An interprofessional learning module on asthma health promotion.

PubMed

Saini, Bandana; Shah, Smita; Kearey, Phoebe; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia; Grootjans, John; Armour, Carol

2011-03-10

To develop, implement, and evaluate a new interprofessional learning module that focused on asthma health promotion called Taking Action Together for Asthma. Faculty members in medicine, nursing, and pharmacy courses recruited 10 students each to participate in a 3-day interprofessional learning module. Students received extensive materials including a workbook to document their expectations and experience; completed a 1-day interprofessional workshop; received training in the Triple A (Adolescent Asthma Action) program; and went into high schools and taught the Triple A program to students in interprofessional teams. Before and after participating in the module, students completed a questionnaire consisting of 3 previously validated instruments: the Asthma Knowledge for Health Professionals Scale, Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale, and Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). Seventeen students completed both the pre- and post-module scales and significant changes were seen only in means scores for the Attitude Toward Healthcare Teams (81.0 ± 4.7 to 85.2 ± 5.9) and the Teamwork and Collaboration subscale of the RIPLS (41.4 ± 2.7 to 43.2 ± 2.7). Health promotion activities offer a viable mechanism for fostering interprofessional learning among health professions students.

Use of Handwriting Recognition Technologies in Tablet-Based Learning Modules for First Grade Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yanikoglu, Berrin; Gogus, Aytac; Inal, Emre

2017-01-01

Learning through modules on a tablet helps students participate effectively in learning activities in classrooms and provides flexibility in the learning process. This study presents the design and evaluation of an application that is based on handwriting recognition technologies and e-content for the developed learning modules. The application…

Building an open academic environment - a new approach to empowering students in their learning of anatomy through 'Shadow Modules'.

PubMed

Scott, Jonathan L; Moxham, Bernard J; Rutherford, Stephen M

2014-03-01

Teaching and learning in anatomy is undertaken by a variety of methodologies, yet all of these pedagogies benefit from students discussing and reflecting upon their learning activities. An approach of particular potency is peer-mediated learning, through either peer-teaching or collaborative peer-learning. Collaborative, peer-mediated, learning activities help promote deep learning approaches and foster communities of practice in learning. Students generally flourish in collaborative learning settings but there are limitations to the benefits of collaborative learning undertaken solely within the confines of modular curricula. We describe the development of peer-mediated learning through student-focused and student-led study groups we have termed 'Shadow Modules'. The 'Shadow Module' takes place parallel to the formal academically taught module and facilitates collaboration between students to support their learning for that module. In 'Shadow Module' activities, students collaborate towards curating existing online open resources as well as developing learning resources of their own to support their study. Through the use of communication technologies and Web 2.0 tools these resources are able to be shared with their peers, thus enhancing the learning experience of all students following the module. The Shadow Module activities have the potential to lead to participants feeling a greater sense of engagement with the subject material, as well as improving their study and group-working skills and developing digital literacy. The outputs from Shadow Module collaborative work are open-source and may be utilised by subsequent student cohorts, thus building up a repository of learning resources designed by and for students. Shadow Module activities would benefit all pedagogies in the study of anatomy, and support students moving from being passive consumers to active participants in learning. © 2013 Anatomical Society.

Aversive Learning Modulates Cortical Representations of Object Categories

PubMed Central

Dunsmoor, Joseph E.; Kragel, Philip A.; Martin, Alex; LaBar, Kevin S.

2014-01-01

Experimental studies of conditioned learning reveal activity changes in the amygdala and unimodal sensory cortex underlying fear acquisition to simple stimuli. However, real-world fears typically involve complex stimuli represented at the category level. A consequence of category-level representations of threat is that aversive experiences with particular category members may lead one to infer that related exemplars likewise pose a threat, despite variations in physical form. Here, we examined the effect of category-level representations of threat on human brain activation using 2 superordinate categories (animals and tools) as conditioned stimuli. Hemodynamic activity in the amygdala and category-selective cortex was modulated by the reinforcement contingency, leading to widespread fear of different exemplars from the reinforced category. Multivariate representational similarity analyses revealed that activity patterns in the amygdala and object-selective cortex were more similar among exemplars from the threat versus safe category. Learning to fear animate objects was additionally characterized by enhanced functional coupling between the amygdala and fusiform gyrus. Finally, hippocampal activity co-varied with object typicality and amygdala activation early during training. These findings provide novel evidence that aversive learning can modulate category-level representations of object concepts, thereby enabling individuals to express fear to a range of related stimuli. PMID:23709642

Vodcasts and Active-Learning Exercises in a “Flipped Classroom” Model of a Renal Pharmacotherapy Module

PubMed Central

Fox, Jeremy

2012-01-01

Objective. To implement a “flipped classroom” model for a renal pharmacotherapy topic module and assess the impact on pharmacy students’ performance and attitudes. Design. Students viewed vodcasts (video podcasts) of lectures prior to the scheduled class and then discussed interactive cases of patients with end-stage renal disease in class. A process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) activity was developed and implemented that complemented, summarized, and allowed for application of the material contained in the previously viewed lectures. Assessment. Students’ performance on the final examination significantly improved compared to performance of students the previous year who completed the same module in a traditional classroom setting. Students’ opinions of the POGIL activity and the flipped classroom instructional model were mostly positive. Conclusion. Implementing a flipped classroom model to teach a renal pharmacotherapy module resulted in improved student performance and favorable student perceptions about the instructional approach. Some of the factors that may have contributed to students’ improved scores included: student mediated contact with the course material prior to classes, benchmark and formative assessments administered during the module, and the interactive class activities. PMID:23275661

An Interprofessional Learning Module on Asthma Health Promotion

PubMed Central

Shah, Smita; Kearey, Phoebe; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia; Grootjans, John; Armour, Carol

2011-01-01

Objective To develop, implement, and evaluate a new interprofessional learning module that focused on asthma health promotion called Taking Action Together for Asthma. Design Faculty members in medicine, nursing, and pharmacy courses recruited 10 students each to participate in a 3-day interprofessional learning module. Students received extensive materials including a workbook to document their expectations and experience; completed a 1-day interprofessional workshop; received training in the Triple A (Adolescent Asthma Action) program; and went into high schools and taught the Triple A program to students in interprofessional teams. Assessment Before and after participating in the module, students completed a questionnaire consisting of 3 previously validated instruments: the Asthma Knowledge for Health Professionals Scale, Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale, and Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). Seventeen students completed both the pre- and post-module scales and significant changes were seen only in means scores for the Attitude Toward Healthcare Teams (81.0 ± 4.7 to 85.2 ± 5.9) and the Teamwork and Collaboration subscale of the RIPLS (41.4 ± 2.7 to 43.2 ± 2.7). Conclusion Health promotion activities offer a viable mechanism for fostering interprofessional learning among health professions students. PMID:21519420

Applying Economics Using Interactive Learning Modules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goma, Ophelia D.

2010-01-01

This article describes the use of web-based, interactive learning modules in the principles of economics course. The learning modules introduce students to important, historical economic events while providing real-world application of the economic theory presented in class. Each module is designed to supplement and complement the economic theory…

Efficacy of a Meiosis Learning Module Developed for the Virtual Cell Animation Collection

PubMed Central

Goff, Eric E.; Reindl, Katie M.; Johnson, Christina; McClean, Phillip; Offerdahl, Erika G.; Schroeder, Noah L.; White, Alan R.

2017-01-01

Recent reports calling for change in undergraduate biology education have resulted in the redesign of many introductory biology courses. Reports on one common change to course structure, the active-learning environment, have placed an emphasis on student preparation, noting that the positive outcomes of active learning in the classroom depend greatly on how well the student prepares before class. As a possible preparatory resource, we test the efficacy of a learning module developed for the Virtual Cell Animation Collection. This module presents the concepts of meiosis in an interactive, dynamic environment that has previously been shown to facilitate learning in introductory biology students. Participants (n = 534) were enrolled in an introductory biology course and were presented the concepts of meiosis in one of two treatments: the interactive-learning module or a traditional lecture session. Analysis of student achievement shows that students who viewed the learning module as their only means of conceptual presentation scored significantly higher (d = 0.40, p < 0.001) than students who only attended a traditional lecture on the topic. Our results show the animation-based learning module effectively conveyed meiosis conceptual understanding, which suggests that it may facilitate student learning outside the classroom. Moreover, these results have implications for instructors seeking to expand their arsenal of tools for “flipping” undergraduate biology courses. PMID:28188282

Independent learning modules enhance student performance and understanding of anatomy.

PubMed

Serrat, Maria A; Dom, Aaron M; Buchanan, James T; Williams, Alison R; Efaw, Morgan L; Richardson, Laura L

2014-01-01

Didactic lessons are only one part of the multimodal teaching strategies used in gross anatomy courses today. Increased emphasis is placed on providing more opportunities for students to develop lifelong learning and critical thinking skills during medical training. In a pilot program designed to promote more engaged and independent learning in anatomy, self-study modules were introduced to supplement human gross anatomy instruction at Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University. Modules use three-dimensional constructs to help students understand complex anatomical regions. Resources are self-contained in portable bins and are accessible at any time. Students use modules individually or in groups in a structured self-study format that augments material presented in lecture and laboratory. Pilot outcome data, measured by feedback surveys and examination performance statistics, suggest that the activity may be improving learning in gross anatomy. Positive feedback on both pre- and post-examination surveys showed that students felt the activity helped to increase their understanding of the topic. In concordance with student perception, average examination scores on module-related laboratory and lecture questions were higher in the two years of the pilot program compared with the year before its initiation. Modules can be fabricated on a modest budget using minimal resources, making implementation practical for smaller institutions. Upper level medical students assist in module design and upkeep, enabling continuous opportunities for vertical integration across the curriculum. This resource offers a feasible mechanism for enhancing independent and lifelong learning competencies, which could be a valuable complement to any gross anatomy curriculum. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.

Health Activities Project (HAP): Action/Reaction Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buller, Dave; And Others

Contained within this Health Activities Project (HAP) learning packet are activities for children in grades 5-8. Design of the activities centers around the idea that students can control their own health and safety. Within this module are teacher and student folios describing activities in timing, improving, and practicing to improve reaction…

Strategies for active learning in online continuing education.

PubMed

Phillips, Janet M

2005-01-01

Online continuing education and staff development is on the rise as the benefits of access, convenience, and quality learning are continuing to take shape. Strategies to enhance learning call for learner participation that is self-directed and independent, thus changing the educator's role from expert to coach and facilitator. Good planning of active learning strategies promotes optimal learning whether the learning content is presented in a course or a just-in-time short module. Active learning strategies can be used to enhance online learning during all phases of the teaching-learning process and can accommodate a variety of learning styles. Feedback from peers, educators, and technology greatly influences learner satisfaction and must be harnessed to provide effective learning experiences. Outcomes of active learning can be assessed online and implemented conveniently and successfully from the initiation of the course or module planning to the end of the evaluation process. Online learning has become accessible and convenient and allows the educator to track learner participation. The future of online education will continue to grow, and using active learning strategies will ensure that quality learning will occur, appealing to a wide variety of learning needs.

The New School-Based Learning (SBL) to Work-Based Learning (WBL) Transition Module: A Practical Implementation in the Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) System in Bahrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alseddiqi, M.; Mishra, R.; Pislaru, C.

2012-05-01

This paper diagnoses the implementation of a new engineering course entitled 'school-based learning (SBL) to work-based learning (WBL) transition module' in the Bahrain Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) learning environment. The module was designed to incorporate an innovative education and training approach with a variety of learning activities that are included in various learning case studies. Each case study was based on with learning objectives coupled with desired learning outcomes. The TVE students should meet the desired outcomes after the completion of the learning activities and assessments. To help with the implementation phase of the new module, the authors developed guidelines for each case study. The guidelines incorporated learning activities to be delivered in an integrated learning environment. The skills to be transferred were related to cognitive, affective, and technical proficiencies. The guidelines included structured instructions to help students during the learning process. In addition, technology was introduced to improve learning effectiveness and flexibility. The guidelines include learning indicators for each learning activity and were based on their interrelation with competencies to be achieved with respect to modern industrial requirements. Each learning indicator was then correlated against the type of learning environment, teaching and learning styles, examples of mode of delivery, and assessment strategy. Also, the learning activities were supported by technological features such as discussion forums for social perception and engagement and immediate feedback exercises for self-motivation. Through the developed module, TVE teachers can effectively manage the teaching and learning process as well as the assessment strategy to satisfy students' individual requirements and enable them to meet workplace requirements.

Interactive E-learning module in pharmacology: a pilot project at a rural medical college in India.

PubMed

Gaikwad, Nitin; Tankhiwale, Suresh

2014-01-01

Many medical educators are experimenting with innovative ways of E-learning. E-learning provides opportunities to students for self-directed learning in addition to other advantages. In this study, we designed and evaluated an interactive E-learning module in pharmacology for effectiveness, acceptability and feasibility, with the aim of promoting active learning in this fact-filled subject. A quasi-experimental single-group pre-test/post-test study was conducted with fourth-semester students of the second professionals course (II MBBS), selected using non-probability convenience sampling method. An E-learning module in endocrine pharmacology was designed to comprise three units of interactive PowerPoint presentations. The pre-validated presentations were uploaded on the website according to a predefined schedule and the 42 registered students were encouraged to self-learning using these interactive presentations. Cognitive gain was assessed using an online pre- and post-test for each unit. Students' perceptions were recorded using an online feedback questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale. Finally, focused group discussion was conducted to further explore students' views on E-learning activity. Significant attrition was observed during the E-learning activity. Of the 42 registered students, only 16 students completed the entire E-learning module. The summed average score of all three units (entire module) was increased significantly from 38.42 % (summed average pre-test score: 11.56/30 ± 2.90) to 66.46 % (summed average post-test score: 19.94/30 ± 6.13). The class-average normalized gain for the entire module was 0.4542 (45.42). The students accepted this E-learning activity well as they perceived it to be innovative, convenient, flexible and useful. The average rating was between 4 (agree) and 5 (strongly agree). The interactive E-learning module in pharmacology was moderately effective and well perceived by the students. The simple, cost-effective and

Hands-On Learning Modules for Interdisciplinary Environments: An Example with a Focus on Weather Radar Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chilson, P. B.; Yeary, M. B.

2012-01-01

Learning modules provide an effective means of encouraging cognition and active learning. This paper discusses several such modules that have been developed within a course on weather radar applications intended for students from Electrical Engineering and Meteorology. The modules were designed both to promote interdisciplinary exchange between…

Health Activities Project (HAP): Sight and Sound Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buller, Dave; And Others

Contained within this Health Activities Project (HAP) learning packet are activities for children in grades 5-8. Design of the activities centers around the idea that students can control their own health and safety. Within this module are teacher and student folios describing six activities which involve students in restricting their vision by…

Human Health in the Balance. Hands-On! Developing Active Learning Modules on the Human Dimensions of Global Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meade, Melinda S.; Washburn, Sarah; Holman, Jeremy T.

This learning module aims to engage students in problem solving, critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and cooperative learning. The module is appropriate for use in any introductory or intermediate undergraduate course that focuses on human-environment relationships. The module states that human health is a product of complex interactions among…

Nicotinic modulation of hippocampal cell signaling and associated effects on learning and memory.

PubMed

Kutlu, Munir Gunes; Gould, Thomas J

2016-03-01

The hippocampus is a key brain structure involved in synaptic plasticity associated with long-term declarative memory formation. Importantly, nicotine and activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) can alter hippocampal plasticity and these changes may occur through modulation of hippocampal kinases and transcription factors. Hippocampal kinases such as cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CAMKs), extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), and c-jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1), and the transcription factor cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) that are activated either directly or indirectly by nicotine may modulate hippocampal plasticity and in parallel hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. Evidence suggests that nicotine may alter hippocampus-dependent learning by changing the time and magnitude of activation of kinases and transcription factors normally involved in learning and by recruiting additional cell signaling molecules. Understanding how nicotine alters learning and memory will advance basic understanding of the neural substrates of learning and aid in understanding mental disorders that involve cognitive and learning deficits. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of a Meiosis Learning Module Developed for the Virtual Cell Animation Collection.

PubMed

Goff, Eric E; Reindl, Katie M; Johnson, Christina; McClean, Phillip; Offerdahl, Erika G; Schroeder, Noah L; White, Alan R

2017-01-01

Recent reports calling for change in undergraduate biology education have resulted in the redesign of many introductory biology courses. Reports on one common change to course structure, the active-learning environment, have placed an emphasis on student preparation, noting that the positive outcomes of active learning in the classroom depend greatly on how well the student prepares before class. As a possible preparatory resource, we test the efficacy of a learning module developed for the Virtual Cell Animation Collection. This module presents the concepts of meiosis in an interactive, dynamic environment that has previously been shown to facilitate learning in introductory biology students. Participants ( n = 534) were enrolled in an introductory biology course and were presented the concepts of meiosis in one of two treatments: the interactive-learning module or a traditional lecture session. Analysis of student achievement shows that students who viewed the learning module as their only means of conceptual presentation scored significantly higher ( d = 0.40, p < 0.001) than students who only attended a traditional lecture on the topic. Our results show the animation-based learning module effectively conveyed meiosis conceptual understanding, which suggests that it may facilitate student learning outside the classroom. Moreover, these results have implications for instructors seeking to expand their arsenal of tools for "flipping" undergraduate biology courses. © 2017 E. E. Goff et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2017 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Application of active learning modalities to achieve medical genetics competencies and their learning outcome assessments.

PubMed

Hagiwara, Nobuko

2017-01-01

The steadily falling costs of genome sequencing, coupled with the growing number of genetic tests with proven clinical validity, have made the use of genetic testing more common in clinical practice. This development has necessitated nongeneticist physicians, especially primary care physicians, to become more responsible for assessing genetic risks for their patients. Providing undergraduate medical students a solid foundation in genomic medicine, therefore, has become all the more important to ensure the readiness of future physicians in applying genomic medicine to their patient care. In order to further enhance the effectiveness of instructing practical skills in medical genetics, the emphasis of active learning modules in genetics curriculum at medical schools has increased in recent years. This is because of the general acceptance of a better efficacy of active learner-centered pedagogy over passive lecturer-centered pedagogy. However, an objective standard to evaluate students' skill levels in genomic medicine achieved by active learning is currently missing. Recently, entrustable professional activities (EPAs) in genomic medicine have been proposed as a framework for developing physician competencies in genomic medicine. EPAs in genomic medicine provide a convenient guideline for not only developing genomic medicine curriculum but also assessing students' competency levels in practicing genomic medicine. In this review, the efficacy of different types of active learning modules reported for medical genetics curricula is discussed using EPAs in genomic medicine as a common evaluation standard for modules' learning outcomes. The utility of the EPAs in genomic medicine for designing active learning modules in undergraduate medical genetics curricula is also discussed.

Health Activities Project (HAP): Heart Fitness and Action Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buller, Dave; And Others

Contained within this Health Activities Project (HAP) learning packet are activities for children in grades 5-8. Design of the activities centers around the idea that students can control their own health and safety. Within the Heart Fitness and Action Module are teacher and student folios describing five activities which involve students in…

Project-based Modules from two STEM Learning Teams in Howard County, Maryland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griffiths, L. N.; Bradley, L. A.

2011-12-01

In 2009, two Maryland school districts-Howard County Public School System and Prince George's County Public Schools-and the Goddard Space Flight Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) partnered with the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF) to develop NASA 21st Century Learning Studios. In 2010, NCTAF expanded the program to include Learning Studios at two additional Maryland school districts (Anne Arundel County Public Schools and Baltimore County Public Schools), partnering with the United States Naval Academy and the University of Maryland. Overall, the focus of these Learning Studios is to combine the expertise of scientists with that of educators through Learning Teams to improve teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, while delivering project-based modules to be implemented in other school districts. The focus of this paper is to summarize the experience and outcomes from two Learning Teams from the Howard County Public School System. STEM Learning Teams were established at Centennial High School and Hammond High School in Maryland. Each Team worked together for two years to create interdisciplinary units of study for their students with a focus on Earth Science. To maximize student interest, teachers worked with NASA scientists five times a year to develop four learning modules using practical examples and incorporating real scientific observations. A weathering and erosion module challenges students to collect appropriate field observations and determine erosion and deposition rates in a nearby lake. A plate tectonics module requires students to use measures of plate motion from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to estimate rates of convergence in southern Asia. A third module for lessons in climate change requires students to find open source climate data, determine changes in the atmosphere and estimate anthropogenic impacts. A follow

Read, Play, and Learn! Storybook Activities for Young Children. The Transdisciplinary Play-Based Curriculum. Collection 1: Modules 1-8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linder, Toni W.

Read, Play, and Learn is a play-based curriculum designed to promote growth across all of the areas of development important to a young child. With a school-year's worth of ready-to-use lessons or modules, the curriculum provides story-related activities centered around themes such as enjoying seasonal festivities, sharing emotions, making…

Read, Play, and Learn! Storybook Activities for Young Children. The Transdisciplinary Play-Based Curriculum. Collection 2: Modules 9-16.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linder, Toni W.

Read, Play, and Learn is a play-based curriculum designed to promote growth across all of the areas of development important to a young child. With a school-year's worth of ready-to-use lessons or modules, the curriculum provides story-related activities centered around themes such as enjoying seasonal festivities, sharing emotions, making…

Active Learning in an Introductory Meteorology Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchese, P. J.; Bluestone, C.

2007-12-01

Active learning modules were introduced to the primarily minority population in the introductory meteorology class at Queensborough Community College (QCC). These activities were developed at QCC and other 4 year colleges and designed to reinforce basic meteorological concepts. The modules consisted of either Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILD) or discovery-based activities. During the ILD the instructor would describe an experiment that would be demonstrated in class. Students would predict what the outcome would be and compare their expected results to the actual outcome of the experiment. In the discovery-based activities students would learn about physical concepts by performing basic experiments. These activities differed from the traditional lab in that it avoided "cookbook" procedures and emphasized having the students learn about the concept using the scientific method. As a result of these activities student scores measuring conceptual understanding, as well as factual knowledge, increased as compared to student scores in a more affluent community college. Students also had higher self- efficacy scores. Lower scoring students demonstrated the greatest benefit, while the better students had little (or no) changes.

Interprofessional learning modules at Dalhousie University.

PubMed

Johnston, G; Banks, S

2000-01-01

Interprofessional education has been advocated to improve teamwork in the health sector. This paper reports on the first two years of operational experience by a School of Health Services Administration (SHSA) with three-hour interprofessional learning modules (IPLMs). SHSA students participated along with students from nursing, medicine, social work, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, speech language pathology, audiology, dental hygiene, dentistry, leisure studies, health education and kinesiology. The five IPLMs required for SHSA students were: professional roles and values, integrity in scholarly activity, disability, interpersonal violence and HIV/AIDS. This article describes the development, delivery and evaluation of these modules from an SHSA perspective. The IPLMs' evaluation findings indicated that IPLMs are worthwhile, but have taken years and ongoing senior management support to operationalize; inclusion of health services administration is worthwhile but challenging; vigilance is needed to retain an IP rather than module content focus; and faculty and facilitator development, along with student preparation and debriefing, is required. Student feedback was favourable; faculty members have gained by their involvement; and field practitioner support has been sustained. Evaluation and reflection are critical to IPLM evolution. The norms, strengths and constraints of the university must be taken into account, and thus IPLMs must be adapted for each educational setting. Schools of health services administration must decide whether they wish to be involved in interprofessional learning.

Analysis of Learning Conceptions Based on Three Modules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haygood, E. Langston; Iran-Nejad, Asghar

Three learning modules are described and investigated as they reflect different students' conceptions of and approaches to learning. The Schoolwork Module (SWM) focuses on task performance and involves a passive, incremental, piecemeal, and rote memory method of learning, parallel to what might be implied by the Information Processing model of…

Designing high-quality interactive multimedia learning modules.

PubMed

Huang, Camillan

2005-01-01

Modern research has broadened scientific knowledge and revealed the interdisciplinary nature of the sciences. For today's students, this advance translates to learning a more diverse range of concepts, usually in less time, and without supporting resources. Students can benefit from technology-enhanced learning supplements that unify concepts and are delivered on-demand over the Internet. Such supplements, like imaging informatics databases, serve as innovative references for biomedical information, but could improve their interaction interfaces to support learning. With information from these digital datasets, multimedia learning tools can be designed to transform learning into an active process where students can visualize relationships over time, interact with dynamic content, and immediately test their knowledge. This approach bridges knowledge gaps, fosters conceptual understanding, and builds problem-solving and critical thinking skills-all essential components to informatics training for science and medicine. Additional benefits include cost-free access and ease of dissemination over the Internet or CD-ROM. However, current methods for the design of multimedia learning modules are not standardized and lack strong instructional design. Pressure from administrators at the top and students from the bottom are pushing faculty to use modern technology to address the learning needs and expectations of contemporary students. Yet, faculty lack adequate support and training to adopt this new approach. So how can faculty learn to create educational multimedia materials for their students? This paper provides guidelines on best practices in educational multimedia design, derived from the Virtual Labs Project at Stanford University. The development of a multimedia module consists of five phases: (1) understand the learning problem and the users needs; (2) design the content to harness the enabling technologies; (3) build multimedia materials with web style standards and

Cannabinoid modulation of prefrontal-limbic activation during fear extinction learning and recall in humans

PubMed Central

Rabinak, Christine A.; Angstadt, Mike; Lyons, Maryssa; Mori, Shoko; Milad, Mohammed R.; Liberzon, Israel; Phan, K. Luan

2013-01-01

Pre-extinction administration of ∆9-tetrahydrocannibinol (THC) facilitates recall of extinction in healthy humans, and evidence from animal studies suggest that this likely involves via enhancement of the cannabinoid system within the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and hippocampus (HIPP), brain structures critical to fear extinction. However, the effect of cannabinoids on the underlying neural circuitry of extinction memory recall in humans has not been demonstrated. We conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subjects design (N=14/group) coupled with a standard Pavlovian fear extinction paradigm and an acute pharmacological challenge with oral dronabinol (synthetic THC) in healthy adult volunteers. We examined the effects of THC on vmPFC and HIPP activation when tested for recall of extinction learning 24 hours after extinction learning. Compared to subjects who received placebo, participants who received THC showed increased vmPFC and HIPP activation to a previously extinguished conditioned stimulus (CS+E) during extinction memory recall. This study provides the first evidence that pre-extinction administration of THC modulates prefrontal-limbic circuits during fear extinction in humans and prompts future investigation to test if cannabinoid agonists can rescue or correct the impaired behavioral and neural function during extinction recall in patients with PTSD. Ultimately, the cannabinoid system may serve as a promising target for innovative intervention strategies (e.g. pharmacological enhancement of exposure-based therapy) in PTSD and other fear learning-related disorders. PMID:24055595

Local inhibition modulates learning-dependent song encoding in the songbird auditory cortex

PubMed Central

Thompson, Jason V.; Jeanne, James M.

2013-01-01

Changes in inhibition during development are well documented, but the role of inhibition in adult learning-related plasticity is not understood. In songbirds, vocal recognition learning alters the neural representation of songs across the auditory forebrain, including the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM), a region analogous to mammalian secondary auditory cortices. Here, we block local inhibition with the iontophoretic application of gabazine, while simultaneously measuring song-evoked spiking activity in NCM of European starlings trained to recognize sets of conspecific songs. We find that local inhibition differentially suppresses the responses to learned and unfamiliar songs and enhances spike-rate differences between learned categories of songs. These learning-dependent response patterns emerge, in part, through inhibitory modulation of selectivity for song components and the masking of responses to specific acoustic features without altering spectrotemporal tuning. The results describe a novel form of inhibitory modulation of the encoding of learned categories and demonstrate that inhibition plays a central role in shaping the responses of neurons to learned, natural signals. PMID:23155175

Application of active learning modalities to achieve medical genetics competencies and their learning outcome assessments

PubMed Central

Hagiwara, Nobuko

2017-01-01

The steadily falling costs of genome sequencing, coupled with the growing number of genetic tests with proven clinical validity, have made the use of genetic testing more common in clinical practice. This development has necessitated nongeneticist physicians, especially primary care physicians, to become more responsible for assessing genetic risks for their patients. Providing undergraduate medical students a solid foundation in genomic medicine, therefore, has become all the more important to ensure the readiness of future physicians in applying genomic medicine to their patient care. In order to further enhance the effectiveness of instructing practical skills in medical genetics, the emphasis of active learning modules in genetics curriculum at medical schools has increased in recent years. This is because of the general acceptance of a better efficacy of active learner-centered pedagogy over passive lecturer-centered pedagogy. However, an objective standard to evaluate students’ skill levels in genomic medicine achieved by active learning is currently missing. Recently, entrustable professional activities (EPAs) in genomic medicine have been proposed as a framework for developing physician competencies in genomic medicine. EPAs in genomic medicine provide a convenient guideline for not only developing genomic medicine curriculum but also assessing students’ competency levels in practicing genomic medicine. In this review, the efficacy of different types of active learning modules reported for medical genetics curricula is discussed using EPAs in genomic medicine as a common evaluation standard for modules’ learning outcomes. The utility of the EPAs in genomic medicine for designing active learning modules in undergraduate medical genetics curricula is also discussed. PMID:29276425

Impact on learning of an e-learning module on leukaemia: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Morgulis, Yuri; Kumar, Rakesh K; Lindeman, Robert; Velan, Gary M

2012-05-28

e-learning resources may be beneficial for complex or conceptually difficult topics. Leukaemia is one such topic, yet there are no reports on the efficacy of e-learning for leukaemia. This study compared the learning impact on senior medical students of a purpose-built e-learning module on leukaemia, compared with existing online resources. A randomised controlled trial was performed utilising volunteer senior medical students. Participants were randomly allocated to Study and Control groups. Following a pre-test on leukaemia administered to both groups, the Study group was provided with access to the new e-learning module, while the Control group was directed to existing online resources. A post-test and an evaluation questionnaire were administered to both groups at the end of the trial period. Study and Control groups were equivalent in gender distribution, mean academic ability, pre-test performance and time studying leukaemia during the trial. The Study group performed significantly better than the Control group in the post-test, in which the group to which the students had been allocated was the only significant predictor of performance. The Study group's evaluation of the module was overwhelmingly positive. A targeted e-learning module on leukaemia had a significant effect on learning in this cohort, compared with existing online resources. We believe that the interactivity, dialogic feedback and integration with the curriculum offered by the e-learning module contributed to its impact. This has implications for e-learning design in medicine and other disciplines.

Relative cortico-subcortical shift in brain activity but preserved training-induced neural modulation in older adults during bimanual motor learning.

PubMed

Santos Monteiro, Thiago; Beets, Iseult A M; Boisgontier, Matthieu P; Gooijers, Jolien; Pauwels, Lisa; Chalavi, Sima; King, Brad; Albouy, Geneviève; Swinnen, Stephan P

2017-10-01

To study age-related differences in neural activation during motor learning, functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired from 25 young (mean 21.5-year old) and 18 older adults (mean 68.6-year old) while performing a bimanual coordination task before (pretest) and after (posttest) a 2-week training intervention on the task. We studied whether task-related brain activity and training-induced brain activation changes differed between age groups, particularly with respect to the hyperactivation typically observed in older adults. Findings revealed that older adults showed lower performance levels than younger adults but similar learning capability. At the cerebral level, the task-related hyperactivation in parietofrontal areas and underactivation in subcortical areas observed in older adults were not differentially modulated by the training intervention. However, brain activity related to task planning and execution decreased from pretest to posttest in temporo-parieto-frontal areas and subcortical areas in both age groups, suggesting similar processes of enhanced activation efficiency with advanced skill level. Furthermore, older adults who displayed higher activity in prefrontal regions at pretest demonstrated larger training-induced performance gains. In conclusion, in spite of prominent age-related brain activation differences during movement planning and execution, the mechanisms of learning-related reduction of brain activation appear to be similar in both groups. Importantly, cerebral activity during early learning can differentially predict the amplitude of the training-induced performance benefit between young and older adults. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Emotional Modulation of Learning and Memory: Pharmacological Implications.

PubMed

LaLumiere, Ryan T; McGaugh, James L; McIntyre, Christa K

2017-07-01

Memory consolidation involves the process by which newly acquired information becomes stored in a long-lasting fashion. Evidence acquired over the past several decades, especially from studies using post-training drug administration, indicates that emotional arousal during the consolidation period influences and enhances the strength of the memory and that multiple different chemical signaling systems participate in this process. The mechanisms underlying the emotional influences on memory involve the release of stress hormones and activation of the basolateral amygdala, which work together to modulate memory consolidation. Moreover, work suggests that this amygdala-based memory modulation occurs with numerous types of learning and involves interactions with many different brain regions to alter consolidation. Additionally, studies suggest that emotional arousal and amygdala activity in particular influence synaptic plasticity and associated proteins in downstream brain regions. This review considers the historical understanding for memory modulation and cellular consolidation processes and examines several research areas currently using this foundational knowledge to develop therapeutic treatments. Copyright © 2017 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Impact on learning of an e-learning module on leukaemia: a randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background e-learning resources may be beneficial for complex or conceptually difficult topics. Leukaemia is one such topic, yet there are no reports on the efficacy of e-learning for leukaemia. This study compared the learning impact on senior medical students of a purpose-built e-learning module on leukaemia, compared with existing online resources. Methods A randomised controlled trial was performed utilising volunteer senior medical students. Participants were randomly allocated to Study and Control groups. Following a pre-test on leukaemia administered to both groups, the Study group was provided with access to the new e-learning module, while the Control group was directed to existing online resources. A post-test and an evaluation questionnaire were administered to both groups at the end of the trial period. Results Study and Control groups were equivalent in gender distribution, mean academic ability, pre-test performance and time studying leukaemia during the trial. The Study group performed significantly better than the Control group in the post-test, in which the group to which the students had been allocated was the only significant predictor of performance. The Study group’s evaluation of the module was overwhelmingly positive. Conclusions A targeted e-learning module on leukaemia had a significant effect on learning in this cohort, compared with existing online resources. We believe that the interactivity, dialogic feedback and integration with the curriculum offered by the e-learning module contributed to its impact. This has implications for e-learning design in medicine and other disciplines. PMID:22640463

Improved Learning Outcomes After Flipping a Therapeutics Module: Results of a Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Lockman, Kashelle; Haines, Stuart T; McPherson, Mary Lynn

2017-12-01

To evaluate the impact on learning outcomes of flipping a pain management module in a doctor of pharmacy curriculum. In a required first-professional-year pharmacology and therapeutics course at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, the pain therapeutics content of the pain management module was flipped. This redesign transformed the module from a largely lecture-based, instructor-centered model to a learner-centered model that included a variety of preclass activities and in-class active learning exercises. In spring 2015, the module was taught using the traditional model; in spring 2016, it was taught using the flipped model. The same end-of-module objective structured clinical exam (OSCE) and multiple-choice exam were administered in 2015 to the traditional cohort (TC; n = 156) and in 2016 to the flipped cohort (FC; n = 162). Cohort performance was compared. Learning outcomes improved significantly in the FC: The mean OSCE score improved by 12.33/100 points (P < .0001; 95% CI 10.28-14.38; effect size 1.33), and performance on the multiple-choice exam's therapeutics content improved by 5.07 percentage points (P < .0001; 95% CI 2.56-7.59; effect size 0.45). Student performance on exam items assessing higher cognitive levels significantly improved under the flipped model. Grade distribution on both exams shifted, with significantly more FC students earning an A or B and significantly fewer earning a D or F compared with TC students. Student performance on knowledge- and skill-based assessments improved significantly after flipping the therapeutics content of a pain management module.

Design of environmental education module towards the needs of aboriginal community learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dasman, Siti Mariam; Yasin, Ruhizan Mohammad

2017-05-01

Non-formal education (NFE) refers to a program that is designed for personal and social education for learners to improve the level of skills and competencies outside formal educational curriculum. Issues related to geography and environment of different Aboriginal communities with other communities play an important role in determining the types and methods that should be made available to the minority community groups. Thus, this concept paper is intended to cater for educational environment through the design and development of learning modules based on non-formal education to the learning of Aboriginal community. Methods and techniques in the design and construction of the modules is based on the Design and Development Research (DDR) that was based on instructional design model of Morrison, Kemp and Ross which is more flexible and prioritizes the needs and characteristics of learners who were involved in the learning modules of the future. The discussion is related to the module development which is suitable to the learning needs of the community and there are several recommendations which may be applied in the implementation of this approach. In conclusion, the community of Orang Asli should be offered the same education as other communities but it is important to distinguish acceptance of learning techniques or approaches used in the education system to meet their standards. The implications of this concept paper is to meet the educational needs of the environment which includes a few aspects of science and some learning activities using effective approaches such as playing and building their own knowledge of meaning.

A Learning Theory for Reward-Modulated Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity with Application to Biofeedback

PubMed Central

Maass, Wolfgang

2008-01-01

Reward-modulated spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) has recently emerged as a candidate for a learning rule that could explain how behaviorally relevant adaptive changes in complex networks of spiking neurons could be achieved in a self-organizing manner through local synaptic plasticity. However, the capabilities and limitations of this learning rule could so far only be tested through computer simulations. This article provides tools for an analytic treatment of reward-modulated STDP, which allows us to predict under which conditions reward-modulated STDP will achieve a desired learning effect. These analytical results imply that neurons can learn through reward-modulated STDP to classify not only spatial but also temporal firing patterns of presynaptic neurons. They also can learn to respond to specific presynaptic firing patterns with particular spike patterns. Finally, the resulting learning theory predicts that even difficult credit-assignment problems, where it is very hard to tell which synaptic weights should be modified in order to increase the global reward for the system, can be solved in a self-organizing manner through reward-modulated STDP. This yields an explanation for a fundamental experimental result on biofeedback in monkeys by Fetz and Baker. In this experiment monkeys were rewarded for increasing the firing rate of a particular neuron in the cortex and were able to solve this extremely difficult credit assignment problem. Our model for this experiment relies on a combination of reward-modulated STDP with variable spontaneous firing activity. Hence it also provides a possible functional explanation for trial-to-trial variability, which is characteristic for cortical networks of neurons but has no analogue in currently existing artificial computing systems. In addition our model demonstrates that reward-modulated STDP can be applied to all synapses in a large recurrent neural network without endangering the stability of the network

Analogy-Integrated e-Learning Module: Facilitating Students' Conceptual Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida, Jennifer

2012-01-01

The study deals with the development of an analogy-integrated e-learning module on Cellular Respiration, which is intended to facilitate conceptual understanding of students with different brain hemisphere dominance and learning styles. The module includes eight analogies originally conceptualized following the specific steps used to prepare…

Embedding Research in a Field-Based Module through Peer Review and Assessment for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicholson, Dawn T.

2011-01-01

A case study is presented of embedding research in a final year undergraduate, field-based, physical geography module. The approach is holistic, whereby research-based learning activities simulate the full life cycle of research from inception through to peer review and publication. The learning, teaching and assessment strategy emphasizes the…

Validating module network learning algorithms using simulated data.

PubMed

Michoel, Tom; Maere, Steven; Bonnet, Eric; Joshi, Anagha; Saeys, Yvan; Van den Bulcke, Tim; Van Leemput, Koenraad; van Remortel, Piet; Kuiper, Martin; Marchal, Kathleen; Van de Peer, Yves

2007-05-03

In recent years, several authors have used probabilistic graphical models to learn expression modules and their regulatory programs from gene expression data. Despite the demonstrated success of such algorithms in uncovering biologically relevant regulatory relations, further developments in the area are hampered by a lack of tools to compare the performance of alternative module network learning strategies. Here, we demonstrate the use of the synthetic data generator SynTReN for the purpose of testing and comparing module network learning algorithms. We introduce a software package for learning module networks, called LeMoNe, which incorporates a novel strategy for learning regulatory programs. Novelties include the use of a bottom-up Bayesian hierarchical clustering to construct the regulatory programs, and the use of a conditional entropy measure to assign regulators to the regulation program nodes. Using SynTReN data, we test the performance of LeMoNe in a completely controlled situation and assess the effect of the methodological changes we made with respect to an existing software package, namely Genomica. Additionally, we assess the effect of various parameters, such as the size of the data set and the amount of noise, on the inference performance. Overall, application of Genomica and LeMoNe to simulated data sets gave comparable results. However, LeMoNe offers some advantages, one of them being that the learning process is considerably faster for larger data sets. Additionally, we show that the location of the regulators in the LeMoNe regulation programs and their conditional entropy may be used to prioritize regulators for functional validation, and that the combination of the bottom-up clustering strategy with the conditional entropy-based assignment of regulators improves the handling of missing or hidden regulators. We show that data simulators such as SynTReN are very well suited for the purpose of developing, testing and improving module network

The Student Experience of a Collaborative E-Learning University Module

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biasutti, Michele

2011-01-01

The aim of this paper is to present a picture of student experience of a collaborative e-learning module in an asynchronous e-learning environment. A distance learning module on music education worth five credit points for a bachelor online degree for primary school educating teachers was assessed using a self-evaluation questionnaire that…

Learning from Online Modules in Diverse Instructional Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nugent, Gwen; Kohmetscher, Amy; Namuth-Covert, Deana; Guretzky, John; Murphy, Patrick; Lee, DoKyoung

2016-01-01

Learning objects originally developed for use in online learning environments can also be used to enhance face-to-face instruction. This study examined the learning impacts of online learning objects packaged into modules and used in different contexts for undergraduate education offered on campus at three institutions. A multi-case study approach…

Noradrenergic stimulation modulates activation of extinction-related brain regions and enhances contextual extinction learning without affecting renewal

PubMed Central

Lissek, Silke; Glaubitz, Benjamin; Güntürkün, Onur; Tegenthoff, Martin

2015-01-01

Renewal in extinction learning describes the recovery of an extinguished response if the extinction context differs from the context present during acquisition and recall. Attention may have a role in contextual modulation of behavior and contribute to the renewal effect, while noradrenaline (NA) is involved in attentional processing. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study we investigated the role of the noradrenergic system for behavioral and brain activation correlates of contextual extinction and renewal, with a particular focus upon hippocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (PFC), which have crucial roles in processing of renewal. Healthy human volunteers received a single dose of the NA reuptake inhibitor atomoxetine prior to extinction learning. During extinction of previously acquired cue-outcome associations, cues were presented in a novel context (ABA) or in the acquisition context (AAA). In recall, all cues were again presented in the acquisition context. Atomoxetine participants (ATO) showed significantly faster extinction compared to placebo (PLAC). However, atomoxetine did not affect renewal. Hippocampal activation was higher in ATO during extinction and recall, as was ventromedial PFC activation, except for ABA recall. Moreover, ATO showed stronger recruitment of insula, anterior cingulate, and dorsolateral/orbitofrontal PFC. Across groups, cingulate, hippocampus and vmPFC activity during ABA extinction correlated with recall performance, suggesting high relevance of these regions for processing the renewal effect. In summary, the noradrenergic system appears to be involved in the modification of established associations during extinction learning and thus has a role in behavioral flexibility. The assignment of an association to a context and the subsequent decision on an adequate response, however, presumably operate largely independently of noradrenergic mechanisms. PMID:25745389

The development of a valid discovery-based learning module to improve students' mathematical connection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuneni, Erna; Mardiyana, Pramudya, Ikrar

2017-08-01

Geometry is the most important branch in mathematics. The purpose of teaching this material is to develop students' level of thinking for a better understanding. Otherwise, geometry in particular, has contributed students' failure in mathematics examinations. This problem occurs due to special feature in geometry which has complexity of correlation among its concept. This relates to mathematical connection. It is still difficult for students to improve this ability. This is because teachers' lack in facilitating students towards it. Eventhough, facilitating students can be in the form of teaching material. A learning module can be a solution because it consists of series activities that should be taken by students to achieve a certain goal. A series activities in this case is adopted by the phases of discovery-based learning model. Through this module, students are facilitated to discover concept by deep instruction and guidance. It can build the mathematical habits of mind and also strengthen the mathematical connection. Method used in this research was ten stages of research and development proposed by Bord and Gall. The research purpose is to create a valid learning module to improve students' mathematical connection in teaching quadrilateral. The retrieved valid module based on media expert judgment is 2,43 for eligibility chart aspect, 2,60 for eligibility presentation aspect, and 3,00 for eligibility contents aspect. Then the retrieved valid module based on material expert judgment is 3,10 for eligibility content aspect, 2,87 for eligibility presentation aspect, and 2,80 for eligibility language and legibility aspect.

Potentiating mGluR5 function with a positive allosteric modulator enhances adaptive learning.

PubMed

Xu, Jian; Zhu, Yongling; Kraniotis, Stephen; He, Qionger; Marshall, John J; Nomura, Toshihiro; Stauffer, Shaun R; Lindsley, Craig W; Conn, P Jeffrey; Contractor, Anis

2013-07-18

Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) plays important roles in modulating neural activity and plasticity and has been associated with several neuropathological disorders. Previous work has shown that genetic ablation or pharmacological inhibition of mGluR5 disrupts fear extinction and spatial reversal learning, suggesting that mGluR5 signaling is required for different forms of adaptive learning. Here, we tested whether ADX47273, a selective positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of mGluR5, can enhance adaptive learning in mice. We found that systemic administration of the ADX47273 enhanced reversal learning in the Morris Water Maze, an adaptive task. In addition, we found that ADX47273 had no effect on single-session and multi-session extinction, but administration of ADX47273 after a single retrieval trial enhanced subsequent fear extinction learning. Together these results demonstrate a role for mGluR5 signaling in adaptive learning, and suggest that mGluR5 PAMs represent a viable strategy for treatment of maladaptive learning and for improving behavioral flexibility.

Potentiating mGluR5 function with a positive allosteric modulator enhances adaptive learning

PubMed Central

Xu, Jian; Zhu, Yongling; Kraniotis, Stephen; He, Qionger; Marshall, John J.; Nomura, Toshihiro; Stauffer, Shaun R.; Lindsley, Craig W.; Conn, P. Jeffrey; Contractor, Anis

2013-01-01

Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) plays important roles in modulating neural activity and plasticity and has been associated with several neuropathological disorders. Previous work has shown that genetic ablation or pharmacological inhibition of mGluR5 disrupts fear extinction and spatial reversal learning, suggesting that mGluR5 signaling is required for different forms of adaptive learning. Here, we tested whether ADX47273, a selective positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of mGluR5, can enhance adaptive learning in mice. We found that systemic administration of the ADX47273 enhanced reversal learning in the Morris Water Maze, an adaptive task. In addition, we found that ADX47273 had no effect on single-session and multi-session extinction, but administration of ADX47273 after a single retrieval trial enhanced subsequent fear extinction learning. Together these results demonstrate a role for mGluR5 signaling in adaptive learning, and suggest that mGluR5 PAMs represent a viable strategy for treatment of maladaptive learning and for improving behavioral flexibility. PMID:23869026

Adaptable Web Modules to Stimulate Active Learning in Engineering Hydrology using Data and Model Simulations of Three Regional Hydrologic Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habib, E. H.; Tarboton, D. G.; Lall, U.; Bodin, M.; Rahill-Marier, B.; Chimmula, S.; Meselhe, E. A.; Ali, A.; Williams, D.; Ma, Y.

2013-12-01

The hydrologic community has long recognized the need for broad reform in hydrologic education. A paradigm shift is critically sought in undergraduate hydrology and water resource education by adopting context-rich, student-centered, and active learning strategies. Hydrologists currently deal with intricate issues rooted in complex natural ecosystems containing a multitude of interconnected processes. Advances in the multi-disciplinary field include observational settings such as Critical Zone and Water, Sustainability and Climate Observatories, Hydrologic Information Systems, instrumentation and modeling methods. These research advances theory and practices call for similar efforts and improvements in hydrologic education. The typical, text-book based approach in hydrologic education has focused on specific applications and/or unit processes associated with the hydrologic cycle with idealizations, rather than the contextual relations in the physical processes and the spatial and temporal dynamics connecting climate and ecosystems. An appreciation of the natural variability of these processes will lead to graduates with the ability to develop independent learning skills and understanding. This appreciation cannot be gained in curricula where field components such as observational and experimental data are deficient. These types of data are also critical when using simulation models to create environments that support this type of learning. Additional sources of observations in conjunction with models and field data are key to students understanding of the challenges associated with using models to represent such complex systems. Recent advances in scientific visualization and web-based technologies provide new opportunities for the development of active learning techniques utilizing ongoing research. The overall goal of the current study is to develop visual, case-based, data and simulation driven learning experiences to instructors and students through a web

Global Change and Environmental Hazards: Is the World Becoming More Disastrous? Hands-On! Developing Active Learning Modules on the Human Dimensions of Global Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Jerry T.; Cutter, Susan L.

This learning module aims to engage students in problem solving, critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and cooperative learning. The module is appropriate for use in any introductory or intermediate undergraduate course that focuses on human-environment relationships. The module introduces the complexities in the relationships among environmental…

Guided Inquiry Facilitated Blended Learning to Improve Metacognitive and Learning Outcome of High School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suwono, H.; Susanti, S.; Lestari, U.

2017-04-01

The learning activities that involve the students to learn actively is one of the characteristics of a qualified education. The learning strategy that involves students’ active learning is guided inquiry. Learning problems today are growing metacognitive skills and cognitive learning outcomes. It is the research and development of learning module by using 4D models of Thiagarajan. The first phase is Define, which analyses the problems and needs required by the prior preparation of the module. The second phase is Design, which formulates learning design and devices to obtain the initial draft of learning modules. The third stage is Develop, which is developing and writing module, module validation, product testing, revision, and the resulting an end-product results module development. The fourth stage is Disseminate, which is disseminating of the valid products. Modules were validated by education experts, practitioners, subject matter experts, and expert of online media. The results of the validation module indicated that the module was valid and could be used in teaching and learning. In the validation phase of testing methods, we used experiments to know the difference of metacognitive skills and learning outcomes between the control group and experimental group. The experimental design was a one group pretest-posttest design. The results of the data analysis showed that the modules could enhance metacognitive skills and learning outcomes. The advantages of this module is as follows, 1) module is accompanied by a video link on a website that contains practical activities that are appropriate to Curriculum 2013, 2) module is accompanied by a video link on a website that contains about manual laboratory activities that will be used in the classroom face-to-face, so that students are ready when doing laboratory activities, 3) this module can be online through chat to increase students’ understanding. The disadvantages of this module are the material presented in

Development of an e-Learning Research Module Using Multimedia Instruction Approach.

PubMed

Kowitlawakul, Yanika; Chan, Moon Fai; Tan, Sharon Swee Lin; Soong, Alan Swee Kit; Chan, Sally Wai Chi

2017-03-01

Students nowadays feel more comfortable with new technologies, which increase their motivation and, as a result, improve their academic performance. In the last two decades, the use of information communication technology has been increasing in many disciplines in higher education. Online learning or e-learning has been used and integrated into the curriculum around the world. A team of nursing faculty and educational technology specialists have developed an e-learning research module and integrate it into the nursing curriculum. The aim was to assist master of nursing and postgraduate nursing students in developing their research knowledge before and throughout their enrollment in the research course. This e-learning module includes interactive multimedia such as audiovisual presentation, graphical theme, animation, case-based learning, and pretest and posttest for each topic area. The module focuses on three main topic areas: (1) basic research principles (for review), (2) quantitative method, and (3) qualitative method. The e-learning module is an innovative use of the information and communication technology to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes in a local context. This article discusses the development journey, piloting process, including the variety of evaluation perspectives, and the ways in which the results influenced the e-learning resource before its wider distribution.

Human Driving Forces and Their Impacts on Land Use/Land Cover. Hands-On! Developing Active Learning Modules on the Human Dimensions of Global Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moser, Susanne

This learning module aims to engage students in problem solving, critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and cooperative learning. The module is appropriate for use in any introductory or intermediate undergraduate course that focuses on human-environment relationships. The module explains that land use/cover change has occurred at all times in all…

Motivation, Confidence, and Control; Unraveling Active Learning for Nutrition and Food Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paxman, Jenny R.; Nield, Kevin; Hall, Anna C.

2011-01-01

Abstract: Nutrition and food students at Sheffield Hallam University completed an "active learning" assessment as part of a final year module, Applied Nutrition 2. The purpose of the "active learning" assessment was to encourage and enhance learner autonomy. The assessment consisted of 5 main stages: a briefing, thought shower,…

Testing of dual-junction SCARLET modules and cells plus lessons learned

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eskenazi, M.I.; Murphy, D.M.; Ralph, E.L.

1997-12-31

Key simulator test methods and results for Solar Concentrator Array with Refractive Linear Element Technology (SCARLET) cells, modules, and module strings are presented from the NASA/JPL New Millennium DS1 program. Important observations and lessons learned are discussed. These findings include: (1) a significant efficiency increase for shunted low performing 1 sun cells at SCARLET`s {approximately}7 sun concentration, (2) a decrease in temperature coefficient under SCARLET concentration, and (3) the importance of active germanium (third junction) screening during GaInP{sub 2}/GaAs/Ge cell production especially when red reflecting covers are used.

Environmental health and nursing: piloting a technology-enhanced distance learning module.

PubMed

Olson, Debra; Stedman-Smith, Maggie; Fredrickson, Ann

2005-08-01

The results of a pilot study evaluating a technology-enhanced distance learning module to impart environmental health core concepts to nurses are presented in this article. The internet-based module was developed for continuing professional education and imparts principles of adult education through interactive features including simulated clinical vignettes, an environmental justice case study, and hyperlinks to websites related to environmental protection and health regulation. Mean gains between pre- and post-tests; participant identification of adult learning principles as advanced by Knowles, Holton, and Swanson (1998); and satisfaction were measured among participating RNs (N = 34). A 6% mean gain in learning occurred between pre- and post-tests (95% CI .51 to 1.37, p < .0001). No significant differences in learning occurred for those who prefer face-to-face instruction and those who tend to procrastinate. Ninety-four percent of respondents indicated they were satisfied or very satisfied with the module. A strong association was found between recognition of adult learning principles as enhancing the assimilation of knowledge and competencies of environmental health and high satisfaction with the module. Distance learning via the Internet shows promise as a format to promote environmental health education for nurses.

Learning Outcomes of Factual Knowledge: A Comparison of Module and No Module Conditions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

IRIS Center, 2017

2017-01-01

During the 2004-2005 academic year, a study of the learning outcomes associated with the use of an IRIS Module was conducted at a large urban campus with a diverse student body. The module's content pertained to instructional accommodations for students with visual disabilities. In an introductory class aimed primarily at general and special…

A Firefly Learning Module for Environmental Sustainable Development in Samutsongkhram Province, Thailand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

To-Im, Jongdee; Klunklueng, Arunwan

2012-01-01

A firefly learning module for the sustainable development was developed for Thai secondary school students in the study province. A deeper connection between environment, social and economic dimensions, which lies at the core of sustainability, became the key issue for this learning module. Also an important dimension of the module was the…

Drafting. Technology Learning Activity. Teacher Edition. Technology Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

This packet of technology learning activity (TLA) materials for drafting for students in grades 6-10 consists of an instructor's section and student materials. The instructor's section contains background information, suggested activities, and a list of suggested resources. A lesson plan for the 8-day module includes assignments; equipment, tools,…

Dopamine Promotes Motor Cortex Plasticity and Motor Skill Learning via PLC Activation

PubMed Central

Rioult-Pedotti, Mengia-Seraina; Pekanovic, Ana; Atiemo, Clement Osei; Marshall, John; Luft, Andreas Rüdiger

2015-01-01

Dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area, the major midbrain nucleus projecting to the motor cortex, play a key role in motor skill learning and motor cortex synaptic plasticity. Dopamine D1 and D2 receptor antagonists exert parallel effects in the motor system: they impair motor skill learning and reduce long-term potentiation. Traditionally, D1 and D2 receptor modulate adenylyl cyclase activity and cyclic adenosine monophosphate accumulation in opposite directions via different G-proteins and bidirectionally modulate protein kinase A (PKA), leading to distinct physiological and behavioral effects. Here we show that D1 and D2 receptor activity influences motor skill acquisition and long term synaptic potentiation via phospholipase C (PLC) activation in rat primary motor cortex. Learning a new forelimb reaching task is severely impaired in the presence of PLC, but not PKA-inhibitor. Similarly, long term potentiation in motor cortex, a mechanism involved in motor skill learning, is reduced when PLC is inhibited but remains unaffected by the PKA inhibitor. Skill learning deficits and reduced synaptic plasticity caused by dopamine antagonists are prevented by co-administration of a PLC agonist. These results provide evidence for a role of intracellular PLC signaling in motor skill learning and associated cortical synaptic plasticity, challenging the traditional view of bidirectional modulation of PKA by D1 and D2 receptors. These findings reveal a novel and important action of dopamine in motor cortex that might be a future target for selective therapeutic interventions to support learning and recovery of movement resulting from injury and disease. PMID:25938462

Development of a Pilot Learning Module on Water Energy Nexus Using a Data-Analytic and Hypothesis-Driven Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eldardiry, H. A.; Unruh, H. G., Sr.; Habib, E. H.; Tidwell, V. C.

2016-12-01

Recent community initiatives have identified key foundational knowledge gaps that need to be addressed before transformative solutions can be made in the area of Food, Energy and Water (FEW) nexus. In addition, knowledge gaps also exist in the area of FEW education and needs to be addressed before we can make an impact on building the next generation FEW workforces. This study reports on the development of a pilot learning-module that focuses on two elements of the FEW nexus, Energy and Water. The module follows an active-learning approach to develop a set of student-centered learning activities using FEW datasets situated in real-world settings in the contiguous US. The module is based on data-driven learning exercises that incorporate different geospatial layers and manipulate datasets at a watershed scale representing the eight-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC8). Examples of such datasets include water usage by different demand sectors (available from the US Geological Survey, USGS), and power plants stratified by energy source, cooling technology, and plant capacity (available from the US Energy Information Administration, EIA). The module is structured in three sections: (1) introduction to the water and energy systems, (2) quantifying stresses on water system at a catchment scale, and (3) scenario-based analysis on the interdependencies in the water-energy systems. Following a data-analytic framework, the module guides students to make different assumptions about water use growth rates and see how these new water demands will impinge on freshwater supplies. The module engages students in analysis that examines how thermoelectric water use would depend on assumptions about future demand for electricity, power plant fuel source, cooling type, and carbon sequestration. Students vary the input parameters, observe and assess the effect on water use, and address gaps via non-potable water resources (e.g., municipal wastewater). The module is implemented using a web

Interactive web-based learning modules prior to general medicine advanced pharmacy practice experiences.

PubMed

Isaacs, Alex N; Walton, Alison M; Nisly, Sarah A

2015-04-25

To implement and evaluate interactive web-based learning modules prior to advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) on inpatient general medicine. Three clinical web-based learning modules were developed for use prior to APPEs in 4 health care systems. The aim of the interactive modules was to strengthen baseline clinical knowledge before the APPE to enable the application of learned material through the delivery of patient care. For the primary endpoint, postassessment scores increased overall and for each individual module compared to preassessment scores. Postassessment scores were similar among the health care systems. The survey demonstrated positive student perceptions of this learning experience. Prior to inpatient general medicine APPEs, web-based learning enabled the standardization and assessment of baseline student knowledge across 4 health care systems.

Finding a Way: Learning Activities in Geography for Grades 7-11.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Council for Geographic Education.

This set of curriculum modules contains geography learning activities that emphasize strategies to encourage young women in geography and social studies classes. Compiled in an effort to improve the motivation and achievement levels of students in geography classrooms, grades 7-11, the modules aim to boost academic performance and overall interest…

Dynamic e-Learning Modules for Student Lecture Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntyre, Timothy; Wegener, Margaret; McGrath, Dominic

2018-01-01

We have developed and demonstrated the effectiveness of a set of online interactive learning modules to accompany physics courses at first- and second-year university levels. Students access the modules prior to attending lectures to familiarize themselves with content which is then discussed and reaffirmed in class. Student surveys and access…

Online Video Modules for Improvement in Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lancellotti, Matthew; Thomas, Sunil; Kohli, Chiranjeev

2016-01-01

The objective of this teaching innovation was to incorporate a comprehensive set of short online video modules covering key topics from the undergraduate principles of marketing class, and to evaluate its effectiveness in improving student learning. A quasiexperimental design was used to compare students who had access to video modules with a…

Adapting the Training Site to Training Needs. Self-Paced Instructional Module. Module Number VII-A.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Sylvester; Brooks, Kent

One of 33 self-paced instructional modules for training industry services leaders to provide guidance in the performance of manpower services by public agencies to new and expanding private industry, this module contains three sequential learning activities on adapting the training site to training needs. The first learning activity is designed to…

Workshop on active learning: two examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben Lakhdar, Zohra; Lahmar, Souad; Lakshminarayanan, Vasudevan

2014-07-01

Optics is an enabling science that has far ranging importance in many diverse fields. However, many students do not find it to be of great interest. A solution to this problem is to train teachers in active learning methodologies so that the subject matter can be presented to generate student interest. We describe a workshop to present an example of an active learning process in Optics developed for training of teachers in developing countries (a UNESCO project) and will focus on 2 two different activities: 1. Interference and diffraction is considered by students as being very hard to understand and is taught in most developing countries as purely theoretical with almost no experiments. Simple experiments to enhance the conceptual understanding of these wave phenomena will be presented and 2. Image formation by the eye. Here we will discuss myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism as well as accommodation. In this module we will discuss image. The objective of the workshop will be to provide an experience of the use of the active learning method in optics including the use of experiments, mind's on and hands-on exercises, group and class discussions

As We Teach and Learn: Recognizing Our Catholic Identity. Module 4: Service Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grace, Bill; Ristau, Karen, Ed.; Haney, Regina, Ed.

The As We Teach and Learn program consists of an instrument to assess the Catholic dimension of a school and is designed to be used with study modules in a faculty-meeting format. Module topics include: "Faith Community"; "Faith Development"; "Religion Curriculum Articulation: Faith as the Root of all Instruction";…

Empathy and feedback processing in active and observational learning.

PubMed

Rak, Natalia; Bellebaum, Christian; Thoma, Patrizia

2013-12-01

The feedback-related negativity (FRN) and the P300 have been related to the processing of one's own and other individuals' feedback during both active and observational learning. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the role of trait-empathic responding with regard to the modulation of the neural correlates of observational learning in particular. Thirty-four healthy participants completed an active and an observational learning task. On both tasks, the participants' aim was to maximize their monetary gain by choosing from two stimuli the one that showed the higher probability of reward. Participants gained insight into the stimulus-reward contingencies according to monetary feedback presented after they had made an active choice or by observing the choices of a virtual partner. Participants showed a general improvement in learning performance on both learning tasks. P200, FRN, and P300 amplitudes were larger during active, as compared with observational, learning. Furthermore, nonreward elicited a significantly more negative FRN than did reward in the active learning task, while only a trend was observed for observational learning. Distinct subcomponents of trait cognitive empathy were related to poorer performance and smaller P300 amplitudes for observational learning only. Taken together, both the learning performance and event-related potentials during observational learning are affected by different aspects of trait cognitive empathy, and certain types of observational learning may actually be disrupted by a higher tendency to understand and adopt other people's perspectives.

A learning progression based teaching module on the causes of seasons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galano, S.

2016-03-01

In this paper, we report about designing and validating a teaching learning module based on a learning progression and focused on the causes of seasons. An initial learning progression about the Celestial Motion big idea -causes of seasons, lunar and solar eclipse and Moon phases- was developed and validated. Existing curricula, research studies on alternative conceptions about these phenomena, and students' answers to an open questionnaire were the starting point to develop initial learning progressions; then, a two-tier multiple-choice questionnaire was designed to validate and improve it. The questionnaire was submitted to about 300 secondary-school students whose answers were used to revise the hypothesized learning progressions. This improved version of the learning progression was used to design a module focused on the causes of seasons in which students were engaged in quantitative measurements with a photovoltaic panel to explain changes of the Sun rays' flow on the Earth's surface over the year. The efficacy of our module in improving students' understanding of the phenomenon of the seasons was tested using our questionnaire as pre- and post-test.

Instructional and Learning Modes in Math. Module CMM:006:02.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rexroat, Melvin E.

This is the second module in a series on mathematics methods and materials for preservice elementary teachers. This module focuses on three instructional and learning modes: expository, guided discovery, and inquiry (pure discovery). Objectives for the module are listed, the prerequisites are stated, pre- and post-assessment standards are…

Think Locally, Act Globally! Linking Local and Global Communities through Democracy and Environment. Hands-On! Developing Active Learning Modules on the Human Dimensions of Global Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dowler, Lorraine

Designed so that it can be adapted to a wide range of student abilities and institutional settings, this learning module on the human dimensions of global change seeks to: actively engage students in problem solving, challenge them to think critically, invite them to participate in the process of scientific inquiry, and involve them in cooperative…

Population Growth, Energy Use, and Pollution: Understanding the Driving Forces of Global Change. Hands-On! Developing Active Learning Modules on the Human Dimensions of Global Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuby, Michael

Since the beginning of the scientific revolution in the 1700s, the absolute scale of the human economy has increased many times over, and, with it, the impact on the natural environment. This learning module's activities introduce the student to linkages among population growth, energy use, level of economic and technological development and their…

Human Development Student Modules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South Carolina State Dept. of Education, Columbia. Office of Vocational Education.

This set of 61 student learning modules deals with various topics pertaining to human development. The modules, which are designed for use in performance-based vocational education programs, each contain the following components: an introduction for the student, a performance objective, a variety of learning activities, content information, a…

Residential Construction. Technology Learning Activity. Teacher Edition. Technology Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

This packet of technology learning activity (TLA) materials for residential construction for students in grades 6-10 consists of an instructor's section and student materials. The instructor's section contains background information, suggested activities, and a list of suggested resources. A lesson plan for the 10-day module includes assignments;…

Challenge-Based Instruction: The VaNTH Biomechanics Learning Modules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barr, Ronald E.; Pandy, Marcus G.; Petrosino, Anthony J.; Roselli, Robert J.; Brophy, Sean; Freeman, Robert A.

2007-01-01

This paper presents the methodology and results of teaching an entire engineering course using challenge-based instruction. The challenges consisted of eight biomechanics multimedia learning modules developed by the authors as part of a broader NSF educational coalition. The biomechanics modules were presented in an undergraduate mechanical…

Active-learning assignments to integrate basic science and clinical course material.

PubMed

Marshall, Leisa L; Nykamp, Diane

2010-09-10

To develop, implement, and evaluate active-learning exercises requiring the integration and application of pathophysiology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutics knowledge of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis to formulate therapeutic recommendations for patients with musculoskeletal disorders. Two team-based case study exercises, one evaluating a patient with osteoarthritis and the second, a patient with rheumatoid arthritis, were developed, incorporating material and questions from pathophysiology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutics. The learning assignments were implemented in a required pharmacotherapy module. Student learning was evaluated using performance on the team-based case study exercises and on 2 examinations. A standard student course evaluation was used to assess students' impressions of the learning activity. The mean student grades for the osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis activities were 9.1 and 8.9, respectively, on a 10-point scale. The majority of students indicated that the learning exercises were more than adequate to excellent in helping students learn. The addition of active-learning activities was successful in teaching pharmacy students the knowledge needed to formulate therapeutic recommendations for patients with musculoskeletal disorders.

Module Fifteen: Special Topics; Basic Electricity and Electronics Individualized Learning System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bureau of Naval Personnel, Washington, DC.

The final module emphasizes utilizing the information learned in modules 1-14 to analyze and evaluate the power supply constructed in Module 0. The module contains the following narrative--power supply evaluation; experiment 1--resistance analysis of the half-wave and semiconductor power supply; experiment 2--voltage analysis of the half-wave and…

Activation of β-adrenoceptor facilitates active avoidance learning through enhancement of glutamate levels in the hippocampal dentate gyrus.

PubMed

Lv, Jing; Feng, Hao; Chen, Ling; Wang, Wei-Yao; Yue, Xue-Ling; Jin, Qing-Hua

2017-10-18

Long-term potentiation (LTP) is widely accepted as the best studied model for neurophysiological mechanisms that could underlie learning and memory formation. Despite a number of studies indicating that β-adrenoceptors in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) is involved in the modulation of learning and memory as well as LTP, few studies have used glutamate release as a visual indicator in awake animals to explore the role of β-adrenoceptors in learning-dependent LTP. Therefore, in the present study, the effects of propranolol (an antagonist of β-adrenoceptor) and isoproterenol (an agonist of β-adrenoceptor) on extracellular concentrations of glutamate and amplitudes of field excitatory postsynaptic potential were measured in the DG region during active avoidance learning in freely moving conscious rats. In the control group, the glutamate level in the DG was significantly increased during the acquisition of active avoidance behavior and returned to basal level following extinction training. In propranolol group, antagonism of β-adrenoceptors in the DG significantly reduced the change in glutamate level, and the acquisition of the active avoidance behavior was significantly inhibited. In contrast, the change in glutamate level was significantly enhanced by isoproterenol, and the acquisition of the active avoidance behavior was significantly accelerated. Furthermore, in all groups, the changes in glutamate level were accompanied by corresponding changes in field excitatory postsynaptic potential amplitude and active avoidance behavior. Our results suggest that activation of β-adrenoceptors in the hippocampal DG facilitates active avoidance learning by modulations of glutamate level and synaptic efficiency in rats.

Comparing the efficacy of multimedia modules with traditional textbooks for learning introductory physics content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stelzer, Timothy; Gladding, Gary; Mestre, José P.; Brookes, David T.

2009-02-01

We compared the efficacy of multimedia learning modules with traditional textbooks for the first few topics of a calculus-based introductory electricity and magnetism course. Students were randomly assigned to three groups. One group received the multimedia learning module presentations, and the other two received the presentations via written text. All students were then tested on their learning immediately following the presentations as well as 2weeks later. The students receiving the multimedia learning modules performed significantly better on both tests than the students experiencing the text-based presentations.

Motor imagery learning modulates functional connectivity of multiple brain systems in resting state.

PubMed

Zhang, Hang; Long, Zhiying; Ge, Ruiyang; Xu, Lele; Jin, Zhen; Yao, Li; Liu, Yijun

2014-01-01

Learning motor skills involves subsequent modulation of resting-state functional connectivity in the sensory-motor system. This idea was mostly derived from the investigations on motor execution learning which mainly recruits the processing of sensory-motor information. Behavioral evidences demonstrated that motor skills in our daily lives could be learned through imagery procedures. However, it remains unclear whether the modulation of resting-state functional connectivity also exists in the sensory-motor system after motor imagery learning. We performed a fMRI investigation on motor imagery learning from resting state. Based on previous studies, we identified eight sensory and cognitive resting-state networks (RSNs) corresponding to the brain systems and further explored the functional connectivity of these RSNs through the assessments, connectivity and network strengths before and after the two-week consecutive learning. Two intriguing results were revealed: (1) The sensory RSNs, specifically sensory-motor and lateral visual networks exhibited greater connectivity strengths in precuneus and fusiform gyrus after learning; (2) Decreased network strength induced by learning was proved in the default mode network, a cognitive RSN. These results indicated that resting-state functional connectivity could be modulated by motor imagery learning in multiple brain systems, and such modulation displayed in the sensory-motor, visual and default brain systems may be associated with the establishment of motor schema and the regulation of introspective thought. These findings further revealed the neural substrates underlying motor skill learning and potentially provided new insights into the therapeutic benefits of motor imagery learning.

Politicizing Sociology through a Bill of Rights Learning Module

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweet, Stephen

2009-01-01

Writers in this journal have presented a number of strategies that sociology teachers can use to facilitate the expression--and serious analysis--of unpopular opinions. This article contributes to this dialog by illustrating the application of a Bill of Rights learning module. In this module, students are expected to create a document that…

Potentiating mGluR5 Function with a Positive Allosteric Modulator Enhances Adaptive Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xu, Jian; Zhu, Yongling; Kraniotis, Stephen; He, Qionger; Marshall, John J.; Nomura, Toshihiro; Stauffer, Shaun R.; Lindsley, Craig W.; Conn, P. Jeffrey; Contractor, Anis

2013-01-01

Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) plays important roles in modulating neural activity and plasticity and has been associated with several neuropathological disorders. Previous work has shown that genetic ablation or pharmacological inhibition of mGluR5 disrupts fear extinction and spatial reversal learning, suggesting that mGluR5…

Effect of Active Learning Techniques on Students' Choice of Approach to Learning in Dentistry: A South African Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, S.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this article is to report on empirical work, related to a techniques module, undertaken with the dental students of the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. I will relate how a range of different active learning techniques (tutorials; question papers and mock tests) assisted students to adopt a deep approach to learning in…

Motor Imagery Learning Modulates Functional Connectivity of Multiple Brain Systems in Resting State

PubMed Central

Zhang, Hang; Long, Zhiying; Ge, Ruiyang; Xu, Lele; Jin, Zhen; Yao, Li; Liu, Yijun

2014-01-01

Background Learning motor skills involves subsequent modulation of resting-state functional connectivity in the sensory-motor system. This idea was mostly derived from the investigations on motor execution learning which mainly recruits the processing of sensory-motor information. Behavioral evidences demonstrated that motor skills in our daily lives could be learned through imagery procedures. However, it remains unclear whether the modulation of resting-state functional connectivity also exists in the sensory-motor system after motor imagery learning. Methodology/Principal Findings We performed a fMRI investigation on motor imagery learning from resting state. Based on previous studies, we identified eight sensory and cognitive resting-state networks (RSNs) corresponding to the brain systems and further explored the functional connectivity of these RSNs through the assessments, connectivity and network strengths before and after the two-week consecutive learning. Two intriguing results were revealed: (1) The sensory RSNs, specifically sensory-motor and lateral visual networks exhibited greater connectivity strengths in precuneus and fusiform gyrus after learning; (2) Decreased network strength induced by learning was proved in the default mode network, a cognitive RSN. Conclusions/Significance These results indicated that resting-state functional connectivity could be modulated by motor imagery learning in multiple brain systems, and such modulation displayed in the sensory-motor, visual and default brain systems may be associated with the establishment of motor schema and the regulation of introspective thought. These findings further revealed the neural substrates underlying motor skill learning and potentially provided new insights into the therapeutic benefits of motor imagery learning. PMID:24465577

Trends in free WWW-based E-learning Modules seen from the Learning Resource Server Medicine (LRSMed).

PubMed

Stausberg, Jürgen; Geueke, Martin; Bludßat, Kevin

2005-01-01

Despite the lost enthusiasm concerning E-learning a lot of material is available on the World Wide Web (WWW) free of charge. This material is collected and systematically described by services like the Learning Resource Server Medicine (LRSMed) at http://mmedia.medizin.uni-essen.de/portal/. With the LRSMed E-learning modules are made available for medical students by means of a metadata description that can be used for a catalogue search. The number of resources included has risen enormously from 100 in 1999 up to 805 today. Especially in 2004 there was an exponential increase in the LRSMed's content. Anatomy is still the field with the highest amount of available material, but general medicine has improved its position over the years and is now the second one. Technically and didactically simple material as scripts, textbooks, and link lists (called info services) is still dominating. Similar to 1999, there is not one module which could be truly referred to as tutorial dialogue. Simple material can not replace face-to-face-teaching. But it could be combined with conventional courses to establish some kind of blending learning. The scene of free E-learning modules on the WWW is ready to meet current challenges for efficient training of students and continuing education in medicine.

Working with interpreters: an interactive Web-based learning module.

PubMed

Kalet, Adina; Gany, Francesca; Senter, Lindsay

2002-09-01

Medical students are presented with unique challenges when they care for patients with limited English proficiency. Students must learn a complex set of skills needed to care for patients across cultural and language barriers and to understand the impact of their own attitudes and beliefs about caring for these patients. We developed and piloted a multimedia interactive Web-based module aimed at teaching students effective strategies for working with interpreters and diverse patient populations, and at raising their awareness of important legal, ethical, and cultural issues. First the learner completes a 37-multiple-choice-question (MCQ) pre-test that assesses attitudes, factual knowledge, and ability to analyze written clinical scenarios relevant to the module's content. Learners are then shown a series of professionally produced video vignettes, which reflect diverse patient populations, interpreters, and effectiveness of interpretation strategies (e.g., a Russian-speaking woman with chest pain whose daughter interprets, a medical student interpreting for a Chinese-speaking man using herbal medication, a Haitian woman told of an abnormal mammogram through a trained simultaneous interpreter). In each case, learners submit short answers to on-screen questions analyzing the effectiveness of the interpretation strategies demonstrated. Immediate feedback is given comparing student responses with those of experts. At any time during the module, the learners may view video commentary by legal, ethics, and cultural experts, or access a glossary and Web site links. Students conclude the module by again taking the MCQ test. A final screen compares their pre- and post-MCQ test responses and shows best answers, allowing them to assess their learning. The learners also complete a survey, providing personal cultural information and feedback on the module. All 160 first-year medical students completed the module and evaluated its effectiveness this year. On average, students

α1-Adrenoceptors in the hippocampal dentate gyrus involved in learning-dependent long-term potentiation during active-avoidance learning in rats.

PubMed

Lv, Jing; Zhan, Su-Yang; Li, Guang-Xie; Wang, Dan; Li, Ying-Shun; Jin, Qing-Hua

2016-11-09

The hippocampus is the key structure for learning and memory in mammals and long-term potentiation (LTP) is an important cellular mechanism responsible for learning and memory. The influences of norepinephrine (NE) on the modulation of learning and memory, as well as LTP, through β-adrenoceptors are well documented, whereas the role of α1-adrenoceptors in learning-dependent LTP is not yet clear. In the present study, we measured extracellular concentrations of NE in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) region using an in-vivo brain microdialysis and high-performance liquid chromatography techniques during the acquisition and extinction of active-avoidance behavior in freely moving conscious rats. Next, the effects of prazosin (an antagonist of α1-adrenoceptor) and phenylephrine (an agonist of the α1-adrenoceptor) on amplitudes of field excitatory postsynaptic potential were measured in the DG region during the active-avoidance behavior. Our results showed that the extracellular concentration of NE in the DG was significantly increased during the acquisition of active-avoidance behavior and gradually returned to the baseline level following extinction training. A local microinjection of prazosin into the DG significantly accelerated the acquisition of the active-avoidance behavior, whereas a local microinjection of phenylephrine retarded the acquisition of the active-avoidance behavior. Furthermore, in all groups, the changes in field excitatory postsynaptic potential amplitude were accompanied by corresponding changes in active-avoidance behavior. Our results suggest that NE activation of α1-adrenoceptors in the hippocampal DG inhibits active-avoidance learning by modulation of synaptic efficiency in rats.

An Evaluation Quality Framework for Analysing School-Based Learning (SBL) to Work-Based Learning (WBL) Transition Module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alseddiqi, M.; Mishra, R.; Pislaru, C.

2012-05-01

The paper presents the results from a quality framework to measure the effectiveness of a new engineering course entitled 'school-based learning (SBL) to work-based learning (WBL) transition module' in the Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) system in Bahrain. The framework is an extended version of existing information quality frameworks with respect to pedagogical and technological contexts. It incorporates specific pedagogical and technological dimensions as per the Bahrain modern industry requirements. Users' views questionnaire on the effectiveness of the new transition module was distributed to various stakeholders including TVE teachers and students. The aim was to receive critical information in diagnosing, monitoring and evaluating different views and perceptions about the effectiveness of the new module. The analysis categorised the quality dimensions by their relative importance. This was carried out using the principal component analysis available in SPSS. The analysis clearly identified the most important quality dimensions integrated in the new module for SBL-to-WBL transition. It was also apparent that the new module contains workplace proficiencies, prepares TVE students for work placement, provides effective teaching and learning methodologies, integrates innovative technology in the process of learning, meets modern industrial needs, and presents a cooperative learning environment for TVE students. From the principal component analysis finding, to calculate the percentage of relative importance of each factor and its quality dimensions, was significant. The percentage comparison would justify the most important factor as well as the most important quality dimensions. Also, the new, re-arranged quality dimensions from the finding with an extended number of factors tended to improve the extended version of the quality information framework to a revised quality framework.

Dissociation between active and observational learning from positive and negative feedback in Parkinsonism.

PubMed

Kobza, Stefan; Ferrea, Stefano; Schnitzler, Alfons; Pollok, Bettina; Südmeyer, Martin; Bellebaum, Christian

2012-01-01

Feedback to both actively performed and observed behaviour allows adaptation of future actions. Positive feedback leads to increased activity of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra, whereas dopamine neuron activity is decreased following negative feedback. Dopamine level reduction in unmedicated Parkinson's Disease patients has been shown to lead to a negative learning bias, i.e. enhanced learning from negative feedback. Recent findings suggest that the neural mechanisms of active and observational learning from feedback might differ, with the striatum playing a less prominent role in observational learning. Therefore, it was hypothesized that unmedicated Parkinson's Disease patients would show a negative learning bias only in active but not in observational learning. In a between-group design, 19 Parkinson's Disease patients and 40 healthy controls engaged in either an active or an observational probabilistic feedback-learning task. For both tasks, transfer phases aimed to assess the bias to learn better from positive or negative feedback. As expected, actively learning patients showed a negative learning bias, whereas controls learned better from positive feedback. In contrast, no difference between patients and controls emerged for observational learning, with both groups showing better learning from positive feedback. These findings add to neural models of reinforcement-learning by suggesting that dopamine-modulated input to the striatum plays a minor role in observational learning from feedback. Future research will have to elucidate the specific neural underpinnings of observational learning.

Module Eleven: Capacitance; Basic Electricity and Electronics Individualized Learning System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bureau of Naval Personnel, Washington, DC.

In this module the student will learn about another circuit quantity, capacitance, and discover the effects of this component on circuit current, voltage, and power. The module is divided into seven lessons: the capacitor, theory of capacitance, total capacitance, RC (resistive-capacitive circuit) time constant, capacitive reactance, phase and…

The control of tonic pain by active relief learning

PubMed Central

Mano, Hiroaki; Lee, Michael; Yoshida, Wako; Kawato, Mitsuo; Robbins, Trevor W

2018-01-01

Tonic pain after injury characterises a behavioural state that prioritises recovery. Although generally suppressing cognition and attention, tonic pain needs to allow effective relief learning to reduce the cause of the pain. Here, we describe a central learning circuit that supports learning of relief and concurrently suppresses the level of ongoing pain. We used computational modelling of behavioural, physiological and neuroimaging data in two experiments in which subjects learned to terminate tonic pain in static and dynamic escape-learning paradigms. In both studies, we show that active relief-seeking involves a reinforcement learning process manifest by error signals observed in the dorsal putamen. Critically, this system uses an uncertainty (‘associability’) signal detected in pregenual anterior cingulate cortex that both controls the relief learning rate, and endogenously and parametrically modulates the level of tonic pain. The results define a self-organising learning circuit that reduces ongoing pain when learning about potential relief. PMID:29482716

Effects of a blended learning module on self-reported learning performances in baccalaureate nursing students.

PubMed

Hsu, Li-Ling; Hsieh, Suh-Ing

2011-11-01

This article is a report of a quasi-experimental study of the effects of blended modules on nursing students' learning of ethics course content. There is yet to be an empirically supported mix of strategies on which a working blended learning model can be built for nursing education. This was a two-group pretest and post-test quasi-experimental study in 2008 involving a total of 233 students. Two of the five clusters were designated the experimental group to experience a blended learning model, and the rest were designated the control group to be given classroom lectures only. The Case Analysis Attitude Scale, Case Analysis Self-Evaluation Scale, Blended Learning Satisfaction Scale, and Metacognition Scale were used in pretests and post-tests for the students to rate their own performance. In this study, the experimental group did not register significantly higher mean scores on the Case Analysis Attitude Scale at post-test and higher mean ranks on the Case Analysis Self-Evaluation Scale, the Blended Learning Satisfaction Scale, and the Metacognition Scale at post-test than the control group. Moreover, the experimental group registered significant progress in the mean ranks on the Case Analysis Self-Evaluation Scale and the Metacognition Scale from pretest to post-test. No between-subjects effects of four scales at post-test were found. Newly developed course modules, be it blended learning or a combination of traditional and innovative components, should be tested repeatedly for effectiveness and popularity for the purpose of facilitating the ultimate creation of a most effective course module for nursing education. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

A Matlab/Simulink-Based Interactive Module for Servo Systems Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aliane, N.

2010-01-01

This paper presents an interactive module for learning both the fundamental and practical issues of servo systems. This module, developed using Simulink in conjunction with the Matlab graphical user interface (Matlab-GUI) tool, is used to supplement conventional lectures in control engineering and robotics subjects. First, the paper introduces the…

[Development and experimentation of a health promotion and health education module in the context of an on-line distance learning programme].

PubMed

Billot, Dominique

2007-01-01

The article presents the evolution of a health promotion and health education training module within the contexts of the development of a new on-line learning programme. Relying upon validated theoretical models, each step of the module's development is explicitly described, from the needs assessment phase to the experimental one. A detailed needs assessment brings to light the limitations of a traditional distance-learning module with regard to the very specific needs of students. The learning objectives were formulated to catch up with and be more in sync with the skills and competencies held and carried out by the educators in the field. The teaching methods were selected for their attributes of being more active and more diverse. Formative evaluation is introduced and certificatory evaluation aims to corroborate with the teaching objectives. Immediate results from experimentation done in these early stages gives prominence to the added value of this new on-line module, which appears to be much more adapted to the students' needs.

[Effect of serotonin-modulated anticonsolidation protein on formation of long-term memory in carps Cyprinus carpio in the model of active avoidance learning].

PubMed

Garina, D V; Mekhtiev, A A

2014-01-01

Effect of serotonin-modulated anticonsolidation protein (SMAP) that has property of disturbing formation of memory trace in mammals and of learning and memory in teleost fish was studied in the model of active avoidance learning. The experiment was performed in three stages: (1) fry of carps Cyprinus carpio L. was injected intracerebrovenricularly with the SMAP protein at a dose of 0.3 μg/g; control individuals were administered with equal amount of the buffered saline for poikilothermic animals; (2) 24 h after the injection, fish were learnt during 8 sèances for 2 days the conditioned reflex of active avoidance; (3) 48 h after the learning the testing of the skill was performed. The administration of the protein was shown to lead to disturbance of reproduction of the skill in the fish: the latent time of the skill reproduction in experimental individuals exceeded that in control fish more than two times, while the number of individuals succeeding the task in the experimental group was non-significantly lower than in the control group. However, unlike mammals, injection of the SMAP protein in this model produced no effect on the process of learning in carps. Thus, there was first demonstrated the inhibiting effect of the SMAP protein whose concentration correlated positively with the content of the neurotransmitter serotonin in brain on consolidation of memory traces in teleost fish.

Active Democratic Citizenship and Service-Learning in the Postgraduate Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Clodagh

2010-01-01

This article investigates the use of service-learning in teaching active democratic citizenship in the postgraduate classroom. In particular it draws on a case study of an MBS Government module (GV6104) entitled "Political Participation and Mobilisation" that explores the relationship between democracy and participation. Students of this…

Dissociation between Active and Observational Learning from Positive and Negative Feedback in Parkinsonism

PubMed Central

Kobza, Stefan; Ferrea, Stefano; Schnitzler, Alfons; Pollok, Bettina

2012-01-01

Feedback to both actively performed and observed behaviour allows adaptation of future actions. Positive feedback leads to increased activity of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra, whereas dopamine neuron activity is decreased following negative feedback. Dopamine level reduction in unmedicated Parkinson’s Disease patients has been shown to lead to a negative learning bias, i.e. enhanced learning from negative feedback. Recent findings suggest that the neural mechanisms of active and observational learning from feedback might differ, with the striatum playing a less prominent role in observational learning. Therefore, it was hypothesized that unmedicated Parkinson’s Disease patients would show a negative learning bias only in active but not in observational learning. In a between-group design, 19 Parkinson’s Disease patients and 40 healthy controls engaged in either an active or an observational probabilistic feedback-learning task. For both tasks, transfer phases aimed to assess the bias to learn better from positive or negative feedback. As expected, actively learning patients showed a negative learning bias, whereas controls learned better from positive feedback. In contrast, no difference between patients and controls emerged for observational learning, with both groups showing better learning from positive feedback. These findings add to neural models of reinforcement-learning by suggesting that dopamine-modulated input to the striatum plays a minor role in observational learning from feedback. Future research will have to elucidate the specific neural underpinnings of observational learning. PMID:23185586

Enhanced multisensory integration and motor reactivation after active motor learning of audiovisual associations.

PubMed

Butler, Andrew J; James, Thomas W; James, Karin Harman

2011-11-01

Everyday experience affords us many opportunities to learn about objects through multiple senses using physical interaction. Previous work has shown that active motor learning of unisensory items enhances memory and leads to the involvement of motor systems during subsequent perception. However, the impact of active motor learning on subsequent perception and recognition of associations among multiple senses has not been investigated. Twenty participants were included in an fMRI study that explored the impact of active motor learning on subsequent processing of unisensory and multisensory stimuli. Participants were exposed to visuo-motor associations between novel objects and novel sounds either through self-generated actions on the objects or by observing an experimenter produce the actions. Immediately after exposure, accuracy, RT, and BOLD fMRI measures were collected with unisensory and multisensory stimuli in associative perception and recognition tasks. Response times during audiovisual associative and unisensory recognition were enhanced by active learning, as was accuracy during audiovisual associative recognition. The difference in motor cortex activation between old and new associations was greater for the active than the passive group. Furthermore, functional connectivity between visual and motor cortices was stronger after active learning than passive learning. Active learning also led to greater activation of the fusiform gyrus during subsequent unisensory visual perception. Finally, brain regions implicated in audiovisual integration (e.g., STS) showed greater multisensory gain after active learning than after passive learning. Overall, the results show that active motor learning modulates the processing of multisensory associations.

Review article: Critical Care Airway Management eLearning modules.

PubMed

Doshi, Deepak; McCarthy, Sally; Mowatt, Elizabeth; Cahill, Angela; Peirce, Bronwyn; Hawking, Geoff; Osborne, Ruth; Hibble, Belinda; Ebbs, Katharine

2017-11-16

The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) has recently launched the Critical Care Airway Management eLearning modules to support emergency medicine trainees in developing their airway management skills in the ED. A team of emergency physicians and trainees worked collaboratively to develop the eLearning resources ensuring extensive stakeholder consultation. A comprehensive resource manual was written to provide learners with knowledge that underpins the modules. ACEM provided project coordination as well as administrative and technical team support to the production. Although specifically developed with early ACEM trainees in mind, it is envisaged the resources will be useful for all emergency clinicians. The project was funded by the Australian Commonwealth Department of Health. © 2017 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Individual differences in sensitivity to reward and punishment and neural activity during reward and avoidance learning

PubMed Central

Yoon, HeungSik; Kim, Hackjin; Hamann, Stephan

2015-01-01

In this functional neuroimaging study, we investigated neural activations during the process of learning to gain monetary rewards and to avoid monetary loss, and how these activations are modulated by individual differences in reward and punishment sensitivity. Healthy young volunteers performed a reinforcement learning task where they chose one of two fractal stimuli associated with monetary gain (reward trials) or avoidance of monetary loss (avoidance trials). Trait sensitivity to reward and punishment was assessed using the behavioral inhibition/activation scales (BIS/BAS). Functional neuroimaging results showed activation of the striatum during the anticipation and reception periods of reward trials. During avoidance trials, activation of the dorsal striatum and prefrontal regions was found. As expected, individual differences in reward sensitivity were positively associated with activation in the left and right ventral striatum during reward reception. Individual differences in sensitivity to punishment were negatively associated with activation in the left dorsal striatum during avoidance anticipation and also with activation in the right lateral orbitofrontal cortex during receiving monetary loss. These results suggest that learning to attain reward and learning to avoid loss are dependent on separable sets of neural regions whose activity is modulated by trait sensitivity to reward or punishment. PMID:25680989

Getting Your Driver's License. An Adult Competency Education Learning Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Virginia

This instructional unit on getting one's driver's license is one of six Adult Competency Education Learning Modules designed for use in a program of competency-based instruction for students with intermediate reading level ability. It is self-contained and designed for immediate classroom use. The module is comprised of 4 parts and 10 lessons: The…

Module Two: Voltage; Basic Electricity and Electronics Individualized Learning System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bureau of Naval Personnel, Washington, DC.

In this module the student will study and learn what voltage is, how it is generated, what AC (alternating current) and DC (direct current) are and why both kinds are needed, and how to measure voltages. The module is divided into six lessons: EMF (electromotive force) from chemical action, magnetism, electromagnetic induction, AC voltage, the…

Evolution of interprofessional learning: Dalhousie University's "From Family Violence to Health" module.

PubMed

Johnston, Grace M; Ryding, Helen A; Campbell, Lindsay M

2003-11-01

At Dalhousie University, interprofessional (IP) learning modules are used to help future health care professionals learn to work together in resolving complex problems. One module, "From Family Violence to Health," features the role of dental professionals. This paper describes the evolution of this module from the year 2000. By February 2003, 1,182 students from 15 health care professions had completed the module. Qualitative evaluation in years 1 and 2 of the program (2000 and 2001) revealed that, before participating in the IP module, many students were able to identify a role for themselves in the recognition of family violence and knew their responsibility to report incidents. However, after participating in the module, they had a greater understanding of the reporting of family violence, a more comprehensive and supportive perspective, increased recognition of how health care professionals could work together and improved awareness of the roles of other professions. In a quantitative evaluation in year 3 (2002), mean student ratings on a scale of 1 to 5 indicated that the IP module was relevant (4.2), increased their understanding of family violence (4.0), and had some impact in promoting IP learning (3.8). As health care delivery becomes more focused on care teams and system thinking, the provision of IP training is expected to increase. The Dalhousie University IP modules (available at http://www.dal.ca/~fhp/ipl/index.html) address health and social problems for which it is critical that health care and other professionals work together. Feedback from practitioners on the development of IP education is welcomed, particularly with regard to the IP module addressing family violence.

Blended learning pedagogy designed for communication module among undergraduate nursing students: A quasi-experimental study.

PubMed

Shorey, Shefaly; Kowitlawakul, Yanika; Devi, M Kamala; Chen, Hui-Chen; Soong, Swee Kit Alan; Ang, Emily

2018-02-01

Effective communication is important for nurse and patient outcomes. Nursing students often feel unprepared to communicate effectively with patients and other healthcare workers within the clinical environment. Blended learning pedagogy-based communication skills training can provide an alternative to traditional methods of teaching to enhance students' satisfaction and self-efficacy levels in communicating with others. To examine the effectiveness of blended learning pedagogy in a redesigned communication module among nursing undergraduates in enhancing their satisfaction levels and attitudes towards learning communication module as well as self-efficacy in communication. A single group pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design was adopted. Data were collected from August 2016 to November 2016 from 124 nursing undergraduates from a leading nursing school. Blended learning pedagogy was adopted to redesign a communication module that offered a wide array of learning opportunities via face-to-face classroom and online sessions. Validated and reliable instruments were used to measure satisfaction levels with blended learning pedagogy, attitudes towards learning communication, and communication self-efficacy. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Participants had enhanced satisfaction levels with blended learning pedagogy, better attitudes in learning communication skills, and improved communication self-efficacies at posttest (week 13 of the semester) when compared with their pre-test scores (week one of the semester). Participants scored higher in the Blended Learning Satisfaction Scale, the Communication Skills Attitude Scale, and the communication skills subscale of the Nursing Students Self-Efficacy Scale. Blended learning pedagogy can be effectively used in facilitating communication modules and enhancing student outcomes among nursing undergraduates. The long-term effectiveness of using blended learning pedagogy in

Impact of Interactive e-Learning Modules on Appropriateness of Imaging Referrals: A Multicenter, Randomized, Crossover Study.

PubMed

Velan, Gary M; Goergen, Stacy K; Grimm, Jane; Shulruf, Boaz

2015-11-01

Health care expenditure on diagnostic imaging investigations is increasing, and many tests are ordered inappropriately. Validated clinical decision rules (CDRs) for certain conditions are available to aid in assessing the need for imaging. However, awareness and utilization of CDRs are lacking. This study compared the efficacy and perceived impact of interactive e-learning modules versus static versions of CDRs, for learning about appropriate imaging referrals. A multicenter, randomized, crossover trial was performed; participants were volunteer medical students and recent graduates. In week 1, group 1 received an e-learning module on appropriate imaging referrals for pulmonary embolism; group 2 received PDF versions of relevant CDRs, and an online quiz with feedback. In week 2, the groups crossed over, focusing on imaging referrals for cervical spine trauma in adults. Online assessments were administered to both groups at the end of each week, and participants completed an online questionnaire at the end of the trial. Group 1 (e-learning module) performed significantly better on the pulmonary embolism knowledge assessment. After the crossover, participants in group 2 (e-learning module) were significantly more likely to improve their scores in the assessment of cervical spine trauma knowledge. Both groups gave positive evaluations of the e-learning modules. Interactive e-learning was significantly more effective for learning in this cohort, compared with static CDRs. We believe that the authentic clinical scenarios, feedback, and integration provided by the e-learning modules contributed to their impact. This study has implications for implementation of e-learning tools to facilitate appropriate referrals for imaging investigations in clinical practice. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Housing and Home Furnishings Modules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clemson Univ., SC. Vocational Education Media Center.

These sixty-seven modules provide student materials for a home economics course in housing and home furnishings. (A companion instructor's guide is available separately--see note.) Each module contains an objective, student information, learning activities (and activity sheets as needed), student self-checks, student self-check answers, check-out…

Intercultural Learning--An Undergraduate Module Supporting the Development of Students' Cultural Awareness in International Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colaiacomo, Silvia; Puntil, Donata

2018-01-01

This report illustrates the context and development of the Intercultural Learning module, provided by the Modern Language Centre (MLC), King's College London. The Intercultural Learning Module is a one semester undergraduate course mostly attended by visiting study abroad students. The module aims to enhance students' intercultural awareness and…

High and Low Computer Self-Efficacy Groups and Their Learning Behavior from Self-Regulated Learning Perspective While Engaged in Interactive Learning Modules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santoso, Harry B.; Lawanto, Oenardi; Becker, Kurt; Fang, Ning; Reeve, Edward M.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this research was to investigate high school students' computer self-efficacy (CSE) and learning behavior in a self-regulated learning (SRL) framework while utilizing an interactive learning module. The researcher hypothesizes that CSE is reflected on cognitive actions and metacognitive strategies while the students are engaged with…

India: A Myriad of Cultures. Three Learning Modules for Middle School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jassim, Charlene

Three learning modules designed for middle school students by a middle school teacher are presented in this document. The three modules are designed to supplement the regular textbook program for teaching about India. They are specifically created to fulfill the needs and interests of 11- to 14-year-old students. The modules contain elements of…

Mirroring "meaningful" actions: sensorimotor learning modulates imitation of goal-directed actions.

PubMed

Catmur, Caroline; Heyes, Cecilia

2017-06-19

Imitation is important in the development of social and technological skills throughout the lifespan. Experiments investigating the acquisition and modulation of imitation (and of its proposed neural substrate, the mirror neuron system) have produced evidence that the capacity for imitation depends on associative learning in which connections are formed between sensory and motor representations of actions. However, evidence that the development of imitation depends on associative learning has been found only for non-goal-directed actions. One reason for the lack of research on goal-directed actions is that imitation of such actions is commonly confounded with the tendency to respond in a spatially compatible manner. However, since the most prominent account of mirror neuron function, and hence of imitation, suggests that these cells encode goal-directed actions, it is important to establish whether sensorimotor learning can also modulate imitation of goal-directed actions. Experiment 1 demonstrated that imitation of goal-directed grasping can be measured while controlling for spatial compatibility, and Experiment 2 showed that this imitation effect can be modulated by sensorimotor training. Together these data support the hypothesis that the capacity for behavioural imitation, and the properties of the mirror neuron system, are constructed in the course of development through associative learning.

Goal-Directed and Habit-Like Modulations of Stimulus Processing during Reinforcement Learning.

PubMed

Luque, David; Beesley, Tom; Morris, Richard W; Jack, Bradley N; Griffiths, Oren; Whitford, Thomas J; Le Pelley, Mike E

2017-03-15

Recent research has shown that perceptual processing of stimuli previously associated with high-value rewards is automatically prioritized even when rewards are no longer available. It has been hypothesized that such reward-related modulation of stimulus salience is conceptually similar to an "attentional habit." Recording event-related potentials in humans during a reinforcement learning task, we show strong evidence in favor of this hypothesis. Resistance to outcome devaluation (the defining feature of a habit) was shown by the stimulus-locked P1 component, reflecting activity in the extrastriate visual cortex. Analysis at longer latencies revealed a positive component (corresponding to the P3b, from 550-700 ms) sensitive to outcome devaluation. Therefore, distinct spatiotemporal patterns of brain activity were observed corresponding to habitual and goal-directed processes. These results demonstrate that reinforcement learning engages both attentional habits and goal-directed processes in parallel. Consequences for brain and computational models of reinforcement learning are discussed. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The human attentional network adapts to detect stimuli that predict important rewards. A recent hypothesis suggests that the visual cortex automatically prioritizes reward-related stimuli, driven by cached representations of reward value; that is, stimulus-response habits. Alternatively, the neural system may track the current value of the predicted outcome. Our results demonstrate for the first time that visual cortex activity is increased for reward-related stimuli even when the rewarding event is temporarily devalued. In contrast, longer-latency brain activity was specifically sensitive to transient changes in reward value. Therefore, we show that both habit-like attention and goal-directed processes occur in the same learning episode at different latencies. This result has important consequences for computational models of reinforcement learning

Brain STAT5 signaling modulates learning and memory formation.

PubMed

Furigo, Isadora C; Melo, Helen M; Lyra E Silva, Natalia M; Ramos-Lobo, Angela M; Teixeira, Pryscila D S; Buonfiglio, Daniella C; Wasinski, Frederick; Lima, Eliana R; Higuti, Eliza; Peroni, Cibele N; Bartolini, Paolo; Soares, Carlos R J; Metzger, Martin; de Felice, Fernanda G; Donato, Jose

2018-06-01

The signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) is a transcription factor recruited by numerous cytokines. STAT5 is important for several physiological functions, including body and tissue growth, mammary gland development, immune system and lipid metabolism. However, the role of STAT5 signaling for brain functions is still poorly investigated, especially regarding cognitive aspects. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate whether brain STAT5 signaling modulates learning and memory formation. For this purpose, brain-specific STAT5 knockout (STAT5 KO) mice were studied in well-established memory tests. Initially, we confirmed a robust reduction in STAT5a and STAT5b mRNA levels in different brain structures of STAT5 KO mice. STAT5 KO mice showed no significant alterations in metabolism, growth, somatotropic axis and spontaneous locomotor activity. In contrast, brain-specific STAT5 ablation impaired learning and memory formation in the novel object recognition, Barnes maze and contextual fear conditioning tests. To unravel possible mechanisms that might underlie the memory deficits of STAT5 KO mice, we assessed neurogenesis in the hippocampus, but no significant differences were observed between groups. On the other hand, reduced insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) mRNA expression was found in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of STAT5 KO mice. These findings collectively indicate that brain STAT5 signaling is required to attain normal learning and memory. Therefore, STAT5 is an important downstream cellular mechanism shared by several cytokines to regulate cognitive functions.

Sticking with the nice guy: trait warmth information impairs learning and modulates person perception brain network activity.

PubMed

Lee, Victoria K; Harris, Lasana T

2014-12-01

Social learning requires inferring social information about another person, as well as evaluating outcomes. Previous research shows that prior social information biases decision making and reduces reliance on striatal activity during learning (Delgado, Frank, & Phelps, Nature Neuroscience 8 (11): 1611-1618, 2005). A rich literature in social psychology on person perception demonstrates that people spontaneously infer social information when viewing another person (Fiske & Taylor, 2013) and engage a network of brain regions, including the medial prefrontal cortex, temporal parietal junction, superior temporal sulcus, and precuneus (Amodio & Frith, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 7(4), 268-277, 2006; Haxby, Gobbini, & Montgomery, 2004; van Overwalle Human Brain Mapping, 30, 829-858, 2009). We investigate the role of these brain regions during social learning about well-established dimensions of person perception-trait warmth and trait competence. We test the hypothesis that activity in person perception brain regions interacts with learning structures during social learning. Participants play an investment game where they must choose an agent to invest on their behalf. This choice is guided by cues signaling trait warmth or trait competence based on framing of monetary returns. Trait warmth information impairs learning about human but not computer agents, while trait competence information produces similar learning rates for human and computer agents. We see increased activation to warmth information about human agents in person perception brain regions. Interestingly, activity in person perception brain regions during the decision phase negatively predicts activity in the striatum during feedback for trait competence inferences about humans. These results suggest that social learning may engage additional processing within person perception brain regions that hampers learning in economic contexts.

Transportation life cycle assessment (LCA) synthesis : life cycle assessment learning module series.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-03-12

The Life Cycle Assessment Learning Module Series is a set of narrated, self-advancing slideshows on : various topics related to environmental life cycle assessment (LCA). This research project produced the first 27 of such modules, which : are freely...

Combining D-cycloserine with appetitive extinction learning modulates amygdala activity during recall.

PubMed

Ebrahimi, Claudia; Koch, Stefan P; Friedel, Eva; Crespo, Ilsoray; Fydrich, Thomas; Ströhle, Andreas; Heinz, Andreas; Schlagenhauf, Florian

2017-07-01

Appetitive Pavlovian conditioning plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of drug addiction and conditioned reward cues can trigger craving and relapse even after long phases of abstinence. Promising preclinical work showed that the NMDA-receptor partial agonist D-cycloserine (DCS) facilitates Pavlovian extinction learning of fear and drug cues. Furthermore, DCS-augmented exposure therapy seems to be beneficial in various anxiety disorders, while the supposed working mechanism of DCS during human appetitive or aversive extinction learning is still not confirmed. To test the hypothesis that DCS administration before extinction training improves extinction learning, healthy adults (n=32) underwent conditioning, extinction, and extinction recall on three successive days in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled fMRI design. Monetary wins and losses served as unconditioned stimuli during conditioning to probe appetitive and aversive learning. An oral dose of 50mg of DCS or placebo was administered 1h before extinction training and DCS effects during extinction recall were evaluated on a behavioral and neuronal level. We found attenuated amygdala activation in the DCS compared to the placebo group during recall of the extinguished appetitive cue, along with evidence for enhanced functional amygdala-vmPFC coupling in the DCS group. While the absence of additional physiological measures of conditioned responses during recall in this study prevent the evaluation of a behavioral DCS effect, our neuronal findings are in accordance with recent theories linking successful extinction recall in humans to modulatory top-down influences from the vmPFC that inhibit amygdala activation. Our results should encourage further translational studies concerning the usefulness of DCS to target maladaptive Pavlovian reward associations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Individual differences in sensitivity to reward and punishment and neural activity during reward and avoidance learning.

PubMed

Kim, Sang Hee; Yoon, HeungSik; Kim, Hackjin; Hamann, Stephan

2015-09-01

In this functional neuroimaging study, we investigated neural activations during the process of learning to gain monetary rewards and to avoid monetary loss, and how these activations are modulated by individual differences in reward and punishment sensitivity. Healthy young volunteers performed a reinforcement learning task where they chose one of two fractal stimuli associated with monetary gain (reward trials) or avoidance of monetary loss (avoidance trials). Trait sensitivity to reward and punishment was assessed using the behavioral inhibition/activation scales (BIS/BAS). Functional neuroimaging results showed activation of the striatum during the anticipation and reception periods of reward trials. During avoidance trials, activation of the dorsal striatum and prefrontal regions was found. As expected, individual differences in reward sensitivity were positively associated with activation in the left and right ventral striatum during reward reception. Individual differences in sensitivity to punishment were negatively associated with activation in the left dorsal striatum during avoidance anticipation and also with activation in the right lateral orbitofrontal cortex during receiving monetary loss. These results suggest that learning to attain reward and learning to avoid loss are dependent on separable sets of neural regions whose activity is modulated by trait sensitivity to reward or punishment. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

From feedback- to response-based performance monitoring in active and observational learning.

PubMed

Bellebaum, Christian; Colosio, Marco

2014-09-01

Humans can adapt their behavior by learning from the consequences of their own actions or by observing others. Gradual active learning of action-outcome contingencies is accompanied by a shift from feedback- to response-based performance monitoring. This shift is reflected by complementary learning-related changes of two ACC-driven ERP components, the feedback-related negativity (FRN) and the error-related negativity (ERN), which have both been suggested to signal events "worse than expected," that is, a negative prediction error. Although recent research has identified comparable components for observed behavior and outcomes (observational ERN and FRN), it is as yet unknown, whether these components are similarly modulated by prediction errors and thus also reflect behavioral adaptation. In this study, two groups of 15 participants learned action-outcome contingencies either actively or by observation. In active learners, FRN amplitude for negative feedback decreased and ERN amplitude in response to erroneous actions increased with learning, whereas observational ERN and FRN in observational learners did not exhibit learning-related changes. Learning performance, assessed in test trials without feedback, was comparable between groups, as was the ERN following actively performed errors during test trials. In summary, the results show that action-outcome associations can be learned similarly well actively and by observation. The mechanisms involved appear to differ, with the FRN in active learning reflecting the integration of information about own actions and the accompanying outcomes.

Module Six: Parallel Circuits; Basic Electricity and Electronics Individualized Learning System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bureau of Naval Personnel, Washington, DC.

In this module the student will learn the rules that govern the characteristics of parallel circuits; the relationships between voltage, current, resistance and power; and the results of common troubles in parallel circuits. The module is divided into four lessons: rules of voltage and current, rules for resistance and power, variational analysis,…

Attention Cueing and Activity Equally Reduce False Alarm Rate in Visual-Auditory Associative Learning through Improving Memory.

PubMed

Nikouei Mahani, Mohammad-Ali; Haghgoo, Hojjat Allah; Azizi, Solmaz; Nili Ahmadabadi, Majid

2016-01-01

In our daily life, we continually exploit already learned multisensory associations and form new ones when facing novel situations. Improving our associative learning results in higher cognitive capabilities. We experimentally and computationally studied the learning performance of healthy subjects in a visual-auditory sensory associative learning task across active learning, attention cueing learning, and passive learning modes. According to our results, the learning mode had no significant effect on learning association of congruent pairs. In addition, subjects' performance in learning congruent samples was not correlated with their vigilance score. Nevertheless, vigilance score was significantly correlated with the learning performance of the non-congruent pairs. Moreover, in the last block of the passive learning mode, subjects significantly made more mistakes in taking non-congruent pairs as associated and consciously reported lower confidence. These results indicate that attention and activity equally enhanced visual-auditory associative learning for non-congruent pairs, while false alarm rate in the passive learning mode did not decrease after the second block. We investigated the cause of higher false alarm rate in the passive learning mode by using a computational model, composed of a reinforcement learning module and a memory-decay module. The results suggest that the higher rate of memory decay is the source of making more mistakes and reporting lower confidence in non-congruent pairs in the passive learning mode.

Blended Learning in a Teacher Training Course: Integrated Interactive E-Learning and Contact Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kupetz, Rita; Ziegenmeyer, Brigit

2005-01-01

The paper discusses a blended learning concept for a university teacher training course for prospective teachers of English. The concept aims at purposeful learning using different methods and activities, various traditional and electronic media, learning spaces covering contact and distance learning, and task-based learning modules that begin…

Retrospective Evaluation of a Collaborative LearningScience Module: The Users' Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeWitt, Dorothy; Siraj, Saedah; Alias, Norlidah; Leng, Chin Hai

2013-01-01

This study focuses on the retrospective evaluation of collaborative mLearning (CmL) Science module for teaching secondary school science which was designed based on social constructivist learning theories and Merrill's First Principle of Instruction. This study is part of a developmental research in which computer-mediated communication (CMC)…

The A-Current Modulates Learning via NMDA Receptors Containing the NR2B Subunit

PubMed Central

Fontán-Lozano, Ángela; Suárez-Pereira, Irene; González-Forero, David; Carrión, Ángel Manuel

2011-01-01

Synaptic plasticity involves short- and long-term events, although the molecular mechanisms that underlie these processes are not fully understood. The transient A-type K+ current (IA) controls the excitability of the dendrites from CA1 pyramidal neurons by regulating the back-propagation of action potentials and shaping synaptic input. Here, we have studied how decreases in IA affect cognitive processes and synaptic plasticity. Using wild-type mice treated with 4-AP, an IA inhibitor, and mice lacking the DREAM protein, a transcriptional repressor and modulator of the IA, we demonstrate that impairment of IA decreases the stimulation threshold for learning and the induction of early-LTP. Hippocampal electrical recordings in both models revealed alterations in basal electrical oscillatory properties toward low-theta frequencies. In addition, we demonstrated that the facilitated learning induced by decreased IA requires the activation of NMDA receptors containing the NR2B subunit. Together, these findings point to a balance between the IA and the activity of NR2B-containing NMDA receptors in the regulation of learning. PMID:21966384

Effectiveness of Online Module for Graduate Astronomy Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Lauren E. P.; Holley-Bockelmann, Kelly; Brame, Cynthia

2017-01-01

We noticed that teaching an important galaxy formation model in a graduate-level course (Structure and Dynamics of Galaxies) with lecture-style instruction did not promote active learning on the part of the student and that the level and quality of in-class discussion varied wildly from semester to semester. Hoping to improve the learning experience for the students, we designed and incorporated an online module to deliver course content, activities, and assessments. We investigate the effectiveness of this online module as a teaching tool by monitoring students’ learning gains and present our preliminary results.

Macroeconomic Activity Module - NEMS Documentation

EIA Publications

2016-01-01

Documents the objectives, analytical approach, and development of the National Energy Modeling System (NEMS) Macroeconomic Activity Module (MAM) used to develop the Annual Energy Outlook for 2016 (AEO2016). The report catalogues and describes the module assumptions, computations, methodology, parameter estimation techniques, and mainframe source code

Operating a Distance Learning Module within an Undergraduate Work Placement: Some Reflections.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gammie, Elizabeth; Gammie, Bob; Duncan, Fiona

2002-01-01

A distance learning module on auditing was implemented for accounting students on a 1-year full-time work placement. Review of stakeholder focus groups showed that they considered the module innovative; there were concerns about standards and equity. Initial groundwork with stakeholders, especially professional organizations and external…

Developing online learning modules in a family medicine residency.

PubMed

Skye, Eric P; Wimsatt, Leslie A; Master-Hunter, Tara A; Locke, Amy B

2011-03-01

Online modules offer an opportunity to overcome barriers to educational delivery. Such approaches can require significant investment dependent on the development model used. There is little in the literature on the formative assessment of design and development. Better understanding is needed to determine effective methods of training and supporting faculty authors. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Web-based modules developed by a Department of Family Medicine in delivering instruction to resident learners and to examine perceptions of the design and development process. Participants included 49 resident learners and 28 faculty and staff members as the development team. Data collection involved use of Web-based surveys, participant observation focus groups, and pretesting/posttesting. Frequency distributions and mean comparisons were used to analyze quantitative data. Participant comments were thematically analyzed. Residents felt that modules met their educational goals and contributed to understanding of core content. Pretest/posttest data showed statistical improvement for a majority of modules. The use of Web authoring software for Web-based learning and scheduling time to work on the modules posed the greatest challenges to module authors. Formative assessment methods can provide important information to module developers and support staff to shape training, content development, and improve module ease of use, navigation, and content for resident learners.

Learning to integrate versus inhibiting information is modulated by age.

PubMed

Cappelletti, Marinella; Pikkat, Helen; Upstill, Emily; Speekenbrink, Maarten; Walsh, Vincent

2015-02-04

Cognitive training aiming at improving learning is often successful, but what exactly underlies the observed improvements and how these differ across the age spectrum are currently unknown. Here we asked whether learning in young and older people may reflect enhanced ability to integrate information required to perform a cognitive task or whether it may instead reflect the ability to inhibit task-irrelevant information for successful task performance. We trained 30 young and 30 aging human participants on a numerosity discrimination task known to engage the parietal cortex and in which cue-integration and inhibitory abilities can be distinguished. We coupled training with parietal, motor, or sham transcranial random noise stimulation, known for modulating neural activity. Numerosity discrimination improved after training and was maintained long term, especially in the training + parietal stimulation group, regardless of age. Despite the quantitatively similar improvement in the two age groups, the content of learning differed remarkably: aging participants improved more in inhibitory abilities, whereas younger subjects improved in cue-integration abilities. Moreover, differences in the content of learning were reflected in different transfer effects to untrained but related abilities: in the younger group, improvements in cue integration paralleled improvements in continuous quantity (time and space), whereas in the elderly group, improvements in numerosity-based inhibitory abilities generalized to other measures of inhibition and corresponded to a decline in space discrimination, possibly because conflicting learning resources are used in numerosity and continuous quantity processing. These results indicate that training can enhance different, age-dependent cognitive processes and highlight the importance of identifying the exact processes underlying learning for effective training programs. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/352213-13$15.00/0.

Evaluation of a distance-learning immunology and pathology module in a postgraduate biomedical science course.

PubMed

Ryan, M T; Mulholland, C W

2005-01-01

An electronic presentation of materials for a distance-learning immunology and pathology module from a postgraduate biomedical science course is evaluated. Two different electronic presentation formats for the delivery of the educational material to distance learners are assessed. Responses from users of this material highlighted a preference for a format that has a design tailored to distance learning. There was no significant difference in learning outcome between those taking the module on campus and by distance learning. This suggests that the prerequisites for entry, learning materials and direction given to the students studying by distance learning are adequate for these students to achieve the learning objectives outlined in the course. The evaluation also gave direction for areas within the (CAL) application that can be improved for future students.

Activation of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor, but not estrogen receptor α or β, rapidly enhances social learning.

PubMed

Ervin, Kelsy Sharice Jean; Mulvale, Erin; Gallagher, Nicola; Roussel, Véronique; Choleris, Elena

2015-08-01

Social learning is a highly adaptive process by which an animal acquires information from a conspecific. While estrogens are known to modulate learning and memory, much of this research focuses on individual learning. Estrogens have been shown to enhance social learning on a long-term time scale, likely via genomic mechanisms. Estrogens have also been shown to affect individual learning on a rapid time scale through cell-signaling cascades, rather than via genomic effects, suggesting they may also rapidly influence social learning. We therefore investigated the effects of 17β-estradiol and involvement of the estrogen receptors (ERs) using the ERα agonist propyl pyrazole triol, the ERβ agonist diarylpropionitrile, and the G protein-coupled ER 1 (GPER1) agonist G1 on the social transmission of food preferences (STFP) task, within a time scale that focused on the rapid effects of estrogens. General ER activation with 17β-estradiol resulted in a modest facilitation of social learning, with mice showing a preference up to 30min of testing. Specific activation of the GPER1 also rapidly enhanced social learning, with mice showing a socially learned preference up to 2h of testing. ERα activation instead shortened the expression of a socially learned food preference, while ERβ activation had little to no effects. Thus, rapid estrogenic modulation of social learning in the STFP may be the outcome of competing action at the three main receptors. Hence, estrogens' rapid effects on social learning likely depend on the specific ERs present in brain regions recruited during social learning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Professional Teacher Education Module Series. Assist Student Vocational Organization Members in Developing and Financing a Yearly Program of Activities, Module H-4 of Category H--Student Vocational Organization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. National Center for Research in Vocational Education.

This fourth in a series of six learning modules on student vocational organizations is designed to assist secondary and postsecondary vocational teachers in developing the competency to assist students in planning a student organization's (or club's) yearly program of activities, in properly managing organization finances, in selecting…

Supporting Self-Improvement in Teaching, Literacy, Language and Numeracy. Tools for Staff Development. Module 4: Teaching and Learning Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basic Skills Agency, 2007

2007-01-01

This module provides teachers with practical tools to improve the quality of teaching and learning activities and enable learners to achieve their objectives in literacy, language and numeracy. Unit 1 explores approaches that are particularly appropriate to adult learners, developing thinking skills and involving them in decision making and…

From modulated Hebbian plasticity to simple behavior learning through noise and weight saturation.

PubMed

Soltoggio, Andrea; Stanley, Kenneth O

2012-10-01

Synaptic plasticity is a major mechanism for adaptation, learning, and memory. Yet current models struggle to link local synaptic changes to the acquisition of behaviors. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate a computational relationship between local Hebbian plasticity and behavior learning by exploiting two traditionally unwanted features: neural noise and synaptic weight saturation. A modulation signal is employed to arbitrate the sign of plasticity: when the modulation is positive, the synaptic weights saturate to express exploitative behavior; when it is negative, the weights converge to average values, and neural noise reconfigures the network's functionality. This process is demonstrated through simulating neural dynamics in the autonomous emergence of fearful and aggressive navigating behaviors and in the solution to reward-based problems. The neural model learns, memorizes, and modifies different behaviors that lead to positive modulation in a variety of settings. The algorithm establishes a simple relationship between local plasticity and behavior learning by demonstrating the utility of noise and weight saturation. Moreover, it provides a new tool to simulate adaptive behavior, and contributes to bridging the gap between synaptic changes and behavior in neural computation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Supramammillary serotonin reduction alters place learning and concomitant hippocampal, septal, and supramammillar theta activity in a Morris water maze

PubMed Central

Hernández-Pérez, J. Jesús; Gutiérrez-Guzmán, Blanca E.; López-Vázquez, Miguel Á.; Olvera-Cortés, María E.

2015-01-01

Hippocampal theta activity is related to spatial information processing, and high-frequency theta activity, in particular, has been linked to efficient spatial memory performance. Theta activity is regulated by the synchronizing ascending system (SAS), which includes mesencephalic and diencephalic relays. The supramamillary nucleus (SUMn) is located between the reticularis pontis oralis and the medial septum (MS), in close relation with the posterior hypothalamic nucleus (PHn), all of which are part of this ascending system. It has been proposed that the SUMn plays a role in the modulation of hippocampal theta-frequency; this could occur through direct connections between the SUMn and the hippocampus or through the influence of the SUMn on the MS. Serotonergic raphe neurons prominently innervate the hippocampus and several components of the SAS, including the SUMn. Serotonin desynchronizes hippocampal theta activity, and it has been proposed that serotonin may regulate learning through the modulation of hippocampal synchrony. In agreement with this hypothesis, serotonin depletion in the SUMn/PHn results in deficient spatial learning and alterations in CA1 theta activity-related learning in a Morris water maze. Because it has been reported that SUMn inactivation with lidocaine impairs the consolidation of reference memory, we asked whether changes in hippocampal theta activity related to learning would occur through serotonin depletion in the SUMn, together with deficiencies in memory. We infused 5,7-DHT bilaterally into the SUMn in rats and evaluated place learning in the standard Morris water maze task. Hippocampal (CA1 and dentate gyrus), septal and SUMn EEG were recorded during training of the test. The EEG power in each region and the coherence between the different regions were evaluated. Serotonin depletion in the SUMn induced deficient spatial learning and altered the expression of hippocampal high-frequency theta activity. These results provide evidence in

Supramammillary serotonin reduction alters place learning and concomitant hippocampal, septal, and supramammillar theta activity in a Morris water maze.

PubMed

Hernández-Pérez, J Jesús; Gutiérrez-Guzmán, Blanca E; López-Vázquez, Miguel Á; Olvera-Cortés, María E

2015-01-01

Hippocampal theta activity is related to spatial information processing, and high-frequency theta activity, in particular, has been linked to efficient spatial memory performance. Theta activity is regulated by the synchronizing ascending system (SAS), which includes mesencephalic and diencephalic relays. The supramamillary nucleus (SUMn) is located between the reticularis pontis oralis and the medial septum (MS), in close relation with the posterior hypothalamic nucleus (PHn), all of which are part of this ascending system. It has been proposed that the SUMn plays a role in the modulation of hippocampal theta-frequency; this could occur through direct connections between the SUMn and the hippocampus or through the influence of the SUMn on the MS. Serotonergic raphe neurons prominently innervate the hippocampus and several components of the SAS, including the SUMn. Serotonin desynchronizes hippocampal theta activity, and it has been proposed that serotonin may regulate learning through the modulation of hippocampal synchrony. In agreement with this hypothesis, serotonin depletion in the SUMn/PHn results in deficient spatial learning and alterations in CA1 theta activity-related learning in a Morris water maze. Because it has been reported that SUMn inactivation with lidocaine impairs the consolidation of reference memory, we asked whether changes in hippocampal theta activity related to learning would occur through serotonin depletion in the SUMn, together with deficiencies in memory. We infused 5,7-DHT bilaterally into the SUMn in rats and evaluated place learning in the standard Morris water maze task. Hippocampal (CA1 and dentate gyrus), septal and SUMn EEG were recorded during training of the test. The EEG power in each region and the coherence between the different regions were evaluated. Serotonin depletion in the SUMn induced deficient spatial learning and altered the expression of hippocampal high-frequency theta activity. These results provide evidence in

Activation of dopamine D3 receptors inhibits reward-related learning induced by cocaine.

PubMed

Kong, H; Kuang, W; Li, S; Xu, M

2011-03-10

Memories of learned associations between the rewarding properties of drugs and environmental cues contribute to craving and relapse in humans. The mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) system is involved in reward-related learning induced by drugs of abuse. DA D3 receptors are preferentially expressed in mesocorticolimbic DA projection areas. Genetic and pharmacological studies have shown that DA D3 receptors suppress locomotor-stimulant effects of cocaine and reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behaviors. Activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) induced by acute cocaine administration is also inhibited by D3 receptors. How D3 receptors modulate cocaine-induced reward-related learning and associated changes in cell signaling in reward circuits in the brain, however, have not been fully investigated. In the present study, we show that D3 receptor mutant mice exhibit potentiated acquisition of conditioned place preference (CPP) at low doses of cocaine compared to wild-type mice. Activation of ERK and CaMKIIα, but not the c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38, in the nucleus accumbens, amygdala and prefrontal cortex is also potentiated in D3 receptor mutant mice compared to that in wild-type mice following CPP expression. These results support a model in which D3 receptors modulate reward-related learning induced by low doses of cocaine by inhibiting activation of ERK and CaMKIIα in reward circuits in the brain. Copyright © 2011 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Multidisciplinary Self-Directed Learning Module Improves Knowledge of a Quality Improvement Instrument: The HEART Pathway.

PubMed

Hartman, Nicholas D; Harper, Erin N; Leppert, Lauren M; Browning, Brittany M; Askew, Kim; Manthey, David E; Mahler, Simon A

We created and tested an educational intervention to support implementation of an institution wide QI project (the HEART Pathway) designed to improve care for patients with acute chest pain. Although online learning modules have been shown effective in imparting knowledge regarding QI projects, it is unknown whether these modules are effective across specialties and healthcare professions. Participants, including nurses, advanced practice clinicians, house staff and attending physicians (N = 486), were enrolled into an online, self-directed learning course exploring the key concepts of the HEART Pathway. The module was completed by 97% of enrollees (469/486) and 90% passed on the first attempt (422/469). Out of 469 learners, 323 completed the pretest, learning module and posttest in the correct order. Mean test scores across learners improved significantly from 74% to 89% from the pretest to the posttest. Following the intervention, the HEART Pathway was used for 88% of patients presenting to our institution with acute chest pain. Our data demonstrate that this online, self-directed learning module can improve knowledge of the HEART Pathway across specialties-paving the way for more efficient and informed care for acute chest pain patients.

How online learning modules can improve the representational fluency and conceptual understanding of university physics students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, M.; Sharma, M. D.; Johnston, H.

2015-07-01

The use of online learning resources as core components of university science courses is increasing. Learning resources range from summaries, videos, and simulations, to question banks. Our study set out to develop, implement, and evaluate research-based online learning resources in the form of pre-lecture online learning modules (OLMs). The aim of this paper is to share our experiences with those using, or considering implementing, online learning resources. Our first task was to identify student learning issues in physics to base the learning resources on. One issue with substantial research is conceptual understanding, the other with comparatively less research is scientific representations (graphs, words, equations, and diagrams). We developed learning resources on both these issues and measured their impact. We created weekly OLMs which were delivered to first year physics students at The University of Sydney prior to their first lecture of the week. Students were randomly allocated to either a concepts stream or a representations stream of online modules. The programme was first implemented in 2013 to trial module content, gain experience and process logistical matters and repeated in 2014 with approximately 400 students. Two validated surveys, the Force and Motion Concept Evaluation (FMCE) and the Representational Fluency Survey (RFS) were used as pre-tests and post-tests to measure learning gains while surveys and interviews provided further insights. While both streams of OLMs produced similar positive learning gains on the FMCE, the representations-focussed OLMs produced higher gains on the RFS. Conclusions were triangulated with student responses which indicated that they have recognized the benefit of the OLMs for their learning of physics. Our study shows that carefully designed online resources used as pre-instruction can make a difference in students’ conceptual understanding and representational fluency in physics, as well as make them more aware

Assessing the Value of the Enviroscape Watershed Learning Module

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Warren Patrick

2013-01-01

Scope and Method of Study: The researcher's evaluation of the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance's (WAWA) programs highlighted that few if any of the offered educational programs included a program evaluation, especially the most promising, the Enviroscape® Watershed learning module. The education programs that were customized and developed by the…

Lifelong Learning: Web-Based Information Literacy Module for Merchandisers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hines, Jean D.; Frey, Diane K.; Swinker, Mary E.

2005-01-01

Universities are strategically positioned to serve as a vital impetus in developing pre-professionals' lifelong learning skills. The development of a Web portal, InfoWIZARD, a tool for integrating information literacy and information technology in problem-based research assignments is described in this article. InfoWIZARD includes 20 modules in…

Adaptive eLearning modules for cytopathology education: A review and approach.

PubMed

Samulski, T Danielle; La, Teresa; Wu, Roseann I

2016-11-01

Clinical training imposes time and resource constraints on educators and learners, making it difficult to provide and absorb meaningful instruction. Additionally, innovative and personalized education has become an expectation of adult learners. Fortunately, the development of web-based educational tools provides a possible solution to these challenges. Within this review, we introduce the utility of adaptive eLearning platforms in pathology education. In addition to a review of the current literature, we provide the reader with a suggested approach for module creation, as well as a critical assessment of an available platform, based on our experience in creating adaptive eLearning modules for teaching basic concepts in gynecologic cytopathology. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2016;44:944-951. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effective, Active Learning Strategies for the Oceanography Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dmochowski, J. E.; Marinov, I.

2014-12-01

A decline in enrollment in STEM fields at the university level has prompted extensive research on alternative ways of teaching and learning science. Inquiry-based learning as well as the related "flipped" or "active" lectures, and similar teaching methods and philosophies have been proposed as more effective ways to disseminate knowledge in science classes than the traditional lecture. We will provide a synopsis of our experiences in implementing some of these practices into our Introductory Oceanography, Global Climate Change, and Ocean Atmosphere Dynamics undergraduate courses at the University of Pennsylvania, with both smaller and larger enrollments. By implementing tools such as at-home modules; computer labs; incorporation of current research; pre- and post-lecture quizzes; reflective, qualitative writing assignments; peer review; and a variety of in-class learning strategies, we aim to increase the science literacy of the student population and help students gain a more comprehensive knowledge of the topic, enhance their critical thinking skills, and correct misconceptions. While implementing these teaching techniques with college students is not without complications, we argue that a blended class that flexibly and creatively accounts for class size and science level improves the learning experience and the acquired knowledge. We will present examples of student assignments and activities as well as describe the lessons we have learned, and propose ideas for moving forward to best utilize innovative teaching tools in order to increase science literacy in oceanography and other climate-related courses.

Available, intuitive and free! Building e-learning modules using web 2.0 services.

PubMed

Tam, Chun Wah Michael; Eastwood, Anne

2012-01-01

E-learning is part of the mainstream in medical education and often provides the most efficient and effective means of engaging learners in a particular topic. However, translating design and content ideas into a useable product can be technically challenging, especially in the absence of information technology (IT) support. There is little published literature on the use of web 2.0 services to build e-learning activities. To describe the web 2.0 tools and solutions employed to build the GP Synergy evidence-based medicine and critical appraisal online course. We used and integrated a number of free web 2.0 services including: Prezi, a web-based presentation platform; YouTube, a video sharing service; Google Docs, a online document platform; Tiny.cc, a URL shortening service; and Wordpress, a blogging platform. The course consisting of five multimedia-rich, tutorial-like modules was built without IT specialist assistance or specialised software. The web 2.0 services used were free. The course can be accessed with a modern web browser. Modern web 2.0 services remove many of the technical barriers for creating and sharing content on the internet. When used synergistically, these services can be a flexible and low-cost platform for building e-learning activities. They were a pragmatic solution in our context.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a practical inquiry-based learning bioinformatics module on undergraduate student engagement and applied skills.

PubMed

Brown, James A L

2016-05-06

A pedagogic intervention, in the form of an inquiry-based peer-assisted learning project (as a practical student-led bioinformatics module), was assessed for its ability to increase students' engagement, practical bioinformatic skills and process-specific knowledge. Elements assessed were process-specific knowledge following module completion, qualitative student-based module evaluation and the novelty, scientific validity and quality of written student reports. Bioinformatics is often the starting point for laboratory-based research projects, therefore high importance was placed on allowing students to individually develop and apply processes and methods of scientific research. Students led a bioinformatic inquiry-based project (within a framework of inquiry), discovering, justifying and exploring individually discovered research targets. Detailed assessable reports were produced, displaying data generated and the resources used. Mimicking research settings, undergraduates were divided into small collaborative groups, with distinctive central themes. The module was evaluated by assessing the quality and originality of the students' targets through reports, reflecting students' use and understanding of concepts and tools required to generate their data. Furthermore, evaluation of the bioinformatic module was assessed semi-quantitatively using pre- and post-module quizzes (a non-assessable activity, not contributing to their grade), which incorporated process- and content-specific questions (indicative of their use of the online tools). Qualitative assessment of the teaching intervention was performed using post-module surveys, exploring student satisfaction and other module specific elements. Overall, a positive experience was found, as was a post module increase in correct process-specific answers. In conclusion, an inquiry-based peer-assisted learning module increased students' engagement, practical bioinformatic skills and process-specific knowledge. © 2016 by

Getting Down to Business: Health Spa, Module 16. [Student Module]. Entrepreneurship Training Components.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolman, Jean

This module on owning and operating a health spa is one of 36 in a series on entrepreneurship. The introduction tells the student what topics will be covered and suggests other modules to read in related occupations. Each unit includes student goals, a case study, and a discussion of the unit subject matter. Learning activities are divided into…

Carpentry. Student Learning Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palm Beach County Board of Public Instruction, West Palm Beach, FL.

This student learning guide contains 17 modules for completing a course in carpentry. It is designed especially for use in secondary schools in Palm Beach County, Florida. Each module covers one task, and consists of a purpose, performance objective, enabling objectives, learning activities keyed to resources, information sheets, student…

Masonry. Student Learning Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palm Beach County Board of Public Instruction, West Palm Beach, FL.

This student learning guide contains nine modules for completing a course in masonry. It is designed especially for use in secondary schools in Palm Beach County, Florida. Each module covers one task, and consists of a purpose, performance objective, enabling objectives, learning activities keyed to resources, information sheets, student…

Travel and Transportation. An Adult Competency Education Learning Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Virginia

This instructional unit on travel and transportation is one of six Adult Competency Education Learning Modules designed for use in a program of competency-based instruction for students with intermediate reading level ability. It is self-contained and designed for immediate classroom use. Each of five lessons contains these types of materials:…

Enhancing Effects of NMDA-Receptor Blockade on Extinction Learning and Related Brain Activation Are Modulated by BMI

PubMed Central

Golisch, Anne; Heba, Stefanie; Glaubitz, Benjamin; Tegenthoff, Martin; Lissek, Silke

2017-01-01

A distributed network including prefrontal and hippocampal regions is involved in context-related extinction learning as well as in renewal. Renewal describes the recovery of an extinguished response if the context of extinction differs from the context of recall. Animal studies have demonstrated that prefrontal, but not hippocampal N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonism disrupted extinction learning and processing of task context. However, human studies of NMDAR in extinction learning are lacking, while NMDAR antagonism yielded contradictory results in other learning tasks. This fMRI study investigated the role of NMDAR for human behavioral and brain activation correlates of extinction and renewal. Healthy volunteers received a single dose of the NMDAR antagonist memantine prior to extinction of previously acquired stimulus-outcome associations presented in either identical or novel contexts. We observed better, and partly faster, extinction learning in participants receiving the NMDAR antagonist compared to placebo. However, memantine did not affect renewal. In both extinction and recall, the memantine group showed a deactivation in extinction-related brain regions, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, while hippocampal activity was increased. This higher hippocampal activation was in turn associated with the participants' body mass index (BMI) and extinction errors. Our results demonstrate potentially dose-related enhancing effects of memantine and highlight involvement of hippocampal NMDAR in context-related extinction learning. PMID:28326025

Prior probability modulates anticipatory activity in category-specific areas.

PubMed

Trapp, Sabrina; Lepsien, Jöran; Kotz, Sonja A; Bar, Moshe

2016-02-01

Bayesian models are currently a dominant framework for describing human information processing. However, it is not clear yet how major tenets of this framework can be translated to brain processes. In this study, we addressed the neural underpinning of prior probability and its effect on anticipatory activity in category-specific areas. Before fMRI scanning, participants were trained in two behavioral sessions to learn the prior probability and correct order of visual events within a sequence. The events of each sequence included two different presentations of a geometric shape and one picture of either a house or a face, which appeared with either a high or a low likelihood. Each sequence was preceded by a cue that gave participants probabilistic information about which items to expect next. This allowed examining cue-related anticipatory modulation of activity as a function of prior probability in category-specific areas (fusiform face area and parahippocampal place area). Our findings show that activity in the fusiform face area was higher when faces had a higher prior probability. The finding of a difference between levels of expectations is consistent with graded, probabilistically modulated activity, but the data do not rule out the alternative explanation of a categorical neural response. Importantly, these differences were only visible during anticipation, and vanished at the time of stimulus presentation, calling for a functional distinction when considering the effects of prior probability. Finally, there were no anticipatory effects for houses in the parahippocampal place area, suggesting sensitivity to stimulus material when looking at effects of prediction.

The Iterative Development and Use of an Online Problem-Based Learning Module for Preservice and Inservice Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rillero, Peter; Camposeco, Laurie

2018-01-01

Teachers' problem-based learning knowledge, abilities, and attitudes are important factors in successful K--12 PBL implementations. This article describes the development and use of a free, online module entitled "Design a Problem-Based Learning Experience." The module production, aligned with theories of andragogy, was a partnership…

Welding. Student Learning Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palm Beach County Board of Public Instruction, West Palm Beach, FL.

This student learning guide contains 30 modules for completing a course in welding. It is designed especially for use in secondary schools in Palm Beach County, Florida. Each module covers one task, and consists of a purpose, performance objective, enabling objectives, learning activities keyed to resources, information sheets, student self-check…

Impact of a multimedia e-learning module on colon cancer literacy: a community-based pilot study.

PubMed

Holubar, Stefan D; Hassinger, J Peyton; Dozois, Eric J; Wolff, Bruce G; Kehoe, Michael; Cima, Robert R

2009-10-01

We aimed to determine if an e-learning module could improve colon cancer literacy in a community-based cohort, while obtaining variability estimates for subsequent study. A convenience sample of subjects attending a health-education fair was surveyed to determine colon cancer literacy before-and-after viewing a colon cancer e-learning module. The difference in cancer literacy scores was assessed for significance using univariate analysis. Twenty-two eligible subjects completed the survey: mean age 77.2+/-7.5 y, 55% women; 67% had at least some graduate-level education. Baseline colon cancer literacy was 72.6% +/- 11.6%; after the e-learning module, the mean colon cancer literacy score was 75.5% +/- 12.2%, representing a 3% improvement (P=0.33). After excluding a single problematic item identified by item analysis, the adjusted improvement was 7% (P=0.04). Invasiveness, malignant, and metastatic remained poorly understood concepts, while a large improvement (45%) was seen regarding the role of routine lymphadenectomy. Subject satisfaction with the module was universally (100%) high or very high. Use of an e-learning module is associated with high patient satisfaction, and has potential to improve colon cancer literacy in laypersons. Randomized study is warranted to determine the incremental impact of this and other multimedia educational interventions.

An Integrated, Problem-Based Learning Material: The "Satellite" Module

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selcuk, Gamze Sezgin; Emiroglu, Handan Byacioglu; Tarakci, Mehmet; Ozel, Mustafa

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study is to introduce a problem-based learning material, the Satellite Module, that has integrated some of the subjects included in the disciplines of physics and mathematics at an introductory level in undergraduate education. The reason why this modular and problem-based material has been developed is to enable students to…

Designing an Affordable Usability Test for E-Learning Modules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Bryan, Corliss A.; Johnson, Donald M.; Shores-Ellis, Katrina D.; Crandall, Philip G.; Marcy, John A.; Seideman, Steve C.; Ricke, Steven C.

2010-01-01

This article provides background and an introduction to a user-centered design and usability test in an inexpensive format that allows content experts who are novices in e-learning development to perform testing on newly developed technical training modules prior to their release. The use of a small number of test participants, avoidance of…

Active Learning Using Hint Information.

PubMed

Li, Chun-Liang; Ferng, Chun-Sung; Lin, Hsuan-Tien

2015-08-01

The abundance of real-world data and limited labeling budget calls for active learning, an important learning paradigm for reducing human labeling efforts. Many recently developed active learning algorithms consider both uncertainty and representativeness when making querying decisions. However, exploiting representativeness with uncertainty concurrently usually requires tackling sophisticated and challenging learning tasks, such as clustering. In this letter, we propose a new active learning framework, called hinted sampling, which takes both uncertainty and representativeness into account in a simpler way. We design a novel active learning algorithm within the hinted sampling framework with an extended support vector machine. Experimental results validate that the novel active learning algorithm can result in a better and more stable performance than that achieved by state-of-the-art algorithms. We also show that the hinted sampling framework allows improving another active learning algorithm designed from the transductive support vector machine.

The neural coding of expected and unexpected monetary performance outcomes: dissociations between active and observational learning.

PubMed

Bellebaum, C; Jokisch, D; Gizewski, E R; Forsting, M; Daum, I

2012-02-01

Successful adaptation to the environment requires the learning of stimulus-response-outcome associations. Such associations can be learned actively by trial and error or by observing the behaviour and accompanying outcomes in other persons. The present study investigated similarities and differences in the neural mechanisms of active and observational learning from monetary feedback using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Two groups of 15 subjects each - active and observational learners - participated in the experiment. On every trial, active learners chose between two stimuli and received monetary feedback. Each observational learner observed the choices and outcomes of one active learner. Learning performance as assessed via active test trials without feedback was comparable between groups. Different activation patterns were observed for the processing of unexpected vs. expected monetary feedback in active and observational learners, particularly for positive outcomes. Activity for unexpected vs. expected reward was stronger in the right striatum in active learning, while activity in the hippocampus was bilaterally enhanced in observational and reduced in active learning. Modulation of activity by prediction error (PE) magnitude was observed in the right putamen in both types of learning, whereas PE related activations in the right anterior caudate nucleus and in the medial orbitofrontal cortex were stronger for active learning. The striatum and orbitofrontal cortex thus appear to link reward stimuli to own behavioural reactions and are less strongly involved when the behavioural outcome refers to another person's action. Alternative explanations such as differences in reward value between active and observational learning are also discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

As We Teach and Learn: Recognizing Our Catholic Identity. Module 2: Faith Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zukowski, Angela Ann; Ristau, Karen, Ed.; Haney, Regina, Ed.

The As We Teach and Learn program consists of an instrument to assess the Catholic dimension of a school and is designed to be used with study modules in a faculty-meeting format. Module topics include: "Faith Community"; "Faith Development"; "Religion Curriculum Articulation: Faith as the Root of all Instruction";…

As We Teach and Learn: Recognizing Our Catholic Identity. Module 6: Social Justice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGinnis, James; McGinnis, Kathleen; Ristau, Karen, Ed.; Haney, Regina, Ed.

The As We Teach and Learn program consists of an instrument to assess the Catholic dimension of a school and is designed to be used with study modules in a faculty-meeting format. Module topics include: "Faith Community"; "Faith Development"; "Religion Curriculum Articulation: Faith as the Root of all Instruction";…

A Bridge to Active Learning: A Summer Bridge Program Helps Students Maximize Their Active-Learning Experiences and the Active-Learning Experiences of Others

PubMed Central

Cooper, Katelyn M.; Ashley, Michael; Brownell, Sara E.

2017-01-01

National calls to improve student academic success in college have sparked the development of bridge programs designed to help students transition from high school to college. We designed a 2-week Summer Bridge program that taught introductory biology content in an active-learning way. Through a set of exploratory interviews, we unexpectedly identified that Bridge students had developed sophisticated views of active learning, even though this was not an explicit goal of the program. We conducted an additional set of semistructured interviews that focused on active learning and compared the interviews of Bridge students with those from non-Bridge students who had been eligible for but did not participate in the program. We used the constant comparative method to identify themes from the interviews. We found that Bridge students perceived that, because they knew how to approach active learning and viewed it as important, they benefited more from active learning in introductory biology than non-Bridge students. Specifically, Bridge students seemed to be more aware of their own learning gains from participating in active learning. Compared with the majority of non-Bridge students, the majority of Bridge students described using a greater variety of strategies to maximize their experiences in active learning. Finally, in contrast to non-Bridge students, Bridge students indicated that they take an equitable approach to group work. These findings suggest that we may be able to prime students to maximize their own and other’s experiences in active learning. PMID:28232588

Ultrasonic modulation of neural circuit activity.

PubMed

Tyler, William J; Lani, Shane W; Hwang, Grace M

2018-06-01

Ultrasound (US) is recognized for its use in medical imaging as a diagnostic tool. As an acoustic energy source, US has become increasingly appreciated over the past decade for its ability to non-invasively modulate cellular activity including neuronal activity. Data obtained from a host of experimental models has shown that low-intensity US can reversibly modulate the physiological activity of neurons in peripheral nerves, spinal cord, and intact brain circuits. Experimental evidence indicates that acoustic pressures exerted by US act, in part, on mechanosensitive ion channels to modulate activity. While the precise mechanisms of action enabling US to both stimulate and suppress neuronal activity remain to be clarified, there are several advantages conferred by the physics of US that make it an appealing option for neuromodulation. For example, it can be focused with millimeter spatial resolutions through skull bone to deep-brain regions. By increasing our engineering capability to leverage such physical advantages while growing our understanding of how US affects neuronal function, the development of a new generation of non-invasive neurotechnology can be developed using ultrasonic methods. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Can Active Citizenship Be Learned? Examining Content and Activities in a Teacher's Education Module Engaging with Gandhi and Makiguchi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharma, Namrata

2015-01-01

Can active citizenship be learned? In recent years, teaching citizenship issues are becoming popular in schools across various parts of the world. This paper makes reference to India as an example. It argues the need for a pedagogical debate on what makes an active citizen. The complex questions it begins to address are these: who is a citizen?;…

Project BEST-PAL (Basic Education Skills Through-Parenting Affective Learning): Level I Modules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brevard Community Coll., Cocoa, FL.

These eight learning modules were prepared for parents participating in Brevard Community College's Project BEST-PAL (Basic Education Skills Through-Parenting Affective Learning), which was designed for low socioeconomic parents who are in need of an opportunity to explore effective parenting. First, materials for the BEST-PAL volunteer sponsors…

Project BEST-PAL (Basic Education Skills Through-Parenting Affective Learning): Level II Modules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brevard Community Coll., Cocoa, FL.

These eight learning modules were prepared for parents participating in Brevard Community College's Project BEST-PAL (Basic Education Skills Through-Parenting Affective Learning), which was designed for low socioeconomic parents who are in need of an opportunity to explore effective parenting. First, materials for the BEST-PAL volunteer sponsors…

Active Learning Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zayapragassarazan, Z.; Kumar, Santosh

2012-01-01

Present generation students are primarily active learners with varied learning experiences and lecture courses may not suit all their learning needs. Effective learning involves providing students with a sense of progress and control over their own learning. This requires creating a situation where learners have a chance to try out or test their…

Team-based learning in a preclinical removable denture prosthesis module in a United Arab Emirates dental school.

PubMed

Haj-Ali, Reem; Al Quran, Firas

2013-03-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the implementation of a team-based learning (TBL) approach in a removable denture prosthesis (RDP) module and present the results of students' performance in individual and group TBL activities and exam scores, students' experience with TBL and end of course evaluations, and faculty feedback. Course material at the College of Dentistry, University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, was transformed into seven conventional lectures and seven TBL sessions. Each TBL session consisted of pre-assigned reading (self-directed learning), in-class individual and group readiness tests (accountability), team problem-solving of patient RDP cases, and faculty-led class discussion (knowledge application). The course was assessed through scores from TBL session activities and course examinations, student satisfaction survey, and faculty feedback. Course grades were found to be higher using the TBL method then the traditional lecture-based method. Student evaluation data and faculty response indicated strong support for TBL as it was implemented in the course. The faculty noted a higher level of student engagement with team learning than in conventional class lecturing. TBL is an active-learning instructional strategy for courses with high student-to-faculty ratios. This approach provides regular feedback and the opportunity for students to develop higher reasoning skills.

Water: How Good is Good Enough? Student Book. Science Module (9th-10th Grade Chemistry). Revised Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgia Univ., Athens. Coll. of Education.

This learning module is designed to integrate environmental education into ninth- and tenth-grade chemistry classes. This module and a companion social studies module were pilot tested in Gwinnett County, Georgia in classes of students, many of whom had learning disabilities. It emphasizes activity learning. The module is divided into four parts.…

Modeled changes of cerebellar activity in mutant mice are predictive of their learning impairments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badura, Aleksandra; Clopath, Claudia; Schonewille, Martijn; de Zeeuw, Chris I.

2016-11-01

Translating neuronal activity to measurable behavioral changes has been a long-standing goal of systems neuroscience. Recently, we have developed a model of phase-reversal learning of the vestibulo-ocular reflex, a well-established, cerebellar-dependent task. The model, comprising both the cerebellar cortex and vestibular nuclei, reproduces behavioral data and accounts for the changes in neural activity during learning in wild type mice. Here, we used our model to predict Purkinje cell spiking as well as behavior before and after learning of five different lines of mutant mice with distinct cell-specific alterations of the cerebellar cortical circuitry. We tested these predictions by obtaining electrophysiological data depicting changes in neuronal spiking. We show that our data is largely consistent with the model predictions for simple spike modulation of Purkinje cells and concomitant behavioral learning in four of the mutants. In addition, our model accurately predicts a shift in simple spike activity in a mutant mouse with a brainstem specific mutation. This combination of electrophysiological and computational techniques opens a possibility of predicting behavioral impairments from neural activity.

Modeled changes of cerebellar activity in mutant mice are predictive of their learning impairments

PubMed Central

Badura, Aleksandra; Clopath, Claudia; Schonewille, Martijn; De Zeeuw, Chris I.

2016-01-01

Translating neuronal activity to measurable behavioral changes has been a long-standing goal of systems neuroscience. Recently, we have developed a model of phase-reversal learning of the vestibulo-ocular reflex, a well-established, cerebellar-dependent task. The model, comprising both the cerebellar cortex and vestibular nuclei, reproduces behavioral data and accounts for the changes in neural activity during learning in wild type mice. Here, we used our model to predict Purkinje cell spiking as well as behavior before and after learning of five different lines of mutant mice with distinct cell-specific alterations of the cerebellar cortical circuitry. We tested these predictions by obtaining electrophysiological data depicting changes in neuronal spiking. We show that our data is largely consistent with the model predictions for simple spike modulation of Purkinje cells and concomitant behavioral learning in four of the mutants. In addition, our model accurately predicts a shift in simple spike activity in a mutant mouse with a brainstem specific mutation. This combination of electrophysiological and computational techniques opens a possibility of predicting behavioral impairments from neural activity. PMID:27805050

Psychosocial Modulators of Motor Learning in Parkinson’s Disease

PubMed Central

Zemankova, Petra; Lungu, Ovidiu; Bares, Martin

2016-01-01

Using the remarkable overlap between brain circuits affected in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and those underlying motor sequence learning, we may improve the effectiveness of motor rehabilitation interventions by identifying motor learning facilitators in PD. For instance, additional sensory stimulation and task cueing enhanced motor learning in people with PD, whereas exercising using musical rhythms or console computer games improved gait and balance, and reduced some motor symptoms, in addition to increasing task enjoyment. Yet, despite these advances, important knowledge gaps remain. Most studies investigating motor learning in PD used laboratory-specific tasks and equipment, with little resemblance to real life situations. Thus, it is unknown whether similar results could be achieved in more ecological setups and whether individual’s task engagement could further improve motor learning capacity. Moreover, the role of social interaction in motor skill learning process has not yet been investigated in PD and the role of mind-set and self-regulatory mechanisms have been sporadically examined. Here, we review evidence suggesting that these psychosocial factors may be important modulators of motor learning in PD. We propose their incorporation in future research, given that it could lead to development of improved non-pharmacological interventions aimed to preserve or restore motor function in PD. PMID:26973495

Hands-On! Living in the Biosphere: Production, Pattern, Population, and Diversity. Developing Active Learning Module on the Human Dimensions of Global Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Dwight

Biogeography examines questions of organism inventory and pattern, organisms' interactions with the environment, and the processes that create and change inventory, pattern, and interactions. This learning module uses time series maps and simple simulation models to illustrate how human actions alter biological productivity patterns at local and…

Environmental--Access to Safe Water Learning Module. Development Education Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

World Bank, Washington, DC.

This learning module has two main goals: (1) to increase students' knowledge and understanding of the often complex relationship between sustainable development and the social, economic, and environmental conditions in a country; and (2) to strengthen students' ability to perform statistical calculations, make and interpret maps, charts, and…

Effects of an E-Learning Module on Students' Attitudes in an Electronics Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Getuno, Daniel M.; Kiboss, Joel K.; Changeiywo, Johnson M.; Ogola, Leo B.

2015-01-01

Research has shown that students exhibit negative attitudes towards Electronics especially when they are taught using the conventional method. This is in addition to poor instructional methods that do not promote individualization of instruction or make learning interesting. The purpose of this study was to design an e-learning module in…

Introduction to CAD/Computers. High-Technology Training Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lockerby, Hugh

This learning module for an eighth-grade introductory technology course is designed to help teachers introduce students to computer-assisted design (CAD) in a communications unit on graphics. The module contains a module objective and five specific objectives, a content outline, suggested instructor methodology, student activities, a list of six…

Test-Enhanced Learning in an Immunology and Infectious Disease Medicinal Chemistry/Pharmacology Course.

PubMed

Hernick, Marcy

2015-09-25

Objective. To develop a series of active-learning modules that would improve pharmacy students' performance on summative assessments. Design. A series of optional online active-learning modules containing questions with multiple formats for topics in a first-year (P1) course was created using a test-enhanced learning approach. A subset of module questions was modified and included on summative assessments. Assessment. Student performance on module questions improved with repeated attempts and was predictive of student performance on summative assessments. Performance on examination questions was higher for students with access to modules than for those without access to modules. Module use appeared to have the most impact on low performing students. Conclusion. Test-enhanced learning modules with immediate feedback provide pharmacy students with a learning tool that improves student performance on summative assessments and also may improve metacognitive and test-taking skills.

Using Instructional Design, Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate, to Develop e-Learning Modules to Disseminate Supported Employment for Community Behavioral Health Treatment Programs in New York State.

PubMed

Patel, Sapana R; Margolies, Paul J; Covell, Nancy H; Lipscomb, Cristine; Dixon, Lisa B

2018-01-01

learners rated the modules positively, and self-report of knowledge acquisition was high (mean range: 4.4-4.6 out of 5). About half of learners indicated that they would change their practice after watching the modules (range: 48-51%). All learners who completed the level 1 evaluation demonstrated 80% or better mastery of knowledge on the level 2 evaluation embedded in each module. The CFIR was used to identify implementation barriers and facilitators among the evaluation data which facilitated planning for subsequent implementation support activities in the IPS initiative. Instructional design approaches such as ADDIE may offer implementation scientists and practitioners a flexible and systematic approach for the development of e-learning modules as a single component or one strategy in a multifaceted approach for training in EBPs.

Identifying Effective Design Features of Technology-Infused Inquiry Learning Modules: A Two-Year Study of Students' Inquiry Abilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Ying-Shao; Fang, Su-Chi; Zhang, Wen-Xin; Hsin-Kai, Wu; Wu, Pai-Hsing; Hwang, Fu-Kwun

2016-01-01

The two-year study aimed to explore how students' development of different inquiry abilities actually benefited from the design of technology-infused learning modules. Three learning modules on the topics of seasons, environmental issues and air pollution were developed to facilitate students' inquiry abilities: questioning, planning, analyzing,…

Memory consolidation within the central amygdala is not necessary for modulation of cerebellar learning.

PubMed

Steinmetz, Adam B; Ng, Ka H; Freeman, John H

2017-06-01

Amygdala lesions impair, but do not prevent, acquisition of cerebellum-dependent eyeblink conditioning suggesting that the amygdala modulates cerebellar learning. Two-factor theories of eyeblink conditioning posit that a fast-developing memory within the amygdala facilitates slower-developing memory within the cerebellum. The current study tested this hypothesis by impairing memory consolidation within the amygdala with inhibition of protein synthesis, transcription, and NMDA receptors in rats. Rats given infusions of anisomycin or DRB into the central amygdala (CeA) immediately after each eyeblink conditioning session were severely impaired in contextual and cued fear conditioning, but were completely unimpaired in eyeblink conditioning. Rats given the NMDA antagonist ifenprodil into the CeA before each eyeblink conditioning session also showed impaired fear conditioning, but no deficit in eyeblink conditioning. The results indicate that memory formation within the CeA is not necessary for its modulation of cerebellar learning mechanisms. The CeA may modulate cerebellar learning and retention through an attentional mechanism that develops within the training sessions. © 2017 Steinmetz et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Monoaminergic Modulation of Motor Cortex Function

PubMed Central

Vitrac, Clément; Benoit-Marand, Marianne

2017-01-01

Elaboration of appropriate responses to behavioral situations rests on the ability of selecting appropriate motor outcomes in accordance to specific environmental inputs. To this end, the primary motor cortex (M1) is a key structure for the control of voluntary movements and motor skills learning. Subcortical loops regulate the activity of the motor cortex and thus contribute to the selection of appropriate motor plans. Monoamines are key mediators of arousal, attention and motivation. Their firing pattern enables a direct encoding of different states thus promoting or repressing the selection of actions adapted to the behavioral context. Monoaminergic modulation of motor systems has been extensively studied in subcortical circuits. Despite evidence of converging projections of multiple neurotransmitters systems in the motor cortex pointing to a direct modulation of local circuits, their contribution to the execution and learning of motor skills is still poorly understood. Monoaminergic dysregulation leads to impaired plasticity and motor function in several neurological and psychiatric conditions, thus it is critical to better understand how monoamines modulate neural activity in the motor cortex. This review aims to provide an update of our current understanding on the monoaminergic modulation of the motor cortex with an emphasis on motor skill learning and execution under physiological conditions. PMID:29062274

RM-SORN: a reward-modulated self-organizing recurrent neural network.

PubMed

Aswolinskiy, Witali; Pipa, Gordon

2015-01-01

Neural plasticity plays an important role in learning and memory. Reward-modulation of plasticity offers an explanation for the ability of the brain to adapt its neural activity to achieve a rewarded goal. Here, we define a neural network model that learns through the interaction of Intrinsic Plasticity (IP) and reward-modulated Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity (STDP). IP enables the network to explore possible output sequences and STDP, modulated by reward, reinforces the creation of the rewarded output sequences. The model is tested on tasks for prediction, recall, non-linear computation, pattern recognition, and sequence generation. It achieves performance comparable to networks trained with supervised learning, while using simple, biologically motivated plasticity rules, and rewarding strategies. The results confirm the importance of investigating the interaction of several plasticity rules in the context of reward-modulated learning and whether reward-modulated self-organization can explain the amazing capabilities of the brain.

Machine Shop. Student Learning Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palm Beach County Board of Public Instruction, West Palm Beach, FL.

This student learning guide contains eight modules for completing a course in machine shop. It is designed especially for use in Palm Beach County, Florida. Each module covers one task, and consists of a purpose, performance objective, enabling objectives, learning activities and resources, information sheets, student self-check with answer key,…

Modulation of Host Learning in Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes.

PubMed

Vinauger, Clément; Lahondère, Chloé; Wolff, Gabriella H; Locke, Lauren T; Liaw, Jessica E; Parrish, Jay Z; Akbari, Omar S; Dickinson, Michael H; Riffell, Jeffrey A

2018-02-05

How mosquitoes determine which individuals to bite has important epidemiological consequences. This choice is not random; most mosquitoes specialize in one or a few vertebrate host species, and some individuals in a host population are preferred over others. Mosquitoes will also blood feed from other hosts when their preferred is no longer abundant, but the mechanisms mediating these shifts between hosts, and preferences for certain individuals within a host species, remain unclear. Here, we show that olfactory learning may contribute to Aedes aegypti mosquito biting preferences and host shifts. Training and testing to scents of humans and other host species showed that mosquitoes can aversively learn the scent of specific humans and single odorants and learn to avoid the scent of rats (but not chickens). Using pharmacological interventions, RNAi, and CRISPR gene editing, we found that modification of the dopamine-1 receptor suppressed their learning abilities. We further show through combined electrophysiological and behavioral recordings from tethered flying mosquitoes that these odors evoke changes in both behavior and antennal lobe (AL) neuronal responses and that dopamine strongly modulates odor-evoked responses in AL neurons. Not only do these results provide direct experimental evidence that olfactory learning in mosquitoes can play an epidemiological role, but collectively, they also provide neuroanatomical and functional demonstration of the role of dopamine in mediating this learning-induced plasticity, for the first time in a disease vector insect. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis Modulates Fear Learning through Associative and Nonassociative Mechanisms

PubMed Central

Seo, Dong-oh; Carillo, Mary Ann; Chih-Hsiung Lim, Sean; Tanaka, Kenji F.

2015-01-01

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is believed to support hippocampus-dependent learning and emotional regulation. These putative functions of adult neurogenesis have typically been studied in isolation, and little is known about how they interact to produce adaptive behavior. We used trace fear conditioning as a model system to elucidate mechanisms through which adult hippocampal neurogenesis modulates processing of aversive experience. To achieve a specific ablation of neurogenesis, we generated transgenic mice that express herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase specifically in neural progenitors and immature neurons. Intracerebroventricular injection of the prodrug ganciclovir caused a robust suppression of neurogenesis without suppressing gliogenesis. Neurogenesis ablation via this method or targeted x-irradiation caused an increase in context conditioning in trace but not delay fear conditioning. Data suggest that this phenotype represents opposing effects of neurogenesis ablation on associative and nonassociative components of fear learning. Arrest of neurogenesis sensitizes mice to nonassociative effects of fear conditioning, as evidenced by increased anxiety-like behavior in the open field after (but not in the absence of) fear conditioning. In addition, arrest of neurogenesis impairs associative trace conditioning, but this impairment can be masked by nonassociative fear. The results suggest that adult neurogenesis modulates emotional learning via two distinct but opposing mechanisms: it supports associative trace conditioning while also buffering against the generalized fear and anxiety caused by fear conditioning. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The role of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in fear learning is controversial, with some studies suggesting neurogenesis is needed for aspects of fear learning and others suggesting it is dispensable. We generated transgenic mice in which neural progenitors can be selectively and inducibly ablated. Our data suggest that adult

A Bridge to Active Learning: A Summer Bridge Program Helps Students Maximize Their Active-Learning Experiences and the Active-Learning Experiences of Others.

PubMed

Cooper, Katelyn M; Ashley, Michael; Brownell, Sara E

2017-01-01

National calls to improve student academic success in college have sparked the development of bridge programs designed to help students transition from high school to college. We designed a 2-week Summer Bridge program that taught introductory biology content in an active-learning way. Through a set of exploratory interviews, we unexpectedly identified that Bridge students had developed sophisticated views of active learning, even though this was not an explicit goal of the program. We conducted an additional set of semistructured interviews that focused on active learning and compared the interviews of Bridge students with those from non-Bridge students who had been eligible for but did not participate in the program. We used the constant comparative method to identify themes from the interviews. We found that Bridge students perceived that, because they knew how to approach active learning and viewed it as important, they benefited more from active learning in introductory biology than non-Bridge students. Specifically, Bridge students seemed to be more aware of their own learning gains from participating in active learning. Compared with the majority of non-Bridge students, the majority of Bridge students described using a greater variety of strategies to maximize their experiences in active learning. Finally, in contrast to non-Bridge students, Bridge students indicated that they take an equitable approach to group work. These findings suggest that we may be able to prime students to maximize their own and other's experiences in active learning. © 2017 K. M. Cooper et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2017 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Lessons from interprofessional e-learning: piloting a care of the elderly module.

PubMed

Juntunen, Anitta; Heikkinen, Eija

2004-08-01

Educating health care professionals is a key issue in the provision of quality healthcare services. Interprofessional education has been suggested as a means of meeting this challenge. Four Finnish polytechnics providing education for nurses, social workers and physiotherapists wished to develop the content and methods of teaching the care of the elderly by collaboratively creating and implementing an interprofessional module of 15 European Credit Transfer units, using e-learning. This paper examines the planning and assessment of the impact of the pilot module. The web-based environment eminently suited teaching interprofessional care of the elderly. It supported content and methodological development and renewal of the module. It enabled discussion and collaboration between nursing, social work and rehabilitation teachers and students from the Polytechnics which are located in different parts of Finland. However, it became evident during the pilot that the most crucial challenges of the web-based pedagogy were in the ability of the teacher to supervise, support and motivate students and the organisation of interprofessional learning offered by collaborating institutions.

Validity and Practitality of Acid-Base Module Based on Guided Discovery Learning for Senior High School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yerimadesi; Bayharti; Jannah, S. M.; Lufri; Festiyed; Kiram, Y.

2018-04-01

This Research and Development(R&D) aims to produce guided discovery learning based module on topic of acid-base and determine its validity and practicality in learning. Module development used Four D (4-D) model (define, design, develop and disseminate).This research was performed until development stage. Research’s instruments were validity and practicality questionnaires. Module was validated by five experts (three chemistry lecturers of Universitas Negeri Padang and two chemistry teachers of SMAN 9 Padang). Practicality test was done by two chemistry teachers and 30 students of SMAN 9 Padang. Kappa Cohen’s was used to analyze validity and practicality. The average moment kappa was 0.86 for validity and those for practicality were 0.85 by teachers and 0.76 by students revealing high category. It can be concluded that validity and practicality was proven for high school chemistry learning.

As We Teach and Learn: Recognizing Our Catholic Identity. Module 1: The Faith Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wincek, Jean; O'Malley, Colleen; Ristau, Karen, Ed.; Haney, Regina, Ed.

The As We Teach and Learn program consists of an instrument to assess the Catholic dimension of a school and is designed to be used with study modules in a faculty- meeting format. Module topics include: "Faith Community"; "Faith Development"; "Religion Curriculum Articulation: Faith as the Root of all Instruction";…

Active Learning with Statistical Models.

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-01-01

Active Learning with Statistical Models ASC-9217041, NSF CDA-9309300 6. AUTHOR(S) David A. Cohn, Zoubin Ghahramani, and Michael I. Jordan 7. PERFORMING...TERMS 15. NUMBER OF PAGES Al, MIT, Artificial Intelligence, active learning , queries, locally weighted 6 regression, LOESS, mixtures of gaussians...COMPUTATIONAL LEARNING DEPARTMENT OF BRAIN AND COGNITIVE SCIENCES A.I. Memo No. 1522 January 9. 1995 C.B.C.L. Paper No. 110 Active Learning with

Test-Enhanced Learning in an Immunology and Infectious Disease Medicinal Chemistry/Pharmacology Course

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Objective. To develop a series of active-learning modules that would improve pharmacy students’ performance on summative assessments. Design. A series of optional online active-learning modules containing questions with multiple formats for topics in a first-year (P1) course was created using a test-enhanced learning approach. A subset of module questions was modified and included on summative assessments. Assessment. Student performance on module questions improved with repeated attempts and was predictive of student performance on summative assessments. Performance on examination questions was higher for students with access to modules than for those without access to modules. Module use appeared to have the most impact on low performing students. Conclusion. Test-enhanced learning modules with immediate feedback provide pharmacy students with a learning tool that improves student performance on summative assessments and also may improve metacognitive and test-taking skills. PMID:27168610

Prior knowledge guided active modules identification: an integrated multi-objective approach.

PubMed

Chen, Weiqi; Liu, Jing; He, Shan

2017-03-14

Active module, defined as an area in biological network that shows striking changes in molecular activity or phenotypic signatures, is important to reveal dynamic and process-specific information that is correlated with cellular or disease states. A prior information guided active module identification approach is proposed to detect modules that are both active and enriched by prior knowledge. We formulate the active module identification problem as a multi-objective optimisation problem, which consists two conflicting objective functions of maximising the coverage of known biological pathways and the activity of the active module simultaneously. Network is constructed from protein-protein interaction database. A beta-uniform-mixture model is used to estimate the distribution of p-values and generate scores for activity measurement from microarray data. A multi-objective evolutionary algorithm is used to search for Pareto optimal solutions. We also incorporate a novel constraints based on algebraic connectivity to ensure the connectedness of the identified active modules. Application of proposed algorithm on a small yeast molecular network shows that it can identify modules with high activities and with more cross-talk nodes between related functional groups. The Pareto solutions generated by the algorithm provides solutions with different trade-off between prior knowledge and novel information from data. The approach is then applied on microarray data from diclofenac-treated yeast cells to build network and identify modules to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of diclofenac toxicity and resistance. Gene ontology analysis is applied to the identified modules for biological interpretation. Integrating knowledge of functional groups into the identification of active module is an effective method and provides a flexible control of balance between pure data-driven method and prior information guidance.

Tracking Active Learning in the Medical School Curriculum: A Learning-Centered Approach.

PubMed

McCoy, Lise; Pettit, Robin K; Kellar, Charlyn; Morgan, Christine

2018-01-01

Medical education is moving toward active learning during large group lecture sessions. This study investigated the saturation and breadth of active learning techniques implemented in first year medical school large group sessions. Data collection involved retrospective curriculum review and semistructured interviews with 20 faculty. The authors piloted a taxonomy of active learning techniques and mapped learning techniques to attributes of learning-centered instruction. Faculty implemented 25 different active learning techniques over the course of 9 first year courses. Of 646 hours of large group instruction, 476 (74%) involved at least 1 active learning component. The frequency and variety of active learning components integrated throughout the year 1 curriculum reflect faculty familiarity with active learning methods and their support of an active learning culture. This project has sparked reflection on teaching practices and facilitated an evolution from teacher-centered to learning-centered instruction.

Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) Monitoring System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wells, Nathan

2017-01-01

What is Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM)? The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) is an expandable habitat technology demonstration on ISS; increase human-rated inflatable structure Technology Readiness Level (TRL) to level 9. NASA managed ISS payload project in partnership with Bigelow Aerospace. Launched to ISS on Space X 8 (April 8th, 2016). Fully expanded on May 28th, 2016. Jeff Williams/Exp. 48 Commander first entered BEAM on June 5th, 2016.

Belief about Nicotine Modulates Subjective Craving and Insula Activity in Deprived Smokers.

PubMed

Gu, Xiaosi; Lohrenz, Terry; Salas, Ramiro; Baldwin, Philip R; Soltani, Alireza; Kirk, Ulrich; Cinciripini, Paul M; Montague, P Read

2016-01-01

Little is known about the specific neural mechanisms through which cognitive factors influence craving and associated brain responses, despite the initial success of cognitive therapies in treating drug addiction. In this study, we investigated how cognitive factors such as beliefs influence subjective craving and neural activities in nicotine-addicted individuals using model-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and neuropharmacology. Deprived smokers (N = 24) participated in a two-by-two balanced placebo design, which crossed beliefs about nicotine (told "nicotine" vs. told "no nicotine") with the nicotine content in a cigarette (nicotine vs. placebo) which participants smoked immediately before performing a fMRI task involving reward learning. Subjects' reported craving was measured both before smoking and after the fMRI session. We found that first, in the presence of nicotine, smokers demonstrated significantly reduced craving after smoking when told "nicotine in cigarette" but showed no change in craving when told "no nicotine." Second, neural activity in the insular cortex related to craving was only significant when smokers were told "nicotine" but not when told "no nicotine." Both effects were absent in the placebo condition. Third, insula activation related to computational learning signals was modulated by belief about nicotine regardless of nicotine's presence. These results suggest that belief about nicotine has a strong impact on subjective craving and insula responses related to both craving and learning in deprived smokers, providing insights into the complex nature of belief-drug interactions.

Self-regulation of primary motor cortex activity with motor imagery induces functional connectivity modulation: A real-time fMRI neurofeedback study.

PubMed

Makary, Meena M; Seulgi, Eun; Kyungmo Park

2017-07-01

Recent developments in data acquisition of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have led to rapid preprocessing and analysis of brain activity in a quasireal-time basis, what so called real-time fMRI neurofeedback (rtfMRI-NFB). This information is fed back to subjects allowing them to gain a voluntary control over their own region-specific brain activity. Forty-one healthy participants were randomized into an experimental (NFB) group, who received a feedback directly proportional to their brain activity from the primary motor cortex (M1), and a control (CTRL) group who received a sham feedback. The M1 ROI was functionally localized during motor execution and imagery tasks. A resting-state functional run was performed before and after the neurofeedback training to investigate the default mode network (DMN) modulation after training. The NFB group revealed increased DMN functional connectivity after training to the cortical and subcortical sensory/motor areas (M1/S1 and caudate nucleus, respectively), which may be associated with sensorimotor processing of learning in the resting state. These results show that motor imagery training through rtfMRI-NFB could modulate the DMN functional connectivity to motor-related areas, suggesting that this modulation potentially subserved the establishment of motor learning in the NFB group.

Tracking Active Learning in the Medical School Curriculum: A Learning-Centered Approach

PubMed Central

McCoy, Lise; Pettit, Robin K; Kellar, Charlyn; Morgan, Christine

2018-01-01

Background: Medical education is moving toward active learning during large group lecture sessions. This study investigated the saturation and breadth of active learning techniques implemented in first year medical school large group sessions. Methods: Data collection involved retrospective curriculum review and semistructured interviews with 20 faculty. The authors piloted a taxonomy of active learning techniques and mapped learning techniques to attributes of learning-centered instruction. Results: Faculty implemented 25 different active learning techniques over the course of 9 first year courses. Of 646 hours of large group instruction, 476 (74%) involved at least 1 active learning component. Conclusions: The frequency and variety of active learning components integrated throughout the year 1 curriculum reflect faculty familiarity with active learning methods and their support of an active learning culture. This project has sparked reflection on teaching practices and facilitated an evolution from teacher-centered to learning-centered instruction. PMID:29707649

Mobile learning module improves knowledge of medical shock for forward surgical team members.

PubMed

Schulman, Carl I; Garcia, George D; Wyckoff, Mary M; Duncan, Robert C; Withum, Kelly F; Graygo, Jill

2012-11-01

Acute trauma care is characterized by dynamic situations that require adequate preparation to ensure success for military health professionals. The use of mobile learning in this environment can provide a solution that standardizes education and replaces traditional didactic lectures. A comparative evaluation with a pre-post test design regarding medical shock was delivered via either a didactic lecture or a mobile learning video module to U.S. Army Forward Surgical Team (FST) members. Participants completed a pretest, were randomly assigned to treatment group by FST, and then completed the post-test and scenario assessment. One-hundred and thirteen FST members participated with 53 in the mobile learning group and 60 in the lecture group (control). The percent mean score for the mobile learning group increased from 43.6 to 70 from pretest to post-test, with a scenario mean score of M = 56.2. The percent mean score for the control group increased from 41.5 to 72.5, with a scenario mean score of M = 59.7. The two-way analysis of variance mean score difference was 26.4 for the mobile learning group and 31.0 for the control, F = 2.18, (p = 0.14). Mobile learning modules, coupled with a structured assessment, have the potential to improve educational experiences in civilian and military settings.

Accelerated iTBS treatment in depressed patients differentially modulates reward system activity based on anhedonia.

PubMed

Duprat, Romain; Wu, Guo-Rong; De Raedt, Rudi; Baeken, Chris

2017-08-09

Accelerated intermittent theta-burst stimulation (aiTBS) anti-depressive working mechanisms are still unclear. Because aiTBS may work through modulating the reward system and the level of anhedonia may influence this modulation, we investigated the effect of aiTBS on reward responsiveness in high and low anhedonic MDD patients. In this registered RCT (NCT01832805), 50 MDD patients were randomised to a sham-controlled cross-over aiTBS treatment protocol over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Patients performed a probabilistic learning task in fMRI before and after each week of stimulation. Task performance analyses did not show any significant effects of aiTBS on reward responsiveness, nor differences between both groups of MDD patients. However, at baseline, low anhedonic patients displayed higher neural activity in the caudate and putamen. After the first week of aiTBS treatment, in low anhedonic patients we found a decreased neural activity within the reward system, in contrast to an increased activity observed in high anhedonic patients. No changes were observed in reward related neural regions after the first week of sham stimulation. Although both MDD groups showed no differences in task performance, our brain imaging findings suggest that left DLPFC aiTBS treatment modulates the reward system differently according to anhedonia severity.

Striatal dopaminergic modulation of reinforcement learning predicts reward-oriented behavior in daily life.

PubMed

Kasanova, Zuzana; Ceccarini, Jenny; Frank, Michael J; Amelsvoort, Thérèse van; Booij, Jan; Heinzel, Alexander; Mottaghy, Felix; Myin-Germeys, Inez

2017-07-01

Much human behavior is driven by rewards. Preclinical neurophysiological and clinical positron emission tomography (PET) studies have implicated striatal phasic dopamine (DA) release as a primary modulator of reward processing. However, the relationship between experimental reward-induced striatal DA release and responsiveness to naturalistic rewards, and therefore functional relevance of these findings, has been elusive. We therefore combined, for the first time, a DA D 2/3 receptor [ 18 F]fallypride PET during a probabilistic reinforcement learning (RL) task with a six day ecological momentary assessments (EMA) of reward-related behavior in the everyday life of 16 healthy volunteers. We detected significant reward-induced DA release in the bilateral putamen, caudate nucleus and ventral striatum, the extent of which was associated with better behavioral performance on the RL task across all regions. Furthermore, individual variability in the extent of reward-induced DA release in the right caudate nucleus and ventral striatum modulated the tendency to be actively engaged in a behavior if the active engagement was previously deemed enjoyable. This study suggests a link between striatal reward-related DA release and ecologically relevant reward-oriented behavior, suggesting an avenue for the inquiry into the DAergic basis of optimal and impaired motivational drive. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Theta synchronizes the activity of medial prefrontal neurons during learning

PubMed Central

Paz, Rony; Bauer, Elizabeth P.; Paré, Denis

2008-01-01

Memory consolidation is thought to involve the gradual transfer of transient hippocampal-dependent traces to distributed neocortical sites via the rhinal cortices. Recently, medial prefrontal (mPFC) neurons were shown to facilitate this process when their activity becomes synchronized. However, the mechanisms underlying this enhanced synchrony remain unclear. Because the hippocampus projects to the mPFC, we tested whether theta oscillations contribute to synchronize mPFC neurons during learning. Thus, we obtained field (LFP) and unit recordings from multiple mPFC sites during the acquisition of a trace-conditioning task, where a visual conditioned stimulus (CS) predicted reward delivery. In quiet waking, the activity of mPFC neurons was modulated by theta oscillations. During conditioning, CS presentation caused an increase in mPFC theta power that augmented as the CS gained predictive value for reward delivery. This increased theta power coincided with a transient theta phase locking at distributed mPFC sites, an effect that was also manifest in the timing of mPFC unit activity. Overall, these results show that theta oscillations contribute to synchronize neuronal activity at distributed mPFC sites, suggesting that the hippocampus, by generating a stronger theta source during learning, can synchronize mPFC activity, in turn facilitating rhinal transfer of its activity to the neocortex. PMID:18612069

[Verification of Learning Effects by Team-based Learning].

PubMed

Ono, Shin-Ichi; Ito, Yoshihisa; Ishige, Kumiko; Inokuchi, Norio; Kosuge, Yasuhiro; Asami, Satoru; Izumisawa, Megumi; Kobayashi, Hiroko; Hayashi, Hiroyuki; Suzuki, Takashi; Kishikawa, Yukinaga; Hata, Harumi; Kose, Eiji; Tabata, Kei-Ichi

2017-11-01

 It has been recommended that active learning methods, such as team-based learning (TBL) and problem-based learning (PBL), be introduced into university classes by the Central Council for Education. As such, for the past 3 years, we have implemented TBL in a medical therapeutics course for 4-year students. Based upon our experience, TBL is characterized as follows: TBL needs fewer teachers than PBL to conduct a TBL module. TBL enables both students and teachers to recognize and confirm the learning results from preparation and reviewing. TBL grows students' responsibility for themselves and their teams, and likely facilitates learning activities through peer assessment.

Transformation of Cortex-wide Emergent Properties during Motor Learning.

PubMed

Makino, Hiroshi; Ren, Chi; Liu, Haixin; Kim, An Na; Kondapaneni, Neehar; Liu, Xin; Kuzum, Duygu; Komiyama, Takaki

2017-05-17

Learning involves a transformation of brain-wide operation dynamics. However, our understanding of learning-related changes in macroscopic dynamics is limited. Here, we monitored cortex-wide activity of the mouse brain using wide-field calcium imaging while the mouse learned a motor task over weeks. Over learning, the sequential activity across cortical modules became temporally more compressed, and its trial-by-trial variability decreased. Moreover, a new flow of activity emerged during learning, originating from premotor cortex (M2), and M2 became predictive of the activity of many other modules. Inactivation experiments showed that M2 is critical for the post-learning dynamics in the cortex-wide activity. Furthermore, two-photon calcium imaging revealed that M2 ensemble activity also showed earlier activity onset and reduced variability with learning, which was accompanied by changes in the activity-movement relationship. These results reveal newly emergent properties of macroscopic cortical dynamics during motor learning and highlight the importance of M2 in controlling learned movements. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nature's Energy, Module B. Fourth Grade. Pilot Form.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pasco County Schools, Dade City, FL.

This booklet is one of a set of learning modules on energy for use by students and teachers in the fourth grade. This module examines man's use of fossil fuels, electricity production, and other energy sources. Included are laboratory activities and values exercises. (BT)

Man and Energy, Module C. Fourth Grade. Pilot Form.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pasco County Schools, Dade City, FL.

This booklet is one of a set of learning modules on energy for use by students and teachers in the fourth grade. This module investigates solar energy, ecology, and fossil fuels. Included are laboratory activities and values exercises. (BT)

Priors in perception: Top-down modulation, Bayesian perceptual learning rate, and prediction error minimization.

PubMed

Hohwy, Jakob

2017-01-01

I discuss top-down modulation of perception in terms of a variable Bayesian learning rate, revealing a wide range of prior hierarchical expectations that can modulate perception. I then switch to the prediction error minimization framework and seek to conceive cognitive penetration specifically as prediction error minimization deviations from a variable Bayesian learning rate. This approach retains cognitive penetration as a category somewhat distinct from other top-down effects, and carves a reasonable route between penetrability and impenetrability. It prevents rampant, relativistic cognitive penetration of perception and yet is consistent with the continuity of cognition and perception. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Active Learning Using Arbitrary Binary Valued Queries

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-10-01

active learning in the sense that the learner has complete choice in the information received. Specifically, we allow the learner to ask arbitrary yes...no questions. We consider both active learning under a fixed distribution and distribution-free active learning . In the case of active learning , the...a concept class is actively learnable iff it is finite, so that active learning is in fact less powerful than the usual passive learning model. We

Active Learning Approaches by Visualizing ICT Devices with Milliseconds Resolution for Deeper Understanding in Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Akizo; Okiharu, Fumiko

2010-07-01

We are developing various modularized materials in physics education to overcome students' misconceptions by use of ICT, i.e. video analysis software and ultra-high-speed digital movies, motion detector, force sensors, current and voltage probes, temperature sensors etc. Furthermore, we also present some new modules of active learning approaches on electric circuit using high speed camera and voltage probes with milliseconds resolution. We are now especially trying to improve conceptual understanding by use of ICT devices with milliseconds resolution in various areas of physics education We give some modules of mass measurements by video analysis of collision phenomena by using high speed cameras—Casio EX-F1(1200 fps), EX-FH20(1000 fps) and EX-FC100/150(1000 fps). We present several new modules on collision phenomena to establish deeper understanding of conservation laws of momentum. We discuss some effective results of trial on a physics education training courses for science educators, and those for science teachers during the renewal years of teacher's license after every ten years in Japan. Finally, we discuss on some typical results of pre-test and post-test in our active learning approaches based on ICT, i.e. some evidence on improvements of physics education (increasing ratio of correct answer are 50%-level).

Beyond the Four Walls: Examining the Use of Authentic Learning Modules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jagielski, Donna Marie

2016-01-01

While attempting to provide real world experiences in STEM, educators face numerous challenges including adhering to curriculum requirements and working with potentially limited resources. The purpose of this action research study was to examine how the addition of authentic learning modules to the existing University of Arizona Middle School…

Sex differences in social modulation of learning in rats.

PubMed

Mikosz, Marta; Nowak, Aleksandra; Werka, Tomasz; Knapska, Ewelina

2015-12-14

In its simplest form, empathy can be characterized as the capacity to share the emotional experiences among individuals, a phenomenon known as emotional contagion. Recent research shows that emotional contagion and its adaptive role can be studied in rodents. However, it is not known whether sex differences observed in human empathy extend to its more primitive forms. In the present study, we used a rat model of emotional contagion to compare the behavioral consequences of social transfer of information about threat, and the subsequent neural activation patterns in male and female rats. We found that: (1) males and females display a similar behavioral pattern during the interaction with either a fear-conditioned or a control rat; (2) interaction with a fear-conditioned conspecific positively modulates two-way avoidance learning in male and diestral female rats but not in estral females; and (3) such interaction results in increased c-Fos expression in the central and lateral nuclei of the amygdala and the prelimbic and infralimbic cortex in males, whereas in females no such changes were observed. Collectively, our results point to the occurrence of sex and estrus cycle phase differences in susceptibility to emotional contagion and underlying neuronal activation in rodents.

Sex differences in social modulation of learning in rats

PubMed Central

Mikosz, Marta; Nowak, Aleksandra; Werka, Tomasz; Knapska, Ewelina

2015-01-01

In its simplest form, empathy can be characterized as the capacity to share the emotional experiences among individuals, a phenomenon known as emotional contagion. Recent research shows that emotional contagion and its adaptive role can be studied in rodents. However, it is not known whether sex differences observed in human empathy extend to its more primitive forms. In the present study, we used a rat model of emotional contagion to compare the behavioral consequences of social transfer of information about threat, and the subsequent neural activation patterns in male and female rats. We found that: (1) males and females display a similar behavioral pattern during the interaction with either a fear-conditioned or a control rat; (2) interaction with a fear-conditioned conspecific positively modulates two-way avoidance learning in male and diestral female rats but not in estral females; and (3) such interaction results in increased c-Fos expression in the central and lateral nuclei of the amygdala and the prelimbic and infralimbic cortex in males, whereas in females no such changes were observed. Collectively, our results point to the occurrence of sex and estrus cycle phase differences in susceptibility to emotional contagion and underlying neuronal activation in rodents. PMID:26655917

Self-modulation of primary motor cortex activity with motor and motor imagery tasks using real-time fMRI-based neurofeedback

PubMed Central

Berman, Brian D.; Horovitz, Silvina G.; Venkataraman, Gaurav; Hallett, Mark

2011-01-01

Advances in fMRI data acquisition and processing have made it possible to analyze brain activity as rapidly as the images are acquired allowing this information to be fed back to subjects in the scanner. The ability of subjects to learn to volitionally control localized brain activity within motor cortex using such real-time fMRI-based neurofeedback (NF) is actively being investigated as it may have clinical implications for motor rehabilitation after central nervous system injury and brain-computer interfaces. We investigated the ability of fifteen healthy volunteers to use NF to modulate brain activity within the primary motor cortex (M1) during a finger tapping and tapping imagery task. The M1 hand area ROI (ROIm) was functionally localized during finger tapping and a visual representation of BOLD signal changes within the ROIm fed back to the subject in the scanner. Surface EMG was used to assess motor output during tapping and ensure no motor activity was present during motor imagery task. Subjects quickly learned to modulate brain activity within their ROIm during the finger-tapping task, which could be dissociated from the magnitude of the tapping, but did not show a significant increase within the ROIm during the hand motor imagery task at the group level despite strongly activating a network consistent with the performance of motor imagery. The inability of subjects to modulate M1 proper with motor imagery may reflect an inherent difficulty in activating synapses in this area, with or without NF, since such activation may lead to M1 neuronal output and obligatory muscle activity. Future real-time fMRI-based NF investigations involving motor cortex may benefit from focusing attention on cortical regions other than M1 for feedback training or alternative feedback strategies such as measures of functional connectivity within the motor system. PMID:21803163

Results of Formal Evaluation of a Data and Modeling Driven Hydrology Learning Module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruddell, B. L.; Sanchez, C. A.; Schiesser, R.; Merwade, V.

2014-12-01

New hydrologists should not only develop a well-defined knowledgebase of basic hydrological concepts, but also synthesize this factual learning with more authentic 'real-world' knowledge gained from the interpretation and analysis of data from hydrological models (Merwade and Ruddell, 2012, Wagener et al., 2007). However, hydrological instruction is often implemented using a traditional teacher-centered approach (e.g., lectures) (Wagener, 2007). The emergence of rich and dynamic computer simulation techniques which allow students the opportunity for more authentic application of knowledge (Merwade & Ruddell, 2012). This study evaluates the efficacy of using such data-driven simulations to increase the understanding of the field of hydrology in the lower-division undergraduate geoscience classroom. In this study, 88 students at a local community college who were enrolled in an Introductory Earth Science class were evaluated on their learning performance in a unit on applying the Rational Method to estimate hydrographs and flooding for urban areas. Students were either presented with a data and visualization rich computer module (n=52), or with paper and pencil calculation activities (n=36). All conceptual material presented in lecture was consistent across these two conditions. Students were evaluated for not only changes in their knowledge and application of the concepts within the unit (e.g., effects of urbanization and impervious cover, discharge rates), but also for their broad "T-shaped" profile of professional knowledge and skills. While results showed significant (p<.05) increases from pre to post assessments in all learning areas for both groups, there is a significantly larger benefit for the data module group when it came to (1) understanding the effects of urbanization and impervious cover on flooding, (2) applying consistent vocabulary appropriately within context, and (3) explaining the roles and responsibilities of hydrologists and flood managers.

Auditory and motor imagery modulate learning in music performance

PubMed Central

Brown, Rachel M.; Palmer, Caroline

2013-01-01

Skilled performers such as athletes or musicians can improve their performance by imagining the actions or sensory outcomes associated with their skill. Performers vary widely in their auditory and motor imagery abilities, and these individual differences influence sensorimotor learning. It is unknown whether imagery abilities influence both memory encoding and retrieval. We examined how auditory and motor imagery abilities influence musicians' encoding (during Learning, as they practiced novel melodies), and retrieval (during Recall of those melodies). Pianists learned melodies by listening without performing (auditory learning) or performing without sound (motor learning); following Learning, pianists performed the melodies from memory with auditory feedback (Recall). During either Learning (Experiment 1) or Recall (Experiment 2), pianists experienced either auditory interference, motor interference, or no interference. Pitch accuracy (percentage of correct pitches produced) and temporal regularity (variability of quarter-note interonset intervals) were measured at Recall. Independent tests measured auditory and motor imagery skills. Pianists' pitch accuracy was higher following auditory learning than following motor learning and lower in motor interference conditions (Experiments 1 and 2). Both auditory and motor imagery skills improved pitch accuracy overall. Auditory imagery skills modulated pitch accuracy encoding (Experiment 1): Higher auditory imagery skill corresponded to higher pitch accuracy following auditory learning with auditory or motor interference, and following motor learning with motor or no interference. These findings suggest that auditory imagery abilities decrease vulnerability to interference and compensate for missing auditory feedback at encoding. Auditory imagery skills also influenced temporal regularity at retrieval (Experiment 2): Higher auditory imagery skill predicted greater temporal regularity during Recall in the presence of

Active Learning with Irrelevant Examples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazzoni, Dominic; Wagstaff, Kiri L.; Burl, Michael

2006-01-01

Active learning algorithms attempt to accelerate the learning process by requesting labels for the most informative items first. In real-world problems, however, there may exist unlabeled items that are irrelevant to the user's classification goals. Queries about these points slow down learning because they provide no information about the problem of interest. We have observed that when irrelevant items are present, active learning can perform worse than random selection, requiring more time (queries) to achieve the same level of accuracy. Therefore, we propose a novel approach, Relevance Bias, in which the active learner combines its default selection heuristic with the output of a simultaneously trained relevance classifier to favor items that are likely to be both informative and relevant. In our experiments on a real-world problem and two benchmark datasets, the Relevance Bias approach significantly improved the learning rate of three different active learning approaches.

Network-dependent modulation of brain activity during sleep.

PubMed

Watanabe, Takamitsu; Kan, Shigeyuki; Koike, Takahiko; Misaki, Masaya; Konishi, Seiki; Miyauchi, Satoru; Miyahsita, Yasushi; Masuda, Naoki

2014-09-01

Brain activity dynamically changes even during sleep. A line of neuroimaging studies has reported changes in functional connectivity and regional activity across different sleep stages such as slow-wave sleep (SWS) and rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep. However, it remains unclear whether and how the large-scale network activity of human brains changes within a given sleep stage. Here, we investigated modulation of network activity within sleep stages by applying the pairwise maximum entropy model to brain activity obtained by functional magnetic resonance imaging from sleeping healthy subjects. We found that the brain activity of individual brain regions and functional interactions between pairs of regions significantly increased in the default-mode network during SWS and decreased during REM sleep. In contrast, the network activity of the fronto-parietal and sensory-motor networks showed the opposite pattern. Furthermore, in the three networks, the amount of the activity changes throughout REM sleep was negatively correlated with that throughout SWS. The present findings suggest that the brain activity is dynamically modulated even in a sleep stage and that the pattern of modulation depends on the type of the large-scale brain networks. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dental students' evaluation of 2 community-oriented PBL modules.

PubMed

Pau, A K; Collinson, S; Croucher, R

1999-11-01

To evaluate dental students' perception of 2 problem-based learning (PBL) modules in Dental Public Health implemented within the context of a traditional formal curriculum. 2 dental community modules were implemented with an 8-month interval between them on the same group of dental undergraduates; the first in Term 2 and the second in Term 4 of a 5-year 15-term dental course. At the end of each module, a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to evaluate the introductory lecture, the fieldwork activity and the organisation of the modules. In both modules, students reported gaining insight into the subject matter, skills in teamwork, making presentations and collecting data. Some students in the 1st module needed more time to fulfil their learning objectives and had difficulty in collecting data. In the 2nd module, students reported that they lacked motivation because of the place of the module within their timetable. Opinions differed about groupwork. The content of and interest generated by fieldwork activity was rated more positively in the 2nd module than the 1st. Less positively rated in the 2nd module was the introductory lecture and module organisation. Implementing PBL within a traditional curriculum does not offer uniform outcomes for students. Optimum group size and adequate time are necessary if students are to benefit from PBL. A consistent and continuous PBL approach should be adopted rather than a sporadic one. Further research should establish the optimum balance between PBL and traditional approaches that would allow students to maximise the benefits of both and to identify those students best equipped to benefit from a 'mixed economy' of learning.

Creating Learning Environments for Indigenous Students through Cultured-Based Math Modules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yao, Ru-Fen

2016-01-01

The main purposes of this one-year case study are to create learning environments for indigenous students through culture-based mathematics instructional modules, and what teachers' responds are in two tribes. The researcher leads sixteen in-service teachers and seven pre-service teachers to enter two indigenous tribes- "Cado" and…

"Scaffolding" of Action Learning within a Part-Time Management Development Module

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joesbury, Mark

2015-01-01

This Account of Practice describes the introduction and development of action learning within a level 5 module of "Communications at Work" delivered as part of a Business & Technology Education Council (BTEC) Professional Certificate in Management (CMS) between 2005/2006 and 2009/2010. This will commence with a personal narrative and…

Enhanced transformation of incidentally learned knowledge into explicit memory by dopaminergic modulation.

PubMed

Clos, Mareike; Sommer, Tobias; Schneider, Signe L; Rose, Michael

2018-01-01

During incidental learning statistical regularities are extracted from the environment without the intention to learn. Acquired implicit memory of these regularities can affect behavior in the absence of awareness. However, conscious insight in the underlying regularities can also develop during learning. Such emergence of explicit memory is an important learning mechanism that is assumed to involve prediction errors in the striatum and to be dopamine-dependent. Here we directly tested this hypothesis by manipulating dopamine levels during incidental learning in a modified serial reaction time task (SRTT) featuring a hidden regular sequence of motor responses in a placebo-controlled between-group study. Awareness for the sequential regularity was subsequently assessed using cued generation and additionally verified using free recall. The results demonstrated that dopaminergic modulation nearly doubled the amount of explicit sequence knowledge emerged during learning in comparison to the placebo group. This strong effect clearly argues for a causal role of dopamine-dependent processing for the development of awareness for sequential regularities during learning.

Dynamic Modulation of Human Motor Activity When Observing Actions

PubMed Central

Press, Clare; Cook, Jennifer; Blakemore, Sarah-Jayne; Kilner, James

2012-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated that when we observe somebody else executing an action many areas of our own motor systems are active. It has been argued that these motor activations are evidence that we motorically simulate observed actions; this motoric simulation may support various functions such as imitation and action understanding. However, whether motoric simulation is indeed the function of motor activations during action observation is controversial, due to inconsistency in findings. Previous studies have demonstrated dynamic modulations in motor activity when we execute actions. Therefore, if we do motorically simulate observed actions, our motor systems should also be modulated dynamically, and in a corresponding fashion, during action observation. Using magnetoencephalography, we recorded the cortical activity of human participants while they observed actions performed by another person. Here, we show that activity in the human motor system is indeed modulated dynamically during action observation. The finding that activity in the motor system is modulated dynamically when observing actions can explain why studies of action observation using functional magnetic resonance imaging have reported conflicting results, and is consistent with the hypothesis that we motorically simulate observed actions. PMID:21414901

Mangroves Build Land. "Mangroves are a Valuable Resource." Grades 7 and 8. A Two Lesson Unit. Student Learning Activity Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frank, James

This module is an activity and film-oriented unit focusing on the importance of mangroves in the South Florida ecosystem. The module is part of a series designed to be used by teachers, students, and community members to help them utilize community resources in developing and teaching environmental concepts and responsibility, and in seeking ways…

As We Teach and Learn: Recognizing Our Catholic Identity. Module 5: Prayer and Liturgy Integration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartle, Pat; Ristau, Karen, Ed.; Haney, Regina, Ed.

The As We Teach and Learn program consists of an instrument to assess the Catholic dimension of a school and is designed to be used with study modules in a faculty-meeting format. Module topics include: "Faith Community"; "Faith Development"; "Religion Curriculum Articulation: Faith as the Root of all Instruction";…

Foods and Nutrition. Student Modules and Instructor's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South Carolina State Dept. of Education, Columbia. Office of Vocational Education.

These 64 performance-based instructional modules are for the home economics content area of food and nutrition. Each module is composed of an introduction for the student, a performance objective, a variety of learning activities (reading assignments, tasks, written assignments), content information, a student self-check, recommended references,…

Water: How Good is Good Enough? Teacher's Guide. Science Module (9th-10th Grade Chemistry).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgia Univ., Athens. Coll. of Education.

This is a teacher's guide for a module designed to integrate environmental education into ninth- and tenth-grade chemistry classes. The module, pilot tested in Gwinnett County, Georgia in classes of students, many of whom had learning disabilities, emphasizes activity learning and considerable review. The module is divided into four parts. Part…

Modulation of learning and memory by cytokines: signaling mechanisms and long term consequences.

PubMed

Donzis, Elissa J; Tronson, Natalie C

2014-11-01

This review describes the role of cytokines and their downstream signaling cascades on the modulation of learning and memory. Immune proteins are required for many key neural processes and dysregulation of these functions by systemic inflammation can result in impairments of memory that persist long after the resolution of inflammation. Recent research has demonstrated that manipulations of individual cytokines can modulate learning, memory, and synaptic plasticity. The many conflicting findings, however, have prevented a clear understanding of the precise role of cytokines in memory. Given the complexity of inflammatory signaling, understanding its modulatory role requires a shift in focus from single cytokines to a network of cytokine interactions and elucidation of the cytokine-dependent intracellular signaling cascades. Finally, we propose that whereas signal transduction and transcription may mediate short-term modulation of memory, long-lasting cellular and molecular mechanisms such as epigenetic modifications and altered neurogenesis may be required for the long lasting impact of inflammation on memory and cognition. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Activities, Animations, and Online Tools to Enable Undergraduate Student Learning of Geohazards, Climate Change, and Water Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratt-Sitaula, B. A.; Walker, B.; Douglas, B. J.; Cronin, V. S.; Funning, G.; Stearns, L. A.; Charlevoix, D.; Miller, M. M.

2017-12-01

The NSF-funded GEodesy Tools for Societal Issues (GETSI) project is developing teaching resources for use in introductory and majors-level courses, emphasizing a broad range of geodetic methods and data applied to societally important issues. The modules include a variety of hands-on activities, demonstrations, animations, and interactive online tools in order to facilitate student learning and engagement. A selection of these activities will be showcased at the AGU session. These activities and data analysis exercises are embedded in 4-6 units per module. Modules can take 2-3 weeks of course time total or individual units and activities can be selected and used over just 1-2 class periods. Existing modules are available online via serc.carleton.edu/getsi/ and include "Ice mass and sea level changes", "Imaging active tectonics with LiDAR and InSAR", "Measuring water resources with GPS, gravity, and traditional methods", "Surface process hazards", and "GPS, strain, and earthquakes". Modules, and their activities and demonstrations were designed by teams of faculty and content experts and underwent rigorous classroom testing and review using the process developed by the Science Education Resource Center's InTeGrate Project (serc.carleton.edu/integrate). All modules are aligned to Earth Science and Climate literacy principles. GETSI collaborating institutions are UNAVCO (which runs NSF's Geodetic Facility), Indiana University, and Mt San Antonio College. Initial funding came from NSF's TUES (Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM). A second phase of funding from NSF IUSE (Improving Undergraduate STEM Education) is just starting and will fund another six modules (including their demonstrations, activities, and hands-on activities) as well as considerably more instructor professional development to facilitate implementation and use.

Teaching evidence-based practice principles to prepare health professions students for an interprofessional learning experience.

PubMed

Aronoff, Nell; Stellrecht, Elizabeth; Lyons, Amy G; Zafron, Michelle L; Glogowski, Maryruth; Grabowski, Jeremiah; Ohtake, Patricia J

2017-10-01

The research assessed online learning modules designed to teach health professions students evidence-based practice (EBP) principles in an interprofessional context across two institutions. Students from nine health professions at two institutions were recruited to participate in this pilot project consisting of two online learning modules designed to prepare students for an in-person case-based interprofessional activity. Librarians and an instructional designer created two EBP modules. Students' competence in EBP was assessed before and after the modules as well as after the in-person activity. Students evaluated the online learning modules and their impact on the students' learning after the in-person session. A total of 39 students from 8 health professions programs participated in the project. Average quiz scores for online EBP module 1 and module 2 were 83% and 76%, respectively. Following completion of the learning modules, adapted Fresno test of competence in EBP scores increased ( p =0.001), indicating that the modules improved EBP skill competence. Student evaluations of the learning modules were positive. Students indicated that they acquired new information skills that contributed to their ability to develop a patient care plan and that they would use these information skills in their future clinical practice. Online EBP learning modules were effective in developing EBP knowledge and skills for health professions students. Using the same modules ensured that students from different health professions at different stages of their professional programs had consistent knowledge and enabled each student to fully engage in an interprofessional evidence-based activity. Student feedback indicated the modules were valued and beneficial.

Effects of arousal on cognitive control: empirical tests of the conflict-modulated Hebbian-learning hypothesis.

PubMed

Brown, Stephen B R E; van Steenbergen, Henk; Kedar, Tomer; Nieuwenhuis, Sander

2014-01-01

An increasing number of empirical phenomena that were previously interpreted as a result of cognitive control, turn out to reflect (in part) simple associative-learning effects. A prime example is the proportion congruency effect, the finding that interference effects (such as the Stroop effect) decrease as the proportion of incongruent stimuli increases. While this was previously regarded as strong evidence for a global conflict monitoring-cognitive control loop, recent evidence has shown that the proportion congruency effect is largely item-specific and hence must be due to associative learning. The goal of our research was to test a recent hypothesis about the mechanism underlying such associative-learning effects, the conflict-modulated Hebbian-learning hypothesis, which proposes that the effect of conflict on associative learning is mediated by phasic arousal responses. In Experiment 1, we examined in detail the relationship between the item-specific proportion congruency effect and an autonomic measure of phasic arousal: task-evoked pupillary responses. In Experiment 2, we used a task-irrelevant phasic arousal manipulation and examined the effect on item-specific learning of incongruent stimulus-response associations. The results provide little evidence for the conflict-modulated Hebbian-learning hypothesis, which requires additional empirical support to remain tenable.

Null tDCS Effects in a Sustained Attention Task: The Modulating Role of Learning.

PubMed

Jacoby, Noa; Lavidor, Michal

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate sustained attention through modulation of the fronto-cerebral network with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and control participants. Thirty-seven participants (21 with ADHD) underwent three separate sessions (baseline, active tDCS, and sham) and performed the MOXO Continuous Performance Test (CPT). We applied double anodal stimulation of 1.8 mA tDCS for 20 min over the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), with the cathode over the cerebellum. Baseline session revealed significant differences between ADHD and control participants in the MOXO-CPT attention and hyperactivity scores, validating the MOXO as a diagnostic tool. However, there were no tDCS effects in most MOXO-CPT measures, except hyperactivity, due to a significant learning effect. We conclude that learning and repetition effects in cognitive tasks need to be considered when designing within-subjects tDCS experiments, as there are natural improvements between sessions that conceal potential stimulation effects.

Belief about Nicotine Modulates Subjective Craving and Insula Activity in Deprived Smokers

PubMed Central

Gu, Xiaosi; Lohrenz, Terry; Salas, Ramiro; Baldwin, Philip R.; Soltani, Alireza; Kirk, Ulrich; Cinciripini, Paul M.; Montague, P. Read

2016-01-01

Little is known about the specific neural mechanisms through which cognitive factors influence craving and associated brain responses, despite the initial success of cognitive therapies in treating drug addiction. In this study, we investigated how cognitive factors such as beliefs influence subjective craving and neural activities in nicotine-addicted individuals using model-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and neuropharmacology. Deprived smokers (N = 24) participated in a two-by-two balanced placebo design, which crossed beliefs about nicotine (told “nicotine” vs. told “no nicotine”) with the nicotine content in a cigarette (nicotine vs. placebo) which participants smoked immediately before performing a fMRI task involving reward learning. Subjects’ reported craving was measured both before smoking and after the fMRI session. We found that first, in the presence of nicotine, smokers demonstrated significantly reduced craving after smoking when told “nicotine in cigarette” but showed no change in craving when told “no nicotine.” Second, neural activity in the insular cortex related to craving was only significant when smokers were told “nicotine” but not when told “no nicotine.” Both effects were absent in the placebo condition. Third, insula activation related to computational learning signals was modulated by belief about nicotine regardless of nicotine’s presence. These results suggest that belief about nicotine has a strong impact on subjective craving and insula responses related to both craving and learning in deprived smokers, providing insights into the complex nature of belief–drug interactions. PMID:27468271

Effects of Web-Based Interactive Modules on Engineering Students' Learning Motivations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bai, Haiyan; Aman, Amjad; Xu, Yunjun; Orlovskaya, Nina; Zhou, Mingming

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of a newly developed modules, Interactive Web-Based Visualization Tools for Gluing Undergraduate Fuel Cell Systems Courses system (IGLU), on learning motivations of engineering students using two samples (n[subscript 1] = 144 and n[subscript 2] = 135) from senior engineering classes. The…

Supporting Student Learning: The Use of Computer-Based Formative Assessment Modules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peat, Mary; Franklin, Sue

2002-01-01

Describes the development of a variety of computer-based assessment opportunities, both formative and summative, that are available to a large first-year biology class at the University of Sydney (Australia). Discusses online access to weekly quizzes, a mock exam, and special self-assessment modules that are beneficial to student learning.…

An E-Learning Module to Improve Nongenetic Health Professionals’ Assessment of Colorectal Cancer Genetic Risk: Feasibility Study

PubMed Central

Aalfs, Cora M; Dekker, Evelien; Tanis, Pieter J; Smets, Ellen M

2017-01-01

Background Nongenetic health providers may lack the relevant knowledge, experience, and communication skills to adequately detect familial colorectal cancer (CRC), despite a positive attitude toward the assessment of history of cancer in a family. Specific training may enable them to more optimally refer patients to genetic counseling. Objective The aim of this study was to develop an e-learning module for gastroenterologists and surgeons (in training) aimed at improving attitudes, knowledge, and comprehension of communication skills, and to assess the feasibility of the e-learning module for continued medical education of these specialists. Methods A focus group helped to inform the development of a training framework. The e-learning module was then developed, followed by a feasibility test among a group of surgeons-in-training (3rd- and 4th-year residents) and then among gastroenterologists, using pre- and posttest questionnaires. Results A total of 124 surgeons-in-training and 14 gastroenterologists participated. The e-learning was positively received (7.5 on a scale of 1 to 10). Between pre- and posttest, attitude increased significantly on 6 out of the 10 items. Mean test score showed that knowledge and comprehension of communication skills improved significantly from 49% to 72% correct at pretest to 67% to 87% correct at posttest. Conclusions This study shows the feasibility of a problem-based e-learning module to help surgeons-in-training and gastroenterologists in recognizing a hereditary predisposition in patients with CRC. The e-learning led to improvements in attitude toward the assessment of cancer family history, knowledge on criteria for referral to genetic counseling for CRC, and comprehension of communication skills. PMID:29254907

Modulation of functionally localized right insular cortex activity using real-time fMRI-based neurofeedback.

PubMed

Berman, Brian D; Horovitz, Silvina G; Hallett, Mark

2013-01-01

The capacity for subjects to learn to volitionally control localized brain activity using neurofeedback is actively being investigated. We aimed to investigate the ability of healthy volunteers to quickly learn to use visual feedback during real-time functional MRI (rtfMRI) to modulate brain activity within their anterior right insular cortex (RIC) localized during a blink suppression task, an approach of possible interest in the use of rtfMRI to reduce urges. The RIC region of interest (RIC-ROI) was functionally localized using a blink suppression task, and blood-oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal changes within RIC-ROI used to create a constantly updating display fed back to the subject in the scanner. Subjects were instructed to use emotional imagery to try and increase activity within RIC-ROI during four feedback training runs (FB1-FB4). A "control" run (CNTRL) before training and a "transfer" run (XSFR) after training were performed without feedback to assess for baseline abilities and learning effects. Fourteen participants completed all neurofeedback training runs. At the group-level, increased BOLD activity was seen in the anterior RIC during all the FB runs, but a significant increase in the functionally defined RIC-ROI was only attained during FB2. In atlas-defined insular cortex ROIs, significant increases were seen bilaterally during the CNTRL, FB1, FB2, and FB4 runs. Increased activity within the insular cortices did not show lateralization. Training did, however, result in a significant increase in functional connectivity between the RIC-ROI and the medial frontal gyrus when comparing FB4 to FB1. Since neurofeedback training did not lead to an increase in BOLD signal across all feedback runs, we suggest that learning to control one's brain activity in this fashion may require longer or repeated rtfMRI training sessions.

STEM learning activity among home-educating families

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bachman, Jennifer

2011-12-01

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning was studied among families in a group of home-educators in the Pacific Northwest. Ethnographic methods recorded learning activity (video, audio, fieldnotes, and artifacts) which was analyzed using a unique combination of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and Mediated Action (MA), enabling analysis of activity at multiple levels. Findings indicate that STEM learning activity is family-led, guided by parents' values and goals for learning, and negotiated with children to account for learner interests and differences, and available resources. Families' STEM education practice is dynamic, evolves, and influenced by larger societal STEM learning activity. Parents actively seek support and resources for STEM learning within their home-school community, working individually and collectively to share their funds of knowledge. Home-schoolers also access a wide variety of free-choice learning resources: web-based materials, museums, libraries, and community education opportunities (e.g. afterschool, weekend and summer programs, science clubs and classes, etc.). A lesson-heuristic, grounded in Mediated Action, represents and analyzes home STEM learning activity in terms of tensions between parental goals, roles, and lesson structure. One tension observed was between 'academic' goals or school-like activity and 'lifelong' goals or everyday learning activity. Theoretical and experiential learning was found in both activity, though parents with academic goals tended to focus more on theoretical learning and those with lifelong learning goals tended to be more experiential. Examples of the National Research Council's science learning strands (NRC, 2009) were observed in the STEM practices of all these families. Findings contribute to the small but growing body of empirical CHAT research in science education, specifically to the empirical base of family STEM learning practices at home. It also fills a

d-Cycloserine facilitates extinction learning and enhances extinction-related brain activation.

PubMed

Klass, Anne; Glaubitz, Benjamin; Tegenthoff, Martin; Lissek, Silke

2017-10-01

Extinction learning is modulated by N-methyl d-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) particularly in prefrontal and hippocampal brain regions. The use of of NMDA agonists in exposure therapy of anxiety disorders has been investigated in various patient groups. Behavioral results showed beneficial effects of pre-learning administration of the partial NMDAR agonist d-Cycloserine (DCS) on therapy success. However, the impact of DCS upon non-fear-related contextual extinction, and associated recruitment of extinction-relevant brain regions is as yet unknown. In the present fMRI study, healthy human participants performed a context-related associative learning and extinction task. A single dose of DCS, administered prior to extinction learning, enhanced extinction learning performance in an identical context, and increased activation in prefrontal, temporal as well as hippocampal/insular regions, compared to placebo controls. In contrast, DCS did not affect extinction learning in a novel context, nor the renewal effect, which describes the recovery of an extinguished response if the context of extinction differs from the context of recall. Our findings demonstrate a specific involvement of prefrontal and hippocampal NMDAR in the modification of established stimulus-outcome associations in identical contexts and thus their role in behavioral flexibility, underlining their potential for enhancing AAA extinction learning. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Reminder Cues Modulate the Renewal Effect in Human Predictive Learning

PubMed Central

Bustamante, Javier; Uengoer, Metin; Lachnit, Harald

2016-01-01

Associative learning refers to our ability to learn about regularities in our environment. When a stimulus is repeatedly followed by a specific outcome, we learn to expect the outcome in the presence of the stimulus. We are also able to modify established expectations in the face of disconfirming information (the stimulus is no longer followed by the outcome). Both the change of environmental regularities and the related processes of adaptation are referred to as extinction. However, extinction does not erase the initially acquired expectations. For instance, following successful extinction, the initially learned expectations can recover when there is a context change – a phenomenon called the renewal effect, which is considered as a model for relapse after exposure therapy. Renewal was found to be modulated by reminder cues of acquisition and extinction. However, the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of reminder cues are not well understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of reminder cues on renewal in the field of human predictive learning. Experiment I demonstrated that renewal in human predictive learning is modulated by cues related to acquisition or extinction. Initially, participants received pairings of a stimulus and an outcome in one context. These stimulus-outcome pairings were preceded by presentations of a reminder cue (acquisition cue). Then, participants received extinction in a different context in which presentations of the stimulus were no longer followed by the outcome. These extinction trials were preceded by a second reminder cue (extinction cue). During a final phase conducted in a third context, participants showed stronger expectations of the outcome in the presence of the stimulus when testing was accompanied by the acquisition cue compared to the extinction cue. Experiment II tested an explanation of the reminder cue effect in terms of simple cue-outcome associations. Therefore, acquisition and

A single session of prefrontal cortex transcranial direct current stimulation does not modulate implicit task sequence learning and consolidation.

PubMed

Savic, Branislav; Müri, René; Meier, Beat

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is assumed to affect cortical excitability and dependent on the specific stimulation conditions either to increase or decrease learning. The purpose of this study was to modulate implicit task sequence learning with tDCS. As cortico-striatal loops are critically involved in implicit task sequence learning, tDCS was applied above the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). In Experiment 1, anodal, cathodal, or sham tDCS was applied before the start of the sequence learning task. In Experiment 2, stimulation was applied during the sequence learning task. Consolidation of learning was assessed after 24 h. The results of both experiments showed that implicit task sequence learning occurred consistently but it was not modulated by different tDCS conditions. Similarly, consolidation measured after a 24 h-interval including sleep was also not affected by stimulation. These results indicate that a single session of DLPFC tDCS is not sufficient to modulate implicit task sequence learning. This study adds to the accumulating evidence that tDCS may not be as effective as originally thought. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effectiveness of research-based physics learning module with predict-observe-explain strategies to improve the student’s competence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usmeldi

2018-05-01

The preliminary study shows that many students are difficult to master the concept of physics. There are still many students who have not mastery learning physics. Teachers and students still use textbooks. Students rarely do experiments in the laboratory. One model of learning that can improve students’ competence is a research-based learning with Predict- Observe-Explain (POE) strategies. To implement this learning, research-based physics learning modules with POE strategy are used. The research aims to find out the effectiveness of implementation of research-based physics learning modules with POE strategy to improving the students’ competence. The research used a quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest group control design. Data were collected using observation sheets, achievement test, skill assessment sheets, questionnaire of attitude and student responses to learning implementation. The results of research showed that research-based physics learning modules with POE strategy was effective to improve the students’ competence, in the case of (1) mastery learning of physics has been achieved by majority of students, (2) improving the students competency of experimental class including high category, (3) there is a significant difference between the average score of students’ competence of experimental class and the control class, (4) the average score of the students competency of experimental class is higher than the control class, (5) the average score of the students’ responses to the learning implementation is very good category, this means that most students can implement research-based learning with POE strategies.

Design and Implementation of a Mechatronics Learning Module in a Large First-Semester Engineering Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castles, R. T.; Zephirin, T.; Lohani, V. K.; Kachroo, P.

2010-01-01

Since 2005, the first-year engineering program at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, has been significantly restructured to include more hands-on learning. A major grant (2004-2009) under the department level reform (DLR) program of the National Science Foundation (NSF) facilitated this restructuring. A number of hands-on learning modules were developed…

Microarray and network-based identification of functional modules and pathways of active tuberculosis.

PubMed

Bian, Zhong-Rui; Yin, Juan; Sun, Wen; Lin, Dian-Jie

2017-04-01

Diagnose of active tuberculosis (TB) is challenging and treatment response is also difficult to efficiently monitor. The aim of this study was to use an integrated analysis of microarray and network-based method to the samples from publically available datasets to obtain a diagnostic module set and pathways in active TB. Towards this goal, background protein-protein interactions (PPI) network was generated based on global PPI information and gene expression data, following by identification of differential expression network (DEN) from the background PPI network. Then, ego genes were extracted according to the degree features in DEN. Next, module collection was conducted by ego gene expansion based on EgoNet algorithm. After that, differential expression of modules between active TB and controls was evaluated using random permutation test. Finally, biological significance of differential modules was detected by pathways enrichment analysis based on Reactome database, and Fisher's exact test was implemented to extract differential pathways for active TB. Totally, 47 ego genes and 47 candidate modules were identified from the DEN. By setting the cutoff-criteria of gene size >5 and classification accuracy ≥0.9, 7 ego modules (Module 4, Module 7, Module 9, Module 19, Module 25, Module 38 and Module 43) were extracted, and all of them had the statistical significance between active TB and controls. Then, Fisher's exact test was conducted to capture differential pathways for active TB. Interestingly, genes in Module 4, Module 25, Module 38, and Module 43 were enriched in the same pathway, formation of a pool of free 40S subunits. Significant pathway for Module 7 and Module 9 was eukaryotic translation termination, and for Module 19 was nonsense mediated decay enhanced by the exon junction complex (EJC). Accordingly, differential modules and pathways might be potential biomarkers for treating active TB, and provide valuable clues for better understanding of molecular

Incorporating active learning in psychiatry education.

PubMed

Kumar, Sonia; McLean, Loyola; Nash, Louise; Trigwell, Keith

2017-06-01

We aim to summarise the active learning literature in higher education and consider its relevance for postgraduate psychiatry trainees, to inform the development of a new Formal Education Course (FEC): the Master of Medicine (Psychiatry) at the University of Sydney. We undertook a literature search on 'active learning', 'flipped classroom', 'problem-based learning' and 'psychiatry education'. The effectiveness of active learning pedagogy in higher education is well supported by evidence; however, there have been few psychiatry-specific studies. A new 'flipped classroom' format was developed for the Master of Medicine (Psychiatry). Postgraduate psychiatry training is an active learning environment; the pedagogical approach to FECs requires further evaluation.

Activity Development for Intersection Operations The National Transportation Curriculum Project : Developing Activity-Based Learning Modules for the Introductory Transportation Engineering Course

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-05-01

The goal of this work was to develop activity-based learning materials for the introductory transportation engineering course : with the purpose of increasing student understanding and concept retention. These materials were to cover intersection : o...

The Impact of Blended Learning on Student Performance in a Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy Course

PubMed Central

McLaughlin, Jacqueline E.; Gharkholonarehe, Nastaran; Khanova, Julia; Deyo, Zach M.

2015-01-01

Objective. To examine student engagement with, perception of, and performance resulting from blended learning for venous thromboembolism in a required cardiovascular pharmacotherapy course for second-year students. Design. In 2013, key foundational content was packaged into an interactive online module for students to access prior to coming to class; class time was dedicated to active-learning exercises. Assessment. Students who accessed all online module segments participated in more in class clicker questions (p=0.043) and performed better on the examination (p=0.023). There was no difference in clicker participation or examination performance based on time of module access (prior to or after class). The majority of participants agreed or strongly agreed that foundational content learned prior to class, applied activities during class, and content-related questions in the online module greatly enhanced learning. Conclusion. This study highlights the importance of integrating online modules with classroom learning and the role of blended learning in improving academic performance. PMID:25861105

The impact of blended learning on student performance in a cardiovascular pharmacotherapy course.

PubMed

McLaughlin, Jacqueline E; Gharkholonarehe, Nastaran; Khanova, Julia; Deyo, Zach M; Rodgers, Jo E

2015-03-25

To examine student engagement with, perception of, and performance resulting from blended learning for venous thromboembolism in a required cardiovascular pharmacotherapy course for second-year students. In 2013, key foundational content was packaged into an interactive online module for students to access prior to coming to class; class time was dedicated to active-learning exercises. Students who accessed all online module segments participated in more in class clicker questions (p=0.043) and performed better on the examination (p=0.023). There was no difference in clicker participation or examination performance based on time of module access (prior to or after class). The majority of participants agreed or strongly agreed that foundational content learned prior to class, applied activities during class, and content-related questions in the online module greatly enhanced learning. This study highlights the importance of integrating online modules with classroom learning and the role of blended learning in improving academic performance.

Development of contextual teaching and learning based science module for junior high school for increasing creativity of students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurniasari, H.; Sukarmin; Sarwanto

2018-03-01

The purpose of this research are to analyze the the properness of contextual teaching and learning (CTL)-based science module for Junior High School for increasing students’ creativity and using CTL-based science module to increase students’ learning creativity. Development of CTL-based science module for Junior High School is Research and Development (R&D) using 4D Model consist of 4 steps: define, design, develop, and disseminate. Module is validated by 3 expert validators (Material, media, and language experts), 2 reviewer and 1 peer reviewer. . Based on the results of data analysis, it can be concluded that: the results of the validation, the average score of CTL-based science module is 88.28%, the value exceeded the value of the cut off score of 87.5%, so the media declared eligible for the study. Research shows that the gain creativity class that uses CTL-based science module has a gain of 0.72. Based on the results of the study showed that CTL-based science module effectively promotes creativity of students

Instructional Utility and Learning Efficacy of Common Active Learning Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConell, David A.; Chapman, LeeAnna; Czaijka, C. Douglas; Jones, Jason P.; Ryker, Katherine D.; Wiggen, Jennifer

2017-01-01

The adoption of active learning instructional practices in college science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses has been shown to result in improvements in student learning, contribute to increased retention rates, and reduce the achievement gap among different student populations. Descriptions of active learning strategies…

Teaching evidence-based practice principles to prepare health professions students for an interprofessional learning experience

PubMed Central

Aronoff, Nell; Stellrecht, Elizabeth; Lyons, Amy G.; Zafron, Michelle L.; Glogowski, Maryruth; Grabowski, Jeremiah; Ohtake, Patricia J.

2017-01-01

Objective: The research assessed online learning modules designed to teach health professions students evidence-based practice (EBP) principles in an interprofessional context across two institutions. Methods: Students from nine health professions at two institutions were recruited to participate in this pilot project consisting of two online learning modules designed to prepare students for an in-person case-based interprofessional activity. Librarians and an instructional designer created two EBP modules. Students’ competence in EBP was assessed before and after the modules as well as after the in-person activity. Students evaluated the online learning modules and their impact on the students’ learning after the in-person session. Results: A total of 39 students from 8 health professions programs participated in the project. Average quiz scores for online EBP module 1 and module 2 were 83% and 76%, respectively. Following completion of the learning modules, adapted Fresno test of competence in EBP scores increased (p=0.001), indicating that the modules improved EBP skill competence. Student evaluations of the learning modules were positive. Students indicated that they acquired new information skills that contributed to their ability to develop a patient care plan and that they would use these information skills in their future clinical practice. Conclusions: Online EBP learning modules were effective in developing EBP knowledge and skills for health professions students. Using the same modules ensured that students from different health professions at different stages of their professional programs had consistent knowledge and enabled each student to fully engage in an interprofessional evidence-based activity. Student feedback indicated the modules were valued and beneficial. PMID:28983201

Attack of the Killer Fungus: A Hypothesis-Driven Lab Module †

PubMed Central

Sato, Brian K.

2013-01-01

Discovery-driven experiments in undergraduate laboratory courses have been shown to increase student learning and critical thinking abilities. To this end, a lab module involving worm capture by a nematophagous fungus was developed. The goals of this module are to enhance scientific understanding of the regulation of worm capture by soil-dwelling fungi and for students to attain a set of established learning goals, including the ability to develop a testable hypothesis and search for primary literature for data analysis, among others. Students in a ten-week majors lab course completed the lab module and generated novel data as well as data that agrees with the published literature. In addition, learning gains were achieved as seen through a pre-module and post-module test, student self-assessment, class exam, and lab report. Overall, this lab module enables students to become active participants in the scientific method while contributing to the understanding of an ecologically relevant model organism. PMID:24358387

Toward an autonomous brain machine interface: integrating sensorimotor reward modulation and reinforcement learning.

PubMed

Marsh, Brandi T; Tarigoppula, Venkata S Aditya; Chen, Chen; Francis, Joseph T

2015-05-13

For decades, neurophysiologists have worked on elucidating the function of the cortical sensorimotor control system from the standpoint of kinematics or dynamics. Recently, computational neuroscientists have developed models that can emulate changes seen in the primary motor cortex during learning. However, these simulations rely on the existence of a reward-like signal in the primary sensorimotor cortex. Reward modulation of the primary sensorimotor cortex has yet to be characterized at the level of neural units. Here we demonstrate that single units/multiunits and local field potentials in the primary motor (M1) cortex of nonhuman primates (Macaca radiata) are modulated by reward expectation during reaching movements and that this modulation is present even while subjects passively view cursor motions that are predictive of either reward or nonreward. After establishing this reward modulation, we set out to determine whether we could correctly classify rewarding versus nonrewarding trials, on a moment-to-moment basis. This reward information could then be used in collaboration with reinforcement learning principles toward an autonomous brain-machine interface. The autonomous brain-machine interface would use M1 for both decoding movement intention and extraction of reward expectation information as evaluative feedback, which would then update the decoding algorithm as necessary. In the work presented here, we show that this, in theory, is possible. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/357374-14$15.00/0.

Development of Ethnoscience Approach in The Module Theme Substance Additives to Improve the Cognitive Learning Outcome and Student’s entrepreneurship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudarmin; Febu, R.; Nuswowati, M.; Sumarni, W.

2017-04-01

Ethnoscience approach is an interesting research today. The purpose of this research is to develop approaches ethnoscience and modules ethnoscience theme additives based ethnoscience; as well as assess the feasibility and effectiveness of module theme additives based ethnoscience to improve learning outcomes and the entrepreneurial character of students. This type of research is the Research and Development (R & D). In this research consist of four stages, namely define, design, development and implementation. The subjects of this study were students of the School of MTs Maarif NU Brebes. Data were analyzed by descriptive qualitative and quantitative. The results showed that ethnoscience approach and the module theme substance additives used declared worthy of National Education Standards Agency (BNSP) with an average percentage of validation on the feasibility aspect of the content, language feasibility, and feasibility of presenting respectively for 94.3%, 86 % and 92% and a very decent entry criteria. The effect of the application modules substance additive based ethnoscience can improve on the cognitive learning classical amounted to 90.63%, and increased learning outcomes category was based on the scores of N-gain. Influence ethnoscience approach application and module theme substances additives based ethnoscience able to improve the entrepreneurial character of students. Based on the results of this study concluded that the ethnoscience approach and module theme substance additives based ethnoscience effective to improve learning outcomes and students’ entrepreneurship.

Anatomy and Physiology. Module No. IV. Health Occupations Education II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Day, Nancy; And Others

This package of 31 modules on anatomy and physiology is one of six such packages containing a total of 46 modules that comprise Health Occupations Education II, the second course of a two-year course of study. Each module may contain some or all of the following components: introduction, directions, objectives, a list of learning activities,…

An E-Learning Module to Improve Nongenetic Health Professionals' Assessment of Colorectal Cancer Genetic Risk: Feasibility Study.

PubMed

Douma, Kirsten Freya Lea; Aalfs, Cora M; Dekker, Evelien; Tanis, Pieter J; Smets, Ellen M

2017-12-18

Nongenetic health providers may lack the relevant knowledge, experience, and communication skills to adequately detect familial colorectal cancer (CRC), despite a positive attitude toward the assessment of history of cancer in a family. Specific training may enable them to more optimally refer patients to genetic counseling. The aim of this study was to develop an e-learning module for gastroenterologists and surgeons (in training) aimed at improving attitudes, knowledge, and comprehension of communication skills, and to assess the feasibility of the e-learning module for continued medical education of these specialists. A focus group helped to inform the development of a training framework. The e-learning module was then developed, followed by a feasibility test among a group of surgeons-in-training (3rd- and 4th-year residents) and then among gastroenterologists, using pre- and posttest questionnaires. A total of 124 surgeons-in-training and 14 gastroenterologists participated. The e-learning was positively received (7.5 on a scale of 1 to 10). Between pre- and posttest, attitude increased significantly on 6 out of the 10 items. Mean test score showed that knowledge and comprehension of communication skills improved significantly from 49% to 72% correct at pretest to 67% to 87% correct at posttest. This study shows the feasibility of a problem-based e-learning module to help surgeons-in-training and gastroenterologists in recognizing a hereditary predisposition in patients with CRC. The e-learning led to improvements in attitude toward the assessment of cancer family history, knowledge on criteria for referral to genetic counseling for CRC, and comprehension of communication skills. ©Kirsten Freya Lea Douma, Cora M Aalfs, Evelien Dekker, Pieter J Tanis, Ellen M Smets. Originally published in JMIR Medical Education (http://mededu.jmir.org), 18.12.2017.

Learning collaborative teamwork: an argument for incorporating the humanities.

PubMed

Hall, Pippa; Brajtman, Susan; Weaver, Lynda; Grassau, Pamela Anne; Varpio, Lara

2014-11-01

A holistic, collaborative interprofessional team approach, which includes patients and families as significant decision-making members, has been proposed to address the increasing burden being placed on the health-care system. This project hypothesized that learning activities related to the humanities during clinical placements could enhance interprofessional teamwork. Through an interprofessional team of faculty, clinical staff, students, and patient representatives, we developed and piloted the self-learning module, "interprofessional education for collaborative person-centred practice through the humanities". The module was designed to provide learners from different professions and educational levels with a clinical placement/residency experience that would enable them, through a lens of the humanities, to better understand interprofessional collaborative person-centred care without structured interprofessional placement activities. Learners reported the self-paced and self-directed module to be a satisfactory learning experience in all four areas of care at our institution, and certain attitudes and knowledge were significantly and positively affected. The module's evaluation resulted in a revised edition providing improved structure and instruction for students with no experience in self-directed learning. The module was recently adapted into an interactive bilingual (French and English) online e-learning module to facilitate its integration into the pre-licensure curriculum at colleges and universities.

Computer-based teaching module design: principles derived from learning theories.

PubMed

Lau, K H Vincent

2014-03-01

The computer-based teaching module (CBTM), which has recently gained prominence in medical education, is a teaching format in which a multimedia program serves as a single source for knowledge acquisition rather than playing an adjunctive role as it does in computer-assisted learning (CAL). Despite empirical validation in the past decade, there is limited research into the optimisation of CBTM design. This review aims to summarise research in classic and modern multimedia-specific learning theories applied to computer learning, and to collapse the findings into a set of design principles to guide the development of CBTMs. Scopus was searched for: (i) studies of classic cognitivism, constructivism and behaviourism theories (search terms: 'cognitive theory' OR 'constructivism theory' OR 'behaviourism theory' AND 'e-learning' OR 'web-based learning') and their sub-theories applied to computer learning, and (ii) recent studies of modern learning theories applied to computer learning (search terms: 'learning theory' AND 'e-learning' OR 'web-based learning') for articles published between 1990 and 2012. The first search identified 29 studies, dominated in topic by the cognitive load, elaboration and scaffolding theories. The second search identified 139 studies, with diverse topics in connectivism, discovery and technical scaffolding. Based on their relative representation in the literature, the applications of these theories were collapsed into a list of CBTM design principles. Ten principles were identified and categorised into three levels of design: the global level (managing objectives, framing, minimising technical load); the rhetoric level (optimising modality, making modality explicit, scaffolding, elaboration, spaced repeating), and the detail level (managing text, managing devices). This review examined the literature in the application of learning theories to CAL to develop a set of principles that guide CBTM design. Further research will enable educators to

Diabetes attenuates urothelial modulation of detrusor contractility and spontaneous activity.

PubMed

Wang, Yi; Tar, Moses T; Fu, Shibo; Melman, Arnold; Davies, Kelvin P

2014-10-01

To investigate the effect of diabetes on urothelial modulation of bladder contractility. Bladder strips (urothelium intact or denuded) were prepared from 8-week-old streptozotocin-induced diabetic (n = 19) and non-diabetic control rats (n = 10). The effect of modulators of MaxiK (iberiotoxin and tetraethylammonium) and Kv7 (XE991 and retigabine) potassium channel activity were investigated for their effects on both carbachol-induced force generation and spontaneous contractile activity. In bladder strips from non-diabetic animals, the presence of the urothelium resulted in marked sensitivity to carbachol-induced force generation by modulators of MaxiK and Kv7 channel activity, whereas in the diabetic animal urothelial sensitivity to these agents was significantly diminished. Urothelial-intact bladder strips from non-diabetic animals were more sensitive to modulators of Kv7 activity in reducing the amplitude of spontaneous phasic contractions than urothelial-denuded bladder strips, whereas in diabetic animals the presence or absence of the urothelium did not alter the sensitivity to modulators of Kv7 activity. Spontaneous activity in the presence of tetraethylammonium was not affected by the urothelium in bladder strips from either diabetic or non-diabetic animals. The presence of the urothelium in bladders from non-diabetic animals modulates the activity of potassium blockers to affect bladder contractility, whereas in the diabetic bladder this effect is attenuated. These findings could help to explain the lack of success of pharmaceutical treatments targeting potassium channels to treat bladder pathology in patients with diseases imparing urothelial function. © 2014 The Japanese Urological Association.

Commercial Foods and Culinary Arts. Student Learning Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palm Beach County Board of Public Instruction, West Palm Beach, FL.

This student learning guide contains one module for completing a course in commercial foods and culinary arts. It is designed especially for use in secondary schools in Palm Beach County, Florida. The module covers one task, and consists of a purpose, performance objective, enabling objectives, learning activities keyed to resources, information…

Teachers' Everyday Professional Development: Mapping Informal Learning Activities, Antecedents, and Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kyndt, Eva; Gijbels, David; Grosemans, Ilke; Donche, Vincent

2016-01-01

Although a lot is known about teacher development by means of formal learning activities, research on teachers' everyday learning is limited. In the current systematic review, we analyzed 74 studies focusing on teachers' informal learning to identify teachers' learning activities, antecedents for informal learning, and learning outcomes. In…

The Interaction between Sytactic and Semantic Modules in Chinese Learners' English Spotaneous Speech

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gang, Xu

2014-01-01

According to modular theory, there are interactive effects between the central modules and language modules. The central cognition may deploy and redeploy resources from language modules. Moreover, the language modules can activate the cognitive ability. So this paper studies the spontaneous speech of students who learn English as a foreign…

Connecting Family Learning and Active Citizenship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flanagan, Mary

2009-01-01

In Ireland family learning and active citizenship has not been linked together until 2006. It was while the Clare Family Learning Project was involved in a family learning EU learning network project, that a suggestion to create a new partnership project linking both areas was made and FACE IT! was born (Families and Active Citizenship…

Interlocking Toy Building Blocks as Hands-On Learning Modules for Blind and Visually Impaired Chemistry Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melaku, Samuel; Schreck, James O.; Griffin, Kameron; Dabke, Rajeev B.

2016-01-01

Interlocking toy building blocks (e.g., Lego) as chemistry learning modules for blind and visually impaired (BVI) students in high school and undergraduate introductory or general chemistry courses are presented. Building blocks were assembled on a baseplate to depict the relative changes in the periodic properties of elements. Modules depicting…

Towards developing high-fidelity simulated learning environment training modules in audiology.

PubMed

Dzulkarnain, A A; Rahmat, S; Mohd Puzi, N A F; Badzis, M

2017-02-01

This discussion paper reviews and synthesises the literature on simulated learning environment (SLE) from allied health sciences, medical and nursing in general and audiology specifically. The focus of the paper is on discussing the use of high-fidelity (HF) SLE and describing the challenges for developing a HF SLE for clinical audiology training. Through the review of the literature, this paper discusses seven questions, (i) What is SLE? (ii) What are the types of SLEs? (iii) How is SLE classified? (iv) What is HF SLE? (v) What types of SLEs are available in audiology and their level of fidelity? (vi) What are the components needed for developing HF SLE? (vii) What are the possible types of HF SLEs that are suitable for audiology training? Publications were identified by structured searches from three major databases PubMed, Web of Knowledge and PsychInfo and from the reference lists of relevant articles. The authors discussed and mapped the levels of fidelity of SLE audiology training modules from the literature and the learning domains involved in the clinical audiology courses. The discussion paper has highlighted that most of the existing SLE audiology training modules consist of either low- or medium-fidelity types of simulators. Those components needed to achieve a HF SLE for audiology training are also highlighted. Overall, this review recommends that the combined approach of different levels and types of SLE could be used to obtain a HF SLE training module in audiology training.

Create a good learning environment and motivate active learning enthusiasm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Weihong; Fu, Guangwei; Fu, Xinghu; Zhang, Baojun; Liu, Qiang; Jin, Wa

2017-08-01

In view of the current poor learning initiative of undergraduates, the idea of creating a good learning environment and motivating active learning enthusiasm is proposed. In practice, the professional tutor is allocated and professional introduction course is opened for college freshman. It can promote communication between the professional teachers and students as early as possible, and guide students to know and devote the professional knowledge by the preconceived form. Practice results show that these solutions can improve the students interest in learning initiative, so that the active learning and self-learning has become a habit in the classroom.

Navigating the Active Learning Swamp: Creating an Inviting Environment for Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Marie C.; Malinowski, Jon C.

2001-01-01

Reports on a survey of faculty members (n=29) asking them to define active learning, to rate how effectively different teaching techniques contribute to active learning, and to list the three teaching techniques they use most frequently. Concludes that active learning requires establishing an environment rather than employing a specific teaching…

Social modulation of associative fear learning by pheromone communication

PubMed Central

Bredy, Timothy W.; Barad, Mark

2009-01-01

Mice communicate through visual, vocal, and olfactory cues that influence innate, nonassociative behavior. We here report that exposure to a recently fear-conditioned familiar mouse impairs acquisition of conditioned fear and facilitates fear extinction, effects mimicked by both an olfactory chemosignal emitted by a recently fear-conditioned familiar mouse and by the putative stress-related anxiogenic pheromone β-phenylethylamine (β-PEA). Together, these findings suggest social modulation of higher-order cognitive processing through pheromone communication and support the concurrent excitor hypothesis of extinction learning. PMID:19117912

Social modulation of associative fear learning by pheromone communication.

PubMed

Bredy, Timothy W; Barad, Mark

2009-01-01

Mice communicate through visual, vocal, and olfactory cues that influence innate, nonassociative behavior. We here report that exposure to a recently fear-conditioned familiar mouse impairs acquisition of conditioned fear and facilitates fear extinction, effects mimicked by both an olfactory chemosignal emitted by a recently fear-conditioned familiar mouse and by the putative stress-related anxiogenic pheromone beta-phenylethylamine (beta-PEA). Together, these findings suggest social modulation of higher-order cognitive processing through pheromone communication and support the concurrent excitor hypothesis of extinction learning.

Learning by Subtraction: Hippocampal Activity and Effects of Ethanol during the Acquisition and Performance of Response Sequences

PubMed Central

Ketchum, Myles J.; Weyand, Theodore G.; Weed, Peter F.; Winsauer, Peter J.

2015-01-01

Learning is believed to be reflected in the activity of the hippocampus. However, neural correlates of learning have been difficult to characterize because hippocampal activity is integrated with ongoing behavior. To address this issue, male rats (n=5) implanted with electrodes (n=14) in the CA1 subfield responded during two tasks within a single test session. In one task, subjects acquired a new 3-response sequence (acquisition), whereas in the other task, subjects completed a well-rehearsed 3-response sequence (performance). Both tasks though could be completed using an identical response topography and used the same sensory stimuli and schedule of reinforcement. More important, comparing neural patterns during sequence acquisition to those during sequence performance allows for a subtractive approach whereby activity associated with learning could potentially be dissociated from the activity associated with ongoing behavior. At sites where CA1 activity was closely associated with behavior, the patterns of activity were differentially modulated by key position and the serial position of a response within the schedule of reinforcement. Temporal shifts between peak activity and responding on particular keys also occurred during sequence acquisition, but not during sequence performance. Ethanol disrupted CA1 activity while producing rate-decreasing effects in both tasks and error-increasing effects that were more selective for sequence acquisition than sequence performance. Ethanol also produced alterations in the magnitude of modulations and temporal pattern of CA1 activity, although these effects were not selective for sequence acquisition. Similar to ethanol, hippocampal micro-stimulation decreased response rate in both tasks and selectively increased the percentage of errors during sequence acquisition, and provided a more direct demonstration of hippocampal involvement during sequence acquisition. Together, these results strongly support the notion that ethanol

Educational Modules in Tissue Engineering Based on the "How People Learn" Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birol, Gulnur; Liu, Shu Q.; Smith, H. David; Hirsch, Penny

2006-01-01

This paper describes an educational package for use in tertiary level tissue engineering education. Current learning science principles and theory were employed in the design process of these educational tools. Each module started with a challenge statement designed to motivate students and consisted of laboratory exercises centered on the "How…

"Bringing Life to Learning": A Study of Active Learning in Hospitality Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chau, Salott; Cheung, Catherine

2017-01-01

Active learning connects students to the real life situations they will encounter in their future jobs. In hospitality education, active learning implements various lively, fun activities to introduce practical scenarios students may experience in their hospitality careers. This study identifies 18 essential active-learning items of hospitality…

Cerebellar Norepinephrine Modulates Learning of Delay Classical Eyeblink Conditioning: Evidence for Post-Synaptic Signaling via PKA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fister, Mathew; Bickford, Paula C.; Cartford, M. Claire; Samec, Amy

2004-01-01

The neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE) has been shown to modulate cerebellar-dependent learning and memory. Lesions of the nucleus locus coeruleus or systemic blockade of noradrenergic receptors has been shown to delay the acquisition of several cerebellar-dependent learning tasks. To date, no studies have shown a direct involvement of…

Medical student knowledge regarding radiology before and after a radiological anatomy module: implications for vertical integration and self-directed learning.

PubMed

Murphy, Kevin P; Crush, Lee; O'Malley, Eoin; Daly, Fergus E; O'Tuathaigh, Colm M P; O'Connor, Owen J; Cryan, John F; Maher, Michael M

2014-10-01

To examine the impact that anatomy-focused radiology teaching has on non-examined knowledge regarding radiation safety and radiology as a specialty. First-year undergraduate medical students completed surveys prior to and after undertaking the first-year anatomy programme that incorporates radiological anatomy. Students were asked opinions on preferred learning methodology and tested on understanding of radiology as a specialty and radiation safety. Pre-module and post-module response rates were 93 % (157/168) and 85 % (136/160), respectively. Pre-module and post-module, self-directed learning (SDL) ranked eighth (of 11) for preferred gross-anatomy teaching formats. Correct responses regarding radiologist/radiographer roles varied from 28-94 % on 16 questions with 4/16 significantly improving post-module. Identification of modalities that utilise radiation significantly improved for five of eight modalities post-module but knowledge regarding relative amount of modality-specific radiation use was variable pre-module and post-module. SDL is not favoured as an anatomy teaching method. Exposure of students to a radiological anatomy module delivered by senior clinical radiologists improved basic knowledge regarding ionising radiation use, but there was no improvement in knowledge regarding radiation exposure relative per modality. A possible explanation is that students recall knowledge imparted in didactic lectures but do little reading around the subject when the content is not examined. • Self-directed learning is not favoured as a gross anatomy teaching format amongst medical students. • An imaging anatomy-focused module improved basic knowledge regarding ionising radiation use. • Detailed knowledge of modality-specific radiation exposure remained suboptimal post-module. • Knowledge of roles within a clinical radiology department showed little change post-module.

Validity of Learning Module Natural Sciences Oriented Constructivism with the Contain of Character Education for Students of Class VIII at Yunior Hight School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oktarina, K.; Lufri, L.; Chatri, M.

2018-04-01

Referring to primary data collected through observation and interview to natural science teachers and some students, it is found that there is no natural science teaching materials in the form of learning modules that can make learners learn independently, build their own knowledge, and construct good character in themselves. In order to address this problem, then it is developed natural science learning module oriented to constructivism with the contain of character education. The purpose of this study is to reconstruct valid module of natural science learning materials. This type of research is a development research using the Plomp model. The development phase of the Plomp model consists of 3 stages, namely 1) preliminary research phase, 2) development or prototyping phase, and 3) assessment phase. The result of the study shows that natural science learning module oriented to constructivism with the contain of character education for students class VIII of Yunior High School 11 Sungai Penuh is valid. In future work, practicality and effectiveness will be investigated.

Light exposure before learning improves memory consolidation at night

PubMed Central

Shan, Li-Li; Guo, Hao; Song, Ning-Ning; Jia, Zheng-Ping; Hu, Xin-Tian; Huang, Jing-Fei; Ding, Yu-Qiang; Richter-Levine, Gal; Zhou, Qi-Xin; Xu, Lin

2015-01-01

Light is recently recognized as a modulator able to activate the hippocampus and modulate memory processing, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms. Here, we report that in mice, a short pulse of white light before learning dramatically improves consolidation of contextual fear memory during the night. The light exposure increases hippocampal active p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) and CA1 long-term potentiation (LTP). These light effects are abolished in PAK1 knockout and dominant-negative transgenic mice, but preserved by expression of constitutively active PAK1 in the hippocampus. Our results indicate that light can act as a switch of PAK1 activity that modulate CA1 LTP and thereby memory consolidation without affecting learning and short-term memory. PMID:26493375

Wireless multi-level terahertz amplitude modulator using active metamaterial-based spatial light modulation.

PubMed

Rout, Saroj; Sonkusale, Sameer

2016-06-27

The ever increasing demand for bandwidth in wireless communication systems will inevitably lead to the extension of operating frequencies toward the terahertz (THz) band known as the 'THz gap'. Towards closing this gap, we present a multi-level amplitude shift keying (ASK) terahertz wireless communication system using terahertz spatial light modulators (SLM) instead of traditional voltage mode modulation, achieving higher spectral efficiency for high speed communication. The fundamental principle behind this higher efficiency is the conversion of a noisy voltage domain signal to a noise-free binary spatial pattern for effective amplitude modulation of a free-space THz carrier wave. Spatial modulation is achieved using an an active metamaterial array embedded with pseudomorphic high-electron mobility (pHEMT) designed in a consumer-grade galium-arsenide (GaAs) integrated circuit process which enables electronic control of its THz transmissivity. Each array is assembled as individually controllable tiles for transmissive terahertz spatial modulation. Using the experimental data from our metamaterial based modulator, we show that a four-level ASK digital communication system has two orders of magnitude improvement in symbol error rate (SER) for a degradation of 20 dB in transmit signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) using spatial light modulation compared to voltage controlled modulation.

Using multimedia learning modules in a hybrid-online course in electricity and magnetism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadaghiani, Homeyra R.

2011-06-01

We have been piloting web-based multimedia learning modules (MLMs), developed by the Physics Education Research Group at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC), as a “prelecture assignment” in several introductory physics courses at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona. In this study, we report the results from a controlled study utilizing modules on electricity and magnetism as a part of a blended hybrid-online course. We asked students in the experimental section to view the MLMs prior to attending the face-to-face class, and to make sure this would not result in additional instructional time, we reduced the weekly class time by one-third. We found that despite reduced class time, student-learning outcomes were not hindered; in fact, the implementation of the UIUC MLMs resulted in a positive effect on student performance on conceptual tests and classroom discussion questions.

Cortical Activation Patterns Evoked by Temporally Asymmetric Sounds and Their Modulation by Learning

PubMed Central

Horikawa, Junsei

2017-01-01

When complex sounds are reversed in time, the original and reversed versions are perceived differently in spectral and temporal dimensions despite their identical duration and long-term spectrum-power profiles. Spatiotemporal activation patterns evoked by temporally asymmetric sound pairs demonstrate how the temporal envelope determines the readout of the spectrum. We examined the patterns of activation evoked by a temporally asymmetric sound pair in the primary auditory field (AI) of anesthetized guinea pigs and determined how discrimination training modified these patterns. Optical imaging using a voltage-sensitive dye revealed that a forward ramped-down natural sound (F) consistently evoked much stronger responses than its time-reversed, ramped-up counterpart (revF). The spatiotemporal maximum peak (maxP) of F-evoked activation was always greater than that of revF-evoked activation, and these maxPs were significantly separated within the AI. Although discrimination training did not affect the absolute magnitude of these maxPs, the revF-to-F ratio of the activation peaks calculated at the location where hemispheres were maximally activated (i.e., F-evoked maxP) was significantly smaller in the trained group. The F-evoked activation propagated across the AI along the temporal axis to the ventroanterior belt field (VA), with the local activation peak within the VA being significantly larger in the trained than in the naïve group. These results suggest that the innate network is more responsive to natural sounds of ramped-down envelopes than their time-reversed, unnatural sounds. The VA belt field activation might play an important role in emotional learning of sounds through its connections with amygdala. PMID:28451640

The New Youth Entrepreneur: Types of Business Ownership. Module 7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kourilsky, Marilyn; And Others

The New Youth Entrepreneur curriculum is a series of 12 youth-oriented educational modules containing instructional materials, learning activities, and checkup exercises designed to teach students key elements of entrepreneurship. This document is the seventh module, and examines the potential advantages and disadvantages of entering into four…

Interactive Online Modules and Videos for Learning Geological Concepts at the University of Toronto Department of Earth Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veglio, E.; Graves, L. W.; Bank, C. G.

2014-12-01

We designed various computer-based applications and videos as educational resources for undergraduate courses at the University of Toronto in the Earth Science Department. These resources were developed in effort to enhance students' self-learning of key concepts as identified by educators at the department. The interactive learning modules and videos were created using the programs MATLAB and Adobe Creative Suite 5 (Photoshop and Premiere) and range from optical mineralogy (extinction and Becke line), petrology (equilibrium melting in 2-phase systems), crystallography (crystal systems), geophysics (gravity anomaly), and geologic history (evolution of Canada). These resources will be made available for students on internal course websites as well as through the University of Toronto Earth Science's website (www.es.utoronto.ca) where appropriate; the video platform YouTube.com may be used to reach a wide audience and promote the material. Usage of the material will be monitored and feedback will be collected over the next academic year in order to gage the use of these interactive learning tools and to assess if these computer-based applications and videos foster student engagement and active learning, and thus offer an enriched learning experience.

Space Operations Learning Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lui, Ben; Milner, Barbara; Binebrink, Dan; Kuok, Heng

2012-01-01

The Space Operations Learning Center (SOLC) is a tool that provides an online learning environment where students can learn science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through a series of training modules. SOLC is also an effective media for NASA to showcase its contributions to the general public. SOLC is a Web-based environment with a learning platform for students to understand STEM through interactive modules in various engineering topics. SOLC is unique in its approach to develop learning materials to teach schoolaged students the basic concepts of space operations. SOLC utilizes the latest Web and software technologies to present this educational content in a fun and engaging way for all grade levels. SOLC uses animations, streaming video, cartoon characters, audio narration, interactive games and more to deliver educational concepts. The Web portal organizes all of these training modules in an easily accessible way for visitors worldwide. SOLC provides multiple training modules on various topics. At the time of this reporting, seven modules have been developed: Space Communication, Flight Dynamics, Information Processing, Mission Operations, Kids Zone 1, Kids Zone 2, and Save The Forest. For the first four modules, each contains three components: Flight Training, Flight License, and Fly It! Kids Zone 1 and 2 include a number of educational videos and games designed specifically for grades K-6. Save The Forest is a space operations mission with four simulations and activities to complete, optimized for new touch screen technology. The Kids Zone 1 module has recently been ported to Facebook to attract wider audience.

Teaching calculus using module based on cooperative learning strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arbin, Norazman; Ghani, Sazelli Abdul; Hamzah, Firdaus Mohamad

2014-06-01

The purpose of the research is to evaluate the effectiveness of a module which utilizes the cooperative learning for teaching Calculus for limit, derivative and integral. The sample consists of 50 semester 1 students from the Science Programme (AT 16) Sultan Idris Education University. A set of questions of related topics (pre and post) has been used as an instrument to collect data. The data is analyzed using inferential statistics involving the paired sample t-test and the independent t-test. The result shows that students have positive inclination towards the modulein terms of understanding.

Null tDCS Effects in a Sustained Attention Task: The Modulating Role of Learning

PubMed Central

Jacoby, Noa; Lavidor, Michal

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate sustained attention through modulation of the fronto-cerebral network with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and control participants. Thirty-seven participants (21 with ADHD) underwent three separate sessions (baseline, active tDCS, and sham) and performed the MOXO Continuous Performance Test (CPT). We applied double anodal stimulation of 1.8 mA tDCS for 20 min over the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), with the cathode over the cerebellum. Baseline session revealed significant differences between ADHD and control participants in the MOXO-CPT attention and hyperactivity scores, validating the MOXO as a diagnostic tool. However, there were no tDCS effects in most MOXO-CPT measures, except hyperactivity, due to a significant learning effect. We conclude that learning and repetition effects in cognitive tasks need to be considered when designing within-subjects tDCS experiments, as there are natural improvements between sessions that conceal potential stimulation effects. PMID:29681876

Podcasting to Provide Teaching and Learning Support for an Undergraduate Module on English Language and Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edirisingha, Palitha; Rizzi, Chiara; Nie, Ming; Rothwell, Libby

2007-01-01

This paper reports findings from research into the benefits of integrating podcasts into a first year undergraduate module on English Language and Communication at Kingston University. As part of a Faculty teaching and learning support scheme for first year undergraduates, six podcasts were developed to improve students' learning and study skills…

Innovation Online Teaching Module Plus Digital Engineering Kit with Proteus Software through Hybrid Learning Method to Improve Student Skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kholis, Nur; Syariffuddien Zuhrie, Muhamad; Rahmadian, Reza

2018-04-01

Demands the competence (competence) needs of the industry today is a competent workforce to the field of work. However, during this lecture material Digital Engineering (Especially Digital Electronics Basics and Digital Circuit Basics) is limited to the delivery of verbal form of lectures (classical method) is dominated by the Lecturer (Teacher Centered). Though the subject of Digital Engineering requires learning tools and is required understanding of electronic circuits, digital electronics and high logic circuits so that learners can apply in the world of work. One effort to make it happen is by creating an online teaching module and educational aids (Kit) with the help of Proteus software that can improve the skills of learners. This study aims to innovate online teaching modules plus kits in Proteus-assisted digital engineering courses through hybrid learning approaches to improve the skills of learners. The process of innovation is done by considering the skills and mastery of the technology of students (students) Department of Electrical Engineering - Faculty of Engineering – Universitas Negeri Surabaya to produce quality graduates Use of online module plus Proteus software assisted kit through hybrid learning approach. In general, aims to obtain adequate results with affordable cost of investment, user friendly, attractive and interactive (easily adapted to the development of Information and Communication Technology). With the right design, implementation and operation, both in the form of software both in the form of Online Teaching Module, offline teaching module, Kit (Educational Viewer), and e-learning learning content (both online and off line), the use of the three tools of the expenditure will be able to adjust the standard needs of Information and Communication Technology world, both nationally and internationally.

The integration of an online module on student learning.

PubMed

Yehle, Karen S; Chang, Karen

2012-11-01

Heart failure is a prevalent and costly condition. Patients with better self-management are less likely to be rehospitalized. An online interactive heart failure module was developed and integrated into a medical-surgical nursing course to assist students in learning how to care for patients with heart failure. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the integration of an online heart failure module improved baccalaureate nursing students' heart failure self-management knowledge. A pretest/posttest design was used to examine the effects of student knowledge of heart failure self-management following implementation of an online module. Among 235 students, significant improvement of heart failure self-management knowledge was observed (P < .05). The mean posttest scores ranged from 13.82 to 15.93. Students had problems mastering knowledge of weight monitoring, use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, symptoms to report to physicians, and potassium-based salt substitutes. These findings were similar to four studies examining nurses' knowledge of heart failure. Students and nurses have difficulty mastering similar heart failure education concepts. An additional strategy, such as simulated or case scenarios, needs to be developed to help nurses and nursing students master all key concepts of heart failure self-management.

The New Youth Entrepreneur: Money To Get Started. Module 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kourilsky, Marilyn; And Others

The New Youth Entrepreneur curriculum is a series of 12 youth-oriented educational modules containing instructional materials, learning activities, and checkup exercises designed to teach students key elements of entrepreneurship. This document is the fifth module, and introduces students to the financial issues involved in starting a business,…

Instructional methods and cognitive and learning styles in web-based learning: report of two randomised trials.

PubMed

Cook, David A; Gelula, Mark H; Dupras, Denise M; Schwartz, Alan

2007-09-01

Adapting web-based (WB) instruction to learners' individual differences may enhance learning. Objectives This study aimed to investigate aptitude-treatment interactions between learning and cognitive styles and WB instructional methods. We carried out a factorial, randomised, controlled, crossover, post-test-only trial involving 89 internal medicine residents, family practice residents and medical students at 2 US medical schools. Parallel versions of a WB course in complementary medicine used either active or reflective questions and different end-of-module review activities ('create and study a summary table' or 'study an instructor-created table'). Participants were matched or mismatched to question type based on active or reflective learning style. Participants used each review activity for 1 course module (crossover design). Outcome measurements included the Index of Learning Styles, the Cognitive Styles Analysis test, knowledge post-test, course rating and preference. Post-test scores were similar for matched (mean +/- standard error of the mean 77.4 +/- 1.7) and mismatched (76.9 +/- 1.7) learners (95% confidence interval [CI] for difference - 4.3 to 5.2l, P = 0.84), as were course ratings (P = 0.16). Post-test scores did not differ between active-type questions (77.1 +/- 2.1) and reflective-type questions (77.2 +/- 1.4; P = 0.97). Post-test scores correlated with course ratings (r = 0.45). There was no difference in post-test subscores for modules completed using the 'construct table' format (78.1 +/- 1.4) or the 'table provided' format (76.1 +/- 1.4; CI - 1.1 to 5.0, P = 0.21), and wholist and analytic styles had no interaction (P = 0.75) or main effect (P = 0.18). There was no association between activity preference and wholist or analytic scores (P = 0.37). Cognitive and learning styles had no apparent influence on learning outcomes. There were no differences in outcome between these instructional methods.

Electronic Module Design with Scientifically Character-Charged Approach on Kinematics Material Learning to Improve Holistic Competence of High School Students in 10th Grade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anggraini, R.; Darvina, Y.; Amir, H.; Murtiani, M.; Yulkifli, Y.

2018-04-01

The availability of modules in schools is currently lacking. Learners have not used the module as a source in the learning process. In accordance with the demands of the 2013 curriculum, that learning should be conducted using a scientific approach and loaded with character values as well as learning using interactive learning resources. The solution of this problem is to create an interactive module with a scientifically charged character approach. This interactive module can be used by learners outside the classroom or in the classroom. This interactive module contains straight motion material, parabolic motion and circular motion of high school physics class X semester 1. The purpose of this research is to produce an interactive module with a scientific approach charged with character and determine the validity and practicality. The research is Research and Development. This study was conducted only until the validity test and practice test. The validity test was conducted by three lecturers of Physics of FMIPA UNP as experts. The instruments used in this research are validation sheet and worksheet sheet. Data analysis technique used is product validity analysis. The object of this research is electronic module, while the subject of this research is three validator.

Development of Health Education Learning Module in Bac.TSE-LDPE Programme in TTI: Needs Analysis Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ujang, Alijah; Alias, Norlidah; Siraj, Saedah

2015-01-01

This study is to explore the need to develop learning modules of health education for trainee teachers in the Bachelor Of Teaching (Hons)(Special Education-Learning Disabilities For Primary Education) Programme (Bac.TSE-LDPE) in the Teacher Training Institute (TTI). The questionnaire uses the Likert scale with the close ended questions analysed by…

Developing Interactive E-Learning Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkins, Ryan

2005-01-01

Although e-learning can offer interactive and engaging learning experiences, the creative ideas that are necessary to create such environments are not always easy to come up with when designing, developing, or teaching e-learning courses. E-learning activities use online technologies such as chat rooms, discussion boards, or email to facilitate…

Development and evaluation of an internet-based blended-learning module in biomedicine for university applicants--Education as a challenge for the future.

PubMed

Klümper, Christian; Neunzehn, Jörg; Wegmann, Ute; Kruppke, Benjamin; Joos, Ulrich; Wiesmann, Hans Peter

2016-03-25

Biomedical science, especially biomaterials, is an expanding field in medicine. Universities are being challenged to gain the best students for a later academic career. Pre-university assessment of pupils has become crucial to reach this aim. Blended learning is an emerging paradigm for science education even though it has not yet been rigorously assessed, especially in the pupil/undergraduate situation. The aim of the study was to develop and preliminarily test a blended-learning system in biomedicine for university applicants. An internet-based blended-learning module in material science was developed in close collaboration between a university (Biomaterials Department, Dresden TU), a German Gymnasium and an internationally oriented medical college (IMC®, Münster). Forty pre-university students were taught by this learning module composed of school education and internet-based knowledge transfer and involved in the evaluation of the utility of this learning tool. Finally, the students took first-year university examinations in order to evaluate the success of this kind of education. The internet-based blended-learning module as a combination of e-learning tutorials and live online lectures which was applied in phase 3 of this study was developed on the basis of the findings of both pre-university studies. The results of the learning behavior regarding the number of invokes and the dwell time of the individual pages of the pre-university learning material, the results of the online evaluation and the results of the pre-phase examination were successively used to optimize the next phase. At the end of the pre-university learning, seven of eight participants were able to pass the first-year university examination followed by nationally accepted credit award. Internet-based blended-learning module proved to be suitable to prepare students for biomedical university education while also giving them the possibility to assess their qualifications for studying

An Innovative Teaching Method To Promote Active Learning: Team-Based Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balasubramanian, R.

2007-12-01

Traditional teaching practice based on the textbook-whiteboard- lecture-homework-test paradigm is not very effective in helping students with diverse academic backgrounds achieve higher-order critical thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Consequently, there is a critical need for developing a new pedagogical approach to create a collaborative and interactive learning environment in which students with complementary academic backgrounds and learning skills can work together to enhance their learning outcomes. In this presentation, I will discuss an innovative teaching method ('Team-Based Learning (TBL)") which I recently developed at National University of Singapore to promote active learning among students in the environmental engineering program with learning abilities. I implemented this new educational activity in a graduate course. Student feedback indicates that this pedagogical approach is appealing to most students, and promotes active & interactive learning in class. Data will be presented to show that the innovative teaching method has contributed to improved student learning and achievement.

Promoting active learning using audience response system in large bioscience classes.

PubMed

Efstathiou, Nikolaos; Bailey, Cara

2012-01-01

This paper considers the challenges of bioscience teaching and learning in pre-registration nurse education. Effective learning requires active student participation which is problematic when teaching large groups of students. New technologies, such as the audience response system (ARS), have been introduced to increase student participation and support them in the understanding of complex bioscience concepts. Within one university department, an evaluation was undertaken to identify the perceptions of pre-registration nurse students on the use of ARS in the teaching and learning of bioscience. Our findings concur with others that ARS increases student participation and aids in identifying misconceptions and in correcting them. Students found ARS very useful and wanted ARS to be used in additional modules too. Although ARS did not seem to motivate students to study adequately before attending the relevant sessions, it increased discussion among students and awareness of their level of knowledge compared to their peers. Further research is required to identify the effectiveness of ARS in the teaching and learning of bioscience and its impact on the performance of the students in their final assessments. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An assessment of the feasibility and effectiveness of an e-learning module in delivering a curriculum in radiation protection to undergraduate medical students.

PubMed

Leong, Sum; Mc Laughlin, Patrick; O'Connor, Owen J; O'Flynn, Siun; Maher, Michael M

2012-03-01

Integrating radiation protection (RP) education in the undergraduate medical curriculum is gaining importance and is mandatory in certain jurisdictions. An e-learning module for RP was developed at the authors' medical school and was integrated into year 4 of the 5-year undergraduate medical program. The aim of this study was to investigate its impact on RP knowledge, student preferences for various teaching methods, self-assessment of RP knowledge, and perceptions of career prospects in radiology. Likert-type 5-point scale evaluations and general comments about the RP module and various methods of teaching were also obtained. An e-learning module in RP was designed and presented to year 4 medical undergraduates. All students were required to complete premodule and postmodule questionnaires. Eighty-nine percent (n = 113) and 99% (n = 126) of the 127 medical students successfully completed and returned the premodule and postmodule questionnaires, respectively. After the e-learning module, students' postmodule RP knowledge had improved significantly. Analysis of postmodule RP knowledge suggested that a favorable self-assessment of knowledge of RP, perception of career prospects in radiology, and completion of the e-learning module with an increased number of sessions were factors predictive of improved RP knowledge. Students expressed a preference for didactic lectures and clinical attachment for instruction in RP over e-learning. The development of an e-learning module in RP is feasible and results in improved knowledge of RP among medical undergraduates. Combining e-learning and more traditional educational programs such as a clinical radiology rotation is likely to improve student experience. Copyright © 2012 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

State-dependent, bidirectional modulation of neural network activity by endocannabinoids.

PubMed

Piet, Richard; Garenne, André; Farrugia, Fanny; Le Masson, Gwendal; Marsicano, Giovanni; Chavis, Pascale; Manzoni, Olivier J

2011-11-16

The endocannabinoid (eCB) system and the cannabinoid CB1 receptor (CB1R) play key roles in the modulation of brain functions. Although actions of eCBs and CB1Rs are well described at the synaptic level, little is known of their modulation of neural activity at the network level. Using microelectrode arrays, we have examined the role of CB1R activation in the modulation of the electrical activity of rat and mice cortical neural networks in vitro. We find that exogenous activation of CB1Rs expressed on glutamatergic neurons decreases the spontaneous activity of cortical neural networks. Moreover, we observe that the net effect of the CB1R antagonist AM251 inversely correlates with the initial level of activity in the network: blocking CB1Rs increases network activity when basal network activity is low, whereas it depresses spontaneous activity when its initial level is high. Our results reveal a complex role of CB1Rs in shaping spontaneous network activity, and suggest that the outcome of endogenous neuromodulation on network function might be state dependent.

Stress Modulates the Use of Spatial versus Stimulus-Response Learning Strategies in Humans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philippsen, Christine; Richter, Steffen; Bohringer, Andreas; Wippich, Werner; Schachinger, Hartmut; Schwabe, Lars; Oitzl, Melly S.

2007-01-01

Animal studies provided evidence that stress modulates multiple memory systems, favoring caudate nucleus-based "habit" memory over hippocampus-based "cognitive" memory. However, effects of stress on learning strategy and memory consolidation were not differentiated. We specifically address the effects of psychosocial stress on the applied learning…

Modulating Motor Learning through Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation: An Integrative View

PubMed Central

Ammann, Claudia; Spampinato, Danny; Márquez-Ruiz, Javier

2016-01-01

Motor learning consists of the ability to improve motor actions through practice playing a major role in the acquisition of skills required for high-performance sports or motor function recovery after brain lesions. During the last decades, it has been reported that transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS), consisting in applying weak direct current through the scalp, is able of inducing polarity-specific changes in the excitability of cortical neurons. This low-cost, painless and well-tolerated portable technique has found a wide-spread use in the motor learning domain where it has been successfully applied to enhance motor learning in healthy individuals and for motor recovery after brain lesion as well as in pathological states associated to motor deficits. The main objective of this mini-review is to offer an integrative view about the potential use of tDCS for human motor learning modulation. Furthermore, we introduce the basic mechanisms underlying immediate and long-term effects associated to tDCS along with important considerations about its limitations and progression in recent years. PMID:28066300

Building an open academic environment – a new approach to empowering students in their learning of anatomy through ‘Shadow Modules’

PubMed Central

Scott, Jonathan L; Moxham, Bernard J; Rutherford, Stephen M

2014-01-01

Teaching and learning in anatomy is undertaken by a variety of methodologies, yet all of these pedagogies benefit from students discussing and reflecting upon their learning activities. An approach of particular potency is peer-mediated learning, through either peer-teaching or collaborative peer-learning. Collaborative, peer-mediated, learning activities help promote deep learning approaches and foster communities of practice in learning. Students generally flourish in collaborative learning settings but there are limitations to the benefits of collaborative learning undertaken solely within the confines of modular curricula. We describe the development of peer-mediated learning through student-focused and student-led study groups we have termed ‘Shadow Modules’. The ‘Shadow Module’ takes place parallel to the formal academically taught module and facilitates collaboration between students to support their learning for that module. In ‘Shadow Module’ activities, students collaborate towards curating existing online open resources as well as developing learning resources of their own to support their study. Through the use of communication technologies and web 2.0 tools these resources are able to be shared with their peers, thus enhancing the learning experience of all students following the module. The Shadow Module activities have the potential to lead to participants feeling a greater sense of engagement with the subject material, as well as improving their study and group-working skills and developing digital literacy. The outputs from Shadow Module collaborative work are open-source and may be utilised by subsequent student cohorts, thus building up a repository of learning resources designed by and for students. Shadow Module activities would benefit all pedagogies in the study of anatomy, and support students moving from being passive consumers to active participants in learning. PMID:24117249

Experience modulates motor imagery-based brain activity.

PubMed

Kraeutner, Sarah N; McWhinney, Sean R; Solomon, Jack P; Dithurbide, Lori; Boe, Shaun G

2018-05-01

Whether or not brain activation during motor imagery (MI), the mental rehearsal of movement, is modulated by experience (i.e. skilled performance, achieved through long-term practice) remains unclear. Specifically, MI is generally associated with diffuse activation patterns that closely resemble novice physical performance, which may be attributable to a lack of experience with the task being imagined vs. being a distinguishing feature of MI. We sought to examine how experience modulates brain activity driven via MI, implementing a within- and between-group design to manipulate experience across tasks as well as expertise of the participants. Two groups of 'experts' (basketball/volleyball athletes) and 'novices' (recreational controls) underwent magnetoencephalography (MEG) while performing MI of four multi-articular tasks, selected to ensure that the degree of experience that participants had with each task varied. Source-level analysis was applied to MEG data and linear mixed effects modelling was conducted to examine task-related changes in activity. Within- and between-group comparisons were completed post hoc and difference maps were plotted. Brain activation patterns observed during MI of tasks for which participants had a low degree of experience were more widespread and bilateral (i.e. within-groups), with limited differences observed during MI of tasks for which participants had similar experience (i.e. between-groups). Thus, we show that brain activity during MI is modulated by experience; specifically, that novice performance is associated with the additional recruitment of regions across both hemispheres. Future investigations of the neural correlates of MI should consider prior experience when selecting the task to be performed. © 2018 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Is Peer Interaction Necessary for Optimal Active Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linton, Debra L.; Farmer, Jan Keith; Peterson, Ernie

2014-01-01

Meta-analyses of active-learning research consistently show that active-learning techniques result in greater student performance than traditional lecture-based courses. However, some individual studies show no effect of active-learning interventions. This may be due to inexperienced implementation of active learning. To minimize the effect of…

Trainees as Teachers in Team-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ravindranath, Divy; Gay, Tamara L.; Riba, Michelle B.

2010-01-01

Objective: Team-based learning is an active learning modality that is gaining popularity in medical education. The authors studied the effect of using trainees as facilitators of team-based learning sessions. Methods: Team-based learning modules were developed and implemented by faculty members and trainees for the third-year medical student…

Student Perceptions of Active Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lumpkin, Angela; Achen, Rebecca M.; Dodd, Regan K.

2015-01-01

A paradigm shift from lecture-based courses to interactive classes punctuated with engaging, student-centered learning activities has begun to characterize the work of some teachers in higher education. Convinced through the literature of the values of using active learning strategies, we assessed through an action research project in five college…

Active-Learning versus Teacher-Centered Instruction for Learning Acids and Bases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sesen, Burcin Acar; Tarhan, Leman

2011-01-01

Background and purpose: Active-learning as a student-centered learning process has begun to take more interest in constructing scientific knowledge. For this reason, this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of active-learning implementation on high-school students' understanding of "acids and bases". Sample: The sample of this…

A Tool for Measuring Active Learning in the Classroom

PubMed Central

Devlin, John W.; Kirwin, Jennifer L.; Qualters, Donna M.

2007-01-01

Objectives To develop a valid and reliable active-learning inventory tool for use in large classrooms and compare faculty perceptions of active-learning using the Active-Learning Inventory Tool. Methods The Active-Learning Inventory Tool was developed using published literature and validated by national experts in educational research. Reliability was established by trained faculty members who used the Active-Learning Inventory Tool to observe 9 pharmacy lectures. Instructors were then interviewed to elicit perceptions regarding active learning and asked to share their perceptions. Results Per lecture, 13 (range: 4-34) episodes of active learning encompassing 3 (range: 2-5) different types of active learning occurred over 2.2 minutes (0.6-16) per episode. Both interobserver (≥87%) and observer-instructor agreement (≥68%) were high for these outcomes. Conclusions The Active-Learning Inventory Tool is a valid and reliable tool to measure active learning in the classroom. Future studies are needed to determine the impact of the Active-Learning Inventory Tool on teaching and its usefulness in other disciplines. PMID:17998982

Polymer Chemistry. An Activity-Oriented Instructional Module. Volume 1. Bulletin 1840.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Aline; And Others

This teaching module was developed by the project "Recent Developments in Science and Technology with Applications for Secondary Science Teaching." Premises about students and their learning and generalizations about content are described. Chapters included are: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Monomers into Polymers"; (3) "Natural Polymers"; (4)…

Processing abstract language modulates motor system activity.

PubMed

Glenberg, Arthur M; Sato, Marc; Cattaneo, Luigi; Riggio, Lucia; Palumbo, Daniele; Buccino, Giovanni

2008-06-01

Embodiment theory proposes that neural systems for perception and action are also engaged during language comprehension. Previous neuroimaging and neurophysiological studies have only been able to demonstrate modulation of action systems during comprehension of concrete language. We provide neurophysiological evidence for modulation of motor system activity during the comprehension of both concrete and abstract language. In Experiment 1, when the described direction of object transfer or information transfer (e.g., away from the reader to another) matched the literal direction of a hand movement used to make a response, speed of responding was faster than when the two directions mismatched (an action-sentence compatibility effect). In Experiment 2, we used single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation to study changes in the corticospinal motor pathways to hand muscles while reading the same sentences. Relative to sentences that do not describe transfer, there is greater modulation of activity in the hand muscles when reading sentences describing transfer of both concrete objects and abstract information. These findings are discussed in relation to the human mirror neuron system.

Are students' impressions of improved learning through active learning methods reflected by improved test scores?

PubMed

Everly, Marcee C

2013-02-01

To report the transformation from lecture to more active learning methods in a maternity nursing course and to evaluate whether student perception of improved learning through active-learning methods is supported by improved test scores. The process of transforming a course into an active-learning model of teaching is described. A voluntary mid-semester survey for student acceptance of the new teaching method was conducted. Course examination results, from both a standardized exam and a cumulative final exam, among students who received lecture in the classroom and students who had active learning activities in the classroom were compared. Active learning activities were very acceptable to students. The majority of students reported learning more from having active-learning activities in the classroom rather than lecture-only and this belief was supported by improved test scores. Students who had active learning activities in the classroom scored significantly higher on a standardized assessment test than students who received lecture only. The findings support the use of student reflection to evaluate the effectiveness of active-learning methods and help validate the use of student reflection of improved learning in other research projects. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Linking Mission to Learning Activities for Assurance of Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeung, Shirley Mo-ching

2011-01-01

Can accreditation-related requirements and mission statements measure learning outcomes? This study focuses on triangulating accreditation-related requirements with mission statements and learning activities to learning outcomes. This topic has not been comprehensively explored in the past. After looking into the requirements of AACSB, ISO, and…

Cosmetology. Computerized Learning Modules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finnerty, Kathy, Ed.

Intended to help reading-limited students meet course objectives, these 11 modules are based on instructional materials in cosmetology that have a higher readability equivalent. Modules cover bacteriology, chemical waving, scalp and hair massage, chemistry, hair shaping, hairstyling, chemical hair relaxing, hair coloring, skin and scalp,…

Active Learning in Engineering Education: a (re)introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lima, Rui M.; Andersson, Pernille Hammar; Saalman, Elisabeth

2017-01-01

The informal network 'Active Learning in Engineering Education' (ALE) has been promoting Active Learning since 2001. ALE creates opportunity for practitioners and researchers of engineering education to collaboratively learn how to foster learning of engineering students. The activities in ALE are centred on the vision that learners construct their knowledge based on meaningful activities and knowledge. In 2014, the steering committee of the ALE network reinforced the need to discuss the meaning of Active Learning and that was the base for this proposal for a special issue. More than 40 submissions were reviewed by the European Journal of Engineering Education community and this theme issue ended up with eight contributions, which are different both in their research and Active Learning approaches. These different Active Learning approaches are aligned with the different approaches that can be increasingly found in indexed journals.

Active Learning in the Middle Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Susan

2015-01-01

What is active learning and what does it look like in the classroom? If students are participating in active learning, they are playing a more engaged role in the learning process and are not overly reliant on the teacher (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2003; Petress, 2008). The purpose of this article is to propose a framework to describe and…

Active Learning Not Associated with Student Learning in a Random Sample of College Biology Courses

PubMed Central

Andrews, T. M.; Leonard, M. J.; Colgrove, C. A.; Kalinowski, S. T.

2011-01-01

Previous research has suggested that adding active learning to traditional college science lectures substantially improves student learning. However, this research predominantly studied courses taught by science education researchers, who are likely to have exceptional teaching expertise. The present study investigated introductory biology courses randomly selected from a list of prominent colleges and universities to include instructors representing a broader population. We examined the relationship between active learning and student learning in the subject area of natural selection. We found no association between student learning gains and the use of active-learning instruction. Although active learning has the potential to substantially improve student learning, this research suggests that active learning, as used by typical college biology instructors, is not associated with greater learning gains. We contend that most instructors lack the rich and nuanced understanding of teaching and learning that science education researchers have developed. Therefore, active learning as designed and implemented by typical college biology instructors may superficially resemble active learning used by education researchers, but lacks the constructivist elements necessary for improving learning. PMID:22135373

Age of acquisition modulates neural activity for both regular and irregular syntactic functions

PubMed Central

Hernandez, Arturo E.; Hofmann, Juliane; Kotz, Sonja A.

2007-01-01

Studies have found that neural activity is greater for irregular grammatical items than regular items. Findings with monolingual Spanish speakers have revealed a similar effect when making gender decisions for visually presented nouns. The current study extended previous studies by looking at the role of regularity in modulating differences in groups that differ in the age of acquisition of a language. Early and late learners of Spanish matched on measures of language proficiency were asked to make gender decisions to regular (-o for masculine and –a for feminine) and irregular items (which can end in e,l,n,r,s,t and z). Results revealed increased activity in left BA 44 for irregular compared to regular items in separate comparisons for both early and late learners. In addition, within group-comparisons revealed that neural activity for irregulars extended into left BA 47 for late learners and into left BA 6 for early learners. Direct comparisons between-groups revealed increased activity in left BA 44/45 for irregular items indicating the need for more extensive syntactic processing in late learners. The results revealed that processing of irregular grammatical gender leads to increased activity in left BA 44 and adjacent areas in the left IFG regardless of when a language is learned. Furthermore, these findings suggest differential recruitment of brain areas associated with grammatical processing in late learners. The results are discussed with regard to a model which considers L2 learning as emerging from the competitive interplay between two languages. PMID:17490895

CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor Activation Dose-Dependently Modulates Neuronal Activity within Caudal but not Rostral Song Control Regions of Adult Zebra Finch Telencephalon

PubMed Central

Soderstrom, Ken; Tian, Qiyu

2008-01-01

CB1 cannabinoid receptors are distinctly expressed at high density within several regions of zebra finch telencephalon including those known to be involved in song learning (lMAN and Area X) and production (HVC and RA). Because: (1) exposure to cannabinoid agonists during developmental periods of auditory and sensory-motor song learning alters song patterns produced later in adulthood and; (2) densities of song region expression of CB1 waxes-and-wanes during song learning, it is becoming clear that CB1 receptor-mediated signaling is important to normal processes of vocal development. To better understand mechanisms involved in cannabinoid modulation of vocal behavior we have investigated the dose-response relationship between systemic cannabinoid exposure and changes in neuronal activity (as indicated by expression of the transcription factor, c-Fos) within telencephalic brain regions with established involvement in song learning and/or control. In adults we have found that low doses (0.1 mg/kg) of the cannabinoid agonist WIN-55212-2 decrease neuronal activity (as indicated by densities of c-fos-expressing nuclei) within vocal motor regions of caudal telencephalon (HVC and RA) while higher doses (3 mg/kg) stimulate activity. Both effects were reversed by pretreatment with the CB1-selective antagonist rimonabant. Interestingly, no effects of cannabinoid treatment were observed within the rostral song regions lMAN and Area X, despite distinct and dense CB1 receptor expression within these areas. Overall, our results demonstrate that, depending on dosage, CB1 agonism can both inhibit and stimulate neuronal activity within brain regions controlling adult vocal motor output, implicating involvement of multiple CB1-sensitive neuronal circuits. PMID:18509622

In Defense of Active Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pica, Rae

2008-01-01

Effective early childhood teachers use what they know about and have observed in young children to design programs to meet children's developmental needs. Play and active learning are key tools to address those needs and facilitate children's early education. In this article, the author discusses the benefits of active learning in the education of…

Designing flexible instructional space for teaching introductory physics with emphasis on inquiry and collaborative active learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bykov, Tikhon

2010-03-01

In recent years McMurry University's introductory physics curriculum has gone through a series of significant changes to achieve better integration of traditional course components (lecture/lab/discussion) by means of instructional design and technology. A system of flexible curriculum modules with emphasis on inquiry-based teaching and collaborative active learning has been introduced. To unify module elements, a technology suite has been used that consists of Tablet PC's and software applications including Physlets, tablet-adapted personal response system, PASCO data acquisition systems, and MS One-note collaborative writing software. Adoption of the new teaching model resulted in reevaluation of existing instructional spaces. The new teaching space will be created during the renovation of the McMurry Science Building. This space will allow for easy transitions between lecture and laboratory modes. Movable partitions will be used to accommodate student groups of different sizes. The space will be supportive of small peer-group activities with easy-to-reconfigure furniture, multiple white and black board surfaces and multiple projection screens. The new space will be highly flexible to account for different teaching functions, different teaching modes and learning styles.

Active learning methods for interactive image retrieval.

PubMed

Gosselin, Philippe Henri; Cord, Matthieu

2008-07-01

Active learning methods have been considered with increased interest in the statistical learning community. Initially developed within a classification framework, a lot of extensions are now being proposed to handle multimedia applications. This paper provides algorithms within a statistical framework to extend active learning for online content-based image retrieval (CBIR). The classification framework is presented with experiments to compare several powerful classification techniques in this information retrieval context. Focusing on interactive methods, active learning strategy is then described. The limitations of this approach for CBIR are emphasized before presenting our new active selection process RETIN. First, as any active method is sensitive to the boundary estimation between classes, the RETIN strategy carries out a boundary correction to make the retrieval process more robust. Second, the criterion of generalization error to optimize the active learning selection is modified to better represent the CBIR objective of database ranking. Third, a batch processing of images is proposed. Our strategy leads to a fast and efficient active learning scheme to retrieve sets of online images (query concept). Experiments on large databases show that the RETIN method performs well in comparison to several other active strategies.

A multi-instructor, team-based, active-learning exercise to integrate basic and clinical sciences content.

PubMed

Kolluru, Srikanth; Roesch, Darren M; Akhtar de la Fuente, Ayesha

2012-03-12

To introduce a multiple-instructor, team-based, active-learning exercise to promote the integration of basic sciences (pathophysiology, pharmacology, and medicinal chemistry) and clinical sciences in a doctor of pharmacy curriculum. A team-based learning activity that involved pre-class reading assignments, individual-and team-answered multiple-choice questions, and evaluation and discussion of a clinical case, was designed, implemented, and moderated by 3 faculty members from the pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy practice departments. Student performance was assessed using a multiple-choice examination, an individual readiness assurance test (IRAT), a team readiness assurance test (TRAT), and a subjective, objective, assessment, and plan (SOAP) note. Student attitudes were assessed using a pre- and post-exercise survey instrument. Students' understanding of possible correct treatment strategies for depression improved. Students were appreciative of this true integration of basic sciences knowledge in a pharmacotherapy course and to have faculty members from both disciplines present to answer questions. Mean student score on the on depression module for the examination was 80.4%, indicating mastery of the content. An exercise led by multiple instructors improved student perceptions of the importance of team-based teaching. Integrated teaching and learning may be achieved when instructors from multiple disciplines work together in the classroom using proven team-based, active-learning exercises.

Social Learning Networks: From Data Analytics to Active Sensing

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-13

time updating of user models that in turn dictate the learning path of each student . In particular, we have designed , implemented, and evaluated our...decision, unless so designated by other documentation. 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS (ES) U.S. Army Research Office P.O. Box...social network that exists between students , instructors, and modules of learning. Between 2015 and 2017, we completed a variety of data-driven

Multiplicative and additive modulation of neuronal tuning with population activity affects encoded information

PubMed Central

Arandia-Romero, Iñigo; Tanabe, Seiji; Drugowitsch, Jan; Kohn, Adam; Moreno-Bote, Rubén

2016-01-01

Numerous studies have shown that neuronal responses are modulated by stimulus properties, and also by the state of the local network. However, little is known about how activity fluctuations of neuronal populations modulate the sensory tuning of cells and affect their encoded information. We found that fluctuations in ongoing and stimulus-evoked population activity in primate visual cortex modulate the tuning of neurons in a multiplicative and additive manner. While distributed on a continuum, neurons with stronger multiplicative effects tended to have less additive modulation, and vice versa. The information encoded by multiplicatively-modulated neurons increased with greater population activity, while that of additively-modulated neurons decreased. These effects offset each other, so that population activity had little effect on total information. Our results thus suggest that intrinsic activity fluctuations may act as a `traffic light' that determines which subset of neurons are most informative. PMID:26924437

Getting Down to Business: Pest Control Service, Module 28. Teacher Guide. Entrepreneurship Training Components.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colby, Pamela G.

This is the twenty-eighth in a set of 36 teacher guides to the Entrepreneurship Training modules and accompanies CE 031 084. Following an overview are general notes on use of the module. Suggested steps for module use contain suggestions on introducing the module, a brief discussion of the nine units, responses to learning activities, suggestions…

Active Learning in Engineering Education: A (Re)Introduction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lima, Rui M.; Andersson, Pernille Hammar; Saalman, Elisabeth

2017-01-01

The informal network "Active Learning in Engineering Education" (ALE) has been promoting Active Learning since 2001. ALE creates opportunity for practitioners and researchers of engineering education to collaboratively learn how to foster learning of engineering students. The activities in ALE are centred on the vision that learners…

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Practical Inquiry-Based Learning Bioinformatics Module on Undergraduate Student Engagement and Applied Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, James A. L.

2016-01-01

A pedagogic intervention, in the form of an inquiry-based peer-assisted learning project (as a practical student-led bioinformatics module), was assessed for its ability to increase students' engagement, practical bioinformatic skills and process-specific knowledge. Elements assessed were process-specific knowledge following module completion,…

Construction and validation of a distance learning module on premedication antisepsis for nursing professionals.

PubMed

Pereira, Barbara Juliana da Costa; Mendes, Isabel Amélia Costa; Beatriz Maria, Jorge; Mazzo, Alessandra

2013-11-01

The aim of this descriptive study, carried out at a public university, was to design, develop, and validate a distance learning module on intramuscular premedication antisepsis. The content was introduced in the Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment, based on the Systematic Model for Web-Based Training projects. Ten nurses and information technologists at work consented to participate, in compliance with ethical guidelines, and answered a questionnaire to validate the Virtual Learning Environment. The educational aspects of the environment interface were mostly evaluated as "excellent," whereas the assessment of didactic resources indicated interactivity difficulties. It is concluded that distance learning is an important tool for the teaching of premedication antisepsis. To ensure its effectiveness, appropriate methods and interactive devices must be used.

What Factors Promote Student Resilience on a Level 1 Distance Learning Module?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simons, Joan; Beaumont, Kythe; Holland, Lesley

2018-01-01

Resilience is understood to be the ability to adapt positively in the face of adversity. In relation to new students on a distance learning module, this can mean how they adapt and make sense of the demands of their chosen study to enable them to persist in their studies. This article reports a small-scale study involving semi-structured telephone…

Basolateral Amygdala Projections to Ventral Hippocampus Modulate the Consolidation of Footshock, but Not Contextual, Learning in Rats

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huff, Mary L.; Emmons, Eric B.; Narayanan, Nandakumar S.; LaLumiere, Ryan T.

2016-01-01

The basolateral amygdala (BLA) modulates memory consolidation for a variety of types of learning, whereas other brain regions play more selective roles in specific kinds of learning suggesting a role for differential consolidation via distinct BLA pathways. The ventral hippocampus (VH), an efferent target of the BLA, has been suggested to…

Developing Algebra Structure Module and Model of Cooperative Learning Helping Concept Map Media for Improving Proofing Ability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Syafari

2017-01-01

This research was purposed to develop module and learning model and instrument of proofing ability in algebra structure through cooperative learning with helping map concept media for students of mathematic major and mathematics education in State University and Private University in North Sumatra province. The subject of this research was the…

Learning Style Differences in the Perceived Effectiveness of Learning Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karns, Gary L.

2006-01-01

The learning style individual difference factor has long been a basis for understanding student preferences for various learning activities. Marketing educators have been advised to heavily invest in tailoring course design based on the learning style groups in their classes. A further exploration of the effects of learning style differences on…

Incorporation of Socio-scientific Content into Active Learning Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, D. B.; Lewis, J. E.; Anderson, K.; Latch, D.; Sutheimer, S.; Webster, G.; Moog, R.

2014-12-01

Active learning has gained increasing support as an effective pedagogical technique to improve student learning. One way to promote active learning in the classroom is the use of in-class activities in place of lecturing. As part of an NSF-funded project, a set of in-class activities have been created that use climate change topics to teach chemistry content. These activities use the Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) methodology. In this pedagogical approach a set of models and a series of critical thinking questions are used to guide students through the introduction to or application of course content. Students complete the activities in their groups, with the faculty member as a facilitator of learning. Through assigned group roles and intentionally designed activity structure, process skills, such as teamwork, communication, and information processing, are developed during completion of the activity. Each of these climate change activities contains a socio-scientific component, e.g., social, ethical and economic data. In one activity, greenhouse gases are used to explain the concept of dipole moment. Data about natural and anthropogenic production rates, global warming potential and atmospheric lifetimes for a list of greenhouse gases are presented. The students are asked to identify which greenhouse gas they would regulate, with a corresponding explanation for their choice. They are also asked to identify the disadvantages of regulating the gas they chose in the previous question. In another activity, where carbon sequestration is used to demonstrate the utility of a phase diagram, students use economic and environmental data to choose the best location for sequestration. Too often discussions about climate change (both in and outside the classroom) consist of purely emotional responses. These activities force students to use data to support their arguments and hypothesize about what other data could be used in the corresponding discussion to

Introductory Industrial Technology I. Laboratory Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Towler, Alan L.; And Others

This guide contains 36 learning modules intended for use by technology teachers and students in grades 7 and 8. Each module includes a student laboratory activity and instructor's resource sheet. Each student activity includes the following: activity topic and overview, challenge statement, objectives, vocabulary/concepts reinforced,…

Introductory Industrial Technology II. Laboratory Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Towler, Alan L.

This guide contains 29 learning modules intended for use by technology teachers and students in grade 8. Each module includes a student laboratory activity and instructor's resource sheet. Each student activity includes the following: activity topic and overview, challenge statement, objectives, vocabulary/concepts reinforced, equipment/supplies,…

The effectiveness of module with critical thinking approach on hydrolysis and buffer materials in chemistry learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nuswowati, M.; Purwanti, E.

2018-03-01

The research aims is to find out the effectiveness of critical thinking approach in Chemistry learning especially on hydrolysis and buffer materials. The level of its effectiveness was viewed from the students’ learning outcomes including knowledge, attitude and skill domains. The data were collected through validation sheets, questionnaires and tests, which were then analyzed by using descriptive quantitative method. The first step conducted was validating the module that was going to be used in the learning processes. The students’ learning outcome on knowledge domain was very good, viewed from the classical attainment by 88.63% with N-gain 0.718 with high criteria. It was also viewed from the students’ criticality level in solving the given problems. The result of the study revealed that more than 75% of the students obtained critical and very critical criteria in solving the given problems. The students’ attitudes and skills values were viewed through observation sheets during the learning processes. The result of the observation stated that more than 75% of the students showed good and very good attitudes and skills values. Based on the data, it could be concluded that the module with critical thinking approach was effective to be used on hydrolysis and buffer materials.

Integrating interprofessional education in community-based learning activities: case study.

PubMed

Hosny, Somaya; Kamel, Mohamed H; El-Wazir, Yasser; Gilbert, John

2013-01-01

Faculty of Medicine/Suez Canal University (FOM/SCU) students are exposed to clinical practice in primary care settings within the community, in which they encounter patients and begin to work within interprofessional health teams. However, there is no planned curricular interaction with learners from other professions at the learning sites. As in other schools, FOM/SCU faces major challenges with the coordination of community-based education (CBE) program, which include the complexity of the design required for Interprofessional Education (IPE) as well as the attitudinal barriers between professions. The aim of the present review is to: (i) describe how far CBE activities match the requirements of IPE, (ii) explore opinions of graduates about the effectiveness of IPE activities, and (iii) present recommendations for improvement. Graduates find the overall outcome of their IPE satisfactory and believe that it produces physicians who are familiar with the roles of other professions and can work in synergy for the sake of better patient care. However, either a specific IPE complete module needs to be developed or more IPE specific objectives need to be added to current modules. Moreover, coordination with stakeholders from other health profession education institutes needs to be maximized to achieve more effective IPE.

Active learning in capstone design courses.

PubMed

Goldberg, Jay R

2012-01-01

There is a growing trend to encourage students to take a more active role in their own education. Many schools are moving away from the sage on the stage to the guide on the side model where the instructor is a facilitator of learning. In this model, the emphasis is more on learning and less on teaching, and it requires instructors to incorporate more active and student-centered learning methods into their courses. These methods include collaborative, cooperative, problem-based, and project-based learning.

Peroxisome Proliferators-Activated Receptor (PPAR) Modulators and Metabolic Disorders

PubMed Central

Cho, Min-Chul; Lee, Kyoung; Paik, Sang-Gi; Yoon, Do-Young

2008-01-01

Overweight and obesity lead to an increased risk for metabolic disorders such as impaired glucose regulation/insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Several molecular drug targets with potential to prevent or treat metabolic disorders have been revealed. Interestingly, the activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), which belongs to the nuclear receptor superfamily, has many beneficial clinical effects. PPAR directly modulates gene expression by binding to a specific ligand. All PPAR subtypes (α, γ, and σ) are involved in glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and energy balance. PPAR agonists play an important role in therapeutic aspects of metabolic disorders. However, undesired effects of the existing PPAR agonists have been reported. A great deal of recent research has focused on the discovery of new PPAR modulators with more beneficial effects and more safety without producing undesired side effects. Herein, we briefly review the roles of PPAR in metabolic disorders, the effects of PPAR modulators in metabolic disorders, and the technologies with which to discover new PPAR modulators. PMID:18566691

Extinction and Renewal of Pavlovian Modulation in Human Sequential Feature Positive Discrimination Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baeyens, Frank; Vansteenwegen, Debora; Beckers, Tom; Hermans, Dirk; Kerkhof, Ineke; De Ceulaer, Annick

2005-01-01

Using a conditioned suppression task, we investigated extinction and renewal of Pavlovian modulation in human sequential Feature Positive (FP) discrimination learning. In Experiment 1, in context a participants were first trained on two FP discriminations, X[right arrow]A+/A- and Y[right arrow]B+/B-. Extinction treatment was administered in the…

Efficacy of Multimedia Learning Modules as Preparation for Lecture-Based Tutorials in Electromagnetism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, James Christopher

2018-01-01

We have investigated the efficacy of on-line, multimedia learning modules (MLMs) as preparation for in-class, lecture-based tutorials in electromagnetism in a physics course for natural science majors (biology and marine science). Specifically, we report the results of a multiple-group pre/post-test research design comparing two groups receiving…

Automatic Earthquake Detection by Active Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergen, K.; Beroza, G. C.

2017-12-01

In recent years, advances in machine learning have transformed fields such as image recognition, natural language processing and recommender systems. Many of these performance gains have relied on the availability of large, labeled data sets to train high-accuracy models; labeled data sets are those for which each sample includes a target class label, such as waveforms tagged as either earthquakes or noise. Earthquake seismologists are increasingly leveraging machine learning and data mining techniques to detect and analyze weak earthquake signals in large seismic data sets. One of the challenges in applying machine learning to seismic data sets is the limited labeled data problem; learning algorithms need to be given examples of earthquake waveforms, but the number of known events, taken from earthquake catalogs, may be insufficient to build an accurate detector. Furthermore, earthquake catalogs are known to be incomplete, resulting in training data that may be biased towards larger events and contain inaccurate labels. This challenge is compounded by the class imbalance problem; the events of interest, earthquakes, are infrequent relative to noise in continuous data sets, and many learning algorithms perform poorly on rare classes. In this work, we investigate the use of active learning for automatic earthquake detection. Active learning is a type of semi-supervised machine learning that uses a human-in-the-loop approach to strategically supplement a small initial training set. The learning algorithm incorporates domain expertise through interaction between a human expert and the algorithm, with the algorithm actively posing queries to the user to improve detection performance. We demonstrate the potential of active machine learning to improve earthquake detection performance with limited available training data.

Learning by subtraction: Hippocampal activity and effects of ethanol during the acquisition and performance of response sequences.

PubMed

Ketchum, Myles J; Weyand, Theodore G; Weed, Peter F; Winsauer, Peter J

2016-05-01

Learning is believed to be reflected in the activity of the hippocampus. However, neural correlates of learning have been difficult to characterize because hippocampal activity is integrated with ongoing behavior. To address this issue, male rats (n = 5) implanted with electrodes (n = 14) in the CA1 subfield responded during two tasks within a single test session. In one task, subjects acquired a new 3-response sequence (acquisition), whereas in the other task, subjects completed a well-rehearsed 3-response sequence (performance). Both tasks though could be completed using an identical response topography and used the same sensory stimuli and schedule of reinforcement. More important, comparing neural patterns during sequence acquisition to those during sequence performance allows for a subtractive approach whereby activity associated with learning could potentially be dissociated from the activity associated with ongoing behavior. At sites where CA1 activity was closely associated with behavior, the patterns of activity were differentially modulated by key position and the serial position of a response within the schedule of reinforcement. Temporal shifts between peak activity and responding on particular keys also occurred during sequence acquisition, but not during sequence performance. Ethanol disrupted CA1 activity while producing rate-decreasing effects in both tasks and error-increasing effects that were more selective for sequence acquisition than sequence performance. Ethanol also produced alterations in the magnitude of modulations and temporal pattern of CA1 activity, although these effects were not selective for sequence acquisition. Similar to ethanol, hippocampal micro-stimulation decreased response rate in both tasks and selectively increased the percentage of errors during sequence acquisition, and provided a more direct demonstration of hippocampal involvement during sequence acquisition. Together, these results strongly support the notion

The impact of instructional design in a case-based, computer-assisted instruction module on learning liver pathology in a medical school pathology course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latham, Patricia S.

The purpose of this quantitative experimental study was to test the impact of three learning interventions on student learning and satisfaction when the interventions were embedded in the instructional design of case-based, Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) modules for learning liver pathology in an in-class, self-study, laboratory exercise during a Year-2 medical school Pathology course. The hypothesis was that inclusion of the learning interventions would enhance student satisfaction in using the CAI and improve subsequent CAI-directed exam performance. Three learning interventions were studied, including the use of microscopic virtual slides instead of only static images, the use of interactive image annotations instead of only still annotations, and the use of guiding questions before presenting new information. Students were randomly assigned to with one of eight CAI learning modules configured to control for each of the three learning interventions. Effectiveness of the CAI for student learning was assessed by student performance on questions included in subsequent CAI-directed exams in a pretest and on posttests immediately after the lab exercise, at two weeks and two months. Student satisfaction and perceived learning was assessed by a student survey. Results showed that the learning interventions did not improve subsequent student exam performance, although satisfaction and perceived learning with use of the CAI learning modules was enhanced. Student class rank was evaluated to determine if the learning interventions might have a differential effect based on class rank, but there were no significant differences. Class rank at the time of the lab exercise was itself the strongest predictor of exam performance. The findings suggest that the addition of virtual slides, interactive annotations and guiding questions as learning interventions in self-study, case-based CAI for learning liver pathology in a medical class room setting are not likely to increase

Lateral occipitotemporal cortex (LOTC) activity is greatest while viewing dance compared to visualization and movement: learning and expertise effects.

PubMed

Di Nota, Paula M; Levkov, Gabriella; Bar, Rachel; DeSouza, Joseph F X

2016-07-01

The lateral occipitotemporal cortex (LOTC) is comprised of subregions selectively activated by images of human bodies (extrastriate body area, EBA), objects (lateral occipital complex, LO), and motion (MT+). However, their role in motor imagery and movement processing is unclear, as are the influences of learning and expertise on its recruitment. The purpose of our study was to examine putative changes in LOTC activation during action processing following motor learning of novel choreography in professional ballet dancers. Subjects were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging up to four times over 34 weeks and performed four tasks: viewing and visualizing a newly learned ballet dance, visualizing a dance that was not being learned, and movement of the foot. EBA, LO, and MT+ were activated most while viewing dance compared to visualization and movement. Significant increases in activation were observed over time in left LO only during visualization of the unlearned dance, and all subregions were activated bilaterally during the viewing task after 34 weeks of performance, suggesting learning-induced plasticity. Finally, we provide novel evidence for modulation of EBA with dance experience during the motor task, with significant activation elicited in a comparison group of novice dancers only. These results provide a composite of LOTC activation during action processing of newly learned ballet choreography and movement of the foot. The role of these areas is confirmed as primarily subserving observation of complex sequences of whole-body movement, with new evidence for modification by experience and over the course of real world ballet learning.

Physical fitness modulates incidental but not intentional statistical learning of simultaneous auditory sequences during concurrent physical exercise.

PubMed

Daikoku, Tatsuya; Takahashi, Yuji; Futagami, Hiroko; Tarumoto, Nagayoshi; Yasuda, Hideki

2017-02-01

In real-world auditory environments, humans are exposed to overlapping auditory information such as those made by human voices and musical instruments even during routine physical activities such as walking and cycling. The present study investigated how concurrent physical exercise affects performance of incidental and intentional learning of overlapping auditory streams, and whether physical fitness modulates the performances of learning. Participants were grouped with 11 participants with lower and higher fitness each, based on their Vo 2 max value. They were presented simultaneous auditory sequences with a distinct statistical regularity each other (i.e. statistical learning), while they were pedaling on the bike and seating on a bike at rest. In experiment 1, they were instructed to attend to one of the two sequences and ignore to the other sequence. In experiment 2, they were instructed to attend to both of the two sequences. After exposure to the sequences, learning effects were evaluated by familiarity test. In the experiment 1, performance of statistical learning of ignored sequences during concurrent pedaling could be higher in the participants with high than low physical fitness, whereas in attended sequence, there was no significant difference in performance of statistical learning between high than low physical fitness. Furthermore, there was no significant effect of physical fitness on learning while resting. In the experiment 2, the both participants with high and low physical fitness could perform intentional statistical learning of two simultaneous sequences in the both exercise and rest sessions. The improvement in physical fitness might facilitate incidental but not intentional statistical learning of simultaneous auditory sequences during concurrent physical exercise.

An online learning module focused on smoking education and prevention for college students: implications for college health instructors and allied health professionals.

PubMed

D'Abundo, Michelle Lee; Marinaro, Laura Marie; Fiala, Kelly Ann

2010-01-01

The purpose of this research was to pilot-test the effectiveness of an online learning module focused on smoking for an undergraduate general education fitness and wellness course. Students enrolled in a required fitness and wellness course were given the opportunity to participate. Participants (n = 510) completed a brief demographic questionnaire and a 10-question pretest about the effects of smoking before viewing a 15-minute presentation about the effects of smoking and completing the same 10 questions as a post-test. Repeated measures ANOVAs were conducted to evaluate knowledge gains. An overall time effect was observed (pretest score 4.9 +/- 1.3, post-test score 7.2 +/- 2.1). Significantly greater knowledge gains were found in nonsmokers (2.1 +/- 2.2) than in smokers (1.1 +/- 2.2). Females (2.3 +/- 2.3) had significantly greater knowledge gains than males (1.5 +/- 2.2). Evidence supporting the effectiveness of the online learning module included significant knowledge gains for both smokers and nonsmokers, and the participants who smoked agreed the online learning module encouraged them to quit. In this research, students were also grouped by major (health-related majors vs non-health-related). There were 118 health-related majors in the sample, with 110 of those students completing the entire learning module. In this research, a learning module for college students was developed, but practical applications are provided not only for college health instructors but also for allied health professionals.

Equipping family physician trainees as teachers: a qualitative evaluation of a twelve-week module on teaching and learning.

PubMed

de Villiers, Marietjie R; Cilliers, Francois J; Coetzee, Francois; Herman, Nicoline; van Heusden, Martie; von Pressentin, Klaus B

2014-10-22

There is a dire need to expand the capacity of institutions in Africa to educate health care professionals. Family physicians, as skilled all-rounders at district level, are potentially well placed to contribute to an extended training platform in this context. To play this role, they need to both have an understanding of their specialist role that incorporates teaching and be equipped for their role as trainers of current and future health workers and specialists. A teaching and learning capacity-building module was introduced into a new master's programme in family medicine at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. We report on the influence of this module on graduates after the first six years. A qualitative study was undertaken, interviewing thirteen graduates of the programme. Thematic analysis of data was done by a team comprising tutors and graduates of the programme and an independent researcher. Ethical clearance was obtained. The module influenced knowledge, skills and attitudes of respondents. Perceptions and evidence of changes in behaviour, changes in practice beyond the individual respondent and benefits to students and patients were apparent. Factors underlying these changes included the role of context and the role of personal factors. Contextual factors included clinical workload and opportunity pressure i.e., the pressure and responsibility to undertake teaching. Personal factors comprised self-confidence, modified attitudes and perceptions towards the roles of a family physician and towards learning and teaching, in addition to the acquisition of knowledge and skills in teaching and learning. The interaction between opportunity pressure and self-confidence influenced the application of what was learned about teaching. A module on teaching and learning influenced graduates' perceptions of, and self-reported behaviour relating to, teaching as practicing family physicians. This has important implications for educating family physicians in and for

Technology Learning Activities I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Technology Education Association, Reston, VA.

This guide contains 30 technology learning activities. Activities may contain all or some of the following: an introduction, objectives, materials and equipment, challenges, limitations, notes and investigations, resources and references used, and evaluation ideas. Activity titles are: (1) Occupations in Construction Technology; (2) Designing a…

Students' Satisfaction on Their Learning Process in Active Learning and Traditional Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyun, Jung; Ediger, Ruth; Lee, Donghun

2017-01-01

Studies have shown Active Learning Classrooms [ALCs] help increase student engagement and improve student performance. However, remodeling all traditional classrooms to ALCs entails substantial financial burdens. Thus, an imperative question for institutions of higher education is whether active learning pedagogies can improve learning outcomes…

Negative stiffness and modulated states in active nematics.

PubMed

Srivastava, Pragya; Mishra, Prashant; Marchetti, M Cristina

2016-10-04

We examine the dynamics of an active nematic liquid crystal on a frictional substrate. When frictional damping dominates over viscous dissipation, we eliminate flow in favor of active stresses to obtain a minimal dynamical model for the nematic order parameter, with elastic constants renormalized by activity. The renormalized elastic constants can become negative at large activity, leading to the selection of spatially inhomogeneous patterns via a mechanism analogous to that responsible for modulated phases arising at an equilibrium Lifshitz point. Tuning activity and the degree of nematic order in the passive system, we obtain a linear stability phase diagram that exhibits a nonequilibrium tricritical point where ordered, modulated and disordered phases meet. Numerical solution of the nonlinear equations yields a succession of spatial structures of increasing complexity with increasing activity, including kink walls and active turbulence, as observed in experiments on microtubule bundles confined at an oil-water interface. Our work provides a minimal model for an overdamped active nematic that reproduces all the nonequilibrium structures seen in simulations of the full active nematic hydrodynamics and provides a framework for understanding some of the mechanisms for selection of the nonequilibrium patterns in the language of equilibrium critical phenomena.

Modelling Typical Online Language Learning Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montoro, Carlos; Hampel, Regine; Stickler, Ursula

2014-01-01

This article presents the methods and results of a four-year-long research project focusing on the language learning activity of individual learners using online tasks conducted at the University of Guanajuato (Mexico) in 2009-2013. An activity-theoretical model (Blin, 2010; Engeström, 1987) of the typical language learning activity was used to…

Factors Modulating Estrogen Receptor Activity

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-07-01

public release; distribution unlimited The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this report are those of the author( s ) and should not be...TITLE AND SUBTITLE Activity Factors Modulating Estrogen Receptor 6. AUTHOR( S ) Michael J. Garabedian, Ph.D. 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME( S ) AND...ADDRESS(ES) New York University Medical Center New York, New York 10016 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME( S ) AND ADDRESS(ES) Commander U.S

Kinaesthetic Learning Activities and Learning about Solar Cells

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards, A. J.; Etkina, Eugenia

2013-01-01

Kinaesthetic learning activities (KLAs) can be a valuable pedagogical tool for physics instructors. They have been shown to increase engagement, encourage participation and improve learning outcomes. This paper details several KLAs developed at Rutgers University for inclusion in an instructional unit about semiconductors, p-n junctions and solar…

Group-Based Active Learning of Classification Models.

PubMed

Luo, Zhipeng; Hauskrecht, Milos

2017-05-01

Learning of classification models from real-world data often requires additional human expert effort to annotate the data. However, this process can be rather costly and finding ways of reducing the human annotation effort is critical for this task. The objective of this paper is to develop and study new ways of providing human feedback for efficient learning of classification models by labeling groups of examples. Briefly, unlike traditional active learning methods that seek feedback on individual examples, we develop a new group-based active learning framework that solicits label information on groups of multiple examples. In order to describe groups in a user-friendly way, conjunctive patterns are used to compactly represent groups. Our empirical study on 12 UCI data sets demonstrates the advantages and superiority of our approach over both classic instance-based active learning work, as well as existing group-based active-learning methods.

Scene recognition based on integrating active learning with dictionary learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chengxi; Yin, Xueyan; Yang, Lin; Gong, Chengrong; Zheng, Caixia; Yi, Yugen

2018-04-01

Scene recognition is a significant topic in the field of computer vision. Most of the existing scene recognition models require a large amount of labeled training samples to achieve a good performance. However, labeling image manually is a time consuming task and often unrealistic in practice. In order to gain satisfying recognition results when labeled samples are insufficient, this paper proposed a scene recognition algorithm named Integrating Active Learning and Dictionary Leaning (IALDL). IALDL adopts projective dictionary pair learning (DPL) as classifier and introduces active learning mechanism into DPL for improving its performance. When constructing sampling criterion in active learning, IALDL considers both the uncertainty and representativeness as the sampling criteria to effectively select the useful unlabeled samples from a given sample set for expanding the training dataset. Experiment results on three standard databases demonstrate the feasibility and validity of the proposed IALDL.

Active Learning Crosses Generations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodard, Diane K.