Ethics in educational technology research: Informing participants on data sharing risks

Participants in educational technology research regularly share personal data which carries with it risks. Informing participants of these data sharing risks is often only done so through text contained within a consent form. However, conceptualizations of data sharing risks and knowledge of responsible data management practices among teachers and learners may be impoverished—limiting the effectiveness of a consent form in communicating such risks in a manner that adequately supports participants in making informed decisions about sharing their data. At two high schools participating in an educational research project involving the use of technology in the classroom, we investigate teacher and student conceptions of data sharing risks and knowledge of responsible data management practices; and introduce a communication approach that attempts to better inform educational technology research participants of such risks. Results of this study suggest that most teachers have not received formal training related to responsibly managing data; and both teachers and students see the need for such training as they come to realize that their understanding of responsible data management is underdeveloped. Thus, efforts beyond solely explaining data sharing risks in an informed consent form may be needed in educational technology research to facilitate ethical self-determination.     

With Scale in Mind: A Continuous Improvement Model for Implementation

The conventional approach to scaling up educational reforms considers the development and testing phases to be distinct from the work of implementing at scale. Decades of research suggest that this approach yields inconsistent and often disappointing improvements for schools most in need. More recent scholarship on scaling school improvement suggests that these activities should be integrated into implementation, although this presents challenges in how we evaluate implementation in particular schools. This paper presents a framework to conceptualize implementation when design, implementation, and scaling up are integrated activities.     

TYPES OF HIGH ABILITY: HIGHLY ABLE CHILDREN WITH AN UNBALANCED INTELLIGENCE STRUCTURE

The present study focused on children (N=55) with a 12 point or greater difference between verbal IQ (VIQ) and performance IQ (PIQ) on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), with either value being higher than 120. There was a particular focus on those with 24 points or more difference. The control group included children with IQ over 110, but with less than 9 points difference between VIQ and PIQ (N=33). Relatively low VIQs were found in the group with very large discrepancies, and their school performance was in accordance with this result. The problem with the VIQ of this group seemed to be one of maturity. The findings also showed that the subscales are important in diagnosis; the Object Assembly subscale of the WAIS, for instance, has a particular function in the characterisation of hemispheric connections. It was concluded that the group of gifted children displayed right hemispheric dominance, and that differences in the direction of intelligence might influence cognitive style, field of interest and choice of profession. Caution is needed when using VIQ‐PIQ differences for diagnostic purposes, particularly in the case of children with high intelligence.

     

Logfile analyses of successful and unsuccessful strategy use in complex problem-solving: a cross-national comparison study

European Journal of Psychology of Education - The purpose of this study is to examine cross-national differences in students’ exploration strategies in a computer-simulated CPS (complex...     

The Nature of Science and Citizenship: a Delphi Analysis

Research in Science Education - The relationship between science and society has, for many years, been the subject of debate in different fields, and various proposals have been made regarding the...     

On the use of lexical stress in reading Spanish

This paper investigates whether or not lexical stress is used for lexical access in Spanish. A lexical decision task and a masking priming procedure were used to compare correctly-versus-incorrectly stressed words (e.g., técla-TECLA vs. teclá-TECLA). SOA (Stimulus Onset Asynchrony) was manipulated at 33, 66, 100, and 143 ms. The results showed that congruent condition was easier, but in 143 ms SOA only. Furthermore, while congruent condition did not differ from a control identity condition (e.g., tecla-TECLA) incongruent condition was slower, but in 100 and 143 ms SOA only. All these results suggest that stress affects lexical access at a late stage of lexical access processing. Reading models should be re-designed in order to include lexical stress as another phonological code which is used for reading.     

A questionnaire for listening to students’ voices in the assessment of teaching quality in a classical medical school

The purpose of this study was to develop a teaching quality assessment questionnaire and assess its reliability by using it with a sample of first‐year medical students. Principal components analysis with varimax orthogonal rotation resulted in the development of a 12‐item, two‐component tool, adequate for use in lectures and small‐group sessions. The two components were named ‘curriculum’ and ‘relationship’. The Cronbach coefficient alpha values indicated high reliability and internal consistency. According to the results obtained this teaching quality scale is a reliable measure and may be useful in identifying themes in disciplines and among teachers that may benefit from some professional development. Amongst its advantages is that it can be used with an optical reading tool.     

Patterns of theory use in qualitative research in higher education studies in Latin America: a geopolitical interpretation

The relationship between theory and qualitative research has been extensively examined in the literature and has emerged as a problematic matter. This debate has been driven forward mainly in Anglo-Saxon countries and has done scant justice to an understanding of these issues in regions of the South. This paper addresses this matter by drawing on a geopolitical perspective. The study here provides an analysis of 24 papers by Latin-American researchers in higher education, as included in the Web of Science between 2006 and 2015. Theories in Latin America are mainly produced in the North and exhibit two patterns: (i) critical perspectives are used to address local problems – ‘epistemic problematization’; and (ii) a nuancing of Northern theories so as to contextualize them – ‘epistemic nuancing’. Suggestions are also made for a new configuration of knowledge production in higher education studies – a model of knowledge from and for the South.     

The College Promise in Communities: Do Place-based Scholarships Affect Residential Mobility Patterns?

Research in Higher Education - Place-based scholarships within the College Promise movement reduce the cost of college for students in particular places and often include incentives for families to...