A case study of academic programme integration in the USA: andragogical,philosophical, theoretical and practical perspectives

The landscape of higher education is being transformed as challenges for greater efficiency, accountability, and economic viability challenge administrative and programmatic structures. Programmatic, administrative, and organizational realignment has emerged as one response to the challenge. This paper presents a case study which describes andragogical, philosophical, theoretical, and practical perspectives surrounding the restructuring and integration between Adult Education and Human Resource Development faculty of a large mid-western doctoral granting research institution, and the curricular development that resulted. Programmatic integration between compatible faculty units can result in efficient and effective design and delivery of curriculum that addresses the concerns of faculty, meets the changing needs of students, and responds to the demands of the changing landscape of higher education. In this case, realignment created an opportunity for the revitalization of faculty, programmes, and students.     

Reducing Student Bias Against Older Adults Through the Use of Literature

Human services educators must address the issue of students’ bias toward older adults to encourage interest and meet the growing need for professionals in the field. The use of literature can challenge students’ preconceptions of older adults while innovative teaching methods can guide their development of more tolerant views and introduce them to a field that they may have previously given little consideration. Based on a model of cultural competence development, teaching strategies, learning objectives, literature, and an evaluation are suggested.     

Data‐driven refinements of a genetics learning progression

Learning progressions are theoretical models that describe learning of scientific ideas and practices over time. These hypothetical progressions need to be tested and refined in order to productively inform instruction and assessment. In this paper, we report our attempts to revise a learning progression in genetics. In particular, we focused on two constructs that embody core ideas in classical genetics and one molecular construct. The revisions are based on analysis of pre‐ and postinterview data obtained from sixty 11th grade students before and after they engaged in a 10‐week unit that addressed these concepts. We found that while many of the students held ideas that aligned with the progression, there were several distinct dimensions of student reasoning that were not captured and led to substantial revisions of the constructs including: (a) the splitting of the construct dealing with meiosis (E) into two subconstructs (E1‐physical passage of genetic information and E2 – the role of sex cells), (b) the addition of new levels to constructs dealing with the universal nature and organization of the genetic code (A) and construct (F). For Construct A, the lower levels were expanded to include ideas about the localization of DNA in cells and to include ideas about the composition of DNA that were not captured in the progression. Revisions to Construct F included the expansion of existing levels and the addition of modes of inheritance such as codominance and incomplete dominance. The research we present offers insights about a methodological approach that can be used to test and refine progressions, as well as insights about student learning in genetics as we further describe and expand the stepping‐stone ideas in the progression and discuss further the multidimensional nature of learning progressions.     

Development of Preservice Teachers’ Ability to Critique and Adapt Inquiry-based Instructional Materials

Current standards emphasize student engagement with inquiry practices. However, implementing inquiry instruction is a formidable challenge for teachers as they often lack models for using and adapting inquiry-based instructional materials. Teacher education programs can provide scaffolded contexts for developing teachers’ ability to critique, adapt, and design inquiry-based materials. We describe a qualitative study of 17 preservice teachers enrolled in two consecutive science methods courses. The study characterizes the development of preservice teachers’ ability to critique and revise instructional materials. Our findings suggest that teachers improved in their ability to critique lesson plans and to suggest revisions that would make them more inquiry oriented. In particular, the teachers’ critiques and revisions increased in sophistication after engaging in instructional design activities during the second methods course.     

Round girls in square computers:

What is the first step beyond this dreaming activity? Understanding where future research in this area could move is an excellent extension of this work. Is the distancing experienced by girls’ interactions with computer software oozing beyond the borders of the screen, beyond what is inside the computer? Might it be that the distancing is also a function of the external manifestation of the computer itself the way it looks on the outside? We don’t know how important the physical structure of the computer is. This is an area worthy of more rigorous research. Our work focuses on the actual, unalterable hardware facets of computers from the late 1990’s the outside 6 and suggests alternative constructions that might make computers more approachable for and appealing to girls. But we don’t know if indeed such computers would be more appealing, nor do we know what the interest or impact of more essentialized recent computers such as the Barbie and Hot Wheels computers are. Rigorous qualitative research into the adoption tendencies and impact on gender relations of the introduction of such essentialized products needs to be accomplished. The original design of the computer was based not on marketing needs or perceptions, nor on progressive concepts of equity, but rather on functionality for those who created the hardware itself. As a result, it is likely to be quite appealing to the designers, but may be less so to those who were outside this creative process. The importance of resting the design decisions with users has been the subject of several important texts on developing computer systems including Norman’s Design of Everyday Things (1988) and also Schuler & Namioka’s Participatory Design: Principles and Practices (1993).     

The Effects of Standardized Testing on Teaching and Schools

How much influence does standardized testing exert on teaching and learning in upper elementary classrooms? Is there any difference between the impact of testing on low-SES and high-SES classrooms? How much impact does “teaching to the test” appear to have on test scores?