Faculty Diversity and Program Standing in Criminology and Criminal Justice: Findings for 31 Doctoral Programs in 2008

Ashby's Law of Requisite Variety states that variance prepares systems for daily activities and unforeseeable events, suggesting that academic departments comprising faculty from multiple institutions and disciplines would better adapt to ever‐changing environments. This study outlines the disciplinary heritage of full‐time tenure‐stream faculty (N = 495) within criminology and criminal justice doctoral programs (N = 31), then examines the degree to which those programs adhere to Ashby's principle. The study ranks programs on both institutional and disciplinary variances, and how well the programs balance those competing interests. Findings revealed that programs were quite mixed on both variance measures but that variance rankings had little association with how peers rated programs for 2009, in that highly ranked programs appeared with similar frequencies at both the top and bottom of variance rankings. Thus, it appears national respect is not dependent on the variance of faculties with respect to institutional and disciplinary heritage.     

The Role of Technology in Learning: Managing to Achieve a Vision

The paper explores the current context for uses of technology in education, including the nature of work, the capabilities required by employees, and developments in the technology itself. A vision for education is needed: how might students be learning in the future and what role might technology play in this? By making students' learning needs the focus we can identify the support technology can offer. The issue of student access is discussed—both physical access to technology and the psychological confidence to use it. One major government initiative—the Teaching and Learning Technology Programme—shows the limits of what has been achieved to date. The paper ends by suggesting how changes necessary within the education sector might be better managed.     

Integrated Learning Systems and pupils with low attainments in reading

Ann Lewis, Senior Lecturer in Education in the Institute of Education at the University of Warwick, considers the research evidence from UK evaluations of Integrated Learning Systems, discusses the value of these systems for pupils with learning difficulties, and focuses on their effects on the reading attainments of lower achieving pupils.     

The Sciences and Christian Formation: Helping Today’s Students Find Deeper Faith in a Science-Dominated World

The perceived conflict between science and Christianity continues to be a strong and prevalent narrative, both inside and outside the church. As three long-time science professors in Christian higher education, we have seen firsthand how this conflict orientation threatens both Christian faith and science education. National surveys confirm that many millennial Christians feel a tension between their faith and the discoveries of science, and some leave Christianity over science or the church’s response to it. This article presents an overview of approaches and resources for bringing healthy conversations to campus, including theological principles to frame the discussion, ways to keep the conversation civil and constructive, models for the curriculum and co-curriculum, and roles for administrators. In the midst of controversial issues, educators who work within the context of Christian colleges and universities can disciple students to deeper faith in a science-dominated culture.