Parameter Estimation in Rasch Models for Examinee‐Selected Items

The examinee‐selected‐item (ESI) design, in which examinees are required to respond to a fixed number of items in a given set of items (e.g., choose one item to respond from a pair of items), always yields incomplete data (i.e., only the selected items are answered and the others have missing data) that are likely nonignorable. Therefore, using standard item response theory models, which assume ignorable missing data, can yield biased parameter estimates so that examinees taking different sets of items to answer cannot be compared. To solve this fundamental problem, in this study the researchers utilized the specific objectivity of Rasch models by adopting the conditional maximum likelihood estimation (CMLE) and pairwise estimation (PE) methods to analyze ESI data, and conducted a series of simulations to demonstrate the advantages of the CMLE and PE methods over traditional estimation methods in recovering item parameters in ESI data. An empirical data set obtained from an experiment on the ESI design was analyzed to illustrate the implications and applications of the proposed approach to ESI data.     

The Unique Contributions of Verbal Analogical Reasoning and Nonverbal Matrix Reasoning to Science and Maths Problem‐Solving in Adolescence

Relational reasoning, the ability to detect meaningful patterns, matures through adolescence. The unique contributions of verbal analogical and nonverbal matrix relational reasoning to science and maths are not well understood. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected during science and maths problem‐solving, and participants (N = 36, 11–15 years) also completed relational reasoning and executive function tasks. Higher verbal analogical reasoning associated with higher accuracy and faster reaction times in science and maths, and higher activation in the left anterior temporal cortex during maths problem‐solving. Higher nonverbal matrix reasoning associated with higher science accuracy, higher science activation in regions across the brain, and lower maths activation in the right middle temporal gyrus. Science associations mostly remained significant when individual differences in executive functions and verbal IQ were taken into account, while maths associations typically did not. The findings indicate the potential importance of supporting relational reasoning in adolescent science and maths learning.     

Taste and odor in conditioned flavor preference learning

Almond and peppermint extracts were combined with salt and citric acid as cues in conditioned flavor preference conditioning. In Experiment 1, extracts overshadowed tastes, although tastes and extracts conditioned equally well when presented in isolation. In Experiments 2 and 3, tastes and extracts were conditioned in isolation prior to conditioning of a taste/extract compound. The conditioning history of the tastes and extracts did not affect the overshadowing of taste by extract. The results of Experiment 4 showed that rats could learn to discriminate between a taste and extract presented in isolation vs. the taste/extract compound. Thus, extracts do not interfere with sensing the tastes. We suggest that a taste/extract compound produces a configural stimulus that is more characteristic of the extract than the taste.     

Community‐Based Art Education in China: Practices,Issues and Challenges

Art educators have been promoting Community‐Based Art Education (CBAE) in schools in order to enhance students’ sense of socio‐cultural identity and contextual learning about local art and culture. It cannot only bridge the gap between the students’ daily lives and the communities and art, but can also enhance their inquiry, discovery and meaning‐making abilities. In China, the community‐based approach plays a significant role in the National Standards for Visual Arts, and Chinese art educators have been applying CBAE in school art education for decades. However, Western art educators are still unfamiliar with the issues, practices and challenges related to CBAE in China owing to language constraints. In light of the above, this article aims to initiate a dialogue between Western and Chinese CBAE researchers through discourse and discussions on the main issues related to CBAE in Chinese art education. It outlines current practices of, and issues related to, CBAE from the perspective of Chinese art education. It also discusses the three major challenges to the implementation of CBAE in China, namely the conflict between indigenous knowledge and official knowledge in the school art curriculum, lack of motivation among teachers, and neglect of context in the practice of local art in schools. It is hoped that this article it will enrich our overall knowledge of CBAE and contribute to the understanding of CBAE from a global perspective.     

Quality Improvement of Business Education in Romanian Universities: The Student as Customer and Client

This study frames the quality transition of Romanian business education embracing the role of students as clients and customers. In the first part of the study, responses from ninety‐four fourth‐year Romanian students provided a statistically significant gap between the level of importance of business competences and their level of preparation. The second part used content analysis to establish four major improvement themes: 1) new course specification; 2) pedagogical modification using practical applications; 3) course delivery improvement; and 4) university‐directed field experiences. The findings support the notion that Romanian students provide reliable and unique assessments of their education.     

A Cognitive Learning Account of the Avoidance,Omission and Exaggerated Phenomena and Expressions in Young Adolescents’ Drawings of the Human Figure in the Visual Culture Art Education Context

It is common in the everyday art class to find many examples of avoidance, omission and exaggeration in young adolescents’ depictions of the human figure. When students depict sophisticated human images, they make every effort to avoid the difficult parts, and some students tend to exaggerate the size or distort the shape of the human image. Art educators see these types of behaviour and modes of expression as unnatural, and claim that they may hinder the development of the creativity of young adolescents. Relevant discussions in the literature from a psychological perspective are mainly concerned with the negative impact of such behaviour and modes of expression on the formation of young adolescents’ identities. However, in the context of popular visual culture, the findings of recent studies on young adolescents’ comic drawings have suggested that when young adolescents draw comic characters, they use their everyday life experiences in their drawings. This article reports on a five‐year qualitative longitudinal study conducted in a Hong Kong secondary school. The aim of the study was to deepen our understanding of this behaviour on the part of adolescents in art classes. The findings of the study confirmed the view that these aspects should be interpreted from a cognitive learning perspective. It is suggested that art educators reconsider these types of behaviour and modes of expression as a potential means for improving secondary students’ learning of the art of popular visual culture.     

Exploring the Affective Inner Experiences of Therapists in Training: The Qualitative Interaction Between Session Experience and Session Content

Thirty‐four 1st‐year counseling students recorded their inner experiences following a simulated counseling session. Using a qualitative collective case study approach to extract emotion from a large pool of inner experience, 6 judges identified samples of affect through a triangulation process using intensity, extreme, and critical case sampling and then coded them into naturally occurring core ideas and domains. Affective experiences in the inner experiences were found frequently and were often quite intense. Affect was verbally suppressed and was mostly not noticeable on the audiocassettes. Four predominant affective themes emerged from the inner experiences: anger/frustration, disappointment/regret, anxiety/fear, and happiness/excitement.     

The Effects of the Spacing of Test Trials and Study Trials in Paired‐association Learning

The learning effects due to test and study trials after the initial presentation were examined in a paired‐associate learning paradigm. In Experiment 1 both the spacing and retention intervals were systematically varied. The results showed advantages of spacing for both test and study trials. However, the spacing function of test trials interacted significantly with the retention interval. At a short retention interval, the second recall was a decreasing function of spacing and paralleled closely the initial recall. As the retention interval increased, the spacing‐of‐test function assumed an inverted U‐shape. Performance after repeated studies was on the average better than after test trials. Experiment 2 confirmed that when an initial presentation was followed by two test trials, an increasing spacing interval between each successive test trial produced optimal long‐term performance. In the case where a second study trial was coupled with a test trial, a pattern with equal interval length was better than other spacing patterns. The proportion of test trials of the study list was also varied among groups of subjects. A higher proportion of test trials resulted in better final recall.     

SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE,MATRICULATION GRADES,AND GROUP INTERVIEW AS PREDICTORS OF PERFORMANCE IN NURSING SCHOOL

This study examines the predictive validity of three commonly used nursing school admission indices, that is, scholastic aptitude test scores, matriculation grades, and evaluations of performance in a group interview situation, in a sample of 321 Israeli nursing school students. Grade point average, supervisor evaluation of clinical internship, and scores on a government certification exam served as primary indices of criterion performance. Whereas composite aptitude test scores correlated moder ately with both grade point average and certification exam scores, matriculation grades correlated negligibly with all three criterion measures. Group interview ratings correlated moderately with clinical performance, but negligibly with the remaining criteria. Aptitude test scores were not found to be biased predictors of criterion performance by ethnicity or social background. The implications of these findings for the selection of nursing school candidates in Israel are discussed.     

Relational‐Cultural Theory–Based Interventions With LGBTQ College Students

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community members can encounter daily challenges living in a heterosexist society, including the college milieu. The authors apply the tenets of relational‐cultural theory (RCT) to LGBTQ college students. Furthermore, a case study is included to highlight ways counselors can infuse RCT strategies when working with this population.