Campus commons: The calculus of grief

Lee Burdette Williams shares her firsthand experience of her students' resilience in the face of loss.     

Microcomputer Integration into a Special Education Institute in Bahrain: A Pilot Project

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the introduction of microcomputers into the Hope Institute, a school for mildly mentally retarded children. Readily available software in English could not be implemented, hence software had to be specially written for this pilot project. The package was demonstrated to the officials concerned at the Institute and was well received. It is expected that the growing awareness about the use of computers in the secondary schools of Bahrain will reinforce the results of our experiment and promote the introduction of computers into the special education institutes of the country.     

Rater Cognition: Implications for Validity

The scoring process is critical in the validation of tests that rely on constructed responses. Documenting that readers carry out the scoring in ways consistent with the construct and measurement goals is an important aspect of score validity. In this article, rater cognition is approached as a source of support for a validity argument for scores based on constructed responses, whether such scores are to be used on their own or as the basis for other scoring processes, for example, automated scoring.     

How accurate can A Level English Literature marking be?

This article considers in a wide perspective the crisis in the assessment of examinations in A‐level English Literature and current attempts to address the problems. Examining the implications of a survey of recent reports initiated by the regulator, it argues that trying to ensure reliability merely through technological advances and changes in examining practice obscures the need for English teachers’ communal understanding of academic standards to be developed through their professional experience. It proposes ways in which this should be achieved, for example by developing current and potential professional networks and communities of practice.     

The impact of technology and a no remediation policy on non-traditional students

A Hunter College librarian, with public library experience, offered a series of drop-in workshops Saturday afternoons open to all students and questions regarding Web or Windows use in the academic year, 2000-2001. The intention of the workshops was to address the continuous needs of students lacking technological and informational literacy. The success of these workshops led to this investigation of the implications of 21st century technology on non-traditional students from the perspective of bibliographic instruction as well as reference desk service. The perspective is that of the urban educational environment of City University of New York and Hunter College. The histories of open admissions at CUNY and the current efforts to abolish remediation are examined.