Using ProQuest Statistics as an Aid in Collection Development

This workshop provided an overview of using UMI's ProQuest statistics to measure journal use at Loyola University in New Orleans. The workshop demonstrated steps involved in gathering statistics and converting them to spreadsheets and it discussed how the resulting information can be used to assist collection development decisions.     

Early mathematics assessment: validation of the short form of a prekindergarten and kindergarten mathematics measure

In recent years, there has been increased interest in improving early mathematics curricula and instruction. Subsequently, there has also been a rise in demand for better early mathematics assessments, as most current measures are limited in their content and/or their sensitivity to detect differences in early mathematics development among young children. In this article, using data from two large samples of diverse populations of prekindergarten and kindergarten children, we provide evidence regarding the psychometric validity of a new theory-based early mathematics assessment. The new measure is the short form of a longer, validated measure. Our results suggest the short form assessment is valid for assessing prekindergarten and kindergarten children’s numeracy and geometry skills and is sensitive to differences in early mathematics development among young children.     

Use of an audience response system during peer teaching among physical therapy students in human gross anatomy: Perceptions of peer teachers and students

An audience response system (ARS) has become popular among educators in medicine and the health professions because of the system's ability to engage listeners during a lecture presentation. No one has described the usefulness of ARS technology during planned nonlecture peer teaching sessions in gross anatomy instruction for health professionals. The unique feature of each peer teaching session was a nongraded 12–15 item ARS quiz assembled by six second‐year doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students and purposely placed at the beginning of the review session for those first‐year DPT students in attendance. This study used a ten‐item questionnaire and a five‐point Likert scale in addition to three open ended questions to survey perceptions of both first‐year and second‐year DPT students about the usefulness of ARS technology implemented during weekly interactive peer teaching sessions during a semester course in Anatomy for Physical Therapists. First‐year students overwhelmingly acknowledged the ARS system permitted each student to self‐assess his/her preparedness for a quiz or examination and compare his/her performance with that of classmates. Peer teachers recognized an ARS quiz provided them an opportunity to: (1) estimate first‐year students' level of understanding of anatomical concepts; and (2) effectively prepare first‐year students for their weekly quizzes and future examinations. On the basis of the mutual benefits derived by both students/tutees and teachers/tutors, physical therapist educators may wish to consider using ARS technology to enhance teaching methods for a class in gross human anatomy. Anat Sci Educ 2: 286–293, 2009. © 2009 American Association of Anatomists.     

Materialising effects of difference in sex education: the ‘absurd’ banana penis

ABSTRACT

This article scrutinises pedagogical practices undergone in sexuality education as recorded with two intergenerational groups of former Australian schoolgirls. It discusses the surprising widespread use of the plastic, white, circumcised banana penis in sexuality education experienced by the younger group. The normalisation of the white, circumcised, plastic, banana penis (without reference to the vulva and/or vagina) is telling about what bodies matter and how sex materialises. The banana penis, as uncritically modelled in sexuality education, effectively materialises difference as both sexist and racist. This paper considers diffractive thinking in classroom with these practices, with students, and ways pedagogical practice may bring about a renormalisation that moves from reiterating racist heteronormative hierarchies to a creative opening up of ways students (as sexed, gendered and raced) can come to safely and affirmatively negotiate differences.     

Electronic encyclopedias

Summary This examination of electronic encyclopedias has led to several interesting observations that may be made for each encyclopedia. TheCompton’s product is considered to be the product most accessible by lower level elementary school students. Its audio and visual features are considered most important for purchase decision-making and turn out to be the most useful features after the purchase. BothWorld Book andGrolier’s are comparable in the suggestion of a minimum grade level appropriate for use (at the fourth or fifth grade levels), suggesting that reading is not the only ability needed to operate either product to its fullest extent. For bothWorld Book andGrolier’s, the boolean searching, keyword searching, quick reference and quality of the screen display features were important purchase considerations. Hardware compatibility and price, while rated important, may prove to be the factors that determine whether an electronic encyclopedia is purchased at all (since all products evaluated were roughly the same price and all ran on IBM hardware). The majority ofWorld Book users considered only the dictionary feature to be useful after purchase.Grolier’s users considered boolean and keyword searching, menu searching, and help screens to be most useful.     

脑的研究和教育:追赶潮流抑或夯实基础

教育界最新的突破是神经科学的研究或称为脑的研究,这是一个直到现在对教育者来说仍是陌生的领域。研究给予实践的好处是使我们的工作可以基于明确可表达的原理而不再是凭直觉而为。令人遗憾的是,一些咨询人士和教育者在那些基于脑的项目策略还没有经过试验时就把它们搬进了课堂。教育工作者要明确开展脑的研究是夯实基础而不要追赶潮流,理应做到细致辨别,择善而从。     

A qualitative study of communication,cultural identity,and open defecation

Open defecation persists as a global health problem despite efforts to build and implement better toilets. Based on nine focus group meetings held across two communities in rural Uttar Pradesh, India, this study shows that open defecation is a symbolic practice contributing to social and cultural identity formation. Major themes were derived regarding the positives and negatives of open defecation and latrine use. Open defecation was considered as a means for social communication, particularly for girls and women, and not necessarily as a healthier practice. Issues of politics and class relations emerged, with lower caste people expressing the lack of or poor quality toilets. Yet the persistence of historical and cultural identity played a part in people’s preference to go out to the field to defecate, especially for women to sustain their social connectedness and men to sustain their masculine identity. These cultural and communication aspects of open defecation should be considered in ongoing sanitation movements.     

The role of writing in nontraditional education

In order to determine the role of student writing in nontraditional life/experience credentialing programs, a questionnaire was compiled and results surveyed from nearly 50 such programs. Although there was little consensus among these programs as to what the proper role of student writing should be, most agreed that writing is a vital part of the credentialing process, but many felt it should not be overstressed. Few programs involved faculty whose main concern was writing despite evidence that essay grading provides a useful paradigm for portfolio assessment and that such faculty have much to offer and much to learn from nontraditional programs.A version of this report was presented at the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) of the National Council of Teachers of English, Kansas City, April 1, 1977.