The organisation of academic knowledge: A comparative perspective

How is academic knowledge organized? Does thisvary from country to country, and, if so, how?This paper explores these questions through anexamination of some of the data included in theCommonwealth Universities Yearbook 2001.In particular, an analysis is presented of thedifferent names given to basic academic units(departments, schools and/or faculties) inAustralia, Nigeria and the United Kingdom.Evidence is provided regarding forms ofinstitutional organization, and of the varyingstrength of different disciplines or fields ofstudy.     

Does speed matter? A comparison of the effectiveness of fluency and discrete trial training for teaching noun labels to children with autism

This study used an alternating‐treatment design to compare the efficacy of discrete trial training (DTT) with fluency training (FT) for the acquisition, stimulus generalization, and retention of noun labels in children with autism. Four elementary‐age students diagnosed with autism were taught to expressively label nouns using a DTT format and a FT format. A between‐treatments comparison of the total number of nouns retained at 6 weeks post intervention was also conducted to compare retention. The results of this study showed that FT was superior to DTT in all of these areas. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The effects of antecedent physical activity on the academic engagement of children with autism spectrum disorder

A multiple baseline design was used to examine the effects of participation in antecedent physical activity on the academic engagement of four elementary‐school children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The results indicated large effect sizes for academic engaged time for all four students. It was suggested that physical activity in the form of something as simple to implement as jogging may be efficacious in promoting academic achievement for students diagnosed with ASD. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Discourse communities: A framework from which to consider professional development for rural teachers of science and mathematics

This paper explores aspects of professional development for teachers of science and mathematics in schools in rural Australia. The study identified a range of issues including tensions between government, school and individual professional learning priorities and their respective responsibilities; the shaping of professional development by rurality; and issues of generic versus subject-specific professional learning. The paper will focus on the needs of teachers, particularly secondary teachers, for subject-specific professional development and the capacity of different professional development approaches for satisfying these needs. The notion of discourse communities is proposed as a framework for considering this issue.