The effect of sequence of instruction on students' cognitive preferences and recall in the context of a problem-oriented method of teaching

This experiment investigated two possible sequences in which biochemical theory and the clinical applications of such theory can be presented to pre-clinical medical students. The dependent variables were the students' cognitive preferences and their ability to recall the contents of the instruction. Seventy-two students were randomly allocated to either a Theory-to-application or an Application-to-theory condition. The results indicated that the Application-to-theory sequence of instruction produced a significantly greater preference for being taught the specific facts of pre-clinical medical science, as opposed to being taught about the clinical applications. However, this was achieved at the expense of a significantly reduced ability to actually recall the theory which was taught.     

Bullying Prevention Strategies in Early Childhood Education

Bullying is a serious problem that affects the young children’s well being. Early childhood educators find it difficult to manage bullying in the classroom. Preschool is the first environment outside of the home setting where children encounter difficulties when they socially interact with their peers. Based on the principles of protecting and establishing a safe environment for all children, the purpose of this review is to present current empirical evidence about the nature and distinctive facet of bullying among preschool children. It defines both the concept of traditional school bullying and bullying in early childhood education, describes the social context of young children’s bullying, differentiates between bullies and victims in early childhood education, discusses the young children’s interpretations of bullying, describes the young children’s functions in bullying, and provides a rationale for the use of bully prevention programs for young children.     

Computer based modelling and simulation

Most systems involve parameters and variables, which are random variables due to uncertainties. Probabilistic methods are powerful in modelling such systems. In this second part, we describe probabilistic models and Monte Carlo simulation along with ‘classical’ matrix methods and differential equations as most real situations are complex (with several variables) and involve uncertainties.     

Responding to a fiscal crisis: a data‐driven approach

The Division of Planning and Institutional Improvement (PAII) at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis provides for the campus data for academic planning and management, assessment and evaluation services, and progress reports on mission‐critical goals. To respond to a forecast fiscal crisis and support long‐range planning for the Division, staff undertook a survey of deans and other key campus stakeholders to determine which of its services were best‐known and considered most useful for unit‐level planning and decision‐making, especially as these units faced the same projections of severe fiscal constraints. Findings indicated greater awareness and use of PAII data among deans than among other academic leaders and provided important insights into the kinds of data needed most for decision‐making. These outcomes will guide the Division’s future strategies for educating deans and other stakeholders on underused, but potentially useful, services and for selecting new services to offer.     

The ARIADNE Project (Part 1): Knowledge Pools for Computer-based and Telematics-supported Classical,Open and Distance Education

ARIADNE is a concept of computer-based and telematics-supported educational schemes. It relies primarily on a number of interconnected knowledge pools and suitable strategies for using them, in academic education—either classical or at a distance—and for certain types of corporate continuing training. In ARIADNE, the term ‘knowledge pool’ refers to a large, indexed, storage of pedagogical elements and the set of tools, methodologies and infrastructures necessary for maintaining and exploiting it, to build and distribute structured curricula. This concept is meant to address the weaknesses of many ‘open’ training schemes advocating the usefulness of unlimited and free access to the World Wide Web (WWW). In our view, this immense—but scarcely structured— document repository can all too easily become a maze and offers, in itself, little incentive to serious learning. On the other hand, ARIADNE will use a WWW based net-interface, suitable for—and inter-operable with—most platforms commonly in use by would-be learners. ARIADNE addresses two categories of users: those who contribute to the knowledge pool system and develop training curricula (professors and pedagogical engineers) and those who may enlist in and follow these curricula (students and trainees). The system's design accounts for the need for collaboration and communication between (a) trainers, to create, customize, share and reuse pedagogical documents; (b) trainers and learners, for coaching/tutoring activities and supervision of learning; and (c) students/trainees, in peer-supported learning or group work. Long-term survival of any such technology-supported education system depends primarily on motivated participants: teachers and trainers, students and trainees, academic institutions and corporations should all find some practical advantage in its use. In this paper (Part 1), we present an overview of the ARIADNE concept, describing its pragmatic educational approach and its specific approach to authoring of pedagogical material and construction of usable curricula. In a forthcoming paper (Part 2), we will address its technological approach and present a brief review of the tools needed to implement the concept as a viable computer-based and telematics-supported distance—but also open or even classical— educational system.