The forced choice as a measure of television station image

That intangible attribute of a broadcast station commonly called its “image” isn't quite as hard to measure as that other intangible asset, “good will.” Nevertheless, measurement isn't simple, and the standards for measurement are not yet agreed upon. In the following article, a new technique of indexing a station's image without special training and supervision of the respondents is illustrated. Malachi C. Topping, author of “The Cultural Orientation of Certain ‘Western’ Characters on Television” in the Fall, 1965 issue of the Journal, earned his Ph.D. at Ohio State University and is Assistant Professor of Radio and Television at Oklahoma State University.     

Cross–age Peer Tutoring of Thinking Skills in the High School

Teaching thinking skills has been characterised by the teacher-directed ‘embed ded’, ‘infusion’ and ‘bolt-on’ approaches, for which outcomes have been mixed. Peer tutoring in thinking skills offers a fourth way of wide applicability. This study evaluated such a method (Paired Thinking) in a high school setting. A substantial gain in reading comprehension was found for tutees. Triangulated subjective feedback indicated development in thinking skills, self-esteem and social skills for tutees and tutors. Paired Thinking appeared to yield considerable potential impact for minimal time input. Recommendations for refining organisation and for future research and practice were made.     

Broadcasting

Robert K. Yin's The Workshop and the World: Toward an Assessment of the Children's Television Workshop (Santa Monica, Calif.: Rand Corp., 1973–$3.00, paper)

Thomas E. Patterson and Robert D. McClure's Political Advertising: Voter Reaction to Televised Political Commercials (Citizens' Research Foundation, 245 Nassau St., Princeton, N.J. 08540–$1.00, paper)

Lawrence W. Lichty and Malachi Topping (eds.) American Broadcasting: A Sourcebook in the History of Radio and Television (New York: Hastings Rouse, 1974–$19.50/11.50)

A. William Bluem, Television Quarterly from 1961 through 1968; Television in the Public Interest (1961); Documentary in American Television (1965); Television: The Creative Experience (1967); Religious Television Programs: A Study of Relevance (1969); The Movie Business: American Film Industry Practice (1972)

Herman Burstein's Questions and Answers About Tape Recording (Blue Ridge Summit, Pa.: TAB Books, 1974–$8 .95)     

Hindrances for Parents in Enhancing Child Language

This review explores challenges and barriers to parent–child interaction which leads to language development in the first 3 years of the child's life. Seven databases yielded 1,750 hits, reduced to 49 evidence-based studies, many of which still had methodological imperfections. Evidence was quite strong in relation to socio-economic status, ethnicity and mental health, but weaker in relation to parental age and bilingualism. These factors pertain to the general demographic characteristics of parents, rather than their behavior. If parental behavior can be enhanced, better child language should follow, irrespective of these characteristics. This is an important lesson for professionals dealing with parents. Evidence was also weak in relation to television and the direction of baby buggies. These are areas where changes in parental behavior would make an immediate impact. Cost-effectiveness of interventions is extremely important and was reviewed. Recommendations for future research are followed by suggestions for parental action.     

Lectura conjunta: Una poderosa técnica al servicio de los padres

Es ya un lugar común en la literatura sobre el fracaso escolar el reconocer la gran importancia que tienen los denominados «factores extraescolares» (léase fundamentalmente familiares en las primeras etapas de la vida de un niño) en la incidencia del fracaso. Pero sólo recientemente está calando en nuestro país la idea de que hay que pasar de la mera exposición de hechos ya conocidos a la acción educativa directa. Así, se sabe desde hace tiempo que los lectores no se hacen en la escuela, sino en el hogar. Como también se sabe que la escuela tiene un papel inexcusable en la consolidación y en la creación de buenos lectores. Gran Bretaña ha sido sin duda un país pionero en la identificación de esos hechos y en la búsqueda de soluciones que pongan a trabajar a todos los sectores implicados en los problemas educativos: este artículo es un ejemplo del potencial educativo del trabajo conjunto de padre y maestros en la enseñanza de la lectura. Brinda no sólo una técnica concreta para abordar ese trabajo, sino la filosofía—derivada del decisivo informe Bullock sobre el lenguaje—que aglutinó en Gran Bretaña a un importante núcleo de investigadores y educadores en torno a la puesta en marcha de programas educativos urgentes en los que la escuela es sólo co-protagonista en el reparto de responsabilidades.     

Organising Peer Tutoring in Higher and Further Education

This paper explores catalysts and contexts leading to a restructuring of the secondary teacher education program at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst. The Dean of the Faculty of Education and the Head of the School of Teacher Education had been involved in discussions over a number of years about the unsatisfactory nature of the ‘Dip Ed’ (see Eltis, Meyenn and Parker, 1993). The dissatisfaction was exacerbated by surveys of, and interviews with, students and by the publication in early 1994 of Shaping the Future (Wiltshire Report). There was, too, the influence of overseas developments in teacher education, particularly those that reflected a determination to ensure schools, practising teachers and universities were working in partnerships to design, implement and evaluate more relevant programs. And just as significantly, there was the close association between the School of Teacher Education and one of the local secondary schools, Bathurst High School, which heralded the possibilities of a purposeful educational partnership.     

Organising Peer Tutoring in Higher and Further Education

The Centre for Paired Learning Audio Training Pack is a distance learning resource expanding upon the organisational issues considered in this article and including a photocopiable planning guide.

The Centre for Paired Learning Video Training Pack includes useful materials for training in generic tutoring skills. These include: Preparation, Rapport Introduction and Advance Organisers, Goal Setting, Sequencing and Varying Tasks and Activities, Instructing Discussing Explaining Listening Questioning, Modelling and Demonstration, Error Detection Signalling and Correction, Structuring Thinking Time, Prompting, Praising and Rewarding, Evaluating and Assessing.     

Gross anatomy videos: Student satisfaction,usage, and effect on student performance in a condensed curriculum

Anatomy educators are being tasked with delivering the same quantity and quality of material in the face of fewer classroom and laboratory hours. As a result they have turned to computer‐aided instruction (CAI) to supplement and augment curriculum delivery. Research on the satisfaction and use of anatomy videos, a form of CAI, on examination performance continues to grow. The purpose of this study was to describe the usage and effect on examination scores of a series of locally produced anatomy videos after an 11% curriculum reduction. First‐year medical students (n = 40) were given access to the videos and the prior year's students (n = 40) were used as historical controls. There was no significant difference in demographics between the two groups. The survey response rate was 85% (n = 34) in the experimental group. The students found the videos to be highly satisfying (median = 5 on a five‐point Likert scale, interquartile range = 1) and used them on average 1.55 times/week (SD ± 0.77). Availability of the videos did have a statistically significant effect (4% improvement) on the final laboratory examination (p = 0.039). This suggests that the videos were a well‐received form of CAI that may be useful in bridging the gap created by a reduction in gross anatomy course contact hours. Anat Sci Educ 7: 273–279. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.