Scientific and Religious Perspectives on Evolution in the Curriculum: an Approach Based on Pedagogy of Difference

There is a long history of some students finding that the science instruction they receive in schools fails to address their deeply held concerns about the theory of evolution. Such concerns are principally religious, though there are also students with deeply held religious views who are perfectly comfortable with the theory of evolution. New instructional strategies are emerging, aimed at reducing the tensions that may exist between evolution and religion by making space for students to examine their own views and recognize the spectrum of views that exists between atheistic evolution and special creation, as well as the bounded nature of science and different ways of knowing. In this article, we discuss the teaching of evolution in societies where acceptance of the theory of evolution is far from universal, and argue that an approach based on pedagogy of difference has considerable potential to enhance students’ development of epistemic insight through recognition of the multiple perspectives that exist concerning the relationship between religion and science. In doing so, we explicate precisely what pedagogy of difference entails and introduce an approach that should enhance evolution education, and even aid students’ situating of science as a resource for making decisions about issues with scientific and societal aspects where the acknowledgement of multiple perspectives is valuable.     

An exposure effect opposes flavor-nutrient learning

When a caloric substance is followed by a flavored substance, preference for the flavor that followed the calories can increase because of a flavor-nutrient association. We showed here that this effect is opposed by a fullness effect: consuming the caloric substance itselfreduces-consuniption of the flavor that follows. Because consumption of this flavor was less than consumption of a flavor that was given alone, there was a reduced preference for the flavor that followed the calories—an effect opposing flavor-nutrient learning. The preference for the flavor that was given alone and consumed in greater amounts seems to be due to exposure per se and is not a result of contrast. When the amount of the flavor given alone was directly controlled so that it was one half the amount of the flavor that followed the calories, preference for the flavor following the calories was no higher than when consumption of the two flavors was equal. Thus, exposure can interfere with flavor-nutrient learning, but does not enhance it.     

THE PRACTICALITY OF IMPLEMENTING CONNECTED CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY IN SECONDARY MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE CLASSROOMS

Connected classroom technology (CCT) is a member of a broad class of interactive assessment devices that facilitate communication between students and teachers and allow for the rapid aggregation and display of student learning data. Technology innovations such as CCT have been demonstrated to positively impact student achievement when integrated into a variety of classroom contexts. However, teachers are unlikely to implement a new instructional practice unless they perceive the practical value of the reform. Practicality consists of three constructs: congruence with teacher’s values and practice; instrumentality—compatibility with the existing school structures; and cost/benefits—whether the reward is worth the effort. This study uses practicality as a framework for understanding CCT implementation in secondary classrooms. The experiences of three science teachers in their first year implementing CCT are compared with matched-pair mathematics teachers. Findings suggest that despite some differences in specific uses and purposes for CCT, the integration of CCT into regular classroom practice is quite similar in mathematics and science classrooms. These findings highlight important considerations for the implementation of educational technology.     

Feeding forward from summative assessment: the Essay Feedback Checklist as a learning tool

Owing to the increasing diversity of assessments in higher education, feedback should be provided to students in a format that can assist future and alternative work. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Essay Feedback Checklist on future alternative assessments. Participants were assigned to one of two groups, one of which completed the checklist prior to assessment 1 (essay) and received feedback using this method. Attainment on assessment 1 and assessment 2 (examination) were taken as pre- and post-test scores. Results revealed increased assessment scores for the checklist group, compared to those who received conventional feedback. Focus group data indicated that students particularly liked elements of the checklist as a feedback method, but potential drawbacks were also highlighted. Implications and future use of the checklist is then discussed.     

Experiential factors in the enhancement of saccharin intake after shifts to water

The present experiment examined the enhancement of saccharin consumption observed after a temporary shift to water. An 8-day adaptation period of continuous access to saccharin was used. It was found that the avidity of albino rats for saccharin, as measured by daily consumption, can be increased significantly both by periods of saccharin deprivation and by social living conditions.     

Urban teachers’ implementation of SRSD for persuasive writing following practice-based professional development: positive effects mediated by compromised fidelity

Reading and Writing - Writing allows access to venues often limited by poverty, disabilities, and geography. Promoting writing skills can create bridges to overcome the isolation that often keeps...     

Food deprivation and conditioned flavor preferences based on sweetened and unsweetened foods

In four experiments, rats’ preferences for flavors consumed under high deprivation versus low deprivation were measured. In Experiment 1, rats preferred flavors received in unsweetened food under high deprivation to flavors received in unsweetened food under low deprivation. This preference did not vary with amount of food used to deliver the flavors (1-g vs. 16-g wet mash). Sweetening the food (0.10% saccharin) eliminated this preference when 16 g of mash was received, but not when 1 g of mash was received (Experiments 2 and 3). Sweetening the mash even more (0.15% saccharin) eliminated the preference when 1 g of mash was received, as well as when 20 g of mash was received. We suggested that the reinforcing value of sweetness is reduced by increasing deprivation level.     

Early language intervention: A deterrent to reading disability

Reading is a language art! In acquiring competence in reading we build on proficiencies already available in the primary (spoken) language system. Language is made up of three primary components that impact on reading—phonology, or the sound structure of language including syllables and phonemes; syntax, or the rules governing the sequential ordering of words in phrases and sentences; and semantics, or the meaning system that is attached to words and phrases as a consequence of experiences in a variety of contexts. All three depend upon adequate short- and long-term memory capacities and functioning for their growth and refinement. Additionally, the bridging of speech to print, or the task of establishing sound/symbol correspondences in beginning reading draws not only upon phonological competencies and memory, it is also dependent upon the discovery that words are made up of smaller and isolable parts. This knowledge is often referred to as auditory segmenting which is one aspect of metalinguistic awareness. This paper will discuss these five language roots of reading. The authors will report on research that demonstrates that children, upon school entrance, do not all possess equal levels of competencies in these five critical language areas. Since success in beginning reading is dependent upon the adequate development and functioning of each of the five language areas noted above, early school experiences should be directed toward language development, as well as reading instruction, if we are to reduce the incidence of reading difficulties in our schools. Finally, we will offer suggestions for enhancing language competencies that will support and promote the acquisition of reading.     

Reviews

National Teaching Fellows (NTFs) in the UK are celebrated individuals who have made a successful claim for teaching excellence to the Higher Education Academy. This paper reports the results of an empirical study of NTFs with expertise in online learning, which measured their pedagogical beliefs and online teaching practices, using a ‘teaching conceptions’ model. Given the growth of online teaching within higher education, this paper seeks to establish whether excellent teachers ‘practise what they preach’ in online environments and can support other less able colleagues in developing their online practices.     

EBSCO's Communication & Mass Media Complete: An Appreciable Improvement Over Previous Communication Studies Indexing?

ABSTRACT

In a prior edition of this study, we examined whether the established online communication studies indexes—Communication Abstracts, ComIndex, and ComAbstracts—provided a good avenue of access to the journal literature that researchers in the field cite and whether, where the current journal literature was concerned, that avenue of access might be equal or superior to that provided by large, multisubject online indexes. In this iteration of the study, we similarly address EBSCO's new product for communication studies, Communication & Mass Media Complete.