Effects of Example Choice on Interest,Control, and Learning

We investigated example choice as a new method for the teaching of formal theoretical principles. Formal principles are presented with several examples from different topics, and students choose the one that interests them most. Example choice might be related to prior knowledge, interest, or perceived control. In an experimental study, we examined the effects of degree of example choice and degree of prior knowledge on interest, perceived control, and learning outcomes in a presentation on confirmation bias. The main finding was that participants who could choose an example showed more interest in the presentation of the formal principle than participants who either were given an example by the experimenter or only saw the presentation. Control was lowest for the group without example choice and without prior knowledge. Finally, prior knowledge, but not example choice, increased performance on a transfer of knowledge task. Example choice thus offers a new approach for closing the gap between formal principles as presented at school and a student's interests.     

Motivational aspects of community support for school‐based comprehensive sexuality education

Various surveys have documented widespread support among US parents, students, teachers and health professionals for school‐based comprehensive sexuality education. In many school districts, however, the sexuality education provided is minimal, incomplete or fragmented, and essential topics are often omitted or inaccurately presented. To help explain the discrepancy between support and accomplishment, this study develops a set of theory‐based research hypotheses regarding the potential motivational roles of stakeholders' goals, emotions and personal agency belief patterns in explaining this lack of achievement. A series of exploratory interviews and focus groups with 36 California parents, adolescents and professionals was conducted. A modified grounded‐theory approach was used to guide the collection and analysis of qualitative data, and the development of a theoretical framework anchored in Martin Ford's motivational systems theory. This framework suggests the complexity of the interacting factors involved, and provides a basis for specific hypotheses for further research. Potentially important goals, emotions and personal agency belief patterns are identified and discussed.     

The relative effectiveness of computer‐based and traditional resources for education in anatomy

There is increasing use of computer–based resources to teach anatomy, although no study has compared computer‐based learning to traditional. In this study, we examine the effectiveness of three formats of anatomy learning: (1) a virtual reality (VR) computer‐based module, (2) a static computer‐based module providing Key Views (KV), (3) a plastic model. We conducted a controlled trial in which 60 undergraduate students had ten minutes to study the names of 20 different pelvic structures. The outcome measure was a 25 item short answer test consisting of 15 nominal and 10 functional questions, based on a cadaveric pelvis. All subjects also took a brief mental rotations test (MRT) as a measure of spatial ability, used as a covariate in the analysis. Data were analyzed with repeated measures ANOVA. The group learning from the model performed significantly better than the other two groups on the nominal questions (Model 67%; KV 40%; VR 41%, Effect size 1.19 and 1.29, respectively). There was no difference between the KV and VR groups. There was no difference between the groups on the functional questions (Model 28%; KV, 23%, VR 25%). Computer‐based learning resources appear to have significant disadvantages compared to traditional specimens in learning nominal anatomy. Consistent with previous research, virtual reality shows no advantage over static presentation of key views. Anat Sci Educ 6: 211–215. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.     

Frail,Fatal, Fundamental: The Future of Public Libraries

No abstract available for this article.     

Broadcasting and Cable

Larry James Gianakos' Television Drama Series Programming: A Comprehensive Chronicle, 1959-1975 (Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1978—$27.50)

Albert C. Book and Norman D. Cary's The Radio and Television Commercial (Chicago: Crain Books, 1978—$6.95, paper)

Jay S. Harris's TV Guide: The First 25 Years (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978—$14.95)

Steven R. Rivkin's A New Guide to Federal Cable Television Regulations (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1978—$25.00)

Felix Chin's Cable Television: A Comprehensive Bibliography (New York: Plenum Publishing, 1978—$45.00)     

Electronic Media

TELEVANGELISM: THE MARKETING OF POPULAR RELIGION by Razelle Frankl (Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1986--$19.95)

BROADCAST AND CABLE MANAGEMENT by Norman Marcus (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1986--price not given)

NORMAN CORWIN AND RADIO: THE GOLDEN YEARS by R. LeRoy Bannerman (University: Univ. of Alabama Press, 1986---$28.50)

AMERICAN TELEVISION DRAMA: THE EXPERIMENTAL YEARS by William Hawes (University: University of Alabama Press, 1986--$29.95)

PRODUCERS ON PRODUCING: THE MAKING OF FILM AND TELEVISION edited by Iry Broughton (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1986---$29.95)

OFF CAMERA: CONVERSATIONS WITH. THE MAKERS OF PRIME-TIME TELEVISION by Richard Levinson and William Link (New York: New American Library/Plume, 1986---$8.95, paper)

CABLE ADVERTISER'S HANDBOOK by Ronald Kaatz (Lincolnwood, IL: Crain Books, 1985---$19.95)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES AND PUBLIC BROADCASTING 1986 by John Carey (Washington, DC: Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 1986---$5.00, paper)     

Advertising/Marketing

TRADE BOOK MARKETING: A PRACTICAL GUIDE edited by Robert A. Carter (New York: Bowker, 1983---$29.95/19.95)

ELEMENT'S OF DIRECT MARKETING by Martin Baier (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1983---price not given)

BROADCAST ADVERTISING: A COMPREHENSIVE WORKING TEXTBOOK by Sherilyn K. Zeigler and Herbert H. Howard (Columbus, Ohio: Grid Publishing, 1984---$34.95/17.95)

PUBLIC RELATIONS: MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVES by Norman R. Nager and T. Harrell Allen (New York: Longman, 1984---$29.95/16.95)

CHOOSING AN ADVERTISING AGENCY by William M. Weilbacher (Chicago: Crain Books, 1983---$19.95, paper)     

Alphabetization and the skewing of first authorship towards last names early in the alphabet

The practice of listing co-author surnames in alphabetical order, irrespective of their contribution, can make it difficult to effectively allocate research credit to authors. This article compares the percentages of articles with co-authors in alphabetical order (alphabetization) for two-author, three-author and four-author articles in eighteen social sciences in 1995 and 2010 to assess how widespread this practice is. There is some degree of alphabetization in all disciplines except one but the level varies substantially between disciplines. This level is increasing slightly over time, on average, but it has increased substantially in a few disciplines and decreased in others, showing that the practice of alphabetization is not fading away. A high correlation between alphabetical order and the proportion of first authors near the beginning of the alphabet confirms that high percentages of alphabetical order could affect the appropriate allocation of research credit. Similar patterns were found for science and the humanities. Finally, since some degree of alphabetization is almost universal in social science disciplines, this practice may be affecting careers throughout the social sciences and hence seems indefensible.     

21世纪国际教育制度的重建

本文提出了国际学院和全民教育模式的雏形,十项学院指导原则及其核心价值观。国际学院的学习贯穿课堂内外,为全球化教育概括出4个主要学习目标。全民教育模式整合了通识教育与全球化教育。十项原则为重建学习环境而制定,目的在于培养和提高学生学习能力,将课程设计与教学实践有效结合。21世纪,应把全球化教育当作一门课程来对待。