Frequent testing and personalized systems of instruction

This research compared course achievement in elementary statistics under Keller-plan Personalized Systems of Instruction and under other lecture methods of instruction incorporating only some of the basic components of Keller-plan teaching methods. The addition of content unitization and learning objectives to a lecture/midterm method resulted in course achievement below that found with Keller-plan methods. However, the addition of frequent testing (12 tests in a 14-week semester), content unitization, and learning objectives to a lecture method resulted in achievement at the same high level as achievement of students in a Keller-plan course. Both findings were replicated in two independent semesters. These results suggested that the achievement found in Keller-plan courses may be due to the frequent testing aspects of the mastery learning component of such methods and not to the personalization with proctors or allowance for individual rates present in Keller-plan methods.     

Socio-emotional connections: identity,belonging and learning in online interactions. A literature review

This review focuses on three interconnected socio-emotional aspects of online learning: interaction, sense of community and identity formation. In the intangible social space of the virtual classroom, students come together to learn through dialogic, often asynchronous, exchanges. This creates distinctive learning environments where learning goals, interpersonal relationships and emotions are no less important because of their ‘virtualness’, and for which traditional face-to-face pedagogies are not neatly transferrable. The literature reveals consistent connections between interaction and sense of community. Yet identity, which plausibly and naturally emerges from any social interaction, is much less explored in online learning. While it is widely acknowledged that interaction increases the potential for knowledge-building, the literature indicates that this will be enhanced when opportunities encouraging students’ emergent identities are embedded into the curriculum. To encourage informed teaching strategies this review seeks to raise awareness and stimulate further exploration into a currently under-researched facet of online learning.     

A Re-Conceptualization of Rogers' Core Conditions: Implications for Research, Practice and Training

Rogers' core conditions remain influential in international counselling practice despite decades of equivocal research findings regarding their effectiveness. It has been argued that ambiguity and lack of clarity in Rogers' (1957) original definitions is a major factor in the development of misunderstanding and multiple operationalizations of the core conditions for research and training purposes. This paper presents an innovative re-conceptualization of the core conditions based on social psychological models of attitude. It is argued that this model has the potential to integrate existing work from a range of perspectives and provide a framework for future research and development.     

The Style of Reading and Reading in Style

Adult read aloud book activities, including literature selections, have significant impact on children’s language learning opportunities. The style in which books are orally shared with children is also important. Detailed examination of adult-child book reading conversations has demonstrated a variety of teaching and learning approaches in the empirical and popular literature. Three of these approaches are included in this article: didactic-interactional, co-construction, and performance-oriented styles (Dickinson & Smith, 2004). Ten children’s books are reviewed and recommended.     

Higher education's role in educating the older worker

Educational programs for mature adults have become widespread in the past few years but still attract only a small minority of the potential older population. One approach to increasing enrollment is to gain access to older people through their place of employment. This offers the advantages of a captive group, clear objectives for the instructional experience, a supportive environment, and a substantial experience base on which to plan the instruction. European industrial training of older workers offers substantial insight and application to the U.S. and may prove a boon to both educators and employers.     

Understanding higher education access: Inequalities and early learning in low and lower-middle-income countries

Globally, access to higher education has increased, but inequalities by socio-economic background remain. This article explores the relationship between early schooling opportunities (and learning) and progression into higher education in four low and middle-income countries. We analyse data from the Young Lives longitudinal study, following cohorts of young people from age 5 to 22 in four country settings: Ethiopia, Peru, Vietnam and India. We reveal wide variability in higher education participation between the four countries, with a common pattern of a very strong association between early learning and later higher education participation, even after allowing for a range of demographic characteristics. Whilst early learning is important in predicting later higher education participation, we also find that significant barriers to higher education participation remain for low socio-economic status groups, even if they initially show good levels of learning. We track the trajectories of children who have initial good levels of learning, and hence arguably the potential to progress to higher education, and assess the extent to which socio-economic background plays a mediating role in these trajectories. Pupils with initially good levels of learning at primary school age, but who are from poor backgrounds, fall back in terms of their relative attainment during secondary schooling years. This implies that socio-economic status continues to be a barrier to educational attainment throughout these children’s lives. We discuss the implications of these findings for policy initiatives aimed at narrowing inequalities in higher education access in poorer countries.     

Response to crisis: A developer’s look at the importance of needs assessment to teacher educators in the design of computer literacy training programs

Few educators would argue the relevance or impact of microcomputers on teaching and learning environments. Microcomputers offer the opportunity for profound constructive change. They set the occasion for a reassessment of all that is important in education. Nowhere is this more evident than in Faculties of Education. A necessary precondition, though, to needs assessment, in particular, or curriculum development, in general, is control. This article urges that control be established through probing educationally significant groups to realistically determine attainable needs and to design programs to accomplish those needs.     

Revitalizing an Existing Honor Code Program

This article addresses academic integrity initiatives at a large research university. The article explains the rationale for the creation of the honor system office and its evolution to date. Data collected from academic violation cases during the program’s first two years are included. Pauline Melgoza is Assistant Professor and Physical Sciences Librarian at Texas A&M University. She received her B.S. and her M.S. from Texas A&M University and her MLIS from the University of North Texas. She was a member of the Academic Integrity Team and served two years on the Honor Council of the Aggie Honor System Office. Jane Smith is Assistant Professor and Education Reference Librarian at Texas A&M University. She received her B.S. from the University of Texas at Austin and her MLIS from Texas Woman’s University. Interests include information literacy, bibliographic instruction and faculty outreach.