The Public,The Media,and the Knowledge Gap

Abstract

Academic wilderness education is separate from adventure and skills-oriented approaches. Though problems in logistics, academic expertise, and leadership place unusual demands on teachers and students, the qualitative benefits of field studies can be profound. Three programs are described ranging from short- to long-term immersion in backcountry environments. The University of Montana Wilderness and Civilization program focuses on the boundary between wildness and domesticity. The Outdoor Program of Hampshire College uses an individual-in-community approach that leads toward participatory empowerment. Sierra Institute programs, offered through the University of California Extension, Santa Cruz, challenge students with eight weeks in wilderness areas, probing the roots of ecology and attitudes toward nature. At the deepest level, wilderness studies direct participants toward reconnecting culture with nature through advocacy and cultivation of the ecological self.     

Using Motivational Interviewing Techniques to Address Parallel Process in Supervision

Supervision offers a distinct opportunity to experience the interconnection of counselor–client and counselor–supervisor interactions. One product of this network of interactions is parallel process, a phenomenon by which counselors unconsciously identify with their clients and subsequently present to their supervisors in a similar fashion ( Searles, 1955 ). Addressing parallel process has the potential to be valuable in the advancement of counselor development, but few strategies exist in the literature for working with the phenomenon. The authors describe the use of motivational interviewing as one method for effectively addressing parallel process in supervision.     

Fear of Falling and Older Adult Peer Production of Audio-Visual Discussion Material

A growing body of work suggests that negative stereotypes of, and associations between, falling, fear of falling, and ageing, may mean that older adults reject falls information and advice. Against a widely accepted backdrop of demographic ageing in Europe and that alleviating the impacts of falls and fear of falling are pressing health care matters, this is a critical issue. This paper describes a recent peer learning and sharing strategy that set out to iteratively produce a series of short audio visual discussion programs on falling and fear of falling. Key outcomes included older adults appreciating peer group sharing as an acceptable way of opening up the silence surrounding falls incidences, enjoying participating in a problem solving strategy, and emphasizing that falls prevention is not just their responsibility. Outcomes suggest that peer learning and sharing are valuable falls and fear of falling support strategies.     

Situating Computer Simulation Professional Development: Does It Promote Inquiry-Based Simulation Use?

ABSTRACT

This mixed-methods study sought to identify professional development implementation variables that may influence participant (a) adoption of simulations, and (b) use for inquiry-based science instruction. Two groups (Cohort 1, N = 52; Cohort 2, N = 104) received different professional development. Cohort 1 was focused on Web site use mechanics. Cohort 2 was situated in nature and provided three additional elements: (a) modeling simulation use within inquiry-based instruction; (b) collaboration; and (c) provision of content-relevant lesson planning time. There was no difference in the extent of simulation use between cohorts, χ²(1) = 0.878, p = .349, φ = ?0.075. Results were inconclusive for a difference in observed inquiry instruction as Fisher's Exact Test was insignificant but had a medium effect size, p = .228, φ = 0.283. Computer-based standardized tests emerged as a novel technology integration barrier. These findings have implications for school policy, professional development, and future research.     

Web search engine multimedia functionality

Web search engines are beginning to offer access to multimedia searching, including audio, video and image searching. In this paper we report findings from a study examining the state of multimedia search functionality on major general and specialized Web search engines. We investigated 102 Web search engines to examine: (1) how many Web search engines offer multimedia searching, (2) the type of multimedia search functionality and methods offered, such as “query by example”, and (3) the supports for personalization or customization which are accessible as advanced search. Findings include: (1) few major Web search engines offer multimedia searching and (2) multimedia Web search functionality is generally limited. Our findings show that despite the increasing level of interest in multimedia Web search, those few Web search engines offering multimedia Web search, provide limited multimedia search functionality. Keywords are still the only means of multimedia retrieval, while other methods such as “query by example” are offered by less than 1% of Web search engines examined.     

提高西藏黄奶牛生产性能研究

该项目是中澳国际联合的其中一个,根据发展奶业,促进农区畜牧业发展,提高农村生活水平的需要在西藏河谷流域农牧交错带开展调研.三年来在四个不同的区域进行随机抽样设点,了解项目区奶牛发展现状,系统收集分析当前农户饲养奶牛的饲料结构,营养水平、繁殖成活能力以及管理模式.同时引进澳方饲养奶牛的先进技术、管理措施和发展理念,有效利用西藏现有的作物秸秆,研发优良饲草、饲喂技术,进一步研究牛在一个生长周期中的饲料平衡、生长模式及量化营养等生产性能的对应关系,加大引创结合、重点突破,提高项目区奶牛生产性能,增加农户现金收入.     

Summation and configuration between and within sensory modalities in classical conditioning of the rabbit

Three experiments examined “atomistic” and “configurai” processes in stimulus compounding using the rabbit’s conditioned nictitating membrane response. Two conditioned stimuli (CSs) were trained separately and then tested together in a compound. Animals trained with CSs from different modalities—namely, tone and light—showed summation in both acquisition and extinction. That is, the probability of a response to the compound could be predicted by the statistical sum of responding to the CSs. In contrast, animals trained with CSs from the auditory modality, tone and noise, showed a level of responding to the tone + noise compound that was the same as that of the CSs, well under the level predicted by the statistical sum of responding to the CSs. In conclusion, atomistic processes appear to predominate in cross-modal compounding. Configurai processes may occur during compounding within the auditory modality, but atomistic alternatives—namely, common elements and selective attention hypotheses—may be able to explain the results.     

Academics' Motivation and Self‐efficacy for Teaching and Research

The study focused on academic staff in a post‐1987 university, that is, a former college of advanced education which had been awarded university status as a result of the Australian Government's decision to have a Unified National System of universities. The focus of attention was motivation and self‐efficacy for teaching and research. The effect of faculty of affiliation, level of appointment, gender, qualifications, and research productivity on staff's self‐reported attributions for teaching and research were examined. Tutors, staff with bachelor degrees, academics with low research productivity, and women had higher teaching motivation. One faculty was lower in both research motivation and self‐efficacy, and associate professors and professors had high levels of research efficacy. Men and women had the same level of research motivation and self‐efficacy. Staff with higher degrees and greater research productivity were more motivated and self‐efficacious about research. The results suggest the need to understand more clearly how each individual's research motivation and self‐efficacy is constructed and to determine the best method of increasing motivation and self‐efficacy for teaching and research.