Utilitarian and experiential aspects in acceptance models for learning technology

Educational technology research and development - Identifying and understanding factors influencing the adoption of a specific technology in various educational settings is critical for maximizing...     

A Small Animal Motor-Driven Treadmill

Abstract

The use of the motor-driven belt treadmill for small animal research in exercise physiology is becoming increasingly more prominent. Treadmill devices are usually constructed to meet the needs of specific experiments and, therefore, several different kinds have been described in research publications (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). Cost is a not uncommon difficulty in the acquisition of such devices with typical units ranging from approximately $300 to $1,000. The treadmill device described herein has several worthwhile features; one of which is its low cost. In addition, the quiet operating apparatus allows the forced running of several small animals at a time within a wide variation of belt speeds.     

Learning to Collaborate: General and Special Educators in Teacher Education

One of the foremost challenges for K–12 teachers is to provide relevant learning experiences in an environment of increasing accountability and student diversity. This balance is particularly consequential for students with disabilities who rely on special and general education teachers to ensure access to and success within the general curriculum. Teacher collaboration has been viewed as a critical part of the equation to help meet the needs of those learners. In this article, we present a case study from a course codeveloped and cotaught by secondary and special education faculty working in a teacher preparation program. Findings indicate that the teacher candidates with whom we worked showed a more complex sense of collaboration and recognition of critical elements of successful collaborative partnerships at the conclusion of the course.     

Development of student–teacher relationships in rural early elementary classrooms

An increasing body of literature documents associations between student–teacher relationships, children's academic success, and children's social competence in school. Less is known about characteristics and processes involved in the quality of relationships between students and teachers, and little research has examined these issues with populations of young students and teachers living in rural communities. The current study examined the relationships between rural kindergarten and first-grade students and their teachers in spring of the school year, predicted by child demographic factors, child process factors, and teacher characteristics. Using a multi-level model to account for clustering of children in classrooms, children's behavior and literacy skills were examined as contributors to the teachers’ perceptions of the developing teacher–student relationship, focusing on their potential to mediate associations between more distal characteristics and teacher–student relationships. Controlling for relationship conflict in fall, boys and African American students were more likely to have relationships with teachers that were higher in conflict in spring. When behavior and literacy skills measures were added to the model, children's behavior mediated the effect of gender, such that behavior problems accounted for much of the variance in student–teacher conflict associated with gender. However, neither behavior problems nor literacy skills mediated the effects of minority status on conflict; African American students had poorer relationships with teachers regardless of behavior or literacy skills.     

World War II — Survey of Recent Literature

We Make the Road by Walking by Myles Horton and Paolo Freire. Edited by Brenda Bell, John Gaventa, and John Peters. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1990, 248 pp., hardcover. (ISBN 0-8722-771-3)

The Color of Strangers, The Color of Friends: The Play of Ethnicity in School and Community by Alan Peshkin. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1991, 304 pp., softcover. (ISBN 0-226-66201-2)

In the Mind's Eye by Thomas G. West, Buffalo. New York: Prometheus Books, 1991, 359 pp., hardcover. (ISBN 0-87975-646-2)     

The Finnish public discussion of giftedness and gifted children

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of research in which the Finnish public discussion of giftedness and gifted children, and conceptions of giftedness and gifted children presented in it, were examined. The research was conducted by analyzing articles from the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and the teachers’ periodical Opettaja, using the content analysis method. The results show that giftedness is seen as multidimensional, and both intrapersonal and environmental contributions are recognized as essential in talent development. The conceptions of gifted children were quite diverse, and gifted children’s possible problems were frequently discussed. Moreover, misunderstandings were revealed as well as areas that have not been adequately addressed.     

Mobile Phone Use in AA Networks: An Exploratory Study

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of mobile phone use for mutual support within social networks of Alcoholic Anonymous (AA). A sample of mobile phone owners and non-owners in AA was surveyed to assess their perceptions and uses of this technology. Mobile phone owners reported very positive perceptions of the technology as a resource for recovery and heavy use of the mobile phone for this purpose. Non-owners also reported positive perceptions of the mobile phone as a resource for recovery and that expense was the primary reason for not using a mobile phone in their recovery efforts. Heuristic, theoretical, and practical implications of the study are included in the discussion.