General Media and Media-Related

William L. Rivers, Theodore Peterson and Jay W. Jensen's The Mass Media and Modern Society (Rinehart Press, $8.95)

Ronald T. Farrar and John D. Stevens' (eds.) Mass Media and the National Experience (Harper & Row, price not known (paper back))

Bernard Rosenberg and David Manning White's Mass Culture Revisited (Van Nostrand, both hardback and paperback at same time–price not yet known)

Wilbur Schramm (ed.) Process and Effects of Mass Communications (University of Illinois Press, details unknown)

The Steranko History of Comics (Supergraphics Publications, 501 Spruce St., Reading, Pa. 19602, $3.00 paperback)     

Reconceptualizing and Reexamining Suspense as a Predictor of Mediated Sports Enjoyment

Suspense is a driving force behind media entertainment consumption. However, previous explorations of the role of suspense in the enjoyment of mediated sports have not fully relied upon the richness of research from other genres. The current study seeks to correct this oversight by using the lens of fictional drama to reconceptualize and reexamine suspense as a factor in the enjoyment of sports programming. A total of 161 participants viewed and rated 1 of 7 men's basketball games. The results suggest that a measure of the unfolding nature of suspense is a stronger predictor of mediated sports enjoyment than those used previously.     

Teacher perceptions of an online tutoring program for elementary mathematics

This study explores elementary teacher perceptions related to the implementation of an online tutoring program. Teachers were surveyed regarding factors that affected use of the online tutoring program as a supplement to mathematics instruction. Results indicated that teachers overwhelmingly reported positive views of the training and support opportunities provided, as well as confidence in their level of knowledge and the ease of use of the program. Teachers also indicated strong support of the mathematical content and instructional value of the program. Each of these factors increases the likelihood that online tutoring programs such as the one implemented in this study will continue to be used among teachers as a supplement to mathematics instruction.     

Role of Significant Life Experiences in Building Environmental Knowledge and Behavior Among Middle School Students

Significant life experience research suggests that the presence of role models, time outdoors, and nature-related media foster pro-environmental behavior, but most research is qualitative. Based on a random sample of middle school students in North Carolina, USA, we found limited positive associations between presence of a role model and time outdoors with behavior and a negative association between watching nature television and environmental knowledge. The strongest predictors of environmental knowledge and behavior were student/teacher ratio and county income levels, respectively. We also found that Native Americans engaged in environmental behaviors more than Caucasians, and that African American and Hispanic students had lower levels of environmental knowledge. Accordingly, life experiences appear less important than promoting small class sizes and addressing challenges associated with lower incomes in schools.     

A case study of academic programme integration in the USA: andragogical,philosophical, theoretical and practical perspectives

The landscape of higher education is being transformed as challenges for greater efficiency, accountability, and economic viability challenge administrative and programmatic structures. Programmatic, administrative, and organizational realignment has emerged as one response to the challenge. This paper presents a case study which describes andragogical, philosophical, theoretical, and practical perspectives surrounding the restructuring and integration between Adult Education and Human Resource Development faculty of a large mid-western doctoral granting research institution, and the curricular development that resulted. Programmatic integration between compatible faculty units can result in efficient and effective design and delivery of curriculum that addresses the concerns of faculty, meets the changing needs of students, and responds to the demands of the changing landscape of higher education. In this case, realignment created an opportunity for the revitalization of faculty, programmes, and students.     

If You Build It and They Still Don't Come: Effective versus Successful Alternative Teacher Preparation

The continuing shortage of special education teachers, combined with increased ideological critiques of teacher education programs, has spurred the growth of alternative models of teacher preparation. Only recently have professional standards for alternative models been proposed. This paper summarizes two years of a program based on professional standards. External influences, internal design, and implementation elements are presented. Results suggest that there is value in distinguishing between the effectiveness of alternative programs and their success.     

Gifted and at risk: Four longitudinal case studies of post‐high‐school development

This study explored the subjective experience of post‐high‐school development in four gifted individuals considered at risk because of significant underachievement, depression, or family stress. Conflict with parents was a dominant theme in the language of three of the subjects, and resolution of that conflict appeared to be associated with developmental task‐accomplishment and improved academic motivation and emotional health. The process of differentiating from parents included exploring identity, finding career direction, and struggling with autonomy issues during extended education. The developmental stories of these individuals, largely in their own words, are situated in one transitional developmental period, and the narratives allude to sexual abuse, sexual orientation, relatively early marriage, or depression.