Social scholarship revisited: Changing scholarly practices in the age of social media

This conceptual exploration revisits a key question from earlier work (Greenhow & Gleason, 2014): What is scholarship reconsidered in the age of social media? Social scholarship is a framework that expanded Boyers’ (1990) conceptualization of scholarship to consider how social media affect discovery and research, teaching and learning, integration, and application. This paper critically reflects on how social scholarship continues to evolve in light of changing understandings in the field of educational technology and the role social media play in the academy. We provide recent examples of social scholarship such as altmetrics, interdisciplinary projects, crowdsourced educational technology syllabi and reconsideration of the needs of research participants. Moreover, we share concrete examples of how scholars might enact social scholarship, with what benefits and challenges, and surface new concerns regarding openness, equity, access, literacy, privacy and ethical considerations. Our paper concludes with recommendations for preparing scholars to enact social scholarship while mitigating the challenges it poses.     

Observations on the Definition of P-values

Many books define P-values in different ways, and it is generally assumed that these definitions are all equivalent. That this is not the case may come as a surprise, but we shall demonstrate here that some definitions of P-values are not even consistent with such rudimentary a procedure as specifying a critical region.     

Sex pheromones and aggressive behavior in male rats

Two experiments were performed to examine the relationships among the sexual cycle of the female, sex pheromones, and the agonistic behavior of male rats. Data suggest that the presence of an inaccessible sexually receptive female provokes increased intermale fighting. The present research investigated the possibility that a sex pheromone from the female mediates the change in male hostilities. In Experiment 1, a combination between-subject and within-subject design was used to expose half the males to the female by several sensory modalities. The other males were exposed to the female primarily by olfaction. In Experiment 2, a completely between-subject design was used to expose some males only to the soiled bedding of the female. The results suggest that olfaction is sufficient to increase the male’s aggressiveness in the presence of an estrous female, although additional sensory input, such as the female’s movements, may be necessary to produce the full aggression-inducing effect.     

Preference reversal and delayed reinforcement

Pigeons chose, in a two-key discrete-trial procedure, between 2- and 4-sec access to grain, with the larger amount always presented 4 sec later than the smaller. As the delay between the choice and the availability of the smaller reinforcement was varied from .01 to 12 sec, all subjects reversed preference from the small-early to the large-late reinforcement. The values of delay at which preference reversed were approximately consistent with the matching law as adapted for delayed reinforcement.     

Evaluation of education and training: What room for the comparative approach?

This article discusses the role and significance of comparative evaluation for improving education and training. It stresses that sound policy decisions require increasingly quantitative, as opposed to purely qualitative, measures of educational performance. These must, however be built on valid comparisons: so inter-country statistics should be interpreted with caution while statistical trends within a single country or region can prove most revealing. The article suggests avenues for further research and a summary of current evaluation activity is appended.

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Zusammenfassung In diesem Artikel werden Rolle und Bedeutung vergleichender Beurteilungen für die Verbesserung von Aus- und Fortbildung diskutiert. Betont wird, daß sinnvolle Zielsetzung immer häufiger quantitative statt rein qualitative Bildungsmaßnahmen erfordert. Diese müssen jedoch auf gültigen Vergleichen basieren; überregionale Statistiken sollten vorsichtig bewertet werden, während statistische Trends innerhalb eines einzigen Landes oder einer Region äußerst aufschlußreich sein können. Dieser Artikel zeigt weitere Forschungsmöglichkeiten und gibt eine Zusammenfassung gegenwärtiger Bewertungsmuster.

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Résumé Cet article examine le rôle et l'importance de l'évaluation comparative dans l'amélioration de l'éducation et de l'apprentissage. Il souligne que de saines décisions en matière de politique éducative nécessitent de plus en plus l'application de critères quantitatifs par opposition à des critères purement qualitatifs lors de l'évaluation des performances scolaires. Ceux-ci doivent néanmoins se fonder sur des comparaisons valables: les statistiques transnationales sont à interpréter avec prudence tandis que les tendances qui se dégagent des statistiques effectuées dans un certain pays ou une région particulière peuvent s'avérer tout à fait révélatrices. Cet article propose des perspectives pour une recherche plus poussée et comporte une annexe résumant les activités actuelles d'évaluation.

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Sumario En el artículo se discute el papel y significado de la evaluación comparativa en la mejora de la educación y la enseñanza. Se enfatiza que las decisiones políticas cabales requieren, cada vez más, mediciones cuantitativas, en oposición a las puramente cualitativas, del rendimiento educativo. Sus conclusiones, sin embargo, deben basarse en comparaciones valederas: las estadísticas de distintos países tienen que interpretarse, al confrontarlas, con mucha cautela, mientras que aquellas relativas a un mismo país o región son más fiables y reveladoras. El artículo propone vías de investigación suplementaria e incluye un resumen de las actividades evaluatorias actuales.

     

Characteristics of a cognitive tool that helps students learn diagnostic problem solving

Three related studies replicated and extended previous work (J.A. Danielson et al. (2003), Educational Technology Research and Development, 51(3), 63–81) involving the Diagnostic Pathfinder (dP) (previously Problem List Generator [PLG]), a cognitive tool for learning diagnostic problem solving. In studies 1 and 2, groups of 126 and 113 veterinary students, respectively, used the dP to complete case-based homework; groups of 120 and 199, respectively, used an alternative method. Students in the dP groups scored significantly higher (p = .000 and .003, respectively) on final exams than those in control groups. In the third study, 552 veterinary students responding to a questionnaire indicated that the dP’s gating and data synthesis activities aided learning. The dP’s feedback and requirement of completeness appear to aid learning most.     

The contribution of executive functions to naming digits,objects, and words

Although it is established that reading fluency is more strongly related to serial naming of symbols than to naming of isolated items (serial superiority effect), the reason for the difference remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of executive functions in explaining the serial superiority effect. One hundred seven Grade 6 Greek children were assessed on serial and discrete naming (digits, objects, and words), executive (inhibition, shifting, and updating) and non-executive tasks (simple choice reaction), and on a serial Rapid Alternating Stimuli task. Reading fluency correlated more strongly with serial naming than with discrete naming, consistent with the serial superiority effect. In hierarchical regression analyses, executive measures failed to account for variance shared between serial naming and reading fluency. In confirmatory factor analyses, including a discrete and a serial factor for the naming tasks, variance in the executive tasks not shared with simple choice reaction was not associated with the serial factor. Thus, the executive tasks failed to account for the serial superiority effect. The high correlation between the simple choice factor and the discrete naming factor suggests that method variance partially underlies the observed relationship between executive function tasks and word reading. We argue that the distinction between serial and discrete dimensions indicates that internally regulated cognitive control is crucial for the serial superiority in naming symbols and words.     

Guided self-management of transient information in animations through pacing and sequencing strategies

Learning with instructional animations may overstretch limited working memory resources due to intense processing demands associated with transient information. The authors investigated whether explicit instructional advice coupled with a task-specific learner control mechanism (such as a timeline scrollbar) could facilitate the successful self-management of transient information. The effectiveness of a timeline scrollbar that allowed self-pacing and self-sequencing of animations was compared with computer-controlled animations. Experiment 1 demonstrated that a timeline scrollbar (with instructional advice on its strategic use) enhanced the retention of stroke sequences in writing Chinese characters. In Experiment 2, a timeline scrollbar was used in an integrated set of narrated animations dealing with complex scientific information. Retention and comprehension post-tests indicated that although a scrollbar accompanied by instructional advice in its use assisted novice learners, no such effect was found with participants who possessed higher levels of prior knowledge. The findings have implications for the formulation of criteria for the effective incorporation of learner control into the design of instructional animations.     

Association Between Experienced Teachers’ NOS Implementation and Reform-Based Practices

The assertion that general reform-based science teaching practices (GRBSTPs) can facilitate nature of science (NOS) instruction has been mentioned in the literature, but rigorous and transparent empirical substantiation for this claim has not been made. This investigation empirically demonstrates an association between thirteen experienced teachers’ NOS implementation practices and their GRBSTPs. While effectively implementing GRBSTPs does not ensure the NOS will be taught, the findings show that these practices are associated with high levels of NOS instruction. In this study, teachers who implemented higher levels of reform-based practices were also observed to enact more instances of planned and spontaneous effective NOS instruction. Furthermore, these teachers were more likely to recognize and capitalize on NOS teaching opportunities when they unexpectedly arose in the context of their GRBSTPs. Just as NOS understanding must be assessed when determining factors associated with teachers’ NOS implementation, teachers’ GRBSTPs should also be empirically and transparently established to ensure they do not mask or confound other factors associated with NOS implementation.