Beyond Information: Ritual,Relationship, and Re‐encounter through Mobile Connectivity

Abstract This paper examines mobile development and the social aspects of connectivity as they relate to public experience. The author argues that mobile development is something more than the information‐distribution platform for which it is most commonly used within the museum community. Nine stories, in this article, relate the stunningly diverse inventive possibilities of the medium. Mobile is often used to deliver additional content within museum exhibitions, but this paper encourages institutions to consider designing beyond this known paradigm and to see mobile as a means for institutions to build and sustain new relationships with visitors.     

Rites of passage： A comparison of US,Malaysian and Brazilian adolescents

This study compares the life events perceived as ＂rites of passage＂ from adolescence to adulthood by respondents between the ages of 14 and 23 in 3 countries and discusses the possible influences of culture and globalization on these perceptions. Participants include： （1） 250 adolescents from the US （125 males and 125 females）; （2） 191 adolescents from southeastern Brazil （70 males and 121 females）; and （3） 163 adolescents from Malaysia （76 males and 87 females）. These adolescents ranked a variety of life events which may be perceived as indicative of adult status by completing a questionnaire about perceived rites of passage. Although there were similarities among the 3 groups, several differences also emerged. The most commonly noted indicator of adult status for Malaysian youth was physical maturity, followed by completing one＇s education. Participants from the US cited financial independence as the major indicator of adult status, while those from Brazil cited the ability to make important decisions independently from family and to take responsibility for others, such as children, aging parents or a spouse. Brazilian youth were significantly more likely to cite a love affair and voting in major elections as rites of passage than were participants from the other 2 countries. Participants from the US were significantly more likely to cite military service, and Malaysian youth were significantly more likely to consider completion of education and achieving physical maturity as rites of passage. Gender and age differences within groups were evident on some items, but these were not consistent across groups. Possible explanations for the differences between countries and implications for educators working with adolescents in rapidly changing societies are discussed.     

Valid and Reliable Science Content Assessments for Science Teachers

Science teachers’ content knowledge is an important influence on student learning, highlighting an ongoing need for programs, and assessments of those programs, designed to support teacher learning of science. Valid and reliable assessments of teacher science knowledge are needed for direct measurement of this crucial variable. This paper describes multiple sources of validity and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha greater than 0.8) evidence for physical, life, and earth/space science assessments—part of the Diagnostic Teacher Assessments of Mathematics and Science (DTAMS) project. Validity was strengthened by systematic synthesis of relevant documents, extensive use of external reviewers, and field tests with 900 teachers during assessment development process. Subsequent results from 4,400 teachers, analyzed with Rasch IRT modeling techniques, offer construct and concurrent validity evidence.     

Engaging faculty in service-learning: opportunities and barriers to promoting our public mission

Tertiary Education and Management - Community engagement has been defined as a collaborative enterprise between higher education institutes and external communities where stakeholders can...     

Critical Thinking in Criminal Justice Ethics: Using the Affective Domain to Discover Gray Matters

This paper proposes that an effective way to teach critical thinking would be through a criminal justice ethics class that prioritizes learning in the affective domain to prevent persistence of a polarizing perspective. The premise is twofold: first, that us versus them dichotomies hinder higher order thinking and moral decision-making; and, secondly, that it is much more difficult to overcome dichotomous thinking exclusively through cognitive domain teaching because the tendency is for students to sift through new information and focus only on facts which support preexisting positions and, also, because students may anticipate an intellectual attack on their opinions and become defensive or resistant. For those reasons, the suggestion is to use carefully selected, empathy-evoking films as a stealthier, softer introduction to controversial issues.     

Children’s Behavioral Challenges in Head Start Classrooms: Links to Teacher Well-Being and Intent to Leave

Early Childhood Education Journal - Using the nationally representative Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2014 (FACES 2014), this study examined the associations...     

The Great Immensity: A Theatrical Approach to Climate Change

In 2010, the Civilians—a New York based investigative theater company—received a three‐year grant from the National Science Foundation to develop The Great Immensity, a play addressing the complexity of climate change. The rigorous research that the Civilians puts into each production, the balance of scientific content and public engagement, the inclusion of scientists within the artistic development process, and the effort to engage a varied audience via a multi‐platform media approach, make the project a relevant case study for curators working with public science communication.     

An analysis of role conflict and role ambiguity within the cancer information service's communication network

This research examines the relationship between individuals' positions in a communication network and their corresponding levels of role conflict and role ambiguity. As part of a larger research program, the data for this study were collected at two points in time from members within the Cancer Information Service (N = 56), an award winning information service of the National Cancer Institute. In general, findings suggest lower levels of role conflict and ambiguity experienced by members of the CIS. In addition, neither the role conflict model nor the role ambiguity model were consistent with the data. Revised models, however, did suggest that experiencing role conflict and role ambiguity may lead to a decrease in the perception that a person is powerful within one's network. In addition, as members' interpersonal contacts increased, levels of role conflict and role ambiguity between regional offices and the National Cancer Institute decreased. The implications of these results for the CIS and other organizations are discussed.     

Student technology skills and attitudes towards Internet-based courses: The potential benefits of an internet tutorial

A “Criminal Justice Systems and Processes” course was among nine Internet courses offered at Florida Gulf Coast University during the fall of 1997. This course provided an “Internet tutorial” during the first few weeks of the semester to familiarize students with basic computer skills and Internet use. After evaluating the benefits of providing the tutorial, faculty and administrators adopted the tutorial for use in all Internet courses. During the Summer 1998 semester, a survey was administered to those students registered for Internet-based courses in the Division of Criminal Justice. This article focuses on the use of the Internet tutorial in Internet courses and provides some preliminary information regarding its potential benefit to students. Issues discussed include: (1) an explanation of the Internet tutorial, (2) the benefits of the tutorial to students and faculty, (3) preliminary information regarding the potential baenefits of implementing a technical tutorial, and (4) implications for future computer-based Internet courses.