Examining the use of theory within educational technology and media research

Academic research in the areas of educational technology and media is often portrayed to be limited in terms of its use of theory. This short paper reports on data collected from a survey of 462 ‘research active’ academic researchers working in the broad area of educational technology and educational media. The paper explores their use (and non-use) of theory.     

Refocusing Reference Services Outside the Library Building: One Library's Experience

In response to changing user needs, the library sought ways to meet new challenges and engage users outside of the building. Librarians were removed from the service desk in order to offer support at locations around campus. The service desk in the library was staffed primarily by paraprofessionals with librarians providing support as needed. Targeted staff training was offered, and different scheduling models were used over a period of time. Restructuring the service desk was a complicated endeavor but provided a number of benefits including expansion of services. Along the way, challenges were met and recognized as learning opportunities.     

Exceptional educators: a collaborative training partnership for the inclusion of students with Down's syndrome

This article discusses the results of a teacher training initiative in the United States. Exceptional Educators is the result of an inter‐organisational collaboration between a community‐based organisation (Gold Coast Down Syndrome Organization), the local public school system and a university professor. The training focuses on three distinct objectives; understanding the physical and emotional needs of the disability, creating modified curriculum units based on individual learning goals and recognising common behavioral problems that arise in school settings. Overall, the results showed positive outcomes, with gains in knowledge of curriculum modification, behavioural strategies and overall understanding of Down's syndrome, as well as an increase in confidence level. A six‐week follow‐up survey indicated that the majority of the participants used the information presented back in their teaching environments. This study also investigated the added value of this collaboration, finding that the community connection often continues past the training and has provided teachers additional avenues for support.     

利用深掺杂Si所研制的微型流量传感器

使用深掺杂方法在Si材料中掺入Au原子后，其电阻率随温度T的变化关系从主要依赖于T-3/2项的浅掺杂材料变成主要依赖于exp(-E／KT)项的深掺杂材料，从而大幅度地提高了掺金Si材料对温度的敏感性。这样在理论上深掺杂Si材料比浅掺杂Si材料对温度的敏感性提高了约1000倍。对于深掺杂方法制成的微型流量传感器特性的测量证明了以上理论。深掺杂Si材料的应用不但大大提高了微型流量传感器的灵敏度，也大幅度地降低了响应时间。     

The Remote Area Teacher Program (RATEP): Cultural contextualisation of distance education through interactive

The Remote Area Teacher Education Program (RATEP) is a successful and innovative distance education programme. Curriculum design demands the meaningful integration of traditional distance education materials and strategies with other electronic technology and interactive multimedi a computer courseware. RATEP is more than ‘two‐way schooling’ for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander distance education students studying in their home communities. Centred within Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development, the interactive multimedia computer courseware is informed by the intersecting set of the various cultural contexts: academic culture embedded in Western culture; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and that of the computer. Illustrative examples from generalist and mathematics content and curriculum subjects demonstrate the effectiveness of culturally contextualising instructional computer‐student interface design in order to promote learning through interactive.     

Vanguards of Change

Following is the speech presented by the president of the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision at its annual luncheon, which was held on April 3, 2004, during the American Counseling Association National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.