The linguistic construction of expert identity in professor–student discussions of science

This study examines how participation in a verbal exchange during an inquiry-based classroom activity allows three college students and their science instructor to use linguistic signs (choices of words, grammatical structures, discursive structures, prosody and poetic discourse) to construct authority and expertise. Our work explores linguistic and interactional processes of identification (the dynamic construction and transaction of expert identity) and examines how discursive strategies adopted by the professor at different moments of the verbal exchange influence the students’ subsequent discursive practices and perceptions of authority. We adopt a dialogic, socio-constructivist perspective on identity, viewing personal identities as being partially constructed via interactional positioning. Our findings reveal that the attainment of expertise involves two different types of language-mediated processes: the transmission of a professional vision or intension and the emergence of a perception of agency among students. The former is centered on referential-denotative meanings of speech (elicitation of standard account and operational definition) while the latter requires effective use of pragmatic–performative functions of speech (non-evaluative and more than minimal recipient practices). Consideration is given to the need for science instructors to be able to utilize pragmatic functions of language strategically to encourage students to position themselves within the identity of science expertise.     

The localization,diagnostic, and monitoring functions of student ratings in a model for improving university teaching

A diversity of student questionnaires are used by colleges and universities to provide data on faculty teaching performance. Yet the purposes for collecting this data are frequently unclear, and at times superficial. Rarely is student rating data used as a tool to improve faculty teaching. A more relevant approach incorporates a variety of types of student ratings into a model for improving university teaching. One type of student rating data is used to identify broad instructional problem areas. Another type pinpoints probable causes and solutions for the instructional problems. Instructional improvement procedures are designed on the basis of this data. A third type of student rating data evaluates the instructional improvement procedures and indicates when modifications are needed. In addition to these three types of student ratings, and the generation of appropriate questionnaires, this paper presents an overview of the teaching improvement model and discusses its effectiveness.     

Recruiting the graduate voice: informing higher education initiatives to underpin an emerging,veterinary paraprofession in Australia

In Australia, the inception of veterinary technology, as a higher education discipline underpinning an emerging, mid-tier paraveterinary field, reflected global trends for more highly educated veterinary paraprofessionals to meet changing societal demands. In this study, veterinary technology graduates were surveyed about their experiences in the workforce and reflections on their education. Seeking feedback on how well a new programme has prepared graduates for the workforce is a useful quality assurance tool. Clinical veterinary practice was the primary employment sector with the majority of respondents in full-time employment. Career advancement, professional recognition and salaries were identified as key career challenges. The important roles of the veterinary and veterinary nursing professions, the university, government and graduates in the development of this mid-tier, veterinary paraprofession were elucidated. Graduates’ feedback on criteria that underpinned ‘work-readiness’ revealed seven key domains: communication skills, research skills, knowledge, critical thinking/problem-solving, employability, practical skills and professionalism. Veterinary nursing skills, work placement, practice management and production animal health were flagged as areas for curricular improvement. This study illuminated facilitators and barriers critical to establishing a mid-tier veterinary paraprofession, bridging the divide between the vocational and higher education sectors in Australia.

Abbreviations: AUD: Australian dollar; AVA: Australian Veterinary Association; AVBC: Australasian Veterinary Boards Council; AVMA: American Veterinary Medical Association; BVNA: British Veterinary Nursing Association; CSU: Charles Sturt University; DAF: Department of Agriculture and Fisheries; FWC: Fair Work Commission; GCA: Graduate Careers Australia; HE: Higher Education; NHMRC: National Health and Medical Research Council; QLD: Queensland; RCVS: Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons; UK: United Kingdom; UQ: University of Queensland; VN: Veterinary nursing; VNCA: Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia; VSB: Veterinary Surgeons Board; VT: Veterinary technology; WIL: Work-integrated learning.     

Placing cybereducation in the UK classroom

The use of the Internet in the classroom has often been characterized as a practice that disconnects the teacher from traditional forms of externally imposed influence. This paper examines this assertion by mapping the emerging field of cybereducation and considering how endemic knowledge is contextualized by national curricular authorities. The field theories of Pierre Bourdieu and Basil Bernstein are employed in order to demonstrate the relationship between expert discourse and classroom pedagogy, using the National Grid for Learning (NGfL) as a case study. This attempt to capture the dynamics of cybereducation ultimately suggests how this emergent intellectual field’s fragmentation and decoupling from State education forces offers policymakers the capacity to influence use. Progress of the UK government in integrating knowledge from an emergent educational field with its incumbent priorities is gauged, demonstrating the way in which national education officials have attempted to constrain potential departures from unregulated, officially mandated curriculum.     

La Maîtrise Intuitive des Relations entre Masse,Volume et Masse Volumique Chez des Elèves du Premier Cycle

Three experiments have been devoted to the application of the methodology developped by Anderson, N. H. (1981, 1982) in the framework of the Information Integration Theory to the problem of the mastery by children (14 old) of the relations between the notions of mass, volume and volumic mass. It appears that, having to judge of the mass values of diverses objects from given values of volume and volumic mass, a majority of pupils are able to take account of the positive link between the mass on the one part and the volume and the volumic mass on the other part but apply an additive type integration rule. However, a minority of pupils are able to apply a normatively correct multiplicative rule. Concerning the judgements of volume values from given mass and volumic mass values, and the judgements of volumic mass values from given mass and volume values, a majority of pupils apply a soustractive integration rule. In these two cases however the integration patterns are extremely variegated. The relation between the algebraic level of analysis of the judgement data and an information processing level of analysis of the same data is discussed. The use by teachers of the paradigm presented in the study with the aim of improving upon the current evaluation methods is proposed.     

Conditioned inhibition in feature negative discrimination learning with pigeons

Discrimination performance was investigated with pigeons using feature negative (FN) discrimination procedures which differed in the temporal arrangement of the stimuli on S? trials. In both procedures, a single common element was presented on reinforced (S+) trials. In thesimultaneous FN procedure, a distinguishing element was presented simultaneously with the common element of S? trials. In thesequential FN procedure, the distinguishing element preceded onset of the common element on S? trials. In two experiments, the sequential FN procedure yielded better discrimination performance. In Experiment 1, a summation test designed to separate learning and performance variables indicated that sequential FN subjects had learned the negative relationship between the distinguishing element and reinforcement while simultaneous FN subjects had not. In Experiment 2, summation and acquisition tests indicated that the distinguishing element developed inhibitory properties in the sequential FN procedure but not in the simultaneous FN procedure.     

Does teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge affect their fluency instruction?

The relation is studied between teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge of reading and the quality of their subsequent classroom behaviour in teaching fluent reading. A confirmatory factor analysis model with two latent variables is tested and shows adequate goodness-of-fit indices. Contrary to our expectations, the results of structural equation modelling reveal a small but significant γ-value of .29, indicating that only 8% of the variance in teachers’ classroom behaviour in teaching fluent reading is accounted for by teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge of reading. Presumably teacher knowledge is not as stable and conclusive as one might think. More research is needed in determining the factors that work restricting for teachers in putting their knowledge into classroom practice. It is recommended that preservice and in-service teacher training should not be limited to transfer of knowledge, but should also assist teachers in designing and performing effective fluent reading instruction.     

Constructing a Joint Story-Writing Space: The Dynamics of Young Children's Collaboration at Computers

This study explored kindergartners' and first graders' collaborative processes to understand the nature of peer collaboration and the learning opportunities afforded by peer discourse. Data were drawn from 6 dyads who participated in a computer writing project for 2 school semesters. Children's videotaped interactions were analyzed with the focus on understanding how children's collaborative roles and patterns changed over time. Examination of video data and children's computer products revealed that (a) children's interaction patterns changed from a more independent style toward a more integrative style, as shown in their distribution of control over mouse and keyboard and in the written outcomes of their collaboration; (b) a shift in role patterns emerged across repeated instances of peer collaboration so that children began alternating the roles of leader and observer, and less competent children began carrying out more important tasks; and (c) the computer served as an object of reference for children to sustain their interaction and stay on task.     

The Misspecification of the Covariance Structures in Multilevel Models for Single-Case Data: A Monte Carlo Simulation Study

The impact of misspecifying covariance matrices at the second and third levels of the three-level model is evaluated. Results indicate that ignoring existing covariance has no effect on the treatment effect estimate. In addition, the between-case variance estimates are unbiased when covariance is either modeled or ignored. If the research interest lies in the between-study variance estimate, including at least 30 studies is warranted. Modeling covariance does not result in less biased between-study variance estimates as the between-study covariance estimate is biased. When the research interest lies in the between-case covariance, the model including covariance results in unbiased between-case variance estimates. The three-level model appears to be less appropriate for estimating between-study variance if fewer than 30 studies are included.