Other Foreign/International

Michael Balfour's Propaganda in War 1939-1945: Organizations, Policies and Publics in Britain and Germany (London and Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1979---$37.50)

Glen Fisher's American Communication in a Global Society (Norwood, N.J.: Ablex Publishing, 1979---$17.50)

Studies of Broadcasting (NHK Theoretical Research Centre, Radio & TV Culture Research Institute, Nippon Hoso Kyokai, 2-1-1, Atago, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105, Japan---apparently free on request, especially if you have some research of interest to exchange)

Eighteenth Report by the International Telecommunication Union on Telecommunication and the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (Geneva: ITU, 1979---5 swiss france, paper)

Robert N. Pierce's Keeping the Flame: Media and Government in Latin America (New York: Hastings House, 1979---$14.50/7.95)

Godwin C. Chu and Francis I.K. Hsu, eds. Moving a Mountain: 'Cultural Change in China (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1979--- $16.00)

Intergovernmental Conference on Communication Policies in Asia and Oceania (Paris: Unesco, 1979---limited distribution [whatever that means in practice] with no price given, paper)

Miriam Williford, Source Directory: Assistance to Third World Broaecasters (Ford Foundation, P.O. Box 559, Naugatuck, Conn. 06770---$5.95, loose-leaf binder)     

Assimilating newcomers into an organization: A cultural perspective

This study investigates the differences and similarities in communication practices between the public and private sectors. Through a survey of 976 government and corporate communicators, 12 organizational attributes previously identified in research on the government communication decision wheel (Liu & Horsley, 2007; Liu & Levenshus, 2008) were tested. The results indicated differences between the two groups in budgets, political influence, communication frequency, public pressure, interaction with other organizations, media coverage frequency, media coverage evaluation, and impact of legal frameworks as they relate to communication practices. No significant differences in diversity of publics, opportunities for professional development, participation in organizational leadership, or management support for communication between the two groups were found. The findings allowed for refinement of this developing model of government communication.     

Still thinking: The case for meditation with children

This paper argues the case for meditation with children. It seeks to define what meditation is, why it is important and how it can be practised with children. Meditation provides a good starting point for learning and creativity. It builds upon a long tradition of meditative practice in religious and humanistic settings and research gives evidence of its practical benefits. We need to help children find natural ways for body and mind to combat the pressures of modern living and to find better ways to help focus their minds on matters of importance. There are strong pedagogical reasons for including meditation as part of the daily experience of pupils of all ages and abilities. Meditation is a proven means for stilling the mind, encouraging mindfulness, and providing optimum conditions for generative thinking and reflection. This paper aims to encourage more experimentation and research into meditative practice with children.     

Assessing culturally sensitive factors in the learning environment of science classrooms

As schools are becoming increasingly diverse in their scope and clientele, any examination of the interaction of culturally sensitive factors of students' learning environments with learning science assumes critical importance. The purpose of this exploratory study was to develop an instrument to assess learning environment factors that are culturally sensitive, to provide initial validation information on the instrument and to examine associations between students' perceptions of their learning environments and their attitudes towards science and achievement of enquiry skills. A measure of these factors of science student's learning environment, namely the Cultural Learning Environment Questionnaire (CLEQ), was developed from past learning environment instruments and influenced by Hofstede's four dimensions of culture (Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism, and Masculinity/Femininity). The reliability and discriminant validity for each scale were obtained and associations between learning environment, attitude to science and enquiry skills achievement were found.     

Generating connections and learning with SemNet,a tool for constructing knowledge networks

In this paper we examine the impact of using a Macintosh-based knowledge organization toll SemNet, with prospective elementary and middle school teachers enrolled in an upper division biology course. The course models for students the ways in which they will be able to teach hands-on, minds-on science in K-8 classrooms and provides them with an in-depth understanding of a relatively small number of biology topics. This study examines changes in learning habits, metacognitive processes, retention, retrieval, and learring among students enrolled in this course. Students using SemNet tend to exhibit a significant increase in deep processing as measured by self-report. Also on the basis of self-report, SemNet students appear to acquire some cognitive skills that transfer to other courses, such as identifying main ideas and tying ideas together. SemNet students retained and retrieved nearly twice as much information about a topic, the digestive system, as a reference group. Although neither the SemNet nor the reference group exhibited transfer skills as we meansured them, there is evidence that SemNet student changed their thinking strategies.     

Cardboard Cities,Real Mathematics: Employing Quantitative Literacy to Study Gentrification in NYC

Abstract

Gentrification is a complex issue with very real repercussions for urban youth. Games make learning fun and provide a way for students to explore complex systems through recursive play. We describe a board game designed to help students explore ratios and proportional reasoning while simultaneously engaging the causes and effects of gentrification. Situated within a multidisciplinary first-semester learning community course, the game provides a model for later experiential learning opportunities as students are asked to study the effects of gentrification in one New York City neighborhood.     

Information processing interpretation of errors in college science learning

This article begins with a brief summary of mental models from the information processing perspective. A model of prototypical college learning is then presented. Next, some of the links between mental models and cognitive errors are examined. Finally, studies of one category of cognitive errors, misconceptions and preconceptions of college science students are reviewed. Six factors contributing to error production are identified: four involve spontaneous cognitive mechanisms (strong word associations; non-verbal, intuitive knowledge; tendency to minimize mental effort; untimely triggering of natural language processing mechanisms) and two involve imperfect knowledge (alternative belief systems; fuzzy concepts).