Statistical Language Backs Conservatism in Climate-Change Assessments

The scientific evidence for anthropogenic climate change is empirically settled, but communicating it to nonscientific audiences remains challenging. To be explicit about the state of knowledge on climate science, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has adopted a vocabulary that ranks climate findings through certainty-calibrated qualifiers of confidence and likelihood. In this article, we quantified the occurrence of knowns and unknowns about “The Physical Science Basis” of the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report by counting the frequency of calibrated qualifiers. We found that the tone of the IPCC's probabilistic language is remarkably conservative (mean confidence is medium, and mean likelihood is 66%–100% or 0–33%), and emanates from the IPCC recommendations themselves, complexity of climate research, and exposure to politically motivated debates. Leveraging communication of uncertainty with overwhelming scientific consensus about anthropogenic climate change should be one element of a wider reform, whereby the creation of an IPCC outreach working group could enhance the transmission of climate science to the panel's audiences.Salvador Herrando-Pérez, Corey J A Bradshaw, Stephan Lewandowsky, David R Vieite

A Preliminary Study on the Use of Mind Mapping as a Visual-Learning Strategy in General Education Science Classes for Arabic Speakers in the United Arab Emirates.

Mind mapping was introduced as a culturally relevant pedagogy aimed at enhancing the teaching and learning experience in a general education, Environmental Science class for mostly Emirati English Language Learners (ELL). Anecdotal evidence suggests that the students are very artistic and visual and enjoy group-based activities. It was decided to integrate an intervention that would incorporate Emirati artistic and collaborative practices, in an effort to engage them on all levels, such that their academic attainment is positively affected. Preliminary results based on a group of 60 students, from on-going active research, suggest that this method is quite useful in helping pupils to summarise lengthy lessons and increase student engagement and communication amongst peers, which helps them to reinforce scientific theories and concepts. This method further facilitates on the spot identification of misconceptions that students may have, as the instructor can proffer an immediate feedback. Students seem more responsive and motivated as they positively contribute to their learning environment, which is believed, can only further strengthen their internal locus of control. The results satisfy paucity in the literature on effective pedagogic strategies for Arabic ELLs in science

Deconstructing Summary Writing: Further Exploration of L2 Reading and Writing

The hybrid nature of reading-to-write tasks calls for more empirical research on understanding the relationship between L2 reading, writing, and proficiency. This study examines summaries written by 46 Emirati university students, who were asked to write a 150-word summary of an expository text on the topic of “consumerism” during class hours. The summary was assessed based on an analytic rubric. It was also assessed quantitatively in terms of the inclusion of the number of important ideas from the source text, namely, content analysis scores. In addition, the students’ language proficiency, reading proficiency, and writing proficiency had already been externally ascertained with their recent IELTS scores. Significantly positive correlations were found between summary scores and IELTS reading scores, IELTS writing scores, and IELTS proficiency scores. Only a significantly positive relationship was found between content analysis scores and IELTS reading scores, but not the IELTS writing scores and IELTS proficiency scores. This implies the importance of enhancing students’ reading, writing, and language proficiency to help them write an effective summary, and reading in itself is insufficient in the production of an effective summary

Use of concept map correction, conversation, and summarization to improve the comprehension of seventh grade ELLs using their social studies text

The purpose of this research study is to assess the effectiveness of concept-map correction, summarization, and conversation on the comprehension of English language learners (ELLs) of social studies texts. The students selected for this five-week study are four seventh-grade students from a suburban school district in the Midwest. The study began with a pre-test. After the pre-test, the students read a different passage from their social studies book each week. Every week each students individually corrected a concept map, wrote a summary, and had a conversation about the content they had studied. At the end of five weeks, a post-test was given. The results of the study concluded that students improved or maintained in their comprehension of the social studies content they were expected to know

The effect of using same language subtitling (SLS) in content comprehension and vocabulary acquisition in Arabic as a foreign language (AFL)

This study investigates the effects of SLS (Same-Language subtitling) on content comprehension and vocabulary acquisition of MSA (Modern Standard Arabic) as L2 at the intermediate level and addresses three research questions: (1) Does SLS enhance or hinder L2 content comprehension when the writing script of L2 is different than that of L1? (2) Does SLS enhance or hinder L2 vocabulary acquisition when the writing script of L2 is different than that of L1? (3) What is students\u27 attitude towards the use of SLS? Twenty seven students of AUC\u27s ALI program with English as L1 were chosen for the study and divided between a control group (without SLS) and a treatment group (with SLS). Instructions concerning the procedure were given in L1 to rule out any false results due to task misinterpretation. Both groups watched an authentic 3:11 minute documentary twice after completing an individual background questionnaire and taking a multiple choice vocabulary pre-viewing test. Post-viewing, participants took the same vocabulary test, then wrote a summary in L1 based on their notes taken during/and in-between the viewings and completed a questionnaire/questions related to their experience with and -/out captions. L1 summaries were analyzed in terms of 23 semantic units related to content comprehension. The degree of vocabulary acquisition was calculated by comparing the responses between the pre- and post-viewing vocabulary multiply choice tests. Results using t-test and one way ANOVA indicate that SLS neither facilitates nor hinders comprehension and vocabulary acquisition. The majority of students enjoyed captions and wanted to continue using them in class. Pedagogical suggestions and future research recommended training with captions and focus on other text- aids, e.g. reverse subtitling at other proficiency levels. Contains 84 references, 17 figures, 5 pictures and 5 tables

The Role Of Collaboration And Performance-Based Assessment In Engaging Leaners To Promote Real World Proficiency In Foreign Languages For An Increasingly Multilingual World

Despite the need in our global society to know more than one language to communicate, learning a second language is not a highly-valued skill. Moreover, while the understanding of language acquisition has continued to evolve over the past 30 years, our teaching and assessment practices have remained relatively stagnant and many foreign language classrooms continue to employ more “traditional approaches” to teaching and assessment. If U.S. foreign language educators, however, make a commitment to effective instruction and assessment practices, we can promote students’ proficient, life-long second language skills. Therefore, this study explores the ways in which collaborative learning and performance assessments not only positively support student success in developing proficiency in a second language, but also foster students’ use of those skills in real-world contexts over a long period of time. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study analyzes a survey instrument adapted from the NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements and self-assessments for the advanced to mid-level student to identify students’ perceptions of their proficiency in Spanish language skills they that would have acquired by completing Spanish 5AP. The study revealed three major findings: (1) former students perceived their proficiency in Spanish as having been fostered by collaborative learning and/or performance-based assessment practices; (2) students perceived of themselves as people who continue to use the foreign language they learned in high school in various contexts; (3) students are definitely passionate about foreign language study to various degrees. The study has important implications for both foreign language education and educational practices regarding collaboration and communicative competence, promoting foreign language proficiency in real-world contexts through students creating and constructing their knowledge, and cultivating students’ passion for foreign language through engagement in learning to create life-long learners