Prescribed active learning increases performance in introductory biology

We tested five course designs that varied in the structure of daily and weekly active-learning exercises in an attempt to lower the traditionally high failure rate in a gateway course for biology majors. Students were given daily multiple-choice questions and answered with electronic response devices (clickers) or cards. Card responses were ungraded; clicker responses were graded for right/wrong answers or participation. Weekly practice exams were done as an individual or as part of a study group. Compared with previous versions of the same course taught by the same instructor, students in the new course designs performed better: There were significantly lower failure rates, higher total exam points, and higher scores on an identical midterm. Attendance was higher in the clicker versus cards section; attendance and course grade were positively correlated. Students did better on clicker questions if they were graded for right/wrong answers versus participation, although this improvement did not translate into increased scores on exams. In this course, achievement increases when students get regular practice via prescribed (graded) active-learning exercises.     

Unpacking organizational awareness: scale development and empirical examinations in the context of distributed knowledge sharing

Organizational awareness has been viewed as a critical factor in facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing, particularly among dispersed workers. Drawing on the findings of three studies, we disentangle the complex nature of organizational awareness, with a focus on its role in distributed knowledge sharing. First, we developed and validated an organizational awareness scale to investigate organizational awareness as a multidimensional construct that consists of availability awareness, task awareness, and social awareness. Second, employing the scale, we examined the relationships among organizational awareness, the use of enterprise social media (ESM), and knowledge acquisition in a global organization. The results of structural equation modeling demonstrated that ESM use was positively linked to distributed workers’ task awareness, which subsequently enhanced knowledge acquisition. Lastly, interview findings revealed how task awareness was cultivated by ESM use. Synthesizing the findings, we offer detailed accounts of organizational awareness and its relationships with dispersed workers’ knowledge sharing practice.     

The Efficacy of Frontline Near-Peer Teaching in a Modern Medical Curriculum

Within medical education a reduction in curriculum time for subjects, such as anatomy puts pressure on educators to ensure the same learning outcomes are conveyed in less time. This has the potential to impact negatively on student experience. Near-peer teaching (NPT) is often praised as an effective revision tool, but its use as a frontline teaching resource remains unreported. The study explores the potential for NPT to promote delivery of learning outcomes and maximize student experience within a neuroanatomy module for second year medical students. The study occurred in three educational settings, (1) frontline NPT of cranial nerves, (2) revision session NPT of cranial nerves, and (3) NPT alongside faculty staff in laboratory-based neuroanatomy practical exercises. For the first and second components, knowledge was measured using a pre- and post-session test and student perception was ascertained with a questionnaire. For the third component, student perception was assessed with an end-of-module survey. The results show that overall, NPT was well received by learners. A significant knowledge gain was seen between the pre- and post-session test of the frontline NPT session. The study presents evidence in favor of using NPTs to supplement the delivery of learning outcomes in a time and resource constrained curriculum. In particular, for the effective delivery of frontline material. Anat Sci Educ 0: 1–9. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.     

科学资源对公众科学兴趣的贡献(上)

学校、科学中心、电视媒体、纸质媒体及网络是五种主要的公共科学教育资源。本研究以美国三座大城市的3000名成人为样本,调查了以上资源对公众科学兴趣的价值及认知倾向的作用。通过文献回顾,确定了以成人现在的科学兴趣价值观和认知倾向与其现在和过去使用相关科学资源的关系为研究目标,通过对洛杉矶、凤凰城和费城家庭样本使用CATI随机抽样得到的数据,采用主成分分析法得出最终问卷,并开展了相关人口统计学变量分析。     

科学资源对公众科学兴趣的贡献(下)

学校、科学中心、广播媒体、纸质媒体及互联网是五种主要的公共科学教育资源。本研究以美国三座大城市的3000名成人为样本,调查了以上资源对公众科学兴趣的价值及认知倾向的作用。下篇展示了如下调查结果:有五种经历对预测成年后的科学兴趣、价值及认知倾向具有特殊重要性,即青少年早期参观科学中心;青少年早期观看科学类电视节目;成年后参观科学中心;成年后阅读科学类书籍杂志;成年后使用互联网学习科学。本文同时讨论了自我选择、经历的质量以及科学学习生态系统的复杂性和协同性。     

The U.S. Military Veteran in News Photographs: Representation and Stereotypes

Commenters have expressed concern over media content related to military veterans, saying journalists fail to provide the public with an accurate understanding of what it means to be a veteran. Nevertheless, few studies have examined the representation of veterans in news media content. The present study analyzed 740 photographs shared by regional news outlets on the popular social media platform Twitter. Coders documented the representation of veteran groups (gender, race, and service period) and stereotypes concerning veterans (homelessness, charity, and trauma) in the images. Results showed that the photographs rarely communicated stereotypes about veterans. Photographs overrepresented female veterans, although male veterans remained the significant majority. Minority veterans were underrepresented. Photographs most often contained images associated with World War II.     

Down the Rabbit Hole: Using The Matrix to Reflect on Teacher Education

In this article we use The Matrix movie as a heuristic device that offers two possibilities for conceptualizing teacher education: as a mirror (looking at ourselves) and as a window (looking at teacher education). We begin by sharing our interests and reason for using self-study while examining the components of The Matrix, noting parallels between key elements in our educational world and Neo’s world. Here we unpack scenes from the movie while making connections between the Matrix world and the world of education in order to problematize many of the longstanding, traditional notions that hinder or prevent all of us from awakening fully. We then discuss how our journeys have been influenced and altered by both self-study and curriculum study, noting the many similarities of our plight of existence with Neo’s false reality by using our experiences as a lens to re-surface the messages in The Matrix for a new generation. These messages can serve as entry points in order to initiate conversations that expand current notions of the role of a teacher and the purpose of school toward more socially-just, democratic ends. We close with personal revelations and implications and consider how our stories can be used as a point-of-entry that can inform teacher preparation. Overall, we hope that our experiences will help others begin to question the seemingly common-sense notions and often unquestioned traditions deeply entrenched in our current world of education that are related to teaching, learning, and learning to teach.     

Un-“Chartered” Waters: Balancing Montessori Curriculum and Accountability Measures in a Charter School

More than 6,000 charter schools exist in the United States, and of these 120 are Montessori charter schools. When studying charter school practices, researchers often examine issues such as performance accountability measures and effectiveness of charter school curricula. In doing so, the outcomes often overlook the challenges for teachers as they attempt to blend the demands of being a charter school with performance accountability and charter school philosophies, such as the Montessori philosophy. In this longitudinal case study, I examined the ways in which teachers in a charter Montessori school used professional development to help balance the demands for standardized testing performance and Montessori goals. The findings illustrate that significant challenges exist for teachers blending multiple educational goals but that professional development can aid teachers in filling in gaps in their existing curricula. This study encourages (1) researchers to question the ways in teachers can be supported through professional development to meet accountability measures and (2) stakeholders to consider how accountability measures focused solely on student performance can have detrimental effects on charter school curricula implementation and teacher retention.