JITE v35n3 - Nineteenth Annual Outstanding Manuscript Award Recipients

Volume 35, Number 3
Spring 1998


Nineteenth Annual Outstanding Manuscript Award Recipients

For the past 19 years, the Editorial Board of the Journal of Industrial Teacher Education has awarded excellence through its Outstanding Manuscript Awards program. Each year, an Awards Task Force is assembled to review independently all referred manuscripts published in that year’s volume of the Journal . Members of the Task Force first determine whether a manuscript merits an award and then rank order the selected manuscripts. The Awards Task Force of Volume 34 consisted of De. Marilyn Butler, St John Fisher College, Dr. Michael Dyrenfurth, University of Missouri-Columbia, Dr. Aldo Jackson, Eric County Technical School, Dr. Scott Johnson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Sam Stern, Oregon State University and Dr. Karen Zuga, Ohio State University. The Editorial Board of the Journal of Industrial Teacher Education thanks these dedicated individuals for their contribution to the awards programs and for their continued service to NAITTE and the profession.

The Outstanding Manuscripts Awards are presented to authors of referred manuscripts that fit into one of three categories: research, conceptual, or dissertation. The outstanding research manuscript is selected from databased articles that are not developed from a dissertation or thesis. The outstanding research manuscript for Volume 34 was con-authored by France Boutin, Christian A. Chinien, University of Manitoba and Charles Letteri, University of Vermont. Their article, entitled, Empowering At-Risk Students to Stay in School Using a Cognitive-Based Instructional System , examines factors associated with at-risk youth and school drop out rates. The study describes a cognitive-based instructional system (CBIS) designed to enhance the information processing skills of at-risk student thereby increasing the probability that they would remain in school. The results of the study suggest that the system is effective in improving the overall cognitive profiles of many of these students.

The outstanding conceptual manuscript award is chosen from philosophical, historical, curricular, or expository pieces. The outstanding conceptual manuscript for Volume 34 was written by Michael Knoll, the University of Bayreuth. His article, entitled, The Project Method: Its Vocational Education Origin and International Development , traces the origins of the project through its European and American origins. He concludes the article exploring the development of the term "project" within its broader conceptual and historical contexts, which extends its customary interpretations.

The outstanding dissertation manuscript award is selected from articles that report on a thesis or dissertation. Articles in the dissertation cannot be co-authored. The outstanding dissertation manuscript for Volume 34 was written by Richard E. Satchwell, Illinois State University, who received his Ph.D. from The University of Illinois under the supervision of Scott D. Johnson. His manuscript, entitled, Using Functional Flow Diagrams to Enhance Technical Systems Understanding explores the value of using functional flow diagrams in enhancing electronic systems understanding. The study provided partial support for one pedagogical strategy that has the possibility of improving technical training. The manuscript concludes with implications for further research. On important consideration to be controlled for further replications of this study is the experimental treatment diffusion effect that was encountered during this study. This can be controlled by making certain that members of the experimental groups do not receive the treatment at the same time. With the rapid advances in instructional technology, it is possible to incorporate functional flow diagrams into computer-based instruction programs.

Kenneth Gray

The JITE Editorial Board and the NAITTE organization congratulate the award recipients for Volume 34!