A Method of Teaching Problem-Solving to Undergraduate Engineering Students

This paper reports the experiences of the staff involved in the design and operation of a method of teaching problem-solving to engineering undergraduates. The method is based upon a loop-type model consisting of a series of clearly identifiable component activities. Although no formal evaluation procedures have been carried out, a range of informal monitoring and evaluative activities have been associated with the development of the model. These have indicated that the model appears to promote the effectiveness of student learning both by it forming a basis for group communication and a focus for teaching methods. Even though the model was originally intended for specific use in the teaching of engineering design, experience has shown that it is suitable as it stands for use in a wider range of problem-solving situations and is readily adaptable for use in other specific cases.     

Dialogic voices in talk about drinking and pregnancy

Alcohol use during pregnancy poses a significant risk of fetal alcohol syndrome. This study presents the interpretive findings of the formative research phase of a funded grant to develop a community-based public health media campaign on the topic of drinking during pregnancy. In the initial wave of data collection, 50 rural women were recruited from four Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinics in southeastern Iowa to participate in semi-structured interviews. In the second wave, 10 additional WIC clients were interviewed for member-checking purposes. Findings revealed two competing discourses that organized these women's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors surrounding drinking and pregnancy: the discourse of individualism and the discourse of responsible motherhood. These two discourses offer opposing normative guidelines for talk among their close female relatives and friends. The implications of these findings for designing a community-based media campaign are discussed.     

Opportunities for faculty‐librarian collaboration in an expanded dentistry curriculum

With the increased emphasis on evidence based practice, developing information literacy skills earlier in health care education programmes is widely accepted. However finding opportunities for relevant teaching can present challenges, often leading to a lack of integration. In this paper, guest writers Sean Stone and colleagues from Indiana University discuss their involvement with an expanded dental hygiene curriculum in the University School of Dentistry. This expansion has provided the opportunity to plan integration of information and oral health literacy instruction and evidence based practice across the new curriculum, and provide transferable skills for any major. In particular, the paper addresses the developmental work the health librarian team engaged in from course design, delivery and assessment to improve student preparedness for evidence based practice. H.S.     

TERMS OF INCLUSION: UNITY AND DIVERSITY IN PUBLIC EDUCATION

Abstract In this review essay, Harvey Kantor and Robert Lowe explore the history of the culture wars in public education in the United States. Drawing on three books — David Tyack’s Seeking Common Ground, Jonathan Zimmerman’s Whose America? and Amy Binder’s Contentious Curricula— Kantor and Lowe review the history of struggles over the content of history texts and over the place of religion and religious values in the classroom. They suggest that while these struggles have been partially successful in freeing public education from the racial and ethno‐religious particularisms that informed its origins, the more inclusive curriculum that resulted from these efforts has been rendered largely symbolic by the persistence of segregation and the inequality of resources that accompanies it.     

探讨临时支撑卸载分析中的两种方法

目前在工程中，临时支撑卸载过程的分析和模拟主要有两种方法．利用这两种方法分别建立临时支撑卸载的有限元模型并在ANSYS中对这两个模型的卸载过程进行模拟和分析，从理论上和有限元分析结果上对这两种方法进行了探讨．     

Exploring the potential of constructionist therapy: deaf clients, hearing therapists and a reflecting team

This article explores the use of constructionist therapy with a reflecting team of hearing therapists seeing deaf clients. Using findings from two in-depth interviews, postsession reflections and a review of the literature, we propose that this model has the potential to cater to the diversity of the lived experiences of deaf people and also to address issues of power and tensions between medical, social, and cultural models of deafness. The interviews found there was real value in sharing multiple perspectives between the reflecting team of hearing therapists and these deaf clients. In addition, the clients reported feeling safe and comfortable with this model of counseling. Other information that emerged from the interviews supports previous findings regarding consistency in interpreting and the importance of hearing therapists having an understanding of the distinctions between Deaf and hearing worlds. As the first investigation of its kind in Australia, this article provides a map for therapists to incorporate reflecting teams with interpreters, deaf clients, and hearing therapists. The value of this article also lies in providing a much needed platform for future research into counseling outcomes and the efficacy of this constructionist model of therapy.     

Variations in early child care: Do they predict subsequent social, emotional, and cognitive differences?

A sample of 236 predominantly middle class 8-year-olds from a state with minimal child care standards were examined for possible differences associated with earlier child care histories. In comparison to children in part-time child care (less than 30 hours a week) or exclusive maternal care, children with more extensive child care experiences since infancy were rated by teachers and parents as having more poor peer relationships, work habits, and emotional health, and as being more difficult to discipline. In this minimal standard environment, extensive infant care was also associated with more negative nominations from classmates, poorer academic and conduct report card grades, and lower standardized test scores. In stepwise regressions that included family social class, parents' marital status, family size, number of family moves, child gender, childbirth order, and current after school care, children's extensive experience in infant care was the single best predictor (in a negative direction) of ratings by parents, teachers, and peers, and of report card grades and standardized test scores. Child care history continued to be a significant negative predictor of child outcomes in full regression models that incorporated child and family variables. These results are in marked contrast with Andersson's (1989) findings of positive social and cognitive development associated with early, extensive child care in Sweden (a country characterized by high child care standards and opportunities for paid parental leave during early infancy).     

Consulting About Consulting: Young people’s views of consultation

The increasing recognition that children and young people should be consulted and involved in decision‐making about their lives is reflected in national and international legislation. A great deal of this legislation, stemming from the UN convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), requires education authorities to consult children and young people when making decisions about their education. However, little is known about how children and young people themselves would like consultation to proceed. This study held four focus groups of young people with and without Additional Support Needs (ASN) to address this question. The young people came up with many suggestions which can be used to guide future consultation work, but the main message was one of individual choice. Children and young people want to be consulted but the consultation should be tailored to their individual needs if it is to be truly successful. There are lessons to be learned for EPs and other professionals who regularly seek the views of children and young people.     

Improving Communication Between Postgraduate Researchers and the University Library: A Case Study at De Montfort University Library and Learning Services

ABSTRACT

A well-established postgraduate researcher development program has existed at De Montfort University for many years. Library and Learning Services include modules on literature searching skills and critical appraisal. However, we recognized that researchers seemed to be disengaged with the services on offer. This concern informed a research project that considered the ways we could communicate better with researchers based on their needs. This paper explores the essential components of successful communication, such as context, timeliness and communication channels. An action-research approach was taken including focus groups and online surveys. The outcomes highlighted three significant crisis points, emphasizing the key times when researchers might need some intervention. The findings of this research identified the distinct needs of Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs) and how relevant and timely communication from the library can meet these needs. It also considers the impact of how communication has improved with researchers as a result of some of our interventions.