Collaborative learning: A memorable model

Abstract

Reform movements envision schools that will involve greater levels of cooperation and collaboration. Collaborative learning strategies provide a powerful mechanism not only to address affective goals in education but also to enhance students’ cognitive development; to deepen their understanding of concepts; and to press them to examine, articulate, and elaborate their ideas with greater clarity and rigor. Unless teachers have effective means to manage the complex problem solving involved in implementing collaborative learning strategies, the rich possibilities offered will not be realized. This paper proposes a five‐part conceptual framework to guide teachers decision making in order to capitalize on these powerful strategies. The framework incorporates a “G” mnemonic to make the elements memorable.     

Exploration of teachers' awareness and knowledge of (Central) Auditory Processing Disorder ((C)APD)

The aim of this study was to explore primary school teachers' awareness and knowledge of (Central) Auditory Processing Disorder ((C)APD). Teachers' awareness and knowledge are crucial for initial recognition and appropriate referral of children suspected of having (C)APD. When a child is diagnosed with (C)APD, teachers have a role in implementing and monitoring the effectiveness of interventions. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to 53 primary schools in the Republic of Ireland. Findings indicated that 89.1% of participants reported poor/very poor awareness, while 92% reported poor/very poor knowledge of (C)APD. Results were compared with specific data obtained from a similar study carried out simultaneously in Northern Ireland. Overall, the majority of the participants reported that they have poor/very poor awareness and knowledge of (C)APD. These findings emphasise the need to establish training programmes for teachers and ultimately to support the provision of an appropriate service for children with (C)APD.     

Longitudinal predictors of very early Chinese literacy acquisition

This 2‐year longitudinal study examined both concurrent and longitudinal relations of a variety of reading‐related cognitive tasks and Chinese word reading and word dictation among 187 Hong Kong Chinese kindergarteners aged 4–6. Homophone awareness, visual skills and syllable awareness were all uniquely associated with Chinese word reading across time, with age, vocabulary knowledge and nonverbal IQ statistically controlled. Only visual skill and syllable deletion uniquely explained early Chinese word dictation, however. Results extend previous research on cognitive correlates of Chinese literacy and highlight the small but unique contribution of homophone awareness for early reading acquisition in Chinese.     

Neurochemical and Neurobehavioral Effects of Low Lead Exposure on the Developing Brain

Lead is found in small but appreciable quantities in air, soil drinking water and food. Exposure to such amounts of lead does not cause acute lead toxicity, but produces subtle effects, particularly in children. The CDC advocates “safe” or “acceptable” levels of blood lead up to 10 μg/dl, while OSHA declares blood lead levels up to 40 μg/dl as “safe” or “acceptable” in the occupationally exposed. The objective of the study was to see if blood levels considered “safe” can cause changes in the biogenic neurotransmitters in the developing brain which may cause neurobehavioral defects like hyperactivity and other cognitive disorders. Albino Wistar rats were divided into the control and lead-treated groups. The control group was given unleaded water, while the lead-treated group was fed with 50 ppm lead acetate in drinking water. On day 45 the animals were subjected to a passive avoidance test, their blood analysed for ZPP and lead. They were then sacrificed and the neurotransmitters—Norepinephrine (NE) and its metabolite—methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) estimated in the brain areas associated with learning and memory—the frontal cortex, hippocampus and the striatum by HPLC-ECD. Our results showed significant increases in blood lead, NE and MHPG, while ZPP increase was insignificant. The rats showed neurobehavioral abnormalities as assessed by the passive avoidance test. We concluded that low blood levels of lead cannot be considered “safe” or “acceptable” as it causes neurotransmitter alterations. Increased NE turnover is implicated in hyperactivity disorders such as ADHD and Tourette syndrome.     

New teachers,mentoring and the discursive formation of professional identity

This paper considers the implications of mentoring for the discursive formation of professional identities of newly graduated teachers. The site for this analysis is the Teacher Mentoring and Induction Program, in Victoria, Australia. The paper draws attention to the effects of mentoring as conceived in this context on the construction of new teacher identities, the close relationship between professional standards and mentoring, the relationship between mentoring and the performative culture of schools, and what it means to be ‘a good teacher’ within this culture. The aim is to reposition mentoring as a product of its contexts and times, and in so doing contribute to the development of a more theoretically informed and critical platform from which to conduct research into its effects and benefits.     

A model for the evaluation of search queries in medical bibliographic sources

The aim of this study was to develop a model to evaluate the retrieval quality of search queries performed by Dutch general practitioners using the printed Index Medicus, MEDLINE on CD-ROM, and MEDLINE through GRATEFUL MED. Four search queries related to general practice were formulated for a continuing medical education course in literature searching. The selected potential relevant citations from the course instructor and the 103 course participants together served as the basic set for the three judges to evaluate for (a) relevance and (b) quality, with the latter based on journal ranking, research design and publication type. Relevant individual citations received a citation quality score from 1 (low) to 4 (high). The overall search quality was expressed in a formula, which included the individual citation quality score of the selected and missed relevant citations, and the number of selected non-relevant citations. The outcome measures were the number and quality of relevant citations and agreement between the judges. Out of 864 citations, 139 were assessed as relevant, of which 44 citations received an individual citation quality score of 1, 76 of 2, 19 of 3 and none of 4. The level of agreement between the judges was 68% for the relevant citations, and 88% for the non-relevant citations. We describe a model for the evaluation of search queries based not only on the relevance, but also on the quality of the citations retrieved. With adaptation, this model could be generalized to other professional users, and to other bibliographic sources.     

Students' understanding of the greenhouse effect,the societal consequences of reducing CO2 emissions and the problem of ozone layer depletion

This study is an attempt to contribute to the growing body of knowledge about students' conceptions and views concerning environmental and natural resource issues. Answers have been sought to the following questions: “How do Swedish students in grade 9 (15–16 years old) and grade 12 (18–19 years old) explain the greenhouse effect?”, “How do they think reduction of CO₂ emission would affect society?” and “How do they explain that the depletion of the ozone layer is a problem?” The method chosen to answer these questions was to give students written tasks of the open‐ended type. Five models of the greenhouse effect appear among the answers, all more or less incomplete, but nevertheless with potential for development. The students' responses also indicate that they do not fully understand what fundamental societal changes would occur as a result of a drastic reduction in CO₂ emission. On the other hand, they are rather well informed about how injurious depletion of the ozone layer is to humans. The findings are discussed, including implications for teaching. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 37: 1096–1111, 2000