(2005). The Education Challenge in Mexico: Delivering Good Quality Education to All. OECD Economics Department Working Papers, No. 447. OECD Publishing (NJ1) The growth of potential GDP in Mexico is not fast enough to narrow the income gap with other OECD countries at a sufficient pace. The persistent weakness in human capital development contributes to this situation. In particular, Mexicans spend comparatively few years in formal education, and the quality of the education they receive is lower than in other OECD countries. This paper discusses the performance of education services up to the upper secondary level. It assesses both the efficiency (outcome for money invested) and the equity of the system and shows that the education system has to be improved further to narrow the human capital gap with other OECD countries at a faster pace and to better prepare children for life and work in a modern economy. The key problem is not a lack of resources but rather inefficiencies and misallocation of spending together with weak incentives for education professionals to perform well. The paper makes specific recommendations to improve the… [Direct]
(1994). The Accuracy of Automatic Qualitative Analyses of Constructed-Response Solutions to Algebra Word Problems. GRE Board Professional Report No. 91-03P. This study evaluated expert system diagnoses of examinees' solutions to complex constructed-response algebra word problems. Problems were presented to three samples (30 college students each), each of which had taken the Graduate Record Examinations General Test. One sample took the problems in paper-and-pencil form and the other two on computer. Responses were then diagnostically analyzed by an expert system, GIDE, and by four Educational Testing Service mathematics test developers. Results were highly consistent across the samples. Human judges generally agreed in describing responses as right or wrong, but concurred at lower levels in categorizing the specific bugs they detected in incorrect solutions. The expert system agreed highly with the judges' right/wrong decisions, but less closely with bug categorizations that judges agreed on. Causes of machine-rater disagreement were identified, and suggested remedies were proposed. These results suggest that highly accurate diagnostic… [PDF]
(1996). Color Variations in Screen Text: Effects on Proofreading. As the use of computers has become more common in society, human engineering and ergonomics have lagged behind the sciences which developed the equipment. Some research has been done in the past on the effects of screen colors on computer use efficiency, but results were inconclusive. This paper describes a study of the impact of screen color configuration on operators' ability to detect typographical errors in text. Participants included 97 undergraduate business students, divided into 3 ability levels–beginning (N=20), intermediate (N=32), and advanced (N=45)–based upon their reported keyboarding experience. Color configurations tested were white text on blue, blue on white, amber on green, and green on amber, all common color configurations in popular word processors. Screen areas were defined in quadrants, moving from upper left (1) to upper right (2), and then lower left (3) to lower right (4). Significant differences in the impact of color configuration were found in… [PDF]
(1981). Fantasy and the Brain's Right Hemisphere. While the left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for logical and verbal activity, the right brain is the center of much of human feeling and emotion. Its vision is holistic rather than segmented or compartmentalized. Although schools today are geared almost exclusively to training the brain's left hemisphere, fantasy literature can provide children with the opportunity to engage the whole brain. As fantasy demands visualization, it immediately engages the right hemisphere. Having developed a strong background in fantasy literature, most children begin school with a good base on which teachers can build. In the early grades, fairy tales, fables, and myths should make up the storytelling and reading activities. During the middle school or junior high school years, myths such as the Icarus or Hercules legends will interest students, and as they pass through various stages of initiation the Arthurian legend will appeal to them. Science fiction is another popular type of fantasy….
(1982). The Press, Privacy, and Community Mores. Because of judicial indifference and legislative inaction, the conflict between the right of privacy and the freedom of the press is no closer to a resolution than it was a century ago. William Prosser's reduction of the common law of privacy into four separate torts has not solved the problem. The concept of \newsworthiness\ has not been helpful either because the judiciary has neither advanced nor adopted a unified theory of the news. Efforts to link privacy to community mores have been misdirected, stressing the community's right to shield itself from indecency instead of the individual's autonomy and dignity, and failing to discriminate between various types of privacy. Privacy should be treated as a value worthy of its own status, as a matter of human dignity and a requisite for a democratic society. Since prior restraint would be too destructive to freedom of the press, the goal of privacy law must be to prevent its further abuse. A four-part test can be used to balance the… [PDF]
(1968). Student Participation in University Decision Making. The causes of student rebellion against established social and educational systems are rooted in many forces that impinge upon their lives, 3 of which are rapid social change, affluence, and the fear of technological death. The firm conviction of \new left\ activists –the third generation of radical, militant students– is that they must do something about social problems that alienate human beings, such as poverty, racism, militarism, urbanization, and war. Believing themselves to be vitally affected by university policies and practices, students are claiming a democratic right to participate in institutional decision making. But within the university, each of the many communities should decide its own affairs, and conditions necessary for democracy do not exist. However, 3 areas in which just student demands could be met involve (1) voting on non-academic policy such as the right to control their private and social lives on campus, (2) voting on non-academic questions that… [PDF]
(1992). Knowing, Assuming, and Theorizing: Activities To Teach about Theory. The two-part activity outlined in this paper reveals to undergraduate students that assumptions made in theory building remain unquestioned until one steps outside the initial realm of expectations, and that theories adopted have a demonstrable impact on behaviors. Part I defines a theory, describes the roles of assumptions and knowledge in theories, and provides a test to reveal that biases are involved whenever tests are made or taken. The test demonstrates that knowledge is needed to make useful theories and that sometimes the knowledge is based on assumptions that turn out not to be useful. Part II shows how a theory which is not perfect may be better than no theory at all, even if such a model leads to predictable and consistent errors. For example, when human behavior is predicted, it is useful to be right even if the theory is right for the wrong reasons. Further, even if there are gaps in the model, on the whole it may lead to better predictions than random guesses. Part II… [PDF]
(2024). Understanding Access to and Learning Outcomes from ECE among Refugees and Non-Refugee Populations in Uganda: A Cross-Cohort Comparison. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, v38 suppl 1 pS112-S129. Early childhood education (ECE) is a key investment for improving learning and future outcomes. Yet, in the context of Uganda, it is not compulsory or free, which means that provision tends to be private, and hence there is limited access for children from disadvantaged families, particularly refugees. This article examines the level of access to, and learning outcomes from, ECE among refugees, compared to nationals, over time. Three findings are worth highlighting. First, refugee children were more likely to access ECE relative to nationals. Second, children who access ECE had increased learning outcomes relative to those who did not, with the largest difference observed among nationals with ECE. Third, over time, the benefits of ECE in terms of improved math and English test scores disappear. This article provides insights into the quality of ECE provision, particularly for refugee populations, and raises questions on the benefits of ECE as children progress through Ugandan… [Direct]
(1979). The Hemispheric Specialization Construct: Developmental and Instructional Considerations for Creative Behavior. Research relating to the relationship between hemispheric specialization and creativity is explored with particular emphasis on implications for elementary education. Physiological and psychological evidence is examined for the construct that hemispheric specialization means that the two hemispheres of the human brain are specialized for different modes or styles of information processing. Information is provided about a new creativity test which incorporates into its rationale the notion of hemispheric specialization. Finally, recommendations are made about how to achieve desirable cognitive and affective instructional outcomes. It is suggested that teachers should strive to develop in their students both left-hemisphere and right-hemisphere information processing skills; that elementary education programs provide opportunities for guided discovery and nonverbal (visual-motor and tactile) expression; and that teachers should encourage students to generate new and efficient…
(1995). Pragmatics and TESOL: Using Authentic Language Data. Because all human communication, whether among native or non-native speakers, is inherently problematic, ambiguous, and subject to negotiation, learners of a second language should be taught to cope with ambiguity, approximations, hypotheses, and guesses rather than be pushed to find the "right answer." Much of the instructional material presented in second language courses for development of comprehension is inappropriate. Language teaching materials should expose learners to carefully-selected authentic data as soon as possible, to assist them in developing strategies for dealing with difficult language. Such authentic materials should follow the grammatical, phonological, orthographic, social, cultural, discourse, and pragmatic conventions of the target language. Examples of authentic texts are offered, each of which contains important pragmatic, cultural, discourse, or semantic features for language learning, and each accompanied by a number of suggested discussion… [PDF]
(1989). Analysis of the Federally-Assisted and State Funded Programs Serving Individuals with Developmental Disabilities in Virginia: Appendix A to the Developmental Disabilities 1990 Report. This report presents summaries of federally-assisted and state (Virginia) funded programs as required by Public Law 100-146, The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act Amendments of 1987. Information presented for each of the 55 programs includes: (1) the administering agency; (2) the legislation enabling the provision of services; (3) the eligibility requirements for receiving services; (4) the scope of the programs (range of the services offered); (5) the extent of services (data on the number of persons served or program expenditures); and (6) the effectiveness of the services in meeting the needs of individuals with disabilities. Programs are grouped under the following services: Department of Labor; Health Services; Housing; Medicaid; Mental Health Programs; Office of Human Development Programs; Protection and Advocacy; Social Security; Special Education; Transportation; Vocational Rehabilitation Programs; and Virginia Mental Health/Mental Retardation…
(1982). The Changing World of Personnel Management. Although personnel management in the public sector has become increasingly difficult because of recent social changes, more worker and middle management involvement in decision-making processes can improve all levels of personnel management. The social changes affecting personnel management have assumed three forms: (1) the entrance into the work force of workers who are more aware of and assertive about their civil rights, (2) the rise of public sector unionism, and (3) the reduced fiscal resources available to governments with which to provide public services. To respond to the challenges facing personnel management today, personnel specialists should be elevated to decision-making roles, more opportunities should be provided for employees in public sector unions to participate in decisions related to their work, and greater emphasis must be placed on training management personnel in human and interpersonal relations. (JW)…
(1980). Human Relations. Discussion Topics and Activities. Designed primarily for students in the intermediate grades, this document provides discussion topics, poetry, and activities to help students: (1) recognize the uniqueness of themselves and others; (2) become aware of their uniqueness as members of the human family; (3) become aware of individual differences, emotions, and feelings; (4) recognize the rights, responsibilities, capabilities, and limitations of themselves and others in society; (5) understand and respect individual differences through awareness of prejudice, dislike, and stereotyping; and (6) become aware of and respect various cultures within the community. In each lesson, students first define the unit topic, then personalize it, and then consider thought-provoking challenges. In addition, the document includes student worksheets, bulletin board ideas, and student inventories. This document is a part of a collection of materials from the Iowa Area Education Agency 7 Teacher Center project. (LH)…
(1986). Philosophy and the Role of the Adult Educator. This article addresses major philosophical orientations and shows how they have practical import for practitioners of adult education. The philosophical approaches presented are conceptual (linguistic) analysis, phenomenology, hermeneutics, critical theory, and existentialism. References are made to selected works by writers in adult education who adopt one of these orientations. The article proposes that any one of these philosophical approaches obliges the adult educator to question theories implying that the deployment of the right techniques or prescriptive formulations for curriculum and for needs assessments, and so on, somehow guarantees that adult learners will become more literate or more competent at an occupation. The adult educator's challenging role in helping to enhance some dimension of human competence in today's society, according to the article, calls for the kind of critical thought and analytical orientations associated with the philosophical approaches…
(1982). The Beautiful Brain: A Unit for Grades 5-9 with Further Explorations for Gifted and Talented. The unit provides information on the study of the human brain for students in grades 5-9 with suggestions for extending the lessons for gifted and talented students. Learning activities are offered for ten lessons (sample subtopics in parentheses); introduction to the unit (student pretest and posttest); brain growth; medulla-oblongata-reptilian brain; cerebellum-lumbic brain; cerebrum-neocortex-new mammalian brain; hemisphericity (the mind's dual nature, styles of learning and thinking); the hemispheres (right brain and left brain functions in terms of styles of learning and thinking); the senses; long and short term memory; and the positive potential of the brain. Extended learning activities require higher level thinking on topics such as dreams, extra sensory perception, the biochemistry of emotions, and phobias. This document is part of a collection of materials from the Iowa Area Education Agency 7 Teacher Center Project. (CL)…