Teaching with Feminist Judgments: A Global Conversation

This conversational-style essay is an exchange among fourteen professors-representing thirteen universities across five countries-with experience teaching with feminist judgments. Feminist judgments are \u27shadow\u27 court decisions rewritten from a feminist perspective, using only the precedent in effect and the facts known at the time of the original decision. Scholars in Canada, England, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, Ireland, India, and Mexico have published (or are currently producing) written collections of feminist judgments that demonstrate how feminist perspectives could have changed the legal reasoning or outcome (or both) in important legal cases. This essay begins to explore the vast pedagogical potential of feminist judgments. The contributors to this conversation describe how they use feminist judgments in the classroom; how students have responded to the judgments; how the professors achieve specific learning objectives through teaching with feminist judgments; and how working with feminist judgments-whether studying them, writing them, or both-can help students excavate the multiple social, political, economic, and even personal factors that influence the development of legal rules, structures, and institutions. The primary takeaway of the essay is that feminist judgments are a uniquely enriching pedagogical tool that can broaden the learning experience. Feminist judgments invite future lawyers, and indeed any reader, to re-imagine what the law is, what the law can be, and how to make the law more responsive to the needs of all people

Informational Teacher’s Manual for the Bellingham Vocational Technical Institute

This project served to develop a teacher manual for teachers of adults at the Bellingham Vocational Technical Institute in Bellingham, Washington. The project was designed to assist in staff development by (1) informing vocational instructors of state and school policies and procedures, (2) identifying new and updated teaching guidelines, and (3) by assisting in orienting new staff to school and vocational education procedures. Further, the unique aspects and legal requirements of vocational education for adults are discussed. It is the intent of the writer to develop a manual that will expediate orientation of new members of the faculty while at the same time providing a ready resource of policies and procedures for all staff members

UK government's delay on plain tobacco packaging: how much evidence is enough?

First paragraph: In the wake of the UK government's announcement on 12 July that its decision on plain (standardised) tobacco packaging would be delayed until evidence emerged from Australia, Wakefield and colleagues report timely findings from a study exploring the early effects of plain packaging in Victoria.1 2 Conducted during the phase-in period, when plain and branded packs were concurrently on sale, the study found that smokers who used plain packs were more likely than smokers who used fully branded packs to perceive their cigarettes to be less satisfying and poorer quality, were more supportive of plain packaging, and were more likely to think about and to prioritise quitting

Towards measures of longitudinal learning gain in UK higher education: the challenge of meaningful engagement

Learning gain is considered to be the distance travelled by students in terms of skills, competencies, content knowledge and personal development. This article discusses the administration experience and tests results from a first year cohort of 675 students at the University of Lincoln who undertook a self-assessment and standardised psychometric test as part of a project to develop measures of learning gain in UK higher education. The tests themselves are shown to be potentially suitable for this purpose however the biggest challenge was student participation and engagement. Various approaches to improve engagement were trialled. Whilst some of these approaches are shown to increase the number of responses, there is no evidence that they increase meaningful task engagement, leading to the conclusion that until this challenge is addressed the validity of learning gain data from bespoke tests is potentially questionable and the value of participation to students as individuals is limited

Smokers' perceptions of cigarette packaging with audio warning messages:A focus group study in Scotland

Aims The use of audio pack cues or messages is a recent trend in packaging design. There is scope to use audio technology to communicate health and cessation messages via cigarette packaging. We explored how smokers responded to cigarette packs which played audio health messages. Methods Twenty focus groups were conducted in Scotland in 2015 with smokers (n=120) segmented by age (16-17, 18-24, 25-35, 36-50, >50), gender and social grade. Perceptions of cigarette packs which played audio warnings were explored, with four messages used: (1) a cessation message with a quitline number, (2) mortality message, (3) fertility message, and (4) message about ageing skin. Results Audio warnings were thought to increase message impact, particularly among younger smokers, as they would be hard to ignore or avoid, and repetition may lead to the messages being memorised. The warnings were considered annoying or embarrassing, and participants suggested they may discard the packs and use alternative storage. Some participants suggested that the audio warnings were off-putting and may alter their smoking behaviour, with the mortality message deemed most effective and was considered relatable and felt personal. Older smokers were least likely to believe that audio warnings would affect their smoking behaviour, although some thought that they may enhance cessation attempts among smokers seeking to quit, and could deter new or potential smokers, for example young people. Conclusions Cigarette packs with audio messaging may have a role to play, now or in the future, as a novel way of communicating health and cessation information. IMPLICATIONS There is a lack of research exploring smokers’ perceptions of cigarette packs which play audio health messages. This focus group study provides an understanding of smokers’ immediate responses to cigarette packs which played a short health message when opened. Smokers generally viewed them as annoying or embarrassing, and some suggested the use of alternative storage. Audio warnings were thought to increase message salience, memorability and impact, for younger smokers in particular, and some suggested that they be off-putting for themselves or others

Theoretical development, factorial validity, and reliability of the online graduate mentoring scale. Mentoring and Tutoring: Partnership in Learning.

In this study, we sought to confirm the theoretical framework underlying an Online Graduate Mentoring Scale by establishing the scale’s factorial validity and reliability. Analysis of data received from doctoral students and alumni/ae of the College of Education of one large, online, accredited university reduced the initial theoretical framework from seven to six attributes, and resulted in a revision of the scale. Further research is needed to test the theoretical framework with other relevant populations and to refine the scale itself by reducing skewness and attaining item balanc

Plain tobacco packaging research: An update

This briefing paper provides an update on research published between August 2011 and mid-September 2013 since the 2012 systematic review of plain tobacco packaging was released (Moodie et al. 2012)

Reactions to standardised cigarette packs with varying structural designs, and the association with smoking susceptibility:A post-implementation cross-sectional survey with never-smoking adolescents in Scotland

Aim: From 20th May 2017, cigarettes in the United Kingdom must be sold in standardised (plain) packaging. We explore post-implementation reactions to standardised cigarette packaging among never-smokers in Scotland, whether reactions vary in relation to permitted variations in pack structure, and whether reactions are associated with susceptibility. Methods: A cross-sectional survey with 12-17 year-old never-smokers (n=507) in Scotland, conducted November 2017-November 2018. Participants were shown one ‘regular’ standardised cigarette pack (flip-top lid and straight-edged pack, similar to designs in Australia) and three standardised packs with varied pack structures (bevelled-edges, slim pack, and shoulder box), which are permitted post-implementation in the UK. Participants rated each pack on eight five-point reaction measures (e.g. attractiveness). Participants also indicated which pack, if any, they would choose. Smoking susceptibility was the outcome. Results: The mean reaction scores for all four packs were mostly negative, however the shoulder box was consistently rated less negatively than the regular, slim, or bevelled-edge packs. Most participants (87%) said they would not select any of the four packs, although susceptible participants were more likely to select one than non-susceptible participants (25% vs. 7%; χ2=29.70; p=0.001). For all four packs, not finding them off-putting was associated with susceptibility (Adjusted Odds Ratio range: 2.73-3.69), albeit only a minority of adolescents did not find each pack off-putting. Conclusions: Adolescents have negative reactions to the standardised cigarette packs implemented in the United Kingdom, albeit permitted variations in structure can reduce the extent of negativity. Most reactions to standardised packaging had no association with susceptibility. Implications: We provide the first empirical evidence that adolescents find the standardized cigarette packs implemented in the United Kingdom unappealing and that most pack reactions have no association with susceptibility among never-smokers, with the exception of the minority who did not think that they would put them off smoking. This suggests that the legislation is achieving one of its primary aims, to reduce the appeal of packaging. That permitted variations in pack structure (eg, shoulder boxes) somewhat reduce negative reactions suggests that the United Kingdom, and other countries introducing similar legislation, should ensure that all aspects of pack design are fully standardized