Instruction Boot Camp: Better Instruction Through Collaborative Course Design

ABSTRACT

This case study details Oregon State University Libraries and Press’ Instruction Boot Camp, a professional development event inspired by several different instructional improvement models, where librarians have a chance to work collaboratively in small groups of four to six to redesign a library instruction session. Librarians from six different departments participated in two Instruction Boot Camp sessions in 2012. The benefits of such collaboration include drawing upon the collective wisdom of the group to design a course and having a dedicated time to work on instruction. Although our assessment did not include student-learning outcomes, participating librarians found this a useful and valuable experience.     

Providing Help in Hard Times: A Blueprint for Successful Strategic Planning

ABSTRACT

In response to a lack of funding during the 2007–2009 recession, many library systems reduced or eliminated professional and library support positions. Traditional outcome measurements were not sufficient to convince tax-depleted legislatures to allocate more funds to libraries. In response to the crisis authors recommended cost-saving measures and tactics for perception management. Studies have shown that the demand for library services increases during times of economic hardship. The production of a strategic plan justifying budget requests is necessary in those times, and should be accompanied by efforts to secure endowment and donation opportunities. This column provides a table or “blueprint for successful strategic planning” that matches goals, actions and measurement criteria.     

The Relationship Between Chinese Students’ Subject Matter Knowledge and Argumentation Pedagogy

Science education in China is Subject Matter Knowledge (SMK) oriented in that SMK understanding is the major benchmark to assess students’ achievement in science learning. Such an orientation causes students to overemphasize the memorization of SMK and neglect other indispensable components of science, such as scientific attitudes and research skills. The central government in China launched an educational innovation known as New Curriculum Reform in 2003. Considerable progress has been made in the past 11 years in regard to theoretical understandings and administrative priorities, but little progress has been made in terms of classroom instruction and scientific literacy cultivation at the secondary level. Under the pressure of nationwide standardized exams, any educational innovations are unlikely to be accepted unless there is robust evidence suggesting their efficacy in promoting students’ achievements on exams, or even attempted unless teachers are assured such attempts will not negatively impact such achievement. Argumentation-integrated curriculum is one such innovation. Scientific argumentation is an essential scientific activity that leads to the development of an explanation based on empirical evidence. An initial foundation of SMK, in terms of the necessary background knowledge, is considered by many to be a vital component of argumentation and an enhanced SMK is one of the intended products of argumentation. The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to investigate the relationship between Chinese students’ SMK levels and argumentation pedagogy and to provide insights into a possible research agenda focused on implementing argumentation in a heavily SMK-oriented context.     

Assessing the Need for Decision-Making Capacity Education in Hospitals and Long Term Care (LTC) Settings

Clinicians are often asked to evaluate older individuals for their capacity to make decisions regarding their medical care, often referred to as “medical decision-making capacity” (MDMC). However, the degree to which clinicians have the necessary knowledge to properly evaluate MDMC is uncertain. To assess the level of training and knowledge that clinicians report having regarding MDMC, and to determine the best avenue for further education on this issue, a survey was developed and distributed to clinicians at a large medical center and long-term-care (LTC) facility. The majority of responders reported having minimal training about MDMC. They endorsed a limited to moderate level of current knowledge regarding the topic, although responders also ascribed a high level of importance/relevance of such knowledge to their line of work. Such responses suggest that the current educational modality has not met the needs of the respondents and that MDMC education has high importance/relevance.     

Self-Efficacy Ratings of Technology Proficiency Among Teachers in Mexico and Texas

The Technology Proficiency Self-Assessment (TPSA) questionnaire was administered to 978 elementary and middle school teachers from Mexico City, and 932 elementary and middle school teachers from the Dallas, Texas, metroplex in the USA, in order to examine self-efficacy similarities and differences for technology proficiency self-appraisals in a cross-cultural environment. Results indicate acceptable reliability and clear cross-cultural discriminant validity among the four subscales of the 20-item instrument. Texas teachers perceived themselves as more proficient in using e-mail and the World Wide Web than teachers from Mexico City, while the differences between the two groups were not large for self-ratings of integrated applications or teaching with technology. It is concluded that the TPSA is a useful measure for assessing level of proficiency in using technology among teachers from Texas and from Mexico City. It is also concluded that the measure is appropriate for studying differences between teachers from the two cultural contexts. Suggestions for future research include the need to control for certain variables such as large differences in technology access and a Hispanic ethnicity factor that appears to be present in the Texas sample.     

Curriculum coherence as perceived by district-level stakeholders in large-scale national curriculum reform in Finland

Abstract

It has been suggested that curriculum coherence is crucial in successful educational reform. However, empirical research on the topic is still scarce. This study explores how the stakeholders involved in curriculum development at the district level perceived curriculum coherence. Survey data (n?=?550) were analysed using structural equation modelling. A confirmatory factor analysis showed that curriculum coherence consists of three complementary components: consistency of the intended direction; an integrative approach to teaching and learning; and alignment between objectives, content and assessments. Moreover, the results showed that curriculum coherence contributes to the expected impact of the reform on the school level development. The study adds to the research on curriculum reform by showing that curriculum coherence is a central determinant of the reform taking root at the school level, and by introducing a scale for measuring perceptions of curriculum coherence within the context of large-scale national curriculum reform.     

A horizontal approach to school transitions: a lesson learned from Finnish 15‐year‐olds

Various school transitions provide both challenges and opportunities for pupils. The ways in which pupils cope with these transitions can have a significant impact on their everyday lives and futures. This study focuses on exploring the kinds of transitions pupils face during their comprehensive school path. The aim is to gain a better understanding of horizontal and vertical school transitions faced by Finnish ninth graders (n = 518) who are 15‐ to 16‐years‐old during their school careers. These transitions are empirically examined through two complementary aspects: (1) determining the horizontal and vertical transitions in the pupils’ school career; and (2) identifying the challenges faced by the pupils in these transitions. By introducing a horizontal and vertical school transition model and exploring the transitions in this framework we aim at contributing to breaking down the complexity of the transfer process.