Program development: Plan for success — take time to succeed

This paper analyses the program development process adopted at the Pacific Adventist College, using the schema contained in the South Australian College of Advanced Education postgraduate course in distance education. This schema is a synthesis of the models of Derek Rowntree and Francis Hunkins. To the schema the author adds the over‐riding dimension of time.

The paper considers program justification, development, transformation, implementation, stabilisation and evaluation. In applying these criteria the paper acknowledges mistakes as well as achievements.     

How Risk Management Tools Can Inform Critical Thinking in Aid of Moral Commitment

This article explores the ways in which the quantitative and qualitative tools used by risk managers can help students think critically about issues. In particular, it identifies some of the quantitative skills used for risk assessment that can be taught and used in mathematics and science classes. It also examines the qualitative knowledge of governance structures, primarily acquired in social studies classes, and how these can be applied in analyzing solutions to the complex issues of this century and our future. Examples are given of the application of these diverse skill sets to such controversial issues as the use of nuclear technology, disaster response, and preservation of the environment. An interdisciplinary approach to the teaching of controversial issues is encouraged.     

如果每个人都是环保主义者?

Laurie David,a global warming activist and the author of Stop Global Warming:The Solution If You!设想一下,如果每个人都是环保主义者,我们的世界会变成什么样子呢?或许气候不会变暖,北极熊也不必面临灭绝;或许大伙儿到了晚上都要接受漆黑的挑战,在没有电的空间中生存;或许……有太多的猜想和不得不解决的现实问题存在。看看Laurie David这位环保主义者的猜想吧。     

Preschool-Aged Siblings of Adjudicated Youths: Multiple Risk Factors for Conduct Problems

Younger siblings of adolescents with histories of antisocial behavior are at high risk for developing conduct problems. Information about risk exposure in youths at familial risk for conduct problems is critical to the design of informed preventive interventions. The prevalence of well-validated risk factors for conduct problems was examined in a sample of 92 preschool-aged siblings of adjudicated youths. As expected, preschoolers at familial risk for conduct problems were exposed to a range of sociocultural, biological, and parenting risks. Risk exposure was associated with concurrent conduct problems and social competence in the preschool period. Only a minority of preschoolers was reported by parents to have clinically significant conduct problems, and this subgroup had more risks than children with conduct problems in the normal range. Findings are discussed in the context of preventive interventions for high-risk children and families.     

Benefits of the Comprehensive Child Development Program as a function of AFDC receipt and SES

The benefits for children at the Pittsburgh site of the federal Comprehensive Child Development Program (CCDP) were examined as a function of family welfare status (Aid to Families with Dependent Children; AFDC) and SES. The CCDP was the largest attempt by the federal government to provide two-generation, case-managed, comprehensive services to low-income families. Participating families could set their own goals and choose services to achieve them, but relatively few services were directed specifically at children. Results showed that more Pittsburgh families in the CCDP treatment group (N = 120) left AFDC than in the control group (N = 120), consistent with results from a national evaluation of the CCDP. Children whose families were on AFDC regardless of treatment group had lower mental test scores, even after controlling for family SES, a result suggesting that AFDC receipt over and above income level was associated with poorer child mental performance. The CCDP was associated with higher children's mental scores plus improvements over time in achievement scores only for children in families who were not on AFDC, even after controlling for SES. Such parents were more likely to choose parenting and child goals and services, which in turn were associated with higher child mental scores. In contrast, parents who were on AFDC tended to choose adult-centered goals and services, which did not benefit children. Therefore, in contrast to the national evaluation, which found no benefits of the CCDP for children, these analyses showed that the CCDP did produce benefits for children whose parents were not on AFDC, who tended to choose parenting and child services.     

The Improvement of Mothers’ and Children’s Emotional and Behavioral Reactions through the Modification of Attentional Bias in Mothers: A Micro-Trial Study

Objective. The aim of this study was to test whether and to what extent inducing attentional bias in mothers toward a child’s positive emotions using a micro-trial method would improve mothers’ emotional and behavioral reactions in parenting-related situations. Effects on children were also assessed. Design. Forty-two mothers of 4- to 5-year-old children participated. Half of the mothers were exposed to an attention bias modification task designed to elicit a transient bias toward positive stimuli. After the manipulation, they were observed during a free-play session and frustration laboratory tasks designed to elicit positive and negative emotions. Results. Mothers exposed to the attention bias modification task displayed more positive emotional and behavioral reactions toward their child during both free-play and frustration tasks. Their children also behaved better, especially during the free-play session. The influence of mothers’ attention allocation on children’s outcomes was mediated by mothers’ behavior. Conclusions. An attention bias modification program is useful in improving interactions between mothers and children.     

POGIL in the Calculus Classroom

In this paper, we will describe the experience of the authors in using process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) in calculus at four institutions across the USA. We will briefly examine how POGIL compares to and fits in with other kinds of inquiry-based learning approaches. In particular, we will first discuss the unique structure of a POGIL activity, which includes a model and a learning cycle of specific types of questions. We then turn to a discussion of the particular characteristics of a classroom implementation of a POGIL activity, including facilitation strategies an instructor might use, the importance of specified student roles in groups, and different ways of reporting out. Finally, we provide some preliminary data on student pass rates in non-POGIL and POGIL calculus classrooms in the participating institutions. Throughout the paper, we use examples from student dialogues as groups were working through POGIL activities developed for Calculus I by the authors.