A Peircean Socio-Semiotic Analysis of Science Students’ Creative Reasoning as/Through Digital Simulations

Research in Science Education - In science education, there is a now established focus on fostering students’ meaning making through/as multimodal representations as part of their induction...     

Changing Children's Overt Behaviour Related to Self‐esteem by the Use of Behaviour Modification

Abstract The experiment was designed to monitor the effects of behavioural techniques upon the frequency of positive self‐referent verbal statements (PSRVS) and on overt behaviours considered to be related to global self‐esteem. Fourteen maladjusted boys aged 10‐12 years were randomly assigned to an experimental and control group to monitor the effect of procedures to enhance the frequency of PSRVS. Both groups experienced extraction procedures and rewards but only the experimental group received modelling, instruction and contingent rewards. An ABCDA design demonstrated a very substantial and significant increase in PSRVS within the experimental group over the treatment period and provided some evidence for a generalisation effect on return to baseline and in the follow‐up period. A post‐experiment analysis of teacher ratings of the pupils on the Behaviour Rating Form (BRF) showed a significant difference in favour of the experimental group.     

Come home to college

Because of new applications of telecommunications, especially television, adults today have increasing flexibility in taking advantage of college courses in the privacy and convenience of their homes. The quality of courses has improved greatly in the last few years, and they are available in a variety of subject areas. Today's television courses are carefully designed and produced by teams of leading scholars and producers. Most of the country's public televison stations broadcast one or more television courses, each semester. In addition, many are broadcast on local cable channels. Most of the students for television courses are older than traditional college students, female and employed. They view the television courses at home. In the future, the personal computer can be expected to add new dimensions and flexibility to homebased college education.     

Towards a Theory of Aesthetic Learning

D.H. Hargreaves's “traumatic theory of aesthetic learning” is reviewed in the light of research on educational events in the areas of creative writing and drama. If the full educational benefits of conversive drama are to be realised, they have to be seen within the context of more gradual cumulation of skills and knowledge. Before the trauma, students are prepared by confidence‐building, having their sensitivities sharpened, abilities encouraged, and acquiring control and power of expression. During and after the trauma there is considerable personal development, students discovering new things about themselves, maturing, and in some cases being transformed. They acquire more of the art of learning, involving skills of both expression and appreciation. There is also notable social development, resulting in the experience of communitas, wherein participants rise above institutional structures and statuses and develop exceptional community spirit. Above all, conversive trauma excites the emotions, at first in uncontrollable ways, but the educational experience involves the individual coming to terms with, and understanding, the disturbance. A theory of aesthetic learning is advanced involving a constructivist teaching style, charismatic personal qualities, naturalistic context, co‐operation, appropriate content, and grounded and open enquiry.