Teleconsultation as the New Frontier of Educational and Psychological Consultation: Introduction to the Special Issue

ABSTRACT

In this lead-in article, we define teleconsultation as the delivery of consultative services through videoconferencing and other technologies. We then describe the emergence and potential positive impact of teleconsultation in schools. Finally, we introduce the articles that make up this special issue of the Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation.     

The Politically and Culturally One-Sided Campus: Causes, Consequences, Remedies: Pernicious Politicization in Academe: Victims of the One-Sided Campus: Advocacy in the College Classroom

The three papers that follow were delivered on 22 April 2006 at a conference of the California Association of Scholars at the Annenberg School on the campus of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. The aim of the panelists was to diagnose the political and cultural imbalance in higher education, to analyze its causes and consequences, and to look for remedies. Other essays from that conference may appear later in AQ.     

Analyzing Critical Incidents Stories to Understand Change Management Process in the Adoption of e-Resources at the University of Botswana Library

This study used the critical incidents technique to gather the University Botswana Library staff's stories relating to the change management process during the implementation of e-resources projects. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 13 individuals who were involved in the implementation of various projects at the library. Data was analyzed using grounded theory techniques of open coding, selective coding, and axial coding. The results of the study showed that communication, investing in resources, capacity building, team building, garnering external support through collaboration, and users' involvement were key change management strategies used. The library staff were involved in the coordination of projects, systems selection, liaising with stakeholders and consultants, benchmarking, and conducting in-house training. The findings also showed some challenges encountered, which included staff ignorance, reluctance, and fear to take decisions, and inadequate training facilities. The study recommends dedicated project team members with reduced workload and having knowledge and skills to lead the teams to fully participate and engage in the project process.     

Socio-cultural adaptation,academic adaptation and satisfaction of international higher degree research students in Australia

The number of international higher degree research students has grown at a significant rate in recent years, with Australia becoming a hub for attracting such students from around the world. However, research has identified that international higher degree research students often encounter a wide range of academic and socio-cultural challenges in adapting to their new environment, which can have a significant bearing on their levels of satisfaction with their studies. This paper outlines the findings of a mixed method study exploring the experiences and perceptions of international higher degree research students from five different countries in Australia. Findings revealed that the most important issues in terms of satisfaction were not directly related to academic studies. Instead, factors such as integration into the community, interacting with other students, relationships with supervisors, and the provision of adequate desk space were often given the greatest weight. Implications for how university policy can better support international doctoral students are discussed.     

Podcasts on Mobile Devices as a Read-Aloud Testing Accommodation in Middle School Science Assessment

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a digitized podcast to deliver read-aloud testing accommodations on mobile devices to students with disabilities and reading difficulties. The total sample for this study included 47 middle school students with reading difficulties. Of the 47 students, 16 were identified as students with disabilities who received special education services. Participants were randomly assigned to three experimental testing conditions, standard administration, teacher-controlled read-aloud in traditional group delivery format, and student-controlled read-aloud delivered as a podcast and accessed on a mobile device, and given sample end-of-year science assessments. Based on a factorial analysis of variances, with test conditions and student status as the fixed factors, both student groups demonstrated statistically significant gains based on their testing conditions. Results support the use of podcast delivery as a viable alternative to the traditional teacher-delivered read-aloud test accommodation. Conclusions are discussed in the context of universal design for learning testing accommodations for future research and practice.     

Schedule control of eating by fixed-time schedules of water presentation

Eating was measured in water-deprived rats when water was presented at regular intervals ranging from 30 to 240 sec. The temporal patterning of eating resembled that of schedule-induced behavior in that the probability of eating was high early in the interval and declined in the end of the interval. Additionally, (a) the number of pellets consumed was controlled by relative time in the interwater interval, (b) the pellets consumed per water presentation was inversely related to water rate, and (c) food-ingestion rate was directly related to water rate. These relationships parallel those found with behavior regarded as schedule induced.     

Professor Kagan responds

Letters

Professor Kagan responds     

Social capital and relationship maintenance: uses of social media among the South Asian Diaspora in the U.S.

This study uses the framework of bridging and bonding social capital to explore how South Asian immigrants to the U.S. negotiate relationships amongst three social groups: their ties in their home country, their ties to Americans, and their ties to other South Asian immigrants living in the U.S. In so doing, it develops a model for immigrant social media use that contributes to an ongoing reassessment of the notion of community.