Assessing the cognitive demands required of students in class discourse,homework assignments and tests

An important question which is often overlooked addresses the nature and quantity of higher‐order thinking activities when teachers are not explicitly ‘teaching for thinking’ but rather acting and behaving routinely. This study investigates the scope and nature of tasks demanding students’ application of higher‐order thinking skills while studying biology in junior and senior high schools in Israel. The method used is the collection and analysis of questions asked by teachers during classroom discourse, in homework assignments and in tests. The main findings show: (a) that the frequency of higher‐order thinking questions in biology class discourse in Israel is approximately 20%; (b) that the cognitive level of teachers’ questioning in HS is higher than in JHS; (c) that the matriculation exam has a strong influence on tests given by teachers; and (d) that while inquiry questions permeated HS testing they are less salient in HS class discourse, indicating the need for remedial treatment which should include the integration of more inquiry‐oriented pedagogies into classroom practice.     

Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Tour Thesis,Book, or Article.

Underlined by the belief that teachers' critical awareness of their actions is a vital issue in education, this study examines the insights that evolved from a long-term collaboration among seven doctoral students. To prepare for our comprehensive examinations, we collaborated as a study group for one and one-half years. Adopting the dual roles of listener-researcher and narrator-participant, we engaged in dialogue and narrative to convey to each other the meaning of our collaborative experiences. From grounded theory analysis, four elements of collaboration emerged: logistics, social dynamics, empowerment, and change. In order to convey the meaning of our experiences, we create a multiplicity of meanings based on our diverse and lived personal narratives. Finally, our collaborative process challenges academic administrations to examine how well their current policies encourage personal autonomy and cooperative learning approaches for students involved in preparing for their comprehensive examinations.     

Can Inquiry and Reflection be Contagious? Science Teachers, Students, and Action Research

This study reports the transformations of 3 science teachers who conducted action research projects following a model, unique to our graduate program, which follows the theoretical tenets of adult and transformative learning theory. Teachers video their teaching, engage in weekly peer group collaborative reflection sessions, collaborate with students, and consult with other sources to identify goals for improving their teaching practices, develop action plans, and analyze the results of their actions. As a result of this process, all 3 teachers changed their pedagogical approach from a teacher centered textbook driven approach to a student centered inquiry based approach. Implications of using this model as a powerful means of professional development for science teachers are explored.     

Web 2.0 use by librarians

The current research explores whether librarians, whose main work focuses on information, are familiar with new technological changes and innovations, and whether they make use of different Web 2.0 applications. The research examines whether personality characteristics (resistance to change, cognitive appraisal, empowerment and extroversion or introversion), as well as computer expertise, motivation, importance and capacity towards studying and integrating different applications of Web 2.0 in future, influence librarians' use of Web 2.0. Different questionnaires were distributed to 168 randomly Israeli librarians throughout the country. The research revealed that personality characteristics as well as computer expertise, motivation, importance and capacity towards studying and integrating different applications of Web 2.0 in the future, influence librarians' use of Web 2.0. These findings have theoretical as well as practical implications.     

Librarians and information scientists in the blogosphere: An exploratory analysis

Blogging, though a relatively new phenomenon, has already gained greatly in popularity, and blogs have become an essential information channel in the Web 2.0 information world. Research into 30 topic-oriented blogs dealing with librarianship and information science, focusing specifically on tagging and folksonomies, was conducted over a period of two months. The purpose of the analysis was to describe and classify the LIS blogosphere, with the purpose of understanding the tagging patterns of librarian and information scientist bloggers and the nature of the folksonomies they form. Findings indicate that professional LIS blogs reflect the most up-to-date interests of LIS professionals as well as bloggers' personal lives and experiences. Content analysis reveals that the tag schemes generated by users contain their own internal logic and order.     

Dietary supplements

For the athlete training hard, nutritional supplements are often seen as promoting adaptations to training, allowing more consistent and intensive training by promoting recovery between training sessions, reducing interruptions to training because of illness or injury, and enhancing competitive performance. Surveys show that the prevalence of supplement use is widespread among sportsmen and women, but the use of few of these products is supported by a sound research base and some may even be harmful to the athlete. Special sports foods, including energy bars and sports drinks, have a real role to play, and some protein supplements and meal replacements may also be useful in some circumstances. Where there is a demonstrated deficiency of an essential nutrient, an increased intake from food or from supplementation may help, but many athletes ignore the need for caution in supplement use and take supplements in doses that are not necessary or may even be harmful. Some supplements do offer the prospect of improved performance; these include creatine, caffeine, bicarbonate and, perhaps, a very few others. There is no evidence that prohormones such as androstenedione are effective in enhancing muscle mass or strength, and these prohormones may result in negative health consequences, as well as positive drug tests. Contamination of supplements that may cause an athlete to fail a doping test is widespread.