Network representations of knowledge about chemical equilibrium: Variations with achievement

This study examined variation in the organization of domain-specific knowledge by 50 Year-12 chemistry students and 4 chemistry teachers. The study used nonmetric multidimensional scaling (MDS) and the Pathfinder network-generating algorithm to investigate individual and group differences in student concepts maps about chemical equilibrium. MDS was used to represent the individual maps in two-dimensional space, based on the presence or absence of paired propositional links. The resulting separation between maps reflected degree of hierarchical structure, but also reflected independent measures of student achievement. Pathfinder was then used to produce semantic networks from pooled data from high and low achievement groups using proximity matrices derived from the frequencies of paired concepts. The network constructed from maps of higher achievers (coherence measure = 0.18, linked pairs = 294, and number of subjects = 32) showed greater coherence, more concordance in specific paired links, more important specific conceptual relationships, and greater hierarchical organization than did the network constructed from maps of lower achievers (coherence measure = 0.12, linked pairs = 552, and number of subjects = 22). These differences are interpreted in terms of qualitative variation in knowledge organization by two groups of individuals with different levels of relative expertise (as reflected in achievement scores) concerning the topic of chemical equilibrium. The results suggest that the technique of transforming paired links in concept maps into proximity matrices for input to multivariate analyses provides a suitable methodology for comparing and documenting changes in the organization and structure of conceptual knowledge within and between individual students.     

The Artist in Residence concept: A new direction in living learning programs

This year the Centennial Education Program at the University of Nebraska piloted an Artist in Residence Program which has significant potential for serving both the student body and the larger community. It benefited Centennial by broadening the basis of support for the Program and providing a mechanism for revitalizing the curriculum on a regular basis. From the artists' standpoint the Artist in Residence Program provides valuable wide-ranging experience.     

Editorial occupations of the American book trade in the 1880s and 1890s

Dr. Barbara B. Reitt has for twenty-five years operated an editorial service for book publishers. She also teaches writing, editing, and proofreading and has developed instructional materials for several courses in these subjects.     

A meta-analysis of outcome studies of visual-based instruction

This article describes a statistical integration of findings from 74 studies of visualbased college teaching. In the typical study, students learned slightly more from visual-based instruction than from conventional teaching. In the typical study, visual-based instruction had no special effect on course completion, student attitudes, or the correlation between aptitude and achievement. Students were equally likely to complete visual-based and conventional classes; their attitudes toward the two kinds of classes were very similar; and aptitude played a strong role in determining student achievement in each kind of class. This study was supported by National Science Foundation Grant SED 77-18566.     

Effects of cooperative vs individualistic learning experiences on interpersonal attraction between learning-disabled and normal-progress elementary school students

The effects of cooperative and individualistic learning experiences were compared on (1) interpersonal attraction between nonhandicapped fifth- and sixth-grade elementary school students and learning-disabled peers and (2) achievement. Students participated in a language arts class lasting 90 min a day for 17 days. The results indicate that greater interpersonal attraction between the learning-disabled and normal-progress students and higher achievement resulted in the cooperative than in the competitive condition.