paqe 14
Wednesday, november 8, 1978
daily nebraskan
Australian visitor compares his country to America
By Martha Murdock
As in the United States, the first Tuesday in November
is an important day in Australia. But their contest is not
a political one. Rather, it is a horse race, the Melbourne
Cup, that they are concerned with.
"It stops the whole country," said visiting Professor
Robert Irwin, "Everyone is watching it on television or
listening to the radio."
America and Australia are alike in many other respects,
Irwin said, culturally as well as in his special study area.
He is studying adolescent use of addictive substances
and he said drug abuse in the United States is similar to
that in Australia.
"The same sorts of substances are used," he said. "Al
cohol is the main drug used by far in both countries.
Tobacco is the next most abused substance."
Methods don't work
Drug prevention methods in Australia are very like
those used in the United States.
ASUN credit union
off to a slow start
By Shelley Smith
A lack of publicity is causing the ASUN Credit Union,
established in August, to move a little more slowly than
expected, according to one of its volunteers.
The credit union was designed as a means for students,
faculty, staff, alumni, regents and university
organizations to easily obtain small, lower interest loans.
However, John Kreuscher, one of the credit union's
organizers, said people aren't aware of the benefits the
credit union provides.
To join the credit union, he said, a person deposits $5
into an account and is charged 25 cents for services.
Members are then eligible to apply for loans up to
$500. Savings account deposits receive a higher interest
rate than is offered at most banks downtown, according
to Kreuscher.
He said about $25,000 has been deposited, but that
originally he had expected it to be $100,000.
He said the credit union is still striving to obtain the
extra $75,000 to meet its goal, and is planning to appeal
to student organizations.
He said that right now two of the largest depositors are
Greek houses.
"They realized the interest paid on their deposit is
higher than it would be in a regular bank. They also
realized that they would be helping out a lot of students
and staff," he said.
The credit union has about 40 members, and Kreuschei
said he felt that people were being very cautious about de
positing into the new organization.
"I'm a little surprised at their caution because we are
insured by the federal government up to $40,000," he
said.
The insurance will cover the depositor in the credit
union if it should fold either voluntarily or involuntarily,
he said.
He said about $2,400 has been loaned and $400 has
been repaid.
People who are granted loans have the option to repay
the loan either at the end of the school year or in 12
months, he added.
He said a lot of loans have been denied because some
people don't have the ability to repay.
'The ability to repay is if he has some sort of income,
usually a part time job," and debits don't exceed the
income, he said.
"Just as here, most methods don't work," Irwin said.
Irwin, from Canberra, the capital of Australia, is
visiting the UNL Department of Health, Physical Educa
tion and Recreation until November 19.
Irwin, who teaches at the Canberra College of
Advanced Education, has been a guest lecturer in numer
ous UNL classes, working in the health department's
masters program as well as in several undergraduate
courses.
"We're swapping information," said Irwin, "Not only
am I helping out here, but I'm also looking at UNL sur
veys on drug use to find methods of drug intervention we
might try in Australia."
Irwin is on a study leave from his university. Before
coming to UNL in mid-October, he visited the University
of Illinois, where he did doctoral work during a previous
stay in the United States.
Research project
His next stop will be England where he will work on a
research. project gathering information on curriculum de
velopment. He is especially interested in smoking educa
tion and adolescent drug intervention.
Irwin is on an expert panel of the World Health Organ
ization of the United Nations.
"The organization looks after international treaties on
drug importation and immunization. One of its achieve
ments is the elimination of smallpox," said Irwin.
Creation of international agreements on drug practices
and procedures is a main job of the organization. Irwin is
one of 1 50 members on the expert panel which works on
drug identification, control, and treatment. The organi
zation's headquarters are in ueneva, bwitzenanu.
Chance for research
Irwin said he sees little difference between students in
Australia and in the United States. "The questions
American students ask show that they seem to understand
the material as well or better than students in Australia,"
he said .
"The faculty members do the same sort of work in
Australia, but here there is more chance for research.
Organizations here want a university to do research, but
groups in Australia are smaller and have fewer funds. It
has to do with our small population mainly."
Comparing his homeland with the United States, Irwin
said, "around the world Australia is probably the country
most like the United States."
Like Nebraska
"The biggest difference is that the two countries are
about the same size but the United States has a larger pop
ulation. You notice the big numbers of people here." He
emphasized that Australia has its big cities, but that most
of the country is sparsely populated. "Much like Nebras
ka," he remarked.
Because of its location, Australia's seasons are not at
the same time of year as in America. "We have no pump
kins for Halloween, because in Australia it's spring in
October." , . , ..
Irwin believes that Americans and Australians are very
similar in their hospitality. He said, "Americans may have
more initiative in welcoming visitors. Australians still have
more of the British reserve."
Schools' teaching methods are examined
by the UNL Office of Academic Affairs
By Martha Murdock
Four Nebraska schools,
UNL, UNO, Chadron State,
and Kearney State, are tak
ing a survey examining
teaching methods and their
uses, according to Dr.
Eugene Trani, UNL assistant
to the vice-president for aca
demic affairs.
"We are interested in
teaching procedures and if
students are being exposed
to different methods,"
Trani said.
Trani, who is the pro
ject's director, explained ,
"There is literature out on
the use of instructional me
thods comparing the percen
tages of the uses of different
procedures. We want to see
how Nebraska statistics
compare."
Surveys have been dis
tributed through classes to
10 percent of the students
on each campus. A cross
section of classes were
chosen at random .
"We tried to send sur
veys to beginning and senior
classes," Trani said, "so
that we'd get a good sample
SADIE HAW MS DflHCE
Friday, Nov. 10, 1978
GIRLS-Get your guys while they last!
Dance to URBAN RENEWAL
From 900 to 1200 pm
At the East Union
For only $250 per person
Vote for your favorite SADIE and A8NER Candidates
Sponvred by Last Unirwi f)mas and Con' 4 C ommittpp
of age groups and interests."
The computerized
surveys ask students what
modes of instruction they
have encountered at college
and what methods they
believe should ideally be
used. Questions also con
cern grading procedures.
Students are asked if they
have been satisfied with the
learning situations they have
participated in. Lecture,
discussion, laboratory, field
trips, guest speakers, inde
pendent study, audio-visual
aids, simulation games and
self-paced programs are
some of the methods
touched on by the survey.
Faculty members
Surveys were sent to all
faculty members at the
schools. Faculty members
are asked what instructional
methods they use most
often, according to Trani
Both the student and
faculty questionnaires were
written by Dina Finkler of
the UNO psychology
department.
According to Ned Hed
ges, UNL vice chancellor for
academic affairs, the survey
will answer the question,
"How widely are students
exposed to various instruc
tional procedures? Do stu
dents in different areas of
study encounter certain
practices more often than
students in otherdisci
plines? Which techniques
would students like to sec
used more often? Which
would they like to see used
less often?"
Trani said, "We are look
ing forward to the results
because there has been a lot
of instructional innovation
in the last few years.
"It will be interesting
from a research point of
view to see how much of it
has been used on the UNL
campus."
Keller Plan used
One of the new methods
used at UNL is the Keller
Plan that allows Psychology
171 students to work at
their own pace.
The project is sponsored
by the Fund for the Im
provement of Post-Secondary
Education of the Depart
ment of Health, Education
and Welfare.
"We plan to make a
report of our findings and
share it with Ned Hedges
and others who will
probably pass it on to facul
ty members," Trani said.
"What will be done be
cause of the results is up to
the faculty .
"What the survey's ul
timate effect will be, I don't
know. There is no definite
plan to form policy from
it." A composite report for
the four campuses will be
sent to FIPSE.
"We're starting to get
some surveys back now,"
Trani added. "I expect we'll
have a report ready by the
end of the first semester."
He emphasized that the
results will be available to
students.
Universities in other
areas of the country are not
conducting similar surveys,
according to Trani.
"The last one we know
of was done 1 5 or 20 years
ago in some Southern and
Southeastern schools. We
will be comparing our
results with that survey."
ySfc Gem
-cmi idea.
jT
Tl- 1 .
V a. i arvt nunjv ill A I IK; I
'We're a cut above the rest"
N v .
5S
HAIR ART, LTD.
Appointments Preferred
464.8228
2441 N 48th Plainsman Center
