The objective of this article is to present the Pre-Conceptual Map methodology as a formalized way to identify, document, and utilize preconceived assumptions on the part of the researcher in qualitative inquiry. This technique can be used as a stand alone method or in conjunction with other qualitative techniques (i.e., naturalistic inquiry).…

The ability of preschool age children to perform generalized relational matching to sample tasks with and without an overt mediating stimulus was examined. This experiment was a direct replication of a study by Lowenkron (1984) and examined a behavioral model relevant to complex human behavior that he later came to call "joint control." Children…

This report describes the system used to code each segment of Square One TV for content analysis of all four seasons of production. The analysis is intended to aid in the assessment of how well Square One is meeting its three goals: (1) to promote positive attitudes toward, and enthusiasm for, mathematics; (2) to encourage the use and application…

This digest provides an introduction to content analysis, a systematic, replicable technique for compressing many words of a text into fewer content categories based on explicit rules of coding. This allows inferences to be made that can then be corroborated using other methods of data collection. In a technical sense, content analysis is not…

Describes how the College Board will stop flagging the scores of test-takers who were granted extra time on the SAT because of disabilities. (EV)

Proposes a new rule system and notation that supports the characterization of a document based on its structure or architecture (primarily linear, paper-copy media). Examples of the application of the notation are provided. (Author/JKP)

Analyzes the computational complexity of optimal binary tree pruning for tree-structured vector quantization. Topics discussed include the combinatorial nature of the optimization problem; the complexity of optimal tree pruning; and finding a minimal size pruned tree. (11 references) (LRW)

Discusses the minimum average codeword length coding under the constraint that the codewords are monotonically nondecreasing in length. Bounds on the average length of an optimal monotonic code are derived, and sufficient conditions are given such that algorithms for optimal alphabetic codes can be used to find the optimal monotonic code. (six…

Discusses the adaptive compression of computer files of numerical data whose statistical properties are not given in advance. A new lossless coding method for this purpose, which utilizes Adelson-Velskii and Landis (AVL) trees, is proposed. The method is effective to any word length. Its application to the lossless compression of gray-scale images…

Offers new sibling constellation coding method (Base 32) for genograms using binary and base 32 numbers that saves considerable microcomputer memory. Points out that new method will result in greater ability to store and analyze larger amounts of family data. (Author/CM)

Assessed the effects of postorganization activities on the acquisition of information presented in a knowledge-map format. Results from two experiments involving 145 college students suggest that postorganization activities that emphasize spatial encoding enhance the effectiveness of knowledge maps, especially with respect to superordinate…

Explores current methods for deploying EAD (Encoded Archival Description) electronic finding aids to identify the most promising practices being used, examines types of evaluation archivists are gathering from end-users regarding deployment methods, and identifies archivists' perceptions regarding the use of EAD-encoded finding aids based on an…

Provides an overview of content analysis, a powerful data reduction technique. It is a systematic, replicable technique for compressing many words of text into fewer content categories based on explicit rules of coding. The technique extends far beyond simple word frequency counts, but requires careful definition of categories. (SLD)

Book reading has been demonstrated to promote vocabulary. The current study was conducted to examine the added value of an interactive shared book reading format that emphasizes active as opposed to noninteractive participation by the child. Studies that included a dialogic reading intervention group and a reading-as-usual control group, and that…

The Rostrum is a quarterly publication of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) An SLO Terminology Glossary: A Draft in Progress by Lesley Kawaguchi; (2) A Tale of Two Data Elements by Mark Wade Lieu; (3) Sustainability and the Academic Senate by David Beaulieu and Don…