The 'digital natives' debate: A critical review of the evidence

The idea that a new generation of students is entering the education system has excited recent attention among educators and education commentators. Termed 'digital natives' or the 'Net generation', these young people are said to have been immersed in technology all their lives, imbuing them with sophisticated technical skills and learning preferences for which traditional education is unprepared. Grand claims are being made about the nature of this generational change and about the urgent necessity for educational reform in response. A sense of impending crisis pervades this debate. However, the actual situation is far from clear. In this paper, the authors draw on the fields of education and sociology to analyse the digital natives debate. The paper presents and questions the main claims made about digital natives and analyses the nature of the debate itself. We argue that rather than being empirically and theoretically informed, the debate can be likened to an academic form of a 'moral panic'. We propose that a more measured and disinterested approach is now required to investigate 'digital natives' and their implications for education.     

Psychometric approaches to the identification of LD: IQ and achievement scores are not sufficient

Simulated data were used to demonstrate that groups formed by imposing cut-points based on either discrepancy or low-achievement definitions of learning disabilities (LD) are unstable over time. Similar problems were demonstrated in longitudinal data from the Connecticut Longitudinal Study, where 39% of the children designated as having LD in Grade 3 changed group placement with repeated testing in Grade 5. These results show that the practice of subdividing a normal distribution with arbitrary cut-points leads to instability in group membership. Approaches to the identification of children as having LD based solely on individual test scores not linked to specific behavioral criteria lead to invalid decisions about individual children. Low-achievement definitions are not a viable alternative to IQ-discrepancy definitions in the absence of other criteria, such as the traditional exclusions and response to quality intervention. If we accept the premise of multiple classes of low achievers, then we must develop identification systems that are valid and abandon systems whose only merits are their historical precedence and convenience.     

COMS Day as a communication senior capstone team project

Courses: Senior Seminar

Objectives: (1) To provide graduating students a semester-long capstone experience where they can apply communication theories/skills in a professional context. (2) To create a capstone project that contributes to programmatic assessment.     

'HELPA': a rapid means of student evaluation of lecturing performance in higher education

A procedure which allows academic staff to obtain rapid student assessment of lecturing performance has been developed and tested over a period of three years. A computer program has been devised which allows the data to be utilised in a variety of ways. These include self-evaluation, job applications, promotion applications or group discussions. The simplicity of the questionnaire and the ease of processing and documentation have been well received by both staff and students who, in our experience, are often reluctant to respond to more complex procedures. The'HELPA' protocol has been adopted by a number of individuals and departments within the Victoria University of Technology.     

Experiences and Perceptions of EHS Staff with the IFSP Process: Implications for Practice and Policy

This study examined the experiences of Early Head Start (EHS) staff with the development of the Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) for young children with developmental delays and their families in 40 EHS programs in six Midwestern states. Staff perspectives about challenges, needs, strategies and suggestions for the IFSP development were explored. Findings indicated that time and scheduling, paperwork, and collaboration with early intervention (EI) agencies were the major challenges to participation and involvement in the IFSP process. Recommendations for practice and policy were suggested.     

Early Childhood Teachers' Theories of Progression and Continuity Les the´ories des enseignants de la petite enfance sur la progression et la continuite´ Las primeras teorías de profesores de menores sobre Progresión y Continuidad

The importance of progression and continuity to effective teaching and learning is embedded in the current early years curriculum framework in England. However, there are competing definitions of these twin concepts, which can be both learner centred and curriculum centred. This paper reports the first stage of a study which aims to elicit early childhood teachers' understanding of progression and continuity in learning, and to articulate their interpretations of National Curriculum policies. The data demonstrate how teachers engage in a process of resistance, adaptation and mediation in order to reconcile tensions between curriculum-centred and learner-centred approaches to progression and continuity. In this respect, they are active agents rather than passive recipients of change. The teachers' theories also function as a challenge and critique to National Curriculum policies and processes of schooling, which reflects an important trend in research on teachers' thinking and classroom practice. L'importance de la progression et de la continuité pour un enseignement et un apprentissage efficaces est ancrée dans le schéma du cursus préscolaire actuel en Angleterre. Cependant, il existe des définitions rivales de ce double concept, qui peut être à la fois axé sur l'apprenant et sur le programme. Ce document présente la première phase d'une étude qui cherche à recueillir la compréhension des enseignants des classes préscolaires en matière de progression et de continuité dans l'apprentissage, et à exprimer leurs interprétations des politiques du programme national. Les informations révèlent la manière dont les enseignants se lancent dans un procédé de résistance, d'adaptation et de médiation afin de concilier les tensions entre des approches axées sur le cursus et centrées sur l'apprenant en matière de progression et de continuité… A cet égard, ils participaient surtout au changement plutôt que de le subir. Les théories de l'enseignant opèrent aussi comme un défi et une critique des politiques du programme national et des procédés d'éducation, ce qui reflète une tendance importante dans la recherche sur l'opinion des enseignants et les méthodes. La importancia de la progresión y continuidad para una efectividad en la enseñanza y aprendizaje está muy arraigada en el marco del plan de estudios actual para menores en Inglaterra. Sin embargo, hay definiciones contradictorias de estos dos conceptos, que pueden basarse tanto en el que aprende como en el plan de estudios. Este artículo informa sobre la primera fase de un estudio cuyo objetivo es obtener el conocimiento de los profesores de menores sobre progresión y continuidad en el aprendizaje, y expresar sus interpretaciones de las normas del plan de estudios nacional. Los datos demuestran cómo los professores se embarcan en un proceso de resistencia, adaptactión y mediación a fin de reconciliar tensiones entre los enfoques, sobre progresión y continuidad que se centran en los que aprenden o en el plan de estudios. Con relación a esto, fueron agentes activos más que recipientes pasivos del cambio. Las teorías de los profesores también funciona como un reto y una crítica a las políticas del plan de estudios nacional y los procesos de educación, lo que refleja una tendencia importancia hacia la investigación del pensamiento de los profesores y práctica docente.     

Generalizability, Validity, and Examinee Perceptions of a Computer-Delivered Formulating-Hypotheses Test

The Formulating-Hypotheses (F-H) item presents a situation and asks examinees to generate as many explanations for it as possible. This study examined the generalizability, validity, and examinee perceptions of a computer-delivered version of the task. Eight F-H questions were administered to 192 graduate students. Half of the items restricted examinees to 7 words per explanation, and half allowed up to 15 words. Generalizability results showed high interrater agreement, with tests of between 2 and 4 items scored by one judge achieving coefficients in the .80s. Construct validity analyses found that F-H was only marginally related to the GRE General Test, and more strongly related than the General Test to a measure of ideational fluency. Different response limits tapped somewhat different abilities, with the 15-word constraint appearing more useful for graduate assessment. These items added significantly to conventional measures in explaining school performance and creative expression.