Communication aids in the classroom: the views of education staff and speech and language therapists involved with the Communication Aids Project

The findings presented in this paper are part of an independent evaluation study of the Communication Aids Project (CAP). The study was carried out between July 2003 and April 2004 and looked at the impact of CAP on children receiving communication aids and evaluated the CAP strategy of assessment and delivery. In this paper the views of education staff and speech and language therapists who were working with communication aid users in school are presented. The professionals who were interviewed provided positive feedback on the existence of CAP, on the assessment for the communication aid, particularly where the use of the aid in the classroom was considered, and on the children's increased participation in classroom and learning activities since receiving the aid. They also highlighted the issue of managing parents' expectations regarding the use of aids and the value of and need for continued training for professionals working with communication aids in the classroom. The authors of this article, Jannet Wright, senior lecturer, Chris Donlan, senior lecturer, Caroline Newton, lecturer, and Michael Clarke, lecturer, from University College London; Claire Lister, from the Institute of Child Health, London; and Jasmina Cherguit, assistant psychologist, draw upon their findings to develop recommendations for future policy, practice and professional development.     

From Partnership to Collaboration: aspects of theory and practice in the Welsh quality assessment methodology

This paper outlines the fundamental principles of the quality assessment method used in Wales. It describes how these principles may be put into practice, and provides case studies from actual assessments to substantiate them. The paper draws on experiences from two perspectives: that of a quality assessment manager who is responsible for employing the method, and that of senior member of staff with responsibility for quality assurance at an institution which has been assessed. Although the case studies concentrate on the experiences gained at the North East Wales Institute of Higher Education (NEWI), background material is drawn from across the Principality.     

Pictures in Books for Children at Key Stage 1: an analysis

The Department of Education and Science (DES) provided a graded list of books for pupils at Key Stage 1. These books tend to include pictures. Pictures have the potential to offer information which might be difficult to provide briefly or meaningfully in simple language. The pictures of the books on the DES booklist were analysed in order to gauge some aspects of their potential. It was found that, while most might serve as a second line of communication to facilitate the construction of meaning, they also fell into two distinct groups, one of ‘picture’ books and one of ‘word’ books. Writers and illustrators and those who select and grade books for young children might consider the attributes of word and picture together so that there is a smoother progression from one group to the other.     

Disagreement over the best way to use the word ‘validity’ and options for reaching consensus

The ability to convey shared meaning with minimal ambiguity is highly desirable for technical terms within disciplines and professions. Unfortunately, there is no widespread professional consensus over the meaning of the word ‘validity’ as it pertains to educational and psychological testing. After illustrating the nature and extent of disagreement, we consider three options for reaching consensus: to eliminate its ambiguity by agreeing a precise technical definition; to embrace its ambiguity by agreeing a catchall lay usage; and to retire ‘validity’ from the testing lexicon.     

Problem-solving in a case-based course: Strategies for facilitating coached expertise

This paper proposes the use of specific coaching strategies to facilitate student use of expert-like problem-solving strategies while analyzing and solving instructional design case studies. Findings from an exploratory study, designed to examine changes in students' problem-solving skills as they analyzed case studies, suggested that students could show expert characteristics at times, under some circumstances, but did not perform like experts on a regular basis. At two midwestern universities, 37 students analyzed 6 to 10 case studies both in class and in on-line discussions. Comparisons were made both within and across students, as well as across time, to examine patterns and changes in student problem-solving approaches. Findings suggested that primary influences on the incidence of expert performance were more external than internal and might be more aptly characterized as “coached expertise”. Specific suggestions are included for coaching the development of student problem-solving skills within a case-based course.     

Primary teachers’ epistemological beliefs: some perceived barriers to investigative teaching in primary mathematics

A recent investigation of primary teachers’ epistemological beliefs concerning the teaching and learning of mathematics discovered that teachers’ beliefs cannot be said to form neat world views. Teachers’ hybrid world views often included epistemological beliefs that supported teaching approaches which evidence suggests leads to greater conceptual understanding of mathematics. Classroom observations and semi‐structured interviews with primary teachers suggested that although there is a desire to adopt an investigative approach, this is perceived to be largely incompatible with some of the requirements of the UK National Curriculum. Common potential barriers identified by teachers included: the volume of curriculum content they are required to cover, the limited time available to cover it, some working practices perceived to be associated with the current emphasis on teacher accountability and the current method of assessment by Standard Assessment Task tests (SATs). The findings are discussed in relation to challenges facing UK policy‐makers if an approach to teaching primary mathematics, which is known to support conceptual understanding, is to flourish.     

Illustrations for Children: depth perception and economy of style

A way in which some economical pictures for children will tend to be perceived incorrectly or inadequately as far as spatial depth is concerned is described. Some children's perceptions of depth in diagrams which varied in kinds and amounts of information on depth were investigated. It was found that an economical illustration style which includes information on depth is possible and that this provides a simple way of alleviating the shortcomings of such a style.