Book review

The following books are reviewed.

Value and validity in action research: a guidebook for reflective practitioners EILEEN M. SCHWALBACH (2003) London: Scarecrow Press 121 pp., ISBN 1 57886 017 2 (pb), £10.22

Supporting Teachers, Supporting Pupils D.F. WILSON, 2004 London: RoutledgeFalmer 184 pp., ISBN 0 415 33522 1 (hb), £65, 0 415 33523 X (pb), £22.50     

Usability design strategies for children： Developing children＇s learning and knowledge in decreasing their dental anxiety

This paper presents an example of how usability design strategies for children can be designed into educational material using CD-ROM based multimedia application for assisting parents and teachers to develop children＇s learning and knowledge in decreasing as well as motivate children aged 7-9 years old to reduce their anxious feelings towards dental treatment. In this paper, the authors provide usability design strategies for children in designing the information interfaces and presentation of a PMLE （persuasive multimedia learning environment）. PMLE is designed based on the six design categories of guidelines for children which have been applied to this study： general interaction, text, multimedia, navigation and search, graphical user interface and content. The results authors were able to on presenting this PMLE to 240 primary school children selected at random show how the decrease children＇s dental anxiety and motivate the children to get ready for dental visit.     

Performance-based accountability in Qatar: a state in progress

It has become a normative practice to include Performance-Based Accountability (PBA) policies in educational reforms to foster school changes that enhance student learning and success. There is considerable variation in PBA models that have an important impact on how they operate in schools. It is, therefore, important to characterize PBA models in different contexts. This article describes and categorizes the Qatari PBA model using a five-dimensional framework previously employed in Canada and the UK. The State of Qatar is a small rich developing country in the Arabian Gulf that introduced a wholesale educational reform in 2004. Although the characteristics of the Qatari PBA model are shared with those of Western systems, the Qatari PBA model does not fit into the previously described categories. Policy inconsistencies surfaced within the Qatar PBA model in terms of structure, consequential intent, and expectations of professional involvement. The tensions are rooted in a PBA model that assumes a high level of professional accountability interacting with the reality of system-wide capacity issues. The implementation of a coherent PBA model in policy and practice will require developing past this early phase of educational reform.     

A case study on mathematics anxiety for mathematics of finance course

The DIIA （Diploma in Investment Analysis） students from the FBM （Faculty of Business Management） were required to undertake several MOF （Mathematic of Finance） courses. The passing rates for all of the MOF courses were good except for one course. There are many factors for this low passing rate phenomenon for this particular MOF course. One of the factors is mathematics anxiety as suggested by Richardson in 1971. As a result, this paper is carried out in order to measure the undergraduates＇ level of mathematics anxiety in general and between genders in this one particular course. The outcome is expected to fill in the gap as study of anxiety in MOF is still lacking. A 30-item MARS （Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale） is adapted and used in this study, because this course is predominant by complex computations. The Ss （samples） of the study are 119 students who undertook this MOF course during the study semester of December 2008 to April 2009 in UiTM （Universiti Teknologi MARA）. It is expected that the findings will show that the Ss have a considerably high mean for mathematics anxiety; and female students have a higher mean of mathematics anxiety as compared to their male counterparts. The study confirms the expectation of the researchers. In terms of the final and overall results, it was expected that the passing percentage be dominated by the male students. However, at the end of the study, the overall performance of the female students was much better compared to their male counterparts.     

Social media effects on fostering online civic engagement and building citizen trust and trust in institutions

This paper tests the extent to which social media is shaping civic engagement initiatives to build trust among people and increase trust in their institutions, particularly the government, police and justice systems. A survey of 502 citizens showed that using social media for civic engagement has a significant positive impact on trust propensity and that this trust had led to an increase in trust towards institutions. Interestingly, while group incentives encouraged citizens to engage online for civic matters, it is civic publications through postings on social media that intensify the urge of citizens for civic action to address social issues. Post-hoc analysis via ten interviews with social activists was conducted to further examine their perceptions on trust towards institutions. The overall findings suggest that institutions, in their effort to promote a meaningful and trusting citizen engagement, need to enhance trust among the public by fostering social capital via online civic engagement and closing the public–police disengagement gap.     

Love acts and revolutionary praxis: challenging the neoliberal university through a teaching scholars development program

ABSTRACT

There has been significant interest in developing academics through Teaching Scholar Development Programs across the USA, Canada, the UK, and more recently in Australia. At their core, such programs develop academics across teaching scholarship, leadership, promotion, and award opportunities, where universities reap the benefits of developing such a cadre of leaders. This paper pays witness to one such a program in an Australian university to highlight enactments of caring passionately. We use qualitative survey evaluation data, metaphor analysis and reflective practice to nuance the pleasures, passions and challenges of the lived experiences using phenomenological and metaphor lenses to describe our experiences. Metaphors provide powerful insights into the dimensions of experience as they open up how programs are perceived and experienced. Our paper disrupts traditional linear writing through rhizomatic, multivocal and multitextual encounters to challenge dominant authorial voicing. The academic identity work and emotional work required in the program is unfolded through evolving, experiencing and reflecting on the program to inform design and highlight what we have come to (re)value in our academic work when we come together to learn, share, and lead. We forge ways to be and become with and against neoliberal agendas that have choked the soul of ‘the university’ to evolve rich spaces and practices of/for reciprocity and kindness where not only learning can thrive, but where love acts – a much needed revolutionary praxis for our time.     

Knowledge economy measurement: Methods, results and insights from the Malaysian Knowledge Content Study

Building on a conceptual model of knowledge content, we discuss the methodology and results of a project to develop sectoral knowledge content measures in Malaysia. Through a survey of over 1800 Malaysian firms in 18 manufacturing and services industries, levels of knowledge content are assessed by sector. Industries vary in their emphasis on specific knowledge content components. Positive associations between technological innovation and at least one knowledge content variable are evident across all but four industries, although generally the results suggest that knowledge-based innovation is modest in Malaysia. Further insights and opportunities for policy from tracking knowledge content are considered.     

Syrians’ acceptance of digital lectures: a case study

Technology-based learning modules are mostly challenged by their acceptance. A single-case study and mixed research method are used to explore a unique situation of applying digital lectures at the postgraduate Programmes at the Faculty of Tourism at Damascus University as a solution for brain drain in the Syrian higher education system. Results indicate that Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy (EE), Personal Innovativeness and Satisfaction with the Quality of Services have a significant effect on students’ Behavioural Intention to accept digital lectures. This effect was stronger for males. However, EE was a better predictor for students under 30. In addition, students regarded the use of digital lectures as an alternative plan to continuing their postgraduate studies abroad within the current restrictions on Syrians. For the future successful implementation of e-learning modules, infrastructure-related issues should be taken into account. The study recommends universities going through brain drain and similar crisis situations to utilise digital lectures.