Spontaneous recovery of instrumental discriminative responding

In six experiments, rats received discriminative training in which making a response (R) during a stimulus (S) produced a particular outcome (O). In Experiment 1, that outcome was replaced by a second outcome and responding was tested either immediately or after a delay. More substantial responding was observed with the delayed test. In Experiment 2, a test of transfer to new responses suggested that the growth in performance was not attributable to greater use of particular S-O associations. However, in Experiment 3, the growth in responding was found to be specific to particular S-R combinations. Experiment 4 replicated that specificity and demonstrated the importance of using two different outcomes for obtaining the growth in responding with time. Experiments 5 and 6 repeated these observations for the case of extinction, in which O was replaced by nonreinforcement. These results are interpreted as suggesting that an outcome-independent inhibitory S-R process develops, both with extinction and with the use of a second outcome, but dissipates with time.     

Teaching the Use of Complex IT in Specific Domains: Developing, Assessing and Refining a Curriculum Development Framework

Information technology holds the promise of increased productivity. However, rapidly evolving tools require a professional able to incorporate these tools into their careers effectively, which signals the need for IT curriculum development initiatives that incorporate the use of complex, domain-specific IT applications in specific professional fields. This paper reports on a study that addresses this need, by developing, assessing and refining a curriculum development framework. The Information Technology Fluency (ITF) framework is a methodology for constructing components (case studies) for inclusion into existing or newly proposed courses to help students develop the skills needed for this challenge. Results obtained using the framework are reported, compared to similar work at a different institution, and used to suggest improvements to the framework.     

Integrating Cognitive and Psychometric Models to Measure Document Literacy

The Survey of Young Adult Literacy conducted in 1985 by the National Assessment of Educational Progress included 63 items that elicited skills in acquiring and using information from written documents. These items were analyzed using two different models: (1) a qualitative cognitive model, which characterized items in terms of the processing tasks they required, and (2) an item response theory (IRT) model, which characterized items difficulties and respondents' proficiencies simply by tendencies toward correct response. This paper demonstrates how a generalization of Fischer and Seheibleehner's Linear Logistic Test Model can be used to integrate information from the cognitive analysis into the IRT analysis, providing a foundation for subsequent item construction, test development, and diagnosis of individuals skill deficiencies.     

The detection and correction of bias in student ratings of instruction

With the use of surveys of instructional effectiveness that use Likert rating scales, bias is a potential threat to the validity of interpretations. Simple summation of ratings or the use of larger samples are not methods for removing bias. In this study, a new model for scaling ratings is examined. The method both identifies and corrects for bias. Working with a database of student ratings of college instruction, the model was tested in terms of a variety of criteria. Results indicated that bias was detected and that it was large enough to warrant our concern. The statistical corrections were significant both in terms of order and magnitude of class means. Implications for future studies include the specification of more potential sources of bias, the interaction of some of these factors, and the development of more systematic evidence supporting the need to be attentive to bias. The many-faceted Rasch model used in this study needs more evaluation before we are convinced of its utility to study and correct for bias, but preliminary evidence is encouraging. Recommendations were offered for a theoretical rationale for studying bias in student ratings of instructional effectiveness and a program of research leading to the use of this model for reporting results for use in improving instruction and for promotion, tenure, and merit decisions. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Atlanta April 1993.     

Race,academic achievement,and self-concept of ability

In the year-and-a-half since the College Board released detailed tables on SAT scores by race, much of the heated reaction has now abated. This study explores the data behind those tables and seeks a fuller explanation of the observed differences in SAT scores among racial and ethnic segments of college-bound test takers. It highlights a social psychological correlate that mediates between environmental factors and SAT performance, beginning with the finding that blacks at the same level of test performance exhibit greater self-esteem than whites on a series of self-rated abilities. Implications of the analysis are discussed and directions for further research suggested.Presented at the 24th Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, Fort Worth, Texas, May 1984.     

Families as Educators for Global Citizenship: Five conundrums of intentional socialization

An international multidisciplinary Symposium on ‘Families as Educators for Global Citizenship’ was held in Budapest in December 1994, jointly convened by the Institute of Family & Environmental Research (London) and the Hungarian Sociological Association.

We based our work on two propositions: first, that families everywhere socialize their offspring for the norms and behaviour valued in their social systems; and second, that there are major changes going on a ‘global’ scale which are relevant to current socialization practices. We asked how changes in global culture and values impact on families and how families are responding. In the light of the importance of these questions and the sparseness of reliable answers, we suggest the need for research on families and the teaching/learning of social values: 1. How do families actually teach values: how much of it is intentional instruction, how much inadvertent teaching, as in association with language teaching and non‐intentional modelling ?

2. How do families reconcile their local traditional values with those emerging as part of global culture (i.e. the humanistic values of universal human rights, gender equity, respect for the environment, non‐violent conflict resolution and diversity).

3. How are personal identities formed which incorporate a global dimension, and how are conflicts in multiple identities (local, national, regional global) managed?

It is recognized that at present it is probably a minority interest to undertake intentional socialization for global values. However, we suggest that it will be increasingly recognized as important. For families seeking to instill such values, a number of conundrums are apparent. We have identified five for preliminary analysis.

     

An extinction trial as a reminder treatment following electroconvulsive shock

Animals given electroconvulsive shock (ECS) following active avoidance training were found to exhibit poor retention of the active avoidance response. However, this deficit was alleviated if the animals received an extinction trial for active avoidance prior to retention testing. That the trial was an extinction trial was demonstrated by the fact that exposure to the trial decremented the performance of animals not given ECS after learning. The implications of these findings for explanations of retrograde amnesia are discussed.     

What do students want most from written feedback information? Distinguishing necessities from luxuries using a budgeting methodology

Feedback is a key concern for higher education practitioners, yet there is little evidence concerning the aspects of assessment feedback information that higher education students prioritise when their lecturers’ time and resources are stretched. One recent study found that, in such circumstances, students actually perceive feedback information itself as a luxury rather than a necessity. We first re-examined that finding by asking undergraduates to ‘purchase’ characteristics to create the ideal lecturer, using budgets of differing sizes to distinguish necessities from luxuries. Contrary to the earlier research, students in fact considered good feedback information the single biggest necessity for lecturers to demonstrate. In a second study, we used the same method to examine the characteristics of feedback information that students value most. Here, the most important perceived necessity was guidance on improvement of skills. In both studies, students’ priorities were influenced by their individual approaches to learning. These findings permit a more pragmatic approach to building student satisfaction in spite of growing expectations and demands.