Beyond centre and periphery: transnationalism in two teacher/suffragettes' work

Oliveira Salazar’s accession to the government followed the military coup of 1926, which put an end to the period of democratic republican life. The Constitution approved in 1933 defined the new regime, which came to be known as ‘Estado Novo’. Ideologically sustained by an anti‐liberal concept of Catholicism, this political regime would grant Portuguese women not only the right to vote – never obtained during the First Republic, despite feminist claims – and would also ensure them a seat in the National Assembly. Bearing in mind the interventions of women deputies throughout three legislations (1935–1945), we propose to draw a framework of feminine participation in the political sphere by examining their speeches on education and teaching with regard to gender categories. We must admit that those women to whom the Chief granted power to act assumed that power and became protagonists of the construction of the ‘Estado Novo’ woman.     

Factors associated with physical activity referral uptake and participation

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine participant and scheme characteristics in relation to access, uptake, and participation in a physical activity referral scheme (PARS) using a prospective population-based longitudinal design. Participants (n = 3762) were recruited over a 3-year period. Logistic regression analyses identified the factors associated with the outcomes of referral uptake, participation, and completion (≥80% attendance). Participant's age, sex, referral reason, referring health professional, and type of leisure provider were the independent variables. Based on binary logistic regression analysis (n = 2631), only primary referral reason was associated with the PARS coordinator making contact with the participants. In addition to the influence of referral reason, females were also more likely (odds ratio 1.250, 95% confidence interval 1.003 – 1.559, P = 0.047) to agree to be assigned to a leisure provider. Referral reason and referring health professional were associated with taking up a referral opportunity. Older participants (1.016, 1.010 – 1.023, P < 0.001) and males were more likely to complete the referral. In conclusion, the PARS format may be less appropriate for those more constrained by time (women, young adults) and those with certain referral reasons (overweight/obesity, mental health conditions). More appropriate targeting at the point of referral could improve participation rates by revealing or addressing barriers that might later result in dropout.     

Project DAVES: An exploratory study of social presence,e-mentoring,and vocational counseling support in community college courses

A FIPSE-funded project was designed to provide support and training to community college faculty electronically, and to develop a model to offer innovative, interactive strategies to support their students' academic and career needs. The goal of the mentoring/coaching program has been to support instructors in their online efforts, provide resources and assistance to students, and create a community of learning for all. The examination of the process was framed and guided by the concept of social presence theory. Data collected included mentors' weekly logs, researcher-generated weekly prompts, and bi-monthly focus groups. All data were analyzed qualitatively using open and axial coding. Results indicate that creating social presence may depend, in part, on having an authentic, clearly defined role. Reflections throughout the process required continuous revisions to the plans.     

Web-based learning interaction and learning styles

This paper reports a study exploring the learning styles and perceptions of a group of undergraduate and postgraduate learners in a university in the UK in relation to using the web for learning. In particular, we explore the sequential/global learning style dimension (which is concerned with the progress of understanding) in relation to three categories of web‐based interaction: learner‐tutor, learner‐learner, and learner‐information. An Index of Learning Styles is used as the tool to explore this dimension. The findings are presented with regard to the learning preferences of a group of learners towards these three categories of interaction. We conclude with a discussion of these findings in relation to Interactive Learning Systems (ILSs) design.     

Assessing practical laboratory skills in undergraduate molecular biology courses

This study explored a new strategy of assessing laboratory skills in a molecular biology course to improve: student effort in preparation for and participation in laboratory work; valid evaluation of learning outcomes; and students’ employment prospects through provision of evidence of their skills. Previously, assessment was based on written laboratory reports and examinations, not on the demonstration of practical skills per se. This action research project involved altering the assessment design so that a greater proportion of the marks was allocated to active participation and learning in the laboratory, partially replacing a single examination with direct observation of student participation and learning over a prolonged period of weekly laboratory sessions. We ascertained staff and students’ perceptions of the new assessment processes by means of a Likert scale questionnaire, student focus group and individual staff interviews. Overall, students and staff evaluated the new assessment structure positively, citing fairness, authenticity and reward for effort. Results also revealed the need for specific training of staff in this form of assessment and indicated staff–student ratios made assessment burdensome. Four out of five students reported that an increased awareness of the importance of practical laboratory skills stimulated them to greater efforts to achieve.     

From the Field: Characteristics of Successful Tertiary Online Students and Strategies of Experienced Online Educators

Online learning, now a popular method of education at the tertiary level, creates new challenges for students and educators. Faculty members may know little about how to assist students in succeeding in this new learning environment, and students may be ill prepared to tackle the new demands put upon them. This research sought to identify dimensions of successful online learners by examining primary screening documents and mapping them to the literature base, and then invited experienced online educators to review the dimensions and provide strategies they use to ensure student success. Seven dimensions were identified and confirmed as significant, each dimension with slightly different importance, including access to tools; technology experience; learning preferences; study habits and skills; goals or purposes; lifestyle factors; and personal traits and characteristics. The experienced educators provided several online teaching strategies including students' posting biographies; frequent interaction; collaboration; required participation; question-asking forums; topical flexibility; and minimizing technology requirements.     

Why university lecturers enhance their teaching through the use of technology: a systematic review

The purpose of this systematic review is to add to current understanding of technology‐enhanced teaching through a process of synthesis and analysis of a collection of contemporary case studies set within university contexts. The justification to review case studies comes from Pinch and Bijker’s concept of the ‘social construction of technology’ as a way to structure the relationships between technological artefacts used in teaching and those social groups that shape their use. Basil Bernstein’s sociological theory of pedagogy provided the framework for the analysis of the case studies. His concepts of ‘classification’ which examines power relations between categories, such as agencies, agents, discourses and practices, and ‘framing’ which examines the control of instruction in relation to the selection, sequence, pacing and evaluation of learning and determines the relationship between teachers and students, were used as instruments for the analysis of the systematically chosen case studies.     

New Media

ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING PLUS: MEDIA FOR A TECHNOLOGICAL FUTURE edited by Martin Greenberger (White Plains, NY: Knowledge Industry Publications, 1985—$45.00/29.95)

NEWSPAPERS AND NEW MEDIA by David A. Patten (White Plains, NY: Knowledge Industry Publications, 1986—$34.95/24.95)

GREAT EXPECTATIONS: A TELEVISION MANAGER'S GUIDE TO THE FUTURE by Paul Bortz, et al. (Washington, DC: National Association of Broadcasters, 1986—$40.00, paper)

VIDEO DEMOCRACY: THE VOTE-FROM-HOME REVOLUTION by Richard Hollander (Lomond Publications, P.O. Box 88, Mt. Airy, MD 21771—$14.95)

THE NEW TELEVISION TECHNOLOGIES by Lynne Schafer Gross (Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown, 1986—price not given, paper)

USING COMPUTERS: HUMAN FACTORS IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS by Raymond S. Nickerson (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1986—$22.50)

THE CULT OF INFORMATION: THE FOLKLORE OF COMPUTERS AND THE TRUE ART OF THINKING by Theodore Roszak (New York: Pantheon, 1986—$17.95)     

Electronic Media Production

AUDIO IN MEDIA by Stanley R. Alten (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing, 1990—price not given, ISBN 0-534-12132-2, 644 pp.)

RADIO PRODUCTION WORKTEXT: STUDIO AND EQUIPMENT by Lynne Gross and David E. Reese (Stoneham, MA: Focal Press, 1990—$19.95, paper, ISBN 0-240-80045-1,146 pp.)

BROADCAST/CABLECOPYWRITING by Peter B. Orlik (Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1990—price not given, ISBN 0-205-12325-2, 746 pp.)

REWRITING NETWORK NEWS: WORDWATCHING TIPS FROM 345 TV AND RADIO SCRIPTS by Mervin Block (Chicago: Bonus Books, 1990—price not given, ISBN 0-929387-15-5, 221 pp.)

SCRIPT SUPERVISING AND FILM CONTINUITY by Pat Miller (Stoneham, MA Focal Press, 1990—$24.95, paper, ISBN 0-240-80018-4, 228 pp.)

PUBLIC RELATIONS WRITING by E. W. Brody and Dan L. Lattimore (New York: Praeger, 1990—$16.95, ISBN 0-275-92896-9, 267 pp.)

SIGHT SOUND MOTION: APPLIED MEDIA AESTHETICS by Herbert Zettl (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1990—price not given, ISBN 0-534-07952-0, 408 pp.)

THE TECHNIQUE OF TELEVISION PRODUCTION by Gerald Millerson (Stoneham, MA: Focal Press, 1990—price not given, paper, ISBN 0-240-51289-8, 566 pp.)

TV SCENIC DESIGN HANDBOOK by Gerald Millerson (Stoneham, MA: Focal Press, 1989—price not given, paper, ISBN 0-240-51285-5, 249 pp.)

THE VIDEO STUDIO by Alan Bermingham, et al. (Stoneham, MA: Focal Press, 1990—$18.95, paper, ISBN 0-240-51267-7,192 pp.)

ELECTRONIC POST-PRODUCTION TERMS AND CONCEPTS by Arthur Schneider (Stoneham, MA: Focal Press, 1990—$19.95, paper, ISBN 0-240-80006-0,152 pp.)

INTRODUCTION TO TELEVISION PRODUCTION by Ken Fielding (White Plains, NY: Longman, 1990—price notgiven, ISBN 0-8013-0313-3, 307 pp.)

CORPORATE TELEVISION: A PRODUCER'S HANDBOOK by Ray DiZazzo (Stoneham, MA: Focal Press, 1990—price not given, paper, ISBN 0-240-80023-0, 201 pp.)