Investigating Microadaptation in One-to-One Human Tutoring

The authors investigated whether some advantages of tutoring over other instructional methods are due to microadaptation, or, tutors basing their actions on assessments of tutees they develop during tutoring. In a 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment, independent variables were shared experience (tutors either worked with the same or a different tutee in each of four segment of the tutoring session) and communication context (face-to-face or computer-mediated). Although there were no overall learning differences across experience conditions, tutees who worked with the same tutor demonstrated better learning of concepts initially discussed during the final tutoring segment. Shared experience led to accurate competence assessments only in the computer-mediated context, suggesting that cognitive load influences assessment development. However, there was no evidence of micro-adaptation.     

Effects of a rubric for mathematical reasoning on teaching and learning in primary school

Rubrics are assessment tools that help students gain complex competencies. Our quasi-experimental study aimed to evaluate whether rubrics help teachers teach and assess mathematical reasoning in primary school and whether such an instrument might support student learning. In two Swiss cantons, 762 students in 44 5th- and 6th-grade primary classes worked on their reasoning competencies, and half of them additionally employed our standards-based rubric. All of the teachers received a 1-day training and participated in the final project evaluation. To standardise and support the teachers during the implementation phase, they received a detailed curriculum. An achievement test and questionnaires for students and teachers were administered before and at the end of the intervention. The results of our quantitative longitudinal analyses indicate that the rubric fosters the teachers’ perceived diagnostic skills but only indirectly impacts their use of formative feedback. Based on the students’ perceptions, however, we observed a direct effect of the rubric on formative feedback and student self-assessment. Effects on students’ outcomes could not be observed, but there are indications of effects mediated by self-regulation and self-efficacy.     

Crossing cultures: Analysing the experiences of NZ returnees from the EU (UK vs. non-UK)

While there is growing scholarly interest in returned and cyclical migration, and on young adult cultural or adventure seeking migration, there is still a lack of systematic empirical insights into how the experiences of being abroad, and after return, are mediated by exposure to different cultural environments. Addressing this conceptual and empirical gap, the paper analyses the experiences of New Zealand return migrants, or sojourners, who lived and worked in European countries (other than the UK) for more than one year and compares them with the experiences of NZ returnees from the UK. Drawing on 20 ‘non-UK’ and 22 ‘UK’ in-depth interviews, the paper revisits [Rhinesmith, 1975] and [Rhinesmith, 1986] typology of cross-cultural, or intercultural, adjustment (largely ignored in studies of return migration) to assess sojourners’ experiences throughout the migration cycle and serve as a useful tool for identifying and reporting psychological and socio-cultural elements in the returnees stories. The findings of sojourners’ possible identity shifts during intercultural transition are discussed with reference to the four-member paradigm of Cultural Identity Model (CIM) (Sussman, 2010) while addressing Sussman's (2002) argument that overseas adaptation and repatriation experiences are not directly associated. This paper demonstrates the need to understand first that the costs and benefits of circular migration or sojourning are country-specific, and that they do not ‘just happen’ at a particular moment or in one phase but are forged through a veritable rollercoaster of experiences of intercultural adjustment.     

Who gets access to fast broadband? Evidence from Los Angeles County

Regulatory and market changes in residential (fixed) broadband have raised concerns about Internet Service Providers (ISPs) prioritizing investments in the most profitable areas, thus relegating low-income and minority communities to fewer broadband options and legacy networks. This study examines these concerns for Los Angeles (LA) County during the 2014–18 period. The analysis uses rollout data collected by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in combination with demographic information from the American Community Survey (ACS). Because the spatial distribution of broadband investments cannot be directly observed, competition and the availability of FTTH services are used as proxies. The findings indicate that competition and fiber-based services are less likely in low-income areas and minority communities, with the most severe deficits observed in census block groups that combine poverty and a large share of Black residents. We outline alternative policy tools to address intracity inequalities in broadband investments in the conclusion.     

Creating technology-enriched classrooms: implementational challenges in Turkish education

This paper provides an overview of the status of educational technology in Turkey. In the face of severe social and economic challenges, many developing nations, including Turkey, are looking to education as a potential remedy. Recognizing that in an increasingly technology-dependent world, information and communications technology skills and knowledge are critical in order to compete in the global marketplace, Turkey is firmly committed not only to improving its education system, but also to incorporating the use of educational technologies into the instructional strategy and curriculum used in schools. This is a critical initiative because, as research shows, technology-enriched educational environments can provide students with significantly expanded learning opportunities, which are linked with increased levels of academic achievement. However, like many other developing countries, Turkey is struggling to overcome a number of serious barriers to full technology integration at the classroom level, the most significant of which is non-compliance on the part of teachers. With respect to technology use in education, teachers are consistently failing to utilize technological tools for instruction purposes, for a variety of reasons. Turkey must address these reasons in order to ensure that the agenda of technology adoption into schools, an enormously expensive undertaking, does not fail.