Applying reciprocity and accommodation theories to supervisor/subordinate communication

Reciprocity and accommodation theories were applied to communication between supervisors and subordinates. It was reasoned that supervisors and subordinates informally (and not necessarily consciously) negotiate communication styles with each other which become significantly correlated over time. It was hypothesized that the supervisors’ Socio‐Communicative Style and the subordinates’ Socio‐Communicative Orientation would be positively correlated with each other and both would predict the subordinates’ perceptions of the supervisors’ credibility, attractiveness, and the subordinates’ general attitude toward the supervisor and communicating with that supervisor. The results were consistent with the hypotheses.     

Advancement in higher education: the role of marketing in building philanthropic giving

This paper empirically explores ways in which marketers of higher education can contribute to the important task of cultivating alumni philanthropy. Advancement professionals understand that philanthropy is influenced by wealth and affinity. As marketers, we anticipate that our contribution resides with investments in building affinity. Using survey data that measure the affinity of alumni of a large US university who have been commercially screened to reveal individual wealth, this paper provides empirical evidence of the relative contributions of affinity and wealth to giving. Logistic regression analysis reveals that affinity has a greater impact on predicting the likelihood of giving than other variables, including prior giving and wealth. Important to marketers, this study emphasizes the importance of building affinity and also uncovers obstacles to affinity formation. This information can be used to bridge and repair alumni relationships with their alma mater and inform segmented marketing communications to foster alumni enthusiasm for giving.     

Multi‐sensory storytelling as an aid to assisting people with profound intellectual disabilities to cope with sensitive issues: a multiple research methods analysis of engagement and outcomes

The importance of storytelling in social, cultural and educational contexts is well established and documented. The extension of storytelling to people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) has in recent years been undertaken with an emphasis on the value of sensory experience and the context storytelling provides for social interaction. The present study builds on earlier curriculum orientated research with a view to describe patterns of social and story‐oriented interaction during storytelling. The stories dealt with sensitive topics raised by family carers who wished the young person with PIMD to understand. Behavioural observation during storytelling sessions explored changes in engagement while semi‐structured interviews with parents and professionals explored the extent to which the experience had benefitted the young person with respect to the sensitive topic. Positive changes in engagement with the story were shown for seven of the eight participants. For six of the seven, a parent and a professional agreed that the outcome of the experience positively enabled the participant to cope better with the sensitive topic. The specific multi‐sensory storytelling factors leading to these outcomes are discussed, as is the issue of proxy reporting and determining the nature of understanding in people with PIMD.     

The Inclusion of Intentional Ethos Enablers in Electronic Distance Learning Opportunities of Christian Institutions

Abstract

Communicating the Christian ethos of Christian institutions constitutes a significant portion of the effort and monies of these institutions. Included in the purview of ethos enablers are faculty input and advising, student services, required chapel/worship, ministry formation/field experiences, admissions procedures, and opportunities for students to interact with one another in informal settings. Each of these is included in the core functioning of campus-based Christian institutions. As these institutions move more and more to providing distance learning opportunities, it is questioned if equal importance is being given to these ethos enablers in interactions with distance learners. The purpose of this study is to describe what is being done and how effective selected Christian institutions perceive themselves to be in including intentional ethos enablers in their distance learning opportunities.     

Using Extreme Programming in the Software Design Course

This is a report on an effort to bring the practices of the Extreme Programming methodology into a Software Design course. Two teams of 11 members followed many of those practices in developing their semester projects. We described the practices required of the development teams, those encouraged, and those that were not easily simulated. Near the end of the semester the students were asked to answer questions about how well each practice had served the process. Summaries and examples of their responses along with the instructor's observations are presented as an evaluation of this approach. The main conclusions are that pair programming is generally powerful and popular, and that it is difficult to make upper level students write tests prior to writing code. Suggestions for what might be done differently to better simulate the Extreme Programming methodology are included. The foremost suggestion is to teach a “test first” approach in all programming courses.     

A comparison of scholarly productivity among current professors who obtained terminal degrees

ABSTRACT

Although scholarship is important in higher education and faculty productivity expectations are continually increasing, we still do not understand the holistic view of faculty productivity. This study takes a different viewpoint on faculty productivity examining differences by university classification and by discipline. Most importantly, we sought to obtain the effects of the delivery mode of terminal degree on later faculty productivity. The mode of terminal degree via Internet delivery looks attractive to students, but this study found that this has implications for future research productivity. These three elements illustrate a different scope that has important implications for administrative leaders looking to hire future faculty as well as students thinking about becoming a future faculty member. To capture this view, 600 faculty members from 59 American universities were surveyed. From this survey, five different variables emerged to create an overall faculty scholarly productivity factor. This factor was then compared against university classification, discipline, and mode of terminal degree. Results showed surprising significant differences between university classifications and disciplines as compared to scholarly productivity. One of the most noteworthy findings was that there is a significant difference in faculty productivity based on the mode of terminal degree. Furthermore, no difference in later faculty scholarly productivity exists between that of a hybridized, online degree and a purely online degree. Again, these results indicate significant finds which have a high influence on faculty scholarly productivity, which holds important implications for the future of the university.     

Extended sociometric status of adolescents with mild handicaps: A cross‐categorical perspective

Abstract

We compared adolescents identified as having mild mental retardation, learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, and no known handicaps on regular classroom sociometric status extended to include measures of social impact and social preference. Students attended regular classroom physical education classes in six high schools from two adjacent school districts. We administered a rating scale sociometric in physical education classes where students with mild handicaps were enrolled. Results indicated that not all students with mild handicaps were similar in social acceptance, rejection, and preference. Students with mild handicaps also differed in composition of subgroups labeled popular, rejected, neglected, controversial, and average. We discuss implications concerning social standing differences across types of mild handicaps and the value of examining sociometric status in the manner employed here.     

Supporting Educators to Implement Mand Training for a Student with Multiple Disabilities

ABSTRACT

The purposes of the study were to assess the effects of an online learning module on the implementation of mand training by a classroom team and determine whether training improved manding for a student with multiple disabilities. The classroom team utilized the Support Needs Assessment and Planning (SNAP) process to identify supports and guide implementation of the mand training procedures. The results indicate that both the special education teacher and paraprofessional were able to implement the mand training strategy with fidelity after completing the online module and student manding increased. The classroom team reported that both the online learning module and SNAP process were valuable for planning and implementing research-based supports. Limitations, implications for practice, and future research considerations are addressed.     

Learning Visualization Strategies: A qualitative investigation

The following study investigates the range of strategies individuals develop to infer and interpret cross-sections of three-dimensional objects. We focus on the identification of mental representations and problem-solving processes made by 11 individuals with the goal of building training applications that integrate the strategies developed by the participants in our study. Our results suggest that although spatial transformation and perspective-taking techniques are useful for visualizing cross-section problems, these visual processes are augmented by analytical thinking. Further, our study shows that participants employ general analytic strategies for extended periods which evolve through practice into a set of progressively more expert strategies. Theoretical implications are discussed and five main findings are recommended for integration into the design of education software that facilitates visual learning and comprehension.     

Researching learning outcomes: building confidence in our conclusions

The ESRC Teaching and Learning Research Programme is expected to produce knowledge of high social scientific quality and practical pedagogic value. It faces, in a particularly acute form, the issue of how confidence in its conclusions can be built. This article begins with some conceptual clarification of the notion of a ‘warrant’ for research findings and distinguishes between warrants in social research and warrants for educational policy and practice. It then, in the specific context of research on learning outcomes, proposes an integrated model that recognizes the importance of, and relationships among, criteria associated with research design and empirical work, theoretical coherence, relationship with other research, and user affirmation. It concludes by emphasizing the need for continuing debate about, and development of, the roles and relationships of ‘researchers’ and ‘users’.