High School Course-Taking and Post-Secondary Institutional Selectivity

Race shapes many aspects of students’ high school experiences that are relevant to the college admissions process. We examine the racially-specific effects of high school course of study on college selectivity. Using NELS 1988–1994, we test how race and track interactively predict the prestige of the first post-secondary institution attended. We find support for a “redemptive equity model” of college prestige for Latinos, who attend more selective colleges than White students, net of background and academic variables. Asian American students also attend more selective institutions than White students. Results for African-American students are more complicated, in that the colleges they attend are not significantly different from those of Whites, on average. When we exclude students who attend historically Black colleges and universities, however, African-American students attend significantly more prestigious universities than Whites, net of other factors. We also find racially-specific effects of high school course of study, with Latinos, Asian Americans, and African-Americans appearing to benefit more from taking more rigorous academic courses than Whites.     

Editorial

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

An intervention for relational and physical aggression in early childhood: A preliminary study

A preventive intervention for reducing physical and relational aggression, peer victimization, and increasing prosocial behavior was developed for use in early childhood classrooms. Nine classrooms were randomly assigned to be intervention rooms (N = 202 children) and nine classrooms were control rooms (N = 201 children). Classroom was the unit of analysis and both observations and teacher-reports were obtained at pre and post-test. Focus groups were used to develop the initial program. The 6-week program consisted of developmentally appropriate puppet shows, active participatory sessions, passive concept activities and in vivo reinforcement periods. Preliminary findings suggest that the “Early Childhood Friendship Project” tended to reduce physical and relational aggression, as well as physical and relational victimization and tended to increase prosocial behavior more for intervention than control classrooms. Teachers and interventionists provided positive evaluations of the program and there is evidence for appropriate program implementation.     

An Investigation into the Relationship Between Teacher Motivation and Pupil Motivation

This article reports the findings of a small scale investigation in the form of a blind study carried out in four schools in the north east of England. It concerns the relationship between teacher motivation ( n = 4) and pupil motivation ( n = 66) during pupils' participation in design and technology project work at Key Stage 4. It was recognised that the sample of teachers was too small to be considered representative of motivated and demotivated design and technology teachers in general terms. However, the information gathered provided a more informed picture of the possible link between pupil motivation and teacher motivation. It also supplied an indication of some of the differences that exist between the approaches to teaching adopted by motivated and demotivated teachers of design and technology project work.     

Near-point Gripping in Pencil Hold as a Possible Disabling Factor in Children with SEN

Stephanie Thomas, Head of Learning Support at Heathfield School, Kidderminster, considers the effects of near-point gripping, in pen or pencil hold, on the overall educational performance of children with specific learning difficulties (SpLD).     

Editorial

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Patent citation spectroscopy (PCS): Online retrieval of landmark patents based on an algorithmic approach

One essential component in the construction of patent landscapes in biomedical research and development (R&D) is identifying the most seminal patents. Hitherto, the identification of seminal patents required subject matter experts within biomedical areas. In this article, we report an analytical method and tool, Patent Citation Spectroscopy (PCS), for the online identification of landmark patents in user-specified areas of biomedical innovation. Using USPTO data, PCS mines the cited references within large sets of patents at the internet and provides an estimate of the historically most impactful prior work. We show the efficacy of PCS in three case studies of biomedical innovation with clinical relevance: (1) RNA interference (RNAi), (2) cholesterol and (3) cloning. PCS mined and analyzed cited references related to patents on RNA interference and correctly identified the foundational patent of this technology, as independently reported by subject matter experts on RNAi intellectual property. Secondly, we apply PCS to a broad set of patents dealing with cholesterol – a case study chosen to reflect a more general, as opposed to expert, patent search query. PCS mined through cited references and identified the seminal patent as that for Lipitor, the groundbreaking medication for treating high cholesterol as well as the pair of patents underlying Repatha. The final case study, cloning, highlights some of the advantages conferred by the PCS methodology in identifying seminal patents. These cases suggest that PCS provides a useful method for identifying seminal patents in areas of biomedical innovation and therapeutics. The interactive tool is free-to-use at: http://www.leydesdorff.net/comins/pcs/index.html.     

Visualizing the Silent Dialogue About Race: Diversity Outreach in an Academic Library

Purpose

This paper aims to describe the implementation and analyze the outcomes of The Race Card Project initiative at large public university's main library. Through this program, candid submissions from the public were used to promote multicultural learning and inclusivity, as well as to build campus relationships with curricular and co-curricular units engaged in diversity work on campus.

Community Engagement at an Emerging Academic Medical Library: A Three-Pronged Outreach Model

The Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine’s (OUWB) service-oriented mission and vision is reflected in all aspects of the school including its culture, curriculum, research, community engagement, and the OUWB Medical Library. Though starting informally, the OUWB Medical Library’s outreach program has matured and now sustains a wide array of activities each year. This outreach program has blossomed into a three-pronged model that is inclusive of activities and endeavors engaging the institution and local community: integrate, partner, and create. Among its successes and challenges, the library’s ongoing outreach efforts have showcased the value of libraries in promoting community health and meaningfully contributing to the institutional mission.