Computerised screening for dyslexia in adults

Identifying dyslexia in adulthood presents particular challenges because of complicating factors such as acquisition of compensatory strategies, differing degrees of intervention and the problem of distinguishing dyslexic adults from those whose literacy difficulties have non‐cognitive causes. One of the implications is that conventional literacy measures, per se, do not provide a satisfactory basis for screening for dyslexia in adulthood as some dyslexic adults have above‐average literacy skills and some non‐dyslexic adults have very poor literacy skills. This study examined an alternative approach to dyslexia screening, using three tests that depend heavily on phonological processing, lexical access and working memory, but which are not conventional measures of literacy. Using these tests, which are computer delivered, 70 dyslexic adults from three different types of educational institution were compared with 69 non‐dyslexic adults from the same institutions. The results showed that the dyslexic and non‐dyslexic groups were significantly different on all three computer‐based tests, with an average effect size of 1.55. Adaptive versions of these tests were then created to reduce overall administration time for the suite to about 15 minutes. Analysis showed that the combined scaled scores from the adaptive versions of the three tests significantly discriminated the dyslexic from the non‐dyslexic group with an increased effect size of 2.07 and with a sensitivity rate of 90.6% and a specificity rate of 90.0%. It was concluded that this approach is a valid and useful method of identifying dyslexia in adulthood, which, given the ease of administration to large numbers of adults, has noted advantages for education and employment.     

Data protection and peer review

The consequences for publishers of a conflict between the traditional anonymity of peer review and the requirements of data‐protection legislation are discussed and appropriate policies for the new situation are proposed.     

Ethnic and Racial Identity in Adolescence: Implications for Psychosocial,Academic, and Health Outcomes

The construction of an ethnic or racial identity is considered an important developmental milestone for youth of color. This review summarizes research on links between ethnic and racial identity (ERI) with psychosocial, academic, and health risk outcomes among ethnic minority adolescents. With notable exceptions, aspects of ERI are generally associated with adaptive outcomes. ERI are generally beneficial for African American adolescents' adjustment across all three domains, whereas the evidence is somewhat mixed for Latino and American Indian youth. There is a dearth of research for academic and health risk outcomes among Asian American and Pacific Islander adolescents. The review concludes with suggestions for future research on ERI among minority youth.     

Telecommunications Technology

COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY: THE NEW MEDIA IN SOCIETY by Everett M. Rogers (New York: Free Press, 1986—price not given, cloth and paper)

BEYOND THE GUTENBERG GALAXY: MICROCOMPUTERS AND THE EMERGENCE OF POST-TYPOGRAPHIC CULTURE by Eugene F. Provenzo, Jr. (New York: Columbia University/Teachers College Press, 1986—$8.95, paper)

UNDERSTANDING THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES OF THE MASS MEDIA by George E. Whitehouse (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1986—$14.95, paper)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN THE INFORMATION AGE by Loy A. Singleton (Cambridge, MA: Ballinger, 1986—$19.95)

TELECOMMUTING: THE FUTURE TECHNOLOGY OF WORK by Thomas B. Cross and Marjorie Raizman (Homewood, IL: Dow Jones-Irwin, 1986—$25.00)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY by R.L. Brewster (Chichester: Ellis Horwood Ltd./New York: John Wiley, 1986—price not given)

SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS by Timothy Pratt and Charles W. Bostian (New York: John Wiley, 1986—$42.95)

UNDERSTANDING SATELLITE TELEVISION RECEPTION by S.E. Sutphin (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1986—price not given

1986 INTERNATIONAL SATELLITE DIRECTORY (Design Publishers, 369 Redwood Ave., Corte Madera, CA 94925—price not given, paper)

COMPUTERS AND COMMUNICATIONS: A VISION OF C&C by Koji Kobayashi (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1986—$16.95)

DICTIONARY OF DATA COMMUNICATIONS edited by Charles J. Sippl (New York: Halstead Press/John Wiley, 1985—price not given, paper)     

Exploring the salient experiences of pre‐service teacher candidates who were former volunteer tutors

Teacher candidates were tracked to monitor whether their former tutoring experience influenced their experiences as teacher candidates. Through interviews, email and group discussions, participants reflected on their teacher preparation experiences and their orientations to effective reading and writing instruction. At times, teacher candidates identified pedagogical similarities between their tutoring experiences and teacher education programs. Other times, disparities between the classroom and tutorial instruction settings provoked some candidates to denounce the approaches of their teacher mentors during practica. We conclude by discussing the need for teacher education programs to assist candidates to assimilate newly acquired pedagogies into existing ones, including those acquired through volunteerism.     

What do teachers know about dyslexia? It’s complicated!

Reading and Writing - In recent years, many states have passed laws requiring dyslexia training for teachers. Research suggests teachers hold both scientifically-based conceptions as well as...     

Regional HIV/AIDS Information Environments and Information Acquisition Success

Although health information is widely available, information acquisition patterns may vary according to where one lives. Using Lievrouw's (2001) information environments (IE) theory, this mixed methods study compares three regional HIV/AIDS information environments in rural Canada. In accordance with IE theory, findings showed regional variation in institutional aspects of HIV/AIDS information environments: health institution service models; resource munificence and technology use; and some measures of social engagement and source availability. Differences were also present in the personal/relational aspects of environments: information network characteristics and levels of interpersonal interaction. However, in divergence from IE theory, regional success rates for answering HIV/AIDS-related questions were similar (86.26–89.34 percent). Furthermore, individual-level factors were more important than network position in predicting participants’ success rates. Yet, in line with IE theory, there were regional differences in the barriers that people affected by HIV/AIDS faced when seeking answers to their questions. These unaddressed barriers suggest that further development of IE theory requires incorporation of institutional capacity: provider knowledge, responsiveness, and service availability.     

Transitioning towards inclusion: a triangulated view of the role of educational assistants

The current work employs the use of multiple lenses to illuminate the integral role of the Educational Assistant (EA) in a Canadian school district’s transition from a segregated to inclusive service delivery model for students with special needs. Often compatible, but also distinctive viewpoints and understandings shape the role of EA in this journey towards inclusive practice in the context of a district that deployed Inclusion Coaches to support educators over the course of five years. Through deductive analysis, qualitative data (interviews, focus groups, blog-style reflections) were analysed from EAs (n = 6), elementary and secondary school teachers (n = 31), and Inclusion Coaches (n = 13). Findings indicated that the voices of EAs, teachers, and Inclusion Coaches all align on three main themes: necessity of collaboration among educators, coordinated and dedicated time for programming and redefining relationships within the inclusive model. During the transition from segregated classrooms to full inclusion, it is imperative that the role of the Educational Assistant (EA) is understood by administrators, teachers and the EAs themselves. With a more clearly delineated and mutually understood role, EAs and educators can develop collaborative relationships, working towards incorporating differentiation and supporting all students in a diverse learning and social community.