Civic rhythms in an informal,media-rich learning program

Increasingly, adult mentors in informal, media-rich settings, like libraries and museums, seek to integrate both learning and civic engagement opportunities for youth into designed programming. This article illustrates how youth open and sustain opportunities for civic engagement over the course of a six-month, youth-driven program – Metro: Building Blocks (MBB) – housed within a digital media learning lab in an urban public library. Analysis develops the concept of civic rhythms as a means to feel out the social and affective contours of civic engagement that emerge in MBB. To better understand the civic rhythms of MBB, analysis focuses specifically on three rhythmic elements: pulsation, reciprocation, and oscillation. The article concludes suggesting that future research develop principles for designing-in-time that assist researchers and mentors in attuning to the youth-driven rhythms that sustain informal, media-rich programs.     

Contexts of reading instruction: Implications for literacy skills and kindergarteners’ behavioral engagement

This observational study examined kindergarteners’ (n = 170) exposure to literacy instruction in their classrooms (n = 36), child-by-instruction interactions, and behavioral engagement in relation to literacy skills. Time spent in four instructional contexts was coded according to who managed children's attention (teacher-managed, TM or child-managed, CM), and the content focus (basic skills such as teaching letters and their sounds, or meaning-focused such as discussing a book); children's behavioral engagement and off-task behavior were also coded live five times over the year. Word-reading and phonological awareness skills were assessed in fall and spring. Hierarchical Linear Modeling results indicated that kindergarteners with lower initial skills gained more in word-reading, but not phonological awareness, when they were exposed to relatively more time in TM basic skills instruction. In contrast, more time in CM meaning-focused instruction did not interact with initial skills to predict either outcome. Engagement analyses indicated that students were more likely to be off-task in CM than in TM contexts. Children who spent more time off-task during TM contexts had lower spring scores on both outcomes. Discussion explores the implications of this work for both literacy learning and behavioral engagement in the transition year of kindergarten.     

Patterns and predictors of father-infant engagement across race/ethnic groups

This study examines whether levels of father engagement (e.g., verbal stimulation, caregiving, and physical play) vary by race/ethnicity using a model that controls for fathers' human capital, mental health, and family relationships. It also tests whether the models work similarly across race/ethnic groups. Its sample of N=5,089 infants and their families is drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Birth Cohort (ECLS-B). We found that, after including controls, African American and Latino fathers had higher levels of engagement in caregiving and physical play activities than White fathers. There were no differences in verbal stimulation activities across race/ethnicity. Fathers' education (college level) predicted more verbally stimulating activities whereas fathers' report of couple conflict predicted less caregiving and physical play. Although levels of engagement differed across the groups, the overall models did not differ by race/ethnicity, except for physical play. African American mothers who reported high levels of depressive symptoms had partners who engaged in more physical play than White mothers with high levels of depressive symptoms.     

The academic engagement of White and ethnic minority students in distance education

At UK institutions of higher education, the academic attainment of White students tends to be higher than that of students from other ethnic groups. A postal survey of Open University students found very little difference in academic engagement in those from different ethnic groups. The differences in pass rates and course grades remained statistically significant even when any effects of differences in academic engagement had been controlled. This is consistent with previous findings that quantitative variations in the attainment of students from different ethnic groups are not reflected in concomitant qualitative variations in their experience of higher education. The explanation for the attainment gap in ethnic minority students must be sought elsewhere than in the nature of their experience of higher education.     

Understanding complex ecologies: an investigation of student experiences in adventure learning programs

The GoNorth! Adventure Learning (AL) Series delivered educational programs about global climate change and sustainability from 2006 to 2010 via a hybrid-learning environment that included a curriculum designed with activities that worked in conjunction with the travels of Team GoNorth! as they dog sledded throughout the circumpolar Arctic. This study addresses a gap in the AL literature by identifying factors that lead to high levels of student engagement and reveals strategies for instructional designers and educators on how to design emotionally engaging online learning environments. A mixed methods study was conducted to explore patterns of learner engagement in relation to two AL programs: GoNorth! Fennoscandia 2008 and GoNorth! Nunavut 2009. Survey data were drawn from a total of 101 students in 2008 and 2009.     

庄子乐论的美学启示

庄子乐论,多在世态人情的叙事中加以表现,深入研究其意义能发现音乐与美学理论的许多根本问题,如音乐审美活动之于人的专对性、音乐情感的本真性、音乐文本的多义生成及其与接受者的对象化关系的论说,生动反映出自然朴素的美学崇尚,以及对社会、人生与生命的感悟。     

体育赛事电视转播的受众收视动机分析

采用文献资料法和逻辑分析法,以2010年温哥华冬奥会和南非世界杯的电视转播为例,对体育赛事电视转播受众的收视动机进行分析。在强制式解读和协调式解读的语境下,受众的收视动机主要可以分为情感动机、认知动机、行为与社会动机三大类。在对抗式解读的语境下,受众还有相应的收视动机。     

体育节目观众的比较分析

通过文献资料、数理统计等研究方法对体育节目受众的结构进行了分析,体育节目的观众中男性观众的比例高于女性30%左右;中老年观众对于体育节目更加青睐;中、高学历人群对体育节目热爱度更高;体育节目中高收入观众的比率高于其他类别节目;从各类观众在体育节目中的投入时间上来看,男性观众、中老年观众和学历及收入较高的人群收看体育节目的时间均较长,而年轻观众在体育节目上投入的时间也相对较多。体育节目的魅力源于其对受众的审美需求、自尊需求、学习诉求等的满足。     

在校大学生手机阅读使用与满足分析——以上海地区为例

通过调查分析,发现在校大学生手机阅读的5个主要动机是（按其重要性排序）：“工具性期望”、“资讯性期望”、“替代性期望”、“互动性期望”和“创新性期望”,而且他们对手机阅读所提供的不同服务的满意度认知与他们对手机阅读使用动机的重要性认知基本是吻合的;除了使用动机之外,影响在校大学生手机阅读满意度的影响因素还包括使用频率、依赖程度、阅读场所、阅读方式和使用手机类型这5个变量。     

专业技术职称评聘研究

在高校人事制度改革中,职称评聘工作是一个异常敏感的问题.利用系统分析与系统评价的理念,运用比较成熟的层次分析法建立综合评判的指标体系,最终给每个参加评聘者一个公平的综合评判结果.这不仅是高校深化改革、完善用人机制的需要,也是高等教育管理理论与实践发展的需要.