Situational Interest in Literary Text

This study examined relationships among text characteristics, situational interest, two measures of text understanding, and personal responses when reading a literary text. A factor analysis of ratings made after reading revealed six interrelated text characteristics. Of these, suspense, coherence and thematic complexity explained 54% of the variance in interest. Additional analyses found that situational interest was unrelated to a multiple choice test of main ideas; but was related to personal responses and holistic interpretations of the text. These results suggest that multiple aspects of literary texts are interesting to readers, and that interest is related to personal engagement variables, even when it is not related to the comprehension of main ideas.     

Application of the Triad Training Model in a Multicultural Counseling Course

The authors investigated the effectiveness of the Triad Training Model (P. Pedersen, 1994a, 1994b, 2000a, 2000b) on influencing counselor empathy, intolerance for ambiguity, and multicultural competency by using a quasi‐experimental treatment group comparison design. No significant differences among the triad training group and two comparison groups were found. However, the changes in multicultural competency scores within the treatment group were found to be significant. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Flipping the Calculus Classroom: A Cost-Effective Approach

Abstract

This article discusses a cost-effective approach to flipping the calculus classroom. In particular, the emphasis is on low-cost choices, both monetarily and with regards to faculty time, that make the daunting task of flipping a course manageable for a single instructor. Student feedback and overall impressions are also presented.     

Wellness Among Undergraduate Students on Academic Probation: Implications for College Counselors

This study examined levels of wellness among 403 undergraduate students on academic probation. Total wellness, 5 secondary categories of wellness, and 17 third–level categories of wellness are reported within this article. In addition, this study offers norm–group comparisons and demographic influences of wellness in regard to undergraduate students on academic probation. The results indicate that individuals on academic probation achieved higher levels of wellness in several areas of wellness than did the norm–group population.     

Impact of a brief ego depletion procedure on creative behaviour in the upper primary classroom

In the course of normal classroom lessons, 103 students (median 11.10 years) were asked to spend 15 min writing ‘anything you can think of’ about the number 50 on a blank page. The products were independently scored by 2 specialist art teachers and 2 specialist mathematics teachers on criteria relevant to their specialisations. Immediately before this task, however, half the students (depleted group) worked on difficult matching problems for 3 min, whereas controls worked on facile problems. Although volume of creative response appeared only marginally affected, depleted students were rated as lower on overall creativity (d?=?.8) by the arts teachers. The mathematics teachers also rated the depleted students as showing less quality in their work (d?=?.97). The depleted students cited fewer mathematical statements, but displayed more errors in statements they had written. The findings were interpreted in terms of ego depletion effects upon creativity.     

Effects of Strategy Training and Incentives on Students’ Performance,Confidence, and Calibration

This study examined the effect of strategy instruction and incentives on performance, confidence, and calibration accuracy. Individuals (N = 107) in randomly assigned treatment groups received a multicomponent strategy instruction intervention, financial incentives for high performance, or both. The authors predicted that incentives would improve performance, while strategy instruction would improve performance, confidence, and calibration accuracy as a result of better monitoring and self-regulation of learning. The authors compared pre- and posttest items and 20 new posttest-only items. They found significant effects for strategy training on performance, confidence, and calibration accuracy, as well as the interaction between strategy training and time on calibration accuracy. Incentives improved performance and calibration accuracy, either directly, or through an interaction with strategy training. Implications for future research are discussed.     

Creating a Digital Jamaican Sign Language Dictionary: A R2D2 Approach

The Jamaican Association for the Deaf, in their responsibilities to oversee education for individuals who are deaf in Jamaica, has demonstrated an urgent need for a dictionary that assists students, educators, and parents with the practical use of “Jamaican Sign Language.” While paper versions of a preliminary resource have been explored with some success, the need for a digital version, including multimedia, is both timely and boasts better pedagogical potential. In a joint action research project, the author has prepared a pilot DVD in Adobe Acrobat format using a collaborative recursive, reflective design, and development (R2D2) design model. This article addresses the design and concomitant processes involved as the pilot study and feedback loops become implemented.