Media as social partners: the social nature of young children's learning from screen media

Television has become a nearly ubiquitous feature in children's cultural landscape. A review of the research into young children's learning from television indicates that the likelihood that children will learn from screen media is influenced by their developing social relationships with on-screen characters, as much as by their developing perception of the screen and their symbolic understanding and comprehension of information presented on screen. Considering the circumstances in which children under 6 years learn from screen media can inform teachers, parents, and researchers about the important nature of social interaction in early learning and development. The findings reviewed in this article suggest the social nature of learning, even learning from screen media.     

Ideal knowing: logics of knowledge in primary school curricula

This paper is written to draw attention to the ideal knower and the logic of knowledge embedded in curricula. New logics and new knowers, I argue, are conjured with the hope they will be capable of succeeding in curriculum designers’ imagined future. I frame this discussion in terms of debates about the place of knowledge in the sociology of education. Knowledge and knowers are produced together in curriculum, and it is useful to keep them together in studying classrooms. The bulk of the paper is a detailed comparison of two curricula written for the Australian state of Victoria. I will show that one – the 2000 Curriculum Standards Framework, second edition – follows a logic of truth. The second – the 2007 Victorian Essential Learning Standards – follows a logic of realisation. These contrasting logics require and instantiate quite different types of knower.     

Basic list of veterinary medical serials,third edition: using a decision matrix to update the core list of veterinary journals

Objective:

This paper presents the methods and results of a study designed to produce the third edition of the “Basic List of Veterinary Medical Serials,” which was established by the Veterinary Medical Libraries Section in 1976 and last updated in 1986.

Methods:

A set of 238 titles were evaluated using a decision matrix in order to systematically assign points for both objective and subjective criteria and determine an overall score for each journal. Criteria included: coverage in four major indexes, scholarly impact rank as tracked in two sources, identification as a recommended journal in preparing for specialty board examinations, and a veterinary librarian survey rating.

Results:

Of the 238 titles considered, a minimum scoring threshold determined the 123 (52%) journals that constituted the final list. The 36 subject categories represented on the list include general and specialty disciplines in veterinary medicine. A ranked list of journals and a list by subject category were produced.

Conclusion:

Serials appearing on the third edition of the “Basic List of Veterinary Medical Serials” met expanded objective measures of quality and impact as well as subjective perceptions of value by both librarians and veterinary practitioners.

Highlights

• The 123 journals on the “Basic List of Veterinary Medical Serials” include 117 journals with a decision matrix score of 15 points or higher, with an additional 6 journals included for more complete subject representation.
• Subject categories with the greatest number of journals are internal medicine, food animal medicine, and research.
• Updates for the third edition of the “Basic List” include 59 new titles and 13 new subject categories.

Implications

• The third edition of the “Basic List” provides a useful collection development and assessment tool for veterinary libraries, as well as general libraries with a need to develop a core collection of veterinary resources.
• The decision matrix approach, using standard quantitative and focused qualitative measures, provides a useful methodology for creating core lists in other disciplines.

     

Prior knowledge, attitude, and strategy use in an introduction to statistics course

The present study used both quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate the learning and motivational strategies used by students in a beginning-level statistics course. The research questions that guided the investigation are: (1) Do motivational variables account for unique variance in the academic performance of statistics students? (2) Do deeper-level processing strategies account for unique variance in the academic performance of statistics students? (3) Do successful students report using different motivation and learning strategies than unsuccessful students in a beginning-level statistics course?     

The impact of an experiential education program on the self-perceptions and perceived social regard of physical education students

This study investigated the effectiveness of an 8-month Team Building through Physical Challenges (TBPC; Glover & Midura, 1992) program on the self-perceptions and perceived social regard of middle school physical education students (N = 1802). Data were analyzed using multilevel analyses where midpoint and final evaluations were conducted separately. Results revealed that at the midpoint evaluation, students in the experimental and control conditions were not different on any of the subscales assessed. At the end of the program, students in the experimental condition, compared with those in the control condition, showed significantly higher scores on 6 of the 10 subscales assessed and the effect sizes were medium to very large. The findings support the effectiveness of the TBPC program in creating positive psychological outcomes for students in a field-based setting.     

From Beliefs to Actions: The Beliefs and Actions of Teachers Implementing Change

Journal of Science Teacher Education -     

Development and Validation of Professional Development Resource Materials for Teachers Cbvering Commwnicathg and Interpreting Assessment Results

How were the materials tested? How did the reactions of teachers compare to those of measurement students? How can these materials be used effectively?