Development and Evaluation of a Multi‐Institutional Case Studies‐Based Course in Food Safety

Developing novel, engaging courses in food safety is necessary to train professionals in this discipline. Courses that are interactive and case‐based encourage development of critical thinking skills necessary for identifying and preventing foodborne disease outbreaks. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of a case study module‐based course for upper division undergraduate and graduate students interested in food safety. Four independent case study modules were developed and implemented by 4 universities working in tandem over a semester course. All case studies incorporated molecular and epidemiological methods employed by professionals in food safety in outbreak investigations. Each case study was based on a (i) suspect foodborne pathogen, (ii) identification tools including biochemical test variations and pulsed field gel electrophoresis, multiplex PCR and/or whole genome sequencing, and (iii) suspect location and company type from farm to production site to restaurant. Pre‐ and postinstruction evaluations revealed significant increases in understanding of the concepts introduced through each module as demonstrated by overall mean normalized gain of 0.32 ± 0.35 (15% ± 19%; n = 60). Institution, role of instructor, prescore, and learning environment all played a significant role in the effects of overall learning. This study provides a successful model for a case study‐based course in food safety. The guidelines and materials developed by our group are available for use by other institutions.     

Teacher education in the generative virtual classroom: developing learning theories through a web‐delivered,technology‐and‐science education context

This paper reports the use of a research‐based, web‐delivered, technology‐and‐science education context (the Generative Virtual Classroom) in which student‐teachers can develop their ability to recognize, describe, analyse and theorize learning. Addressing well‐recognized concerns about narrowly conceived, anachronistic and ineffective technology‐and‐science education, this e‐learning environment aims to use advanced technologies for learning, to bring about larger scale improvement in classroom practice than has so far been effected by direct intervention through teacher education. Student‐teachers' short, intensive engagement with the Generative Virtual Classroom during their practice teaching is examined. Findings affirm the worth of this research‐based e‐learning system for teacher education and the power of a biologically based, generative theory to make sense of the learning that occurred.     

The Bumpy Road to Universal Access: An Actor-Network Analysis of a U.S. Municipal Broadband Internet Initiative

Universal high-speed Internet access can productively transform a nation's economy. However, many municipalities in the United States have been left behind in terms of Internet penetration. Some municipal governments have tried to address this by launching initiatives that aim at offering citywide, universal broadband access. Unfortunately, most of these initiatives either have been discontinued or have ended in failure. Drawing on actor-network theory, we conducted a 3-year study to investigate the evolution of the Internet TV initiative in LaGrange, Georgia, in the United States. The results reveal distinct interpretations of the initiative by different actor groups (the government, the service providers, socioeconomically advantaged residents, and socioeconomically disadvantaged residents), at different stages of implementation, pointing to tensions among the various groups. These tensions reflect the structural problems embedded in the macro political, economic, and societal context. The findings offer insights for policymakers who intend to achieve universal broadband access.     

Habermas,emancipation, and relationship change: An exploration of recovery processes as a model for social transformation

Critical theory provides an opportunity for exploring the interaction between individual and social change. The aim of this article is to demonstrate how the recovery movement provides an instance of critical theory in action. Drawing from critical theorists, recovery movement literature, and interview data, this article examines points of comparison between the recovery movement and critical theory. Common core assumptions, including a reliance on systems theory and social constructionism, a rejection of positivism, notions of ‘distorted’ communication and self‐reflection, and the centrality of the family in social processes, are among the similarities examined.     

Experiential and self-discovery learning in digital literacy: Developing the discernment to evaluate source reliability

Abstract

In our modern digital and information-rich educational contexts, students are increasingly faced with conflicts between popular media and scholarly content. As a result, discerning source reliability can be considered as a key threshold concept in tertiary information literacy curricula. In this study, the author describes the development of an online tutorial designed to teach this threshold concept using experiential and self-discovery learning. Evaluation of students’ learning journeys as they progressed through the tutorial provided insight into students understanding of the concept of discerning source reliability. Therefore, the author proposes that this online tutorial is an effective pedagogical tool to help students develop their personal epistemology regarding source reliability.     

Can Government Support the Press? Historicizing and Internationalizing a Policy Approach to the Journalism Crisis

Although consensus has been reached that journalism is in crisis, few agree on the nature of its decline or the means of resolving it. After providing an overview of this ongoing debate, the author contextualizes the journalism crisis within several historical, political, intellectual, and structural processes that help highlight what is at stake and what can be done to support the journalism required for a democratic society in the United States. He concludes with an emphasis on normative considerations regarding the future of journalism and provides several policy proposals that aim to provide the resources necessary for a robust and independent press. These policies, he suggests, will help facilitate the transition from a failing commercial media system to a public-service model of the press.     

Kids,Television, and Violence

Aletha Huston Stein and Lynette Kohn Freidrich's Impact of Television on Children and Youth (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1975—$2.50, paper)

M.S. Heller and S. Polsky's Studies in Violence and Television (New York: Research Services Division of American Broadcasting Company, 1976—apparently free on request to researchers, paper)     

Being Critical: Contesting Power within the Misinformation Society

This essay considers the meaning of “being critical.” Specifically, it considers how critical scholarship might aim to demystify and contest dominant power arrangements. First I situate my own work within a specific critical tradition and then I discuss the critical scholar's role in society more broadly. I draw from some of these attributes to conclude with a general proposal for a potential project focused on misinformation that may appeal to critical scholars from diverse theoretical backgrounds.