Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach and the Brokering of Learning Provision for Young Adults

This paper argues that Amartya Sen’s (Development as freedom, New York: Random House, 1999) concept of “capabilities” provides a useful framework for interpreting the brokering of learning provisions that emerged as a key feature of reforms to education and training in Queensland (Australia) for young people. Sen’s capability approach is presented as a way of understanding the place of vocational learning in capability deprivation and enhancement. Methodologically, this account comes from a case study of the reforms’ birthing and trial phases (2000–2006) (Harreveld and Singh 2007, Queensland’s education and training reforms for the future: the journey so far in senior phase learning. Brisbane, Qld: Department of Education, Training and the Arts). Evidence about the brokering of learning provision for young people comes from Queensland’s youth support coordinators, community mentoring scheme, flexible learning services and a work readiness program.

Sensitivity of pigeons to prereinforcer and postreinforcer delay

Delay between choice and receipt of reinforcement (prereinforcer delay) and delay between receipt of reinforcement and the next opportunity to choose (postreinforcer delay) were varied in a discretetrials choice paradigm using four pigeons. The pigeons consistently chose the reinforcer with the smaller prereinforcer delay. Variations in postreinforcer delay did not affect choice unless prereinforcer delays were equal. The results support previous findings that prereinforcer delays contribute disproportionately to the effects of rate of reinforcer access on choice in pigeons.     

Do PDAs enhance the organization and memory skills of students with cognitive disabilities?

The project studied the on‐time behavior of 35 students with intellectual disabilities (ID) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) under three conditions – times and tasks list, paper planner, and two different personal data assistants (PDAs). Students participated for two 4‐week periods, receiving one morning reminder during Period 1 and no reminders during Period 2. Students were on time more often using a PDA compared to a list (p < .024) or a planner (p < .002). Students were on time 50% more often in Period 1 with a single daily morning reminder as compared to no reminder across all conditions. When applying results, clinicians and researchers should note that only the alarm function prompting on‐time behavior was studied, and the influence of the small sample size and short time frame. Future researchers will find a framework for studying PDAs and cell phones with larger samples, over longer time periods, and with a wider range of functions. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Increasing interest in social studies: Social perspective taking and self-efficacy in stimulating simulations

This study examined the potential of simulations to bolster interest in middle school social studies classrooms. Using a pre–post-design, we examined 305 middle school students (49% female) who participated in the web-based GlobalEd simulation. In contrast to the motivation declines middle school students usually experience, participants in this simulation became more interested in social studies. We investigated four hypotheses as to why these increases may have occurred. We found no support for the possibility that, (a) students’ interest in a particular issue area or (b) their increased valuing of the subject matter, were related to their increased interest. However, results suggested that, (c) the challenging nature of the activity and (d) students’ increased propensity to engage in social perspective taking may have bolstered their interest in social studies. The discussion explores future research directions and whether implications for classroom teachers are warranted given the correlational nature of the research.     

Asian Indian American Children's Creative Writing: An Approach for Cultural Preservation

Many children from diverse cultures experience disconnectedness between their home and school. As they attempt to reconcile the conflicts among their multiple worlds, they must negotiate their situatedness in a variety of contexts, i.e., home community versus school, and construct a multifaceted identity. Absent support from school, Asian Indian American adolescents engage in acts of cultural preservation (CP), which, in turn, support their scholastic achievement. This article explores the thematic content of a group of Asian Indian American children's creative writing generated for the Kahani Project—a culturally contextualized version of Writers’ Workshop. In their texts, the six adolescents discuss the importance of their cultural traditions as tools to contest the various micro-aggressions they experience in school. Data from this study argue for cultural inclusion, not only for those at risk, but also for those students who successfully navigate a mainstream curriculum.     

PEDro: a physiotherapy evidence database

PEDro is produced by the Centre for Evidence-Based Physiotherapy (CEBP), located in Sydney, Australia. PEDro is intended to be used to gain "rapid access to bibliographic details and abstracts of randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews and evidence-based clinical practice guidelines in physiotherapy." This column will provide some background information on the database, as well as cover the basics of searching its content.     

The effects of electroconvulsive shock and sound-induced seizure on the retention of a passive avoidance response

SJL/J mice underwent one-trial passive avoidance training, followed immediately by either electroconvulsive shock (ES) or sound-induced seizure. Testing of the passive avoidance response occurred 72 h later. It was found that an ES-induced seizure, but not a sound-induced seizure, caused amnesia for the passive avoidance learning.