Attitudes of Alaskan distance education students toward media and instruction

Abstract

This article reports the results of a study to assess the attitudes of distance higher education students in various units of the College of Rural Alaska, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Emphasis was given to media preferences, the convenience of various media, and overall attitudes toward distance instruction. Results of a mail survey indicated acceptance of a wide variety of media as well as strong general support for distance instruction. Additionally, a large majority of respondents rated distance instruction as equal to or better than face‐to‐face instruction.     

Comprehensive reading instruction for students with intellectual disabilities: Findings from the first three years of a longitudinal study

This longitudinal experimental study investigated the reading progress of students with IQs ranging from 40 to 69 (i.e., range for students with mild or moderate mental retardation or intellectual disabilities [ID]) across at least two academic years, as well as the effectiveness of a comprehensive reading intervention for these students across the same period of time. Participants were 59 elementary students who were randomly placed into treatment and contrast groups. Students in the treatment condition received daily, comprehensive reading instruction in small groups of 1–4 students for 40–50 minutes per session across two or three academic years. Measures of phonemic awareness, phonics, word recognition, comprehension, and oral language were included. Findings indicate that students with IQs in the ID range made significant progress on multiple standardized measures of reading. Furthermore, significant differences between the treatment group and contrast group were found on several measures, including progress‐monitoring measures of phoneme segmentation, phonics, and oral reading fluency. Results demonstrate that, on average, students with ID, even those with IQs in the moderate range, learn basic reading skills given consistent, explicit, and comprehensive reading instruction across an extended period of time. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Effective Implementation of ePortfolios: The Development of ePortfolios to Support Online Learning

This article discusses the ePortfolio system for grades 9–12 at the Virtual Learning Academy Charter School (VLACS). ePortfolio implementation at VLACS developed from an Advisory course curriculum that supports students' journey toward becoming college, career, and citizenship ready. We provide a unique perspective for implementation in that VLACS is completely online. Drawing from experiences in brick-and-mortar schools, online instruction, and research on digital portfolio programs, we utilize online portfolios to build a virtual community and engage students in their learning. The article summarizes key components to ePortfolio implementation and highlights how ePortfolios enable VLACS students to both reflect on their experience as learners and demonstrate academic and professional competencies.     

随机扩增多态性DNA技术研究发现二氧化钛纳米颗粒对西葫芦具有基因毒性

研究目的：二氧化钛（TiO2）纳米颗粒已经广泛应用于化妆品、防晒霜、涂料和牙膏等。这些纳米颗粒性质非常稳定,能在废水和生物固体中转移和分散。现有研究表明,TiO2纳米颗粒对动物正常生理活动具有毒性等负面作用。但是,它们对植物是否具有毒性特别是是否会产生植物基因毒性至今尚不清楚。因此,本文使用随机扩增多态性DNA技术研究TiO2纳米颗粒是否对西葫芦具有基因毒性,为TiO2纳米颗粒排放进入环境后的潜在植物毒性风险评价提供依据。 创新要点：首次发现了TiO2纳米颗粒对西葫芦具有基因毒性。 重要结论：采用随机扩增多态性DNA技术,发现TiO2纳米颗粒污染处理的西葫芦样品与未处理样品的基因组DNA图谱相比,不仅在谱带强度有明显差异,而且存在谱带消失和新谱带产生现象,表明TiO2纳米颗粒对西葫芦具有基因毒性。