THE CHURCHES AND THE RELIGIOUS PROBLEM IN STATE UNIVERSITIES

A liberation‐based religious education emphasizes its own particular social experiences to question universal claims of theology and religious education and to unmask oppressive particularities of those universal claims. In this contextualization of religious education, particular ways of belonging provide paradigms for religious education, and the analogy of cultural workers illumines the task of religious educators.     

Mind the gap: vocabulary development in the primary curriculum

In the context of an on-going project emphasising the centrality of speaking and listening in the primary curriculum, the present article turns to vocabulary development: to the wide differences characterising primary age children in this regard, to their consequent unequal access to the wider curriculum, and to means by which such deficiencies may be addressed. This article reports how, given a variety of in-service supports, teachers in a small group of schools undertook to define relevant aims and objectives and to include a range of appropriate approaches in their teaching. Particular emphasis was placed upon active and ‘explicit’ vocabulary instruction. The viability and effectiveness of the strategies employed were assessed through analysis of a range of collected data; numerous examples of which are presented and evaluated here. This article concludes by reviewing such matters from teachers’ as well as pupils’ perspectives, and by emphasising the role of explicit instruction within the various approaches discussed.     

Linking assessment to undergraduate student capabilities through portfolio examination

Portfolios are an established method of assessment, although concerns do exist around their validity for capabilities such as reflection and self‐direction. This article describes an e‐portfolio which closely aligns learning and reflection to graduate capabilities, incorporating features that address concerns about portfolios. Students are required to complete assessments linked to graduate capabilities. In Year 3, a portfolio review occurs (205–248 students per year), focusing on students' grades and feedback from assessments and a reflective essay is submitted. In the essay, students reflect on their progress, identify areas of weakness and detail plans for improvement. Progress in each capability is summatively graded against specific criteria and feedback is provided. Students progressively accumulate evidence of learning linked to the graduate capabilities. The provision of sufficient structure prevents evasion of areas of weakness. Importantly, the equal weighting given to all graduate capabilities emphasises that competence in all areas is required. The requirement for a degree of self‐direction and reflection in all assessments promotes regular review of progress. This e‐portfolio explicitly links graduate outcomes with assessment in order to drive learning. Further research is required to evaluate acceptability to students, as well as the efficacy of portfolios in developing reflective practice and self‐directed learning.     

Dynamics of teacher-student relationships: stability and change across elementary school and the influence on children's academic success

This study modeled teacher–student relationship trajectories throughout elementary school to predict gains in achievement in an ethnic‐diverse sample of 657 academically at‐risk students (mean age = 6.57 years, SD = .39). Teacher reports of warmth and conflict were collected in Grades 1–5. Achievement was tested in Grades 1 and 6. For conflict, low‐stable (normative), low‐increasing, high‐declining, and high‐stable trajectories were found. For warmth, high‐declining (normative) and low‐increasing patterns were found. Children with early behavioral, academic, or social risks were underrepresented in the normative trajectory groups. Chronic conflict was most strongly associated with underachievement. Rising conflict but not declining Conflict coincided with underachievement. The probability of school failure increased as a function of the timing and length of time children were exposed to relational adversity.     

Changes in Myocardial Mass Associated with Age and Stress: Reexamination of Ventricular Hypertrophy

Abstract

Hearts from 126 male Sprague-Dawley rats (two age groups) were studied to determine effects of age, chronic hypoxia, and exercise on ventricular weight. Exercised rats had significantly heavier absolute total ventricular weights (right plus left) compared with chronically hypoxic or control rats. Whether expressed as absolute or percent total ventricular weight, chronically hypoxic rats had significantly larger right ventricles but significantly smaller left ventricles than exercised or control rats. Expressed as absolute weight, older rats (11 months) had significantly larger right or left ventricles than young rats (3 months). Expressed as percent total ventricular weight, young rats had left ventricles 4% smaller, but right ventricles 4% larger than older rats (p <.05). Type of work overload (volume or pressure) and functional location of workload (pulmonary or systemic) were suggested physiological mechanisms for stress- and age-related changes in myocardial mass.     

When Data Curation Isn't: A Redefinition for Liberal Arts Universities

ABSTRACT. Data curation is one way that libraries are extending traditional services to meet the changing needs of patrons. Requirements from research funders have placed increased pressure on grant recipients to create Data Management Plans and to securely store raw data. Research universities have stepped up to provide comprehensive data support services. Despite discrepancies in funding and staff, smaller institutions can similarly provide robust services by focusing on their strengths, such as interdepartmental collaboration, flexibility, and rapid turnaround time. This article details how librarians at Trinity University adapted the larger practice of curation to meet local data management needs.