Measuring the Diversity Inclusivity of College Courses

Most studies of curricular diversity have focused on the effects of participation in diversity courses on student outcomes. Though the results have been positive, these studies have used limited measures of curricular diversity and there is a great need for a complimentary body of research demonstrating what faculty and what types of courses are more likely to include diversity. This study relies on 12 diversity inclusivity items derived from a comprehensive model of how diversity is included into a course to investigate how much diversity is being included in collegiate courses and what predicts diversity inclusivity, as measured by two scales: diverse grounding and inclusive learning. The results, based on 7,101 responses from faculty participating in the 2007 Faculty Survey of Student Engagement, suggest that most faculty are including diversity in their courses in some way, but that women and faculty of color tend to include diversity to a greater extent than their colleagues. Also, courses taught in the soft fields are more likely to be inclusive of diversity.     

Gender Gaps in Collegiate Teaching Style: Variations by Course Characteristics

Using data from over 9,000 faculty members that participated in the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), this study examined the moderating role a range of course characteristics played on the effects of gender on the percentage of class time spent on various activities, a measure of teaching style. Results revealed gender differences, but that the gaps between men and women in lecturing and active classroom practices varied by disciplinary area, course level, and the number of times a course had been taught by the same instructor. The results confirm that gender effects depend on context, which implies that efforts to improve teaching and learning must also adapt to the instructional context.     

How medical practice evolves: Learning to treat failing hearts with an implantable device

In this article we propose that medical practice evolves as a result of progress along three different pathways: improvement in the ability to develop effective medical technologies, learning in medical practice, and advances in biomedical scientific understanding of disease. The relative importance of these three pathways varies from case to case, and often they interact strongly. More specifically, we argue here that in cases of therapeutic innovation where a new medical technology is involved the advance in medical practice is driven largely by the ability to develop and use effective medical artifacts and the interactive sequence among these interdependent pathways often starts with what is learned in practice and not in science. While we state this argument in general, we develop it in detail in a longitudinal and contextual case study of the emergence and evolution of a treatment for advanced heart failure based on an implantable device, the Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD). Our findings show that an essential aspect of the evolution of the LVAD therapy is collective and cumulative learning that requires experience that only can be gained through the actual use of LVADs. We discuss the theoretical and policy implications that follow from our understanding of how medical practice evolves for research on the evolution of medical practices and new medical technologies, and policies about the evaluation of rapidly moving medical practices and clinical research involved in their advancement.     

How full is your luggage? Background knowledge of zoo visitors regarding sharks

For the general population, sharks have a reputation that does not really fit with their biological and ecological nature. Informal surveys often classify sharks as dangerous, aggressive and/or man-eaters. This apparent common knowledge seems difficult to detach from the conscience of many worldwide zoo visitors, even with the help of shark-focused educational programmes. As so, how can zoos and aquariums contribute to a change in this paradigm? Are the education and conservation strategies effective to the average zoo visitor? In this study, young visitors’ perceptions regarding sharks were assessed with the goal of identifying a valid Learning Progression, thus helping to update and develop different and more effective educational strategies and methodologies. The study took place at Zoomarine, an oceanographic park located in southern Portugal, with visitors aged between 8 and 16. A case study was conducted using a qualitative research approach (drawings and interviews) resulting in a Learning Progression Hypothesis. The proposed Learning Progression is composed of three knowledge levels for the participants’ biological perceptions regarding sharks. The results of this study showed a clear predominance of anthropomorphic and anthropocentric visions, as well as a utilitarian view of sharks and ecosystem, thus conditioning the visitors’ epistemological knowledge.     

Job Analysis for Lkensure and Certfication Exams: Science or Politics?

How might empirical j o b analysis give the appearance of science to a flawed public policy? How do “political” factors have an impact on the development of licensure tests? What are areas for future research and for improvement of prevailing practices in licensure and certification testingy?