A historical analysis of electric currents in textbooks: A century of influence on physics education

The typical model of electric current which we present to students is one of electron movement between points at different potentials. The problems associated with this model of electricity have been the subject of much educational research, particularly with respect to the use of analogies. The water-circuit analogy, especially, has received considerable attention. Despite this, students continue to hold remarkably persistent alternative conceptions about the nature of simple circuits. Historically, the electromagnetic field theories of Faraday and Maxwell constitute important steps towards modern understanding of transmission of electric current along a wire. Textbooks from 1891 to 1991, however, reflect remarkably little change in their presentation of direct-current circuitry, most texts by implication portraying, in various ways, a fluid model which predates Faraday. Against this background, this paper describes the ways in which textbooks interpret historical developments for teaching texts and the time which may elapse before such developments have an impact in the classroom. It also highlights important issues relating to the intrinsic merit of contemporary textbook treatments of electricity and examines their importance with respect to classroom teaching.     

Ages of diagnosis,amplification, and early intervention of infants and young children with hearing loss: findings from parent interviews

A survey was conducted to determine the status of early identification of children with hearing loss in Illinois. Over a 3-year period, parents of 77 children with severe to profound hearing loss were interviewed while attending an educational program at a state residential school for the Deaf. Results indicated that these children had lower ages of identification than those reported in national studies (Arehart, Yoshinaga-Itano, Thomson, Gabbard, and Stredler Brown, 1998; Harrison & Roush, 1996) and in an earlier study in Illinois (Kittrell & Arjmand, 1997). Delays between suspicion and the initiation of diagnosis and amplification were reported, and were most often attributed to physicians' failure to investigate the possibility of hearing loss. Delays in the onset of early intervention services were noted for half of the children. Although the study reports progress across all areas, the ages of identification, amplification, and early intervention remain higher than recent research (Harrison & Roush, 1996; Kittrell & Arjmand, 1997; Marschark, 1998) indicates is justifiable.     

Higher education recruitment in the United States: a chronology of significant literature

ABSTRACT

Given the absence of a chronology of the historical philosophies, perspectives, and practices of recruitment within the higher education institutions in the United States, the authors have assembled an overview of the material on recruitment strategies and ideologies of American higher education institutions. Literature from and about the past aids in illuminating the current context while helping to navigate the future of higher education recruitment. The authors have identified five general periods: prior to 1920, 1921 to the end of the Second World War, the post-War decade, mid-1950s through the 1970s, and 1980s to the present. Documentation for each period varies significantly in quality and amount, with the densest data found for the two later periods. Future researchers may explore how recruitment practices and language encourage or discourage under-represented populations in higher education. Further research in other areas of educational recruitment is also suggested.     

Maternal and Child Characteristics that Influence the Growth of Daily Living Skills from Infancy to School Age in Preterm and Term Children

Research findings. Growth across 6 months to 8 years of age, assessed at seven time points, for daily living and cognitive skills was compared for term (n = 122), very low birth weight (VLBW) children of low (n = 114) and high (n = 73) medical risk and lower socioeconomic status (SES). Dramatic declines in daily living skills were found for all children, while cognitive skills were stable across this age range. By 8 years, daily living skills were in deficient ranges for all groups with both VLBW groups showing lower levels in both skill areas across all ages compared to term children. Relations between child and parenting factors and daily living skill growth were examined in order to better understand this decline. Early maternal general stimulation and directiveness predicted slower declines in daily living skills while higher parental developmental expectations predicted higher levels in daily living skills. Practice. These results demonstrated the negative impact of lower SES and biological risk on children's growth in daily living skill. The findings highlighting several parenting factors that are important in understanding individual differences in children's daily living skill development have implications for early intervention.     

Assessing the Practicum

The practicum appears in many different forms in professional education — as field placement, cooperative education, sandwich programs, internship and clinical placement. This review of current literature reveals many different conceptions of the kinds of learning outcomes that can be achieved through learning in the workplace and the contribution that the practicum can make to professional education. In consequence, assessment philosophies and methods are equally varied. Five distinct approaches to assessment of the practicum are identified and the strengths and weaknesses of each are evaluated. While assessment of the practicum in some programs has been very limited, in the best examples cited, integration of the practicum with the educational program has provided opportunities for students to bring together a range of knowledge and skills in a complex natural environment. Well‐designed assessment requirements can make a significant contribution to learning in the practicum by putting pressure on supervisors to structure the opportunities available and by requiring students to identify and reflect on what they have learned.     

Are You Sitting Comfortably?

This article shows how consideration of seating arrangements in theatres can be used as a basis for constructing an interesting probability model.     

What Do Learning Scientists Do? A Survey of the ISLS Membership

This study responds to a question that people working in the field of learning sciences get asked regularly: What do learning scientists do? Earlier attempts to answer this question came from a need to define a new field of educational research. Now that the International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS) has grown into a robust and productive society, it is time to gain a more nuanced understanding of learning sciences research and practices—including where it takes place, for whom, and in what form—as defined by members of the learning sciences community. Here we report on the responses of 253 ISLS members to a survey conducted in 2014. We discuss implications of the findings in terms of the type of impact learning scientists have. We also discuss how these results might be used to advise prospective students and to create a vision for our future.     

Content not form predicts oral language comprehension: the influence of the medium on preschoolers’ story understanding

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of digital and non-digital storybooks on low-income preschoolers’ oral language comprehension. Employing a within-subject design on 38 four-year-olds from a Head Start program, we compared the effect of medium on preschoolers’ target words and comprehension of stories. Four digital storybooks were adapted and printed for read-alouds. Children were randomly read two stories on the digital platform, and two by the assessors. Following the story, children completed vocabulary and comprehension tasks, and a brief motivation checklist. We found no significant differences across medium; children comprehended equally well regardless of whether the story was read digitally or in person. However, using repeated ANOVA measures, we found a significant main effect of the story read. This research indicates that the content of the book rather than its form predicts story comprehension. Implications for using digital media in the preschool years are discussed.     

Adult-Centered Practices: Benchmarking Study in Higher Education

Adult student enrollment in higher education is approaching 50%, yet most college and university practices have been designed for younger, traditional age students. This study used an innovative benchmarking research methodology, including surveys and site visits, to identify best practices at selected adult-centered institutions. The findings were distilled into one overarching theme and thirteen related themes. The overarching theme, Adult learner centered institutions have a culture in which flexibility, individuation, and adult-centered learning drive institutional practice reflects the pervasive student-centeredness of the colleges. The thirteen findings and examples of practices from the colleges that were studied can serve as guideposts to colleges and universities seeking to meet the needs of adult students.