MEASURING THE ORGANIZATIONAL ASPECTS OF WRITING ABILITY

The present study assessed the relationship among holistic writing ability, the Test of Standard Written English (TSWE), and the following tests of organizational ability: anagram solving, word reordering, sentence reordering, and paragraph assembly. Based upon a sample of 105 undergraduate students, the main findings were that writing ability, as measured by the holistic method of scoring, was significantly correlated with performance on the TSWE and the four tests of organizational ability. A composite score on all four organizational tests was found to have the highest zero-order correlation with the measure of writing ability. A stepwise regression analysis, with the measure of writing ability as the criterion, also indicated that the composite score explained a significant proportion of the variance beyond that explained by the TSWE. The results are discussed in terms of the Kintsch and van Dijk model of strategic discourse processing, which suggests that different organizational strategies operate at the levels of words, sentences, and paragraphs. It is concluded that tests assessing organizational strategies ought to be included in assessments of writing ability.     

The Birth and Infancy of Counselor Education and Supervision

The basic purpose of this article is to provide a historical chronicle of events associated with the first 4 years of CES. The setting for counselor education and supervision in the turbulent 1961 to 1965 period is described for purposes of providing a background for understanding the content of the journal during its infancy. Numerous publication mechanics associated with the birth and infancy of CES are identified and described. Finally, an attempt is made to categorize the articles published from 1961 to 1965 and to compare the results with the statements of purposes and goals existing during that time period.     

APGA Members' Ethical Discriminatory Ability

APGA members' ethical discriminatory ability was investigated to determine if it were related to certain demographic variables. A critical-incident questionnaire was sent to 1,238 APGA members, and 729 (58.9 percent) usable questionnaires were returned. Single-classification analysis of variance and Scheffé post hoc analysis were used to determine significance. Religious preferences, the amount of education, and the method of academic exposure to professional ethics were found to be related to ethical discriminatory ability.     

Teacher perspectives on integrating ICT into subject teaching: commitment,constraints, caution,and change

This paper examines how secondary teachers of the core subjects of English, mathematics, and science have begun to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) into mainstream classroom practice in English schools. It draws on an analysis of 18 focus‐group interviews with subject departments in these fields. Evident commitment to incorporating ICT was tempered by a cautious, critical approach, and by the influence of external constraints. Teacher accounts emphasized both the use of ICT to enhance and extend existing classroom practice, and change in terms of emerging forms of activity which complemented or modified practice. A gradual process of pedagogical evolution was apparent; teachers were developing and trialling new strategies specifically for mediating ICT‐supported learning. In particular, these overcame the potentially obstructive role of some forms of ICT by focusing pupils’ attention onto underlying learning objectives.     

The Fakability of the Personality Orientation Inventory

Attempts to fake a good impression on the POI typically result in lower scores for subjects unknowledgeable in self-actualization, and in higher scores for knowledgable subjects. POI fakahility during counselor selection procedures was investigated through two test administrations with a group of 21 new graduate students in counseling. Subjects were not given self-actualization information. Scores under counselor selection fake-set procedures were significantly higher (p <. 05) on 4 of the 12 scales than scores obtained under standard testing instructions. The results imply new counseling students have sufficient information about self-actualization to dissimulate POI scores.     

Computer-Assisted Counseling: Problems and Prospects

Recent computer-assisted counseling systems have been designed to treat specific types of psychological problems for which clearly articulated treatment strategies are available. Examples of such systems are MORTON, a program designed to treat mild to moderate depression, and PLATO DCS, a program for the treatment of moderately difficult avoidance-avoidance dilemmas. PLATO DCS and MORTON might be valuable for training counselors in treatment strategies for dealing with dilemmas and depression. In addition, counselor trainees can respond to these systems as clients and can use them as consultants. Computerization of other counseling techniques might lead to significant theoretical advances because technique must be clearly and concisely articulated to make computer applications feasible. Possible limitations of computer-assisted counseling are discussed, including client and counselor acceptance of computers as therapists and the limited ability of the computer to understand natural language.     

Competency-Based Evaluation for Selecting a Counselor Educator

This article describes an approach to faculty selection in a competency-based human development counseling program, the development of which enabled candidates to demonstrate their actual level of mastery for a wide range of skills associated with professional effectiveness. Candidates invited to participate in this evaluation procedure were advised in advance of the following five areas in which they would be evaluated: counseling and psychotherapy, teaching, supervision, research methodology, and program development. Candidates prepared 30- to 60-minute presentations characteristic of their best efforts for each area of evaluation. Both faculty and students completed professional effectiveness scale ratings for each of the activities engaged in by job candidates. This article reports the successes and setbacks of this model and presents critical recommendations of persons who participated as job candidates and of those who participated in the candidate evaluation sessions.     

Counselor Education: A Touch of Martin Buber's Philosophy

Although the work of Martin Buber has touched the lives of many people, few can benefit so completely from his ideas as counselors. This article explores some of the concepts he has introduced and their appropriateness for the training of present-day counselors.     

Undergraduate Education for Counselors

This article describes an undergraduate preparation program in rehabilitation education that has both terminal and preprofessional characteristics. In an era of heightened concern for differentiated staffing and effective use of manpower in and out of the helping professions, such a curriculum provides a structure by which a career ladder in counselor and subcounselor roles can be created.