The sim of the experimental study here reported is to evaluate a foreign language teaching method which is based upon visual display of the printed word simultaneously with its pronunciation. The specific application is to the teaching of French at the Grade Five level in an elementary school of the Montreal system, where French language instruction begins at the third grade. [...]

Social (public speaking) anxiety disorder is the most prevalent of all anxiety disorders, and it often impairs social and occupational functioning. Intervention studies indicate that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an efficacious treatment for social anxiety. However, access to therapists skilled in CBT for social anxiety is often difficult. In order to respond to the problem of access, the use of videoconferencing for mental health care has developed. No published study has investigated the efficacy of CBT for social anxiety when provided via videoconferencing. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to determine the efficacy of CBT for social anxiety when provided via videoconferencing. A single-case replication design was employed that included a baseline period of 3 weeks, followed by 12 weeks of . treatment, 1-week post-intervention period, and 3-month follow-up. Five participants completed treatment. It was hypothesized that participants would reduce their social anxiety symptoms (i.e., decrease anxiety during speech task, increase duration of speech task, and decrease public speaking anxiety) assessed on standardized measures of social anxiety. Exploratory analyses of changes in self-monitored social anxiety, negative cognitions (public self-consciousness, fear of negative evaluation, internal attributions), working alliance, client satisfaction with treatment, and client comfort with videoconferencing were also performed. Analyses included visual and statistical significance, as well as clinical significance (i.e., endstate functioning, social phobia diagnostic status). The results indicated that two of three hypotheses were supported (i.e., anxiety during speech task reduced and duration of speech task increased over time). At 3-month follow-up, treatment gains were maintained or improved further; 3 participants no longer met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for social anxiety disorder, and 4 participants met criteria for moderate or high level of endstate functioning (i.e., clinical significance). Exploratory analyses revealed that self-monitored social anxiety decreased for 3 of 5 participants, and that a decrease in negative cognitions was associated with a decrease in social anxiety. Working alliance ratings remained high throughout treatment. Satisfaction with videoconferencing decreased over treatment for the participant who did not improve. Generally, comfort with videoconferencing increased over time. The results offer preliminary support for further research about the efficacy of the intervention.

No description available.

<p>This study was envisioned to investigate and improve multicultural education in a visual communication design course. It aimed to explore the educational use of proverbs for the benefit of improving multicultural teaching and learning. Proverbs and metaphors are an essential source for the composition of visual narratives. Overall results of this study revealed that, even though proverbs are a significant part of the experience of black African students, the students seldom directly use narratives and proverbs as inspiration for their designs.</p>

The teaching and learning of mathematics has presented a great challenge for mathematics educationalists over many decades. Researchers have been searching for new strategies and techniques for improving the understanding of abstract mathematical concepts. With the current changes in the mathematics curriculum in South Africa, it is important to ensure that no learner is left behind in the pursuit to produce mathematically literate learners nationally. Teachers are encouraged to teach a common curriculum so that all learners have equal opportunities of attaining success in a democratic society in any chosen field. Some teachers achieve mathematical success easily while others struggle to achieve similar outcomes. Whilst we acknowledge that teachers ought to emulate the practices of other good teachers, we often do not seek explanations of what makes a teacher effective and how they achieve success in a classroom. As can be conceived, apart from probing teachers’ content knowledge, it is necessary to know how this knowledge can be used for optimal results in the course of teaching within the diverse South African classroom. In other words, it becomes necessary to interrogate the teacher’s pedagogical content knowledge because of the uniqueness of the South African context. It is for this reason that an in-depth study was done to explore Master teachers’ use of visuals as tools within mathematics classrooms. This study focused on six experienced mathematics teachers or Master mathematics teachers. These teachers were selected from six Dinaledi schools located in KwaZulu- Natal. The schools catered for learners from multicultural and multiracial backgrounds. Activity theory was used as a framework to locate the study. Each activity system was interrogated within an interpretivist paradigm. Data was collected using six methods and five research instruments. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2010.

Background: Reading rate is a measure of fluency, reflecting the level of reading performance especially in children, which is not typically measured during routine eye examinations. Optometric clinical tests such as Snellen visual acuity are often poor predictors of everyday reading performance, as they test the smallest print a person is able to read rather than fluency. Conventional reading rate tests for educational purposes presents with many limitations; they concentrate on linguistic skills, increase in complexity as the reading progresses, limited by the readers vocabulary but more importantly, they do not take the level of the child's vision into consideration. There is currently no reading rate chart that is designed with optometric notations specifically for children with normal vision and low vision. It is therefore necessary to design a reading rate chart that takes the above limitations into consideration. Aim: This study aimed to design a chart that can be used to measure reading rates in normal sighted and low vision primary school children. Methods: The aim of the study was achieved in four parts; the design, reliability, validity of a reading rate chart and finally the testing of the chart on low vision participants. In the design of the chart, ten frequently used words in grade one English reading books were randomly selected from five primary schools in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. The reliability and validity of the chart were established on normal sighted children, aged nine to twelve years from two primary schools in the Durban area chosen by convenience sampling method, with sample size of 100 for reliability and 100 for validity. Reliability was established with test and retest reading rates using the new chart while validity was established by determining the reading rates using new the chart and the Wilkins reading rate chart. Data were analyzed using the Paired t-test, Pearson correlation, and Bland and Altman method. Finally, the testing of the new chart without and with low vision device, on fourteen low vision children, aged eight to nineteen years, attending a school for the visually impaired in KwaZulu-Natal. Data was analyzed using Paired t-test and Pearson correlation. Results: The words were arranged in random order, ten words per row and ten rows per paragraph. The chart consisted of six paragraphs (versions A, B, C, D, E and F) with six acuity levels and four optometric notations. Each version was printed on a separate sheet, in Arial and Times New Romans fonts and printed in black ink on approximately white cardboards. In reliability, the mean test and retest reading rates were 77.65 ± 25.30 and 78.23 ± 24.70 (p = 0.29, R² = 0.95). In Bland and Altman method, the mean difference was −0.58 with confidence limits at +10.07 and -11.23. In validity, reading rate for Wilkins chart and the new chart were 75.82 ± 23.64 and 74.92 ± 23.58 (p = 0.01, R² = 0.99) respectively. In Bland-Altman method, the mean difference was +0.90, upper limit at +6.33 and lower limit at –4.53. The mean reading rate, of the low vision children, without and with the low vision device were 59.32 ± 24.08 words per minute (wpm) and 67.04 ± 25.63 words per minute (wpm) respectively (p = 0.09 and r = 0.82). Conclusions: This chart can be used for reading rate assessment for both normally sighted and low vision children and is statistically reliable and valid. / Thesis (M.Optom.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2012.

During the 1987-88 academic year at Ball State University, it was decided that a series of transparency masters should be produced to support changes occurring in the state's curriculum for industrial technology education. With my interests in instructional material, I felt that this was the year to produce such materials. The instructional benefits to prospective and veteran teachers seem well worth the time and effort.Upon the discussion of changes in the curriculum conclusions as to personal feelings have ranged from panic to delight. Most feelings of panic stemmed from unpreparedness and lack of high quality instructional material. The observation has formed the objective for this creative Project: to use data gathered from Indiana's State Curriculum Guides, recommended textbooks and interviews with high school instructors to design transparency masters for instructional implementation. / Department of Industry & Technology

This creative project is to create a DVD as an interactive tool for Muncie Public Library librarians, introducing the library's environment and promoting programs to local residents. The DVD provides a friendly interface and utilizes the latest technology, such as Quick Time movies, 360° Virtual pictures and animations in introducing the library's facilities and guiding Muncie residents visually around the library. Additionally, the DVD provides a new method instead of a traditional flyer for residents to access the library's services and programs. / Department of Telecommunications

There is no abstract available for this thesis.

There is no abstract available for this dissertation. / Department of Chemistry