'Noisy, fallible and biased though it be' (on the Vagaries of Educational Research)

Scholarship in education beyond school has developed largely outside university departments of education, and has rarely engaged systematically with the study of education in schools. The paper concentrates on three areas: adult education, higher education, and further education. The development of the extra-mural tradition meant that adult education was less an object of scholarly study than a means of spreading scholarship to the wider population, with important exceptions such as historical studies. Since the 1970s, the volume of research and postgraduate education in adult education in British universities has grown considerably. The study of higher education was marginal until the 1960s; its subsequent development was relatively slow until the 1990s, when the quality of university teaching came under wider external scrutiny. The study of further education and vocational training is characterised by disciplinary fragmentation, with much activity taking place in departments of psychology, economics, sociology and management, as well as in those former polytechnics that specialised in training further education teachers. The rise of integrative concepts such as lifelong learning suggest greater potential for cross-disciplinary scholarship that can engage the diverse body of those interested in teaching and research about this field.     

Early transition into adult roles: some antecedents and some outcomes

The transition to adult roles usually occurs within a normative age span. By focusing on preadolescence to late adolescence using 2-wave panel data, this research seeks to develop a more informed picture of how "early" exit from the student role and "early" entry into the adult role of parent or spouse reflect factors operating prior to adolescence. The short term consequences of adult role transition on teenage status aspirations, life plans, other psychological orientations, and parental influence are also examined. Even though multiple role transition is frequently observed, only leaving school early appears to be related to preadolescent career decisions and academic performance in high school. The determinants of early transition to the role of parent or spouse do not appear to be socioeconomic origins, parental child rearing techniques or other specific influences, academic ability or performance, or preadolescent aspirations, as has generally been hypothesized in the literature. Research dilemmas and policy implications are discussed.     

An efficacy analysis of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy for choroidal neovascularization secondary to multifocal choroiditis and comparison with wet age-related macular degeneration

Objective

To evaluate the effect of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on juxtafoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to multifocal choroiditis (MFC) and wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: In this retrospective, comparative study, 20 unique eyes with CNV were divided into two groups: 10 patients affected by MFC and 10 patients diagnosed with wet AMD. They all received local intravitreal (IVT) injections of ranibizumab, with 6 months of follow-up. Retreatment injections were performed based on findings suggestive of active neovascularization.

Results

Significant improvements were observed in the juxtafoveal CNV lesions, and average central macular thickness decreased in both groups following the anti-VEGF therapy (P<0.05). The average number of injections used in MFC patients was 1.6, while three injections on average were used in wet AMD patients (Z=?2.844, P=0.009). Best-corrected visual acuity was significantly improved in MFC patients after anti-VEGF therapy (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in wet AMD patients between before anti-VEGF therapy and 6 months later (P>0.05).

Conclusions

IVT ranibizumab resulted in good clinical outcomes for juxtafoveal CNV secondary to MFC and wet AMD, but the average number of injections used in MFC was fewer than that used in wet AMD over a 6-month observation period. Compared with the wet AMD group, visual acuity was obviously improved in the MFC group at 6 months.

     

Effects of Second-Order Difference-Frequency Wave Forces on Floating Wind Turbine Under Survival Condition

In this paper, the effects of second-order difference-frequency wave forces on the global motion of an offshore wind turbine system with a large displacement under the survival condition are studied. In this case, the hydrodynamic force is the main force because the blades are feathered to reduce the lifting force. The first-order hydrodynamic forces are calculated by WADAM, while the second-order wave forces are calculated by a customized MATLAB module. Then the hydrodynamic coefficients are transferred to the wind turbine analytical code FAST. Through the comparisons of dynamic responses between the first- and second-order numerical models, it is found that the second-order wave forces significantly influence the motion of floating wind turbine under the survival condition. Moreover, neglecting the second-order force significantly underestimates the tension forces in the mooring lines.     

Mnemonic artwork-learning strategies: Helping students remember more than “Who painted what?”

In two experiments, a recently devised mnemonic strategy was examined in the context of college students recalling the theme and contents of various paintings. With the painting-artist mnemonic strategy: (a) the artist's name is first recoded as a more concrete proxy; and (b) the recoded stimulus is then related to a prominent feature of the painting. Previous research has demonstrated that such a strategy enhances students' recall of artist names when cued with the associated paintings. The present study extends those findings by demonstrating that the strategy similarly facilitates students' recall of paintings and painting information when cued with the associated artist names. Of three different mnemonic variations included, one that incorporates a verbally described mnemonic interaction into the painting proved most effective. Suggestions for future research and educational implications are included in the discussion.     

An exploratory investigation of the effects of a cultural orientation programme on the psychological well-being of international university students

Culture shock has been identified as a psychological reaction to a change in cultural environment. The main symptoms of culture shock are reported to be psychological disturbance, a negative reaction to the new surroundings and a longing for a more familiar environment. Research has identified culture shock as a component in the difficulties that international students face when studying in another country. One way that institutions of higher education have responded to these difficulties is to provide initial cultural orientation. In the study reported here, a group of post-graduate students who had participated in a study skills and cultural orientation course at a British university were compared with a group who had not. Contrary to the research hypothesis, the group that took part in the orientation course were significantly more homesick and reported more psychological difficulties. The overall findings cast doubt on the received view of culture shock as it affects international students. They suggest that culture shock is exacerbated by personal and social factors and this has implications for the way that international students may be helped through the experience.     

Teaching the design and interpretation of graphs through computer-aided graphical data analysis

Graphs are one of the primary means of exploration and communication in the practice of science, but students in science laboratories are customarily taught only the low-level mechanics of constructing a single kind of graph when given a table of information. The use of a microcomputer can relieve the drudgery of plotting, allowing students to pursue higher-level issues in the design and interpretation of graphs through repeated “thought experiments.” We introduced computer-assisted graphical data analysis to inner-city high school students with weak math and science backgrounds, emphasizing the dynamic manipulation of various kinds of graphs to answer specific questions. Drawing on extensive recordings and classroom observations, we describe examples of the performance of these students on open-ended problem-solving tasks in which graphs can be used to arrive at meaningful answers to applied data analysis problems.     

A leisure counseling model for addicted persons

Conclusion This leisure counseling model provides a general framework for the counseling process rather than a strict guideline. While some clients may progress orderly through the stages, other clients may move back and forth amongst different stages. The specific counseling needs of each client should guide the client's progress through the model accordingly. In short, within the model's framework the counseling process has a great deal of flexibility.The purpose of this article has been to emphasize the importance of leisure counseling for addicted persons and to present a corresponding model that can supplement existing programs and support groups. Thus, the model is designed in such a way that it can be implemented in either individual or group settings. Whatever the particular application of this leisure counseling model, it adds an important extra dimension to existing addiction treatment approaches.The importance of leisure counseling for addicted persons in recovery cannot be overemphasized. Because the addiction was the center of their lives, recovering addicts must forge a new lifestyle without their drug of choice: their best friend and greatest source of security and reassurance. Recognizing their struggle, the addiction leisure counseling model should help counselors facilitate this transition by enabling addicted clients to begin using leisure to satisfy many of their unmet needs.