Uncontrollable Mental Imagery: Graphical Connections Between A Function And Its Derivative

The view that imagery might be a disadvantage on certain tasks might surprise some mathematics educators who contend that a learner's conceptual understanding is increased whenever visual imagery is used. One of the limitations of imagery found in the literature comes to bear on a unique aspect of mathematics teaching and learning. This is the notion of an uncontrollable image, which may persist, thereby preventing the opening up of more fruitful avenues of thought, a difficulty which is particularly acute if the image is vivid. Although one calculus student's images supported high levels of mathematical functioning, occasionally his vivid images became uncontrollable, and the power of these images did more to obscure than to explain. This type of imagery can be a major hindrance in constructing meaning for mathematical concepts — contrary to the panacea view of imagery which is sometimes expressed.This revised version was published online in September 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Rites of Passage: Does adaptation to university mean severing connections?

Many factors go into the decision of selecting a university, ranging from the overall costs and the programme of study to the institute’s reputation; however, accommodation while at university and proximity of the university to one’s permanent abode also play important roles in this decision-making process. Thus, first-year students experience different stages of separation from their prior networks depending on their individual situations. The results of this Ontario (Canada) 2012 study add to prior research by indicating that separation of students’ living arrangements and distance from home impact on transition and incorporation variables, which influenced students’ adaptation to university.     

Social and cognitive effects of professional communication on software usability

We designed and piloted a technical communication course for software engineering majors to take concurrently with their capstone project course in software design. In the pilot, one third of the capstone design course students jointly enrolled in the writing class. One goal of the collaborative courses was to use writing to improve the usability of students’ software. We studied the effects of writing on students’ user‐centered beliefs and design practices and on the usability of their product, using surveys, document analyses, expert reviews, and user test results. When possible, we compared the usability processes and products of teams who did and did not take the writing class. Our findings suggest that the synergy of this interdisciplinary approach effectively sensitized students to user‐centered design, instilled in them a commitment to it, and helped them develop usable products.     

TEACHERS’ EXPECTATIONS AND SELF‐EFFICACY FOR WORKING WITH BULLIES AND VICTIMS

Bullying is a significant concern in schools, and both bullies and victims are at risk for negative outcomes. In this study, 239 sixth‐grade teachers completed questionnaires about their perceptions of four components of school climate: high‐risk student behaviors, school‐wide barriers to learning, principal support, and cooperation among teachers. Teachers’ expectations and self‐efficacy for working effectively with both bullies and victims were assessed using case study vignettes. The results indicated that teachers’ perceptions of principal support were significantly related to teachers’ expectations and self‐efficacy for working with bullies. A graduate degree was also related to greater self‐efficacy for working with bullies. Administrators and school psychologists should consider the role of perceived principal support as an important factor in influencing teachers’ expectations and beliefs in working with bullies.     

Sexuality education: findings and recommendations from an analysis of 10 United States programmes

In this study, we identified 10 sexuality education programmes from different locations in the USA that aim to give young people knowledge and skills to develop healthy relationships, as well as avoid pregnancy and disease. We conducted in-depth interviews with programme administrators to develop a series of case studies and provide concrete recommendations for education and public health professionals to implement similar approaches in their communities. Many programme administrators succeeded in developing partnerships, adapting existing curricula to suit their environments, engaging external evaluators and garnering support from teachers and parents. However, few programme developers conducted formal needs assessments before developing programmes and many struggled to implement curricula with fidelity and to employ rigorous evaluation designs. Nearly all participants identified concerns over funding as a threat to sustainability. We conclude that schools and organisations need technical assistance to build capacity for rigorous programme planning, implementation and evaluation, as well as additional funding streams to support emerging programmes.     

LibGuides: Customizing Subject Guides for Individual Courses

Reference librarians at East Tennessee State University's Sherrod Library identified LibGuides as an efficient way to introduce undergraduate students, particularly those in their first two years of college, to the university library. Selecting pertinent library resources based on a course syllabus and creating a LibGuide for the course provides the students with a limited number of relevant materials. Librarians and professors view the use of subject guides attached to a course management system site as an effective educational solution. Librarians facing exponentially expanding resources and first-year students who are used to turning to Google for all their information needs can utilize LibGuides to guide students toward more relevant library resources.