Implications of academic literacies research for knowledge making and curriculum design

This article explores the issue of what academic literacies research can bring to the study of knowledge and curriculum in higher education from a theoretical perspective and by means of illustrations from a work in progress academic literacies research project in the natural sciences. It argues that reading and writing are central to the process of learning in any discipline and that discipline specialists need to take this into consideration when planning their curricula. It also considers what knowledge means in the context of academic literacies research and how this conception of knowledge may differ from the knowledge structures researchers’ concern with knowledge as an object with its own properties. It comes to the conclusion that academic literacies research with its ethnographic-type exploration of social practice and theorisations of knowledge in the knowledge structures research can complement one another because each field of enquiry brings a lens that the other lacks.     

Evaluating a technology supported interactive response system during the laboratory section of a histology course

Monitoring of student learning through systematic formative assessment is important for adjusting pedagogical strategies. However, traditional formative assessments, such as quizzes and written assignments, may not be sufficiently timely for making adjustments to a learning process. Technology supported formative assessment tools assess student knowledge, allow for immediate feedback, facilitate classroom dialogues, and have the potential to modify student learning strategies. As an attempt to integrate technology supported formative assessment in the laboratory section of an upper‐level histology course, the interactive application Learning Catalytics^TM, a cloud‐based assessment system, was used. This study conducted during the 2015 Histology courses at Cornell University concluded that this application is helpful for identifying student misconceptions “on‐the‐go,” engaging otherwise marginalized students, and forming a new communication venue between students and instructors. There was no overall difference between grades from topics that used the application and grades from those that did not, and students reported that it only slightly helped improve their understanding of the topic (3.8 ± 0.99 on a five‐point Likert scale). However, they highly recommended using it (4.2 ± 0.71). The major limitation was regarding the image display and graphical resolution of this application. Even though students embrace the use of technology, 39% reported benefits of having the traditional light microscope available. This cohort of students led instructors to conclude that the newest tools are not always better, but rather can complement traditional instruction methods. Anat Sci Educ 10: 328–338. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.     

Time Spent Gaming and Social Competence in Children: Reciprocal Effects Across Childhood

Electronic games are popular and many children spend much time on this activity. Here we investigate whether the quantity of time children spend on gaming is related to their social development, making this the first study to examine this relationship in children. We examine prospective relations between time spent gaming and social competence in a community sample of Norwegian 6 year olds (n = 873) followed up at ages 8, 10, and 12, controlling for socioeconomic status, body mass index, and time spent gaming together with friends. Results revealed that greater social competence at both 8 and 10 years predicted less gaming 2 years later and that more age-10 gaming predicted less social competence at age 12 but only among girls.     

Students at risk: perceptions of Serbian teachers and implications for teacher education

While legislation is in place for the promotion of inclusive education in Serbia, the adoption of teaching practices that support diversity in schools is still lacking. This study looks at teacher perceptions of students at risk (SaR), their relationships with peers and the teachers’ own roles as sources of support, using a sample of 94 interviews with teachers analysed using qualitative content analysis. The SaR from Roma population and poor backgrounds are found to be perceived positively by their teachers, but most teachers failed to perceive their influence on the improvement of academic performance and peer relationships. Perceptions of students with disabilities varied in tone across the dimension positive-depending on the type of disability-negative. Teachers who spoke affirmatively about them expressed readiness to cooperate with parents and colleagues, emphasising the importance of socialisation. Recommendations for teacher education are discussed, including diversity awareness and encouraging more flexible understanding of teacher roles.     

Geriatric Training Needs of Nursing-Home Physicians

Medical care in nursing homes is not provided by board-licensed geriatricians; it mainly comes from physicians in need of educational programs in the field of geriatrics. Such programs, based on curriculum guidelines, should be developed. The purpose of this study was to seek input from nursing home physicians on their perceived needs for training in geriatrics. A mail questionnaire survey was sent to nursing home physicians regarding their opinion on the most needed subjects and preferred training methods. Of the 210 surveys mailed, 132 (63%) were returned. More than a quarter of the respondents had not had any kind of geriatric medical education. A desire for geriatric training was evident, preferably in the form of courses and periodic seminars. Use of medications, infectious diseases, depression, dementia and cardiac disorders were the most important topics indicated by the respondents. These data can be of help in preparing the curriculum for a continuous medical education program in geriatrics, preferably in the form of courses and periodic seminars.     

Evaluating the effectiveness of interactive computer tutorials for an undergraduate mathematical literacy course

This article describes a study of learning when students used interactive spreadsheet‐based computer tutorials in a mathematical literacy course. It foregrounds theories relating to the role of computer technology (and specifically spreadsheets) as a mediator for learning of mathematics. It outlines the application of quantitative methods involving pre‐ and post‐testing of students, both in the computer laboratory and in the lecture sessions, and discusses factors constraining the experimental design and the usefulness of the results. There are indications that the data reveal real differences between the learning experiences in the lecture sessions and the computer laboratories. It appears that in some respects the computer tutorials were more effective in conveying the concepts than the lecture sessions were. A method of analysing and representing the data, that tracks the extent of learning of concepts through the pre‐ and post‐tests, was developed. It allows for the performance of sub‐groups of students to be examined separately. This analysis shows that simple definitions of disadvantage (such as having English as a second language) are inadequate to account for the poor performance of students in the lower quartile.     

Reaching Additional Users with Proactive Chat

ABSTRACT

Despite a general decline in recent years in academic libraries’ reference desk statistics, research indicates that library users continue to have complex research questions but are largely unaware that librarians are waiting and ready to assist them. The challenge for librarians is to connect with users at their point of need. At Bowling Green State University, we are making a move in this direction with proactive (pop-up) chat widgets embedded within our library Web pages, catalog, and databases. Since implementation, the number of chat reference questions received has more than doubled, helping us reach additional users from on-and off-campus.     

Decontamination of Biocide Treated Museum Objects of the Swiss National Museum’s Collection by Liquid CO2 Technology

ABSTRACT

A decontamination treatment using liquid CO₂ (li-CO₂) and specifically developed for the requirements of museum objects (Lombardo, T., M. Wörle, V. Hubert, E. Hildbrand, I. Mayer, C. Hinterleitner, U. von Arx. 2020. “Influence of Process Parameters on Chlorinated Biocide Decontamination by li-CO₂ on Artificially Contaminated Model Materials.” Studies in Conservation, in press, doi:10.1080/00393630.2019.1641001) was first tested on model materials of wood (with and without coating), silk, and wool with different dyes, paper, and leather in order to evaluate possible material changes. Then, selected museum objects from the collection of the Swiss National Museum were treated to determine the efficiency of biocide decontamination and any resulting chemical and/or structural changes. Results show that dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), pentachlorophenol (PCP), lindane, and chlorpyrifos were successfully removed. Wool, silk, leather, and non-coated wood did not experience any detectable modifications, while moderate to major modifications were observed in wood coated with shellac and polychromy.     

Die Drei-Punkte-Regel in der deutschen 1. Fußballbundesliga und der Anteil unentschiedener Spiele

Dilger and Geyer (2007) analysed the impact of introducing the three-point rule in 1995/1996 on the results in the German premier soccer league (1. Fußballbundesliga). The authors argue that this change, among others, would lead to a reduction in the number of draws as the possibility to gain 3 points instead of 2 would cause a higher incentive for winning. Examining the entire n=6194 games in the German premier soccer league 10 years before and after the rule change, respectively, they found a significant difference for this specific period (p<0.01). This finding is interpreted as evidence for the impact of the three-point rule. We contradict this questionable interpretation by Dilger and Geyer (2007). In our reply we show that the implementation of the three-point rule has no (practically relevant) impact on the proportion of draws. For this purpose, all of the n=13,406 matches since 1963/1964 were included in the analysis. The results indicate fluctuations in the percentage of draws during 44 years of existence of the German premier soccer league independently of the implementation of the three-point rule. In light of this, an impact of the three-point rule on the proportion of draws cannot be identified at all.