PUBLIC TWO‐YEAR COLLEGE FUNDING AND PROGRAM PATTERNS

Several sets of data were employed in efforts to address the major concerns of this study. The first was a national survey of state directors of two‐year colleges. From them basic data regarding the distribution of funding for public two‐year college institutions on a state‐by‐state basis was obtained. It was found that 57% of funding nationally was derived from state legislatures, 17% from local or regional governments, 14% from tuition, and 10% from other sources. Also computed from the survey data was the distribution of full‐time enrollments by generic program. It was found that about half of the full‐time students were enrolled in occupational programs.

Using selected national data, the cost per credit‐hour for 1979‐1980 full‐time students was computed to be $115 if 24 credit‐hours are considered a full‐time load, and $92 using 30 credit‐hours as a full‐time load.

Also determined were the correlations between selected population data and certain public two‐year college demographics. Strong positive relationships were found between state populations, number of colleges in the state, and the magnitude of the states’ gross weights (fraction of total national full‐time enrollments found in that state).     

Food‐Based Science Curriculum Increases 4th Graders Multidisciplinary Science Knowledge

Health professionals and policymakers are asking educators to place more emphasis on food and nutrition education. Integrating these topics into science curricula using hand‐on, food‐based activities may strengthen students’ understanding of science concepts. The Food, Math, and Science Teaching Enhancement Resource (FoodMASTER) Initiative is a compilation of programs aimed at using food as a tool to teach mathematics and science. Previous studies have shown that students experiencing the FoodMASTER curriculum were very excited about the activities, became increasingly interested in the subject matter of food, and were able to conduct scientific observations. The purpose of this study was to: (1) assess 4th graders food‐related multidisciplinary science knowledge, and (2) compare gains in food‐related science knowledge after implementation of an integrated, food‐based curriculum. During the 2009–2010 school year, FoodMASTER researchers implemented a hands‐on, food‐based intermediate curriculum in eighteen 4th grade classrooms in Ohio (n = 9) and North Carolina (n = 9). Sixteen classrooms in Ohio (n = 8) and North Carolina (n = 8), following their standard science curricula, served as comparison classrooms. Students completed a researcher‐developed science knowledge exam, consisting of 13 multiple‐choice questions administered pre‐ and post‐test. Only subjects with pre‐ and post‐test scores were entered into the sample (Intervention n = 343; Control n = 237). No significant differences were observed between groups at pre‐test. At post‐test, the intervention group scored (9.95 ± 2.00) significantly higher (p = 0.000) than the control group (8.84 ± 2.37) on a 13‐point scale. These findings suggest the FoodMASTER intermediate curriculum is more effective than a standard science curriculum in increasing students’ multidisciplinary science knowledge related to food.     

Investigating returns to scope of research fields in universities

For policy-makers and managers of research organizations, improvement in performance is a constant objective. The potential presence of returns to scope of fields of research could influence decisions in planning the fields of activity of the research organization and the spatial positioning of its researchers in function of their specializations. We investigate the possible presence of returns to scope and the relation between scope of fields in an organization and intensity of interdisciplinary collaboration. The results, from analyzing the scientific collaborations of Italian university researchers over the years 2004–2008, seem to indicate that in general the scope of the research fields has no impact on the productivity of research or the intensity of interdisciplinary collaboration.     

The effect of filled and empty intervals on clock and memory processes in pigeons

According to the mixed memory model (Penney, Gibbon, & Meck, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 26, 1770–1787, 2000), different clock rates for stimuli with different nontemporal properties must be stored within a single reference memory distribution in order to detect a difference between the clock rates of the different signals. In Experiment 1, pigeons were trained in a between-subjects design to discriminate empty intervals (bound by two 1-s visual markers) and filled intervals (a continuous visual signal). The intervals were signaled by different visual stimuli, and they required responses to different sets of comparison stimuli. Empty intervals were judged as being longer than filled intervals. The difference between the point of subjective equality (PSE) for the empty intervals and the PSE for the filled intervals increased proportionally as the magnitudes of the anchor duration pairs were increased from 2 and 8 s to 4 and 16 s. In Experiment 2, the pigeons were trained to discriminate intervals signaled by the absence of houselight illumination (Group Empty) or the presence of houselight illumination (Group Filled). The psychophysical timing functions for these intervals were identical to each other. The results of Experiment 1 indicate that memory mixing is not necessary for detecting a timing difference between empty and filled intervals in pigeons. The results of Experiment 2 suggest that the nature of the stimuli that signal the empty and filled intervals impacts how pigeons judge the durations of empty and filled intervals.     

Learning and Teaching Processes in Electrical Engineering Education

The modification of the various engineering curricula to permit adequate preparation of students in a four-year program for careers in a rapidly changing technology of ever increasing complexity is one of the chief concerns of the engineering educator. It is generally felt that a more scientifically oriented curriculum than has been customary in the past will provide a more efficient and more effective undergraduate program. The actual realization of increased efficiency and effectiveness requires a great deal of careful thought and some bold experimentation with curricula. Some considerations in this connection are set forth. In particular, it is held that unification of subject matter, whenever possible, is of primary importance in realizing greater efficiency and effectiveness, and means whereby the scientific bases for engineering may be employed to achieve unity are suggested. In this connection certain tasks that belong uniquely to the teacher are pointed out..     

Allocative efficiency in public research funding: Can bibliometrics help?

The use of outcome control modes of research evaluation exercises is ever more frequent. They are conceived as tools to stimulate increased levels of research productivity, and to guide choices in allocating components of government research budgets for publicly funded institutions. There are several contributions in the literature that compare the different methodological approaches that policy makers could adopt for these exercises, however the comparisons are limited to only a few disciplines. This work, examining the case of the whole of the “hard sciences” of the Italian academic system, makes a comparison between results obtained from peer review type of evaluations (as adopted by the Ministry of Universities and Research) and those possible from a bibliometric approach (as developed by the authors). The aim is to understand to what extent bibliometric methodology, which is noted as relatively inexpensive, time-saving and exhaustive, can complement and integrate peer review methodology in research evaluation.     

Student Questioning and Multidimensional Literacy in the 21st Century

Schools of education increasingly are using contingent faculty members to instruct students. Contingent faculty members bring expertise and knowledge. However, because they often are less aware of university expectations, their instruction can magnify program weaknesses and overshadow strengths. To strengthen program infrastructure, the roles and expectations of contingent faculty members must be defined clearly and recognized by all school of education faculty members and university administrators.