Differential effects of norm-referenced and self-referenced feedback on performance expectancies,attributions, and motivation

When feedback is provided to students in a norm-referenced manner that compares the individual's performance to that of others, people who perform poorly tend to attribute their failures to lack of ability, expect to perform poorly in the future, and demonstrate decreased motivation on subsequent tasks. The present study examined the hypothesis that the deleterious effects of failure might be attenuated when failure is expressed in self-referenced terms—relative to the individual's known level of ability as assessed by other measures. In this study, subjects received feedback indicating that they did well or poorly on an anagram test, and this feedback was described as either norm-referenced (comparing the individual's performance to that of others) or as self-referenced (comparing performance to other measures of the individual's ability). As predicted, compared to norm-referenced failure, self referenced feedback resulted in higher expectancies regarding future performance and increased attributions to effort. Contrary to expectations, attributions to ability were not affected. The implications of the results for the structure of academic feedback are discussed.     

化学函授教学与管理浅谈

搞好高师函授教学与管理,必须根据函授生的特点来进行抓好函授生的自学、面授、作业、实验及培养良好的学习方法是搞好函授教学与管理的关键。     

The functional meanings of behaviors: A factor analytic study of motivational orientations in Virgin Islands students

One hundred and sixty-five high school students in the Virgin Islands were asked to rate the extent to which they associate each of 62 behaviors with their concepts of “success,” “joy,” and “satisfying expectations.” They were also asked to rate the frequency with which they performed each of the behaviors. Results indicated that Virgin Islands students associate the word “success” not with academic behaviors, but with being modern, attractive, and nurturing. Moreover, individual students are less apt to perform those behaviors which Western teachers believe lead to academic success and more apt to perform those behaviors which the sample as a whole associates with being successful. The data indicate that although many Virgin Islands students enjoy traditional island activities, they do not feel successful when they engage in them. The results of the investigation are interpreted within the context of what is known concerning achievement behaviors of middle-class American youth, and implications are drawn for the teaching of young persons from diverse cultural backgrounds who attend classes conducted in the Western mode.     

体育函授本科课程改革的思考

为适应21世纪对人才质量、规格的需求，体育院系应从课程设置着手进行体育教育专业的改革。体育函授本科既是体育教育专业的组成部分，又有别于全日制本科，如何改革课程设置，本文对此进行了探讨。     

Feedback complexity and corrective efficiency

College undergraduates read a 2400-word passage, responded to 16 multiple-choice questions, and received one of four types of feedback following their responses. Complexity of feedback was inversely related to both error correctability and criterion efficiency taken as a ratio of feedback study time to post-test corrects. The results were discussed in terms of depth of processing and instructional comprehension.     

In search of the keyword method/vocabulary comprehension link

Previous research has indicated that the keyword method of vocabulary learning facilitates students' performance not just on simple tests of definition recall, but on comprehension-demanding tasks as well. The present study was conducted to determine whether the “comprehension” finding could be accounted for by keyword subjects' superior definition recall per se. The results generally supported that conclusion: When conditions and subjects within conditions were equated with respect to their initial levels of definition recall, the comprehension advantage of keyword subjects disappeared.     

在佤族山区农村学前班强化汉语教学值得尝试

针对佤族地区实施双语教学后存在的一些问题,提出了在佤族地区农村学前班强化汉语教学的优势,同时阐述了强化汉语教学的措施。     

Multivariate prediction of academic performance by Hong Kong University students

Verbal intelligence, English-language skills, personality, and attitude scales were used as predictors of academic performance in 230 male and female arts students at the University of Hong Kong. A series of bivariate, multiple, and canonical correlation analyses were performed. The results showed that verbal intelligence and attitudes, excepting study orientation, were not predictive of performance. English-language skills had the most predictive value, accounting for about 10% of the variance of performance measures. Personality variables failed to predict performance when composite criterion measures (GPAs) were used; however, they proved to be of predictive value when results of individual academic subjects were used as criterion measures. The study points to the importance of using noncomposite criterion measures in prediction and of considering the cultural context of achievement.     

The role of stimulus salience in young children's ability to discriminate two-dimensional rotations: Reflections on a paradigm

Children's ability to discriminate reflections and rotations of visual stimuli was examined within the confines of a mental rotation task. It was hypothesized that success would be affected by both characteristics of the stimulus and by the subtlety of the discrimination required. Forty 3- to 4-year-old children were directed to mentally rotate a stimulus a given number of degrees and to discriminate the appearance of the rotated stimulus from among a set of alternatives. Four stimuli differing in the number of visual orientation cues were utilized across 24 trials. A significant effect was found for number of orientation cues, and data indicated the difficulty children experienced detecting reflections, a task which bears close resemblance to the yes/no option in prototypic rotation studies. Children were only successful with a limited range of stimuli when discrimination of a reflected foil was not required. Results are discussed in light of discrepant findings about children's kinetic imagery ability and the advisability of using this particular paradigm with young Children.     

高职外贸函电教学问题及对策探讨

外贸函电在国际贸易业务中广泛运用,学生能否灵活运用商务信函决定了学生毕业后能否顺利地进入外贸公司工作,甚至影响学生进入外贸行业后的职业发展。但是,在高职外贸函电课程的教学过程中仍然存在着一些涉及到学生、教师、课程开设、教材使用以及教学方法方面的问题,这些问题亟待解决。需要针对每个方面的问题,提出一些有效的对策,注重培养学生的写作能力,提高授课教师自身的专业素质,推进外贸函电课程的教学改革,以此改善外贸函电课程的教学效果。