ICT and educational (dis)advantage: families,computers and contemporary social and educational inequalities

Because access to new technologies is unequally distributed, there has been considerable debate about the growing gap between the so‐called information‐rich and information‐poor. Such concerns have led to high‐profile information technology policy initiatives in many countries. In Australia, in an attempt to ‘redress the balance between the information rich and poor’ by providing ‘equal access to the World Wide Web’ (Virtual Communities, 2002 Virtual Communities (2002) About us. Available online at: http://www.virtualcommunities. com.au (accessed 18 August 2002)  [Google Scholar]), the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Virtual Communities (a computer/software distributor) and Primus (an Internet provider) in late 1999 formed an alliance to offer relatively inexpensive computer and Internet access to union members in order to make ‘technology affordable for all Australians’ (Virtual Communities, 2002 Virtual Communities (2002) About us. Available online at: http://www.virtualcommunities. com.au (accessed 18 August 2002)  [Google Scholar]). In this paper, we examine four families, one of which had long‐term Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) access, and three of which took advantage of the Virtual Communities offer to get home computer and Internet access for the first time. We examine their engagement with ICT and suggest that previously disadvantaged family members are not particularly advantaged by their access to ICT.     

RECOGNITION OF STUDIES,DIPLOMAS, AND DEGREES: THE YUGOSLAV EXPERIENCE

The differences, so far as Yugoslav legislation is concerned, between “equivalence” and “recognition” are mads clear, and the Yugoslav instances authorized to make decisions on questions of equivalence and recognition are stated and their procedures, briefly described. The 7 multilateral conventions and the 13 bilateral agreements on equivalence and recognition matters are listed. More is said about the various Yugoslav instances empowered to make decisions and to give Information on questions of equivalence and recognition.     

Serbia and Montenegro: the catalytic effects of higher education

Brain drain has been a long‐lasting phenomenon. It existed in the former Yugoslavia, and was affected by various factors, from political through economic ones to the attractive offers for advanced studies and work in scientific institutions or firms in developed countries. Some ad‐hoc analyses were made concerning individual groups or periods, but there was no systematic monitoring and no complete and all‐inclusive data. It is however possible to draw a picture showing trends in the – mostly one‐way – movement towards highly developed countries.

Therefore, the current study has a mosaic character, which – we hope – shall throw some light and try to explain brain drain in the academic circles of Serbia and Montenegro (former SFRY). As the Republic of Serbia represents the largest component part (about 90 percent), most of the data is about Serbia.     

The cooking teacher: investigating gender stereotypes in a Korean kindergarten

This article discusses some findings from a small‐scale investigation of children's gendered beliefs and behaviours in a Korean kindergarten which was attempting to challenge gender stereotyping through the anti‐bias intervention of a ‘cooking curriculum’. A sample of 14 children, some with ‘working’ mothers and some with ‘housewife’ mothers, was observed for two months, and informally interviewed on several occasions. The children's mothers were also interviewed. The findings are situated in the context of the changing, but still traditional, culture of Korean society, as well as in the contexts of early childhood education and theories of gender acquisition. They confirm that, although children are highly likely to reproduce the beliefs current in their home environment, they are open to reconstructing these views when actively challenged to consider alternatives, either by the school curriculum or by engaging in debate with a researcher or practitioner. The nature of the ‘alternative’ views available may however be problematic.     

Closing the Gap: Fostering Successful Research‐Practice Partnerships in Counselor Education

Research‐practice partnerships offer counselor educators an opportunity to generate scholarship that can promote client welfare and create systemic change in practice and policy. The purpose of this article is to articulate strategies for building and sustaining research‐practice partnerships, as well as suggest methods for evaluating these partnerships.     

Pedagogy and Curricular Choice in Community College Accelerated Writing Courses

To improve students’ outcomes and retention rates, community colleges have implemented acceleration strategies which hasten the completion of educational requirements (Edgecombe, 2011). The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of an accelerated freshmen writing course on teachers’ curricular decisions and pedagogical practices at a large urban community college. We conducted semi-structured interviews with the 11 faculty members teaching different sections of this accelerated writing course. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, coded, and analyzed. Our findings reveal that while instructors embrace the structural changes that come with accelerated courses and demonstrate a new appreciation for struggling students in their traditional English 101 class, they report on significant challenges in teaching due to the students’ lack of academic and personal maturity, as well as a need to lower their expectations and simplify the curriculum. This research raises questions about the unintended positive and negative effects of accelerated courses on teaching. More qualitative research is needed that focuses on the teachers’ experiences and their capacity to help students benefit from an accelerated course.     

Next Steps for Mind,Brain, and Education: Strengthening Early‐Career Development

An increasing number of scholars are being trained in the field of mind, brain, and education (MBE), yet discussions of trainees' needs and how to meet them are rare. We, the inaugural International Mind, Brain, and Education Society (IMBES) Trainee Board, identify three broad needs of MBE trainees: guidance and support, greater access to and connections among the MBE community, and professional development. We report a first step to address these needs: a daylong trainee conference, which included sessions to foster connections among trainees, provide mentorship from MBE leaders, and provide knowledge and skill building for careers. Attendees' survey results suggest the conference successfully supported trainees' development. As substantial trainee needs remain, we offer specific ways that principal investigators, institutions, funding agencies, future IMBES trainee boards, and the MBE community can further address trainees' needs to support early‐career development and strengthen the MBE field generally.