Why Hyperbonding Occurs in the Learning Community Classroom and What To Do About It

Hyperbonding can be a disruptive force in the learning community classroom characterized by non-productive student behaviors. Research has not identified how frequently hyperbonding occurs in learning communities or why. However, studies have begun to link hyperbonding to the presence of cohorts. I explain how cohorts form and develop, and how they may impact instructors teaching in learning community classrooms. I then discuss the ways instructor influence strategies coupled with a cohort presence may help to precipitate hyperbonding. Last, I turn to existing cohort literature in teacher education to identify what I believe are the most cogent recommendations to help prevent hyperbonding, which learning community instructors and directors can use to help manage and support their cohorts across learning community classes and programs. Julie Watts is an Associate Professor of Technical and Professional Communication and an Associate Dean in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, WI

Using Vocabulary Studies to Teach Contextual Analysis in Grade Four

Increasingly, researchers are calling for four strands to comprise the elementary school vocabulary program: direct instruction in the meanings of individual words, the improvement of students\u27 independent word learning strategies, motivation for word learning, and many opportunities for wide reading (Irvin, 1990; Graves, 1995). Strategies for independent word learning are particularly important because wide reading offers students the opportunity to learn as many as 3,000 word per year if they can successfully apply structural analysis and contextual analysis to the new words they encounter (Anderson, 1995)

Profiles in Parole Release and Revocation Hawaii

Hawaii has an indeterminate sentencing system in which the sentencing court sets only the maximum, but not the minimum sentence to be served. The sentencing court chooses from only five possible maximum prison sentences when imposing a sentence (life without parole, life, 20 years, 10 years, or 5 years). While some paroling discretion has been curbed by mandatory minimum sentencing laws, in many cases the parole board still plays a large role in incarceration length. There is no sentencing commission or sentencing guidelines; and while there are no parole release guidelines, guidelines do play a role in setting the date of parole eligibility

An exploratory study identifying a possible response shift phenomena of the Glasgow Hearing Aid Benefit Profile (GHABP)

A then-test technique was used to investigate the possibility of a response shift in the Glasgow hearing aid benefit profile (GHABP). Following completion of part 1 of the GHABP, 16 adults were invited for hearing-aid follow up appointments. In accordance with then-test technique, participants were asked to think back to before they had their hearing-aids fitted and the GHABP part 1 was completed again to re-establish the disability and handicap scores. These scores were then compared with the initial GHABP part I scores. Paired T testing and Wilcoxon Rank tests were carried out to investigate the statistical significance of the response shift effect. Statistically significant differences were seen between initial and retrospective GHABP (disability) scores using t test. No significant differences could be seen between the initial and retrospective handicap scores. Results suggest participants may have demonstrated a possible response shift phenomenon with the disability construct of the GHABP questionnaire, related to a possible re-calibration effect or a denial of disability effect. This exploratory study suggests that the GHABP questionnaire may be subject to a response shift phenomena. We suggest that further more robust studies are completed to verify this and recommend that this could have psychological impact on participants when explaining the results of the outcome measure and may affect hearing aid use. There is also potential for this phenomenon to affect global GHABP scores specifically when demonstrating to stakeholders the overall success of an audiology service

Investigations of hollow carbon nanoshell structures

Discrete, uniform 650 °C, in situ inside a transmission electron microscope with a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) system is presented, with the size of the resultant HCNS being slightly larger than that of the AgNP template. Further, ex situ heating of AgNP on carbon nanotube supports has revealed the defining features of these very stable HCNS structures: hollow interiors and very thin graphitised, yet highly disordered walls. A formation mechanism is proposed for the thermal transformation of stabilising layer alkane thiol molecules during HCNS synthesis, occurring in advance of AgNP template removal. Accordingly, the AgNP core acts both as a physical template for HCNS and catalyses the graphitisation of carbon. It is considered that one-step thermal processing of thiol stabilised AgNP provides for excellent size control of the HCNS product, via appropriate AgNP template selection. In particular, a fast heating rate is found to be crucial for the formation of well-defined graphitic <10 nm sized HCNS, whilst intermediate and slow heating rates give rise to products that reflect competition between HCNS formation and AgNP ripening. Significantly, a range of AgNP starting materials, stabilised by ligands containing F or N, also produce similar HCNS following a fast rate of heating , reflecting starting material morphology . The presence of F in HCNS has been demonstrated, but evidence for inclusion of N is more tentative. However, the addition of heteroatoms to AgNP presents challenges for sample handling due to aggregation and changes to the dispersion of AgNP in solvents

Transition metal decorated soft nanomaterials through modular self-assembly of an asymmetric hybrid polyoxometalate

An asymmetrically functionalised Wells–Dawson organic–inorganic hybrid polyoxometalate has been post-functionalised by Pt2+ coordination, and demonstrates self-assembly into surface-decorated micellar nanostructures. This multifunctional hybrid material is found to be a redox-active soft nanomaterial and demonstrates a new molecular design strategy with potential for applications in photo- or electro-catalysis