Developing trust in virtual teams

Rapid globalization, advances in technology, flatter organizational structures, synergistic cooperation among firms, and a shift to knowledge work environments have led to the increasing use of virtual teams in organizations. Selecting, training, and socializing employees in virtual teamwork has therefore become an important human resource function. This article provides an overview of the research on trust in virtual teams, its importance, and how to overcome some challenges of trust development in virtual teams. Recommendations for virtual team developers and human resources professionals are presented.     

Kidd,Terry T & Chen,Irene ed (2011) Ubiquitous learning IAP (Charlotte,NC & Eurospan,London) isbn 978‐1‐61735‐436‐6 337 pp £41.95 (boards £77.95) http://www.infoagepub.com/products/Ubiquitous‐Learning

This book is a stimulating read. It aims to alert educators, particularly in higher education, to the potential of ubiquitous learning and offers a range of practical suggestions and strategies for teaching in this emerging environment If the content of this book is likely to be relevant to you, I recommend that you arrange to borrow a copy for a while. Marie Martin     

Organized Non-Activity: A Proposed Solution to Some Common Classroom Problems

The authors recommend practical techniques and resources for teaching at-risk secondary students, who are often nontraditional learners. The article describes tactual and kinesthetic instructional resources that research has shown are effective for typically performing and at-risk students who do not learn conventionally.     

Adapting Self-Regulated Strategy Development in Persuasive Writing for Adolescents Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Within the special education community, research and policy focus on teachers implementing evidence-based instructional practices with fidelity. However, special education teachers may have to adapt evidence-based practices if the research supporting those practices has not yet included studies that represent populations in the classrooms (i.e., students with low-incidence disabilities). That is, there may be a tension for teachers between adopting evidence-based instruction and adapting lessons to meet the needs of students. This article describes one teacher's adaptations to an evidence-based practice in writing to meet the needs of her adolescent students who are deaf. Her experience models ways teachers can use professional wisdom to adapt evidence-based practices to meet the needs of students with disabilities.     

Case-Based Instruction in Early Childhood Teacher Preparation: Does It Work?

Case analysis is often used in early childhood teacher education as a constructivist method for developing students' professional skills and knowledge. Although case-based instruction is popular, the professional literature contains little empirical evidence that it effectively helps students develop professional knowledge. Indeed, some empirical evidence suggests case-based instruction may negatively impact learning, especially for students with limited existing knowledge about children's development. This study compared the child development content knowledge gains of two classes of undergraduate preservice early childhood teachers: those taught child development with case-based instruction and those taught the same content with traditional didactic instruction. The study also sought to determine if students' level of prior knowledge interacted with the type of instruction they received. Results indicated that students with strong prior knowledge out-performed classmates regardless of instructional method (i.e., case-based or didactic instruction). Students at all levels of prior knowledge had similar knowledge gains across both case-based and didactic instruction, but data trends suggest students with the least prior knowledge gained the most knowledge with case-based instruction.     

Clinical Symptoms as a Function of Client Personality in College Students: Incorporating the Five‐Factor Model of Personality

In this study, the relationship between personality characteristics and presenting clinical symptoms of individuals at a college counseling center was examined. Analysis of assessments of personality ( Costa & McCrae, 1992 ) and mental health symptoms ( Farrell & McCullough, 1989 ) suggests that the personality characteristics of individuals presenting for assistance at a college counseling center systematically vary from those of a general college population. Furthermore, differing patterns of client personality characteristics were related to various symptom categories.     

From Parental Involvement to Children's Mathematical Performance: The Role of Mathematics Anxiety

This study examined whether children's mathematics anxiety serves as an underlying pathway between parental involvement and children's mathematics achievement. Participants included 78 low-income, ethnic minority parents and their children residing in a large urban center in the northeastern United States. Parents completed a short survey tapping several domains of parental involvement, and children were assessed on mathematics anxiety, whole number arithmetic, word problems, and algebraic reasoning. Research Findings: The results indicated that parents influence children's mathematics achievement by reducing mathematics anxiety, particularly for more difficult kinds of mathematics. Specifically, the mediation analyses demonstrated that parental home support and expectations influenced children's performance on word problems and algebraic reasoning by reducing children's mathematics anxiety. Mathematics anxiety did not mediate the relationship between home support and expectations and whole number arithmetic. Practice or Policy: Policies and programs targeting parental involvement in mathematics should focus on home-based practices that do not require technical mathematical skills. Parents should receive training, resources, and support on culturally appropriate ways to create home learning environments that foster high expectations for children's success in mathematics.     

Planning in the Middle: Co-Planning Between General and Special Education

Professional development programs tailored to address co-teaching performance in Arkansas provided data for 3 cohorts of middle school co-taught teams. This study provides an analysis of middle school plans and provides recommendations as to how to more effectively meet the needs of co-taught teams. Using a content analysis approach, monthly lessons plans submitted by teams over a 3-year period were analyzed. The purpose of this analysis is to provide the field with considerations about what is and is not occurring in the written process related to co-teaching, specifically co-planning in middle schools. In total, 155 lesson plans were analyzed, which were further broken down into 755 days of plans. Findings indicate these teachers utilized a diversity of co-taught models, but 1 model (1 lead, 1 support) dominated their planning. Areas of concern focused on a lack of focus on behavior and utilization of technology for students with disabilities.     

Community College Students With Criminal Justice Histories and Human Services Education: Glass Ceiling,Brick Wall,or a Pathway to Success

In spite of open access to community college education, specifically human service associate degree programs, students with criminal justice histories do not necessarily have an unobstructed pathway to obtaining the degree and admission to the baccalaureate programs in human services and social work that are almost always selective. The first obstacle may arise when a student must be placed in the field internship. This may mark the first time in a student’s educational career where he or she must disclose his or her ex-offender status. While higher education plays a well-documented role against recidivism, students who are ex-offenders who are enrolled in community college programs and also have their sights set on transfer, professional credentialing, and professional employment, may face similar barriers. There is a paucity of research related to students in community college with criminal justice histories and a clear need for qualitative and quantitative study in the area. The author calls for more active advocacy and community education roles for community college professionals in this arena as well.