Curricular Differences and Unidimensionality of Achievement Test Data: An Exploratory Analysis

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a linear factor analytic method commonly used to investigate violation of the item response theory (IRT) unidimensionality assumption is sensitive to measurable curricular differences within a school district and to examine the possibility of differential item performance for groups of students receiving different instruction. For grades 3 and 6 in reading and mathematics, personnel from two midwestern school systems that regularly administer standardized achievement tests identified the formal textbook series used and provided ratings of test-instructional match for each school building (classroom). For both districts, the factor analysis results suggested no differences in percentages of variance for large first factors and relatively small second factors across ratings or series groups. The IRT analyses indicated little, if any, differential item performance for curricular subgroups. Thus, the impact of factors that might be related to curricular differences was judged to be minor.     

Using Film to Increase Counselor Empathic Experiences

The early stages of empathy in counseling—emotional reaction, role-taking, and cognitive suspension—have all been largely ignored in the counselor education/psychological literature. This article describes these stages from the perspective of the aesthetic/film literatures. Emotional reaction is an internal, unobservable state of being. Role-taking involves cognitive understanding and entering the perceptual world of another. Cognitive suspension means letting go of personal beliefs and values. The film literature describes how audience emotional states are created by directors, writers, actors, and editors. This article explains how counselor educators and supervisors can use this information to help counselors increase their empathic experiences.     

Death education--where is thy sting?

We are not free to choose whether anyone will learn about death, though we have some choice about how they will learn. The author discusses the basic questions that need to be answered in planning death education at any level, and the possible goals, in terms of cognitive gain, skills, and attitudinal objectives. Some principles in regard to teaching methods and evaluation are described, with illustrations from the experiences of medical students and others. It is important that the teacher should be able to deal with the problems that such programs may arouse. Cheap emotional arousal is easy to produce, but trivial, unless creatively used for a valued purpose and adequately resolved. Death is infinitely exploitable, and the growth of death voyeurism via "education" is alarming. The capacity to recognize and avoid being exploited or exploiting others must be one of our principle educational objectives.     

FLOSSWorld全球调查结果显示服务器更多使用开源软件

FLOSSWorld调查的主体由5部分构成,包括:个人(Private sector)、政府(Government sector)、开源社区参与者(Open Source participants community)、高校管理者(Heigher Education Institutes——Administrators)、高校信息部门主管(Heigher Education Institute——ITManagers)     

CONSUMER EVALUATION OF CHEMISTRY CURRICULA IN A NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY

This paper utilises consumer responses in evaluating certain aspects of a chemistry programme in a Nigerian University. It attempted to map out significant objectives of the programme, the courses most liked, courses least liked, and the qualities of these courses and their lecturers. All registered students in the programme made up the population of the study, out of which one hundred and eight returned usable questionnaires. The data set was analysed using means, standard deviations, and a likeness index. The significant objectives were those related to practical work, followed by those dealing with the world of work. The courses most liked were those with a high practical component while those least liked had a large theoretical background and/or called for many mathematical skills. The implications of the study are highlighted.