Special Education Research: Retrospect and Prospect

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Bismuth is a rather unusual heavy metal: it is practically the heaviest stable element, it is rather inexpensive and unlike its neighbors on the periodic table its compounds are generally nontoxic. For over three centuries bismuth salts and compounds have been used in cosmetics, pigments and as the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in medicines to treat a variety of diseases and conditions ranging from gastrointestinal issues, syphilis and wounds. However despite their long history in such applications, the structures and chemical formulas of many of these compounds remain unknown. Therefore it does not come as a surprise that the mechanisms in which these bismuth compounds function as APIs are poorly understood, preventing researchers from rationally designing improved bismuth-based drugs. Structure determination by conventional methods is often impeded by a number of complications. Single crystal X-ray diffraction is often not an option due to small crystallite size. X-ray powder diffraction can also be challenging due to severe preferred orientation effects as well as the complicated nature of the structures themselves. Electron diffraction often results in degradation or complete loss of crystallinity in organic and metal-organic samples due to beam sensitivity. With the aid of recently developed fast electron diffraction tomography techniques[1] combined with a sample cooling stage we have recently elucidated the crystal structure of bismuth subgallate,[2] a compound that has been used in medicine for its antimicrobial, astringent, hemostatic and deodorizing properties since at least the 1800s. It still continues to be used as the active pharmaceutical ingredient in numerous over-the-counter drugs such as Devrom® and Stryphnasal® N. Our findings indicate that bismuth subgallate is actually a microporous layered coordination polymer. The chemical formula as determined from the crystal structure contradicts all previously suggested formulas as reported in the literature, chemical databases and pharmacopoeia. Elucidation of the porous structure prompted us to study gas sorption properties of the material. Bismuth subgallate has a high selectivity of adsorbing CO2 over N2, which may pave the way for new applications for the material. As gallic acid, the organic ligand, is naturally found in plants such as oak bark and gall nuts, the work falls within the scope of green chemistry especially since typically fossil-based organic linkers are used to synthesize coordination polymers. We have also recently reported the crystal structure of a novel bismuth trimesate, denoted CAU-17.[3] CAU-17 is a metal-organic framework and is one of only a small number of microporous bismuth-based materials. In situ X-ray powder diffraction studies performed within a custom-made reactor at synchrotron radiation facilities exemplify the importance of short reaction times for the synthesis of these metastable open-framework materials and the significance of crystalline intermediate phases. Topological analysis revealed that the...

Section: Undergraduate and Master's Level Preparationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preparation for Leadership in Personnel Preparation

Prehm

1984

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“…In addition, students should critique their peers' proposed research. Prehm (1976) identified four areas into which most special education research can be categorized : methods for identifying and evaluating handicapped children, the characteristics of handicapped children, the development of teaching materials and techniques, and the evaluation of service delivery systems.…”

Section: Research Training For Doctoral Studentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Training Researchers in Special Education

Rousscau

Shores

Hasselbring

et al. 1984

Knowledge in special education will advance to the extent that our doctoral programs prepare special education professionals as highly skilled researchers in clearly defined areas of specialization. Five training goals for research trainees are proposed: (a) participation in at least three research studies prior to the dissertation; (b) development of a 5-year research plan in the area of specialization; (c) development of the ability to present research to professional audiences; (d) development of critical analysis skills for reading professional journal articles. Three specialization areas in need of further research are discussed. The authors suggest that research training programs should be evaluated by the extent to which trainees meet the training goals and by the impact program graduates have on the field of special education.

“…Repeatedly, entire classes of 15 to 20 students find themselves placed in one large &dquo;discussion circle&dquo; with at least 10 to 15 feet between any two opposing positions. Although Sommer's research was not initially reported in educational journals, it was included in a review that suggests implications for education (Drew, 1971 b Prehm (1976). Among them are inordinate demands for research that has immediate application, inadequate dissemination, inadequate education of teaches and researchers, and value placed on knowing how to do something rather than knowing something.…”

Section: Status Of Research On Teacher Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research on Teacher Education

Drew

Buchanan

1979

This paper discusses the status and need for research on teacher education. Although seemingly a simple assignment, there are a variety of forces that operate to make this a most difficult task. Certain issues must be addressed that involve the entire field of education. In fact, they are so central that they might be characterized as representing our professional personality.It should already be clear that we view research on teacher education in the context of research in education generally. Although certain specific factors may differ, we contend that research on teacher education is essentially a microcosm of the broader field. In general, the field of education has not had a history of pervasive research efforts. Ausubel (1969) characterized the educational perspective:It should be noted at the outset that there is both little general acceptance of the need for educational research and little appreciation of the relevance of such research for the improvement of education. A tradition of research does not exist in education as it does, for example, in medicine or in engineering, where both professionals and consumers commonly agree that research and progress are almost synonymous.