Psychosocial factors impacting STEM career selection

Attention on P-20 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has increased tremendously in recent years. Many efforts are underway to promote STEM major and career selection across the nation; specifically, in engineering and computer science. The authors' purpose was to examine an underlying profile combinations of latent traits that influence student STEM career selection while designing serious educational games (SEGs). The authors combine a number of quantitative analysis methods in an effort to develop a rich understanding of how a profile combination of traits interact with one another to effect selection of STEM careers and majors. Study participants were 585 students enrolled in a full-time traditional high school. The addition of SEG design experiences into the student profile increases the probability of STEM career selection by 5.1 times.     

Phonological recoding as a universal process?

A phonological confusion task was employed to explore whether or not beginning readers of Chinese activate phonological codes while reading Chinese characters. Twenty first graders and twenty third graders read phonologically similar and dissimilar character strings. Following the presentation of each string, they were required to identify the characters from among a set of recognition items. Three major findings indicated that subjects used phonological codes while reading Chinese characters: (1) Subjects recognized fewer phonologically similar characters than phonologically dissimilar ones; (2) The phonological confusion effect varied with degree of phonological similarity among the characters read. Characters having the same rhyme and same tone (SRST) were recognized less accurately than characters of the same rhyme but different tones (SRDT), which in turn were recognized less accurately than characters of different rhymes and different tones (DRDT); (3) Silent reading and oral reading resulted in similar patterns of phonological confusion, indicating that similar codes were activated during the two reading conditions.     

The structure of research training in England

Over the past twenty-five years, the UK government has implemented reforms in doctoral level provision, led by the Research Councils and especially the Economic and Social Research Council. These have emphasised training in research methodology and also, recently, other employment-related skills. This article considers the drivers of these initiatives (demands for accountability and ‘new public management’) and some of their consequences (including the steering of research in particular directions and a neglect of the scholarship produced and also doctoral studies as a form of lifelong learning). It also examines some of the universities' responses in the form of diversification of doctoral studies, the institution of graduate schools, and the establishment of a National Council for Graduate Education. Throughout these reforms, the diversity of doctoral students and their concerns have largely been neglected.     

Parental Participation and Partnership in Pre-school Provision Participation et partenariat parental dans les prestations pre´scolaires Participación y Asociación de Los Padres en la Provisión de la Enseñanza Preescolar

Parental participation in pre-school provision does not reflect a close partnership between parents and pre-school service providers in the statutory sector. A multi-method approach involving survey, interviews and observations revealed that opportunities across pre-school provision for parental participation vary considerably between different types of provision. While parental needs for participation were largely satisfied by the levels and types of participation offered in the playgroup sector, parental willingness to participate in local authority (LA) and private nurseries is not matched by the opportunities available, particularly with respect to active help in daily activities. This desire for increased levels of parental participation stems from three sources: (i) to monitor and obtain feedback on their own child's progress; (ii) to enable them to experience how pre-school provision is delivered; and (iii) to satisfy their own needs for social contact and making friends. Results suggest that parents' actual and desired participation falls short of genuine partnership and raise questions about parental training and the precise roles and responsibilities which parents should have. La participation des parents aux prestations préscolaires ne fait pas apparaître un partenariat étroit entre les parents et les services préscolaires dans le secteur officiel. Une approche multi-méthodes comprenant une enquête, des entretiens et des observations a révélé que les opportunités de participation parentale aux prestations préscolaires variaient considérablement selon les différents types de prestations. Alors que les besoins parentaux de participation soient largement satisfaits par les niveaux et les types de participation offerts par le secteur des garderies communautaires, la disponibilité des parents à apporter une participation aux écoles maternelles d'État et privées n'est pas satisfaite par les occasions disponibles, notamment en matière d'aide active aux activités quotidiennes. Le désir des parents d'augmenter leur participation se base sur trois raisons: (i) suivre les progrès de leur enfant, et obtenir des informations sur ces progrès; (ii) savoir comment les prestations préscolaires sont assurées; et (iii) satisfaire leurs propres besoins de contacts sociaux et se faire des amis. Les conclusions indiquent que la participation apportée et souhaitée par les parents ne correspond pas à un véritable partenariat et soulèvent des questions sur la formation des parents et les rôles et responsabilités précis àdonner aux parents. La participación de los padres en la provisión de la enseñanza preescolar no refleja una asociación estrecha entre los padres y los proveedores del servicio de enseñanza preescolar en el sector estatal. Un enfoque multimétodo utilizando sondeos, entrevistas y observaciones puso de manifiesto que las oportunidades a través de toda la provisión de la enseñanza preescolar para la participación de los padres varía bastante entre los diferentes tipos de provisión. Mientras que las necesidades de los padres de participación fueron en gran parte satisfechas pos los niveles y los tipos de participación ofrecidos en el sector de los "playgroup" (grupos de actividades lúdico-educativas para niños de edad preescolar), la buena disposición de los padres a participar en las guarderías municipales y en las privadas no se corresponde con las oportunidades disponibles, especialmente en lo que concierne a la ayuda activa en las actividades diarias. Este movimiento hacia mayores niveles de participación de los padres tiene de tres razones: (i) el deseo de seguir el desarrollo y de obtener "feedback" sobre el progreso de los hijos; (ii) el deseo de permitirles experimentar cómo se imparte la provisión de los servicios de la enseñanza preescolar, y (iii) el deseo de satisfacer sus propias necesidades para establecer contactos sociales y hacer amistades. Los resultados indican que la participación deseada y real de los padres está muy por debajo de una asociación genuina y plantean cuestiones sobre la capacitación de los padres y sobre las responsabilidades y funciones específicas que deberían tener los padres.     

Introducting Statistics to the General Public

A tasting experiment involving members of the public was used to illustrate aspects of the work of a statistician in a research environment.