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Diane Gusa

Humor, Analogy, and Metaphor: H.A.M. it up in Teaching - 0 views

    • Diane Gusa
       
      Very strong statement!
    • Diane Gusa
       
      I am a metaphoric person...when I want to remember or learn deeply a metaphor helps me.
  • The proper use of humor, analogy, and metaphor appropriate to the topic can provide benefits in the college classroom.
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  • Better comprehension,
  • increased retention of material,
  • more comfortable learning environment
  • effective use of these strategies.
  • Humor has been defined as “the mental faculty of discovering, expressing or appreciating something that is comical, amusing, or absurdly incongruous” (Merriam-Webster, 2001, p.564)
  • The use of humor as a pedagogical tool has been shown to reduce classroom anxiety, create a more positive atmosphere, as well as facilitate the learning process (Berk, 1996, 1998; Garner, 2003, in press; Glenn, 2002; Hill, 1988; Pollio & Humphreys, 1996).
  • Garner (in press) found that participants who were exposed to a series of lectures containing course-specific humor demonstrated increased retention of the course-content information as compared to those who received the same material without the infusion of humor.
  • According to Glenn (2002), humor may physiologically help to connect left-brain activities with the right-brained creative side
  • teaching philosophies of highly-rated teachers finds the use of humor as an important component of their teaching strategies. Humor can increase (Civikly, 1986) and sustain (Dodge & Rossett, 1982) student interest in learning and provides a means to engage in divergent thinking. Instructors’ use of effective humor in the classroom can foster mutual respect (Kher, Molstad, & Donahue, 1999), provide commonalities and connections between the instructor and students (Pollio & Humphreys, 1996) and even increase class attendance (Devadoss & Foltz, 1996; Romer, 1993; White, 1992). According to Bergen (1992), “teachers who use strategies that promote the connection between humor and learning usually provide students with their best school experiences” (p.106).
  • Metaphor and analogy have historically been used as an effective teaching tool. Greek myths, religious texts, and fairytales all use metaphor, analogy, and parables to teach and help us learn expected conduct (Gorden, 1978). The use of metaphor and analogy is pervasive in society in both language and communication
  • According to the National Research Council (2000) the effective use of metaphors and analogies is an important educational strategy.
  • . In teaching, using either analogy or metaphor allows the instructor to relate a potentially unfamiliar idea with that which is familiar.
  • Pedagogical use of analogy and metaphor can enhance learning and retention, but they must have a high degree of resonance for the listene
  • be most effective, an analogy or metaphor must transfer ideas from a familiar concept to one that is less familiar or unknown. According to Bowers (1993) the metaphorical relationship must be clear and accurate—possessing face validity.
  • Williams (1986) suggests that vivid metaphors have the capability to teach in a way that is not always available with the use of words alone.
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    I am comfortable using metaphors, but will need to work on the humor aspect. New goal for the Fall semester.
Diane Gusa

The Ed Techie: Using learning environments as a metaphor for educational change - 0 views

  • It has often been noted that when a new technology arrives we tend to use it in old ways (eg Twigg 2001), before we begin to understand what it really offers
  • t has often been noted that when a new technology arrives we tend to use it in old ways (eg Twigg 2001), before we begin to understand what it really offers
  • t has often been noted that when a new technology arrives we tend to use it in old ways (eg Twigg 2001), before we begin to understand what it really offers
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  • It has often been noted that when a new technology arrives we tend to use it in old ways (eg Twigg 2001), before we begin to understand what it really offers. So, for example the television was initially treated as ‘radio with pictures’
  • In an attempt to move towards the possibilities offered by a completely digital, online world, they have started with the education model we are familiar with. They are, in effect, a virtual classroom, or course, with content (which map onto lectures) laid out in a linear sequence with discussion forums linked to this (mapping onto tutorials). In one LMS (the open source Bodington system, http://bodington.org) they even went as far as to make this mapping explicit by making the interface a building which you had to navigate to your lecture room.
  • Heppell (2001) argues that “we continually make the error of subjugating technology to our present practice rather than allowing it to free us from the tyranny of past mistakes.
  • Daniel (1996) has argued that elearning is the only way to cope with expanding global demand for higher education, claiming that “a major university needs to be created each week” to meet the proposed demand.
  • f we view our online learning environments not as analogies of how we currently teach, but rather as a metaphor for how we engage with changes required for a digital society, then this provides us with some insight in to how to tackle the issues above (and others).
  • Siemens (2008) argues that “Learning theories, such as constructivism, social constructivism, and more recently, connectivism, form the theoretical shift from instructor or institution controlled teaching to one of greater control by the learner.”
  • To learn is to acquire information Information is scare and hard to find Trust authority for good information Authorized information is beyond discussion Obey the authority Follow along
  • lecture hall ‘said’ about learning,
  • Why would we seek to recreate the sort of learning affordances Wesch highlights in a virtual environment, when we are free to construct it however we wish?
  • Arguably then there has never been a better alignment of current thinking in terms of good pedagogy – i.e. emphasising the social and situated nature of learning, rather than a focus on knowledge recall with current practices in the use of technologies – i.e. user-generated content, user-added value and aggregated network effects. Despite this, the impact of Web 2.0 on education has been less dramatic than its impact on other spheres of society – use for social purposes, supporting niche communities, collective political action, amateur journalism and social commentary.”
  • "Tools such as blogs, wikis, social networks, tagging systems, mashups, and content-sharing sites are examples of a new user-centric information infrastructure that emphasizes participation (e.g., creating, re-mixing) over presentation, that encourages focused conversation and short briefs
    • Diane Gusa
       
      Mashups are web pages or applications that combine data or presentation from two or more sources -WIKIpedia
    • Diane Gusa
       
      Mashups?
  • connectivism (Siemens 2005) places decentralisation at the heart of learning:"Learning is a process that occurs within nebulous environments of shifting core elements – not entirely under the control of the individual. Learning (defined as actionable knowledge) can reside outside of ourselves (within an organization or a database), is focused on connecting specialized information sets, and the connections that enable us to learn more are more important than our current state of knowing"
  • Wikipedia succeeds by decentralising the authoring process, YouTube succeeds by both decentralising the broadcasting production process, but also by allowing embeds within blogs and other sites, thus decentralising the distribution process
    • Diane Gusa
       
      Two good examples
  • Knowing how to link to and locate resources in databases and search engines is a skill for a decentralised information world. The result is that online references are forced into an existing scheme, which has an inherent preference for physical resources. The traditional reference is often provided in papers, when it is the online one that has actually been used because the referencing system is biased towards the paper version.
    • Diane Gusa
       
      I wonder what Alex's PLE would look like. I also wonder what our PLE will look like in 8 more weeks, next year?
  • ‘eduglu’
    • Diane Gusa
  • SocialLearn has been conceived as a deliberate attempt to discover how learners behave in this sphere, how to develop the appropriate technology and support structures, what pedagogies are required and what are the business models for education in a disaggregated educational market.
Alicia Fernandez

Education 3.0 and the Pedagogy (Andragogy, Heutagogy) of Mobile Learning | User Generat... - 0 views

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    The evolution of the web from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 and now to Web 3.0 can be used a metaphor of how education should also be evolving, as a movement based on the evolution from Education 1.0 to Education 3.0.
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    The evolution of the web from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 and now to Web 3.0 can be used a metaphor of how education should also be evolving, as a movement based on the evolution from Education 1.0 to Education 3.0.
Alicia Fernandez

The World is Flat - MIT World Video Lecture - 0 views

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    Tom Friedman's video lecture about his bestselling book about his concept that the world has been flattened by globalization and technology. The metaphor serves for viewing the world as a place where academic and economic opportunities are available to a much wider playing field than in the past century.
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    Tom Friedman's video lecture about his bestselling book about his concept that the world has been flattened by globalization and technology. The metaphor serves for viewing the world as a place where academic and economic opportunities are available to a much wider playing field than in the past century.
Diane Gusa

Failure, mistakes and NCLB « Moving at the Speed of Creativity - 0 views

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    "It is a tragedy the message many students receive in our schools today louder than all others is, "We have zero tolerance for mistakes or failure." The creative process is all about being willing to take risks, fail, and learn from those mistakes as we try again. I am not saying we should celebrate failure, but in the spirit of the "failure bow" we should recognize the vital role failure plays in the learning process. It is ridiculous to intentionally promote learning cultures where people who fail believe they will be metaphorically killed"
Catherine Strattner

Amazon.com: The Axemaker's Gift (9780874778564): Robert Ornstein, James Burke: Books - 1 views

  • Technology began as soon as humans determined to use tools. Burke and Ornstein call these people the axemakers. The axemakers' talents offered us a bargain, and we took it, despite its multifarious effects. "In our ancient past, the all-powerful axemaker talent for performing the precise, sequential process that shaped axes would later give rise to the precise, sequential thought that would eventually generate language and logic and rules, which would formalize and discipline thinking itself" (p. xii). Accordingly, with every invention and modification of technology, humans learned to adapt to the effects of that change. The authors of this book argue that for the first time in human progress, "we can consciously take our development in our own hands and use it to generate talents that will suit the world of tomorrow" Easy reading--interesting -- consistent message. The authors may bend the historical discussions to maintain the metaphor, and how well its double edge works. Language, a primary gift, diminished the elders' responsibility to teach, but offered the opportunity to learn from many sources, past and present. For today's leaders, a warning remains clear: Evaluate what is new and its consequences before rushing to embrace it. The Axemaker continues to hone a double edge of hope and hurt. Burke and Ornstein call upon us to take care -- to avoid the "cut and control" concepts that separate people, ideas, scientific thought, emotional well-being, and society. Technology can work for us if we seek the wholeness of life.
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    Incredible book on the way technology has changed us and our world over time.
alexandra m. pickett

Reflections - 0 views

  • “This is not going to be easy and it is going to take a lot of time and energy, but I want to do this and I know I can!”
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      yes, i am so glad, i know you can too!
    • Catherine Strattner
       
      Thank you!
  • What I do believe is that it will be increasingly important to maintain our own learning. 
  • I am truly surprised to see how many students from other states and countries are part of SLN. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      if you look at the numbers it is really only about 2% that come from outside NYS.
    • Catherine Strattner
       
      I did recognize that the portion of students wasn't that large, but I am still surprised that it is even 2%. I think I could have communicated myself better by noting the number of countries and states outside of New York which were represented.
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  • I would expect that most students would be located in New York
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      yes. 98% come from NYS.
  • Especially with younger students, this feeling of uncertainty can lead them to completely shut down.  If students trust in their guide, the teacher, they are much more likely to persevere through the uncertainty and attain resolution.
  • I realize that online teaching includes continuous reflection, assessment, and development of yourself as an online instructor and of the course itself.
  • K-12 online instruction does exist. 
  • Ultimately, I have learned that being learner-centered involves much more than making students do most of the work.  It involves understanding the needs of each of your individual students, both academically and personally.  It involves striving to meet those needs on an individual basis, while promoting self-directed learning.  It involves being empathetic and addressing the specific limitations each student may have and striving to break through those limitations together.  In my mind, that is what true interaction is all about, and it is one of the best ways to engage students in learning more deeply.
    • diane hamilton
       
      Catherine, I love the metaphor! Nothing to add - you said it well. Diane
    • Catherine Strattner
       
      Thanks!
  • What I am realizing is that there really is a significant difference between creating an online course from scratch and converting a face to face course.
  • I want my students to understand that these activities have a true purpose.  I want to remind them of that purpose each time they engage in these activities. 
  • I kept finding myself asking “How can this contribute to higher levels of cognitive presence?  Isn’t that ultimately the point of developing teaching and social presence?” 
Diana Cary

Educational Leadership:Teaching for Multiple Intelligences:Integrating Learning Styles ... - 0 views

  • Learning-style theory begins with Carl Jung (1927), who noted major differences in the way people perceived (sensation versus intuition), the way they made decisions (logical thinking versus imaginative feelings), and how active or reflective they were while interacting (extroversion versus introversion)
  • Most learning-style theorists have settled on four basic styles. Our own model, for instance, describes the following four styles: The Mastery style learner absorbs information concretely; processes information sequentially, in a step-by-step manner; and judges the value of learning in terms of its clarity and practicality. The Understanding style learner focuses more on ideas and abstractions; learns through a process of questioning, reasoning, and testing; and evaluates learning by standards of logic and the use of evidence. The Self-Expressive style learner looks for images implied in learning; uses feelings and emotions to construct new ideas and products; and judges the learning process according to its originality, aesthetics, and capacity to surprise or delight. The Interpersonal style learner,1  like the Mastery learner, focuses on concrete, palpable information; prefers to learn socially; and judges learning in terms of its potential use in helping others.
  • Student Choice: Assessment Products by Intelligence and Style
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  • In integrating these major theories of knowledge, we moved through three steps. First, we attempted to describe, for each of Gardner's intelligences, a set of four learning processes or abilities, one for each of the four learning styles. For linguistic intelligence, for example, the Mastery style represents the ability to use language to describe events and sequence activities; the Interpersonal style, the ability to use language to build trust and rapport; the Understanding style, the ability to develop logical arguments and use rhetoric; and the Self-expressive style, the ability to use metaphoric and expressive language.
  • In MI theory, I begin with a human organism that responds (or fails to respond) to different kinds of contents in the world. . . . Those who speak of learning styles are searching for approaches that ought to characterize all contents (p. 45).
  • Learning styles are not fixed throughout life, but develop as a person learns and grows.
  • The following are some strengths of learning-style models
  • They tend to focus on how different individuals process information across many content areas.
  • They recognize the role of cognitive and affective processes in learning and, therefore, can significantly deepen our insights into issues related to motivation.
  • They tend to emphasize thought as a vital component of learning, thereby avoiding reliance on basic and lower-level learning activities.
  • Learning-styles models have a couple of limitations. First, they may fail to recognize how styles vary in different content areas and disciplines.
  • Second, these models are sometimes less sensitive than they should be to the effects of context on learning.
  • Emerging from a tradition that viewed style as relatively permanent, many learning-style advocates advised altering learning environments to match or challenge a learner's style. Either way, learning-style models have largely left unanswered the question of how context and purpose affect learning.
  • But learning styles emphasize the different ways people think and feel as they solve problems, create products, and interact.
  • The theory of multiple intelligences is an effort to understand how cultures and disciplines shape human potential
  • Though both theories claim that dominant ideologies of intelligence inhibit our understanding of human differences, learning styles are concerned with differences in the process of learning, whereas multiple intelligences center on the content and products of learning. Until now, neither theory has had much to do with the other
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    This article discusses integrating learning styles with multiple intelligences
Diane Gusa

Scaffolding - Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and Technology - 0 views

  • The term ‘scaffolding’ comes from the works of Wood, Bruner and Ross (1976). The term ‘scaffolding’ was developed as a metaphor to describe the type of assistance offered by a teacher or peer to support learning. In the process of scaffolding, the teacher helps the student master a task or concept that the student is initially unable to grasp independently. The teacher offers assistance with only those skills that are beyond the student’s capability. Of great importance is allowing the student to complete as much of the task as possible, unassisted. The teacher only attempts to help the student with tasks that are just beyond his current capability. Student errors are expected, but, with teacher feedback and prompting, the student is able to achieve the task or goal. When the student takes responsibility for or masters the task, the teacher begins the process of “fading”, or the gradual removal of the scaffolding, which allows the student to work independently. “Scaffolding is actually a bridge used to build upon what students already know to arrive at something they do not know. If scaffolding is properly administered, it will act as an enabler, not as a disabler” (Benson, 1997).
  • The ‘more knowledgeable other’, or MKO, shares knowledge with the student to bridge the gap between what is known and what is not known. Once the student has expanded his knowledge, the actual developmental level has been expanded and the ZPD has shifted. The ZPD is always changing as the student expands and gains knowledge, so scaffolded instruction must constantly be individualized to address the changing ZPD of each student.
    • Diane Gusa
       
      Learning is a process, and scaffolding supports that process
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    Fading is a key component of instructional scaffolding.
Joy Quah Yien-ling

A Vision of Students Today - Some Additional Thoughts from Michael Wesch - Open Education - 1 views

  • What is the relevance of comparing reading books with reading e-mails and Facebook profiles?”
    • Joan Erickson
       
      the relevance is that it involves what human nature prefers. It is in our nature to gravitate toward light-hearted, less taxing mind activities. Also, some people do prefer reading books to reading social websites. Is it right to make such broad generalization?
  • the classroom environment. It speaks directly to those who propose the move from a ’sage on the stage’ teacher style to that of ‘guide on the side
  • I had become convinced that the video was over the top, that things were really not so bad, that the system is not as broken as I thought
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  • Surely it (higher education) can’t be as bad as the video seems to suggest
  • Scanning the room my assistants also saw students cruising Facebook, instant messaging, and texting their friends. The students were undoubtedly engaged, just not with me. “My teaching assistants consoled me by noting that students have learned that they can ‘get by’ without paying attention in their classes.”
  • Last spring I asked my students how many of them did not like school. Over half of them rose their hands. When I asked how many of them did not like learning, no hands were raised. And there’s the rub. We love learning. We hate school. What’s worse is that many of us hate school because we love learning
    • Joy Quah Yien-ling
       
      This was my experience. I loved to learn. But I always felt the learning in school had absolutely no personal relevance to me. Sad. I only began to enjoy school when I entered college, and learning things that were personally meaningful.
  • Some time ago we started taking our walls too seriously – not just the walls of our classrooms, but also the metaphorical walls that we have constructed around our ’subjects,’ ‘disciplines,’ and ‘courses.’ McLuhan’s statement about the bewildered child ….. still holds true in most classrooms today. The walls have become so prominent that they are even reflected in our language, so that today there is something called ‘the real world’ which is foreign and set apart from our schools
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    this article tracks Michael Wesch's progress with his media work and his teaching, after the "students today" gained popularity
alexandra m. pickett

Class Size - 0 views

  • Smaller class size seems to result in higher achievement among students who are economically disadvantaged. Students with lower academic ability seem to do better in smaller classes than in larger ones. It may be that class size affects student attitudes more significantly than it affects achievement. A direct effect of large class size is to lower the morale and increase the stress of teachers. There is typically little to be gained from reductions in class size that do not bring class size below 30.
  • Smaller classes are beneficial for children at the primary level, particularly in math and reading.
  • The most positive effects of small classes on pupil learning occur in grades K-3 in reading and mathematics.
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  • Little, if any, increase in pupil achievement can be expected from reducing class size if teachers continue to use the same instructional methods and procedures in the smaller classes that they have used in larger classes (Robinson, p. 82).
  • Teachers with small classes must not only be trained to be effective in such settings, but they must also be committed to try new skills and procedures.
  • Robinson, Glen E. “Synthesis of Research on the Effects of Class Size.” EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP (April 1990): 80-90.
  • The most recent comprehensive review of existing research was completed by Robinson (1990), and used a cluster analysis approach. Studies were “clustered” into categories considered important for class size decisions such as grade levels, subject areas, student characteristics, student achievement, student behavior, and teaching practices. The results of part of Robinson’s analysis appear below.
  • Effective schools research has extended its research agenda by focusing on an expanded number of variables that are presumed to be related to student achievement. Schools are now perceived as a cultural entity where the complex interplay of multiple variables affect the lives of all who learn and teach in those institutions. As the metaphor for American schools has shifted from an assembly line to that of a caring, learning community, the class size research agenda has also shifted to include such variables as instructional method, teacher morale and stress, teacher work load, student behavior and attitudes, content areas, student characteristics, and grade level. Bennett (1987), in a review of more recent research, found broad agreement among researchers on the following general conclusions:
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      hey ;just demoing diigo to faculty
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      another demo of a comment
Kristen Della

Instructional Design Models - 0 views

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    Models, like myths and metaphors, help us to make sense of our world. Whether derived from whim or from serious research, a model offers its user a means of comprehending an otherwise incomprehensible problem. An instructional design model gives structure and meaning to an I.D. problem, enabling the would-be designer to negotiate her design task with a semblance of conscious understanding. Models help us to visualize the problem, to break it down into discrete, manageable units. The value of a specific model is determined within the context of use. Like any other instrument, a model assumes a specific intention of its user. A model should be judged by how it mediates the designer's intention, how well it can share a work load, and how effectively it shifts focus away from itself toward the object of the design activity. University at Colorado, Denver.
Diane Gusa

the avatar as a representation of "self" | sharing what i know - 1 views

    • Diane Gusa
       
      Thanx Alex, I too couldn't find an avatar that I felt wasn't "too beautiful" and choose a picture/metaphor instead. Now I will check these out :)
Diane Gusa

STUDENT SELF-EVALUATION: WHAT RESEARCH SAYS AND WHAT PRACTICE SHOWS - 1 views

  • Self-evaluation is defined as students judging the quality of their work, based on evidence and explicit criteria, for the purpose of doing better work in the future. W
  • Self-evaluation is defined as students judging the quality of their work, based on evidence and explicit criteria, for the purpose of doing better work in the future. W
  • Self-evaluation is defined as students judging the quality of their work, based on evidence and explicit criteria, for the purpose of doing better work in the future
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  • Self-evaluation is a potentially powerful technique because of its impact on student performance through enhanced self-efficacy and increased intrinsic motivation
  • STUDENT SELF-EVALUATION: WHAT RESEARCH SAYS AND WHAT PRACTICE SHOWS By Carol Rolheiser and John A. Ross
  • Self-evaluation is defined as students judging the quality of their work, based on evidence and explicit criteria, for the purpose of doing better work in the future
  • Alternate assessment must be transparent (Fredericksen & Collins, 1989), meaning that the criteria for appraisal, the population from which tasks are drawn, the scoring key and interpretive schemes must be visible to students, even when the teachers who devised these procedures have an imperfect grasp of them
  • One teacher resolved the conflict by redefining her metaphor of assessment from that of "fair judgment" to providing a ‘"window into a student's mind" (p. 309),
  • STAGE 1- Involve students in defining the criteria that will be used to judge their performance.
  • Involving students in determining the evaluation criteria initiates a negotiation
  • If students have been involved in a negotiation in Stage 1, the criteria that result will be an integrated set of personal and school goals.
  • - Give students feedback on their self-evaluations.
  • Teachers need to help students recalibrate their understanding by arranging for students to receive feedback (from the teacher, peers, and themselves) on their attempts to implement the criteria.
  • when students are taught systematic self-evaluation procedures, the accuracy of their judgment improves. Contrary to the beliefs of many students, parents, and teachers, students' propensity to inflate grades decreases when teachers share assessment responsibility and control (Ross, et al., 2000).
  • Students will learn more because (i) self-evaluation will focus student attention on the objectives measured, (ii) the assessment provides teachers with information they would otherwise lack, (iii) students will pay more attention to the assessment, and (iv) student motivation will be enhanced.
  • Our own research and that of others substantiate these four arguments.
  • Positive self-evaluations encourage students to set higher goals and commit more personal resources to learning tasks (Bandura, 1997; Schunk, 1995).
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    By Carol Rolheiser and John A. Ross
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