This commentary discusses the methodological challenges of researching the intersection of online and offline activities of an adolescent girl engaged in instant messaging. If the New Literacy Studies stance that literacy practices are locally situated is accepted, a methodology for interrogating the multiple online and offline contexts that…

This article describes the tension between standards-based assessment on a macro level and authentic assessment on a micro level. Content standards arguably supply systematic criteria for quantitative measures to report trends and establish policy. Qualitative measures, such as rubrics, student profiles, and observational records, fill in the gaps…

This paper is based on findings from the authors' PhD thesis looking at the role of Subject Leadership in primary schools. The study reports data collected from 20 subject leaders in 10 schools within 2 Local Education Authorities and sets the role of the subject leader within the context of a primary school, highlighting the varied complexities…

In these studies, a vegetable can containing fluid was swung as a pendulum by supporting its end-lips with a pair of knife edges. The motion was measured with a capacitive sensor and the logarithmic decrement in free decay was estimated from computer-collected records. Measurements performed with nine different homogeneous liquids, distributed…

With increasing availability of interventions for children with autism, it is important that these are backed by rigorous evaluation data that have high levels of ecological validity. To achieve this, a key prerequisite for any evaluation is to gather data on typical consumers and typical implementation patterns of the intervention. This study…

To investigate the process through which the educational research community can become more vibrant and cohesive, the authors of this article ask: How can the numerous networks that constitute the field of educational research be analyzed in an effort to understand and influence the pattern through which knowledge of educational phenomena are…

Performance measurement can be a difficult political as well as technical challenge for educational institutions at all levels. Performance-based budgeting can raise the stakes still higher by linking resource allocation to a public "report card." The 23-campus system of the California State University (CSU) accepted each of these…

This research study collected data on environmental literacy and was used among Florida 4-H youth participating in nonformal environmental education activities as part of their 4-H experience. Using "The Middle School Environmental Literacy Instrument" 4-H participants were tested on several variables, which appear to be important…

This article describes the organization and implementation of a class survey project. The exercise, which can be applied across disciplines, may be tied to course materials or campus activities. Three surveys conducted by the authors and their students are detailed and the students' roles in the projects are discussed. Students benefit from the…

Health educators use several different data collection techniques involving qualitative and quantitative methods. One common qualitative data collection technique is the focus group. Although a focus group, when utilized appropriately, can yield useful information, too often in health education practice it is misunderstood and thus misused. The…

This paper is meant to be an introduction to and general reference for ultrasound imaging for new and moderately experienced users of the instrument. The paper consists of eight sections. The first explains how ultrasound works, including beam properties, scan types and machine features. The second section discusses image quality, including the…

The focus of this paper is the "culture of learning" in Chinese complementary schools. The term "culture" refers to the norms, attitudes, values and beliefs of the participants in these schools. Using data collected through multiple research methods from Chinese community schools in Britain, this paper takes a glimpse at cultural negotiation by…

A simple Vernier software and Technology LabPro unit was used to interface a computer with a Durrum model 110 stopped-flow apparatus using the iron (III)--thiocyanate reaction. The software can readily be used to retrieve that data from the stopped-flow apparatus using one probe to measure the voltage and a second probe to trigger the data…

The goal of teaching technology used in every field of daily life as well as in every stage of education, is to have individuals acquire the necessary skills in technology use. In this era, these skills are among the essentials for individuals to discover the world with the help of technology. This study was carried out on students who completed…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) "Raising the Grade": Alliance President's New Book on High School Reform is Now Available; (2) Spellings…