Fred outdoors: An initial report into the experiences of outdoor activities for an adult who is congenitally deafblind

Abstract

Outdoor Education has long been used with groups that could be described as having “special needs”. Research in this particular area has in the past concentrated on adaptations to equipment and activities, allowing access for people with physical disabilities, and expanding the learning and development opportunities available to those with learning difficulties. This article documents the initial observations made of the experiences of a man, who is congenitally deafblind, when given the opportunity to experience outdoor activities. The article highlights a number of areas, which appear particularly relevant to this specific target group, and may be worthy of further investigation. The use of video technology is also demonstrated to be a valuable research tool when working with people who have multisensory impairments.     

THE PRIVATE SCHOOL IN THE AMERICAN SCHEME OF EDUCATION

This article explores the possible contribution to Jewish education found in the resources of Judaica scholarship. It begins by exploring the complex and often uneasy connection between the world of the university and the world of education and then offers an alternative to this tension by suggesting ways that Jewish subject matter scholarship might both help expand Jewish educational research and improve the actual practice of education. Four models are offered as means of implementing these ideas. These models are explored through specific examples and analysis of the potential advantages and challenges embedded in each.     

Toward a Critical Study of Jewish Education

This article proposes a reconfiguration of the academic study of Jewish education that would (1) emphasize the “critical” analysis of an expanded range of issues (2) draw upon a broad range of disciplines and fields of study; and (3) formulate a new research agenda. The article argues that the focus on a “critical” approach to Jewish education studies is not a retreat from practice, but an important step in the enrichment of the academic study of Jewish education, as well as in the enhancement of the practical training of teachers, leaders, and communal professionals.     

Gender,Internal Controls,and Academic Dishonesty: Investigating Mediating and Differential Effects

While research has found that males tend to commit more academically dishonest acts than females, we know little about what accounts for the gender differential or whether the same factors can explain academic dishonesty for males and females. This study assesses how internal controls, i.e., self‐control, shame, embarrassment, and moral beliefs, account for the relationship between gender and cheating behavior. Using a sample of students from a southern university in the United States, this study explores three questions. First, do internal controls vary across males and females? Second, can internal controls account for gender differences in test cheating? Third, do internal controls differentially or similarly predict test cheating for males and females? Results show that (a) gender differences among several internal controls as well as cheating behavior, (b) internal controls reduce the gender gap but cannot completely explain why gender differences exist in cheating, and (c) two internal controls, self‐control and moral beliefs, differentially predict male and female test cheating. We discuss limitations of our findings and how research can expand the investigation of gender differences and explanations for engaging in academically dishonest acts.     

DISSERTATION RESEARCH: PART 2, THE QUANTITATIVE DISSERTATION: FORM AND SUBSTANCE

This is the second in a three‐part series of papers concerning dissertation research. In this paper, the elements of quantitative dissertations are identified for analysis and subsequent discussion. Dissertation research should provide the researcher the opportunity to become another example of the generative, creative, and inventive capacity of mankind to be liberated for a period of time from the immediate in order to extend his or her own thoughts forward toward whatever future may be permitted. Dissertation research should provide the reader an opportunity to extend and expand his realm of thought apart from an imposed or artificial conformity to form.     

Farewell from the Founding Editor-in-Chief

On June 14, 2011, the world of higher education lost a great editor and scholar. D. Barry Lumsden passed away that morning, leaving behind three excellent journals and a legacy of scholarship. Dr. Lumsden had edited the Community College Journal of Research and Practice since he founded it in 1976, and we feel his loss keenly. Our sympathies go out to his family, friends and colleagues for their loss.

I have had the pleasure of working with Barry since joining Taylor & Francis (T&F) in 1984. He was one of the more colorful characters I have come across in 30 years of publishing. He referred to me, as you will see below, as Brother Kevin. He always brought a smile to my face when I would pick up the phone (he is from a generation that still picks up the phone and talks to people) and hear him say hello. He cared deeply about the journals he worked on and the contribution he was making to the field. His legacy has been established by the contributions that he has made and, for me, he will always bring a smile to my face when I think of him.

In early 2011, on Dr. Lumsden's recommendation, we appointed Deborah L. Floyd as his successor. Dr. Floyd has worked on the journal for several years, both as an editorial board member and a guest editor, and we know she will do a fine job in her new role as editor-in-chief. We are saddened by Dr. Lumsden's passing, but look forward to working with Dr. Floyd as she continues the work he started three decades ago. The following editorial was to be his farewell to the Community College Journal of Research and Practice, the journal he edited for 35 years.

Kevin Bradley, President

Taylor & Francis US Journals Program     

The CoVis Project: Building a Large-Scale Science Education Testbed*

This paper describes the construction and research program of the Learning Through Collaborative Visualization (CoVis) Project, a testbed for exploring science education reform with telecommunications technology. The CoVis testbed is contrasted with other forms of educational research in an “ecology of paradigms,” which argues that testbeds are in fact a new setting for research with different requirements and challenges for the researcher. Two extended examples of telecommunications research are provided as examples of the kind of research that testbeds are well suited to explore. The first example is the evolution of videoconferencing in the CoVis testbed. The second example is the design and development of a networked groupware application called the Collaboratory Notebook.     

Changing academic identities in changing academic workplaces: learning from academics’ everyday professional writing practices

In this article we examine issues of academic identity through the lens of academics’ everyday workplace writing, offering a complementary perspective to those already evident in the higher education research literature. Motivated by an interest in the relationship between routine writing and aspects of professional practice, we draw on data from interviews with 30 academics across three different universities. Our discussion is illustrated with excerpts from interview data, and is organised around three emerging themes: ‘reconstructing academic identities in a shifting academic workplace’, ‘considering new articulations of disciplinarity’, and ‘moving on from the golden age’. We conclude that the reconstruction of academic identities, through engagement with established and emerging workplace documents, may well be enabling academics to build new identities within the changing university.