Decision-making in big science—the development of the high-voltage electron microscope

This paper discusses the science policy implications of the development in the United Kingdom of one recent addition to the range of scientific instrumentation available to metallurgists and biologists — the High Voltage Electron Microscope.This case-study forms part of a larger study carried out at the R & D Research Unit, Manchester Business School for the Department of Education and Science, which is investigating the relationship between scientific techniques and fundamental research. The study shows the influence of prestige and competition as a stimulus towards the development, and concludes that the scale of such “Big Science” developments in this country, as the HVEM may well prove unjustifiable in relation to achieved or anticipated research and other benefits, and that in the future closer public scrutiny needs to be made of alternative funding policies in relation to anticipated benefits.     

Has this begun to change the way they think? Moving undergraduate learners’ level of reflection from where it is to where it needs to be

This paper documents the ongoing development of a framework for reflection for undergraduate learners new to the reflective process. Motivated by the gap between students’ abilities and experience of reflection and the expectations of them at undergraduate level, the author experimented with a variety of approaches over a number of years. After much trial and error, a three-step pyramid method loosely based on Mezirow's three stages of the reflective process has been meeting with some success and is presented here. Findings indicate that recognizing the limitations in novice practitioners ability to reflect effectively, and providing them with a practical framework of initial support can empower them and result in greater expression and confidence in their reflective journal writing.     

Indonesia's Small Schools Project: A fresh look at a persistent problem

The delivery of quality education to elementary school students in remote and isolated areas continues to be a major problem in most countries. Solutions to this problem should be inexpensive, easy to develop and implement, and straightforward enough for local educational officials and teachers to understand and use. The Small Schools Project of the Indonesian Ministry of Education is attempting to solve this problem through an imaginative programme unique in its provision of an interrelated group of educational interventions of proven effectiveness. These interventions are: self-paced learning modules covering basic subject matter areas, self-paced evaluation for the content covered, learning groups of six to eight students led by peer tutors, supportive rather than didactic teacher behaviours and regular teacher training sessions to impart these behaviours, active support from the community, repair of school buildings, a small number of carefully chosen supplementary materials, larger teaching staffs, planning which integrates a variety of government offices at different levels, cooperative arrangements with universities and teacher training high schools, continuous formative evaluation, and a handbook which describes programme materials, policies and procedures. Preliminary evaluation indicates that the programme is succeeding. The problems of educating isolated youth are strikingly similar across cultures and temporal periods, and given the universality of this problem, other imaginative solutions should be studied and the results of these studies disseminated.

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Zusammenfassung Für die meisten Länder ist es immer noch ein Schlüsselproblem, Elementarschülern in abgelegenen und isolierten Gegenden Unterricht von angemessener Qualität zu erteilen. Lösungen dieses Problems sollten nicht kostspielig, einfach zu entwickeln und durchzuführen und für örtliche Erziehungsbeamte und Lehrer leicht verständlich und anwendbar sein. Das Kleinschulprojekt des indonesischen Erziehungsministeriums bemüht sich, dieses Problem durch ein phantasiereiches Programm zu lösen, das in seiner Vorkehrung einzigartig ist, Gruppen durch erzieherische Maßnahmen von bewährter Wirksamkeit miteinander zu verbinden. Diese Maßnahmen sind: selbstgesteuerte Bausteine, die Grundthemen der Gegenstandsbereiche abdecken, selbstgesteuerte Bewertung der Lerninhalte, Lerngruppen von sechs bis acht Schülern unter Leitung gleichaltriger Tutoren, ein Lehrerverhalten, das mehr anregend als belehrend ist und regelmäßige Fortbildungsveranstaltungen, um die Lehrer mit diesem Verhalten vertraut zu machen, aktive Unterstützung durch die Gemeinden, Ausbesserungen der Schulgebäude, eine geringe Anzahl sorgfältig ausgewählten, zusätzlichen Materials, größere Lehrerkollegien, eine Planung, die eine Vielzahl von Regierungsbehörden auf verschiedenen Ebenen, untereinander verbendet, Vereinbarungen zur Zusammenarbeit zwischen Universitäten und höheren Schulen zur Lehrerausbildung, fortgesetzte Bildungsbewertung und ein Handbuch, das Lehrmateriale, Richtlinien und Verfahren beschreibt. Eine Zwischenauswertung hat ergeben, daß dieses Programm erfolgreich ist. Die Probleme, isolierte Jugendliche zu unterrichten, weisen auffallende Ähnlichkeiten in verschiedenen Kulturbereichen und zu verschiedenen Zeitepochen auf. Angesichts der Universalität dieses Problems sollten andere phantasiereiche Lösungen untersucht und die Ergebnisse dieser Berichte verbreitet werden.

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Résumé Dispenser un enseignement de qualité aux élèves des classes élémentaires se trouvant dans des zones reculées et lointaines reste un grand problème dans de nombreux pays. Les solutions à ce problème ne doivent pas être onereuses, mais faciles à développer et à réaliser; elles doivent être assez simples à comprendre et à utiliser pour les administrations locales de l'éducation et les enseignants. Le Projet du Ministère de l'Education indonésien concernant l'école élémentaire vise à résoudre ce problème à travers un programme ingénieux et unique en son genre par l'offre d'un ensemble étroitement lié d'interventions éducatives d'une efficacité pédagogique reconnue. Ces moyens sont: des éléments pour l'auto-apprentissage couvrant les matières fondamentales; une auto-évaluation du contenu donné, des groups d'apprentissage de six à huit élèves avec des répétiteurs de même niveau, des enseignants adoptant un comportement plutôt d'assistance que didactique, des sessions régulières de formation des enseignants afin de transmettre ces comportments, un aide active des communes, la réparation des établissements scolaires, un petit nombre de matériels pédagogiques soigneusement choisis, un personnel plus nombreux, une planification qui intègre une quantité d'institutions publiques à différents niveaux, des arrangements prévoyant une coopération entre universités et écoles de pédagogie, une évaluation continue de la formation, et un manuel décrivant les materiels du programme, les buts et les procédés. Une première évaluation montre que le programme est prometteur. Les problèmes d'éducation des jeunes vivant dans des régions isolées sont très similaires à travers les différentes cultures et à travers tous les temps, ainsi, étant donné l'universalité de ce problème, d'autres solutions astucieuses devraient être étudiées et les résultats de ces études diffusés.

     

Child abuse in institutions: the case of day-care centers in Nigeria

The authors examine the day-care center in Nigeria as a potential locus for child abuse and neglect by reanalyzing the data from available studies which were originally designed to assess quality of care in centers and not child abuse or neglect. A slightly modified version of the categories of abuse and neglect, delineated by Giovannoni and Becerra, is employed. Preliminary results suggest that substance abuse, verbal abuse and aspects of physical neglect related to housing and cleanliness of the facility may be the categories where research should be focused. The authors note the lack of normative data with reference to determining abuse and neglect in the Nigerian context.     

Preweanling handling influences open-field behavior,but not negative contrast or sucrose neophobia

Handling of preweanlings (Days 2–15) had substantial effects on the open-field behavior of rats when tested as adults. In general, handled rats reared more, ambulated more, and defecated less than nonhandled rats. However, the handling manipulation had no effect on the degree of negative contrast that occurred when rats were shifted from 32% to 4% sucrose. Experiments 2 and 3 showed that preweaning handling did not influence sucrose neophobia in two different test situations. These data, in conjunction with those of other studies, suggest that preweaning handling may have powerful but limited effects on adult behavior, and that these effects are probably not best characterized in terms of global concepts such as emotionality.     

Effects of witness characteristics on the perception and reportage of child abuse

Vignettes depicting the physical mistreatment, psychological mistreatment and neglect of children were used in an experimental design to test for bias in perception and reportage of child abuse. Subjects were 160 jurors and 176 child protective service (CPS) and police personnel. Jurors born before 1945 were less critical of such mistreatment than those born later. Female jurors pledged to report mistreatment more often than did male jurors, and they pledged to report the abuse of a female victim more often than a male victim. The other groups did not show this bias in reporting. Findings might explain discrepancies between studies of the incidence of child abuse and reportage of it.     

Developmental trends in eating rates of normal and overweight preschool children.

Eating rates (bites per interval) and other meal behaviors (number of chews, sips, talks with a neighbor, and chews per bite) were observed for 30 normal and 30 overweight white preschool children in their school cafeterias. Children were classified according to weight (overweight or normal), age (1 1/2--2 years, 3--4 years, or 5--6 years) and sex. Analysis of variance revealed that overweight preschool children demonstrated a somewhat higher rate of distinctly fewer chews per bite. Boys showed increasing chew rates with increasing age. Talk rates also increased with age but were unrelated to sex or weight status. Sip rates were not significantly associated with age, sex, or weight status. These results support the hypothesis that overweight persons are characterized by an increased eating rate and show that it is apparent even around the time of first self-feeding.     

Measuring the quality of e‐learning

This paper shows how concept mapping can be used to measure the quality of e‐learning. Six volunteers (all of them 3rd‐year medical students) took part in a programme of e‐learning designed to teach the principles of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Their understanding of MRI was measured before and after the course by the use of concept mapping. The quality of change in individuals' maps was assessed using criteria developed to distinguish between meaningful and rote‐learning outcomes. Student maps were also scored for evidence of conceptual richness and understanding. Finally, each map was compared directly with the content of the electronic teaching material. The results show that many of the student misconceptions were put right in the course of their learning but that many of the key concepts introduced in the teaching were ignored (or sometimes learnt by rote) by the students. This was because the teaching material locked these new ideas in structures and terminology that precluded meaning‐making among non‐experts. Our data suggest that students' prior knowledge is a key determinant of meaningful learning. We suggest that this must be acknowledged if the design and use of electronic teaching material is also to be meaningful. Ultimately, measures of student learning are the only authentic indicators of the quality of teaching through technology.     

Adolescent sexual risk behaviors and school‐based sexually transmitted infection/HIV prevention

Many adolescents are susceptible to negative outcomes associated with sexual behavior. This is particularly true for those who initiate sexual intercourse at an early age, have many sex partners, or engage in unprotected sex because these behaviors put one at risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. This article reviews the various demographic, social‐contextual, and intrapersonal factors linked to sexual risk behaviors. Successful STI/HIV prevention programs must consider developmental and gender issues, as well as cultural norms and values, to effectively meet the prevention needs of all adolescents. We discuss the characteristics of effective intervention programs and provide the names and key features of empirically validated, school‐based STI/HIV prevention programs. In addition, we recommend specific roles for school psychologists in STI/HIV prevention efforts. Finally, other resources are provided to assist practitioners in their continuing review of STI/HIV prevention education. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.