Effects of the HELPS Reading Fluency Program when Implemented by Classroom Teachers with Low‐Performing Second‐Grade Students

The Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies (HELPS) Program was developed by integrating eight evidence‐based fluency‐building instructional strategies into a systematic program that can be feasibly implemented and accessed for free by all educators. This study examined the effects of HELPS when implemented by teachers with low‐performing second‐grade readers. Findings showed that students receiving HELPS significantly outperformed control group students across five measures of early reading, with effect sizes ranging from medium to large. Previous research indicated positive effects for students receiving HELPS, but this was the first study in which HELPS was implemented by classroom teachers (opposed to research assistants) and solely with low‐performing readers. Implications of these findings and future research directions are discussed.     

科技创新中心的人才建设从基础开始:德国中小学创新教育的启示——著名“战略大师”、德国罗兰贝格管理咨询有限公司创始人罗兰·贝格专访

创新教育是指为迎接知识经济时代的挑战,以培养学生创新精神、创新能力、批判性思维为基本价值取向的教育。围绕习近平同志提出希望上海"加快向具有全球影响力的科技创新中心进军"的要求,上海对于"全球科技创新中心城市应具有哪些特征和内涵"、"如何建设具有全球影响力的科技创新中心"进行了研讨和筹划,许多专家指出,培育具有创新素质的人才是建设科技创新中心城市的基本内涵之一。2014年10月举行的浦江创新论坛以"协同创新、共享机遇"为主题,本刊特约记者在论坛上就全球创新中心城市建设与中小学教育中的创新教育、德国中小学的创新学习与创新教育(Kreatives Lernen & Innovative Lehr)对罗兰贝格教授进行了专访。     

Time limits in testing: An analysis of eye movements and visual attention in spatial problem solving

Individuals with an aptitude for interpreting spatial information (high mental rotation ability: HMRA) typically master anatomy with more ease, and more quickly, than those with low mental rotation ability (LMRA). This article explores how visual attention differs with time limits on spatial reasoning tests. Participants were assorted to two groups based on their mental rotation ability scores and their eye movements were collected during these tests. Analysis of salience during testing revealed similarities between MRA groups in untimed conditions but significant differences between the groups in the timed one. Question‐by‐question analyses demonstrate that HMRA individuals were more consistent across the two timing conditions (κ = 0.25), than the LMRA (κ = 0.013). It is clear that the groups respond to time limits differently and their apprehension of images during spatial problem solving differs significantly. Without time restrictions, salience analysis suggests LMRA individuals attended to similar aspects of the images as HMRA and their test scores rose concomitantly. Under timed conditions however, LMRA diverge from HMRA attention patterns, adopting inflexible approaches to visual search and attaining lower test scores. With this in mind, anatomical educators may wish to revisit some evaluations and teaching approaches in their own practice. Although examinations need to evaluate understanding of anatomical relationships, the addition of time limits may induce an unforeseen interaction of spatial reasoning and anatomical knowledge. Anat Sci Educ 10: 528–537. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.     

Interaction,Comprehension, and Instruction Usage

This article explores the learning of common practice in a community of agents. We focus on how learning occurs "out in the world," rather than on learning as it occurs in the classroom. The emphasis of this article is that much of the learning of practice is guided by comprehension processes. We take as prima facie evidence for this the ubiquitousness of instructions. We present a concrete model of the comprehension processes that occur when interacting with an unfamiliar device. An important focus is on the usage of instructions.     

College Media in the Classroom: An Innovative Approach to College Preparation

College preparation programs are ubiquitous among secondary schools, ranging from bridge programs and summer camps to STEM competitions. High school students have many options in preparing for the academic pressures of higher education. However, an area often neglected in college preparation programs is the teaching of interpersonal customs and norms of university life. High school students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, may enter college with little to no understanding of the social and organizational expectations of being a college student. This study tests a college preparation approach that utilizes college-themed media as a way to educate students on college life that is unintimidating and enjoyable. Six high school students were presented with various forms of fictional college story plotlines, including a movie, two television shows, and a novel. Through observational data and semi-structured interviews, findings showed that the students identified some valuable personal lessons about what it means to be a college student after consuming the media. The findings suggest that incorporating college media into college preparation programs in high school may provide a more holistic college preparation experience by demystifying college stereotypes and relieving some of the pressures that high school students face about what is waiting for them in college.     

A longitudinal,quantitative study of student attitudes towards audio feedback for assessment

This paper reports on the findings of a three-year longitudinal study investigating the experiences of postgraduate level students who were provided with audio feedback for their assessment. Results indicated that students positively received audio feedback. Overall, students indicated a preference for audio feedback over written feedback. No statistically significant differences were found between male and female students’ attitudes, suggesting that both sexes held similar attitudes towards audio feedback. Students also indicated a preference for audio feedback that was recorded simply and returned promptly over delayed, more sophisticatedly recorded and edited feedback.     

Cooperating Teachers' Perspectives Under Scrutiny: A comparative analysis of Australia and Canada

The ways in which cooperating teachers give shape and meaning to their work in practicum settings is one of the most critical elements of initial teacher education. This international comparison draws upon surveys of Australian and Canadian cooperating teachers. The global contrast highlights taken‐for‐granted assumptions in local settings that in some instances are cause for celebration and in other instances concern. The comparison of the two settings illustrates, among other things: some striking similarities in the profiles of cooperating teachers; important differences with respect to the cooperating teachers' preparation and remuneration for their role in practicum settings; and deeper complexities regarding the relationship between schools and universities.     

TEACHING RESEARCH IN GERONTOLOGY: TOWARD A CUMULATIVE MODEL

In this article, we consider different approaches to teaching research methods in gerontology across a continuum of educational program levels. Our goal is to offer a conceptual framework and stimulate productive discussion of key issues and challenges in teaching research in gerontology. It is our belief that education in gerontology should include some level of training in research methodologies across all levels of gerontology instruction. Therefore, we have sought to identify those components of research training most appropriate for each level of gerontological education. Thus, basic understanding of research methods is appropriate at the associate's degree level and introductory exposure to basic issues involved in conducting research with elders provides a necessary backdrop to undergraduate programs. More in-depth understanding of gerontological research methods, particularly those involved in applied research, is a component of quality master's level programs. Finally, in-depth knowledge and the ability to apply distinctively gerontological research methods are necessary for conducting advanced original research at the doctoral level.     

Things Fall Apart and Come Together: Using the Visual for Reflection in Alternative Teacher Education Programmes

In this article, we focus on the use of the visual for reflection in ‘alternative’ pre‐service teacher education and, in particular, we address the question: How and what can we learn about teacher education using the visual? By way of illustration, we focus on the use of pre‐service teachers’ photographs in a public exhibition, participatory video documentary production and pre‐service teachers’ use of photographs in their professional teaching portfolios. The article draws from research done in relation to three alternative pre‐service teacher education projects based at McGill University in Canada and the University of KwaZulu‐Natal in South Africa.