Head Start and Unintended Injury: The Use of the Family Map Interview to Document Risk

Much is known about how to provide safe environments for preschool children (3–5 years-of-age); however, many preschool children still experience preventable injuries—particularly children living in poverty. This study examined the use of an assessment tool used to identify children at risk for unintended injury in two large, federally funded Head Start programs during home visits. Families of preschool children in two multi-center Head Start programs (N = 499 and N = 228) were screened by teachers for risks related to safety in their home and parenting environment during mandatory Head Start home visits in the fall and spring. The safety screening tool was part of an established, broader interview assessment called the Family Map, which was designed to help Head Start programs meet mandatory performance standards related to the identification of risk and strengths in the family. Study results indicated that a large number of preschool children from low-income backgrounds were at risk for a variety of risks related to unintentional injury. Further, in some areas Head Start families increased their safety related parenting behaviors by the second assessment with different areas noted in the two programs. This study demonstrated that, beyond the use of the tool to identify families in need of intervention services, it can be used by childcare providers to effectively monitor family need and for program self-assessment.     

Educating an iPod generation: undergraduate attitudes,experiences and understanding of vodcast and podcast use

There is an increasing pressure on university staff to provide ever more information and resources to students. This study investigated student opinions on (audio) podcasts and (video) vodcasts and how well they met requirements and aided learning processes. Two experiments within the Aston University looked at student opinion on, and usage of, podcasts and vodcasts for a selection of their psychology lectures. Recordings were produced first using a hand‐held camcorder, and then using the in‐house media department. WebCT was used to distribute the podcasts and vodcasts, attitude questionnaires were then circulated at two time points. Overall students indicated that podcasts and vodcasts were a beneficial addition resource for learning, particularly when used in conjunction with lecturers’ slides and as a tool for revision/assessment. The online material translated into students having increased understanding of the material, which supplemented and enhanced their learning without being a substitute for traditional lectures. There is scope for the provision of portable media files to become standard practice within higher education; integrating distance and online learning with traditional approaches to improve teaching and learning.     

Conservation in Transition

ABSTRACT:

An evaluation of four different dissemination modes distributing activities developed through a teaching materials development program was performed. The activities, developed for use in middle schools, focused on Great Lakes topics in science, history, and social studies. It was found that short intensive workshops were more effective than longer workshops both in participant use of materials and in transmission of the materials to other potential users. The difference in usage seems to be related to differences in the professional orientation of teachers attracted into the two different types of workshops. Simply giving activities to prospective users resulted in no usage. Those individuals who took the trouble to mail order the materials used them but at a somewhat lower frequency than those who participated in a workshop. It is concluded that short intensive workshops are the most cost-effective way of ensuring usage of the type of curriculum materials disseminated in this program.     

Quantitative analysis of the rubric as an assessment tool: an empirical study of student peer‐group rating

Although the rubric has emerged as one of the most popular assessment tools in progressive educational programs, there is an unfortunate dearth of information in the literature quantifying the actual effectiveness of the rubric as an assessment tool in the hands of the students. This study focuses on the validity and reliability of the rubric as an assessment tool for student peer‐group evaluation in an effort to further explore the use and effectiveness of the rubric. A total of 1577 peer‐group ratings using a rubric for an oral presentation was used in this 3‐year study involving 107 college biology students. A quantitative analysis of the rubric used in this study shows that it is used consistently by both students and the instructor across the study years. Moreover, the rubric appears to be ‘gender neutral’ and the students' academic strength has no significant bearing on the way that they employ the rubric. A significant, one‐to‐one relationship (slope = 1.0) between the instructor's assessment and the students' rating is seen across all years using the rubric. A generalizability study yields estimates of inter‐rater reliability of moderate values across all years and allows for the estimation of variance components. Taken together, these data indicate that the general form and evaluative criteria of the rubric are clear and that the rubric is a useful assessment tool for peer‐group (and self‐) assessment by students. To our knowledge, these data provide the first statistical documentation of the validity and reliability of the rubric for student peer‐group assessment.     

Advertising

Richard W. Pollay, ed. Information Sources in Advertising History (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1979---$22.50)

James H. Leigh and Claude R. Martin Jr., eds. Current Issues and Research in Advertising 1979 (Division of Research, Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.---$5.00, paper)

Charles H. Patti's Advertising Management: Cases and Concepts (Columbus, Ohio: Grid, 1978---$14.95)     

The Articulated Learning: An Approach to Guided Reflection and Assessment

The value of reflection on experience to enhance learning has been advanced for decades; however, it remains difficult to apply in practice. This paper describes a reflection model that pushes students beyond superficial interpretations of complex issues and facilitates academic mastery, personal growth, civic engagement, critical thinking, and the meaningful demonstration of learning. Although developed in a service-learning program, its general features can support reflection on a range of experiences. It is accessible to both students and instructors, regardless of discipline; and it generates written products that can be used for formative and summative assessment of student learning.