Counsellor Contribution to Academic Goals: A Team Work Approach

University teaching so often focuses exclusively on the subject being taught and takes little cognizance of the problems of the learner or of the learning process. This paper outlines an example of how the skills of a person outside the responsible teaching department (in this case a counsellor) were used to help Architecture students achieve the desired academic outcome. The counsellor's involvement had additional benefits for the students concerned. A case is made for utilising such a model for the benefit of a wider range of students.     

Acceptance of Biological Evolution by First-Year Life Sciences University Students

Science & Education - Lack of acceptance of biological evolution, despite the overwhelming evidence that supports it, can be very problematic in higher education courses that have a strong...     

The case for course substitutions as a reasonable accommodation for students with foreign language learning difficulties

It has been observed for decades that some students have a particularly difficult time learning another language. Colleges and universities have an obligation to offer special language programs designed to help these students succeed in their attempts to learn another language. However, for those few students who cannot learn another language even with special instruction, allowing them to meet the foreign language requirement though the substitution of related courses is appropriate and does not constitute a fundamental alteration of the goals of a liberal education.     

Disagreement over the best way to use the word ‘validity’ and options for reaching consensus

The ability to convey shared meaning with minimal ambiguity is highly desirable for technical terms within disciplines and professions. Unfortunately, there is no widespread professional consensus over the meaning of the word ‘validity’ as it pertains to educational and psychological testing. After illustrating the nature and extent of disagreement, we consider three options for reaching consensus: to eliminate its ambiguity by agreeing a precise technical definition; to embrace its ambiguity by agreeing a catchall lay usage; and to retire ‘validity’ from the testing lexicon.     

Highlighting and taking notes are equally ineffective when Reading paper or eText

Education and Information Technologies - The present study examined whether there is a difference in comprehension when reading from computer-based text versus reading from paper-based text and...     

Subject indexing and citation indexing—part I: Clustering structure in the cystic fibrosis document collection*

The presence of clustering structure in the cystic fibrosis Document Collection is evaluated as a function of the exhaustivity of four subject representations and two citation representations. Experimental results show that for each representation the evidence for clustering structure diminishes as the exhaustivity of the representation decreases. Three of the four subject representations show no evidence of clustering structure at the least exhaustive representations. Although many documents have no references or citations, the citation representations demonstrate the presence of clustering structure over a wider range of exhaustivity levels than the subject representations. Both citation indexes show evidence of clustering structure at the least exhaustive representations. The structures imposed on the CF Document Collection by the subject and citation indexes satisfy the necessary condition for a meaningful clustering outcome.     

Risk and Protective Factors for Frequent Electronic Device Use of Online Technologies

A sample of 10,460 U.S. elementary schoolchildren was analyzed to identify early predictors of frequent use of online technologies (i.e., messaging, online gaming, and social networking). Children (M_age = 67.44 months) at greater risk displayed more externalizing problem behaviors in kindergarten (messaging OR = 1.11; online gaming OR = 1.21; social networking OR = 1.12) or were Black (messaging OR = 1.65; online gaming OR = 1.64; social networking OR = 1.68). Children from higher-income families were at lower risk (online gaming OR = 0.89; social networking OR = 0.89). Boys were more frequent users of online gaming (OR = 3.35) but less frequent users of messaging (OR = 0.62) and social networking (OR = 0.80). Protective factors included specific parenting behaviors.     

The urban university student: A political profile

A survey of University of Pittsburgh student participation in the 1970 election suggests that college students may not exert the independent political influence that many predicted. Pittsburgh students tend to participate within the established party system, to accept traditional party labels (especially the party identity of their parents), and to participate in those (higher-order) political activities usually performed by college-educated adults. Although students may be concerned with effecting programmatic change, radical political activity common to the 1960s is on the want. Our data suggest, further, that the findings and conclusions of the voting studies of the 1950s still apply.The research reported herein was supported in part by an Office of Education Grant, Contract No. OEG-29-480725-1027, Project No. 80725. I appreciate the helpful criticisms of Martha K. Baum and Barbara B. Jameson. Christina M. Jarema was responsible for the processing of the data. This paper was originally presented at the Annual Research Institute of the District of Columbia Sociological Society, Howard University, May 13, 1972.