Todd Milford

iPad-presented social stories for young children with autism

Abstract Objective: This study investigated the effectiveness of iPad-presented social stories in increasing the on-task behaviour of three young children with autism. Method: A single-subject with multiple baseline across participants design was employed with three 4-year-old children to assess intervention effectiveness during structured table top activities. Observational data were digitally recorded, scored, graphed, and interpreted using 10-second interval measures over 5-min periods across baseline, intervention, and withdrawal phases. Results: The combination of the social story together with the iPad proved to be an effective intervention for one of the three child participants. These findings confirm that the intervention may be effective with some children, but not others. Conclusion: Overall, this study builds on existing research that supports social stories as a promising practice. Further research into the use of iPad-presented social stories, particularly for children of varying ages, abilities, and learning styles is recommended.

Science Teacher Preparation in a North American Context

This article provides a description of science teacher education policy in Canada and the USA. We focus on qualifications and procedures to obtain an initial teaching license, requirements for license renewal, and trends in our respective countries. In both countries, science teacher education is the responsibility of the province or state, rather than the federal government. Because these countries are composed of many provinces/states, each with its own unique characteristics, we focus on general trends, recognizing that exceptions to these trends exist. Our review indicates that science teacher education in Canada and the USA consists of a highly diverse array of licenses, requirements, and programs. While this variability provides flexibility for programs to meet local needs and to create innovative programs, it also creates the potential for teachers to enter classrooms with insufficient preparation. In both countries, multiple pathways lead to certification, many of which have very few science content or science pedagogy requirements. The science content knowledge required of elementary teachers is of concern in both countries. Secondary science teachers have multiple ways to teach with insufficient preparation in science content and pedagogy. The nature of science is notably absent from most science teacher education state and provincial requirements. Innovative program structures with high requirements for science content and pedagogy exist in both countries. Research is needed that compares program structures and requirements to determine their relative impact on teachers’ practices. Additionally, much remains to be done to improve the extent to which existing research influences policy.

Preservice Teachers' Images of Scientists: Do Prior Science Experiences Make a Difference?

This article presents the results of a mixed methods study that used the Draw-a-Scientist Test as a visual tool for exploring preservice teachers’ beliefs about scientists. A questionnaire was also administered to 165 students who were enrolled in elementary (K–8) and secondary (8–12) science methods courses. Taken as a whole, the images drawn by preservice teachers reflected the stereotype of a scientist as a man with a wild hairdo who wears a lab coat and glasses while working in a laboratory setting. However, results indicated statistically significant differences in stereotypical components of representations of scientists depending on preservice teachers’ program and previous science experiences. Post degree students in secondary science methods courses created images of scientists with fewer stereotypical elements than drawings created by students in the regular elementary program.

Multilevel Modeling with HLM: Taking a Second Look at PISA

The purpose of this book is to provide a synthesis of thought and practice in research in literacy and science education intended to lead to evidence-based results and generalizations that will serve as a foundation for public policy and informed curriculum, teaching, and assessment practices in education. The Gold Standard of educational research funding in the United States can be viewed as a response to the general dissatisfaction with the utility of educational research; this federal mandate fosters a shift of educational research toward positivist empirical research approaches, such as random controlled trials (RCTs). There is an expectation of greater generalization and policy relevance as Gold Standard research is conducted and reported. It should be noted this dissatisfaction is not confined to the United States. An international response to this dissatisfaction with educational research—systematic reviews of educational research such as the Campbell Collaboration (Campbell Collaboration, n.d.), the What Works Clearinghouse of the US Office of Education (US Institute of Education Sciences, n.d.), and the Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI-Centre) in the United Kingdom (EPPI-Centre, n.d.)— has also identified the general dearth of rigorous empirical research that can support meaningful generalization of research findings. The deliberations about qualitative–quantitative approaches to educational research over the last 25 years have established parallels for quantitative data considerations (reliability, validity, significance, objectivity) that consider dependability, credibility, believability, and confirmability of information (Howe & Eisenhart, 1990; Husen, 1988; Lather, 1992; Phillips, 2005; Pring, 2000). The enactment of these considerations has produced a diverse collection of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research in literacy and science education. Inspection of these research studies during the 2nd Island Conference revealed concerns about the clarity

National Influences on Science Education Reform in Canada

The Common Framework of Science Learning Outcomes (Council of Ministers of Education, Canada [CMEC], 1997) is a nationally developed curriculum document generated from the Pan-Canadian Protocol for Collaboration on School Curriculum—an initiative of the CMEC with the intent of harmonization learning goals and science instruction in Canadian schools. This article explores the influence of the Framework on science curriculum and assessment in Canadian schools through document search and analysis as well as informant surveys and interviews. The exploration reveals a pervasive presence of the Framework in both general directions and design elements and in the specific direct use of the document in curriculum development initiatives in the ministries of education throughout Canada. Further, it is evident that the pace of the influence of curricular reform initiatives, such as the Framework, is determined by curriculum development and implementation. A final issue identified is the need for specifics of operational definition for the implementation and evaluation of reform.RésuméLe Cadre commun sur les résultats des apprentissages en sciences (Conseil des ministres de l’Éducation, Canada [CMEC], 1997) est un document de curriculum développé à l’échelle nationale, issu du Protocole pancanadien pour la collaboration sur les curriculums scolaires, une initiative du CMEC visant à harmoniser les objectifs d’apprentissage et l’enseignement des sciences dans les écoles canadiennes. Cet article explore l’influence du Cadre commun sur les curriculums scientifiques et sur l’évaluation des apprentissages dans les écoles canadiennes, grâce à une recherche/analyse de documents ainsi qu’à des entrevues et sondages. Cette exploration révèle une omniprésence du Cadre commun dans les orientations générales, la conception des éléments de contenu et l’utilisation directe du document dans les initiatives de développement des curriculums des ministères de l’Éducation de tout le Canada. De plus, il est évident que le degré d’influence des initiatives de réforme des curriculums dépend du développement et de la mise en œuvre des curriculums. Enfin, il est essentiel de définir avec précision les détails opératifs servant à la mise en œuvre et à l’évaluation de la réforme.

Using Cluster Analysis to Enhance Student Learning When Using Geometry Mathematics Apps

Mathematical applications (apps) are becoming commonplace in educational settings. Despite their increasing use, limited quantitative research has been undertaken that might support teachers in making appropriate pedagogical decisions regarding their use, nor how teachers might go about selecting appropriate apps from the multitudes available at iTunes or Google Play. This chapter explores how cluster analysis can be used to identify homogeneity among elements within apps, thus assisting teachers to make decisions regarding which apps might be most appropriate. Based upon selection criteria and rankings generated via a number of scales, the cluster structure of 53 apps to support geometry learning in elementary mathematics classrooms is reported. The chapter concludes by exploring the homogeneity and heterogeneity of these clusters of apps and suggests how to use these apps to enhance student mathematical learning.

Closing the Science, Mathematics, and Reading Gaps from a Canadian Perspective: Implications for Stem Mainstream and Pipeline Literacy

This chapter describes how diversity and consistency are central features of multiculturalism in Canada and schooling across the 13 jurisdictions of the Canadian federation. Mathematics, reading, and science achievement gaps were explored using performance differences in comparison with other countries (Program of International Student Assessment (PISA)), across provinces and territories (PISA 2009 results, Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP)), and within a specific province (British Columbia (BC), Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA); grade 10 and 12 provincial examinations and course marks). Reasonably acceptable performance patterns, informative relationships among student traits, school characteristics and achievement, and provincial/territorial, school, gender, and Indigenous status differences were found for science, mathematics, and reading. Secondary analyses of large data sets were central to these explorations. Topics discussed include public advocacy, ongoing cultural issues, social capital, potential curriculum efforts, and pedagogical strategies to capitalize on these performance patterns and then address these gaps that would enhance citizens’ science, technology/engineering, and mathematics (ST/EM) literacies (mainstream issue) and the engagement of underserved and underrepresented groups of students in ST/EM courses, postsecondary studies, and careers (pipeline issue).

The Paradigm Recursion: Is It More Accessible When Introduced in Middle School?.

Recursion is a programming paradigm as well as a problem solving strategy thought to be very challenging to grasp for university students. This article outlines a pilot study, which expands the age range of students exposed to the concept of recursion in computer science through instruction in a series of interesting and engaging activities. In this study, a small number of students (n = 9) aged 11 to 13 years, were presented with a new and unique recursion curriculum involving hands-on experiences over a seven-week period at the University of Victoria, Canada. The curriculum was comprised of a series of progressively challenging recursion activities—roughly based upon the ideas of ‘Computer Science Unplugged’ (Bell, Witten, & Fellows, 2009)—and included programming applications with MicroWorlds EX, a programming language based on LOGO. Through this engagement, an increased number of students recognized and understood the concepts covered. We hypothesize that through experiences for youth with activities such as those outlined here, the number of students who understand fundamental computer science applications and who might potentially pursue computer science in post-secondary education will increase. We hypothesis further that through an earlier encounter of “challenging” concepts the learning and understanding of those will become easier at the university level. In this paper, the curriculum, classroom experiences, preliminary, largely descriptive and qualitative results and next steps in the research are discussed.

Individual Consultations: Academic Writing Outcomes for International Students

Responding to calls for research into measurable English language outcomes from individual language support consultations at universities, this study investigated the effect of individual consultations (ICs) on the academic writing skills and lexico-grammatical competence of students who speak English as an additional language (EAL). Attendance by 31 EAL students at ICs was recorded, and samples of their academic writing texts before and after a 9-month interval were compared. Participants’ academic writing skills were rated, and lexico-grammatical irregularities were quantified. No statistically significant positive shifts manifested, due to the relatively short research period and limited participant uptake, but there were encouraging predictors of future shifts given continued utilization of the service. First, although a Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed no association between attendance at ICs and shifts in academic writing ability, a Spearman’s rho calculation suggested a tentative relationship to positive pre–post shifts in three academic writing sub-skills: Task Fulfillment, Grammar, and Vocabulary. Second, instances of four common lexico-grammatical irregularities (subject/verb, wrong word, plural/singular, and punctuation) declined at post-testing. Although only regular, sustained attendance would produce statistically significant shifts, there is a potential association between participants’ use of ICs and improved academic writing skills/lexico-grammatical competence.

Draw a social network

We investigate the effect of graph theory instruction on the representations of social networks by grade six students. In this quasi-experimental study, treatment groups participated in graph theory lessons as part of their mathematics class. In evaluating student responses to pre and posttests we observed that students shifted in their approach to representing a social network problem, from less to more abstract - starting with complex vertices (superfluous detail) and planar graphs (no crossed edges) toward simple vertices and non-planar graphs.