Among the many possible aspects to assessing writing, one of the most problematic is coherence. The problems with marking coherence arise because it is by nature subjective. However, the reasonable probability of several readers reaching a consensus concerning the coherence of a text suggests that it may be possible to assign relatively reliable…

This paper discusses the possibility of using newspaper genres and genre-based pedagogy to teach intermediate ESL learners to write school genres. Students' typical writing problems reveal the inadequacy of the typical composition classroom instruction. Then two texts regarded as typical representations of the editorial and the school…

Where the role of instructor discourse has been the focus of much recent research on asynchronous online instruction, the anatomy of effective instructional discourse of foreign language educators has yet to be examined. Indeed, the majority of work in the area of foreign language and telecommunications has concentrated on student-student,…

The study reported here investigates collaborative learning at the computer. Ten pairs of students were presented with a series of comprehension questions about Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein or a Modern Prometheus" along with a CD-ROM, "Frankenstein Illuminated," containing the novel and a variety of source material. Five students worked with…

Framed under a cognitive approach to task-based L2 learning, this study used a pedagogical approach to investigate the effects of three vocabulary lessons (one traditional and two task-based) on acquisition of basic meanings, forms and morphological aspects of Spanish words. Quantitative analysis performed on the data suggests that the type of…

This article presents an account of how the author has made cultural diversity a powerful pedagogical resource for teaching rather than a burden. It is suggested that such an approach can deliver real educational benefits, rather than simply being a protocol to meet the requirements of "political correctness" or commercial imperatives. The issues…

The focus of this paper is on the implementation of Dynamic Assessment (henceforth, DA) in the L2 classroom setting. DA is an approach to assessment and instruction derived from Vygotsky's theory of the Zone of Proximal Development (henceforth, ZPD). In what follows, we will first discuss briefly the concept of the ZPD and its realization in DA…

In this evaluation we used Messick's construct validity as a conceptual framework for an empirical study assessing the validity of use, utility, and impact of office discipline referral (ODR) measures for data-based decision making about student behavior in schools. The Messick approach provided a rubric for testing the fit of our theory of use of…

General education programs rely on students transferring learning from one context to another. This transfer cannot be taken for granted. Faculty must see individual courses as elements of a larger experience and focus on specific techniques promoting transfer. Classroom experiences serve to illustrate the elements of transfer that require…

A new paradigm imposes special demands on business ethics education: (a) merging financial and social imperatives; (b) stemming recurrent scandals without being compliance obsessive; (c) infusing ethics awareness into all areas of business to remain relevant to the real world, motivate students, and keep up with innovations; (d) mediating…

The authors examine their experiences of coteaching an intensive, interdisciplinary elective course for MBA students: Diversity in Management and Marketing. They address otherness, dialogue, energy, and change within this course and clarify issues that can arise when coteaching interdisciplinary courses. The authors list implications for…

A framework for resolving social work's ethical problems must allow for explicit discussion and justification (Osmo and Landau 2001). As opposed to a preoccupation with what "ought to be," it is argued that "what ought "not"" be" is the more useful question to ask when resolving a moral problem. The University of…

There is a large corpus of literature that not only speaks to the nature and qualities of Black women teachers, but that further disrupts the way these educators have been historically located at the margins of "education," by highlighting their political and culturally relevant/responsive approaches (Ladson-Billings, 1992/1994/2000; Gay, 2000;…

This article proposes the use of an informed consent template for educating social work students. The elements of informed consent, derived primarily from the National Association of Social Workers' "Code of Ethics", are operationalized in the template. The suggestion is that instructors will use the template for classroom instruction and require…

When efforts to improve student learning fail, teachers often end up being blamed. Teachers were resistant to new ideas, say the leaders who were working with them. Rather than blame teachers and ask, "Why do teachers resist?" perhaps those who lead change should ask, "What can we do to makes it easier for teachers to implement new practices?" In…