Practicum Learning: perils of the authentic workplace

The goals of practicum programs frequently require that the practicum experience is an authentic experience of work and workplace learning. The more authentic the experience, the more the situation of the student in the workplace conforms to that of the employee. Most accounts of adult learning assume that their recommendations are applicable to all environments. Few countenance the possibility of malevolent or perverted facilitation, or envisage facilitation occurring under hostile conditions. Yet an examination of the learning environment of the workplace reveals that it is far from ideal and poses unique challenges to the practicum facilitator, especially when that role is assumed by workplace supervisors. The specific interests of student and employee may not be aligned, but the interests of both diverge from those of organisations and owners sufficiently to raise issues for the applicability of adult learning approaches. The argument supports a closer examination of the dynamics of trust building, of the scope of learning that can be facilitated at work, and the use of learning facilitators whose interests are independent of workplace interests when designing practicum programs.     

Telling it How it is: Accounts of Academic Life

Several kinds of account of what academic life is like are available. This article reviews three of these – academic novels, the professional media and 'how to' guides produced for academics – and makes some comparisons with the picture presented by academic research on higher education. These genres convey multiple, partial, diverse and competing accounts. Understanding their messages is interesting, useful and important to those interested in academic life.     

Differences between urban and rural school psychology: Training implications

Urban and rural school psychologists in Virginia were surveyed on role diversity, role emphasis, continuing education, and job satisfaction. As predicted, rural school psychologists have a more diverse role, spend less time in traditional assessment activities, and are more likely to engage in activities involving them at the systems and community levels. School psychologists indicated their perceptions of differences in rural and urban school psychology. Implications of urban vs. rural practice for school psychology training programs are discussed.     

Effects of Instruction in an Assignment Completion Strategy on the Homework Performance of Students with Learning Disabilities in General Education Classes

Homework is an important activity in the lives of school‐aged children, including students with learning disabilities (LD). Characteristics often associated with LD (e.g., poor organizational skills) may adversely impact the rate and quality of homework completion. In this study, a multiple‐probe across‐students design (Horner & Baer, 1978) was used to evaluate the effects of instruction in a comprehensive, independent assignment completion strategy with regard to homework completion rates and the quality of products completed in response to assignments given in general education classrooms. Eight of nine students mastered use of the strategy, and their homework completion rates and the quality of their homework products improved. Associated with these improvements were increases in quarterly grades and teacher ratings of the quality of the assignments. Thus, direct instruction in a comprehensive strategy comprised of organizational behaviors can result in independent completion of more homework by students with LD. Nevertheless, instruction in organizational skills alone appears insufficient to produce a 100 percent submission rate: student motivation to complete assignments and mastery of the skills required, as well as the appropriateness of assignments for students, need to be addressed.     

Differential ability scales: Profiles of preschoolers with cognitive delay

This study examined the cluster profiles obtained using the Differential Ability Scale (DAS, Elliott, 1990a) for preschool children diagnosed with cognitive delay and for those without cognitive delay. Cluster analyses resulted in distinctive profiles for each group. Profiles for preschoolers diagnosed with cognitive delay were compared with DAS profile patterns previously reported for school‐aged children diagnosed with learning disabilities (McIntosh & Gridley, 1993). Cluster comparisons indicated profiles of cognitively delayed preschoolers were not the same as those found in school‐age children with learning disabilities. Implications for prediction of school‐age learning disabilities from preschool DAS cognitive cluster profiles are discussed. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.