This article shows how the CensusAtSchool project can be implemented in the classroom to make data handling much more real and relevant. It includes full lesson plans and notes on what the pupils achieved. [Editor's Note The lesson plans for this article are provided in figure 4, which has been placed at the end of the article for convenience. The…

In this study, Data Envelopment Analysis is used to measure relative efficiencies of academic departments of an engineering college. Input and output criteria are determined and measured utilizing the academic personnel performance measurement scheme of the College. New measures are developed to compare departments of different disciplines. The…

Pavlovian stimuli can markedly elevate instrumental responding, an effect known as Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT). As the role of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in PIT is yet unknown, we examined the effects of transient VTA inactivation by direct microinjections of a mixture of the GABA[subscript A] and GABA[subscript B] receptor…

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to get a clear view on how can we judge groups in relation to the characteristics of a community of practice (CoP), and the presence of collective learning in these groups. Design/methodology/approach: A review of literature on collective learning and CoPs led to the development of a conceptual model, which…

Self-regulation in medicine depends on accurate self-assessment. The purpose of the present study was to examine the discrepancy between self and peer assessments for a group of specialist physicians from internal medicine (IM), pediatrics, and psychiatry clinical domains (i.e., patient management, clinical assessment, professional development,…

Objective: To study whether psychiatry residents' personal variables (such as age, gender, level of training, previous experience with patient suicide, or lawsuits) and their temperamental predispositions have an impact on their decisions to seek involuntary commitment. Method: In a prospective pilot study, all psychiatry residents in…

Some commentators suggest that the individualisation of life stories reflects a discursive shift in the ways people talk about their lives rather than a substantive change in life patterns. However, elsewhere it is argued the individualisation of life experiences is one of the defining features of the contemporary era. This paper draws on…

This article focuses on the similarities and differences in the academic education of software engineers and architects. The rationale for this work stems from our observation, each from the perspective of her or his own discipline, that these two professional design and development processes share some similarities. A pilot study was performed,…

This article draws on systems views of creativity and their application in music education, to argue that young children's independent invented song making evolves from their early musico-communicative interaction with others, is evidential of their capacity for "elaboration," and is foundational in the development of creative thought and activity…

Purpose: This study examines whether the relationship between making familial wealth transfers and becoming a Medicaid recipient sheds light on the current debate about Medicaid estate planning, whereby some elders transfer their assets to their families to qualify for Medicaid. Design and Methods: Using the Health and Retirement Study, we tracked…

In this paper, I will argue that it is possible to use data from large-scale international and national mathematics assessment programmes, whose attention is on summative achievement, to provide formative information that informs teachers about the effects of their classroom practice. However, to have impact on, and be useful for, classroom…

Value-added models of student achievement have received widespread attention in light of the current test-based accountability movement. These models use longitudinal growth modeling techniques to identify effective schools or teachers based upon the results of changes in student achievement test scores. Given their increasing popularity, this…

The Integrative Themes in Physiology (ITIP) project was a National Science Foundation-funded collaboration between the American Physiological Society (APS) and the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS). The project goal was to create instructional resources that emphasized active learning in undergraduate anatomy and physiology classrooms.…

This article focuses on the reports produced by the National Center for Education Statistics which rely too much on subjective judgments. The two studies--which used data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress that were adjusted for student and school differences--reported generally favorable academic results for regular public…

This article guides readers through the decisions and considerations involved in conducting focus-group research investigations into students' learning experiences. One previously published focus-group study is used as an illustrative example, along with other examples from the field of pedagogic research in geography higher education. An approach…