Creating In-Depth Learning Experiences by Using Rawls' “Veil of Ignorance”

Combining a variation of John Rawls' “veil of ignorance” mind experiment with role-playing and case studies allows instructors to create assignments that engage students in the full range of learning processes, encourage them to consider a wide range of viewpoints, provide them with opportunities to apply the cognitive and the affective components of learning, and make real for them world views competing for influence in the development of policies, regulations, and laws. This article presents three examples of this curriculum innovation in a graduate Human Behavior in the Social Environment sequence, followed by suggestions of its use in practice, research, and policy courses.     

Common student misconceptions in electrochemistry: Galvanic,electrolytic, and concentration cells

This study replicates, with additions, research done by Garnett and Treagust. Garnett and Treagust's interview questions for galvanic and electrolytic cells were used with modifications; concentration cell questions were asked in a similar manner. These questions were administered to 16 introductory college chemistry students after electrochemistry instruction. Student misconceptions most commonly encountered included notions that electrons flow through the salt bridge and electrolyte solutions to complete the circuit, plus and minus signs assigned to the electrodes represent net electronic charges, and water is unreactive in the electrolysis of aqueous solutions. New misconceptions identified included notions that half-cell potentials are absolute and can be used to predict the spontaneity of individual half-cells, and electrochemical cell potentials are independent of ion concentrations. Most students demonstrating misconceptions were still able to calculate cell potentials correctly, which is consistent with research suggesting that students capable of solving quantitative examination problems often lack an understanding of the underlying concepts. Probable origins of these student misconceptions were attributed to students being unaware of the relative nature of electrochemical potentials and chemistry textbooks making misleading and incorrect statements. A minor technical flaw in the Garnett and Treagust study is also addressed. J Res Sci Teach 34: 377–398, 1997.     

The Moral Nature of Teacher Candidate Beliefs About the Purposes of Schooling and Their Reasons for Choosing Teaching as a Career

This study reports teacher candidate beliefs about the purposes of schooling and their reasons for choosing a career in teaching. The beliefs are analyzed in relation to the moral work of teaching, and the findings suggest that teacher candidates choose teaching as a career, in part, to engage in moral work, and that they believe that schooling has moral ends. The article concludes by providing implications for teacher education research and practice, suggesting that these implications have particular relevance in the current environment of high-stakes testing and accountability, as well as for constructivist teacher educators who seek to understand and meaningfully respond to their teacher candidates’ beliefs.     

Talking to teachers and looking at practice in understanding the moral dimensions of teaching

There are many notions about the nature of morality, and many publications on the moral dimensions of teaching. However, despite much discussion, researchers still know little about how teachers view morality or themselves as moral agents, let alone the extent to which these views are linked to their teaching practice. This study of two primary school teachers' beliefs and practices as they relate to morality is based on open-ended interviews and classroom observations. The goal is to gain an understanding of how teachers view morality and their own moral agency, as well as how researchers might discuss these issues with them so that they can critically assess their own views and practices. The data suggest that teachers' beliefs are complex and diverse, and may provide insights into investigating and discussing the moral dimensions of teaching.     

Building Partnerships: Developing a Quality of Life Index

Cochise College, Cochise County, and the Cochise Community Foundation partnered to create the Cochise County Quality of Life Index—the first to be developed in Arizona. The project brought together stakeholders to address shared problems in new ways, based on non-traditional partnerships. The college's Center for Economic Research provided technical expertise.