Sample records for achieved encouraging results

  1. Sex differences in educational encouragement and academic achievement.

    PubMed

    Khan, Aqeel

    2012-08-01

    Sex differences in educational encouragement and their predictiveness of academic achievement were examined among 442 secondary school students (M age = 13.2 yr., SD = 1.9). Education-related encouragement received from mothers, fathers, friends, and teachers was assessed. Academic achievement was based on student self-reports and grades. Female adolescents reported receiving statistically significantly more educational encouragement from their mothers, fathers, friends, and teachers than did male adolescents. In regression, sex and educational encouragement from parents, friends, and teachers were found to be significant predictors of academic achievement.

  2. Parental Encouragement in Relation to Academic Achievement of Higher Secondary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lawrence, A. S. Arul; Barathi, C.

    2016-01-01

    Parental Encouragement refers to the general process undertaken by the parents to initiative and directs the behaviour of the children towards high academic achievement. The present study aims to probe the relationship between Parental Encouragement and Academic Achievement of Higher Secondary School Students. Survey method was employed and the…

  3. Educational Encouragement, Parenting Styles, Gender and Ethnicity as Predictors of Academic Achievement among Special Education Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khan, Aqeel; Ahmad, Roslee; Hamdan, Abdul Rahim; Mustaffa, Mohamed Sharif

    2014-01-01

    Current study examines the predictors of academic achievement: role of parenting styles, educational encouragement, gender and ethnicity among special education students. Participants of this study consisted 200 special education students (N = 105 boys and N = 95 girls) age varies 14 to 19 years from one school located at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.…

  4. Has NCLB Encouraged Educational Triage? Accountability and the Distribution of Achievement Gains

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ballou, Dale; Springer, Matthew G.

    2017-01-01

    The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has been criticized for encouraging schools to neglect students whose performance exceeds the proficiency threshold or lies so far below it that there is no reasonable prospect of closing the gap during the current year. We examine this hypothesis using longitudinal data from 2002-03 through 2005-06. Our…

  5. Targeting carbonic anhydrase to treat diabetic retinopathy: Emerging evidences and encouraging results

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

    Weiwei, Zhang; Hu, Renming, E-mail: taylorzww@gmail.com

    2009-12-18

    Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of vision loss among working-age populations in developed countries. Current treatment options are limited to tight glycemic, blood pressure control and destructive laser surgery. Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are a group of enzymes involving in the rapid conversion of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate and protons. Emerging evidences reveal CA inhibitors hold the promise for the treatment of DR. This article summarizes encouraging results from clinical and animal studies, and reviews the possible mechanisms.

  6. Networks of Encouragement: Who's Encouraging Latina/o Students and White Students to Enroll in Honors and Advanced-Placement (AP) Courses?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Witenko, Vanessa; Mireles-Rios, Rebeca; Rios, Victor M.

    2017-01-01

    Using affiliation network data collected at a large high school, this study examined differences between who encourages Latina/o and White students to enroll in advanced courses. Previous research has shown a positive association between emotional support and academic achievement, and thus, this study shifts the focus from who informs students to…

  7. Encouraging post-stroke patients to be active seems possible: results of an intervention study with knowledge brokers.

    PubMed

    Willems, Mia; Schröder, Carin; van der Weijden, Trudy; Post, Marcel W; Visser-Meily, Anne M

    2016-08-01

    Although physical activity and exercise for stroke patients is highly recommended for fast recovery, patients in hospitals and rehabilitation centres are insufficiently encouraged to be physically active. In this study, we investigated the impact of knowledge brokers (KBs), enterprising nurses and therapists, on health professionals' (HP) performance to encourage stroke inpatients to be physically active. This multicenter intervention study used a pre-post test design. Two or three KBs were trained in each stroke unit of 12 hospitals and 10 rehabilitation centres in The Netherlands. Questionnaires were completed by patients and HPs before and after the KB-intervention. The primary outcome was encouragement given by HPs to their patients to be physically active, as reported by patients and HPs. After the KB-intervention, many more patients (48%; N=217) reported at least some encouragement by HPs to be physically active than before (26%; N=243, p<0.000). HPs (N=288) on an average reported encouraging patients more often after the intervention, but this difference was significant only for occupational therapists and KBs. Based on patient's reports of HP behaviour, the KB-intervention appears effective since more patients felt encouraged to be physically active after the intervention compared to before. Replication of this study in an experimental design is needed to allow causal inferences. Implications for rehabilitation We advise rehabilitation teams to make use of knowledge brokers (KBs), since the KB-intervention was shown to increase the encouragement felt by stroke patients to be physically active. It seems worthwhile to involve physicians, nurses and patients' families more frequently in efforts to encourage stroke patients to be physically active.

  8. Low-Achieving Readers, High Expectations: Image Theatre Encourages Critical Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rozansky, Carol Lloyd; Aagesen, Colleen

    2010-01-01

    Students in an eighth-grade, urban, low-achieving reading class were introduced to critical literacy through engagement in Image Theatre. Developed by liberatory dramatist Augusto Boal, Image Theatre gives participants the opportunity to examine texts in the triple role of interpreter, artist, and sculptor (i.e., image creator). The researchers…

  9. Encouraging and supporting women through breast-feeding.

    PubMed

    Battersby, Sue

    2010-01-01

    The Department of Health and the World Health Organization recommend that mothers should exclusively breast-feed their infants for the first six months of their lives. Very few mothers in the UK achieve this, but with good support and encouragement from health professionals this could be attained. Health professionals, however, need to have knowledge of the process of breastfeeding and be able to adopt a problem-solving approach to the difficulties mothers encounter, in order to give appropriate evidence-based care.

  10. Encouragement for Thinking Critically

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olivares, Sonia; Saiz, Carlos; Rivas, Silvia F.

    2013-01-01

    Introduction: Here we report the results obtained in an innovative teaching experience that encourages the development of Critical Thinking skills through motivational intervention. Understanding Critical Thinking as a theory of action, "we think to solve problems", and accompanying this concept with a program aimed at teaching/learning…

  11. Dialysis staff encouragement and fluid control adherence in patients on hemodialysis.

    PubMed

    Yokoyama, Yoko; Suzukamo, Yoshimi; Hotta, Osamu; Yamazaki, Shin; Kawaguchi, Takehiko; Hasegawa, Takeshi; Chiba, Shigemi; Moriya, Toshiko; Abe, Emi; Sasaki, Satoshi; Haga, Megumi; Fukuhara, Shunichi

    2009-01-01

    Fluid control in patients on dialysis is an important predictor of outcome but is a difficult restriction to achieve. The authors examined the association between dialysis staff encouragement and fluid control adherence in patients on hemodialysis. This cross-sectional study used the dialysis staff encouragement subscale (DSE). The outcome measure was intradialytic weight loss (IWL) of dry weight (DW), with nonadherence defined as IWL/DW greater than 5.7%. Predictors of nonadherence were identified using logistic regression. Odds ratio (OR) was for the occurrence of nonadherence as it correlated with a one standard deviation (SD) decrease in scale score. Seventy-two patients on hemodialysis participated, 45 men (62.5%) and 27 women. The crude OR in DSE score was 1.75 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02 to 3.0) and adjusted odds ratio was 2.51 (95% CI: 0.99 to 6.34). Dialysis staff encouragement is important in improving fluid control adherence.

  12. Responsive and Responsible: Faculty Encouragement of Civic Engagement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cole, Eddie R.; Howe, Elijah C.; Laird, Thomas F. Nelson

    2016-01-01

    This study explores how often faculty members encourage students to engage with campus, local, state, national, and global issues. Using data from the 2013 administration of the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), the results show that faculty members are more likely to encourage students to engage in state, national, or global issues…

  13. Empowering African Americans to Achieve Academic Success.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gary, Lawrence E.; Booker, Christopher B.

    1992-01-01

    This article reviews pertinent factors, such as the need to encourage a positive home environment, transform peer group influences, establish goals early in life, foster racial pride and awareness, use African-American culture to foster achievement, encourage a sense of self-control, initiate and expand mentor programs, and cultivate academic…

  14. An instructional intervention to encourage effective deep collaborative learning in undergraduate veterinary students.

    PubMed

    Khosa, Deep K; Volet, Simone E; Bolton, John R

    2010-01-01

    In recent years, veterinary education has received an increased amount of attention directed at the value and application of collaborative case-based learning. The benefit of instilling deep learning practices in undergraduate veterinary students has also emerged as a powerful tool in encouraging continued professional education. However, research into the design and application of instructional strategies to encourage deep, collaborative case-based learning in veterinary undergraduates has been limited. This study focused on delivering an instructional intervention (via a 20-minute presentation and student handout) to foster productive, collaborative case-based learning in veterinary education. The aim was to instigate and encourage deep learning practices in a collaborative case-based assignment and to assess the impact of the intervention on students' group learning. Two cohorts of veterinary students were involved in the study. One cohort was exposed to an instructional intervention, and the other provided the control for the study. The instructional strategy was grounded in the collaborative learning literature and prior empirical studies with veterinary students. Results showed that the intervention cohort spent proportionally more time on understanding case content material than did the control cohort and rated their face-to-face discussions as more useful in achieving their learning outcomes than did their control counterparts. In addition, the perceived difficulty of the assignment evolved differently for the control and intervention students from start to end of the assignment. This study provides encouraging evidence that veterinary students can change and enhance the way they interact in a group setting to effectively engage in collaborative learning practices.

  15. Poor Results for High Achievers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bui, Sa; Imberman, Scott; Craig, Steven

    2012-01-01

    Three million students in the United States are classified as gifted, yet little is known about the effectiveness of traditional gifted and talented (G&T) programs. In theory, G&T programs might help high-achieving students because they group them with other high achievers and typically offer specially trained teachers and a more advanced…

  16. Encouraging innovation.

    PubMed

    Hyman, Anthony A

    2014-02-01

    Innovation is central to the scientific endeavor, and yet the current system of funding in the United States discourages innovation, especially in the young. Subtle alterations to the funding system, guided in part by the success of the European Research Council, could have major effects on encouraging innovation.

  17. Encouraging minority undergraduates to choose science careers: career paths survey results.

    PubMed

    Villarejo, Merna; Barlow, Amy E L; Kogan, Deborah; Veazey, Brian D; Sweeney, Jennifer K

    2008-01-01

    To explore the reasons for the dearth of minorities in Ph.D.-level biomedical research and identify opportunities to increase minority participation, we surveyed high-achieving alumni of an undergraduate biology enrichment program for underrepresented minorities. Respondents were asked to describe their career paths and to reflect on the influences that guided their career choices. We particularly probed for attitudes and experiences that influenced students to pursue a research career, as well as factors relevant to their choice between medicine (the dominant career choice) and basic science. In agreement with earlier studies, alumni strongly endorsed supplemental instruction as a mechanism for achieving excellence in basic science courses. Undergraduate research was seen as broadening by many and was transformative for half of the alumni who ultimately decided to pursue Ph.D.s in biomedical research. That group had expressed no interest in research careers at college entry and credits their undergraduate research experience with putting them on track toward a research career. A policy implication of these results is that making undergraduate research opportunities widely available to biology students (including "premed" students) in the context of a structured educational enrichment program should increase the number of minority students who choose to pursue biomedical Ph.D.s.

  18. Encouraging Connections: Integrating Expressive Art and Drama into Therapeutic Social Skills Training with Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lenz, A. Stephen; Holman, Rachel L.; Dominguez, Denise L.

    2010-01-01

    The effective use of social skills has been positively associated with career success, romantic involvement, academic achievement, and mood. In response, counselors often integrate social skills training into counseling interventions with adolescents to encourage authentic and effective interactions with others. We illustrate some therapeutic…

  19. Encouraging Realistic Expectations in STEM Students: Paradoxical Effects of a Motivational Intervention

    PubMed Central

    Hall, Nathan C.; Sverdlik, Anna

    2016-01-01

    College students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) disciplines are increasingly faced with highly competitive and demanding degree programs and are at risk of academic overconfidence. Following from theory and research highlighting the psychological and developmental risks of unrealistic expectations, the present exploratory study evaluated the longitudinal effects of a motivational intervention encouraging college students in STEM degree programs (N = 52) to consider the importance of downgrading one’s expectations in response to academic setbacks. Contrary to study hypotheses, the results showed intervention participants to report significantly higher expectations and optimism on post-test measures administered 4 months later, no significant gains in emotional well-being or achievement goal orientations, and lower GPAs over five subsequent semesters. These paradoxical effects underscore the need for additional larger-scale research on the nature of students’ responses to potentially ego-threatening motivational programs in STEM disciplines so as to minimize achievement deficits at the expense of preserving motivational resources. PMID:27507955

  20. Encouraging resilience within SMEs: the Cabinet Office's proposed approach.

    PubMed

    Sterling, Stuart

    2011-06-01

    This paper introduces the Cabinet Office's Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS). It explains how the National Risk Assessment, produced within the CCS, is created and used. As part of the recent Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Government made a commitment to improve the business continuity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).This paper describes the CCS's approach to achieving this, and explains why the resilience of SMEs is important to both local communities, at a time of disruption or crisis, and the essential services sectors, such as energy, food and transport. It provides an outline of a strategic approach that will seek to simplify business continuity by making it accessible, achievable and affordable, and, in partnership with the organisations that SMEs turn to for advice, promotes the benefits of business continuity and encourages its use.

  1. Learning styles and academic achievement among undergraduate medical students in Thailand

    PubMed Central

    Jiraporncharoen, Wichuda; Angkurawaranon, Chaisiri; Chockjamsai, Manoch; Deesomchok, Athavudh; Euathrongchit, Juntima

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: This study aimed to explore the associations between learning styles and high academic achievement and to ascertain whether the factors associated with high academic achievement differed between preclinical and clinical students. Methods: A survey was conducted among undergraduate medical students in Chiang Mai University, Thailand. The Index of Learning Styles questionnaire was used to assess each student’s learning style across four domains. High academic achievement was defined as a grade point average of at least 3.0. Results: Of the 1,248 eligible medical students, 1,014 (81.3%) participated. Learning styles differed between the preclinical and clinical students in the active/reflective domain. A sequential learning style was associated with high academic achievement in both preclinical and clinical students. A reflective learning style was only associated with high academic achievement among preclinical students. Conclusion: The association between learning styles and academic achievement may have differed between preclinical and clinical students due to different learning content and teaching methods. Students should be encouraged to be flexible in their own learning styles in order to engage successfully with various and changing teaching methods across the curriculum. Instructors should be also encouraged to provide a variety of teaching materials and resources to suit different learning styles. PMID:26165948

  2. Does encouraging the use of wetlands in water quality trading Programs make economic sense? presentation

    EPA Science Inventory

    Water quality trading has grown in popularity and scope in recent years owing to its potential as a flexible, low-cost way to achieve nutrient reduction goals. Policy makers are interested in encouraging traders, primarily agricultural sources, to use restored and constructed we...

  3. What factors determine academic achievement in high achieving undergraduate medical students? A qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Abdulghani, Hamza M; Al-Drees, Abdulmajeed A; Khalil, Mahmood S; Ahmad, Farah; Ponnamperuma, Gominda G; Amin, Zubair

    2014-04-01

    Medical students' academic achievement is affected by many factors such as motivational beliefs and emotions. Although students with high intellectual capacity are selected to study medicine, their academic performance varies widely. The aim of this study is to explore the high achieving students' perceptions of factors contributing to academic achievement. Focus group discussions (FGD) were carried out with 10 male and 9 female high achieving (scores more than 85% in all tests) students, from the second, third, fourth and fifth academic years. During the FGDs, the students were encouraged to reflect on their learning strategies and activities. The discussion was audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed qualitatively. Factors influencing high academic achievement include: attendance to lectures, early revision, prioritization of learning needs, deep learning, learning in small groups, mind mapping, learning in skills lab, learning with patients, learning from mistakes, time management, and family support. Internal motivation and expected examination results are important drivers of high academic performance. Management of non-academic issues like sleep deprivation, homesickness, language barriers, and stress is also important for academic success. Addressing these factors, which might be unique for a given student community, in a systematic manner would be helpful to improve students' performance.

  4. Interdisciplinary Intellect: HASTAC and the Commitment to Encourage Collective Intelligence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singletary, Kimberly Alecia

    2012-01-01

    This article explores the role of the Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Advanced Collaboratory (HASTAC) in facilitating and encouraging a collaborative community of junior and senior scholars on issues of technology and humanistic learning. As a result of its emphasis on collaboration and discussion, HASTAC encourages a form of collective…

  5. Parental Encouragement of Dieting Promotes Daughters' Early Dieting

    PubMed Central

    Balantekin, Katherine N.; Savage, Jennifer S.; Marini, Michele E.; Birch, Leann L.

    2014-01-01

    Dieting to lose weight is common among female adolescents. This research investigated the association between maternal and paternal encouragement to diet and their daughters' self-reported “early dieting” (prior to age 11y) and adolescent dieting (between 11y and 15y), and how parental encouragement to diet is related to changes in daughter BMI percentiles. Participants in this study were 174 non-Hispanic white girls and their parents, assessed when daughters were age 9-, 11-, 13-, and 15y. The Parent Encouragement of Child Weight Loss Scale was used to measure encouragement to diet. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between parental encouragement to diet and daughters' reports of dieting by 11y and by 15y, adjusting for daughters' weight status at baseline. Compared to girls whose mothers didn't encourage dieting, girls who were encouraged to diet were twice as likely to diet by 11y; girls who were encouraged by their fathers were also twice as likely to diet by 11y. Girls who were encouraged to diet by both parents were 8 times more likely to report early dieting than girls who were not. Neither maternal nor paternal encouragement predicted the emergence of dieting during adolescence. Girls who dieted and had parental encouragement to do so had increases in BMI percentile from 9y to 15y. Findings reveal that parental encouragement to diet may be counterproductive and that parents need alternative approaches to promote healthy patterns of intake and growth among young girls. PMID:24858835

  6. Sharing Leadership Responsibilities Results in Achievement Gains

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Armistead, Lew

    2010-01-01

    Collective, not individual, leadership in schools has a greater impact on student achievement; when principals and teachers share leadership responsibilities, student achievement is higher; and schools having high student achievement also display a vision for student achievement and teacher growth. Those are just a few of the insights into school…

  7. Adolescent Mental Health, Behavior Problems, and Academic Achievement

    PubMed Central

    McLeod, Jane D.; Uemura, Ryotaro; Rohrman, Shawna

    2013-01-01

    Prior research on the association of mental health and behavior problems with academic achievement is limited because it does not consider multiple problems simultaneously, take co-occurring problems into account, and control for academic aptitude. We addressed these limitations using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 6,315). We estimated the associations of depression, attention problems, delinquency, and substance use with two indicators of academic achievement (high school GPA and highest degree received) with controls for academic aptitude. Attention problems, delinquency, and substance use were significantly associated with diminished achievement, but depression was not. Combinations of problems involving substance use were especially consequential. Our results demonstrate that the social consequences of mental health problems are not the inevitable result of diminished functional ability but, rather, reflect negative social responses. These results also encourage a broader perspective on mental health by demonstrating that behavior problems heighten the negative consequences of more traditional forms of distress. PMID:23197485

  8. Coaches' Encouragement of Athletes' Imagery Use

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jedlic, Brie; Hall, Nathan; Munroe-Chandler, Krista; Hall, Craig

    2007-01-01

    To investigate whether coaches encourage their athletes to use imagery, two studies were undertaken. In the first, 317 athletes completed the Coaches' Encouragement of Athletes' Imagery Use Questionnaire. In the second, 215 coaches completed a slightly modified version of this questionnaire. It was found that coaches and athletes generally agreed…

  9. School Counselors: Closing Achievement Gaps and Writing Results Reports

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hartline, Julie; Cobia, Debra

    2012-01-01

    Charged with closing the achievement gap for marginalized students, school counselors need to be able to identify gaps, develop interventions, evaluate effectiveness, and share results. This study examined 100 summary results reports submitted by school counselors after having received four days of training on the ASCA National Model. Findings…

  10. Words That Encourage

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eisenbach, Brooke B.

    2014-01-01

    Teachers and education leaders are aware that their words can have a significant effect on their students. Words can build them up and encourage them to work hard or tear them down and lead them to despair. The language used in teacher evaluations is no different, says teacher Brooke Eisenbach. In this article, she shares stories of colleagues…

  11. Parental Involvement and Children's School Achievement: Evidence for Mediating Processes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogers, Maria A.; Theule, Jennifer; Ryan, Bruce A.; Adams, Gerald R.; Keating, Leo

    2009-01-01

    This study used path analytic techniques and an ecological framework to examine the association between children's perceptions of their parents' educational involvement, children's personal characteristics, and their school achievement. Fathers' academic pressure was predictive of lower achievement, whereas mothers' encouragement and support…

  12. A computer-based measure of resultant achievement motivation.

    PubMed

    Blankenship, V

    1987-08-01

    Three experiments were conducted to develop a computer-based measure of individual differences in resultant achievement motivation (RAM) on the basis of level-of-aspiration, achievement motivation, and dynamics-of-action theories. In Experiment 1, the number of atypical shifts and greater responsiveness to incentives on 21 trials with choices among easy, intermediate, and difficult levels of an achievement-oriented game were positively correlated and were found to differentiate the 62 subjects (31 men, 31 women) on the amount of time they spent at a nonachievement task (watching a color design) 1 week later. In Experiment 2, test-retest reliability was established with the use of 67 subjects (15 men, 52 women). Point and no-point trials were offered in blocks, with point trials first for half the subjects and no-point trials first for the other half. Reliability was higher for the atypical-shift measure than for the incentive-responsiveness measure and was higher when points were offered first. In Experiment 3, computer anxiety was manipulated by creating a simulated computer breakdown in the experimental condition. Fifty-nine subjects (13 men, 46 women) were randomly assigned to the experimental condition or to one of two control conditions (an interruption condition and a no-interruption condition). Subjects with low RAM, as demonstrated by a low number of typical shifts, took longer to choose the achievement-oriented task, as predicted by the dynamics-of-action theory. The difference was evident in all conditions and most striking in the computer-breakdown condition. A change of focus from atypical to typical shifts is discussed.

  13. Review of "Our Immense Achievement Gap"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eaton, Susan

    2012-01-01

    This report misrepresents and then criticizes recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Education, a think tank and two independent study groups, each of which recently encouraged particular voluntary efforts to reduce concentrated poverty and achieve racial and socioeconomic integration in schools and housing in Minnesota. In building its…

  14. William L. Wolfe, 1989 President of SPIE, encourages scientists from Eastern Europe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmit, Joanna

    2012-10-01

    In 1990 Professor Wolfe after his SPIE presidency trekked the world, even making it as far as post-communist Poland, to see (in the visible and maybe in infrared - who knows) the work of optical scientists hidden behind the iron curtain. I am not sure if he was ready for how different that world was at this time, but for sure he was very inquisitive and eager to learn about the nuances of Poland right after the fall of communism. He met, visited with and encouraged young and old scientists from Poland, Russia, Hungary and Lithuania to add their expertise to the scientific conversations happening in the West. His mission in Poland was to invite us all, and he was ready to help us achieve our dreams. I was one of those he encouraged. This talk is my personal reflection of Professor Wolfe as an encouraging and sometimes brave SPIE pioneer - a stranger in a strange land - and as an energetic, caring SPIE president, Optical Sciences professor and human being. Disclaimer: Professor Bill Wolfe's contributions to the field of radiometry are well known and very well recognized. This conference is a tribute to him. However, my paper is not on radiometry; rather, I wish to illustrate the adventurous, caring and positive Bill Wolfe that helped me find my way to the American desert Southwest.

  15. Discourse Analysis of Encouragement in Healthcare Manga

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Matsuoka, Rieko; Smith, Ian; Uchimura, Mari

    2011-01-01

    This article examines how healthcare professionals use encouragement. Focusing on GAMBARU ["to try hard"], forty-one scenes were collected from healthcare manga. Each scene of encouragement was analyzed from three perspectives; the contextual background of the communication, the relationship with the patients and the patients' response…

  16. Tutoring Styles That Encourage Learner Satisfaction, Academic Engagement, and Achievement in an Online Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chae, Soo Eun; Shin, Jae-Han

    2016-01-01

    This study was aimed to find which tutoring styles significantly predict learners' satisfaction with an e-learning service, academic involvement, and academic achievement. The tutoring styles included subject expert, facilitator, guider, and administrator. In this study, 818 Korean sixth-grade students (ages 11-12 years), enrolled in the…

  17. Emerging policy issues in PURPA implementation: an examination of policy issues related to federal and state efforts to encourage development of cogeneration and small power production under Title II of PURPA

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

    Not Available

    Purpose of this study is to examine the results of FERG and state efforts to encourage the development of cogeneration and small power production under Title II of the Public Utility Regualtory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) in the years since the statute was enacted. The frame of reference specified by DOE for use in this study includes both the original purposes of the legislation as set forth in PURPA and the current overall energy policy goal which is to ''foster an adequate supply of energy at reasonable costs.'' This review of PURPA implementation efforts is designed to assess themore » results to date in terms of achieving the stated goals of the statute (including ''to encourage cogeneration and small power production''), identify perceived areas of conflict between federal and state efforts to maximize development of qualifying facilities (QFs) and current Administration concerns for achieving greater levels of economic efficiency in electric power supply, briefly examine the nature of such conflicts, with reference to specific cases wherever possible, and suggest possible means of conforming government efforts to encourage QF development with the economic efficiency objectives underlying national energy policy.« less

  18. Goal Setting to Achieve Results

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Newman, Rich

    2012-01-01

    Both districts and individual schools have a very clear set of goals and skills for their students to achieve and master. In fact, except in rare cases, districts and schools develop very detailed goals they wish to pursue. In most cases, unfortunately, only the teachers and staff at a particular school or district-level office are aware of the…

  19. Encouraging Minority Undergraduates to Choose Science Careers: Career Paths Survey Results

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Villarejo, Merna; Barlow, Amy E. L.; Kogan, Deborah; Veazey, Brian D.; Sweeney, Jennifer K.

    2008-01-01

    To explore the reasons for the dearth of minorities in Ph.D.-level biomedical research and identify opportunities to increase minority participation, we surveyed high-achieving alumni of an undergraduate biology enrichment program for underrepresented minorities. Respondents were asked to describe their career paths and to reflect on the…

  20. Creativity: The Hub of Real Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Forster, Jill

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this article is to encourage a greater emphasis on creativity across and between varied fields of endeavour. It has been written to underline the interdisciplinary significance of creativity and the role of creativity in truly enhancing achievement. There is a reinvigorated awareness of the need for "big thinking", a global…

  1. Encouraging Student Biological Research.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frame, Kathy, Ed.; Hays, Rachel, Ed.; Mack, Alison, Ed.

    This publication encourages student involvement in biological research through student research with the cooperation of teachers and scientists. The contents of the book are divided into two sections. The first section introduces students to research investigations and includes: (1) "How the Investigations Are Set Up and the Rationale Behind…

  2. Achieving Benchmark Results for Neonatal Palliation of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and Related Anomalies in an Emerging Program.

    PubMed

    Dodge-Khatami, Ali; Chancellor, William Z; Gupta, Bhawna; Seals, Samantha R; Ebeid, Makram R; Batlivala, Sarosh P; Taylor, Mary B; Salazar, Jorge D

    2015-07-01

    Results of surgical management of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and related anomalies are often compared to published benchmark data which reflect the use of a variety of surgical and hybrid protocols. We report encouraging results achieved in an emerging program, despite a learning curve at all care levels. Rather than relying on a single preferred protocol, surgical management was based on matching surgical strategy to individual patient factors. From 2010 to 2014, a total of 47 consecutive patients with HLHS or related anomalies with ductal-dependent systemic circulation underwent initial surgical palliation, including 30 Norwood stage I, 8 hybrid stage I, and 9 salvage-to-Norwood procedures. True hybrid procedures entailed bilateral pulmonary artery banding and ductal stenting. In the salvage-to-Norwood strategy, ductal stenting was withheld in favor of continued prostaglandin infusion in anticipation of a deferred Norwood procedure. Cardiac comorbidities (obstructed pulmonary venous return, poor ventricular function, and atrioventricular valve regurgitation) and noncardiac comorbidities influenced the choice of treatment strategies and were analyzed as potential risk factors for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support or in-hospital mortality. Overall hospital survival was 81% (Norwood 83.3%, hybrid 88%, "salvage" 67%; P = .4942). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support was used for eight (17%) patients with two survivors. For cases with obstructed pulmonary venous return (n = 10, 21%), management choices favored a hybrid or salvage strategy (P = .0026). Aortic atresia (n = 22, 47%) was treated by a Norwood or salvage-to-Norwood. No cardiac, noncardiac, or genetic comorbidities were identified as independent risk factors for ECMO or discharge mortality in a multivariable analysis. Our emerging program achieved outcomes that compare favorably to published benchmark data with respect to hospital survival. These results reflect rigorous

  3. Encourage Your Workers to Report Bloodborne Pathogen Exposures

    MedlinePlus

    ... Contact NIOSH First Responders: Encourage Your Workers to Report Bloodborne Pathogen Exposures Language: English (US) Español (Spanish) ... infectious body fluids. Some employees are reluctant to report exposure incidents. Encourage your employees to report all ...

  4. Notification: Review of Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Grant Program

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Project #OA-FY12-0606, July 16, 2012. EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) plans to begin preliminary research for an audit of grants awarded under EPA’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program.

  5. Encouraging Creativity in Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Starke, Kathryn

    2012-01-01

    Creativity isn't formally assessed or evaluated on tests or report cards, so teachers rarely plan lessons that encourage it. In fact, many teachers unintentionally stifle children's creativity when they cut off student's oral responses or stop them from adding more to their work so that they can bring the class back to the task at hand. Instead,…

  6. Classifying Residents who use Landscape Irrigation: Implications for Encouraging Water Conservation Behavior

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Warner, Laura A.; Lamm, Alexa J.; Rumble, Joy N.; Martin, Emmett T.; Cantrell, Randall

    2016-08-01

    Large amounts of water applied as urban irrigation can often be reduced substantially without compromising esthetics. Thus, encouraging the adoption of water-saving technologies and practices is critical to preserving water resources, yet difficult to achieve. The research problem addressed in this study is the lack of characterization of residents who use urban irrigation, which hinders the design of effective behavior change programs. This study examined audience segmentation as an approach to encouraging change using current residential landscape practices. K-means cluster analysis identified three meaningful subgroups among residential landscape irrigation users ( N = 1,063): the water considerate majority ( n = 479, 45 %), water savvy conservationists ( n = 378, 36 %), and unconcerned water users ( n = 201, 19 %). An important finding was that normative beliefs, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control characteristics of the subgroups were significantly different with large and medium practical effect sizes. Future water conservation behaviors and perceived importance of water resources were also significantly different among subgroups. The water considerate majority demonstrated capacity to conserve, placed high value on water, and were likely to engage in behavior changes. This article contributes to the literature on individuals who use residential landscape irrigation, an important target audience with potential to conserve water through sustainable irrigation practices and technologies. Findings confirm applicability of the capacity to conserve water to audience segmentation and extend this concept by incorporating perceived value of water resources and likelihood of conservation. The results suggest practical application to promoting residential landscape water conservation behaviors based on important audience characteristics.

  7. Classifying Residents who use Landscape Irrigation: Implications for Encouraging Water Conservation Behavior.

    PubMed

    Warner, Laura A; Lamm, Alexa J; Rumble, Joy N; Martin, Emmett T; Cantrell, Randall

    2016-08-01

    Large amounts of water applied as urban irrigation can often be reduced substantially without compromising esthetics. Thus, encouraging the adoption of water-saving technologies and practices is critical to preserving water resources, yet difficult to achieve. The research problem addressed in this study is the lack of characterization of residents who use urban irrigation, which hinders the design of effective behavior change programs. This study examined audience segmentation as an approach to encouraging change using current residential landscape practices. K-means cluster analysis identified three meaningful subgroups among residential landscape irrigation users (N = 1,063): the water considerate majority (n = 479, 45 %), water savvy conservationists (n = 378, 36 %), and unconcerned water users (n = 201, 19 %). An important finding was that normative beliefs, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control characteristics of the subgroups were significantly different with large and medium practical effect sizes. Future water conservation behaviors and perceived importance of water resources were also significantly different among subgroups. The water considerate majority demonstrated capacity to conserve, placed high value on water, and were likely to engage in behavior changes. This article contributes to the literature on individuals who use residential landscape irrigation, an important target audience with potential to conserve water through sustainable irrigation practices and technologies. Findings confirm applicability of the capacity to conserve water to audience segmentation and extend this concept by incorporating perceived value of water resources and likelihood of conservation. The results suggest practical application to promoting residential landscape water conservation behaviors based on important audience characteristics.

  8. A Study of Student Engagement Activities, Discipline Referrals, and Student Achievement in Reading First Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fransen, Shelly Lynette

    2013-01-01

    High quality student engagement activities are essential if students are to be successful learners. Over the years, many instructional strategies and models have been devised to encourage teachers to develop student engagement activities that result in high achievement. The Reading First Model initiative was introduced as a part of the No Child…

  9. Alternative Fuels Data Center: City of Chicago Program Encourages Petroleum

    Science.gov Websites

    Displacement and Collaboration Between Departments City of Chicago Program Encourages Petroleum : City of Chicago Program Encourages Petroleum Displacement and Collaboration Between Departments on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: City of Chicago Program Encourages Petroleum

  10. Filipino students' reported parental socialization of academic achievement by socioeconomic group.

    PubMed

    Bernardo, Allan B I

    2009-10-01

    Academic achievement of students differs by socioeconomic group. Parents' socialization of academic achievement in their children was explored in self-reports of 241 students from two socioeconomic status (SES) groups in the Philippines, using a scale developed by Bempechat, et al. Students in the upper SES group had higher achievement than their peers in the middle SES group, but had lower scores on most dimensions of parental socialization of academic achievement. Regression analyses indicate that reported parental attempts to encourage more effort to achieve was associated with lower achievement in students with upper SES.

  11. Hydration and Hot Yoga: Encouragement, Behaviors, and Outcomes.

    PubMed

    Mace Firebaugh, Casey J; Eggleston, Brandon

    2017-01-01

    Currently, the literature on hot yoga is lacking, and there is still much to understand regarding the safety of these practices. However, one point of safety often emphasized is hydration during the practice of hot yoga. The aim of this study was to examine hydration encouragement by hot yoga instructors and hydration behaviors and related outcomes by hot yoga participants. A cross-sectional study ( n = 700) collected self-report data on demographics, types and frequency of yoga practiced, hydration behaviors, and self-report measures of adverse outcomes experienced by participants during hot yoga. Associations between hydration encouragement, protective behaviors, and adverse outcomes were analyzed through Chi-square tests. Every protective hydration behavior was significantly associated with instructor encouragement ( P < 0.05). Hydration before or during hot yoga participation was associated with a lower occurrence of dehydration symptoms ( P < 0.05). Hot yoga instructors hold a key role in encouraging hydration and student safety outcomes.

  12. Encouraging expressions affect the brain and alter visual attention.

    PubMed

    Martín-Loeches, Manuel; Sel, Alejandra; Casado, Pilar; Jiménez, Laura; Castellanos, Luis

    2009-06-17

    Very often, encouraging or discouraging expressions are used in competitive contexts, such as sports practice, aiming at provoking an emotional reaction on the listener and, consequently, an effect on subsequent cognition and/or performance. However, the actual efficiency of these expressions has not been tested scientifically. To fill this gap, we studied the effects of encouraging, discouraging, and neutral expressions on event-related brain electrical activity during a visual selective attention task in which targets were determined by location, shape, and color. Although the expressions preceded the attentional task, both encouraging and discouraging messages elicited a similar long-lasting brain emotional response present during the visuospatial task. In addition, encouraging expressions were able to alter the customary working pattern of the visual attention system for shape selection in the attended location, increasing the P1 and the SP modulations while simultaneously fading away the SN. This was interpreted as an enhancement of the attentional processes for shape in the attended location after an encouraging expression. It can be stated, therefore, that encouraging expressions, as those used in sport practice, as well as in many other contexts and situations, do seem to be efficient in exerting emotional reactions and measurable effects on cognition.

  13. Encouraging entrepreneurship in university labs: Research activities, research outputs, and early doctorate careers

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    This paper investigates how the encouragement of entrepreneurship within university research labs relates with research activities, research outputs, and early doctorate careers. Utilizing a panel survey of 6,840 science & engineering doctoral students at 39 R1 research universities, this study shows that entrepreneurship is widely encouraged across university research labs, ranging from 54% in biomedical engineering to 18% in particle physics, while only a small share of labs openly discourage entrepreneurship, from approximately 3% in engineering to approximately 12% in the life sciences. Within fields, there is no difference between labs that encourage entrepreneurship and those that do not with respect to basic research activity and the number of publications. At the same time, labs that encourage entrepreneurship are significantly more likely to report invention disclosures, particularly in engineering where such labs are 41% more likely to disclose inventions. With respect to career pathways, PhDs students in labs that encourage entrepreneurship do not differ from other PhDs in their interest in academic careers, but they are 87% more likely to be interested in careers in entrepreneurship and 44% more likely to work in a startup after graduation. These results persist even when accounting for individuals’ pre-PhD interest in entrepreneurship and the encouragement of other non-academic industry careers. PMID:28178270

  14. Encouraging entrepreneurship in university labs: Research activities, research outputs, and early doctorate careers.

    PubMed

    Roach, Michael

    2017-01-01

    This paper investigates how the encouragement of entrepreneurship within university research labs relates with research activities, research outputs, and early doctorate careers. Utilizing a panel survey of 6,840 science & engineering doctoral students at 39 R1 research universities, this study shows that entrepreneurship is widely encouraged across university research labs, ranging from 54% in biomedical engineering to 18% in particle physics, while only a small share of labs openly discourage entrepreneurship, from approximately 3% in engineering to approximately 12% in the life sciences. Within fields, there is no difference between labs that encourage entrepreneurship and those that do not with respect to basic research activity and the number of publications. At the same time, labs that encourage entrepreneurship are significantly more likely to report invention disclosures, particularly in engineering where such labs are 41% more likely to disclose inventions. With respect to career pathways, PhDs students in labs that encourage entrepreneurship do not differ from other PhDs in their interest in academic careers, but they are 87% more likely to be interested in careers in entrepreneurship and 44% more likely to work in a startup after graduation. These results persist even when accounting for individuals' pre-PhD interest in entrepreneurship and the encouragement of other non-academic industry careers.

  15. An overview and process evaluation of TeleWalk: a telephone-based counseling intervention to encourage walking in older adults.

    PubMed

    Kolt, Gregory S; Oliver, Melody; Schofield, Grant M; Kerse, Ngaire; Garrett, Nick; Latham, Nancy K

    2006-09-01

    Despite the benefits associated with a physically active lifestyle, many older adults are insufficiently active to achieve health gain, and also exhibit decreased activity levels with age. Insufficient physical activity in this population is associated with increased morbidity, mortality and demand on health care services and expenditure. There is a clear need for effective intervention to encourage physical activity in older adults. The aim of this paper is to describe the development and participant evaluation of a randomized controlled trial of TeleWalk, a telephone-based motivational counseling intervention to encourage physical activity in adults aged 65 years and older. Participants (N = 186, mean age 74 +/- 6 years) were recruited through their General Practitioner (primary care physician) and randomized to either receive eight telephone counseling sessions and related printed materials over 3 months (intervention group) or participate in outcome assessments only (control group). Intervention group participants were mailed an anonymous evaluation questionnaire on intervention completion. A high response rate was achieved (70%). All respondents (100%) agreed or strongly agreed that a good overall level of service and support was provided, and that the counselor was understanding and supportive. Nearly all respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the service was professional, the counselor advice was helpful and motivating and the information provided was relevant (97, 95 and 89%, respectively). Most (87%) agreed or strongly agreed that the telephone calls encouraged them to be physically active. Among the participants who received printed material, most agreed or strongly agreed that these encouraged them to become or remain active. Findings from this evaluation can be used to inform such interventions and ensure their relevance to community-dwelling older adults.

  16. Dieting and encouragement to diet by significant others: associations with disordered eating in young adults

    PubMed Central

    Eisenberg, Marla E.; Berge, Jerica M.; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

    2013-01-01

    Purpose Examine the role of perceived significant other's modeling or encouragement of dieting in young adults' disordered eating behaviors. Design Online survey data were collected (2008–2009) as part of an ongoing study examining weight and related issues in young people. Setting Participants were originally recruited as students at middle and high schools in Minnesota (1998–1999). Subjects 1,030 young adults (mean age 25.3, 55% female, 50% white) with significant others. Measures Participants were asked if their significant other diets or encourages them to diet. Behaviors included unhealthy weight control, extreme weight control, and binge eating. Analysis General linear models estimated the predicted probability of using each behavior across levels of significant other's dieting or encouraging dieting, stratifying by gender and adjusting for demographics and BMI. Results Perceived dieting and encouragement to diet by significant others were common. Disordered eating behaviors were positively associated with significant other's dieting and encouragement to diet, particularly for females. In models including both perceived dieting and encouragement, encouragement remained significantly associated with disordered eating. For example, women's binge eating was almost doubled if their significant other encouraged dieting “very much” (25.5%) compared to “not at all” (13.6%, p=.015). Conclusion There is a strong association between disordered eating behaviors and perceived modeling and encouragement to diet by significant others in young adulthood. PMID:23398133

  17. The Encouragement of Summer Enrollment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Montgomery, David C.

    1982-01-01

    Florida's unsuccessful statewide, 20-year effort to encourage summer enrollment began with conversion from a semester to trimester calendar, then to a quarter system, and included such incentives as tuition reduction, dormitory rate reduction, adoption of full course schedules, and mandatory enrollment. (MSE)

  18. Learning styles and academic achievement among undergraduate medical students in Thailand.

    PubMed

    Jiraporncharoen, Wichuda; Angkurawaranon, Chaisiri; Chockjamsai, Manoch; Deesomchok, Athavudh; Euathrongchit, Juntima

    2015-01-01

    This study aimed to explore the associations between learning styles and high academic achievement and to ascertain whether the factors associated with high academic achievement differed between preclinical and clinical students. A survey was conducted among undergraduate medical students in Chiang Mai University, Thailand. The Index of Learning Styles questionnaire was used to assess each student's learning style across four domains. High academic achievement was defined as a grade point average of at least 3.0. Of the 1,248 eligible medical students, 1,014 (81.3%) participated. Learning styles differed between the preclinical and clinical students in the active/reflective domain. A sequential learning style was associated with high academic achievement in both preclinical and clinical students. A reflective learning style was only associated with high academic achievement among preclinical students. The association between learning styles and academic achievement may have differed between preclinical and clinical students due to different learning content and teaching methods. Students should be encouraged to be flexible in their own learning styles in order to engage successfully with various and changing teaching methods across the curriculum. Instructors should be also encouraged to provide a variety of teaching materials and resources to suit different learning styles.

  19. How "ought" exceeds but implies "can": Description and encouragement in moral judgment.

    PubMed

    Turri, John

    2017-11-01

    This paper tests a theory about the relationship between two important topics in moral philosophy and psychology. One topic is the function of normative language, specifically claims that one "ought" to do something. Do these claims function to describe moral responsibilities, encourage specific behavior, or both? The other topic is the relationship between saying that one "ought" to do something and one's ability to do it. In what respect, if any, does what one "ought" to do exceed what one "can" do? The theory tested here has two parts: (1) "ought" claims function to both describe responsibilities and encourage people to fulfill them (the dual-function hypothesis); (2) the two functions relate differently to ability, because the encouragement function is limited by the person's ability, but the descriptive function is not (the interaction hypothesis). If this theory is correct, then in one respect "ought implies can" is false because people have responsibilities that exceed their abilities. But in another respect "ought implies can" is legitimate because it is not worthwhile to encourage people to do things that exceed their ability. Results from two behavioral experiments support the theory that "ought" exceeds but implies "can." Results from a third experiment provide further evidence regarding an "ought" claim's primary function and how contextual features can affect the interpretation of its functions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Develop, Link, Foster, and Encourage

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hyslop, Alisha

    2008-01-01

    The third recommendation in ACTE's postsecondary reform position statement is to develop curriculum and instructional offerings that link to careers, foster lifelong learning, and encourage completion. Concrete linkages must be developed between middle and high school, postsecondary education and work, with lifelong postsecondary learning a part…

  1. Appalachian and Non-Appalachian Pediatricians’ Encouragement of the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine: Implications for Health Disparities

    PubMed Central

    Krieger, Janice L.; Katz, Mira L.; Kam, Jennifer A.; Roberto, Anthony

    2013-01-01

    Background In medically underserved regions such as Appalachia, cervical cancer incidence and mortality are higher than the general U.S. population; therefore, it is important for pediatricians to encourage parents to have their daughters vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV). Unfortunately, little is known about the predictors of pediatricians’ encouragement of the HPV vaccine among medically underserved populations. The current study compared attitudes and behaviors of pediatricians with practices in Appalachia with those in non-Appalachia to identify potential strategies for reducing health disparities. Methods A survey was conducted with 334 pediatricians located in Appalachia and non-Appalachia counties to examine how prior behavior, perceived susceptibility, severity, self-efficacy, response-efficacy, and behavioral intentions are related to self-reported vaccine encouragement. Results Pediatricians in Appalachia perceived their patients to be less susceptible to HPV and reported lower rates of HPV encouragement than pediatricians in non-Appalachia. In addition, self-efficacy had a significant indirect association with vaccine encouragement for pediatricians in non-Appalachia. Conclusion This study’s findings emphasize the importance of increasing Appalachian pediatricians’ awareness of their patients’ susceptibility to HPV. Broader efforts to increase encouragement of the HPV vaccine among pediatricians should focus on promoting self-efficacy to encourage the HPV vaccine to parents of young females. PMID:21907591

  2. Does Daylight Savings Time encourage physical activity?

    PubMed

    Zick, Cathleen D

    2014-07-01

    Extending Daylight Savings Time (DST) has been identified as a policy intervention that may encourage physical activity. However, there has been little research on the question of if DST encourages adults to be more physically active. Data from residents of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah ages 18-64 who participated in the 2003-2009 American Time Use Survey are used to assess whether DST is associated with increased time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The analysis capitalizes on the natural experiment created because Arizona does not observe DST. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses indicate that shifting 1 hour of daylight from morning to evening does not impact MVPA of Americans living in the southwest. While DST may affect the choices people make about the timing and location of their sports/recreational activities, the potential for DST to serve as a broad-based intervention that encourages greater sports/recreation participation is not supported by this analysis. Whether this null effect would persist in other climate situations is an open question.

  3. Parental encouragement of healthy behaviors: adolescent weight status and health-related quality of life

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Obesity is a major health concern for adolescents, with one in four being overweight or obese in Australia. The purpose of this study was to examine the moderation effect of parental encouragement of healthy behaviors on the relationship between adolescent weight status and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). Methods Baseline data were collected from 3,040 adolescents participating in the It’s Your Move project, conducted in the Barwon South-West region of Victoria, in 2005. The Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory was used to measure HRQoL, and parental encouragement was derived from purposely designed self-report items. Weight status was calculated according to World Health Organization growth standards from measured weight and height. Linear regression analyses modeled direct relationships and interaction terms. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, physical activity level, nutrition and school attended. Results Higher levels of parental encouragement, as compared to low encouragement, were positively associated with higher global HRQoL scores, particularly in the physical functioning domain. To a lesser degree, high parental encouragement was also associated with higher scores on the psychosocial domain. Obese weight status showed a significant association with lower HRQoL on all scales. Parental encouragement significantly moderated the inverse relationship between overweight status and physical wellbeing. Conclusions Findings suggest that parental encouragement of healthy behavior is associated with increased HRQoL scores for adolescents. Whilst more research is needed to validate the significant interaction effect, main effects suggest that parental encouragement of healthy behavior is an important factor in adolescent wellbeing and should be considered when developing prevention and clinical interventions for obesity. PMID:24735656

  4. 48 CFR 819.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Encouraging small business... VETERANS AFFAIRS SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Policies 819.202-1 Encouraging small... calendar days to encourage small business participation. A period of less than 7 days may not be prescribed...

  5. 48 CFR 819.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Encouraging small business... VETERANS AFFAIRS SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Policies 819.202-1 Encouraging small... calendar days to encourage small business participation. A period of less than 7 days may not be prescribed...

  6. 48 CFR 819.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Encouraging small business... VETERANS AFFAIRS SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Policies 819.202-1 Encouraging small... calendar days to encourage small business participation. A period of less than 7 days may not be prescribed...

  7. 48 CFR 819.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Encouraging small business... VETERANS AFFAIRS SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Policies 819.202-1 Encouraging small... calendar days to encourage small business participation. A period of less than 7 days may not be prescribed...

  8. 48 CFR 819.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Encouraging small business... VETERANS AFFAIRS SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Policies 819.202-1 Encouraging small... calendar days to encourage small business participation. A period of less than 7 days may not be prescribed...

  9. Achieving Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 in India.

    PubMed

    Chatterjee, A; Paily, V P

    2011-09-01

    This review relates to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially MDGs 4 and 5, by India by the year 2015. India contributes the maximum number of maternal deaths (68,000) to the global estimate of 358,000 maternal deaths annually. Infant mortality rate (IMR) is also high at 50 per 1000 (2009). Low budgetary spending on health, poverty, lower literacy, poor nutritional status, rural-urban divide and lack of trained workers in the health sector are cited as reasons for a high maternal mortality ratio and IMR. Increased spending by the Government of India on the health sector has started to show encouraging results. Recent assessments by world bodies like the World Health Organisation have given hope that MDGs 4 and 5 are achievable. © 2011 The Authors BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology © 2011 RCOG.

  10. Art Competition Encourages Student Dreams

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gartel, Laurence

    2010-01-01

    In 1971, members of the Naples Art Association (NAA) in Naples, Florida, initiated a scholarship program designed to encourage local young artists to realize their dreams of becoming professionals in the visual arts. Since then, awards have been given annually by the NAA to Collier County high-school students in conjunction with an exhibition of…

  11. EDUCATIONAL ORIENTATIONS AND PARENTAL ENCOURAGEMENT--AN INTERVENING OR AN INDEPENDENT VARIABLE.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    REHBERG, RICHARD A.; AND OTHERS

    TWO MODELS OF THE INTERACTION OF PARENTAL ENCOURAGEMENT AND EDUCATIONAL EXPECTATIONS WERE EVALUATED IN COMPARISON WITH DATA GATHERED FROM A SURVEY. PARENTAL ENCOURAGEMENT WAS DEFINED AS AN OVERT ATTEMPT BY PARENTS TO INFLUENCE THEIR SON TO GO TO COLLEGE. ONE MODEL REPRESENTED PARENTAL ENCOURAGEMENT AS AN INTERVENING VARIABLE BETWEEN EDUCATIONAL…

  12. A critical examination of factors that might encourage secrecy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tough, Allen

    If a signal is detected someday from extraterrestrial intelligence, several factors might encourage complete and immediate secrecy. As a result, all data might be restricted to the receiving facility or nation instead of being shared promptly with SETI scientists around the world. Seven factors seem particularly like to encourage secrecy: (1) the belief that people may panic; (2) the fear of a negative impact on religion, science, and culture; (3) embarrassment; (4) the individual and national competitive urge; (5) avoiding a harmful premature reply; (6) a national trade or military advantage; and (7) the fear of a Trojan Horse. Three steps might alleviate the particularly difficult factors (numbers 4, 5, 6): an international treaty for immediate sharing of possible signals with SETI scientists in several other countries; implementation and frequent use of an actual network of scientists for such sharing; and further study of the possible need for partial restriction of data about the location and channel of a suspected signal.

  13. What would encourage blood donation in Ireland?

    PubMed

    Harrington, M; Sweeney, M R; Bailie, K; Morris, K; Kennedy, A; Boilson, A; O'Riordan, J; Staines, A

    2007-05-01

    Recent changes have resulted in the loss of 4% of the donor panel in the Republic of Ireland and 3% in Northern Ireland. In order to increase the number of donors in these two regions, it is important that transfusion service providers explore and understand the reasons, which prevent individuals from donating. The aim of this study was to explore these issues particularly in non-donors and those who had lapsed. This 7-month all-Ireland study was conducted by computer-assisted telephone interview. Data collected included sociodemographic history, donation status, as well as barriers/deterrents to donation. There were 4166 completed questionnaires (44% donors; 56% non-donors). Of the donors, 13% had donated blood within the last 2 years. Current donors cited 'awareness of patients needs' (88%), 'trust in the blood transfusion service' (70%), and 'an advertising campaign' (70%) as reasons encouraging them to donate blood. Lapsed donors and non-donors cited 'more frequent mobile clinics/sessions' (30% lapsed donors; 53% non-donors), 'if I was asked' (28% lapsed donors; 53% non-donors), and 'more flexible opening hours' (23% lapsed donors; 44% non-donors) as reasons that would encourage them to donate. The main reasons cited by non-donors for never having donated included 'medical reasons' (41% Republic of Ireland; 43% Northern Ireland), 'lack of information' (20% Republic of Ireland; 22% Northern Ireland), 'fear of needles' (15% Republic of Ireland; 17% Northern Ireland), and 'time constraints' (12% Republic of Ireland; 13% Northern Ireland). Among the non-donor group, 10% (Republic of Ireland) and 6% (Northern Ireland) claimed that they are not permitted to donate. Replacing regular donors is a major challenge for the transfusion service providers. This study shows that by facilitating the general public by introducing more mobile clinics/sessions, more flexible opening hours and having a better level of knowledge in the community about blood donation may encourage

  14. Strategic tree planting as an EPA encouraged pollutant reduction strategy: how urban trees can obtain credit in state implementation plans

    Treesearch

    Dr. David J. Nowak

    2005-01-01

    As tree programs are new to the SIP process, "to facilitate Federal approval of an emerging or voluntary measure States are encouraged to work with their EPA regional ofice during the development process". Programs to increase canopy cover in urban areas can achieve many benefits. They can help improve air and water quality, as well as other factors related...

  15. Achieving quality assurance through clinical audit.

    PubMed

    Patel, Seraphim

    2010-06-01

    Audit is a crucial component of improvements to the quality of patient care. Clinical audits are undertaken to help ensure that patients can be given safe, reliable and dignified care, and to encourage them to self-direct their recovery. Such audits are undertaken also to help reduce lengths of patient stay in hospital, readmission rates and delays in discharge. This article describes the stages of clinical audit and the support required to achieve organisational core values.

  16. Demand-side policies to encourage the use of generic medicines: an overview.

    PubMed

    Dylst, Pieter; Vulto, Arnold; Simoens, Steven

    2013-02-01

    Demand-side policies to encourage the use of generic medicines are important to increase their use. A plethora of different demand-side policies has already been initiated by European governments, thereby targeting physicians, pharmacists and patients. This review aims to give an overview of the different demand-side policies which governments have at their disposal and to evaluate their impact on the use of generic medicines. Positive knowledge and perceptions of physicians, pharmacists and patients of generic medicines are necessary prerequisites to increase the use of generic medicines and governments should initiate policies to achieve this. These policies should be combined with policies to increase their financial responsibility to the healthcare system and policies to facilitate the prescribing of generic medicines.

  17. Achievement, attributions, self-efficacy, and goal setting by accounting undergraduates.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Pi-Yueh; Chiou, Wen-Bin

    2010-02-01

    Correlations were examined between two measures of accounting self-efficacy achievement goal setting, attributions, and scores on the Accounting Practice Achievement Test, obtained 1 yr. apart for 124 freshmen in junior college. Analysis indicated favorable attribution contributed to a higher mean score on accounting self-efficacy. Students with higher perceived self-efficacy performed better on the proficiency tests. Those with higher self-efficacy also set higher goals for subsequent achievement tests. Moreover, students who set higher achievement goals performed better. Goal setting mediated the relation of initial self-efficacy with subsequent test performance. However, the amount of variance accounted for by self-efficacy was small. An effective method for enhancing performance on an accounting achievement test might be to increase beneficial attributions, self-efficacy in accounting, and to encourage setting reasonable achievement goals.

  18. The association between academic engagement and achievement in health sciences students

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Educational institutions play an important role in encouraging student engagement, being necessary to know how engaged are students at university and if this factor is involved in student success point and followed. To explore the association between academic engagement and achievement. Methods Cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 304 students of Health Sciences. They were asked to fill out an on-line questionnaire. Academic achievements were calculated using three types of measurement. Results Positive correlations were found in all cases. Grade point average was the academic rate most strongly associated with engagement dimensions and this association is different for male and female students. The independent variables could explain between 18.9 and 23.9% of the variance (p < 0.05) in the population of university students being analyzed. Conclusions Engagement has been shown to be one of the many factors, which are positively involved, in the academic achievements of college students. PMID:23446005

  19. The role of smartphones in encouraging physical activity in adults

    PubMed Central

    Stuckey, Melanie I; Carter, Shawn W; Knight, Emily

    2017-01-01

    Lack of physical activity is a global public health issue. Behavioral change interventions utilizing smartphone applications (apps) are considered a potential solution. The purpose of this literature review was to: 1) determine whether smartphone-based interventions encourage the initiation of, and participation in, physical activity; 2) explore the success of interventions in different populations; and 3) examine the key factors of the interventions that successfully encouraged physical activity. Eight databases (Medline, Scopus, EBM Reviews–Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EBM Reviews–Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PsycInfo, SportDISCUS, CINAHL, and EMBASE) were searched and studies reporting physical activity outcomes following interventions using smartphone apps in adults were included in the narrative review. Results were mixed with eight studies reporting increased physical activity and ten reporting no change. Interventions did not appear to be successful in specific populations defined by age, sex, country, or clinical diagnosis. There was no conclusive evidence that a specific behavioral theory or behavioral change technique was superior in eliciting behavioral change. The literature remains limited primarily to short-term studies, many of which are underpowered feasibility or pilot studies; therefore, many knowledge gaps regarding the effectiveness of smartphone apps in encouraging physical activity remain. Robust studies that can accommodate the fast pace of the technology industry are needed to examine outcomes in large populations. PMID:28979157

  20. Encouraging Historical Thinking at Historic Sites

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baron, Christine

    2010-01-01

    This study seeks to contribute to our understanding of the problem of effectively encouraging historical thinking by (a) evaluating, and modifying Wineburg's heuristics for historical thinking for applicability to the problem-solving activities historians use at historic sites; (b) establishing the efficacy of a hypermedia-based education program…

  1. Helping Low-Income Mothers with Criminal Records Achieve Self-Sufficiency.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Rebecca

    2000-01-01

    This issue of WIN (Welfare Information Network) Issue Notes focuses on helping low-income mothers with criminal records achieve self-sufficiency. Section 1 offers background. Section 2 answers these policy questions: why states might want to focus on serving low-income mothers with criminal records; how states can encourage employers to hire…

  2. Influence of Parental Encouragement towards Health Care of Their Wards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sophia, R. Grace; Veliappan, A.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of the present study is to explore how parents are encouraging towards health care of their wards. A "Survey Method" was used in the present study. A standardized "Agarwal Parental Encouragement Scale (APES)" was used to collect information from the students. The sample consists of thousand and ninety five higher…

  3. Encouraging Reluctant Writers in the Classroom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tyler, Barbara

    Certain settings and activities can be initiated in the classroom to encourage reluctant writers to write. The classroom environment should be structured so that writing efforts produce positive reinforcement. Sharing ideas with peers or the teacher prior to writing will enable students to feel that their ideas are worthwhile. Children can be…

  4. Validity of Assessment and Recognition of Non-Formal and Informal Learning Achievements in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaminskiene, Lina; Stasiunaitiene, Egle

    2013-01-01

    The article identifies the validity of assessment of non-formal and informal learning achievements (NILA) as one of the key factors for encouraging further development of the process of assessing and recognising non-formal and informal learning achievements in higher education. The authors analyse why the recognition of non-formal and informal…

  5. Do U.S. family planning clinics encourage parent-child communication? Findings from an exploratory survey.

    PubMed

    Jones, Rachel K

    2006-09-01

    Clinics that receive Title X funding have a mandate to encourage parent-child communication for minors seeking family planning services. Little is known about the programs and practices that clinics have adopted to achieve this goal, or whether clinics not receiving Title X funds encourage family participation. As part of a larger project examining parental engagement among adolescents using family planning clinics, 81 clinics that served 200 or more adolescent contraceptive clients in 2001 completed a questionnaire containing closed- and open-ended items. Topic areas included clinic counseling and policies regarding clients younger than 18, activities to improve parent-child communication and community relations. Frequency distributions were calculated for the prevalence of activities, and cross-tabulations were used to compare prevalence by clinic characteristics. Every clinic engaged in at least one activity to promote parent-child communication, and nine in 10 offered multiple activities. Most of the clinics used counseling sessions to talk to adolescent clients about the importance of discussing sexual health issues with parents (73-94%, depending on the reason for the visit). More than eight in 10 clinics (84%) distributed pamphlets on how to talk about these issues. A substantial minority (43%) offered or referred interested individuals to educational programs designed to improve communication. Some of these exploratory findings reflect the prevalence of activities among all U.S. family planning clinics that serve adolescent clients. Evaluation and expansion of clinic efforts to promote voluntary communication about sexual health issues between parents and children could help encourage family participation.

  6. "My Job Now Is to Encourage"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stanistreet, Paul

    2007-01-01

    Six years ago Tony Benn left the House of Commons "to devote more time to politics." These days he sees himself as an "untrained classroom assistant to the nation," encouraging people to take charge of their own political destinies. Benn tells the author that education is a fundamental part of that process. Education, whether…

  7. Encouraging Creativity in the Science Lab

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eyster, Linda

    2010-01-01

    Although science is a creative endeavor (NRC 1996, p. 46), many students think they are not encouraged--or even allowed--to be creative in the laboratory. When students think there is only one correct way to do a lab, their creativity is inhibited. Park and Seung (2008) argue for the importance of creativity in science classrooms and for the…

  8. Maternal encouragement and discouragement: Differences by food type and child weight status

    PubMed Central

    Pesch, Megan H.; Appugliese, Danielle P.; Kaciroti, Niko; Rosenblum, Katherine L.; Miller, Alison; Lumeng, Julie C.

    2016-01-01

    Childhood obesity prevention practice guidelines recommend that parents encourage the intake of certain types of foods and discourage the intake of others. It is unknown if parents of children of different weight statuses encourage or discourage their child's intake differently based on food type. The objective of this study was to determine the association of child weight status with maternal for four different types of food. A total of 222 mother-child dyads were video-taped during the standardized, sequential presentation of four foods to both participants: cupcakes (familiar dessert), green beans (familiar vegetable), halva (unfamiliar dessert) and artichoke (unfamiliar vegetable). Mother's encouragements and discouragements of child intake were reliably coded for each food type. Poisson regression models were used to test the independent association of child weight status (normal weight, overweight and obese) with encouragement and discouragement for each food type. Mothers of an obese, vs. normal or overweight child, had lower rates of encouragement for a familiar dessert (p = 0.02), and a higher rates of discouragements for a familiar dessert (p=0.001), a familiar vegetable (p=0.01), and an unfamiliar vegetable (p = 0.001). There were no differences in encouragements or discouragements between mothers of an overweight, vs. obese child, for any of the 4 food types. Mothers of obese children may alter their feeding behavior differentially based on food type. Future work should examine how interventions promoting maternal encouragement or discouragement of different food types impact child weight status. PMID:26924561

  9. 48 CFR 2919.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Encouraging small business... OF LABOR SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS AND SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS CONCERNS Policies 2919.202-1 Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions. During the performance of a...

  10. 48 CFR 19.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Encouraging small business... ACQUISITION REGULATION SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Policies 19.202-1 Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions. Small business concerns shall be afforded an equitable opportunity...

  11. 48 CFR 19.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Encouraging small business... ACQUISITION REGULATION SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Policies 19.202-1 Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions. Small business concerns shall be afforded an equitable opportunity...

  12. 48 CFR 2919.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 7 2013-10-01 2012-10-01 true Encouraging small business... OF LABOR SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS AND SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS CONCERNS Policies 2919.202-1 Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions. During the performance of a...

  13. 48 CFR 2919.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 7 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Encouraging small business... OF LABOR SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS AND SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS CONCERNS Policies 2919.202-1 Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions. During the performance of a...

  14. 48 CFR 2919.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 7 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Encouraging small business... OF LABOR SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS AND SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS CONCERNS Policies 2919.202-1 Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions. During the performance of a...

  15. 48 CFR 2919.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 7 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Encouraging small business... OF LABOR SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS AND SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS CONCERNS Policies 2919.202-1 Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions. During the performance of a...

  16. 48 CFR 19.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Encouraging small business... ACQUISITION REGULATION SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Policies 19.202-1 Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions. Small business concerns shall be afforded an equitable opportunity...

  17. 48 CFR 19.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Encouraging small business... ACQUISITION REGULATION SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Policies 19.202-1 Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions. Small business concerns shall be afforded an equitable opportunity...

  18. 48 CFR 19.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Encouraging small business... ACQUISITION REGULATION SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Policies 19.202-1 Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions. Small business concerns shall be afforded an equitable opportunity...

  19. An application of belief-importance theory in the domain of academic achievement.

    PubMed

    Petrides, K V; Frederickson, Norah

    2011-03-01

    BACKGROUND. Belief-importance (belimp; Petrides, 2010a,b) theory posits that personality traits confer on the individual a propensity to perceive convergences and divergences between their belief that they can attain goals and the importance that they place on these goals. The theory suggests that these convergences and divergences have important implications for affect, motivation, and action. AIMS. To test belimp theory using performance-based criteria relating to academic achievement and constructs from the personality domain. SAMPLES. Two hundred and forty-two students, of whom 121 were male and 117 were female (4 unreported). They were approximately 18 years old at the time of testing. METHODS. Data were collected on the belief and importance of academic achievement, the Giant Three personality dimensions, and trait emotional intelligence (trait EI). Academic achievement was operationalized via Key Stage 3 and A-level assessment results. RESULTS. Four hypotheses concerning academic achievement were tested and confirmed, with the Motivation quadrant scoring higher than the other three belimp quadrants (Hubris, Depression, and Apathy). Four hypotheses concerning personality were tested, of which two were confirmed, with the Hubris quadrant scoring highest on psychoticism and the Depression quadrant scoring highest on neuroticism. Four hierarchical regressions demonstrated the incremental validity of the belief and importance belimp coordinates over the Giant Three personality dimensions in the prediction of academic achievement. CONCLUSIONS. The results are encouraging for belimp theory and complement similarly supportive findings in Petrides (2010b,c). ©2010 The British Psychological Society.

  20. 48 CFR 219.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Encouraging small business... ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Policies 219.202-1 Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions. See PGI 205.207(d)(ii) for...

  1. 48 CFR 219.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Encouraging small business... ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Policies 219.202-1 Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions. See PGI 205.207(d)(iii) for...

  2. 48 CFR 219.202-1 - Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Encouraging small business... ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Policies 219.202-1 Encouraging small business participation in acquisitions. See PGI 205.207(d)(ii) for...

  3. Assessment Results and Student Achievement; a Correlation Study Regarding Ability Grouping

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Slonaker, Richard V.

    2013-01-01

    School leaders face increased pressure to identify instructional and administrative practices that increase student achievement. However, achievement gaps persist between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged student groups. This study highlighted relationships between ability grouping and academic achievement in a suburban school district.…

  4. Examining Cultural Capital and Student Achievement: Results of a Meta-Analytic Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tan, Cheng Yong

    2017-01-01

    This meta-analysis summarized the relationships between cultural capital and student achievement (155 effect sizes involving 685,393 K-12 students) published in education journals between 1981 and 2015. Results showed a small-to-medium overall mean effect size, and larger individual effect sizes for parental education and parental expectations…

  5. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - KSC External Relations and Business Development Director JoAnn Morgan speaks to attendees of The Florida Commission on the Status of Women held June 7 at the Debus Conference Facility. Morgan is a member of the group’s Hall of Fame. The commission, through coordinating, researching, communicating, and encouraging legislation, is dedicated to empowering women from all walks of life in achieving their fullest potential, to eliminating barriers to that achievement, and to recognizing women’s accomplishments.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2003-06-07

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - KSC External Relations and Business Development Director JoAnn Morgan speaks to attendees of The Florida Commission on the Status of Women held June 7 at the Debus Conference Facility. Morgan is a member of the group’s Hall of Fame. The commission, through coordinating, researching, communicating, and encouraging legislation, is dedicated to empowering women from all walks of life in achieving their fullest potential, to eliminating barriers to that achievement, and to recognizing women’s accomplishments.

  6. Encouraging healthy beverage intake in child care and school settings.

    PubMed

    Patel, Anisha I; Cabana, Michael D

    2010-12-01

    Inappropriate intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juice, and whole milk is associated with obesity and obesity-related comorbidities. As numerous children spend many hours in schools and child care, these settings provide a potential means for general pediatricians to reach children and their parents with interventions to encourage intake of guideline-recommended beverages. This review describes the beverages currently offered within child care facilities and schools and summarizes school and child care-based interventions and policies to encourage healthy beverage intake. The major sources of beverages available in schools and child care include beverages provided through federal programs, competitive beverages (e.g., beverages for purchase through vending machines), water from drinking fountains, and beverages brought into facilities. Policies governing the types of beverages available in schools and child care settings have increased, but still vary in scope and jurisdiction. Although there are no child care-based interventions that exclusively target beverage intake, there are examples of school-based interventions to encourage healthy beverage consumption. Although interventions and policies to encourage healthy beverage intake in schools and child care are increasing, there is a need for additional research, programs, and policies to guide beverage availability and intake in these settings.

  7. Incentives to Encourage Scientific Web Contribution (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Antunes, A. K.

    2010-12-01

    We suggest improvements to citation standards and creation of remuneration opportunities to encourage career scientist contributions to Web2.0 and social media science channels. At present, agencies want to accomplish better outreach and engagement with no funding, while scientists sacrifice their personal time to contribute to web and social media sites. Securing active participation by scientists requires career recognition of the value scientists provide to web knowledge bases and to the general public. One primary mechanism to encourage participation is citation standards, which let a contributor improve their reputation in a quantifiable way. But such standards must be recognized by their scientific and workplace communities. Using case studies such as the acceptance of web in the workplace and the growth of open access journals, we examine what agencies and individual can do as well as the time scales needed to secure increased active contribution by scientists. We also discuss ways to jumpstart this process.

  8. When teens don't wait: encouraging contraception.

    PubMed

    1990-01-01

    Sexually active teenagers must be diligently encouraged to use contraceptives to reduce early unintended pregnancy. Public awareness of this problem has grown and the debate about how to stop has also grown. Delaying the initiation of sexual activity is seen as the only acceptable method by some, but abstinence will not help reduce early unintended pregnancy in already sexually active teenagers. Strategies must be developed to reach these teenagers with contraception, parenting, adoption, or abortion for when contraception fails. Wide spread sexual activity is the reality of the current era. Parents and teenagers must be provided a variety of strategies that reflect the diverse value system of the current era. Efforts to encourage contraception among adolescents that are successful presuppose that strong, effective family planning services are widely available. In order to create a positive climate for adolescents to fully adopt and use a regimen of contraceptive care automatically implies that such services are acceptable and accessible to the teenagers.

  9. Higher Education Counts: Achieving Results. 2007 Executive Summary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Connecticut Department of Higher Education (NJ1), 2007

    2007-01-01

    "Higher Education Counts" is the annual accountability report on Connecticut's system of higher education. Since 2000, the report has been the primary vehicle for reporting higher education's progress toward achieving six, statutorily-defined state goals: (1) To enhance student learning and promote academic excellence; (2) To join with…

  10. Higher Education Counts: Achieving Results, 2008. Executive Summary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Connecticut Department of Higher Education (NJ1), 2008

    2008-01-01

    "Higher Education Counts" is the annual accountability report on Connecticut's system of higher education. Since 2000, the report has been the primary vehicle for reporting higher education's progress toward achieving six, statutorily-defined state goals: (1) To enhance student learning and promote academic excellence; (2) To join with…

  11. Higher Education Counts: Achieving Results. 2009 Executive Summary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Connecticut Department of Higher Education (NJ1), 2009

    2009-01-01

    "Higher Education Counts" is the annual accountability report on Connecticut's system of higher education. Since 2000, the report has been the primary vehicle for reporting higher education's progress toward achieving six, statutorily-defined state goals: (1) To enhance student learning and promote academic excellence; (2) To join with…

  12. Encouraging Health Information Management Graduates to Pursue Cancer Registry Careers.

    PubMed

    Peterson, Jennifer

    2016-01-01

    The cancer registry profession has grown dramatically since its inception in 1926. Certified tumor registrars (CTRs) have become an integral part of the cancer care team by providing quality cancer data for research, statistical purposes, public health, and cancer control. In addition, CTRs have been found to be valuable in other cancer and health-related fields. Based on the need for high-quality, accurate data, the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), the certification body for CTRs, has increased the educational requirement for eligibility for the CTR certification exam. This has resulted in fewer individuals who are able to meet the requirements for CTR certification. In addition, the existing cancer registry workforce is, on average, older than other allied health professions, and therefore will face an increasing number of retirements in the next few years. The high demand for CTRs, the decreased pool of CTR-eligible applicants, and the aging cancer registry workforce has resulted in an existing shortage that will only get worse as the population ages and the incidence of cancer increases. Health information management (HIM) students are well suited to pursuing further training in the cancer registry field and gaining the CTR credential. HIM students or new graduates have the needed skill set and education to pursue a cancer registry career. There are many avenues HIM educational programs can take to encourage students to pursue CTR certification and a cancer registry career. Including cancer registry functions in courses throughout the HIM curriculum, bringing in cancer registry speakers, encouraging networking, and promoting the cancer registry field and profession in general are just a few of the methods that HIM programs can use to raise awareness of and promote a cancer registry career to their students. Illinois State University has used these methods and has found them to be successful in encouraging a percentage of their graduates to pursue

  13. Encouraging Asset Development for Low-Income Workers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Resources for Welfare Decisions, 2002

    2002-01-01

    Asset development is an emerging approach to promoting self-sufficiency for low-income workers. By promoting and rewarding savings, asset development strategies encourage individuals to set long-term economic goals. Asset development strategies can accomplish the following objectives: (1) give low-income workers the knowledge required to navigate…

  14. Encouraging Balanced Scientific Research through Formal Debate

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yurgelun, Nancy

    2007-01-01

    The new Connecticut science standards include a "Science, Technology, and Society" (STS) standard for each grade level. This standard encourages students to explore how scientific knowledge affects the quality of their lives. By relating science concepts to real-world decision making, STS investigations give students a framework through…

  15. Encouraging Self-Regulated Learning through Electronic Portfolios

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abrami, Philip C.; Wade, C. Anne; Pillay, Vanitha; Aslan, Ofra; Bures, Eva M.; Bentley, Caitlin

    2008-01-01

    At the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, we have developed the Electronic Portfolio Encouraging Active Reflective Learning Software (ePEARL) to promote student self-regulation and enhance student core competencies. This paper summarizes the literature on electronic portfolios…

  16. Full-Day Kindergarten Results in Significant Achievement Gains

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Raskin, Candace F.; Haar, Jean M.

    2009-01-01

    In 2004, after an in-depth review of student achievement data for over 4,000 students, the administration of a school district in southern Minnesota identified the following challenges: (1) above-state-average number of special education students; (2) increasing number of English as Second Language (ESL) students; (3) increasing number of students…

  17. An Activity to Encourage Writing in Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Dyke, Frances; Malloy, Elizabeth J.; Stallings, Virginia

    2014-01-01

    This article discusses an activity designed to encourage writing to learn in mathematics. There were three stages of data collection. An assessment, requiring basic algebra only, was completed by 118 undergraduates from statistics and calculus courses. Students were given summaries of all participant responses, along with the correct answers.…

  18. An Approach to Transmetatarsal Amputation to Encourage Immediate Weightbearing in Diabetic Patients.

    PubMed

    Canales, Michael B; Heurich, Maureen E; Mandela, Ashley M; Razzante, Mark C

    Transmetatarsal amputation remains the standard treatment for the unsalvageable diabetic forefoot; however, this operation is often complicated by wound dehiscence, ulceration, and the need for additional surgery and tendon balancing. The technique described in the present report provides an uncomplicated suturing method for closure of a standard transmetatarsal amputation. A drill hole is created through the first, second, and fourth metatarsals, which facilitates added stability to the plantar flap of the residual metatarsals. The patients are encouraged to begin protected weightbearing as early as the first postoperative day. The security of the flap promotes immediate weightbearing, which could result in fewer postoperative complications of transmetatarsal amputations. Early weightbearing will not only encourage tendon rebalancing, but also could improve angiogenesis through capillary ingrowth. Copyright © 2017 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Results achieved by emergency physicians in teaching basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation to secondary school students.

    PubMed

    Jiménez-Fábrega, Xavier; Escalada-Roig, Xavier; Sánchez, Miquel; Culla, Alexandre; Díaz, Núria; Gómez, Xavier; Villena, Olga; Rodríguez, Esther; Gaspar, Alberto; Molina, José Emilio; Salvador, Jordi; Miró, Oscar

    2009-06-01

    We investigated the results obtained with a basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (b-CPR) program (PROCES) specifically designed for secondary school students (14-16 years old) and taught by emergency physicians. We used a multiple-choice test with 20 questions (10 on theory and 10 on skills) answered before and immediately after and 1 year after receiving the b-CPR course. Satisfactory learning was considered when at least 8 out of 10 skill questions were correctly answered. We investigated student variables associated with better immediate and deferred (1 year after) PROCES performance. We compared the results with those obtained using a more standardized program to teach b-CPR to police cadets. We enrolled 600 high school students. PROCES achieved significant improvement in overall, theory and skill marks immediately after the course (P<0.001), with a significant decay in all of them 1 year after the course (P<0.001). Satisfactory learning was achieved by 57% of school students immediately after PROCES and by 37% when assessed 1 year later. Students without pending study subjects (P=0.001) and those from private schools (P<0.01) achieved significantly better performance immediately after PROCES and only female students achieved greater performance 1 year after the course (P<0.05). With respect to police cadets instructed through a standardized course, immediate satisfactory learning of school students was lower (79 vs. 57%, respectively; P<0.001), whereas deferred satisfactory learning was higher (23 vs. 37%, respectively; P<0.05). Emergency physicians can satisfactorily instruct secondary school students in b-CPR using PROCES, and this specific program achieves a reasonable amount of satisfactory learning.

  20. Exemplar pediatric collaborative improvement networks: achieving results.

    PubMed

    Billett, Amy L; Colletti, Richard B; Mandel, Keith E; Miller, Marlene; Muething, Stephen E; Sharek, Paul J; Lannon, Carole M

    2013-06-01

    A number of pediatric collaborative improvement networks have demonstrated improved care and outcomes for children. Regionally, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Physician Hospital Organization has sustained key asthma processes, substantially increased the percentage of their asthma population receiving "perfect care," and implemented an innovative pay-for-performance program with a large commercial payor based on asthma performance measures. The California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative uses its outcomes database to improve care for infants in California NICUs. It has achieved reductions in central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI), increased breast-milk feeding rates at hospital discharge, and is now working to improve delivery room management. Solutions for Patient Safety (SPS) has achieved significant improvements in adverse drug events and surgical site infections across all 8 Ohio children's hospitals, with 7700 fewer children harmed and >$11.8 million in avoided costs. SPS is now expanding nationally, aiming to eliminate all events of serious harm at children's hospitals. National collaborative networks include ImproveCareNow, which aims to improve care and outcomes for children with inflammatory bowel disease. Reliable adherence to Model Care Guidelines has produced improved remission rates without using new medications and a significant increase in the proportion of Crohn disease patients not taking prednisone. Data-driven collaboratives of the Children's Hospital Association Quality Transformation Network initially focused on CLABSI in PICUs. By September 2011, they had prevented an estimated 2964 CLABSI, saving 355 lives and $103,722,423. Subsequent improvement efforts include CLABSI reductions in additional settings and populations.

  1. An assessment of schoolyard renovation strategies to encourage children's physical activity

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Children in poor and minority neighborhoods often lack adequate environmental support for healthy physical development and community interventions designed to improve physical activity resources serve as an important approach to addressing obesity. In Denver, the Learning Landscapes (LL) program has constructed over 98 culturally-tailored schoolyard play spaces at elementary schools with the goal to encourage utilization of play spaces and physical activity. In spite of enthusiasm about such projects to improve urban environments, little work has evaluated their impact or success in achieving their stated objectives. This study evaluates the impacts of LL construction and recency of renovation on schoolyard utilization and the physical activity rates of children, both during and outside of school, using an observational study design. Methods This study employs a quantitative method for evaluating levels of physical activity of individuals and associated environmental characteristics in play and leisure environments. Schools were selected on the basis of their participation in the LL program, the recency of schoolyard renovation, the size of the school, and the social and demographic characteristics of the school population. Activity in the schoolyards was measured using the System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity (SOPLAY), a validated quantitative method for evaluating levels of physical activity of individuals in play and leisure environments. Trained observers collected measurements before school, during school recess, after school, and on weekends. Overall utilization (the total number of children observed on the grounds) and the rate of activity (the percentage of children observed who were physically active) were analyzed. Observations were compared using t-tests and the data were stratified by gender for further analysis. In order to assess the impacts of LL renovation, recently-constructed LL schoolyards were compared to LL schoolyards with

  2. The Investigation of Research-Based Home Parental Involvement Practices, Parental Style, and Student Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Colson, Myron Jamal

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship of home parental involvement practices, parental style and student achievement. Dimensions of parental involvement practices are parental instruction, parental reinforcement, parental modeling, and parental encouragement. Dimensions of parental style are authoritarian, permissive, and…

  3. Using Emoticons to Encourage Students to Recycle

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meng, Matthew D.; Trudel, Remi

    2017-01-01

    Uncovering inexpensive, simple techniques to encourage students to act in a pro-environmental manner is of critical importance. Through a four-week field study at a large, environmentally focused elementary school, it was found that placing negatively valenced emoticons (i.e., red frowny faces) on trash cans increased the proportion of recycled…

  4. Actively Encouraging Learning and Degree Persistence in Advanced Astrophysics Courses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McIntosh, Daniel H.

    2018-01-01

    The need to grow and diversify the STEM workforce remains a critical national challenge. Less than 40% of college students interested in STEM achieve a bachelor's degree. These numbers are even more dire for women and URMs, underscoring a serious concern about the country's ability to remain competitive in science and tech. A major factor is persistent performance gaps in rigorous 'gateway' and advanced STEM courses for majors from diverse backgrounds leading to discouragement, a sense of exclusion, and high dropout rates. Education research has clearly demonstrated that interactive-engagement (`active learning') strategies increase performance, boost confidence, and help build positive 'identity' in STEM. Likewise, the evidence shows that traditional science education practices do not help most students gain a genuine understanding of concepts nor the necessary skill set to succeed in their disciplines. Yet, lecture-heavy courses continue to dominate the higher-ed curriculum, thus, reinforcing the tired notion that only a small percentage of 'special' students have the inherent ability to achieve a STEM degree. In short, very capable students with less experience and confidence in science, who belong to groups that traditionally are less identified with STEM careers, are effectively and efficiently 'weeded out' by traditional education practices. I will share specific examples for how I successfully incorporate active learning in advanced astrophysics courses to encourage students from all backgrounds to synthesize complex ideas, build bedrock conceptual frameworks, gain technical communication skills, and achieve mastery learning outcomes all necessary to successfully complete rigorous degrees like astrophysics. By creating an inclusive and active learning experience in junior-level extragalactic and stellar interiors/atmospheres courses, I am helping students gain fluency in their chosen major and the ability to 'think like a scientist', both critical to

  5. Parents' Attitudes Towards Science and their Children's Science Achievement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perera, Liyanage Devangi H.

    2014-12-01

    Although countries worldwide are emphasizing the importance of science education for technological development and global economic competition, comparative findings from standardized international student assessments reveal a huge gap in science scores between developed and developing countries. Certain developed economies too have made little progress in raising science achievement over the past decade. Despite school improvement being placed high on the policy agenda, the results of such actions have been poor. Therefore, there is a need to explore additional ways in which science achievement can be enhanced. This study focuses on the family and examines whether parents' attitudes towards science (how much they value science and the importance they place on it) can influence their children's science achievement. Individual- and school-level data are obtained from the Program for International Student Assessment 2006 survey for 15 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and non-OECD countries. Hierarchical linear modelling is employed to estimate the equations. The findings indicate that parents' attitudes towards science have a positive and statistically significant effect on science achievement, after controlling for other important student- and school-level variables. Moreover, students from poor backgrounds appear to benefit from more positive parental science attitudes as much as students from high socioeconomic status, such that equality of student achievement is not affected. This study recommends that schools and teachers encourage parents to play a more pro-active role in their children's science education, as well as educate parents about the importance of science and strategies that can be adopted to support their children's science learning.

  6. 76 FR 32880 - Encouraging New Markets Tax Credit Non-Real Estate Investments

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-07

    ... Encouraging New Markets Tax Credit Non-Real Estate Investments AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS... markets tax credit. Specifically, this document invites comments from the public on how the new markets tax credit program may be amended to encourage non-real estate investments. The regulations will...

  7. 78 FR 13604 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Encouragement of Science, Technology...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-28

    ..., either formal or informal, that encourage the pursuit of education and experience in the science..., programs or initiatives, either formal or informal, which encourage the pursuit of education and experience... Title I schools in order to enhance STEM education and programs; Making personnel available to advise...

  8. An empirical examination of the effects of family commitment in education on student achievement in seventh grade science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Jianjun; Wildman, Louis

    A national data base from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY) was employed to examine the effects of family commitment in education on student achievement in seventh grade science. The backward elimination procedure in the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) was adopted in this study to select significant variables of family commitment at = .05. The results show that around 22% of the variance in student science achievement can be explained by the selected significant LSAY variables. An analysis of the impact of family commitment seems to indicate that parental education and encouragement are important factors in the improvement of student achievement. However, educators, including school personnel and parents, should exercise caution regarding how they help students with their homework and how they reward students for good grades.Received: 14 June 1994; Revised: 31 October 1994;

  9. Next Generation Scientists, Next Opportunities: EPA's Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, M.

    2004-12-01

    Scientific research is one of the most powerful tools we have for understanding and protecting our environment. It provides the foundation for what we know about our planet, how it has changed, and how it could be altered in the future. The National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD) supports high-quality, extramural research by the nation's leading scientists and engineers to strengthen the basis for decisions about local and national environmental issues. NCER works with academia, state and local governments, other federal agencies, and scientists in EPA to increase human knowledge of how to protect our health and natural resources through its three major programs: · Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Grants · Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) · Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowships STAR, NCER's primary program, funds research grants and graduate fellowships in environmental science and engineering. Developing the next generation of environmental scientists and engineers is one of NCER's most important objectives. Each year, NCER helps between 80 and 160 students achieve Master's or Ph.D. degrees in environmental science and engineering through its STAR and Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) fellowships. Some of these students have moved on to careers in government while others are now full-time professors and researchers. Still others are working for state environmental agencies or furthering their studies through postdoctoral positions at universities. Since the inception of the NCER program, STAR fellowships (along with grants and SBIR projects) have been awarded in every state in the country. With the help of STAR, current and future scientists and engineers have been able to explore ways to preserve and protect human health and our precious resources.

  10. Achieving a Global Mind-Set at Home: Student Engagement with Immigrant Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dallinger, Carolyn

    2017-01-01

    Developing a global mind-set in college students is a goal of many colleges and universities. Most often this goal is met by encouraging students to study abroad. This article explains how a service learning student engagement program at home achieves this goal by pairing Introduction to Sociology students with young immigrant children in a weekly…

  11. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - KSC External Relations and Business Development Director JoAnn Morgan (sixth from right) joins other attendees of The Florida Commission on the Status of Women held June 7 at the Debus Conference Facility. Morgan is a member of the group’s Hall of Fame. The commission, through coordinating, researching, communicating, and encouraging legislation, is dedicated to empowering women from all walks of life in achieving their fullest potential, to eliminating barriers to that achievement, and to recognizing women’s accomplishments.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2003-06-07

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - KSC External Relations and Business Development Director JoAnn Morgan (sixth from right) joins other attendees of The Florida Commission on the Status of Women held June 7 at the Debus Conference Facility. Morgan is a member of the group’s Hall of Fame. The commission, through coordinating, researching, communicating, and encouraging legislation, is dedicated to empowering women from all walks of life in achieving their fullest potential, to eliminating barriers to that achievement, and to recognizing women’s accomplishments.

  12. Attentional bias modification encourages healthy eating.

    PubMed

    Kakoschke, Naomi; Kemps, Eva; Tiggemann, Marika

    2014-01-01

    The continual exposure to unhealthy food cues in the environment encourages poor dietary habits, in particular consuming too much fat and sugar, and not enough fruit and vegetables. According to Berridge's (2009) model of food reward, unhealthy eating is a behavioural response to biased attentional processing. The present study used an established attentional bias modification paradigm to discourage the consumption of unhealthy food and instead promote healthy eating. Participants were 146 undergraduate women who were randomly assigned to two groups: one was trained to direct their attention toward pictures of healthy food ('attend healthy' group) and the other toward unhealthy food ('attend unhealthy' group). It was found that participants trained to attend to healthy food cues demonstrated an increased attentional bias for such cues and ate relatively more of the healthy than unhealthy snacks compared to the 'attend unhealthy' group. Theoretically, the results support the postulated link between biased attentional processing and consumption (Berridge, 2009). At a practical level, they offer potential scope for interventions that focus on eating well. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Feeling Is Believing: Inspiration Encourages Belief in God.

    PubMed

    Critcher, Clayton R; Lee, Chan Jean

    2018-05-01

    Even without direct evidence of God's existence, about half of the world's population believes in God. Although previous research has found that people arrive at such beliefs intuitively instead of analytically, relatively little research has aimed to understand what experiences encourage or legitimate theistic belief systems. Using cross-cultural correlational and experimental methods, we investigated whether the experience of inspiration encourages a belief in God. Participants who dispositionally experience more inspiration, were randomly assigned to relive or have an inspirational experience, or reported such experiences to be more inspirational all showed stronger belief in God. These effects were specific to inspiration (instead of adjacent affective experiences) and a belief in God (instead of other empirically unverifiable claims). Being inspired by someone or something (but not inspired to do something) offers a spiritually transcendent experience that elevates belief in God, in part because it makes people feel connected to something beyond themselves.

  14. Testing for Results: Helping Families, Schools and Communities Understand and Improve Student Achievement.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Department of Education, Washington, DC. Office of the Under Secretary.

    Redefining the federal government's role in kindergarten through grade 12 education, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is designed to close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority students and their peers. The act is based on four principles, the first of which is stronger accountability for results, entailing creation of…

  15. Colleges Use Peer Pressure To Encourage Healthy Behavior.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reisberg, Leo

    2000-01-01

    Examines "social norms" marketing, an effort by several colleges and universities to encourage healthy student behaviors by countering perceptions of unhealthy "cool" behaviors and stressing the positive behaviors of "most" students. Examples of posters and other marketing strategies are from Virginia Commonwealth University, Gustavus Adolphus…

  16. [Development of the Coparental Regulation Inventory and cross-sectional analysis of mothers' encouragement and criticism].

    PubMed

    Kato, Michiyo; Kurosawa, Tai; Kamiya, Tetsuji

    2014-02-01

    We developed the Coparental Regulation Inventory to assess the regulatory behavior of the mothers in involving fathers with child rearing. We translated and modified the short form of the Parental Regulation Inventory (PRI) for Japanese couples in different stages of child rearing. An online questionnaire was conducted with mothers (n = 500) and fathers (n = 500) whose youngest child was less than 21-years-old. Exploratory factor analysis identified two factors, which were labeled "encouragement" and "criticism". The resulting Coparental Regulation Inventory (the modified PRI) had high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The construct validity of the scale was supported by its correlation with parenting alliance, marital satisfaction, and the father's involvement. These findings suggest that the scale is an adequate instrument for identifying the behaviors of mothers related to coparenting. In addition, we examined the frequency of encouragement and criticism used by the mother in relation to the child-rearing stage using cross-sectional analysis. In the mothers' reports, mothers with infants and children encouraged fathers more than mothers with early and late adolescents. Mothers with late adolescents criticized fathers less than mothers with infants. In the fathers' reports, mothers gave more encouragement to fathers who had infants than at any other age, whereas the child's age was not related to mothers' criticism perceived by the fathers.

  17. Master of Science Teaching: Encouraging Teachers and their Students in Research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reiff, P. H.

    2010-12-01

    The Master of Science Teaching program is designed to encourage more content knowledge among teachers. Thirty credit hours are required, chosen from 12 hours of Earth science courses, 12 hours of space science courses, a chemistry course, a math course, and research or education credits. A thesis is not required but each teacher must have a special project (either research or curriculum). A number of students chose as their project using ground penetrating radar to look for buried graves in an African-American cemetery. Others became Heliospheric Ambassadors, Messenger Ambassadors, or PolarTrec teachers. Nineteen teachers have graduated as of 2010 with six presently in the program. A survey of the participants has fifteen responses so far, with a good mixture of responses from early in the program to present students. Many (69%) were grade 6-8 teachers when they entered the program. After earning their MST, many had increased their teaching level: (93% reported that it helped their career path, 39% have upgraded to administration or science supervision, and 53% reported receiving a better or higher level job position as a result). Only one student no longer teaches (completing a PhD in Administration). Given that 20% of the respondents are still in the program, two thirds of the alumni (8 of 12) have earned better jobs. All respondents said that they learned from both the Earth and space science courses, and all respondents (except the person no longer in the classroom) say they use the earth and space science material in the classrooms, with 80% "frequently" and 13% "sometimes". They also report that they are more likely to encourage their students to become scientists (80%), more likely to encourage their students to support NASA (93%), and think that their students are getting better scores on the state standardized tests (60%). It is certainly not easy for teachers to perform publishable research (although some have), and it is even more difficult for students

  18. HIV viral suppression in Oman: Encouraging progress toward achieving the United Nations 'third 90'.

    PubMed

    Elgalib, Ali; Shah, Samir; Al-Habsi, Zeyana; Al-Fouri, Maha; Al-Sawafi, Halima; Al-Noumani, Jalila; Al-Baloushi, Adil; Al-Alawi, Saad; Al-Badi, Salma; Mohammed, Zainab; Al-Ghafri, Jokha; Suleimani, Asma; Al-Mashani, Huda; Raju, Jyothish; Al-Riyami, Saada; Al-Shukri, Muna; Wahab, Abdul; Hussain, Bilal; Al-Naabi, Khalifa; Narayan, Anantha; Oliveros, Noreen; Prasad, George; Hussein, Ahmed; Kashyp, Rajeev; Al-Shardi, Khalid; Nada, Ahmed; Akhwand, Shakil; Kamble, Bina; Al-Aamri, Kawthar; Al-Mukhaini, Suad; Al-Kindi, Hanan; Khamis, Faryal; Al-Maani, Amal; Al-Abaidani, Idris; Al-Abri, Seif

    2018-05-18

    To assess the impact of capacity-building interventions introduced by the Oman National AIDS Programme on the quality of HIV care in the country. HIV viral load (VL) suppression and loss to follow-up (LTFU) rates were calculated for the period before (in December 2015; n=1098) and after (in June 2017; n=1185) the introduction of the interventions: training, support, and care pathway development. Three HIV VL cuts-offs at last measurement in the year of interest were used to define VL suppression. In the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis, rates of VL <200 copies/ml and <1000 copies/ml increased from 51.9% in 2015 to 65.5% in 2017 (relative risk (RR) 1.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17-1.36) and from 58.1% in 2015 to 70.9% in 2017 (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.14-1.30), respectively; p<0.0001 for both. Similarly, in the on-treatment analysis, rates of VL <200 copies/ml and <1000copies/ml increased from 64.2% in 2015 to 76.9% in 2017 (RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.12-1.28) and from 71.9% in 2015 to 83.2% in 2017 (RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.10-1.22), respectively. Fewer patients were LTFU in 2017 than in 2015 (14.7% (157/1061) vs. 19.2% (188/981); RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.64-0.94). Achieving the UNAIDS target of 90% of HIV patients on treatment having VL suppression by 2020 is feasible in Oman. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  19. Do collaborative practical tests encourage student-centered active learning of gross anatomy?

    PubMed

    Green, Rodney A; Cates, Tanya; White, Lloyd; Farchione, Davide

    2016-05-06

    Benefits of collaborative testing have been identified in many disciplines. This study sought to determine whether collaborative practical tests encouraged active learning of anatomy. A gross anatomy course included a collaborative component in four practical tests. Two hundred and seven students initially completed the test as individuals and then worked as a team to complete the same test again immediately afterwards. The relationship between mean individual, team, and difference (between team and individual) test scores to overall performance on the final examination (representing overall learning in the course) was examined using regression analysis. The overall mark in the course increased by 9% with a decreased failure rate. There was a strong relationship between individual score and final examination mark (P < 0.001) but no relationship for team score (P = 0.095). A longitudinal analysis showed that the test difference scores increased after Test 1 which may be indicative of social loafing and this was confirmed by a significant negative relationship between difference score on Test 4 (indicating a weaker student) and final examination mark (P < 0.001). It appeared that for this cohort, there was little peer-to-peer learning occurring during the collaborative testing and that weaker students gained the benefit from team marks without significant active learning taking place. This negative outcome may be due to insufficient encouragement of the active learning strategies that were expected to occur during the collaborative testing process. An improved understanding of the efficacy of collaborative assessment could be achieved through the inclusion of questionnaire based data to allow a better interpretation of learning outcomes. Anat Sci Educ 9: 231-237. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

  20. The Effects of CSCOPE on Student Achievement as Measured by Both TAKS and STAAR Test Results

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Helm, Maricela Robledo

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of CSCOPE curriculum on student achievement. CSCOPE is a curriculum management system used in 750 of the 1,039 school districts in the state of Texas. Student achievement is based on the results acquired from the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and the new version of the state…

  1. Encouraging alternative transportation behavior among baby boomers via simulations.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2013-04-01

    Due to disruptions prompted by changing demographic patterns, aging infrastructure, and a : growing green culture New England states have been at the forefront of searching for options : to encourage sustainable transportation alternatives. How...

  2. Students as Satirists: Encouraging Critique and Comic Release.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reeves, Carol

    Satirical writing offers a means of encouraging students to criticize those forms of victimization and inequality that trouble them most without that overt, dogmatic indoctrination of a political agenda that many would consider an anathema to democratic teaching. The indirect, satirical jab provides students with an intellectually challenging and…

  3. Talking with Young Children: How Teachers Encourage Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Test, Joan E.; Cunningham, Denise D.; Lee, Amanda C.

    2010-01-01

    In general, talking with young children encourages development in many areas: (1) spoken language; (2) early literacy; (3) cognitive development; (4) social skills; and (5) emotional maturity. Speaking with children in increasingly complex and responsive ways does this even better. This article explores research findings about the effects of…

  4. Communication for the Purpose of Encouraging Gifted Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tatkovic, Nevenka; Ruzic, Maja; Dujmovic, Mauro

    2005-01-01

    This work starts with the theoretical definition of the conception of "talent"; then follows the explanation of the possibilities to identify and encourage talented pupils and students. Giftedness is regarded in terms of communication and interactive communication among the subjects of educational process. The attention is paid to the…

  5. 3D Game-Based Learning System for Improving Learning Achievement in Software Engineering Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Su,Chung-Ho; Cheng, Ching-Hsue

    2013-01-01

    The advancement of game-based learning has encouraged many related studies, such that students could better learn curriculum by 3-dimension virtual reality. To enhance software engineering learning, this paper develops a 3D game-based learning system to assist teaching and assess the students' motivation, satisfaction and learning achievement. A…

  6. Principal Behaviors that Encourage Teachers: Perceptions of Teachers at Three Career Stages

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richards, Jan

    2005-01-01

    The purpose of this follow up study to "Principal Behaviors That Encourage Teachers to Stay in the Profession: Perceptions of K-8 Teachers in Their 2nd to 5th Year of Teaching" (Richards, 2002) was to compare the perceptions of K-8 teachers at three career stages on the principal behaviors that encourage them most: (1) 1-5 years of…

  7. Tumor necrosis factor alpha converting enzyme: an encouraging target for various inflammatory disorders.

    PubMed

    Bahia, Malkeet S; Silakari, Om

    2010-05-01

    Tumor necrosis factor alpha is one of the most common pro-inflammatory cytokines responsible for various inflammatory disorders. It plays an important role in the origin and progression of rheumatoid arthritis and also in other autoimmune disease conditions. Some anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha antibodies like Enbrel, Humira and Remicade have been successfully used in these disease conditions as antagonists of tumor necrosis factor alpha. Inhibition of generation of active form of tumor necrosis factor alpha is a promising therapy for various inflammatory disorders. Therefore, the inhibition of an enzyme (tumor necrosis factor alpha converting enzyme), which is responsible for processing inactive form of tumor necrosis factor alpha into its active soluble form, is an encouraging target. Many tumor necrosis factor alpha converting enzyme inhibitors have been the candidates of clinical trials but none of them have reached in to the market because of their broad spectrum inhibitory activity for other matrix metalloproteases. Selectivity of tumor necrosis factor alpha converting enzyme inhibition over matrix metalloproteases is of utmost importance. If selectivity is achieved successfully, side-effects can be over-ruled and this approach may become a novel therapy for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory disorders. This cytokine not only plays a pivotal role in inflammatory conditions but also in some cancerous conditions. Thus, successful targeting of tumor necrosis factor alpha converting enzyme may result in multifunctional therapy.

  8. Transit agency strategies that encourage mixed uses around stations.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-08-01

    "Transit-oriented development (TOD) is a mixed-use residential or commercial area designed to maximize access to public transportation that often incorporates features to encourage transit ridership. Varied interests must be represented to implement ...

  9. Analysis of attitude and achievement using the 5E instructional model in an interactive television environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cherry, Gamaliel R.

    The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine attitude and achievement among fifth grade students participating in inquiry and lecture-based forms of instruction through interactive television. Participants (N = 260) were drawn from registered users of NASA's Digital Learning Network(TM). The first three levels of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy were used to measure levels of achievement while the Science Attitude Inventory II was used to measure science attitudes. Results indicated a significant interaction between inquiry and topic area, as well as achievement for remember, understand, and apply levels of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. Differences between mean scores were in favor of the treatment group on both topic and achievement levels. Findings echo research that encourages the use of inquiry-based instruction to improve achievement. This study also serves as a reference for supplemental content providers searching for an effective instructional strategy when delivering instruction through interactive television. Recommendations for future research include the examination of: development time between inquiry-based and lecture-based strategies, a longitudinal study of attitude and achievement from elementary through middle school, differences between interactive television sessions and asynchronous sessions, and types of inquiry-based instruction related to student achievement and retention through interactive television.

  10. Sharing Ideas: Tough Times Encourage Colleges to Collaborate

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fain, Paul; Blumenstyk, Goldie; Sander, Libby

    2009-01-01

    Tough times are encouraging colleges to share resources in a variety of areas, including campus security, research, and degree programs. Despite its veneer of cooperation, higher education is a competitive industry, where resource sharing is eyed warily. But the recession is chipping away at that reluctance, and institutions are pursuing…

  11. Playthings and Equipment that Encourage Child Initiated Play

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hudson, Susan D.

    2005-01-01

    This article deals with playthings and equipment that encourage child initiated play. Physical objects refer to concrete items within the play setting, such as balls, bats, craft supplies, playground equipment, musical instruments, and so forth. Social objects are other people, such as leaders, friends, teachers, and other participants. People are…

  12. Encouraging Reflexivity in Urban Geography Fieldwork: Study Abroad Experiences in Singapore and Malaysia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glass, Michael R.

    2014-01-01

    Fieldwork in urban geography courses can encourage reflexivity among students regarding the cities they encounter. This article outlines how student reflexivity was encouraged within a new international field research course in Singapore and Malaysia. Drawing on examples from students' field exercises written during an intensive and occasionally…

  13. Encouraging intrinsic motivation in the clinical setting: teachers' perspectives from the self-determination theory.

    PubMed

    Orsini, C; Evans, P; Binnie, V; Ledezma, P; Fuentes, F

    2016-05-01

    Self-determination theory postulates that the three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness have to be satisfied for students to achieve intrinsic motivation and internalisation of autonomous self-regulation towards academic activities. Consequently, the influence of the clinical teaching environment becomes crucial when satisfying these needs, particularly when promoting or diminishing students' intrinsic motivation. The aim of this study was to describe and understand how clinical teachers encourage intrinsic motivation in undergraduate dental students based on the three basic psychological needs described by the self-determination theory. A qualitative case study approach was adopted, and data were collected through semistructured interviews with nine experienced undergraduate clinical teachers of one dental school in Santiago, Chile. Interview transcripts were analysed by two independent reviewers using a general inductive approach. Several themes emerged outlining teaching strategies and behaviours. These themes included the control of external motivators; gradual transference of responsibility; identification and encouragement of personal interests; timely and constructive feedback; delivery of a vicarious learning experience; teamwork, team discussion, and presence of a safe environment, amongst others. Overall, teachers stressed the relevance of empowering, supporting and building a horizontal relationship with students. Our findings regarding dental education expand on the research outcomes from other health professions about how teachers may support students to internalise behaviours. An autonomy-supportive environment may lead students to value and engage in academic activities and eventually foster the use of an autonomy-supportive style to motivate their patients. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Let's Talk Math: Encouraging Children To Explore Ideas.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lilburn, Pat; Rawson, Pam

    This book presents mathematics activities to help children talk and write mathematically. Children are encouraged to talk about and share their ideas, to use everyday language to describe mathematical situations, and to restate problems in their own words. There are two sections in this book. Part 1 discusses the following issues and implications…

  15. Student Attitudes towards Portfolios To Encourage Journal Reading.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferris, Alan R.

    Student attitudes towards the use of portfolios to encourage journal reading are investigated in lower division psychology classes. Portfolios can be designed in various ways to meet different educational goals. It is also useful for undergraduates to read original research articles, but difficult to motivate them to do so. The intention of this…

  16. The Relations of Parental Affect and Encouragement to Children's Moral Emotions and Behaviour.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spinrad, Tracy L.; Losoya, Sandra H.; Eisenburg, Nancy; Fabes, Richard A.; Shepard, Stephanie A.; Cumberland, Amanda; Guthrie, Ivanna K.; Murphy, Bridget C.

    1999-01-01

    Explores the role of observed parental affect and encouragement in children's empathy-related responding and moral behavior, specifically cheating on a puzzle activity. Finds that (1) parents' affect and encouragement positively related to children's sympathy (not empathy) and (2) boys' cheating on the puzzle correlated to parents' affect and…

  17. 76 FR 39341 - Encouraging New Markets Tax Credit Non-Real Estate Investments; Correction

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-06

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service 26 CFR Part 1 [REG-114206-11] RIN 1545-BK21 Encouraging New Markets Tax Credit Non-Real Estate Investments; Correction AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... how the new markets tax credit program may be amended to encourage non-real estate investments. FOR...

  18. Developing Point-of-Decision Prompts to Encourage Airport Walking: The Walk to Fly Study

    PubMed Central

    Frederick, Ginny M.; Paul, Prabasaj; Watson, Kathleen Bachtel; Dorn, Joan M.; Fulton, Janet

    2017-01-01

    Background Point-of-decision prompts may be appropriate to promote walking, instead of using a mechanized mode of transport, such as a train, in airports. To our knowledge, no current studies describe the development of messages for prompts in this setting. Methods In-person interviews were conducted with 150 randomly selected airport travelers who rode the train to their departure gate. Travelers reported various reasons for riding the train to their gate. They were asked about messages that would encourage them to walk. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted for reasons for riding the train. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for messages to encourage walking to the departure gate. Results Travelers reported not knowing walking was an option (23.8%), seeing others riding the train (14.4%), and being afraid of getting lost (9.2%) as reasons for riding the train. Many indicated that directional signs and prompts promoting walking as exercise would encourage them to walk instead of riding the train. Conclusions Some reasons for riding the train in an airport may be modifiable by installing point-of-decision prompts. Providing directional signs to travelers may prompt them to walk to their gate instead of riding the train. Similar prompts may also be considered in other community settings. PMID:26445371

  19. Activating and Encouraging Supervisees' Creativity and Intuition through the Clinical Supervisory Relationship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tolbert, Yvette R.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore how creativity and intuition were activated and encouraged by counseling supervisors within the clinical supervisory relationship with supervisees. Past research in this area was limited in scope, and suggestions for future research included uncovering what worked to encourage creativity and intuition for…

  20. The Value of Full Correction: Achieving Excellent and Affordable Results.

    PubMed

    Kaplan, Julie Bass

    2016-01-01

    Patients often come to medical aesthetic offices with hopes to fully correct lost facial volume and achieve a natural appearance. Unfortunately, the cost per syringe of dermal filler can be a barrier to desired outcomes. Many aesthetic practitioners do the best they can with the amount of product the patient can afford, often falling short of the "wow" effect for the patient. This article describes what one office implemented to solve the conundrum of affordability while still allowing offices to cover its own financial realities. This tool can help patients achieve beautiful, natural, and affordable outcomes while helping offices advance in manufacturer's tiers, improve word-of-mouth advertising, and increase job satisfaction.

  1. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Florida Commission on the Status of Women held June 7 at the Debus Conference Facility, astronaut Pamela Melroy speaks to attendees. Melroy has served as pilot on two Shuttle flights (STS-92 in 2000 and STS-112 in 2002), and has logged more than 562 hours in space. The commission, through coordinating, researching, communicating, and encouraging legislation, is dedicated to empowering women from all walks of life in achieving their fullest potential, to eliminating barriers to that achievement, and to recognizing women’s accomplishments.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2003-06-07

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Florida Commission on the Status of Women held June 7 at the Debus Conference Facility, astronaut Pamela Melroy speaks to attendees. Melroy has served as pilot on two Shuttle flights (STS-92 in 2000 and STS-112 in 2002), and has logged more than 562 hours in space. The commission, through coordinating, researching, communicating, and encouraging legislation, is dedicated to empowering women from all walks of life in achieving their fullest potential, to eliminating barriers to that achievement, and to recognizing women’s accomplishments.

  2. Encouraging Contributions in Learning Networks Using Incentive Mechanisms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hummel, H. G. K.; Burgos, D.; Tattersall, C.; Brouns, F.; Kurvers, H.; Koper, R.

    2005-01-01

    We investigate incentive mechanisms to increase active participation in Learning Networks (LNs). The LN under study is LN4LD, an LN for the exchange of information about the IMS Learning Design specification. We examine how to encourage learners in LN4LD to contribute their knowledge, and whether incentive mechanisms can increase the level of…

  3. Why and How Textbooks Should Encourage Extensive Reading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Dale

    2009-01-01

    Extensive reading is believed to have considerable benefits for learners both in terms of learning gains and motivation and seems to be becoming ever more popular in the ELT world. So far, however, there seems to be almost no integration of extensive reading and textbooks. This article argues that textbooks should be encouraging extensive reading,…

  4. [Achievement of Nongzheng Quanshu in area of herbalogical textual research].

    PubMed

    Zhao, Hai-liang; Zhang, Rui-xian

    2015-12-01

    The achievement of Nongzheng Quanshu in area of herhalogical textual research was illustrated in this paper. Nongzheng Quanshu recorded the information of 159 kinds of cultivated plants and 473 kinds of wild plants. It also quoted many contents from lots of ancient agriculture hooks related in herbalogical literature. Many agriculture researchers were encouraged to have done much work in area of herhalogical textual research It also included the materia medica hook Jiuhuang Bencao and Yecaipu therein and promoted their delivery.

  5. Can paying for results help to achieve the Millennium Development Goals? Overview of the effectiveness of results-based financing.

    PubMed

    Oxman, Andrew D; Fretheim, Atle

    2009-05-01

    Results-based financing and pay-for-performance refer to the transfer of money or material goods conditional on taking a measurable action or achieving a predetermined performance target. Results-based financing is widely advocated for achieving health goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. We undertook an overview of systematic reviews of the effectiveness of RBF. We searched the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and MEDLINE (up to August 2007). We also searched for related articles in PubMed, checked the reference lists of retrieved articles, and contacted key informants. We included reviews with a methods section that addressed the effects of any results-based financing in the health sector targeted at patients, providers, organizations, or governments. We summarized the characteristics and findings of each review using a structured format. We found 12 systematic reviews that met our inclusion criteria. Based on the findings of these reviews, financial incentives targeting recipients of health care and individual healthcare professionals are effective in the short run for simple and distinct, well-defined behavioral goals. There is less evidence that financial incentives can sustain long-term changes. Conditional cash transfers to poor and disadvantaged groups in Latin America are effective at increasing the uptake of some preventive services. There is otherwise very limited evidence of the effects of results-based financing in low- or middle-income countries. Results-based financing can have undesirable effects, including motivating unintended behaviors, distortions (ignoring important tasks that are not rewarded with incentives), gaming (improving or cheating on reporting rather than improving performance), widening the resource gap between rich and poor, and dependency on financial incentives. There is limited evidence of the effectiveness of results-based financing and almost no evidence of the cost-effectiveness of results-based financing. Based on the

  6. Maternal Encouragement to Approach Novelty: A Curvilinear Relation to Change in Anxiety for Inhibited Toddlers.

    PubMed

    Kiel, Elizabeth J; Premo, Julie E; Buss, Kristin A

    2016-04-01

    Various parenting behaviors (e.g., protection, intrusiveness, sensitivity) have been shown to impact young children's anxiety development, particularly for temperamentally inhibited children. These behaviors have sometimes predicted both increases and decreases in anxiety in inhibited children, suggesting that linear relations may not adequately model their influence. In the current study, we proposed the dimension of encouragement to approach novelty to characterize parenting behavior ranging from very little encouragement (i.e., protective behavior) to very strong encouragement (i.e., intrusiveness), with gentle encouragement residing in the middle. In a sample of 110 toddlers (48 female, 62 male) and their mothers, the linear and curvilinear effects of this parenting dimension were investigated in relation to change in child separation anxiety and shyness from age 2 to age 3. Inhibited temperament was also investigated as a moderator. Encouragement to approach novelty displayed the hypothesized curvilinear relation to change in separation anxiety, but not shyness, at extreme levels of inhibited temperament. Toddlers increased in separation anxiety when mothers' encouragement resided at either extreme end of the continuum, with lower child anxiety occurring when mothers displayed behavior closer to the middle of the continuum. Implications for the study of parenting outcomes for inhibited toddlers are discussed.

  7. Maternal Encouragement to Approach Novelty: A Curvilinear Relation to Change in Anxiety for Inhibited Toddlers

    PubMed Central

    Kiel, Elizabeth J.; Premo, Julie E.; Buss, Kristin A.

    2015-01-01

    Various parenting behaviors (e.g., protection, intrusiveness, sensitivity) have been shown to impact young children’s anxiety development, particularly for temperamentally inhibited children. These behaviors have sometimes predicted both increases and decreases in anxiety in inhibited children, suggesting that linear relations may not adequately model their influence. In the current study, we proposed the dimension of encouragement to approach novelty to characterize parenting behavior ranging from very little encouragement (i.e., protective behavior) to very strong encouragement (i.e., intrusiveness), with gentle encouragement residing in the middle. In a sample of 110 toddlers (48 female, 62 male) and their mothers, the linear and curvilinear effects of this parenting dimension were investigated in relation to change in child separation anxiety and shyness from age 2 to age 3. Inhibited temperament was also investigated as a moderator. Encouragement to approach novelty displayed the hypothesized curvilinear relation to change in separation anxiety, but not shyness, at extreme levels of inhibited temperament. Toddlers increased in separation anxiety when mothers’ encouragement resided at either extreme end of the continuum, with lower child anxiety occurring when mothers displayed behavior closer to the middle of the continuum. Implications for the study of parenting outcomes for inhibited toddlers are discussed. PMID:26050798

  8. Teaching from the Heart: Reflections, Encouragement, and Inspiration.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Draper, Sharon M.

    This book offers inspiration and encouragement to any person who may have lost sight of the rewards of teaching from a teacher who was the 1997 Teacher of the Year. It features essays, conversations, and poems that can provide a boost when teachers need one. The chapters are: "First Days--My First Days of School, as a Student Teacher, as a…

  9. Four simple recommendations to encourage best practices in research software

    PubMed Central

    Jiménez, Rafael C.; Kuzak, Mateusz; Alhamdoosh, Monther; Barker, Michelle; Batut, Bérénice; Borg, Mikael; Capella-Gutierrez, Salvador; Chue Hong, Neil; Cook, Martin; Corpas, Manuel; Flannery, Madison; Garcia, Leyla; Gelpí, Josep Ll.; Gladman, Simon; Goble, Carole; González Ferreiro, Montserrat; Gonzalez-Beltran, Alejandra; Griffin, Philippa C.; Grüning, Björn; Hagberg, Jonas; Holub, Petr; Hooft, Rob; Ison, Jon; Katz, Daniel S.; Leskošek, Brane; López Gómez, Federico; Oliveira, Luis J.; Mellor, David; Mosbergen, Rowland; Mulder, Nicola; Perez-Riverol, Yasset; Pergl, Robert; Pichler, Horst; Pope, Bernard; Sanz, Ferran; Schneider, Maria V.; Stodden, Victoria; Suchecki, Radosław; Svobodová Vařeková, Radka; Talvik, Harry-Anton; Todorov, Ilian; Treloar, Andrew; Tyagi, Sonika; van Gompel, Maarten; Vaughan, Daniel; Via, Allegra; Wang, Xiaochuan; Watson-Haigh, Nathan S.; Crouch, Steve

    2017-01-01

    Scientific research relies on computer software, yet software is not always developed following practices that ensure its quality and sustainability. This manuscript does not aim to propose new software development best practices, but rather to provide simple recommendations that encourage the adoption of existing best practices. Software development best practices promote better quality software, and better quality software improves the reproducibility and reusability of research. These recommendations are designed around Open Source values, and provide practical suggestions that contribute to making research software and its source code more discoverable, reusable and transparent. This manuscript is aimed at developers, but also at organisations, projects, journals and funders that can increase the quality and sustainability of research software by encouraging the adoption of these recommendations. PMID:28751965

  10. Four simple recommendations to encourage best practices in research software.

    PubMed

    Jiménez, Rafael C; Kuzak, Mateusz; Alhamdoosh, Monther; Barker, Michelle; Batut, Bérénice; Borg, Mikael; Capella-Gutierrez, Salvador; Chue Hong, Neil; Cook, Martin; Corpas, Manuel; Flannery, Madison; Garcia, Leyla; Gelpí, Josep Ll; Gladman, Simon; Goble, Carole; González Ferreiro, Montserrat; Gonzalez-Beltran, Alejandra; Griffin, Philippa C; Grüning, Björn; Hagberg, Jonas; Holub, Petr; Hooft, Rob; Ison, Jon; Katz, Daniel S; Leskošek, Brane; López Gómez, Federico; Oliveira, Luis J; Mellor, David; Mosbergen, Rowland; Mulder, Nicola; Perez-Riverol, Yasset; Pergl, Robert; Pichler, Horst; Pope, Bernard; Sanz, Ferran; Schneider, Maria V; Stodden, Victoria; Suchecki, Radosław; Svobodová Vařeková, Radka; Talvik, Harry-Anton; Todorov, Ilian; Treloar, Andrew; Tyagi, Sonika; van Gompel, Maarten; Vaughan, Daniel; Via, Allegra; Wang, Xiaochuan; Watson-Haigh, Nathan S; Crouch, Steve

    2017-01-01

    Scientific research relies on computer software, yet software is not always developed following practices that ensure its quality and sustainability. This manuscript does not aim to propose new software development best practices, but rather to provide simple recommendations that encourage the adoption of existing best practices. Software development best practices promote better quality software, and better quality software improves the reproducibility and reusability of research. These recommendations are designed around Open Source values, and provide practical suggestions that contribute to making research software and its source code more discoverable, reusable and transparent. This manuscript is aimed at developers, but also at organisations, projects, journals and funders that can increase the quality and sustainability of research software by encouraging the adoption of these recommendations.

  11. The Impact of Multiple Strategies to Encourage Fruit and Vegetable Consumption during School Lunch

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thompson, Emily; Johnson, David C.; Leite-Bennett, Amy; Ding, Yingmei; Mehrotra, Komal

    2017-01-01

    Background: Hennepin County partnered with schools to implement lunchroom strategies to encourage fruit and vegetable consumption. An in-depth evaluation measured changes in consumption following implementation of encouragement strategies including slicing apples and attractive labels. Methods: A pre-post prospective evaluation measured changes in…

  12. Pulmonary function in pubertal synchronized swimmers: 1-year follow-up results and its relation to competitive achievement.

    PubMed

    Gabrilo, Goran; Peric, Mia; Stipic, Marija

    2011-03-01

    Pulmonary function (PF) is particularly important in synchronized swimming, considering the characteristics of this sport. However, the sanitizing agents (chlorine) used in pools can have a possible negative influence on the PF parameters. In this study, we observed 24 swimmers (all women, 14 to 16 years of age) and measured their PF and competitive achievement. PF was measured before and after a 1-year period and included standard spirometric variables. Competitive achievement was evidenced during the National Championship. The t-test showed significant increases in body height and weight of the participants and a resulting increase in most of the absolute respiratory flows and pulmonary capacities. Forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume (both in proportion to norm for body height, gender, and age) increased significantly within the study period. FVC significantly predicted the competitive achievement of young swimmers, most probably because artists have to achieve exceptional breath control when upside down underwater. In conclusion, we found no evidence for the eventual negative influence of chlorine and its compounds on the PF of swimmers, and results showed that regular synchronized swim training could improve the PF of young artists.

  13. Business Plan Competitions in Tertiary Institutions: Encouraging Entrepreneurship Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Russell, Roslyn; Atchison, Mary; Brooks, Robert

    2008-01-01

    The development of entrepreneurial skills and knowledge is a priority for governments that want to encourage an innovative and enterprising society. Furthermore, education institutions are becoming increasingly required by employers to produce graduates that have practical, real-world skills. Business plan competitions, although primarily aimed at…

  14. DVD Newsletters: New Ways to Encourage Communication with Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanchez, Claudia; Walsh, Bridget A.; Rose, Katherine Kensinger

    2011-01-01

    Early childhood educators are always looking for accessible, easy-to-use strategies to enhance communication with families. Technology innovations have the potential to enhance and create more meaningful school and home communication that involves families and encourages them to support their children's learning at home. Effective technological…

  15. Encouraging Reflection and Critical Friendship in Preservice Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bognar, Branko; Krumes, Irena

    2017-01-01

    Reflectivity is an important professional competence of contemporary teachers. In order to explore how to encourage students' reflection, we conducted a two-year action research project impelling them to become mutual critical friends. For critical friendship communication and other project activities, we utilised Moodle--an online learning…

  16. Encouraging Trade and Foreign Direct Investment in Ukraine

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-01-01

    Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available for this publication. ISBN 978-0-8330-4216-3 Cover Design by Stephen Bloodsworth The... designed to elicit bribes. As in most countries afflicted by corruption, Ukrainian government employees, in hopes of eliciting bribes, deliberately design ...policies, ostensibly designed to make it possible for foreigners to invest in Ukraine’s energy sector, effectively discourage most xii Encouraging

  17. Does achievement motivation mediate the semantic achievement priming effect?

    PubMed

    Engeser, Stefan; Baumann, Nicola

    2014-10-01

    The aim of our research was to understand the processes of the prime-to-behavior effects with semantic achievement primes. We extended existing models with a perspective from achievement motivation theory and additionally used achievement primes embedded in the running text of excerpts of school textbooks to simulate a more natural priming condition. Specifically, we proposed that achievement primes affect implicit achievement motivation and conducted pilot experiments and 3 main experiments to explore this proposition. We found no reliable positive effect of achievement primes on implicit achievement motivation. In light of these findings, we tested whether explicit (instead of implicit) achievement motivation is affected by achievement primes and found this to be the case. In the final experiment, we found support for the assumption that higher explicit achievement motivation implies that achievement priming affects the outcome expectations. The implications of the results are discussed, and we conclude that primes affect achievement behavior by heightening explicit achievement motivation and outcome expectancies.

  18. Targeting latent function: Encouraging effective encoding for successful memory training and transfer

    PubMed Central

    Lustig, Cindy; Flegal, Kristin E.

    2009-01-01

    Cognitive training programs for older adults often result in improvements at the group level. However, there are typically large age and individual differences in the size of training benefits. These differences may be related to the degree to which participants implement the processes targeted by the training program. To test this possibility, we tested older adults in a memory-training procedure either under specific strategy instructions designed to encourage semantic, integrative encoding, or in a condition that encouraged time and attention to encoding but allowed participants to choose their own strategy. Both conditions improved the performance of old-old adults relative to an earlier study (Bissig & Lustig, 2007) and reduced self-reports of everyday memory errors. Performance in the strategy-instruction group was related to pre-existing ability, performance in the strategy-choice group was not. The strategy-choice group performed better on a laboratory transfer test of recognition memory, and training performance was correlated with reduced everyday memory errors. Training programs that target latent but inefficiently-used abilities while allowing flexibility in bringing those abilities to bear may best promote effective training and transfer. PMID:19140647

  19. Targeting latent function: encouraging effective encoding for successful memory training and transfer.

    PubMed

    Lustig, Cindy; Flegal, Kristin E

    2008-12-01

    Cognitive training programs for older adults often result in improvements at the group level. However, there are typically large age and individual differences in the size of training benefits. These differences may be related to the degree to which participants implement the processes targeted by the training program. To test this possibility, we tested older adults in a memory-training procedure either under specific strategy instructions designed to encourage semantic, integrative encoding, or in a condition that encouraged time and attention to encoding but allowed participants to choose their own strategy. Both conditions improved the performance of old-old adults relative to an earlier study (D. Bissig & C. Lustig, 2007) and reduced self-reports of everyday memory errors. Performance in the strategy-instruction group was related to preexisting ability; performance in the strategy?choice group was not. The strategy-choice group performed better on a laboratory transfer test of recognition memory, and training performance was correlated with reduced everyday memory errors. Training programs that target participants' latent but inefficiently used abilities while allowing flexibility in bringing those abilities to bear may best promote effective training and transfer. Copyright (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

  20. Educational technologies to encourage (self) care in postpartum women.

    PubMed

    Barbosa, Eryjosy Marculino Guerreiro; Sousa, Albertina Antonielly Sydney de; Vasconcelos, Mardênia Gomes Ferreira; Carvalho, Rhanna Emanuela Fontenele Lima de; Oriá, Mônica Oliveira Batista; Rodrigues, Dafne Paiva

    2016-06-01

    to evaluate national and international literature regarding the use of educational technologies to encourage self care in postpartum women. an integrative review of the literature. The articles were collected from the CINAHL, SCOPUS, PubMed, SciELO, LILACS and Cochrane databases; the time period for the articles referred to January/2004 to July/2014; the languages used in the articles were Portuguese, English, Spanish and French; the articles were selected from the following descriptors: postpartum care period, educational technology, nursing and self care. Twenty-seven articles were selected for analysis Results: based on the information found, the scales, counseling and home visits were among the most recommended educational technologies. the technologies promote communication, but are sometimes dependent on computer and internet access, which hinder their use by low-income women.

  1. Maternal encouragement to be thin moderates the effect of commercials on children's snack food intake.

    PubMed

    Anschutz, Doeschka J; Engels, Rutger C M E; Van Strien, Tatjana

    2010-08-01

    The present study experimentally tested the effects of adult targeted food commercials (energy-dense and light food products) on actual snack food intake in young children while watching television. Furthermore, the moderating role of maternal behaviors was investigated. The children (N=121, aged between 8 and 12 years) were exposed to a neutral movie that was interrupted by two commercial breaks. These breaks contained commercials promoting either energy-dense foods, low energy versions of the same energy-dense foods (light food commercials), or neutral commercials aimed at adults. Snack food intake during watching television was measured. Children filled out questionnaires and were weighed and measured afterwards. Children who perceived maternal encouragement to be thin ate slightly more when exposed to energy-dense food commercials and especially when exposed to light food commercials than when exposed to neutral commercials. In contrast, children who perceived no maternal encouragement to be thin ate more when exposed to neutral commercials than when exposed to either energy-dense food commercials or light food commercials. These findings suggest that exposure to adult targeted light food cues produced disinhibition in children who experienced maternal encouragement to be thin, resulting in elevated snack food intake. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. 36 CFR 1010.16 - Actions to encourage agency cooperation early in the NEPA process.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Actions to encourage agency cooperation early in the NEPA process. 1010.16 Section 1010.16 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY § 1010.16 Actions to encourage agency cooperation early in the NEPA process...

  3. Moving to higher ground: Closing the high school science achievement gap

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mebane, Joyce Graham

    The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of West High School constituents (students, parents, teachers, administrators, and guidance counselors) about the readiness and interest of African American students at West High School to take Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) science courses as a strategy for closing the achievement gap. This case study utilized individual interviews and questionnaires for data collection. The participants were selected biology students and their parents, teachers, administrators, and guidance counselors at West High School. The results of the study indicated that just over half the students and teachers, most parents, and all guidance counselors thought African American students were prepared to take AP science courses. Only one of the three administrators thought the students were prepared to take AP science courses. Between one-half and two-thirds of the students, parents, teachers, and administrators thought students were interested in taking an AP science course. Only two of the guidance counselors thought there was interest among the African American students in taking AP science courses. The general consensus among the constituents about the readiness and interest of African American students at West High School to take IB science courses was that it is too early in the process to really make definitive statements. West is a prospective IB school and the program is new and not yet in place. Educators at the West High School community must find reasons to expect each student to succeed. Lower expectations often translate into lower academic demands and less rigor in courses. Lower academic demands and less rigor in courses translate into less than adequate performance by students. When teachers and administrators maintain high expectations, they encourage students to aim high rather than slide by with mediocre effort (Lumsden, 1997). As a result of the study, the following suggestions should

  4. NASA Mission: Encouraging the Pursuit of STEM Excellence

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lizcano, Maricela

    2015-01-01

    In this presentation, Dr. Maricela Lizcano will discuss her academic career path at UTPA that directed her to earn a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Lizcano will also discuss her research area at NASA Glenn Research Center (NASA-GRC) and the various educational and career opportunities available at NASA. Her experiences, challenges, and goals will serve to both advise and encourage UTRGV students to pursue a STEM career.

  5. OHS Encouraged Employees to “Take a Hike” Twice in April | Poster

    Cancer.gov

    By Carolynne Keenan, Contributing Writer The chilly weather didn’t dampen the spirits of Take a Hike Day participants on Wednesday, April 2. Over 50 employees braved cool, misty weather to walk or jog around Fort Detrick during their lunch hours. “The Take a Hike Day is [a way] to encourage everyone to get up and get moving,” said Sarah Hooper, RN, manager of Occupational Health Services (OHS). “OHS and the R&W partnered to encourage employees to engage in physical activity to improve their health.”

  6. ENCOURAGING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, A TRAINING GUIDE FOR LOCAL WORKERS.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    BIDDLE, LOUREIDE J.; BIDDLE, WILLIAM W.

    THIS TRAINING GUIDE IS WRITTEN TO MEET THE NEEDS OF UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES TO WHICH THE PEACE CORPS, VISTA, CHURCHES, AND OTHER VOLUNTEER-USING AGENCIES TURN FOR HELP IN TRAINING THE NONPROFESSIONAL OR PREPROFESSIONAL LOCAL WORKER IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THE LESSONS ARE DIRECTED TO THE "ENCOURAGER" WHO LIVES WITH THE PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN…

  7. The effects of three concept mapping strategies on seventh-grade students' science achievement at an urban middle school

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dosanjh, Navdeep Kaur

    2011-12-01

    There is great concern over students' poor science achievement in the United States. Due to the lack of science achievement, students are not pursing science related careers resulting in an increase in outsourcing to other countries. Learning strategies such as concept mapping may ameliorate this situation by providing students with tools that encourage meaningful learning. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to measure the effects of three concept mapping learning strategies (concept identifying, proposition identifying, student generated) on urban middle school students' understanding of the circulatory system. Three intact classes of seventh-grade students were assigned to one of the three concept mapping strategies. The students were given a pretest on the circulatory system then learned and used their respective concept mapping strategies while learning about the circulatory system. At the conclusion of the study, students' science achievement was measured by performance on an achievement test and rubric scores of their respective concept identifying, proposition identifying, and student generated concept maps. The results of the study suggest that all three of the concept mapping strategies are effective in increasing students' science achievement. Additionally, the moderate significant correlations between the posttest and concept map scores of the current study established that concept maps are a useful measure of student knowledge. Lastly, the results of the current study also suggest that the concept identifying mapping strategy may be a useful scaffold in instructing students how to develop student generated concept maps.

  8. Short-term effects of social encouragement on exercise behavior: insights from China's Wanbu network.

    PubMed

    Wang, Liuan; Guo, Xitong; Wu, Tianshi; Lv, Lucheng; Zhang, Zhiwei

    2017-07-01

    The objective is to explore the short-term effects of social encouragement on exercise behavior in China. A longitudinal observational study. We collected longitudinal data on exercise and social interactions through public access to the Wanbu network, a large Chinese social network designed to encourage people to walk more. Our data set consisted of 5010 subjects who participated in the network between March 14, 2014, and September 4, 2015, and had at least one social interaction recorded. The data were analyzed using linear regression models relating the number of steps (NS) walked per day to the number of comments (NC), number of thumbs-up (NT), and number of posts (NP) received on the previous day, while adjusting for day of week, quarter of year, and a fixed or random subject effect, with or without a lag term (NS on the previous day) to account for serial correlation. We found that all three social interactions have positive effects on the next day's exercise level. The estimated effect sizes can be ordered as NT > NC > NP for each of the four models considered. The results also indicate that the participants walked less in the first quarter than in the other three quarters and more on weekdays than on weekends, with Monday being the most active day of a week. Social encouragement has positive short-term effects on exercise behavior. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. The Food Friends: Encouraging Preschoolers to Try New Foods

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bellows, Laura; Anderson, Jennifer

    2006-01-01

    In response to concerns about children's eating behaviors, the Colorado Nutrition Network developed and tested Food Friends--Making New Foods Fun for Kids. The program was designed as a 12-week social marketing campaign aimed at encouraging preschool-age children to try new foods, such as Ugli Fruit, couscous, and daikon radish. Tasting novel…

  10. Encouraging the Disuse of Illicit Drugs Among At-Risk Youth.

    PubMed

    Cheung, Chau-kiu; Ngai, Steven Sek-yum

    2016-05-01

    Youth at risk of illicit drug abuse and other delinquent acts are the target of social work services. Preventing or discouraging the use of illicit drugs among at-risk youth is a long-standing practical and research concern. For this reason, the preventive function of courage is a research gap the present study seeks to fill. The study collected data from 169 at-risk youths and their social workers with two-wave panel surveys. Results show that courage in Wave 1 presented a strong negative effect on illicit drug use in Wave 2 in the youth, controlling for illicit drug use in Wave 1 and background characteristics. Moreover, the negative effect was stronger when Wave 1 drug use was more likely. These results imply the helpfulness of encouraging at-risk youth to gather courage to resist the temptation to use illicit drugs. © The Author(s) 2014.

  11. Effective Teaching Results in Increased Science Achievement for All Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Carla C.; Kahle, Jane Butler; Fargo, Jamison D.

    2007-01-01

    This study of teacher effectiveness and student achievement in science demonstrated that effective teachers positively impact student learning. A general linear mixed model was used to assess change in student scores on the Discovery Inquiry Test as a function of time, race, teacher effectiveness, gender, and impact of teacher effectiveness in…

  12. Science PhD Career Preferences: Levels, Changes, and Advisor Encouragement

    PubMed Central

    Sauermann, Henry; Roach, Michael

    2012-01-01

    Even though academic research is often viewed as the preferred career path for PhD trained scientists, most U.S. graduates enter careers in industry, government, or “alternative careers.” There has been a growing concern that these career patterns reflect fundamental imbalances between the supply of scientists seeking academic positions and the availability of such positions. However, while government statistics provide insights into realized career transitions, there is little systematic data on scientists' career preferences and thus on the degree to which there is a mismatch between observed career paths and scientists' preferences. Moreover, we lack systematic evidence whether career preferences adjust over the course of the PhD training and to what extent advisors exacerbate imbalances by encouraging their students to pursue academic positions. Based on a national survey of PhD students at tier-one U.S. institutions, we provide insights into the career preferences of junior scientists across the life sciences, physics, and chemistry. We also show that the attractiveness of academic careers decreases significantly over the course of the PhD program, despite the fact that advisors strongly encourage academic careers over non-academic careers. Our data provide an empirical basis for common concerns regarding labor market imbalances. Our results also suggest the need for mechanisms that provide PhD applicants with information that allows them to carefully weigh the costs and benefits of pursuing a PhD, as well as for mechanisms that complement the job market advice advisors give to their current students. PMID:22567149

  13. Science PhD career preferences: levels, changes, and advisor encouragement.

    PubMed

    Sauermann, Henry; Roach, Michael

    2012-01-01

    Even though academic research is often viewed as the preferred career path for PhD trained scientists, most U.S. graduates enter careers in industry, government, or "alternative careers." There has been a growing concern that these career patterns reflect fundamental imbalances between the supply of scientists seeking academic positions and the availability of such positions. However, while government statistics provide insights into realized career transitions, there is little systematic data on scientists' career preferences and thus on the degree to which there is a mismatch between observed career paths and scientists' preferences. Moreover, we lack systematic evidence whether career preferences adjust over the course of the PhD training and to what extent advisors exacerbate imbalances by encouraging their students to pursue academic positions. Based on a national survey of PhD students at tier-one U.S. institutions, we provide insights into the career preferences of junior scientists across the life sciences, physics, and chemistry. We also show that the attractiveness of academic careers decreases significantly over the course of the PhD program, despite the fact that advisors strongly encourage academic careers over non-academic careers. Our data provide an empirical basis for common concerns regarding labor market imbalances. Our results also suggest the need for mechanisms that provide PhD applicants with information that allows them to carefully weigh the costs and benefits of pursuing a PhD, as well as for mechanisms that complement the job market advice advisors give to their current students.

  14. Classroom Debates: Using Speed Rounds to Encourage Greater Participation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Treme, Julianne

    2018-01-01

    The primary obstacle that can derail the effectiveness of a debate is one in which few students are involved and all of the energy and learning is limited to a few students. This leaves the majority of students passively absorbing information and does not encourage participation among those students that typically do not talk in class. This quick…

  15. Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis Support and Encouragement Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Jenny; Owens, Megan; Lampley, James

    2016-01-01

    Among doctoral programs, attrition rates and student feelings of isolation are high. In an attempt to determine the current levels and sources of support and encouragement from students enrolled in a Doctor of Education program, a survey was sent to students. There were 94 respondents to the online survey. Fifty-two (65%) of the respondents were…

  16. 75 FR 60264 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Encouraging Contractor Policies To Ban Text Messaging While Driving

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-29

    ... 9000-AL64 Federal Acquisition Regulation; Encouraging Contractor Policies To Ban Text Messaging While... to prevent the unsafe practice of text messaging by Federal contractors while driving in connection... encourage Federal contractors and subcontractors to adopt and enforce policies that ban text messaging while...

  17. From Refuse to Refuge: Create a Game Plan for Your Library to Encourage Reading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bateman-Whitson, Jill

    2011-01-01

    It is important for students to be good readers. In order to encourage reading for the fun of it, the author developed a game plan for the library. In this article, the author discusses how to make the library the place to be. She suggests that librarians need to encourage students to read, read, read. They must make their libraries places of…

  18. 76 FR 39240 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Encouraging Contractor Policies To Ban Text Messaging While Driving

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-05

    ... 9000-AL64 Federal Acquisition Regulation; Encouraging Contractor Policies To Ban Text Messaging While... agencies to encourage Federal contractors and subcontractors to adopt and enforce policies that ban text... to include the FAR clause 52.223-18, Contractor Policy to Ban Text Messaging While Driving. The...

  19. UNCF, Thurgood Marshall Collaboration Encourages Teaching Careers in Math, Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Black Issues in Higher Education, 2005

    2005-01-01

    The Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, the United Negro College Fund, and the Siemens Foundation have collaborated to establish the Siemens Teacher Scholarships, aimed at encouraging minority students to pursue teaching careers in math and science. This brief article discusses the details of the new program.

  20. Teaching Quality in Math Class: The Development of a Scale and the Analysis of Its Relationship with Engagement and Achievement

    PubMed Central

    Leon, Jaime; Medina-Garrido, Elena; Núñez, Juan L.

    2017-01-01

    Math achievement and engagement declines in secondary education; therefore, educators are faced with the challenge of engaging students to avoid school failure. Within self-determination theory, we address the need to assess comprehensively student perceptions of teaching quality that predict engagement and achievement. In study one we tested, in a sample of 548 high school students, a preliminary version of a scale to assess nine factors: teaching for relevance, acknowledge negative feelings, participation encouragement, controlling language, optimal challenge, focus on the process, class structure, positive feedback, and caring. In the second study, we analyzed the scale’s reliability and validity in a sample of 1555 high school students. The scale showed evidence of reliability, and with regard to criterion validity, at the classroom level, teaching quality was a predictor of behavioral engagement, and higher grades were observed in classes where students, as a whole, displayed more behavioral engagement. At the within level, behavioral engagement was associated with achievement. We not only provide a reliable and valid method to assess teaching quality, but also a method to design interventions, these could be designed based on the scale items to encourage students to persist and display more engagement on school duties, which in turn bolsters student achievement. PMID:28701964

  1. Teaching Quality in Math Class: The Development of a Scale and the Analysis of Its Relationship with Engagement and Achievement.

    PubMed

    Leon, Jaime; Medina-Garrido, Elena; Núñez, Juan L

    2017-01-01

    Math achievement and engagement declines in secondary education; therefore, educators are faced with the challenge of engaging students to avoid school failure. Within self-determination theory, we address the need to assess comprehensively student perceptions of teaching quality that predict engagement and achievement. In study one we tested, in a sample of 548 high school students, a preliminary version of a scale to assess nine factors: teaching for relevance, acknowledge negative feelings, participation encouragement, controlling language, optimal challenge, focus on the process, class structure, positive feedback, and caring. In the second study, we analyzed the scale's reliability and validity in a sample of 1555 high school students. The scale showed evidence of reliability, and with regard to criterion validity, at the classroom level, teaching quality was a predictor of behavioral engagement, and higher grades were observed in classes where students, as a whole, displayed more behavioral engagement. At the within level, behavioral engagement was associated with achievement. We not only provide a reliable and valid method to assess teaching quality, but also a method to design interventions, these could be designed based on the scale items to encourage students to persist and display more engagement on school duties, which in turn bolsters student achievement.

  2. Brief intervention to encourage empathic discipline cuts suspension rates in half among adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Okonofua, Jason A.; Paunesku, David; Walton, Gregory M.

    2016-01-01

    Growing suspension rates predict major negative life outcomes, including adult incarceration and unemployment. Experiment 1 tested whether teachers (n = 39) could be encouraged to adopt an empathic rather than punitive mindset about discipline—to value students’ perspectives and sustain positive relationships while encouraging better behavior. Experiment 2 tested whether an empathic response to misbehavior would sustain students’ (n = 302) respect for teachers and motivation to behave well in class. These hypotheses were confirmed. Finally, a randomized field experiment tested a brief, online intervention to encourage teachers to adopt an empathic mindset about discipline. Evaluated at five middle schools in three districts (Nteachers = 31; Nstudents = 1,682), this intervention halved year-long student suspension rates from 9.6% to 4.8%. It also bolstered respect the most at-risk students, previously suspended students, perceived from teachers. Teachers’ mindsets about discipline directly affect the quality of teacher–student relationships and student suspensions and, moreover, can be changed through scalable intervention. PMID:27114516

  3. Brief intervention to encourage empathic discipline cuts suspension rates in half among adolescents.

    PubMed

    Okonofua, Jason A; Paunesku, David; Walton, Gregory M

    2016-05-10

    Growing suspension rates predict major negative life outcomes, including adult incarceration and unemployment. Experiment 1 tested whether teachers (n = 39) could be encouraged to adopt an empathic rather than punitive mindset about discipline-to value students' perspectives and sustain positive relationships while encouraging better behavior. Experiment 2 tested whether an empathic response to misbehavior would sustain students' (n = 302) respect for teachers and motivation to behave well in class. These hypotheses were confirmed. Finally, a randomized field experiment tested a brief, online intervention to encourage teachers to adopt an empathic mindset about discipline. Evaluated at five middle schools in three districts (Nteachers = 31; Nstudents = 1,682), this intervention halved year-long student suspension rates from 9.6% to 4.8%. It also bolstered respect the most at-risk students, previously suspended students, perceived from teachers. Teachers' mindsets about discipline directly affect the quality of teacher-student relationships and student suspensions and, moreover, can be changed through scalable intervention.

  4. Improving TSA’s Public Image: Customer-Focused Initiatives to Encourage Public Trust and Confidence

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-12-01

    INITIATIVES TO ENCOURAGE PUBLIC TRUST AND CONFIDENCE Patricia S. Bierle Customer Support and Quality Improvement Manager, Transportation Security...PUBLIC IMAGE: CUSTOMER-FOCUSED INITIATIVES TO ENCOURAGE PUBLIC TRUST AND CONFIDENCE by Patricia S. Bierle December 2013 Thesis Co-Advisors...33 e . Government Leaders Impact Public Opinion ........................35 f. Aviation Stakeholders Also Impact

  5. Encouraging creativity and employability skills in undergraduate microbiologists.

    PubMed

    Verran, Joanna

    2010-02-01

    Key skills such as communication and critical thinking are essential for today's microbiology graduate. There are many opportunities within the undergraduate curriculum to help students to use, develop and appreciate their own unique set of skills. This article describes personal experiences of research-led teaching at Manchester Metropolitan University (UK) which have been used successfully to encourage creativity and other employability skills in both large and smaller classroom settings, and through individual student project work. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Estimating peer effects in networks with peer encouragement designs.

    PubMed

    Eckles, Dean; Kizilcec, René F; Bakshy, Eytan

    2016-07-05

    Peer effects, in which the behavior of an individual is affected by the behavior of their peers, are central to social science. Because peer effects are often confounded with homophily and common external causes, recent work has used randomized experiments to estimate effects of specific peer behaviors. These experiments have often relied on the experimenter being able to randomly modulate mechanisms by which peer behavior is transmitted to a focal individual. We describe experimental designs that instead randomly assign individuals' peers to encouragements to behaviors that directly affect those individuals. We illustrate this method with a large peer encouragement design on Facebook for estimating the effects of receiving feedback from peers on posts shared by focal individuals. We find evidence for substantial effects of receiving marginal feedback on multiple behaviors, including giving feedback to others and continued posting. These findings provide experimental evidence for the role of behaviors directed at specific individuals in the adoption and continued use of communication technologies. In comparison, observational estimates differ substantially, both underestimating and overestimating effects, suggesting that researchers and policy makers should be cautious in relying on them.

  7. Estimating peer effects in networks with peer encouragement designs

    PubMed Central

    Eckles, Dean; Kizilcec, René F.; Bakshy, Eytan

    2016-01-01

    Peer effects, in which the behavior of an individual is affected by the behavior of their peers, are central to social science. Because peer effects are often confounded with homophily and common external causes, recent work has used randomized experiments to estimate effects of specific peer behaviors. These experiments have often relied on the experimenter being able to randomly modulate mechanisms by which peer behavior is transmitted to a focal individual. We describe experimental designs that instead randomly assign individuals’ peers to encouragements to behaviors that directly affect those individuals. We illustrate this method with a large peer encouragement design on Facebook for estimating the effects of receiving feedback from peers on posts shared by focal individuals. We find evidence for substantial effects of receiving marginal feedback on multiple behaviors, including giving feedback to others and continued posting. These findings provide experimental evidence for the role of behaviors directed at specific individuals in the adoption and continued use of communication technologies. In comparison, observational estimates differ substantially, both underestimating and overestimating effects, suggesting that researchers and policy makers should be cautious in relying on them. PMID:27382145

  8. Whistleblowing: Don’t Encourage It, Prevent It

    PubMed Central

    MacDougall, D. Robert

    2016-01-01

    In a recent article, Mannion and Davies argue that there are a multitude of ways in which organizations (such as the National Health Service [NHS]) can deal with wrongdoing or ethical problems, including the formation of policies that encourage and protect would-be whistleblowers. However, it is important to distinguish internal reporting about wrongdoing from whistleblowing proper, because the two are morally quite different and should not be dealt with in the same way. This article argues that we should not understand the authors’ conclusions to apply to "whistleblowing" proper, because their recommended approach would be both unfeasible and undesirable for addressing whistleblowing defined in this way. PMID:26927590

  9. Responding Electronically to Student Drafts on Campus: Dis/Encouraging Dialogue?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harran, M.; Knott, A.; Weir, C.

    2011-01-01

    This article reports on an investigation into whether writing centre (WC) respondents at an institution of Higher Education (HE) encourage or discourage draft dialogue (a conversation in writing) with students submitting drafts electronically to the WC for feedback. The writing respondents insert local feedback responses or comments directly onto…

  10. Encouraging Students to Consider Music Education as a Future Profession

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Porter, Ann M.; Payne, Phillip D.; Burrack, Frederick W.; Fredrickson, William E.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes, communication, and opportunities provided by music teachers to encourage consideration of the music teaching profession. Survey participants (N = 436) were music educators from the Southeast (235), Midwest (51), and Southwest (149) National Association for Music Education regions of the…

  11. Earthworms, Stamps and Butterfly Wings: Encouraging Children's Interests and Collections.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGreevy, Ann

    2000-01-01

    This article examines the importance of encouraging children's interests and the pursuit of collections and hobbies as strategies for developing talent and abilities. Excerpts are cited from eminent people's lives as examples of early interests/collections and eventual success. Letters from children on their collections are included. (Contains…

  12. Encouraging the learning of hydraulic engineering subjects in agricultural engineering schools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodríguez Sinobas, Leonor; Sánchez Calvo, Raúl

    2014-09-01

    Several methodological approaches to improve the understanding and motivation of students in Hydraulic Engineering courses have been adopted in the Agricultural Engineering School at Technical University of Madrid. During three years student's progress and satisfaction have been assessed by continuous monitoring and the use of 'online' and web tools in two undergraduate courses. Results from their application to encourage learning and communication skills in Hydraulic Engineering subjects are analysed and compared to the initial situation. Student's academic performance has improved since their application, but surveys made among students showed that not all the methodological proposals were perceived as beneficial. Their participation in the 'online', classroom and reading activities was low although they were well assessed.

  13. Does Encouragement by Others Increase Rape Reporting? Findings from a National Sample of Women

    PubMed Central

    Paul, Lisa A.; Zinzow, Heidi M.; McCauley, Jenna L.; Kilpatrick, Dean G.; Resnick, Heidi S.

    2014-01-01

    Our study explores the role of victims' consultation with others about whether or not to report their rape to police. Three groups were observed within this sample of 435 rape victims from a national telephone household probability sample of women: those who did not consult with anyone about reporting (n = 364), those who consulted with someone and were encouraged to report to police (n = 40), and those who consulted with someone and were not encouraged to report (n = 31). Descriptive analyses indicated that the encouraged group was more likely to report to police than either of the other two groups (which did not differ from each other). Because there were no differences between the two consulting groups on demographic or rape-related variables, they were combined in subsequent analyses. Consulting with others about whether to report, peri-traumatic fear of injury or death, assault perpetration by a stranger, and concerns about contracting a sexually transmitted disease were significant predictors of reporting to police after controlling for other significant predictors in a multivariate regression analysis. Implications of these findings are discussed, including the benefits and consequences of formal rape reporting for victims, and the role that disclosure recipients may have in assisting victims post-rape (e.g., encouragement of reporting, emotional support). PMID:25431519

  14. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Astronaut Pamela Melroy (fourth from right in front) joins other attendees at the Florida Commission on the Status of Women held June 7 at the Debus Conference Facility. Melroy was a speaker. Her accomplishments include serving as pilot on two Shuttle flights (STS-92 in 2000 and STS-112 in 2002), and logging more than 562 hours in space. The commission, through coordinating, researching, communicating, and encouraging legislation, is dedicated to empowering women from all walks of life in achieving their fullest potential, to eliminating barriers to that achievement, and to recognizing women’s accomplishments.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2003-06-07

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Astronaut Pamela Melroy (fourth from right in front) joins other attendees at the Florida Commission on the Status of Women held June 7 at the Debus Conference Facility. Melroy was a speaker. Her accomplishments include serving as pilot on two Shuttle flights (STS-92 in 2000 and STS-112 in 2002), and logging more than 562 hours in space. The commission, through coordinating, researching, communicating, and encouraging legislation, is dedicated to empowering women from all walks of life in achieving their fullest potential, to eliminating barriers to that achievement, and to recognizing women’s accomplishments.

  15. In It Together: Mother Talk of Weight Concerns Moderates Negative Outcomes of Encouragement to Lose Weight on Daughter Body Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating

    PubMed Central

    Hillard, Erin E.; Gondoli, Dawn M.; Corning, Alexandra F.; Morrissey, Rebecca A.

    2015-01-01

    Mothers’ influence on their daughters is important for understanding girls’ disordered eating and body dissatisfaction. Direct maternal encouragement of daughters to lose weight is linked to daughters’ development of bulimic symptoms, and additional findings indicate that daughters whose mothers merely talk about dieting and body dissatisfaction are more likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder. The current study extends such research by examining the interactive contributions of maternal encouragement to lose weight and maternal dieting discussions to the prediction of early adolescent daughters’ body dissatisfaction and disordered eating over the middle school period. Participants were 89 adolescent girls who were in the 6th grade at Time 1. Regression analyses were conducted to examine interactive effects of mother encouragement to diet and talk of weight concerns on daughter body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and dieting behavior. Results suggest an interactive effect in which mothers’ dieting talk may act as a buffer against the negative effects of direct encouragement to lose weight. PMID:26551484

  16. Is frequency of family meals associated with parental encouragement of healthy eating among ethnically diverse eighth graders?

    PubMed

    Poulos, Natalie S; Pasch, Keryn E; Springer, Andrew E; Hoelscher, Deanna M; Kelder, Steven H

    2014-05-01

    The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between family meals and parental encouragement of healthy eating overall and by ethnicity. Family meal frequency was measured with one item asking how many times in the past 7 d all or most of the family ate a meal together, which was then categorized to represent three levels of family meals (≤2 times, 3-6 times and ≥7 times). Parental encouragement of healthy eating assessed how often parents encouraged the student to eat fruits and vegetables, drink water, eat wholegrain bread, eat breakfast and drink low-fat milk (never to always). An overall scale of parental encouragement of healthy eating was created. Mixed-effect regression analyses were run controlling for gender, ethnicity, age and socio-economic status. Moderation by ethnicity was explored. Middle schools. Participants included 2895 US eighth grade students participating in the Central Texas CATCH (Coordinated Approach To Child Health) Middle School Project (mean age 13·9 years; 24·5 % White, 52·7 % Hispanic, 13·0 % African-American, 9·8 % Other; 51·6 % female). Eating more family meals was significantly associated with having parents who encouraged healthy eating behaviours (P for trend <0·001). The number of family meals was positively associated with encouragement of each of the healthy eating behaviours (P for trend <0·0001). There were no differences in the relationships by ethnicity of the students. Families who eat together are more likely to encourage healthy eating in general. Interventions which promote family meals may include tips for parents to increase discussions about healthy eating.

  17. High-risk population health management--achieving improved patient outcomes and near-term financial results.

    PubMed

    Lynch, J P; Forman, S A; Graff, S; Gunby, M C

    2000-07-01

    A managed care organization sought to achieve efficiencies in care delivery and cost savings by anticipating and better caring for its frail and least stable members. Time sequence case study of program intervention across an entire managed care population in its first year compared with the prior baseline year. Key attributes of the intervention included predictive registries of at-risk members based on existing data, relentless focus on the high-risk group, an integrated clinical and psychosocial approach to assessments and are planning, a reengineered care management process, secured Internet applications enabling rapid implementation and broad connectivity, and population-based outcomes metrics derived from widely used measures of resource utilization and functional status. Concentrating on the highest-risk group, which averaged just 1.1% prevalence in the total membership, yielded bottom line results. When the year before program implementation (July 1997 through June 1998) was compared with the subsequent year, the total population's annualized commercial admission rate was reduced 5.3%, and seniors' was reduced 3.0%. A claims-paid analysis exclusively of the highest-risk group revealed that their efficiencies and savings overwhelmingly contributed to the membershipwide effect. This subgroup's costs dropped 35.7% from preprogram levels of $2590 per member per month (excluding pharmaceuticals). During the same time, patient-derived cross-sectional functional status rose 12.5%. A sharply focused, Internet-deployed case management strategy achieved economic and functional status results on a population basis and produced systemwide savings in its first year of implementation.

  18. "They're Funny Bloody Cattle": Encouraging Rural Men to Learn

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vallance, Soapy; Golding, Barry

    2008-01-01

    Our paper examines and analyses the contexts and organisations in rural and regional communities that informally and effectively encourage men to learn. It is based on a combination of local, rural adult education practice and a suite of studies in Australia and elsewhere of learning in community contexts, most recently into community-based men's…

  19. Some States Encouraging Students to Graduate Early from High School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adams, Caralee J.

    2012-01-01

    To give students an incentive to work hard--and save education dollars along the way--some states are encouraging early high school graduation by ramping up curricula or giving college scholarships. As a money-saving measure for families and states, lawmakers are allowing early high school exits and providing tuition aid. The policies emphasize…

  20. Policies and Strategies for Workforce Development: Encouraging a Customised Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Linda; Hillage, Jim; Newton, Becci; Jagger, Nick

    2005-01-01

    This article reviews recent policies and government initiatives that have aimed to improve the uptake of vocational qualifications amongst hard-to-reach groups in the working population. The Employer Training Pilots and the Sector Skills Pilots have been designed to trial new ways of engaging employers in training and encouraging the take-up of…

  1. The Longitudinal Process of Early Parent Involvement on Student Achievement: A Path Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Hayakawa, Momoko; Englund, Michelle M.; Warner-Richter, Mallory N.; Reynolds, Arthur J

    2016-01-01

    This longitudinal study investigated the process whereby early parent involvement in preschool effects student achievement from kindergarten through 6th grade. Participants were 1,539 low-income, mainly African American children and their mothers, in the Chicago Longitudinal Study. Program children (N = 989) received one or two years of the Child-Parent Center (CPC) program – a preschool intervention that strongly promoted parents' development of parent involvement skills within the school and at home. Children from similar backgrounds who did not attend the CPC, but participated in available local resources (e.g. day care), were obtained as a comparison group (N = 550). Path analysis revealed an interactive process between parent involvement, academic achievement, and children's motivation. Early parent involvement directly influenced kindergarten achievement, which in turn influenced first grade student motivation. Highly motivated children then encouraged parents to continue involvement. The cyclic nature of this process across elementary school was observed. The model accounted for 61% of the variance in 6th grade achievement. Findings suggest that early parent involvement promoted in the CPC program, sets the stage for subsequent parent involvement, student motivation, and academic achievement throughout early and middle childhood. PMID:27867317

  2. Toward achieving precision health

    PubMed Central

    Gambhir, Sanjiv Sam; Ge, T. Jessie; Vermesh, Ophir; Spitler, Ryan

    2018-01-01

    Health care systems primarily focus on patients after they present with disease, not before. The emerging field of precision health encourages disease prevention and earlier detection by monitoring health and disease based on an individual’s risk. Active participation in health care can be encouraged with continuous health-monitoring devices, providing a higher-resolution picture of human health and disease. However, the development of monitoring technologies must prioritize the collection of actionable data and long-term user engagement. PMID:29491186

  3. The Sharing Experimental Animal Resources, Coordinating Holdings (SEARCH) Framework: Encouraging Reduction, Replacement, and Refinement in Animal Research.

    PubMed

    Morrissey, Bethny; Blyth, Karen; Carter, Phil; Chelala, Claude; Jones, Louise; Holen, Ingunn; Speirs, Valerie

    2017-01-01

    While significant medical breakthroughs have been achieved through using animal models, our experience shows that often there is surplus material remaining that is frequently never revisited but could be put to good use by other scientists. Recognising that most scientists are willing to share this material on a collaborative basis, it makes economic, ethical, and academic sense to explore the option to utilise this precious resource before generating new/additional animal models and associated samples. To bring together those requiring animal tissue and those holding this type of archival material, we have devised a framework called Sharing Experimental Animal Resources, Coordinating Holdings (SEARCH) with the aim of making remaining material derived from animal studies in biomedical research more visible and accessible to the scientific community. We encourage journals, funding bodies, and scientists to unite in promoting a new way of approaching animal research by adopting the SEARCH framework.

  4. The Sharing Experimental Animal Resources, Coordinating Holdings (SEARCH) Framework: Encouraging Reduction, Replacement, and Refinement in Animal Research

    PubMed Central

    Morrissey, Bethny; Blyth, Karen; Carter, Phil; Chelala, Claude; Jones, Louise; Holen, Ingunn; Speirs, Valerie

    2017-01-01

    While significant medical breakthroughs have been achieved through using animal models, our experience shows that often there is surplus material remaining that is frequently never revisited but could be put to good use by other scientists. Recognising that most scientists are willing to share this material on a collaborative basis, it makes economic, ethical, and academic sense to explore the option to utilise this precious resource before generating new/additional animal models and associated samples. To bring together those requiring animal tissue and those holding this type of archival material, we have devised a framework called Sharing Experimental Animal Resources, Coordinating Holdings (SEARCH) with the aim of making remaining material derived from animal studies in biomedical research more visible and accessible to the scientific community. We encourage journals, funding bodies, and scientists to unite in promoting a new way of approaching animal research by adopting the SEARCH framework. PMID:28081116

  5. Encouraging Data Use in the Classroom-DLESE Workshop Evaluation Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lynds, S. E.; Buhr, S. M.; Ledley, T. S.

    2005-12-01

    For the last two years, the Data Services Team of the Digital Library for Earth Systems Education (DLESE) has offered annual workshops, bringing scientists, technology specialists, and education professionals together to develop ways of using scientific data in education. Teams comprised of representatives from each of five professional roles (scientist, curriculum developer, data provider, teacher, tool developer) worked on developing online educational units of the Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET--http://serc.carleton.edu/eet/). Workshop evaluation projects elicited a large amount of feedback from participants at both workshops. Consistently, the attendees most highly valued the opportunity to network with those of other professional roles and to collaborate on a real-world education project. Technology and science specialists emphasized their desire for a greater understanding of practical applications for scientific data in the classroom and what educators need for successful curricula. The evaluation project also revealed similarities in the limitations that many attendees reported in using online data. Technological barriers such as data format, bandwidth limitations, and proprietary data were all mentioned by participants regardless of professional role. This talk will discuss the barriers to and advantages of collaborations between scientists, technology specialists, and educators and the potential for this format to result in data-rich curriculum elements.

  6. Green Team Hosts Plant Swap to Encourage Gardening | Poster

    Cancer.gov

    By Carolynne Keenan, Contributing Writer What started out as a way for Howard Young, Ph.D., to thin out his garden last fall turned into the NCI at Frederick Green Team’s Plant Swap. The group held its Fall Plant Swap on October 24, encouraging all members of the Fort Detrick community to pick up a free plant or swap a plant of theirs for another. “Those who love to garden

  7. 77 FR 74625 - Policy To Encourage Trial Disclosure Programs; Information Collection

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-12-17

    ... BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION 12 CFR Chapter X [Docket No. CFPB-2012-0046] Policy To Encourage Trial Disclosure Programs; Information Collection AGENCY: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection... Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to...

  8. Improving Achievement in Low-Performing Schools: Key Results for School Leaders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ward, Randolph E.; Burke, Mary Ann

    2004-01-01

    As accountability in schools becomes more crucial, educators are looking for comprehensive and innovative management practices that respond to challenges and realities of student academic achievement. In order to improve academic performance and the quality of instruction, the entire school community needs to be involved. This book provides six…

  9. Associations Between Parent-Perceived Neighborhood Safety and Encouragement and Child Outdoor Physical Activity Among Low-Income Children.

    PubMed

    Nicksic, Nicole E; Salahuddin, Meliha; Butte, Nancy F; Hoelscher, Deanna M

    2018-05-01

    A growing body of research has examined the relationship between perceived neighborhood safety and parental encouragement for child physical activity (PA), yet these potential predictors have not been studied together to predict child outdoor PA. The purpose of this study is to examine these predictors and parent- and child-reported child outdoor PA. The Texas Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration study collected data from fifth-grade students attending 31 elementary schools across Austin and Houston and their parents (N = 748 parent-child dyads). Mixed-effects linear and logistic regressions stratified by gender and adjusted for sociodemographic covariates assessed associations among parental-perceived neighborhood safety, parental encouragement for child's outdoor PA, and parent- and child-reported child's outdoor PA. Parental-perceived neighborhood safety was significantly associated with encouraging outdoor PA (P = .01) and child-reported child's outdoor PA in boys, but not in girls. Significant associations were found between parental encouragement and child-reported outdoor PA for girls (P < .05) and parent-reported outdoor PA (P < .01) for boys and girls. Parent encouragement of PA and neighborhood safety are potential predictors of child outdoor PA and could be targeted in youth PA interventions.

  10. What do US and Canadian parents do to encourage or discourage physical activity among their 5-12 Year old children?

    PubMed

    Tu, Andrew W; O'Connor, Teresia M; Beauchamp, Mark R; Hughes, Sheryl O; Baranowski, Tom; Mâsse, Louise C

    2017-12-01

    Parents have the potential to substantively influence their child's physical activity. This study identified the parenting practices of US and Canadian parents to encourage or discourage their 5-12 year-old child's physical activity and to examine differences in parenting practices by country, parental sex, age of child, and income. The sample consisted of 134 US and Canadian parents (54.5% US; 60.4% female) recruited from a web-based panel by a polling firm. The parents answered open-ended questions about what they and other parents do to encourage or discourage their child to be active. Responses were coded using a scheme previously developed to code items used in the published literature. Coded responses were summarized by domain and dimension with differences in responses by country, parental sex, age of child, or household income assessed with a log-linear analysis. The 134 parents provided 649 and 397 responses to ways that parents encourage or discourage their child's physical activity, respectively. Over 70% of responses for practices that encourage physical activity were related to structure of the environment, parental encouragement, and co-participation. The most common response was co-participation in activity with the child. Of the practices that discourage physical activity, 67% were related to structure of the environment, lack of parental control, and modeling poor behaviors. The most common response was allowing screen time. There were no differences in response by country, parental sex, child age, or household income. Parents most often encouraged physical activity through structure and emotional support and discouraged physical activity through lack of structure and control. Understanding how parents influence their child's physical activity may help improve intervention strategies. The current results will inform the development of a physical activity parenting practices instrument.

  11. Why Evaluations Fail: To Achieve Meaningful Results, Address These Common Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Killion, Joellen

    2017-01-01

    Evaluation of professional learning illuminates the interactions that occur in the implementation of planned learning experiences and the necessary supports designed to improve professional practice and its effects on students. It investigates how a set of actions designed to achieve defined short- and long-term outcomes occur over time and how…

  12. [The role of the nurse in encouraging compliance in dialysis patients].

    PubMed

    Lethuillier, Valérie

    2010-05-01

    The impact of starting dialysis on patients with renal failure requires nurses to draw on their educational, pedagogical and interpersonal skills. It is important to monitor the patients in their daily lives to support them and encourage them to comply with their prescribed therapy.

  13. Cardiovascular Health Effects of Internet-Based Encouragements to Do Daily Workplace Stair-Walks: Randomized Controlled Trial

    PubMed Central

    Sundstrup, Emil; Boysen, Marianne; Jakobsen, Markus Due; Mortensen, Ole Steen; Persson, Roger

    2013-01-01

    Background Although the hazardous health effects of a sedentary lifestyle are well known, many adults struggle with regular physical activity. Simple and efficient encouragements for increased physical activity are needed. Objective To determine the effect on cardiovascular health of email-based encouragements to do daily stair-walks at work together with colleagues among adults in sedentary occupations. Methods A single-blind randomized controlled trial was performed at a large administrative company in Copenhagen, Denmark. Participants were 160 office workers (125 women, 35 men; mean age 42 years, SD 10; sitting 89.5% of work time). At baseline, aerobic fitness was 37 mL/min/kg (SD 9), mean blood pressure was 118/79 mmHg (SD 14/9), and mean body mass index (BMI) was 23 kg/m2 (SD 4). Participants were randomly assigned (2:1 ratio) to an email group receiving weekly email-based encouragements to walk the stairs for 10 minutes a day or to a control group receiving weekly reminders to continue their usual physical activities. The primary outcome was the change from baseline to 10-week follow-up in aerobic fitness determined from a maximal cycle test. The examiner was blinded to group allocation. Results Adherence to the email encouragements was fairly high with 82.7% of the participants performing at least 3 sessions of 10-minute stair-walks per week (mean 3.3, SD 1.3). Mean heart rate reached 167 beats/min (SD 10) during stair-walks. In the intention-to-treat analysis, aerobic fitness increased 1.45 mL/min/kg (95% CI 0.64-2.27) at 10-week follow-up in the email group compared with the control group. In participants with low aerobic fitness at baseline (n=56), aerobic fitness increased 1.89 mL/min/kg (95% CI 0.53-3.24), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased 4.81 mmHg (95% CI 0.47-9.16) and 2.67 mmHg (95% CI 0.01-5.32), respectively, in the email group compared with the control group. Body weight decreased in the email group of those with low aerobic

  14. Teaching about Designer Babies and Genetically Modified Foods: Encouraging the Teaching of Biotechnology in Secondary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leslie, Glenda; Schibecci, Renato

    2006-01-01

    Biotechnology is a cutting edge science/technology which impacts the community in many ways. For this and other reasons, it is important we encourage teachers to include biotechnology in the science curriculum. First, however, we need to know what hinders and encourages teachers. We surveyed the views of 88 high school science teachers. The …

  15. Parental encouragement of initiative-taking and adjustment in Chinese children from rural, urban, and urbanized families.

    PubMed

    Chen, Xinyin; Li, Dan

    2012-12-01

    Due to the requirements of the competitive, market-oriented urban society, parents in urban and urbanized families are more likely than parents in rural families to encourage initiative-taking in child rearing in China. The socialization experiences of children from different types of families may be related to their adjustment. This study examined parental socialization attitudes, social and school adjustment, and their relations in Chinese children from rural, urban, and urbanized families. Participants were elementary school students (N = 1,033; M age = 11 years) and their parents in China. Data were obtained from parental reports, peer evaluations, teacher ratings, and school records. A multivariate analysis of variance revealed that parents in urban and urbanized families had higher scores than parents in rural families on encouragement of initiative-taking. Urban children, particularly girls, were more sociable, obtained higher social status, and had fewer school problems than their rural counterparts. Children from urbanized families were different from rural children and similar to urban children in social and school adjustment. Moreover, multigroup invariance tests showed that parental encouragement of initiative-taking was associated more strongly with children's sociable-assertive behavior and social standing in the urban and urbanized groups than in the rural group. The results indicate that particular socialization attitudes may vary in their adaptive value in child development as a function of specific social and cultural requirements in changing societies. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

  16. Regional sulfur dioxide emissions: shall we achieve the goal?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tan, X.; Shi, L.; Wang, M.; Wang, JY

    2017-01-01

    Although economic growth is slowing down in the new normal period, air pollution is still a very serious problem in China. The 15% binding goal of sulfur dioxide emission reduction from 2016 to 2020, as stipulated in the 13th Five-Year Plan, has been an ambitious target for the Chinese government. This paper studies the synthetic evaluation and forecasting analysis of sulfur dioxide in China by means of a “grey model” approach combined with the grey relational analysis methods, with the panel data of 31 provinces from 2005 to 2015. Grey analysis used to analyse a system with imperfect information, such that a variety of available solutions is reviewed, and the optimal solution is identified. Some encouraging results show that national emissions and a majority of provinces will achieve the target. Over time, the gap of regional differences is rapidly closing. According to the results of grey relational analysis, we find industrial structure and energy consumption have a more significant impact on sulfur dioxide emissions than GDP. Atmospheric treatment investment and environmental protection manpower play a more important role in emissions variation. Based on the findings, we should distinguish different factors and take different measures to protect the environment.

  17. Can paying for results help to achieve the Millennium Development Goals? A critical review of selected evaluations of results-based financing.

    PubMed

    Oxman, Andrew D; Fretheim, Atle

    2009-08-01

    Results-based financing (RBF) refers to the transfer of money or material goods conditional on taking a measurable action or achieving a predetermined performance target. RBF is being promoted for helping to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We undertook a critical appraisal of selected evaluations of RBF schemes in the health sector in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). In addition, key informants were interviewed to identify literature relevant to the use of RBF in the health sector in LMIC, key examples, evaluations, and other key informants. The use of RBF in LMIC has commonly been a part of a package that may include increased funding, technical support, training, changes in management, and new information systems. It is not possible to disentangle the effects of financial incentives as one element of RBF schemes, and there is very limited evidence of RBF per se having an effect. RBF schemes can have unintended effects. When RBF schemes are used, they should be designed carefully, including the level at which they are targeted, the choice of targets and indicators, the type and magnitude of incentives, the proportion of financing that is paid based on results, and the ancillary components of the scheme. For RBF to be effective, it must be part of an appropriate package of interventions, and technical capacity or support must be available. RBF schemes should be monitored for possible unintended effects and evaluated using rigorous study designs. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd and Chinese Cochrane Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University.

  18. Encouraging Engagement in Water Conservation: Can Trust from Extension Create Change?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKee, Brandon H.; Lamm, Alexa J.; Bunch, J. C.

    2017-01-01

    Extension educators seek to provide scientific research and perspective to farmers and the public. The connection that Extension educators foster between farmers and consumers can be capitalized upon to build trust and ultimately encourage behavior change through social capital. Agricultural educators have recognized the need for consumers and…

  19. Encouraging Student Reflection and Articulation Using a Learning Companion: A Commentary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goodman, Bradley; Linton, Frank; Gaimari, Robert

    2016-01-01

    Our 1998 paper "Encouraging Student Reflection and Articulation using a Learning Companion" (Goodman et al. 1998) was a stepping stone in the progression of learning companions for intelligent tutoring systems (ITS). A simulated learning companion, acting as a peer in an intelligent tutoring environment ensures the availability of a…

  20. Increasing active travel: results of a quasi-experimental study of an intervention to encourage walking and cycling.

    PubMed

    Keall, Michael; Chapman, Ralph; Howden-Chapman, Philippa; Witten, Karen; Abrahamse, Wokje; Woodward, Alistair

    2015-12-01

    There is increased interest in the effectiveness and co-benefits of measures to promote walking and cycling, including health gains from increased physical activity and reductions in fossil fuel use and vehicle emissions. This paper analyses the changes in walking and cycling in two New Zealand cities that accompanied public investment in infrastructure married with programmes to encourage active travel. Using a quasi-experimental two-group pre-post study design, we estimated changes in travel behaviour from baseline in 2011 to mid-programme in 2012, and postprogramme in 2013. The intervention and control cities were matched in terms of sociodemographic variables and baseline levels of walking and cycling. A face-to-face survey obtained information on walking and cycling. We also drew from the New Zealand Travel Survey, a national ongoing survey of travel behaviour, which was conducted in the study areas. Estimates from the two surveys were combined using meta-analysis techniques. The trips and physical activity were evaluated. Relative to the control cities, the odds of trips being by active modes (walking or cycling) increased by 37% (95% CI 8% to 73%) in the intervention cities between baseline and postintervention. The net proportion of trips made by active modes increased by about 30%. In terms of physical activity levels, there was little evidence of an overall change. Comparing the intervention cities with the matched controls, we found substantial changes in walking and cycling, and conclude that the improvements in infrastructure and associated programmes appear to have successfully arrested the general decline in active mode use evident in recent years. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  1. A critical examination of factors that might encourage secrecy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tough, Allen

    1987-10-01

    Seven factors that may encourage a government to keep secret a signal from extraterrestrial intelligence are critically examined. These factors are: (1) belief that people may panic; (2) fear of a negative impact on religion, science, and culture; (3) embarrassment; (4) individual and national competitive urges; (5) avoiding a harmful premature reply; (6) a national trade or military advantage; and (7) fear of a Trojan horse. Steps that can be taken to alleviate the most significant of these factors are considered.

  2. Understanding the factors that influence high science achievers' academic choices and intent to pursue or opt out of the hard sciences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quihuis, Gisell

    Drawing on Eccles and her colleagues' Expectancy-Value model of academic behavior and choice, this dissertation study set out to serve three purposes: (1) to understand how high achieving high school students who aspire to science college degrees compare, in terms of motivational beliefs and social experiences, with other high achievers who do not aspire to science college degrees; (2) to understand why some high school students who excel in the hard sciences are unsure about pursuing a science degree in college; and (3) to examine whether gender differences in motivational beliefs and social experiences found in previous research on math (see Eccles 1984) exist for science among high achieving high school students. Survey and interview data showed that gender differences previously found in Eccles' research on math exist for science among a select group of high achieving high school students. Yet, these gender differences did not explain students' aspirations for science. Motivation, classroom perceptions, science engagement, as well as other science-related experiences at home and school, including parent and teacher influences, were also important factors associated with students' aspirations for science. Results and implications for this study are encouraging because they suggest that both parents and educators can help more high achievers become interested in science. Parents can expose their children, male and female alike, to science at home early on in their childhood and teachers can help students sustain and further develop an interest in science at school. In this manner, both parents and teachers can work together as a team to encourage more high achievers to aspire to science degrees in their future. Lastly, it is important to note that this study found Eccles' model of motivation and choice helpful in understanding not only gender differences in math and the hard sciences, but also aspiration differences that cut across gender among students

  3. Reading Achievement State by State, 1999. Goal 3: Student Achievement and Citizenship.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Education Goals Panel (ED), Washington, DC.

    Noting that performance at the highest levels of achievement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is evidence that students have demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter and achieved the third National Educational Goal, this report presents the most up-to-date results in reading achievement for the states and…

  4. Just-in-Time Technology to Encourage Incremental, Dietary Behavior Change

    PubMed Central

    Intille, Stephen S.; Kukla, Charles; Farzanfar, Ramesh; Bakr, Waseem

    2003-01-01

    Our multi-disciplinary team is developing mobile computing software that uses “just-in-time” presentation of information to motivate behavior change. Using a participatory design process, preliminary interviews have helped us to establish 10 design goals. We have employed some to create a prototype of a tool that encourages better dietary decision making through incremental, just-in-time motivation at the point of purchase. PMID:14728379

  5. Drinking control attempts and encouragement of alcohol use in couple relationship--a qualitative approach.

    PubMed

    Suonpaa, Juhani

    2005-01-01

    The present study addresses previously neglected research areas among couples with normal drinking habits, namely control attempts and encouragement of drinking. In this study, semistructured interviews were conducted in 2001 with 27 individuals living in steady couple relationships in Helsinki. Forms of active social control of drinking were classified into four categories and were investigated on the dimensions of indirect-direct and mild-strong. Further analysis suggests that the form of control reflects the degree of individualization in relationships, at least when drinking is concerned. Later, the exploration of encouragement of drinking shows that the culturally crucial feature of the qualified drinker is the preservation of one's own will. Then, it is concluded that in a couple relationship, social control and encouragement of drinking are, above all, complementary. Finally, the significance of drinking's social control is not restricted to alcohol use only, and it is surprisingly great in couple relationships, especially in preventing deviant drinking behavior. Several factors are presented that contribute to the increase of social control's importance.

  6. SMART Money: Do Financial Incentives Encourage College Students to Study Science?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans, Brent J.

    2012-01-01

    This research examines the short term success of a postsecondary federal financial aid program, the SMART Grant, designed to increase this stock of scientific human capital. An exploration of the success of this program provides the opportunity to address two critically important research questions. Do financial incentives encourage students to…

  7. Encouraging Empathy through Aesthetic Engagement: An Art Lesson in Living Compositions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Riddett-Moore, Karinna

    2009-01-01

    This paper demonstrates how aesthetic engagement can encourage empathy and caring in the art classroom. As artful inquiry, this hybrid form of arts-based educational research and teacher research examines my own classroom practice and pedagogy exploring how aesthetics can become a philosophy of care. Part 1 outlines the "Living Compositions…

  8. Using Student-Centred Learning Environments to Stimulate Deep Approaches to Learning: Factors Encouraging or Discouraging Their Effectiveness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baeten, Marlies; Kyndt, Eva; Struyven, Katrien; Dochy, Filip

    2010-01-01

    This review outlines encouraging and discouraging factors in stimulating the adoption of deep approaches to learning in student-centred learning environments. Both encouraging and discouraging factors can be situated in the context of the learning environment, in students' perceptions of that context and in characteristics of the students…

  9. Upholding Tuberculosis Services during the 2014 Ebola Storm: An Encouraging Experience from Conakry, Guinea

    PubMed Central

    Zachariah, Rony; Woldeyohannes, Desalegn; Bangoura, Adama; Chérif, Gba-Foromo; Loua, Francis; Hermans, Veerle; Tayler-Smith, Katie; Sikhondze, Welile; Camara, Lansana-Mady

    2016-01-01

    Setting Ten targeted health facilities supported by Damien Foundation (a Belgian Non Governmental Organization) and the National Tuberculosis (TB) Program in Conakry, Guinea. Objectives To uphold TB program performance during the Ebola outbreak in the presence of a package of pre-emptive additional measures geared at reinforcing the routine TB program, and ensuring Ebola infection control, health-workers safety and motivation. Design A retrospective comparative cohort study of a TB program assessing the performance before (2013) and during the (2014) Ebola outbreak. Results During the Ebola outbreak, all health facilities were maintained opened, there were no reported health-worker Ebola infections, drug stockouts or health staff absences. Of 2,475 presumptive pulmonary TB cases, 13% were diagnosed with TB in both periods (160/1203 in 2013 and 163/1272 in 2014). For new TB, treatment success improved from 84% before to 87% during the Ebola outbreak (P = 0.03). Adjusted Hazard-ratios (AHR) for an unfavorable outcome was alwo lower during the Ebola outbreak, AHR = 0.8, 95% CI:0.7–0.9, P = 0.04). Treatment success improved for HIV co-infected patients (72% to 80%, P<0.01). For retreatment patients, the proportion achieving treatment success was maintained (68% to 72%, P = 0.05). Uptake of HIV-testing and Cotrimoxazole Preventive Treatment was maintained over 85%, and Anti-Retroviral Therapy uptake increased from 77% in 2013 to 86% in 2014 (P<0.01). Conclusion Contingency planning and health system and worker support during the 2014 Ebola outbreak was associated with encouraging and sustained TB program performance. This is of relevance to future outbreaks. PMID:27533499

  10. Exploring the use of a gamified intervention for encouraging physical activity in adolescents: a qualitative longitudinal study in Northern Ireland

    PubMed Central

    Corepal, Rekesh; Best, Paul; O’Neill, Roisin; Tully, Mark A; Edwards, Mark; Jago, Russell; Miller, Sarah J; Kee, Frank; Hunter, Ruth F

    2018-01-01

    Objective To explore the temporal changes of adolescents’ views and experiences of participating in a gamified intervention to encourage physical activity behaviour and associated processes of behaviour change. Design A qualitative longitudinal design was adopted whereby focus groups were conducted with the same participants in each intervention school (n=3) at four time-points (baseline, end of each of two intervention phases and 1-year follow-up). The framework method was used to thematically analyse the data. Setting Secondary schools (n=3), Belfast (Northern Ireland). Participants A subsample (n=19 at four time-points) of individuals aged 12–14 years who participated in the StepSmart Challenge, a gamified intervention involving a pedometer competition and material rewards to encourage physical activity behaviour change. Results Three core themes were identified: (1) competition; (2) incentives and (3) influence of friends. Participants indicated that a pedometer competition may help initiate physical activity but suggested that there were a number of barriers such as participants finding it ‘boring’, and feeling as though they had a remote chance of ‘winning’. ‘Incentives’ were viewed favourably, although there were participants who found not winning a prize ‘annoying’. Friends were a motivator to be more physically active, particularly for girls who felt encouraged to walk more when with a friend. Conclusions The intervention in general and specific gamified elements were generally viewed positively and deemed acceptable. Results suggest that gamification may have an important role to play in encouraging adolescents to engage in physical activity and in creating interventions that are fun and enjoyable. The longitudinal approach added additional depth to the analysis as themes were refined and tested with participants over time. The findings also suggest that gamified Behaviour Change Techniques align well with core concepts of Self

  11. Students' and teachers' perceptions: initial achievements of a Project-Based Engineering School

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Terrón-López, María-José; Velasco-Quintana, Paloma-Julia; García-García, María-José; Ocampo, Jared R.

    2017-11-01

    A unified academic model based on the project-based learning (PBL) methodology was implemented, in the 2012-2013 period, in the School of Engineering at Universidad Europea de Madrid. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether teachers and students participating in the capstone projects feel that the objectives for which this methodology was designed for are being achieved. The data were collected through interviews to participants at the end of the PBL experience. The results are encouraging, as students seem to be more motivated, and they say that they are experiencing deeper learning, and have developed key competitive skills required for their professional lives. Findings also suggest that teachers face positively the PBL as a learning approach since they perceive that students obtain a deeper learning, develop transversal skills with the projects and are more engaged with their studies. Implications and recommendations for the future of the model are also discussed.

  12. Encouraging Student Participation in an On-Line Course Using "Pull" Initiatives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peachey, Paul; Jones, Paul; Jones, Amanda

    2006-01-01

    This paper presents an empirical study involving initiatives that encouraged students to log onto online courses in entrepreneurship delivered by the University of Glamorgan. The aim of the research was to explore items of interest to the online students that may increase participation in the forums and hence potentially enhanced engagement with…

  13. Deciding to Pursue Nurse Education: Sources of Information, Influence and Encouragement.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murrells, Trevor; And Others

    1995-01-01

    In a survey of 1,164 British nurses (87% responded), written information, discussions with educators, and personal or family member involvement in health care were positive influences on the decision to become a nurse. Family members, especially mothers, were supportive; secondary school teachers and fathers of male nurses were less encouraging.…

  14. Stop Think: a simple approach to encourage the self-assessment of learning.

    PubMed

    Guy, Richard; Byrne, Bruce; Dobos, Marian

    2017-03-01

    A simple "stop think" approach was developed to encourage the self-assessment of learning. A key element was the requirement for students to rate their feeling of difficulty before [FOD (pre) ] and after [FOD (post) ] completing each of three authentic anatomy and physiology concept map exercises. The cohort was divided into low- (group L) and high-performing (group H) groups (based on final subject marks). Both FOD (pre) (group L) and FOD (post) (groups L and H) were significantly negatively correlated with score for some maps. A comparison of FOD (pre) and FOD (post) showed that students changed their mind about difficulty in 58-70% of the completed maps. Students who changed their estimation were asked to provide explanatory comments, and an increase in difficulty was related to problems with map link generation. For students who found the maps easier, 40% of comments indicated that map generation prompted recall of information from memory. Both difficulty estimations and comments supported the contention that students were self-assessing their interaction with the concept maps. Group H was significantly older than group L, had significantly higher levels of deep strategic and deep motivational learning, and had significantly higher marks in two of three concept map exercises. Notwithstanding these differences, the results from the "stop think" approach were similar between groups, indicating that it may be appropriate for students of varying academic ability. It is suggested that "stop think" may be a useful approach to encourage student self-assessment, an important step in assisting self-regulated learning development. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

  15. Patenting and the gender gap: should women be encouraged to patent more?

    PubMed

    de Melo-Martín, Inmaculada

    2013-06-01

    The commercialization of academic science has come to be understood as economically desirable for institutions, individual researchers, and the public. Not surprisingly, commercial activity, particularly that which results from patenting, appears to be producing changes in the standards used to evaluate scientists' performance and contributions. In this context, concerns about a gender gap in patenting activity have arisen and some have argued for the need to encourage women to seek more patents. They believe that because academic advancement is mainly dependent on productivity (Stuart and Ding in American Journal of Sociology 112:97-144, 2006; Azoulay et al. in Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 63:599-623, 2007), differences in research output have the power to negatively impact women's careers. Moreover, in the case of patenting activity, they claim that the gender gap also has the potential to negatively affect society. This is so because scientific and technological advancement and innovation play a crucial role in contemporary societies. Thus, women's more limited involvement in the commercialization of science and technology can also be detrimental to innovation itself. Nevertheless, calls to encourage women to patent on grounds that such activity is likely to play a significant role in the betterment of both women's careers and society seem to be based on two problematic assumptions: (1) that the methods to determine women's productivity in patenting activities are an appropriate way to measure their research efforts and the impact of their work, and (2) that patenting, particularly in academia, benefits society. The purpose of this paper is to call into question these two assumptions.

  16. Encouraging Sudanese Schoolboys to Learn English Effectively--A Case Study of Learning EFL in Eddueim Locality's Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gawi, Elsadig Mohamed Khalifa

    2013-01-01

    This study is aiming at investigating the impact of encouragement on Sudanese learners when learning EFL. The main question of the present study is asking about the influence of encouragement on learning EFL in Sudanese setting. Population of this study are English teachers and students in Eddueim Locality's schools in Sudan. Questionnaire was…

  17. Using Technology to Encourage Student Engagement with Feedback: A Literature Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hepplestone, Stuart; Holden, Graham; Irwin, Brian; Parkin, Helen J.; Thorpe, Louise

    2011-01-01

    This article presents a review of the literature over the past 10 years into the use of technological interventions that tutors might use to encourage students to engage with and action the feedback that they receive on their assessment tasks. The authors hypothesise that technology has the potential to enhance student engagement with feedback.…

  18. Encouraging Lifelong Healthy Habits for a Positive Body Image in Adolescents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ahmed, Christine

    This article discusses issues related to body image in adolescents, explaining what school practitioners can do to encourage lifelong healthy habits that enhance body image. Body image is the picture of physical self carried in the mind's eye. This impression can have little resemblance to how a teen actually looks. Body image culturalization is…

  19. How effective is group feedback in encouraging occupants of an office building to reduce energy consumption?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shah, Ushik D.

    Lighting contributes to a high percentage of the total energy use in office buildings. The lack of financial incentive often dissuades office workers from trying to save electricity at their work place. This thesis aims at reducing the total power consumed by an office building by using persuasive technologies on the occupants to promote environmentally conscious and energy saving behavior. A three week field study was conducted by providing occupants of an office building feedback about their energy consumption along with messages to encourage them to save energy. Feedback was provided via television screens and flyers placed strategically at the study location, the fourth floor of the Knoy Hall of Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette campus. The results obtained from the analysis of data showed no change in energy consumption post intervention. Group feedback thus proved to be ineffective in encouraging occupants of this office building to reduce their energy consumption. This thesis presents the findings of the study and discusses recommendations and future scope for similar studies.

  20. Does Encouragement Matter in Improving Gender Imbalances in Technical Fields? Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial

    PubMed Central

    Unkovic, Cait; Sen, Maya; Quinn, Kevin M.

    2016-01-01

    Does encouragement help address gender imbalances in technical fields? We present the results of one of the first and largest randomized controlled trials on the topic. Using an applied statistics conference in the social sciences as our context, we randomly assigned half of a pool of 3,945 graduate students to receive two personalized emails encouraging them to apply (n = 1,976) and the other half to receive nothing (n = 1,969). We find a robust, positive effect associated with this simple intervention and suggestive evidence that women responded more strongly than men. However, we find that women’s conference acceptance rates are higher within the control group than in the treated group. This is not the case for men. The reason appears to be that female applicants in the treated group solicited supporting letters at lower rates. Our findings therefore suggest that “low dose” interventions may promote diversity in STEM fields but may also have the potential to expose underlying disparities when used alone or in a non-targeted way. PMID:27097315

  1. Breast-feeding: encourage mothers to "give it a go"!

    PubMed

    Carson, Christine

    2005-01-01

    Breast-feeding is a part of the Government health agenda with a particular emphasis on encouraging those mothers who are least likely to breast-feed. Current and recent breast-feeding support materials from the Department of Health outline good practice for Primary Care Trusts, in line with targets for the increase in breast-feeding initiation. Breast-feeding reduces health inequalities, in the short and long term. The 2005 National Breastfeeding Awareness Week has the key message "Give it a go!" and materials including a Local Action booklet are available.

  2. Positive expectations encourage generalization from a positive intergroup interaction to outgroup attitudes.

    PubMed

    Deegan, Matthew P; Hehman, Eric; Gaertner, Samuel L; Dovidio, John F

    2015-01-01

    The current research reveals that while positive expectations about an anticipated intergroup interaction encourage generalization of positive contact to outgroup attitudes, negative expectations restrict the effects of contact on outgroup attitudes. In Study 1, when Blacks and Whites interacted with positive expectations, interaction quality predicted outgroup attitudes to a greater degree than when groups interacted with negative expectations. When expectations (Studies 2 and 3) and the actual interaction quality (Study 4) were manipulated orthogonally, negative expectations about the interaction predicted negative outgroup attitudes, regardless of actual interaction quality. By contrast, participants holding positive expectations who experienced a positive interaction expressed positive outgroup attitudes, whereas when they experienced a negative interaction, they expressed outgroup attitudes as negative as those with negative expectations. Across all four studies, positive expectations encouraged developing outgroup attitudes consistent with interaction quality. © 2014 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

  3. Do nursing staff encourage functional activity among nursing home residents? A cross-sectional study of nursing staff perceived behaviors and associated factors.

    PubMed

    Kuk, Nienke O; den Ouden, Mirre; Zijlstra, G A Rixt; Hamers, Jan P H; Kempen, Gertrudis I J M; Bours, Gerrie J J W

    2017-01-14

    Nursing home residents are mainly inactive. Nursing staff can encourage residents to perform functional activities during daily care activities. This study examines 1) the extent to which nursing staff perceive that they encourage functional activity in nursing home residents and 2) the associations between these nursing behaviors and professional characteristics, contextual factors, and information-seeking behaviors. In this cross-sectional study, 368 registered nurses and certified nurse assistants, working in somatic and psychogeriatric wards of forty-one nursing homes throughout the Netherlands participated. Self-reported data were collected with a questionnaire, comprising the MAINtAIN-behaviors, which assesses the extent to which nursing staff encourage functional activities, including different activities of daily living (ADL), household activities, and miscellaneous encouraging activities (e.g., discouraging informal caregivers from taking over activities residents can do themselves). Additional data collected included professional characteristics (e.g., age), contextual factors (e.g., ward type), and information-seeking behaviors (e.g., reading professional journals). Descriptive statistics were used to determine the extent to which functional activities were encouraged. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to determine the associations between the encouragement of functional activities and other factors. Nursing staff perceived that household activities (mean 4.1 (scale range 1-9), SD 1.9) were less often encouraged than ADL (mean 6.9, SD 1.2) or miscellaneous activities (mean 6.7, SD 1.5). The percentage of nursing staff stating that different household activities, ADL, or miscellaneous activities were almost always encouraged ranged from 11 to 45%, 41 to 86%, and 50 to 83% per activity, respectively. The extent to which these activities were encouraged differed for some of the professional characteristics, contextual factors, or

  4. Evaluating Academic Achievement of African-American Male Students in Relationship to African-American Male Teachers in Guilford County, North Carolina Public Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daniels, Byron L.

    2010-01-01

    The home and the public school classroom have been key environments in the African American community and have been instrumental in developing identity and encouraging academic progress. Despite this, the dropout rates of African American males in secondary grades have increased, while academic achievement scores of African American males in the…

  5. Using Project- and Theme-Based Learning to Encourage Creativity in Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vaidya, Ashwin

    2015-01-01

    In this article, the authors describe a project that was developed for an introductory-level physics course. The aim of the project was to encourage the creative process in science, as science is seldom mentioned in discussions about creativity. They sought to engage students in the creative process by posing a collective challenge to the class.…

  6. Attitudes, Interests, and Perceived Self-efficacy toward Science of Middle School Minority Female Students: Considerations for their Low Achievement and Participation in STEM Disciplines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dowey, Ana Lucrecia

    The under participation of minority females in STEM fields has been a chronic problem in the United States, mainly when it is analyzed through the lens of their relative representation in the population. The results of the first or quantitative phase, of this two phase sequential, mixed method study, revealed academic achievement or performance in science accounted for most of the variance of mean scores for students' attitudes and interests in science as measured by the TOSRA Likert-scale survey, when compared to the degree of parent education and ethnicity/ racial background. Additionally, this study investigated possible sources of perceived self-efficacy in eighteen seventh grade Hispanic female students by conducting personal semi-structured interviews. The purpose of this study was to explore if middle school female student ethnic/racial backgrounds and academic performance influence their attitudes and interests toward science and to study the possible effects external (family, school, peers, and community) and internal factors may have for Hispanic student self-efficacy toward science. The results revealed that of the five ethnic/racial groups studied, Asian/Filipino female students expressed higher positive attitudes and interests toward science, than the rest of the student ethnic groups studied, followed by the Hispanic student group. The results indicated that students' perceived encouragement from their mothers, regardless of the mother's degree of education, as being the main source of these girls' perceived self-efficacy in science. However, the lack of perceived school-related, peer-related, and community-related support was evident. These results are encouraging because they demonstrate how verbal persuasion, in the form of encouragement and support, fosters perceived self-efficacy for minority female students.

  7. Educating for collaborative practice: an interpretation of current achievements and thoughts for future directions.

    PubMed

    Hudson, Judith Nicky; Croker, Anne

    2018-01-01

    The Edinburgh Declaration, developed in 1998 as a pledge to alter the character of medical education to more effectively meet the needs of society, included a recommendation to increase the opportunity for joint learning between health and health-related professions, as part of the training for teamwork. This article acknowledges achievements since the Declaration in relation to this recommendation, using an umbrella term for the phenomenon, 'educating for collaborative practice', and presents a perspective framed as a series of questions to encourage reflection on future directions. A literature interpretation, informed by philosophical hermeneutics, was conducted using text sets comprising reports and reviews from a section of the international literature since 1988. The interpretation involved: engaging with meanings as presented in the chosen texts; making iterative returns to the texts to explore emerging understanding; and ensuring parts of our understanding from particular texts were fused with complete understanding of the texts as a whole. A lens of appreciative inquiry facilitated acknowledgement of what has been achieved, while being curious about how it could be. Interpretation of the selected literature revealed notable achievements. Areas for further consideration were identified in relation to three themes: establishing shared understanding AND purpose behind use of terminology; being a conduit AND sharing responsibility for change; exploring ways of doing things AND ensuring ongoing inclusivity. Interpreting the current literature on 'educating for collaborative practice' has generated questions for reflection on how it may be otherwise. Readers are encouraged to embrace the tensions inherent in unanswered questions, providing space for communication, initiative and diversity of thought. An ongoing dialogue with the literature is proposed, asking whether educating students for a collective identity in settings where they are learning for and with

  8. Fifteen Years of Collaborative Innovation and Achievement: NASA Nebraska Space Grant Consortium 15-Year Program Performance and Results Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schaaf, Michaela M.; Bowen, Brent D.; Fink, Mary M.; Nickerson, Jocelyn S.; Avery, Shelly; Carstenson, Larry; Dugan, James; Farritor, Shane; Joyce, James; Rebrovich, Barb

    2003-01-01

    Condensing five years of significant work into a brief narrative fitting PPR requirements gave the affiliates of the Nebraska Space Grant a valuable chance for reflection. Achievements of Space Grant in Nebraska were judiciously chosen for this document that best illustrate the resultant synergism of this consortium, keeping in mind that these examples are only a representation of greater activity throughout the state. Following are highlights of many of the finer and personal achievements for Nebraska Space Grant. The Consortium welcomes inquiries to elaborate on any of these accomplishments.

  9. Encouraging Editorial Flexibility in Cases of Textual Reuse

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Because many technical descriptions of scientific processes and phenomena are difficult to paraphrase and because an increasing proportion of contributors to the scientific literature are not sufficiently proficient at writing in English, it is proposed that journal editors re-examine their approaches toward instances of textual reuse (similarity). The plagiarism definition by the US Office of Research Integrity (ORI) is more suitable than other definitions for dealing with cases of ostensible plagiarism. Editors are strongly encouraged to examine cases of textual reuse in the context of both, the ORI guidance and the offending authors' proficiency in English. Editors should also reconsider making plagiarism determinations based exclusively on text similarity scores reported by plagiarism detection software. PMID:28244278

  10. Encouraging primary care research: evaluation of a one-year, doctoral clinical epidemiology research course.

    PubMed

    Liira, Helena; Koskela, Tuomas; Thulesius, Hans; Pitkälä, Kaisu

    2016-01-01

    Research and PhDs are relatively rare in family medicine and primary care. To promote research, regular one-year research courses for primary care professionals with a focus on clinical epidemiology were started. This study explores the academic outcomes of the first four cohorts of research courses and surveys the participants' perspectives on the research course. An electronic survey was sent to the research course participants. All peer-reviewed scientific papers published by these students were retrieved by literature searches in PubMed. Primary care in Finland. A total of 46 research course participants who had finished the research courses between 2007 and 2012. Of the 46 participants 29 were physicians, eight nurses, three dentists, four physiotherapists, and two nutritionists. By the end of 2014, 28 of the 46 participants (61%) had published 79 papers indexed in PubMed and seven students (15%) had completed a PhD. The participants stated that the course taught them critical thinking, and provided basic research knowledge, inspiration, and fruitful networks for research. A one-year, multi-professional, clinical epidemiology based research course appeared to be successful in encouraging primary care research as measured by research publications and networking. Activating teaching methods, encouraging focus on own research planning, and support from peers and tutors helped the participants to embark on research projects that resulted in PhDs for 15% of the participants. Clinical research and PhDs are rare in primary care in Finland, which has consequences for the development of the discipline and for the availability of clinical lecturers at the universities. A clinical epidemiology oriented, one-year research course increased the activity in primary care research. Focus on own research planning and learning the challenges of research with peers appeared to enhance the success of a doctoral research course. A doctoral research course encouraged networking, and

  11. Usage of Computers and Calculators and Students' Achievement: Results from TIMSS 2003

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Antonijevic, Radovan

    2007-01-01

    The paper deals with the facts obtained from TIMSS 2003 (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study). This international comparative study, which includes 47 participant countries worldwide, explores dependence between eighth grade students' achievement in the areas of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and geography, and basic…

  12. Creating the Business Case for Achieving Health Equity.

    PubMed

    Chin, Marshall H

    2016-07-01

    Health care organizations have increasingly acknowledged the presence of health care disparities across race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status, but significantly fewer have made health equity for diverse patients a true priority. Lack of financial incentives is a major barrier to achieving health equity. To create a business case for equity, governmental and private payors can: 1) Require health care organizations to report clinical performance data stratified by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. 2) Incentivize preventive care and primary care. Implement more aggressive shared savings plans, update physician relative value unit fee schedules, and encourage partnerships across clinical and non-clinical sectors. 3) Incentivize the reduction of health disparities with equity accountability measures in payment programs. 4) Align equity accountability measures across public and private payors. 5) Assist safety-net organizations. Provide adequate Medicaid reimbursement, risk-adjust clinical performance scores for sociodemographic characteristics of patients, provide support for quality improvement efforts, and calibrate cuts to Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments to the pace of health insurance expansion. 6) Conduct demonstration projects to test payment and delivery system reform interventions to reduce disparities. Commitment to social justice is essential to achieve health equity, but insufficient without a strong business case that makes interventions financially feasible.

  13. Encouraging science reading beyond the curriculum.

    PubMed

    Lamberson, W R; Smith, M F

    2005-08-01

    Students in genetics and reproductive physiology, junior-/senior-level courses with enrollments averaging 76 and 41 students, respectively, were encouraged to read popular science books for extra credit. The objectives of the readings were to reinforce basic class concepts by forming ties to everyday life, and to expose students to a genre that can provide information to prepare them as citizens to engage in the debate over current issues. The books for genetics were The Double Helix, Genome, Voyage of the Beagle, and The Engineer in the Garden; and the books for reproductive physiology were Clone, Lives of a Cell, Life Before Birth and A Time to be Born, and The Second Creation: Dolly and The Age of Biological Control. To earn credit (3% of the course grade for each of up to three books), students had to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of each book during a 15-min discussion with the instructor. Discussions focused on questions designed to stimulate critical thinking about each book's content. For example: "There is approximately 98% homology in DNA sequence between humans and chimpanzees; in aspects ranging from basic physiology to behavior, what makes us similar to or different from the species that is our closest living relative?" The numbers of students reading three books in Years 1 and 2 were 2 and 12 in genetics, and 4 and 3 in reproductive physiology; those reading two books in Years 1 and 2 were 5 and 20 in genetics, and 0 and 2 in reproductive physiology; and those reading one book in Years 1 and 2 were 21 and 31 in genetics, and 7 and 8 in reproductive physiology. The numbers of students that read no books in Years 1 and 2 were 33 and 27 in genetics, and 45 and 20 in reproductive physiology. Participation in the reading project occurred independently of course grades. Sixteen genetics students from the second year's class, eight that had participated in the extra credit reading and eight that had not, volunteered to be reexamined on material

  14. Achieving meaningful mathematics literacy for students with learning disabilities. Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt.

    PubMed

    Goldman, S R; Hasselbring, T S

    1997-01-01

    In this article we consider issues relevant to the future of mathematics instruction and achievement for students with learning disabilities. The starting point for envisioning the future is the changing standards for mathematics learning and basic mathematical literacy. We argue that the shift from behaviorist learning theories to constructivist and social constructivist theories (see Rivera, this series) provides an opportunity to develop and implement a hybrid model of mathematics instruction. The hybrid model we propose embeds, or situates, important skill learning in meaningful contexts. We discuss some examples of instructional approaches to complex mathematical problem solving that make use of meaningful contexts. Evaluation data on these approaches have yielded positive and encouraging results for students with learning disabilities as well as general education students. Finally, we discuss various ways in which technology is important for realizing hybrid instructional models in mathematics.

  15. Behavioural contracting as a tool to help patients achieve better health.

    PubMed

    Neale, A V

    1991-12-01

    Behavioural contracting is an intervention technique in which a client signs an agreement to make certain behaviour changes within a specified time, usually with explicitly defined rewards for adherence or success. Contracting is being increasingly used by health professionals to assist patients in making beneficial life style changes. This paper presents data on the outcome of behavioural contracting interventions to lower serum cholesterol and to increase exercise activity. Of 223 primary care patients enrolled in a health promotion programme, 179 met with the project health educator to improve their cardiovascular risk profile; 144 of these were classified as having 'high cholesterol' and 51 signed contracts to adopt the American Heart Association guidelines diet within a 3-month period. Everyone was encouraged to sign a contract to engage in aerobic exercise three times per week; 96 did so. The results indicate that contractors achieved greater beneficial health changes than non-contractors, and that the group which fully met their contract obligations experienced the greatest health benefit of all (either a lowering of cholesterol or a decreased exercising heart rate).

  16. How to encourage intrinsic motivation in the clinical teaching environment?: a systematic review from the self-determination theory

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: Internalization of students’ motivation towards an intrinsic form is associated with increased interest, commitment, learning, and satisfaction with education. Self-Determination theory postulates that intrinsic motivation and autonomous forms of self-regulation are the desired type of motivation; as they have been associated with deep learning, better performance and well-being. It claims three basic psychological needs have to be satisfied in order to achieve intrinsic motivation. These are the needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness. This study aims to provide a review on how these basic psychological needs are encouraged in undergraduate students so they can be transferred to the clinical teaching environment. Methods: Electronic searches were performed across four databases (Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and ERIC), relevant journals, and retrieved bibliography of selected articles. In total, searches produced 4,869 references, from which 16 studies met the inclusion criteria. Results: Main themes were coded in three categories: The support of autonomy, competence and relatedness. The research-based evidence appears to be of reasonable quality, and indicates that teachers should work to satisfy students’ basic psychological needs to foster internalization of self-regulation. Our findings suggest that teachers should interact with students in a more ‘human centred’ teaching style, as these actions predict motivational internalization. Several themes emerged from different contexts and further investigation should expand them. Conclusion: This review identified actions that clinical teachers could implement in their daily work to support students’ self-determination. Autonomy supportive teaching in health professions educations would benefit students and may actually result in more effective health care delivery. PMID:25855386

  17. Minnesota Developmental Achievement Centers: 1987 Survey Results. Policy Analysis Series, No. 28.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Minnesota Governor's Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities, St. Paul.

    This paper presents data collected from rehabilitation centers serving individuals with developmental disabilities in Minnesota, called Developmental Achievement Centers (DACs). The data focus on finances, programs, and clients, and are compared with data from previous years. All 97 providers of adult services in Minnesota completed the survey,…

  18. "Luchando y Logrando"/Struggling and Achieving: Resilience of Latina/o Math and Science Teacher Candidates at California Hispanic-Serving Institutions: A Critical Race Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gonzalez, Laura

    2013-01-01

    Latin@ math and science students represent a resilient, determined, and encouraging group of high achievers. This qualitative study presents the narratives of 10 Latin@ science and math teacher candidates currently attending Hispanic-Serving Institutions in California. Semi structured, in-depth interviews were conducted, where participants shared…

  19. Gravity, God and Ghosts? Parents' Beliefs in Science, Religion, and the Paranormal and the Encouragement of Beliefs in Their Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Braswell, Gregory S.; Rosengren, Karl S.; Berenbaum, Howard

    2012-01-01

    Using a questionnaire, the present study examined parents' beliefs regarding the development of children's beliefs about science, religion, and the paranormal. The study also investigated parental encouragement of children's beliefs, as well as parents' own beliefs within these domains. Results revealed that parents make distinctions between…

  20. New educational tools to encourage high-school students' activity in stem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mayorova, Vera; Grishko, Dmitriy; Leonov, Victor

    2018-01-01

    Many students have to choose their future profession during their last years in the high school and therefore to choose a university where they will get proper education. That choice may define their professional life for many years ahead or probably for the rest of their lives. Bauman Moscow State Technical University conducts various events to introduce future professions to high-school students. Such activity helps them to pick specialization in line with their interests and motivates them to study key scientific subjects. The paper focuses on newly developed educational tools to encourage high school students' interest in STEM disciplines. These tools include laboratory courses developed in the fields of physics, information technologies and mathematics. More than 2000 high school students already participated in these experimental courses. These activities are aimed at increasing the quality of STEM disciplines learning which will result in higher quality of training of future engineers.

  1. The impact of tax reforms designed to encourage healthier grain consumption.

    PubMed

    Nordström, Jonas; Thunström, Linda

    2009-05-01

    In this paper, we simulate the effects of tax reforms aimed at encouraging healthier grain consumption. We use a rich data set on household grain consumption in 2003 from the market research institute GfK Sweden, combined with information on the nutritional content of the consumption. We estimate behavioral parameters, which are used to simulate the impact on the average household of tax reforms entailing either a subsidy on commodities particularly rich in fiber or a subsidy of the fiber density in grain products. Our results suggest that to direct the fiber intake towards nutritional recommendations, reforms with a substantial impact on consumer prices are required. Regardless of the type of subsidy implemented, the increase in the intake of fiber is accompanied by unwanted increases in nutrients that are often overconsumed: fat, salt and sugar. Funding the subsidies by taxing these nutrients, or less healthy commodities, helps to counteract such developments.

  2. Community Engagement through Collective Efficacy: Building Partnerships in an Urban Community to Encourage Collective Action to Increase Student Achievement in a Neighborhood School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mc Mullen, Vickie

    2012-01-01

    The challenge of ensuring educational equity, closing the achievement gap between African American students and White students attending public schools has gone on for half a century. As we enter the twenty-first century, neither educational reforms enacted by the public school system nor legislative actions, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of…

  3. Green Team Hosts Plant Swap to Encourage Gardening | Poster

    Cancer.gov

    By Carolynne Keenan, Contributing Writer What started out as a way for Howard Young, Ph.D., to thin out his garden last fall turned into the NCI at Frederick Green Team’s Plant Swap. The group held its Fall Plant Swap on October 24, encouraging all members of the Fort Detrick community to pick up a free plant or swap a plant of theirs for another. “Those who love to garden introduce others to the joy of gardening,” said Dolores Winterstein, a member of the Green Team and the coordinator of the Fall Plant Swap.

  4. Bringing Academics on Board: Encouraging Institution-Wide Diffusion of e-Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Birch, Dawn; Burnett, Bruce

    2009-01-01

    Rapid advances in educational and information communications technology (ICT) have encouraged some educators to move beyond traditional face to face and distance education correspondence modes toward a rich, technology mediated e-learning environment. Ready access to multimedia at the desktop has provided the opportunity for educators to develop…

  5. The influence of parental encouragement and caring about healthy eating on children's diet quality and body weights.

    PubMed

    Faught, Erin; Vander Ploeg, Kerry; Chu, Yen Li; Storey, Kate; Veugelers, Paul J

    2016-04-01

    In order to mitigate childhood obesity, evidence on what influences children's health behaviours is needed to inform new health promotion strategies. The present study investigated the association between parental practices and their child's diet and body weight status. Grade 5 students and their parents completed health surveys. Parents were asked how much they 'encourage their child to eat healthy foods' and how much they 'personally care about healthy eating'. Children's diet quality and vegetable and fruit intake were assessed using an FFQ. Children's heights and weights were measured to determine body weight status. Mixed-effects regression models were used to determine the influence of parental responses on the outcomes of interest. Elementary schools across the province of Alberta, Canada. Grade 5 students (aged 10 and 11 years; n 8388) and their parent(s). Most parents reported caring about healthy eating and encouraging their child to eat healthy foods at least quite a lot. Children whose parents who cared or encouraged 'very much' compared with 'quite a lot' were more likely have better diet quality and were less likely to be overweight. Children whose parents both cared and encouraged 'very much' compared with 'quite a lot' scored an average of 2·06 points higher on the diet quality index (β=2·06; 95 % CI 1·45, 2·66). Health promotion strategies that aim for a high level of parental interest and encouragement of their children to eat healthy foods may improve diet quality and prevent overweight among children.

  6. Effects of Achievement Goals on Challenge Seeking and Feedback Processing: Behavioral and fMRI Evidence

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Woogul; Kim, Sung-il

    2014-01-01

    We conducted behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research to investigate the effects of two types of achievement goals—mastery goals and performance-approach goals— on challenge seeking and feedback processing. The results of the behavioral experiment indicated that mastery goals were associated with a tendency to seek challenge, both before and after experiencing difficulty during task performance, whereas performance-approach goals were related to a tendency to avoid challenge after encountering difficulty during task performance. The fMRI experiment uncovered a significant decrease in ventral striatal activity when participants received negative feedback for any task type and both forms of achievement goals. During the processing of negative feedback for the rule-finding task, performance-approach-oriented participants showed a substantial reduction in activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the frontopolar cortex, whereas mastery-oriented participants showed little change. These results suggest that performance-approach-oriented participants are less likely to either recruit control processes in response to negative feedback or focus on task-relevant information provided alongside the negative feedback. In contrast, mastery-oriented participants are more likely to modulate aversive valuations to negative feedback and focus on the constructive elements of feedback in order to attain their task goals. We conclude that performance-approach goals lead to a reluctant stance towards difficulty, while mastery goals encourage a proactive stance. PMID:25251396

  7. Confidence in Science and Achievement Outcomes of Fourth-Grade Students in Korea: Results from the TIMSS 2011 Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    House, J. Daniel; Telese, James A.

    2017-01-01

    Findings from assessments of fourth-grade science have indicated that students in Korea scored higher than international averages. Research results have also shown that attitudes toward science were related to achievement outcomes for Korean students. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between confidence in science and…

  8. Encouraging Editorial Flexibility in Cases of Textual Reuse.

    PubMed

    Roig, Miguel

    2017-04-01

    Because many technical descriptions of scientific processes and phenomena are difficult to paraphrase and because an increasing proportion of contributors to the scientific literature are not sufficiently proficient at writing in English, it is proposed that journal editors re-examine their approaches toward instances of textual reuse (similarity). The plagiarism definition by the US Office of Research Integrity (ORI) is more suitable than other definitions for dealing with cases of ostensible plagiarism. Editors are strongly encouraged to examine cases of textual reuse in the context of both, the ORI guidance and the offending authors' proficiency in English. Editors should also reconsider making plagiarism determinations based exclusively on text similarity scores reported by plagiarism detection software. © 2017 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.

  9. Understanding students' motivation in project work: a 2 x 2 achievement goal approach.

    PubMed

    Liu, Woon Chia; Wang, C K John; Tan, Oon Seng; Ee, Jessie; Koh, Caroline

    2009-03-01

    The project work (PW) initiative was launched in 2000 by the Ministry of Education, Singapore, to encourage application of knowledge across disciplines, and to develop thinking, communication, collaboration, and metacognitive skills. Although PW has been introduced for a few years, few studies have examined the motivation of students in PW, especially with the use of the recently proposed 2 x 2 achievement goal framework. To use a cluster analytic approach to identify students' achievement goal profiles at an intra-individual level, and to examine their links to various psychological characteristics and perceived outcomes in PW. Participants were 491 Secondary 2 students (mean age = 13.78, SD = 0.77) from two government coeducational schools. Cluster analysis was performed to identify distinct subgroups of students with similar achievement goal profiles. One-way MANOVAs, followed by post hoc Tukey HSD tests for pairwise comparisons were used to determine whether there was any significant difference amongst clusters in terms of the psychological characteristics and perceived outcomes in PW. Four distinct clusters of students were identified. The cluster with high achievement goals and the cluster with moderately high goals had the most positive psychological characteristics and perceived outcomes. In contrast, the cluster with very low scores for all four achievement goals had the most maladaptive profile. The study provides support for the 2 x 2 achievement goal framework, and demonstrates that multiple goals can operate simultaneously. However, it highlights the need for cross-cultural studies to look into the approach-avoidance dimension in the 2 x 2 achievement goal framework.

  10. Developing Point-of-Decision Prompts to Encourage Airport Walking: The Walk to Fly Study.

    PubMed

    Frederick, Ginny M; Paul, Prabasaj; Bachtel Watson, Kathleen; Dorn, Joan M; Fulton, Janet

    2016-04-01

    Point-of-decision prompts may be appropriate to promote walking, instead of using a mechanized mode of transport, such as a train, in airports. To our knowledge, no current studies describe the development of messages for prompts in this setting. In-person interviews were conducted with 150 randomly selected airport travelers who rode the train to their departure gate. Travelers reported various reasons for riding the train to their gate. They were asked about messages that would encourage them to walk. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted for reasons for riding the train. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for messages to encourage walking to the departure gate. Travelers reported not knowing walking was an option (23.8%), seeing others riding the train (14.4%), and being afraid of getting lost (9.2%) as reasons for riding the train. Many indicated that directional signs and prompts promoting walking as exercise would encourage them to walk instead of riding the train. Some reasons for riding the train in an airport may be modifiable by installing point-of-decision prompts. Providing directional signs to travelers may prompt them to walk to their gate instead of riding the train. Similar prompts may also be considered in other community settings.

  11. Needing a nudge: the effect of encouragement on submission rates and journal selection.

    PubMed

    Wendling, Andrea; Brocato, Joseph

    2014-06-01

    Mentorship within academic institutions influences research productivity; no published studies have addressed whether encouragement on a national level would have similar effects. We studied whether contact by a journal's editorial board members would affect submission rates or journal selection by authors. Authors of potentially publishable conference materials presented at national conferences sponsored by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine were randomized to receive an invitation to submit work to Family Medicine or to receive no contact. After 2 years, we surveyed authors regarding whether a manuscript had been attempted and, if completed, where it had been submitted and eventually published. A total of 345 submissions were reviewed, 72 met inclusion criteria, and 41 authors responded to the survey (57%). There were no differences in demographics, scholarly activity in general, or faculty status between study groups. There was no significant difference in whether manuscripts based on targeted projects had been written, completed, submitted, or published. There was a significant difference in where manuscripts were submitted with the inviting journal receiving proportionately more submissions from the group of authors that had been contacted (90% Contacted group, 43% No-Contact). Simple encouragement from editorial board members of a national peer-reviewed journal in the form of a single e-mail invitation did not increase the scholarly production of authors. Encouragement may, however, increase the likelihood that completed works are submitted to the inviting journal, which is a useful finding for journals interested in soliciting scholarly works of interest.

  12. Exploring the use of a gamified intervention for encouraging physical activity in adolescents: a qualitative longitudinal study in Northern Ireland.

    PubMed

    Corepal, Rekesh; Best, Paul; O'Neill, Roisin; Tully, Mark A; Edwards, Mark; Jago, Russell; Miller, Sarah J; Kee, Frank; Hunter, Ruth F

    2018-04-20

    To explore the temporal changes of adolescents' views and experiences of participating in a gamified intervention to encourage physical activity behaviour and associated processes of behaviour change. A qualitative longitudinal design was adopted whereby focus groups were conducted with the same participants in each intervention school (n=3) at four time-points (baseline, end of each of two intervention phases and 1-year follow-up). The framework method was used to thematically analyse the data. Secondary schools (n=3), Belfast (Northern Ireland). A subsample (n=19 at four time-points) of individuals aged 12-14 years who participated in the StepSmart Challenge, a gamified intervention involving a pedometer competition and material rewards to encourage physical activity behaviour change. Three core themes were identified: (1) competition; (2) incentives and (3) influence of friends. Participants indicated that a pedometer competition may help initiate physical activity but suggested that there were a number of barriers such as participants finding it ' boring ', and feeling as though they had a remote chance of ' winning '. 'Incentives' were viewed favourably, although there were participants who found not winning a prize ' annoying '. Friends were a motivator to be more physically active, particularly for girls who felt encouraged to walk more when with a friend. The intervention in general and specific gamified elements were generally viewed positively and deemed acceptable. Results suggest that gamification may have an important role to play in encouraging adolescents to engage in physical activity and in creating interventions that are fun and enjoyable. The longitudinal approach added additional depth to the analysis as themes were refined and tested with participants over time. The findings also suggest that gamified Behaviour Change Techniques align well with core concepts of Self-determination Theory and that various game elements may require tailoring for

  13. Understanding and encouraging volunteerism and community involvement.

    PubMed

    Stukas, Arthur A; Snyder, Mark; Clary, E Gil

    2016-01-01

    Volunteerism and community involvement have been demonstrated to offer benefits both to communities and to volunteers themselves. However, not every method to encourage these behaviors is equally effective in producing committed volunteers. Drawing on relevant theoretical and empirical literatures, we identify features of efforts that are likely to produce intrinsically motivated other-oriented volunteers and those that may produce extrinsically motivated self-oriented volunteers. In particular, we explore ways to socialize young people to help and ways to build a sense of community focused on particular issues. We also examine requirements for community service and other approaches that highlight self-oriented benefits that volunteers may obtain. Finally, we return to a focus on the importance of intrinsic motivation for promoting sustained involvement in volunteers, even as we acknowledge that volunteers who come with extrinsic or self-oriented reasons can still offer much to communities and can be satisfied when their activities match their motivations.

  14. Effects of a workplace travel plan intervention encouraging active travel to work: outcomes from a three-year time-series study.

    PubMed

    Petrunoff, N; Wen, L M; Rissel, C

    2016-06-01

    To evaluate the effects of a three-year workplace travel plan intervention on increasing active travel to work. A time-series study with staff was conducted in 2011 (n = 804), 2012 (n = 904), 2013 (n = 872) and 2014 (n = 687). A travel plan was implemented at a large, outer-suburban worksite in Sydney, Australia. Implementation was assessed by reviewing annual reports including travel plan actions and their status. Annual cross-sectional on-line surveys assessed primary outcomes which included change in the proportion of staff travelling to work via active modes. Multivariate logistic regression was used to adjust for confounders. Strategies to encourage active travel were partially implemented. An average survey response rate was 23% (n = 817). The proportion of staff travelling actively to work increased by 4%-6% across intervention years compared to the baseline, and this increase was significant in 2012 (P = 0.04) and 2013 (P = 0.003). Compared to baseline, after adjusting for distances staff lived from work staff had 33% (95% CI 1%-74%) greater odds of travelling to work via active modes in 2012, and 50% (95% CI 15%-96%) greater odds in 2013. There was no evidence of change in physical activity levels. A workplace travel plan which only included strategies to encourage active travel to work achieved small but significant increases in active travel. Workplace travel plans appear to be a promising way to increase active travel to work. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. All rights reserved.

  15. Mathematics beliefs and achievement of adolescent students in Japan: results from the TIMSS 1999 assessment.

    PubMed

    House, J Daniel

    2005-12-01

    A recent study (1) of undergraduate students in a precalculus course indicated that they expressed slightly positive attitudes toward mathematics. It is important, however, to examine relationships between students' initial attitudes and achievement outcomes. The present purpose was to assess the relationship between self-beliefs and mathematics achievement for a large national sample of students from the TIMSS 1999 international sample (eighth graders) from Japan. Several significant relationships between mathematics beliefs and test scores were noted. In addition, the overall multiple regression equation that assessed the joint significance of the complete set of self-belief variables was significant (F7.65 = 159.48, p < .001) and explained 20.6% of the variance in mathematics achievement test scores.

  16. Educating for Critical Thinking: Thought-Encouraging Questions in a Community of Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Golding, Clinton

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents one method for educating for critical thinking in Higher Education. It elaborates Richard Paul's method of Socratic questioning to show how students can learn to be critical thinkers. This method combines and uses the wider pedagogical and critical thinking literature in a new way: it emphasises a thinking-encouraging approach…

  17. Motivation of employers to encourage their employees to use safety belts (Phase 1)

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1982-05-01

    For the purpose of motivating employers to encourage their employees to use safety belts, a manual for employers, "The Profit in Safety Belts: A View for Employers", is developed. The manual brings to the attention of employers the various cost eleme...

  18. Manufacturing of glassy thin shell for adaptive optics: results achieved

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poutriquet, F.; Rinchet, A.; Carel, J.-L.; Leplan, H.; Ruch, E.; Geyl, R.; Marque, G.

    2012-07-01

    Glassy thin shells are key components for the development of adaptive optics and are part of future & innovative projects such as ELT. However, manufacturing thin shells is a real challenge. Even though optical requirements for the front face - or optical face - are relaxed compared to conventional passive mirrors, requirements concerning thickness uniformity are difficult to achieve. In addition, process has to be completely re-defined as thin mirror generates new manufacturing issues. In particular, scratches and digs requirement is more difficult as this could weaken the shell, handling is also an important issue due to the fragility of the mirror. Sagem, through REOSC program, has recently manufactured different types of thin shells in the frame of European projects: E-ELT M4 prototypes and VLT Deformable Secondary Mirror (VLT DSM).

  19. Achieving fruit, juice, and vegetable recipe preparation goals influences consumption by 4th grade students

    PubMed Central

    Cullen, Karen W; Watson, Kathy B; Zakeri, Issa; Baranowski, Tom; Baranowski, Janice H

    2007-01-01

    Background Including children in food preparation activities has long been recommended as a method to encourage children's consumption, but has not been evaluated. Goal setting is also a common component of behavior change programs. This study assessed the impact of attaining goals to prepare fruit-juice or vegetable recipes on student fruit and vegetable consumption as part of a 10-week fruit and vegetable intervention for fourth grade students. Methods At six of the 10 sessions, students (n = 671) selected a fruit-juice or vegetable recipe to prepare at home before the next session. Students returned parent-signed notes reporting their child's goal attainment. Baseline and post consumption were assessed with up to four days of dietary recalls. Analyses included regression models predicting post consumption from the number of fruit-juice or vegetable recipe preparation goals attained, controlling for baseline consumption. Results In general, girls and Hispanic students achieved the most recipe preparation goals. For students with highest baseline fruit-juice consumption, post fruit-juice consumption was higher by about 1.0 serving for those achieving 2 or 3 fruit-juice recipe preparation goals. Post vegetable consumption was highest for students reporting the highest baseline vegetable consumption and who achieved two or three vegetable recipe preparation goals. In general, recipe goal setting was a useful procedure primarily for those with high baseline consumption. Conclusion This is one of the first reports demonstrating that home recipe preparation was correlated with dietary change among children. PMID:17603875

  20. The Sustained Impact of Teacher Encouragement on Elementary Students' Vegetable Snack Consumption: Initial Findings from a Wisconsin Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jamelske, Eric M.; Vernon, Erin

    2018-01-01

    Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of teacher encouragement on elementary school student vegetable snack consumption. Methods: Twelve Wisconsin elementary school teachers were randomly assigned different levels of encouragement procedures during vegetable snack time. The consumption levels of 218 students…

  1. Physical activity and academic achievement across the curriculum: Results from a 3-year cluster-randomized trial.

    PubMed

    Donnelly, Joseph E; Hillman, Charles H; Greene, Jerry L; Hansen, David M; Gibson, Cheryl A; Sullivan, Debra K; Poggio, John; Mayo, Matthew S; Lambourne, Kate; Szabo-Reed, Amanda N; Herrmann, Stephen D; Honas, Jeffery J; Scudder, Mark R; Betts, Jessica L; Henley, Katherine; Hunt, Suzanne L; Washburn, Richard A

    2017-06-01

    We compared changes in academic achievement across 3years between children in elementary schools receiving the Academic Achievement and Physical Activity Across the Curriculum intervention (A+PAAC), in which classroom teachers were trained to deliver academic lessons using moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) compared to a non-intervention control. Elementary schools in eastern Kansas (n=17) were cluster randomized to A+PAAC (N=9, target ≥100min/week) or control (N=8). Academic achievement (math, reading, spelling) was assessed using the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Third Edition (WIAT-III) in a sample of children (A+PAAC=316, Control=268) in grades 2 and 3 at baseline (Fall 2011) and repeated each spring across 3years. On average 55min/week of A+PACC lessons were delivered each week across the intervention. Baseline WIAT-III scores (math, reading, spelling) were significantly higher in students in A+PAAC compared with control schools and improved in both groups across 3years. However, linear mixed modeling, accounting for baseline between group differences in WIAT-III scores, ethnicity, family income, and cardiovascular fitness, found no significant impact of A+PAAC on any of the academic achievement outcomes as determined by non-significant group by time interactions. A+PAAC neither diminished or improved academic achievement across 3-years in elementary school children compared with controls. Our target of 100min/week of active lessons was not achieved; however, students attending A+PAAC schools received an additional 55min/week of MVPA which may be associated with both physical and mental health benefits, without a reduction in time devoted to academic instruction. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  2. The effects of implicit encouragement and the putative confession on children's memory reports.

    PubMed

    Cleveland, Kyndra C; Quas, Jodi A; Lyon, Thomas D

    2018-06-01

    The current study tested the effects of two interview techniques on children's report productivity and accuracy following exposure to suggestion: implicit encouragement (backchanneling, use of children's names) and the putative confession (telling children that a suspect "told me everything that happened and wants you to tell the truth"). One hundred and forty-three, 3-8-year-old children participated in a classroom event. One week later, they took part in a highly suggestive conversation about the event and then a mock forensic interview in which the two techniques were experimentally manipulated. Greater use of implicit encouragement led to increases, with age, in children's narrative productivity. Neither technique improved or reduced children's accuracy. No increases in errors about previously suggested information were evident when children received either technique. Implications for the use of these techniques in child forensic interviews are discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. What Hispanic parents do to encourage and discourage 3-5 year old children to be active: a qualitative study using nominal group technique

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Purpose Hispanic preschoolers are less active than their non-Hispanic peers. As part of a feasibility study to assess environmental and parenting influences on preschooler physical activity (PA) (Niños Activos), the aim of this study was to identify what parents do to encourage or discourage PA among Hispanic 3-5 year old children to inform the development of a new PA parenting practice instrument and future interventions to increase PA among Hispanic youth. Methods Nominal Group Technique (NGT), a structured multi-step group procedure, was used to elicit and prioritize responses from 10 groups of Hispanic parents regarding what parents do to encourage (5 groups) or discourage (5 groups) preschool aged children to be active. Five groups consisted of parents with low education (less than high school) and 5 with high education (high school or greater) distributed between the two NGT questions. Results Ten NGT groups (n = 74, range 4-11/group) generated 20-46 and 42-69 responses/group for practices that encourage or discourage PA respectively. Eight to 18 responses/group were elected as the most likely to encourage or discourage PA. Parental engagement in child activities, modeling PA, and feeding the child well were identified as parenting practices that encourage child PA. Allowing TV and videogame use, psychological control, physical or emotional abuse, and lack of parental engagement emerged as parenting practices that discourage children from being active. There were few differences in the pattern of responses by education level. Conclusions Parents identified ways they encourage and discourage 3-5 year-olds from PA, suggesting both are important targets for interventions. These will inform the development of a new PA parenting practice scale to be further evaluated. Further research should explore the role parents play in discouraging child PA, especially in using psychological control or submitting children to abuse, which were new findings in this study

  4. Vocational Anticipatory Socialization: College Students' Reports of Encouraging/Discouraging Sources and Messages

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Powers, Samantha Rae; Myers, Karen K.

    2017-01-01

    Framed by social cognitive career theory, this study identified college students' perceptions of the most influential sources and content of encouraging/discouraging career messages (vocational anticipatory socialization [VAS]). A survey of 873 university students found that mothers, followed by teachers/professors, friends, and fathers, were…

  5. SmartTrips Ithaca : encouraging sustainable transportation options through a personalized educational campaign : final report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-03-01

    SmartTrips Ithaca is a neighborhood-based personalized educational campaign that encouraged residents : of downtown Ithaca to try out sustainable modes of transportation such as walking, biking, transit, and : carsharing through incentives and commun...

  6. Encouraging Democratic Transitions: The Problematic Impact of United States’ Involvement

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-06-20

    more abstractly, democracy is consolidated when uncertainty is institutionalized: nobody can control the outcomes of the political process ex post ...for Change in Cuba", Miami Herald, May 27, 1990. See also, Al Kamen, "US Encourages Soviets to Aid Salvadoran Talks". Washington Post , October 18, 1990...Report, September 13, 1990, p. 10, and "Cuba Cuts Fuel Consumption as Soviet Oil Deliveries Fall", Washington Post , August 30, 1990. 20 not even call

  7. Helping Librarians To Encourage Critical Thinking through Active Learning Techniques in Library Instruction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swaine, Cynthia Wright

    Encouraging librarians to incorporate critical thinking skills and active learning techniques in their course instruction requires more than talking about it in a department meeting or distributing articles on the topic. At Old Dominion University (Virginia), librarians have tried conducting workshops, had readily-accessible binders of articles…

  8. Taking advantage of ground data systems attributes to achieve quality results in testing software

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sigman, Clayton B.; Koslosky, John T.; Hageman, Barbara H.

    1994-01-01

    During the software development life cycle process, basic testing starts with the development team. At the end of the development process, an acceptance test is performed for the user to ensure that the deliverable is acceptable. Ideally, the delivery is an operational product with zero defects. However, the goal of zero defects is normally not achieved but is successful to various degrees. With the emphasis on building low cost ground support systems while maintaining a quality product, a key element in the test process is simulator capability. This paper reviews the Transportable Payload Operations Control Center (TPOCC) Advanced Spacecraft Simulator (TASS) test tool that is used in the acceptance test process for unmanned satellite operations control centers. The TASS is designed to support the development, test and operational environments of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) operations control centers. The TASS uses the same basic architecture as the operations control center. This architecture is characterized by its use of distributed processing, industry standards, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software components, and reusable software. The TASS uses much of the same TPOCC architecture and reusable software that the operations control center developer uses. The TASS also makes use of reusable simulator software in the mission specific versions of the TASS. Very little new software needs to be developed, mainly mission specific telemetry communication and command processing software. By taking advantage of the ground data system attributes, successful software reuse for operational systems provides the opportunity to extend the reuse concept into the test area. Consistency in test approach is a major step in achieving quality results.

  9. Encouraging a Culture of Outreach in Astronomy Clubs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manning, J.; Berendsen, M.; Schultz, G.; Gurton, S.; Santascoy, J.; White, V.; Frank, K.; Jones, E.; Yocco, V.; John, M. S.; Castori, P.

    2014-07-01

    Astronomy clubs constitute a “marching army” of knowledgeable, experienced astronomy enthusiasts deployed in a national network: an important resource for engaging the public through educational outreach events and activities. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) in partnership with the Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI) and Inverness Research, Inc., has been engaged in a multi-year NSF-supported project focusing on this network and its potential to advance astronomy education and outreach. The project has explored the culture of astronomy clubs, identified impediments to building cultures of outreach within clubs, and developed and introduced new mechanisms to overcome these impediments and enhance clubs' abilities to encourage and sustain cultures that value and promote outreach efforts. This paper shares initial research, development and evaluation findings of the project, and describes ongoing supplemental efforts that continue to advance project objectives.

  10. Providing earplugs to young adults at risk encourages protective behaviour in music venues.

    PubMed

    Beach, Elizabeth Francis; Nielsen, Lillian; Gilliver, Megan

    2016-06-01

    For some young people, nightclubs and other music venues are a major source of noise exposure, arising from a combination of very high noise levels; relatively long attendance duration; and frequent, sustained participation over several years. Responsibility for hearing protection is largely left to individuals, many of whom choose not to wear earplugs. In order to encourage earplug use in these settings, a new approach is needed. The aim of the study was to examine whether presentation of hearing health information would result in increased use of earplugs, or whether provision of earplugs alone would be sufficient to change behaviour. A total of 51 regular patrons of music venues were allocated to either a low-information (lo-info) or high-information (hi-info) group. Both groups completed a survey about their current noise exposure, earplug usage and perceived risk of hearing damage. Both groups were also provided with one-size-fits-all filtered music earplugs. The hi-info group was also provided with audio-visual and written information about the risks of excessive noise exposure. After 4 weeks, and again after an additional 12 weeks, participants were asked about their recent earplug usage, intention to use earplugs in the future, and perceived risk of hearing damage. The results showed that after 4 weeks, the hi-info group's perceived personal risk of hearing damage was significantly higher than that of the lo-info group. After 16 weeks, these differences were no longer evident; however, at both 4 and 16 weeks, both the lo- and hi-info groups were using the earplugs equally often; and both groups intended to use earplugs significantly more often in the future. This suggests that the information was unnecessary to motivate behavioural change. Rather, the simple act of providing access to earplugs appears to have effectively encouraged young at-risk adults to increase their earplug use. © The Author(s) 2015.

  11. Strategies to Encourage a Sustainable Interorganizational Collaborative Culture

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glowacki-Dudka, Michelle; Murray, Jennifer

    2015-01-01

    Interorganizational collaboration allows community organizations to work together to achieve common goals without duplicating services. Collaboration creates challenges when working with organizations from different sectors, but it can be achieved even if it is for a limited time. In this paper, we examine a case study conducted with collaborative…

  12. Time Is of the Essence: Factors Encouraging Out-of-Class Study Time

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fukuda, Steve T.; Yoshida, Hiroshi

    2013-01-01

    Out-of-class study time is essential in students' language learning, but few studies in ELT measure out-of-class study time or investigate how teachers can encourage, rather than demand it. In Japan, out-of-class study time is lower than might be expected, ranging from zero to an hour per week. This study therefore sets out to establish those…

  13. Encouraging an ecological evolution of data infrastructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parsons, M. A.

    2015-12-01

    Infrastructure is often thought of as a complex physical construct usually designed to transport information or things (e.g. electricity, water, cars, money, sound, data…). The Research Data Alliance (RDA) takes a more holistic view and considers infrastructure as a complex body of relationships between people, machines, and organisations. This paper will describe how this more ecological perspective leads RDA to define and govern an agile virtual organization. We seek to harness the power of the volunteer, through an open problem solving approach that focusses on the problems of our individual members and their organisations. We focus on implementing solutions that make data sharing work better without defining a priori what is necessary. We do not judge the fitness of a solution, per se, but instead assess how broadly the solution is adopted, recognizing that adoption is often the social challenge of technical problem. We seek to encourage a bottoms up approach with light guidance on principles from the top. The goal is to develop community solutions that solve real problems today yet are adaptive to changing technologies and needs.

  14. Intention to Encourage Complementary and Alternative Medicine among General Practitioners and Medical Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Godin, Gaston; Beaulieu, Dominique; Touchette, Jean-Sebastien; Lambert, Leo-Daniel; Dodin, Sylvie

    2007-01-01

    The authors' goal was to identify factors explaining intention to encourage a patient to follow complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatment among general practitioners (GPs), fourth-year medical students, and residents in family medicine. They surveyed 500 GPs and 904 medical students via a self-administered mailed questionnaire that…

  15. Can incentives make a difference? Assessing the effects of policy tools for encouraging tree-planting on private lands.

    PubMed

    Ruseva, Tatyana B; Evans, Tom P; Fischer, Burnell C

    2015-05-15

    This study uses a mail survey of private landowners in the Midwest United States to understand the characteristics of owners who have planted trees or intend to plant trees in the future. The analysis examines what policy tools encourage owners to plant trees, and how policy tools operate across different ownership attributes to promote tree-planting on private lands. Logistic regression results suggest that cost-subsidizing policy tools, such as low-cost and free seedlings, significantly increase the odds of actual and planned reforestation when landowners consider them important for increasing forest cover. Individuals most likely to plant trees, when low-cost seedlings are available and important, are fairly recent (<5 years), college-educated owners who own small parcels (<4 ha) and use the land for recreation. Motivations to reforest were also shaped by owners' planning horizons, connection to the land, previous tree-planting experience, and peer influence. The study has relevance for the design of policy approaches that can encourage private forestation through provision of economic incentives and capacity to private landowners. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Individuals Achieve More Accurate Results with Meters That Are Codeless and Employ Dynamic Electrochemistry

    PubMed Central

    Rao, Anoop; Wiley, Meg; Iyengar, Sridhar; Nadeau, Dan; Carnevale, Julie

    2010-01-01

    Background Studies have shown that controlling blood glucose can reduce the onset and progression of the long-term microvascular and neuropathic complications associated with the chronic course of diabetes mellitus. Improved glycemic control can be achieved by frequent testing combined with changes in medication, exercise, and diet. Technological advancements have enabled improvements in analytical accuracy of meters, and this paper explores two such parameters to which that accuracy can be attributed. Methods Four blood glucose monitoring systems (with or without dynamic electrochemistry algorithms, codeless or requiring coding prior to testing) were evaluated and compared with respect to their accuracy. Results Altogether, 108 blood glucose values were obtained for each system from 54 study participants and compared with the reference values. The analysis depicted in the International Organization for Standardization table format indicates that the devices with dynamic electrochemistry and the codeless feature had the highest proportion of acceptable results overall (System A, 101/103). Results were significant when compared at the 10% bias level with meters that were codeless and utilized static electrochemistry (p = .017) or systems that had static electrochemistry but needed coding (p = .008). Conclusions Analytical performance of these blood glucose meters differed significantly depending on their technologic features. Meters that utilized dynamic electrochemistry and did not require coding were more accurate than meters that used static electrochemistry or required coding. PMID:20167178

  17. Silence is golden: effect of encouragement in motivating the weak link in an online exercise video game.

    PubMed

    Irwin, Brandon C; Feltz, Deborah L; Kerr, Norbert L

    2013-06-04

    Despite the physical and mental health benefits, few adults meet US Department of Health and Human Services physical activity guidelines for exercise frequency, intensity, and duration. One strategy that may increase physical activity duration is exercising with an Internet partner (ie, someone who is virtually present, as in video chat). Internet partners help people overcome many barriers associated with face-to-face exercise groups (eg, time, coordinating schedules, social physique anxiety). Past research examining individual performance in groups suggests that an increase in effort occurs when performing a task conjunctively, ie, when a participant is (1) less capable than fellow group members, and (2) participants efforts are particularly indispensable for group success (ie, where the group's potential productivity is equal to the productivity of its least capable member). This boost in effort is more commonly known as the Köhler effect, named after the German psychologist who first observed the effect. While encouragement between group members is common practice in face-to-face group exercise, the effect of encouragement between partners exercising conjunctively across the Internet is unknown. To examine the impact of exercising alone, compared to exercising conjunctively with an Internet partner, both with and without encouragement, on exercise persistence (primary outcomes) and secondary psychosocial outcomes (self-efficacy, enjoyment, exercise intention). Participants were recruited online and face-to-face from the campus of Michigan State University. With the assistance of the experimenter, participants (n=115) played an exercise video game in a laboratory, performing a series of five abdominal plank exercises where they were asked to hold the plank for as long as possible (Time 1). They were then randomized to a condition (Individual, Partner-without-encouragement, or Partner-with-encouragement), where they performed the exercises again (Time 2). The

  18. The CSI Academy: Encouraging Diverse Students to Consider Science Careers and Science Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaye, Karen; Turner, John F.; Emigh, James

    2011-01-01

    The CSI academies employed a multi-layered, collaborative approach to encourage diverse students to consider STEM careers, including science teaching. The academies recruited a diverse group of high school students. This was due, in large part, to the creation of a unique selection process that identified students with unrealized potential. The…

  19. Using Cash Incentives to Encourage Progress of Welfare Recipients in Adult Basic Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ziegler, Mary; Ebert, Olga; Cope, Gail

    2004-01-01

    Welfare reform legislation in Tennessee provided adult basic education classes for welfare recipients whose literacy skills were below ninth grade. Although more than half of those eligible enrolled in adult basic education, many dropped out. The Completion Bonus, a cash incentive program, was instituted to encourage the completion of education…

  20. School Climate, Peer Victimization, and Academic Achievement: Results from a Multi-Informant Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Weijun; Vaillancourt, Tracy; Brittain, Heather L.; McDougall, Patricia; Krygsman, Amanda; Smith, David; Cunningham, Charles E.; Haltigan, J. D.; Hymel, Shelley

    2014-01-01

    School-level school climate was examined in relation to self-reported peer victimization and teacher-rated academic achievement (grade point average; GPA). Participants included a sample of 1,023 fifth-grade children nested within 50 schools. Associations between peer victimization, school climate, and GPA were examined using multilevel modeling,…

  1. OHS Encouraged Employees to “Take a Hike” Twice in April | Poster

    Cancer.gov

    By Carolynne Keenan, Contributing Writer The chilly weather didn’t dampen the spirits of Take a Hike Day participants on Wednesday, April 2. Over 50 employees braved cool, misty weather to walk or jog around Fort Detrick during their lunch hours. “The Take a Hike Day is [a way] to encourage everyone to get up and get moving,” said Sarah Hooper, RN, manager of Occupational

  2. Entrepreneur achievement. Liaoning province.

    PubMed

    Zhao, R

    1994-03-01

    This paper reports the successful entrepreneurial endeavors of members of a 20-person women's group in Liaoning Province, China. Jing Yuhong, a member of the Family Planning Association at Shileizi Village, Dalian City, provided the basis for their achievements by first building an entertainment/study room in her home to encourage married women to learn family planning. Once stocked with books, magazines, pamphlets, and other materials on family planning and agricultural technology, dozens of married women in the neighborhood flocked voluntarily to the room. Yuhong also set out to give these women a way to earn their own income as a means of helping then gain greater equality with their husbands and exert greater control over their personal reproductive and social lives. She gave a section of her farming land to the women's group, loaned approximately US$5200 to group members to help them generate income from small business initiatives, built a livestock shed in her garden for the group to raise marmots, and erected an awning behind her house under which mushrooms could be grown. The investment yielded $12,000 in the first year, allowing each woman to keep more than $520 in dividends. Members then soon began going to fairs in the capital and other places to learn about the outside world, and have successfully ventured out on their own to generate individual incomes. Ten out of twenty women engaged in these income-generating activities asked for and got the one-child certificate.

  3. The Diversity Board: Encouraging Students To Interact with Others in a Multicultural Society.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dillon, Randy K.; Maben, Bethany A.

    This paper offers a lesson plan for a classroom activity, called the "diversity board" which challenges and encourages college students to think seriously about what diversity means and how diversity influences behaviors and communication between people. The paper states that, in less than 20 years, racial and ethnic groups in The United…

  4. Encouraging Student Interest in the Economic Context of the Constitution with Continental Currency

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Potter, Lee Ann

    2014-01-01

    Introducing students to continental currency may well encourage their interest in the economic context of the Constitution and their understanding of a wide range of economic concepts. This brief article describes a lesson to familiarize students with continental currency and its relationship to Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution and the…

  5. EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Centers for Water Research on National Priorities Related to a Systems View of Nutrient Management

    EPA Science Inventory

    This poster describes the missions and objectives of four newly-awarded Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Centers. There is also a description of how the projects fit together to meet solicitation research questions.

  6. Science Achievement of Elementary and Secondary School Students in Japan: The Results of the IEA Study. NIER Occasional Paper 01/89.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miyake, Misao

    This document reports the state of science achievement of Japanese students based on the Second International Science study conducted in 1983-84. Results are compared to the first study conducted in 1970. The target populations, samples, and structure of the second study are described. Test results including score distribution and high and low…

  7. Monetary incentives in support of academic achievement: results of a randomized field trial involving high-achieving, low-resource, ethnically diverse urban adolescents.

    PubMed

    Spencer, Margaret Beale; Noll, Elizabeth; Cassidy, Elaine

    2005-06-01

    Significant resources have been directed at understanding and alleviating the achievement gap in education. Most programs focused on this aim rely on a top-down approach, including funding for infrastructure improvement, curriculum development, class size, and teacher salaries. This article presents findings from a randomized field trial that evaluates a bottom-up approach in which high-achieving students of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds from poor families are given monetary incentives to maintain their academic standing. The evaluation was designed to explore the role of monetary incentives as a mechanism for promoting resiliency in the face of poverty-related challenge. Discussion of what motivates students to learn is framed as a function of normal cognitive and socioemotional development in challenging environments. Evaluation findings indicate that monetary incentives are effective in promoting academic success to different degrees and for different reasons depending on students' perception of the meaning of the incentive in relation to their emergent identity.

  8. The value of believing in free will: encouraging a belief in determinism increases cheating.

    PubMed

    Vohs, Kathleen D; Schooler, Jonathan W

    2008-01-01

    Does moral behavior draw on a belief in free will? Two experiments examined whether inducing participants to believe that human behavior is predetermined would encourage cheating. In Experiment 1, participants read either text that encouraged a belief in determinism (i.e., that portrayed behavior as the consequence of environmental and genetic factors) or neutral text. Exposure to the deterministic message increased cheating on a task in which participants could passively allow a flawed computer program to reveal answers to mathematical problems that they had been instructed to solve themselves. Moreover, increased cheating behavior was mediated by decreased belief in free will. In Experiment 2, participants who read deterministic statements cheated by overpaying themselves for performance on a cognitive task; participants who read statements endorsing free will did not. These findings suggest that the debate over free will has societal, as well as scientific and theoretical, implications.

  9. Encouraging Girls into Science and Technology with Feminine Role Model: Does This Work?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bamberger, Yael M.

    2014-01-01

    This study examines the effect of a program that aimed to encourage girls to choose a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career in Israel. The program involved school visits to a high-tech company and meeting with role model female scientists. Sixty ninth-grade female students from a Jewish modern-orthodox single-sex…

  10. A review of financial instruments to pay for predator conservation and encourage human–carnivore coexistence

    PubMed Central

    Dickman, Amy J.; Macdonald, Ewan A.; Macdonald, David W.

    2011-01-01

    One of the greatest challenges in biodiversity conservation today is how to facilitate protection of species that are highly valued at a global scale but have little or even negative value at a local scale. Imperiled species such as large predators can impose significant economic costs at a local level, often in poverty-stricken rural areas where households are least able to tolerate such costs, and impede efforts of local people, especially traditional pastoralists, to escape from poverty. Furthermore, the costs and benefits involved in predator conservation often include diverse dimensions, which are hard to quantify and nearly impossible to reconcile with one another. The best chance of effective conservation relies upon translating the global value of carnivores into tangible local benefits large enough to drive conservation “on the ground.” Although human–carnivore coexistence involves significant noneconomic values, providing financial incentives to those affected negatively by carnivore presence is a common strategy for encouraging such coexistence, and this can also have important benefits in terms of reducing poverty. Here, we provide a critical overview of such financial instruments, which we term “payments to encourage coexistence”; assess the pitfalls and potentials of these methods, particularly compensation and insurance, revenue-sharing, and conservation payments; and discuss how existing strategies of payment to encourage coexistence could be combined to facilitate carnivore conservation and alleviate local poverty. PMID:21873181

  11. A review of financial instruments to pay for predator conservation and encourage human-carnivore coexistence.

    PubMed

    Dickman, Amy J; Macdonald, Ewan A; Macdonald, David W

    2011-08-23

    One of the greatest challenges in biodiversity conservation today is how to facilitate protection of species that are highly valued at a global scale but have little or even negative value at a local scale. Imperiled species such as large predators can impose significant economic costs at a local level, often in poverty-stricken rural areas where households are least able to tolerate such costs, and impede efforts of local people, especially traditional pastoralists, to escape from poverty. Furthermore, the costs and benefits involved in predator conservation often include diverse dimensions, which are hard to quantify and nearly impossible to reconcile with one another. The best chance of effective conservation relies upon translating the global value of carnivores into tangible local benefits large enough to drive conservation "on the ground." Although human-carnivore coexistence involves significant noneconomic values, providing financial incentives to those affected negatively by carnivore presence is a common strategy for encouraging such coexistence, and this can also have important benefits in terms of reducing poverty. Here, we provide a critical overview of such financial instruments, which we term "payments to encourage coexistence"; assess the pitfalls and potentials of these methods, particularly compensation and insurance, revenue-sharing, and conservation payments; and discuss how existing strategies of payment to encourage coexistence could be combined to facilitate carnivore conservation and alleviate local poverty.

  12. Simple and fast polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) patterning using a cutting plotter and vinyl adhesives to achieve etching results.

    PubMed

    Hyun Kim; Sun-Young Yoo; Ji Sung Kim; Zihuan Wang; Woon Hee Lee; Kyo-In Koo; Jong-Mo Seo; Dong-Il Cho

    2017-07-01

    Inhibition of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymerization could be observed when spin-coated over vinyl substrates. The degree of polymerization, partially curing or fully curing, depended on the PDMS thickness coated over the vinyl substrate. This characteristic was exploited to achieve simple and fast PDMS patterning method using a vinyl adhesive layer patterned through a cutting plotter. The proposed patterning method showed results resembling PDMS etching. Therefore, patterning PDMS over PDMS, glass, silicon, and gold substrates were tested to compare the results with conventional etching methods. Vinyl stencils with widths ranging from 200μm to 1500μm were used for the procedure. To evaluate the accuracy of the cutting plotter, stencil designed on the AutoCAD software and the actual stencil widths were compared. Furthermore, this method's accuracy was also evaluated by comparing the widths of the actual stencils and etched PDMS results.

  13. Student Achievement in Edison Schools: Mixed Results in an Ongoing Enterprise. Research Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Federation of Teachers, Washington, DC.

    A study examined student achievement in selected Edison schools through an analysis of test-score data. To qualify for the study, each school had to be in operation for more than 1 year and had to have solid student testing data from a solid evaluation design. Eight schools were selected, and their reading data were compared with those of…

  14. Cardiovascular health effects of internet-based encouragements to do daily workplace stair-walks: randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Andersen, Lars Louis; Sundstrup, Emil; Boysen, Marianne; Jakobsen, Markus Due; Mortensen, Ole Steen; Persson, Roger

    2013-06-21

    Although the hazardous health effects of a sedentary lifestyle are well known, many adults struggle with regular physical activity. Simple and efficient encouragements for increased physical activity are needed. To determine the effect on cardiovascular health of email-based encouragements to do daily stair-walks at work together with colleagues among adults in sedentary occupations. A single-blind randomized controlled trial was performed at a large administrative company in Copenhagen, Denmark. Participants were 160 office workers (125 women, 35 men; mean age 42 years, SD 10; sitting 89.5% of work time). At baseline, aerobic fitness was 37 mL/min/kg (SD 9), mean blood pressure was 118/79 mmHg (SD 14/9), and mean body mass index (BMI) was 23 kg/m(2) (SD 4). Participants were randomly assigned (2:1 ratio) to an email group receiving weekly email-based encouragements to walk the stairs for 10 minutes a day or to a control group receiving weekly reminders to continue their usual physical activities. The primary outcome was the change from baseline to 10-week follow-up in aerobic fitness determined from a maximal cycle test. The examiner was blinded to group allocation. Adherence to the email encouragements was fairly high with 82.7% of the participants performing at least 3 sessions of 10-minute stair-walks per week (mean 3.3, SD 1.3). Mean heart rate reached 167 beats/min (SD 10) during stair-walks. In the intention-to-treat analysis, aerobic fitness increased 1.45 mL/min/kg (95% CI 0.64-2.27) at 10-week follow-up in the email group compared with the control group. In participants with low aerobic fitness at baseline (n=56), aerobic fitness increased 1.89 mL/min/kg (95% CI 0.53-3.24), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased 4.81 mmHg (95% CI 0.47-9.16) and 2.67 mmHg (95% CI 0.01-5.32), respectively, in the email group compared with the control group. Body weight decreased in the email group of those with low aerobic fitness compared with the control

  15. Encouraging translation and assessing impact of the Centre for Research Excellence in Integrated Quality Improvement: rationale and protocol for a research impact assessment.

    PubMed

    Ramanathan, Shanthi; Reeves, Penny; Deeming, Simon; Bailie, Ross Stewart; Bailie, Jodie; Bainbridge, Roxanne; Cunningham, Frances; Doran, Christopher; McPhail Bell, Karen; Searles, Andrew

    2017-12-04

    There is growing recognition among health researchers and funders that the wider benefits of research such as economic, social and health impacts ought to be assessed and valued alongside academic outputs such as peer-reviewed papers. Research translation needs to increase and the pathways to impact ought to be more transparent. These processes are particularly pertinent to the Indigenous health sector given continued concerns that Indigenous communities are over-researched with little corresponding improvement in health outcomes. This paper describes the research protocol of a mixed methods study to apply FAIT (Framework to Assess the Impact from Translational health research) to the Centre for Research Excellence in Integrated Quality Improvement (CRE-IQI). FAIT will be applied to five selected CRE-IQI Flagship projects to encourage research translation and assess the wider impact of that research. Phase I will develop a modified programme logic model for each Flagship project including identifying process, output and impact metrics so progress can be monitored. A scoping review will inform potential benefits. In phase II, programme logic models will be updated to account for changes in the research pathways over time. Audit and feedback will be used to encourage research translation and collect evidence of achievement of any process, output and interim impacts. In phase III, three proven methodologies for measuring research impact-Payback, economic assessment and narratives-will be applied. Data on the application of FAIT will be collected and analysed to inform and improve FAIT's performance. This study is funded by a nationally competitive grant (ID 1078927) from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Newcastle's Human Research Ethics Committee (ID: H-2017-0026). The results from the study will be presented in several peer-reviewed publications, through conference presentations and via

  16. Encouraging translation and assessing impact of the Centre for Research Excellence in Integrated Quality Improvement: rationale and protocol for a research impact assessment

    PubMed Central

    Ramanathan, Shanthi; Reeves, Penny; Deeming, Simon; Bailie, Ross Stewart; Bailie, Jodie; Bainbridge, Roxanne; Cunningham, Frances; Doran, Christopher; McPhail Bell, Karen; Searles, Andrew

    2017-01-01

    Introduction There is growing recognition among health researchers and funders that the wider benefits of research such as economic, social and health impacts ought to be assessed and valued alongside academic outputs such as peer-reviewed papers. Research translation needs to increase and the pathways to impact ought to be more transparent. These processes are particularly pertinent to the Indigenous health sector given continued concerns that Indigenous communities are over-researched with little corresponding improvement in health outcomes. This paper describes the research protocol of a mixed methods study to apply FAIT (Framework to Assess the Impact from Translational health research) to the Centre for Research Excellence in Integrated Quality Improvement (CRE-IQI). FAIT will be applied to five selected CRE-IQI Flagship projects to encourage research translation and assess the wider impact of that research. Methods and analysis Phase I will develop a modified programme logic model for each Flagship project including identifying process, output and impact metrics so progress can be monitored. A scoping review will inform potential benefits. In phase II, programme logic models will be updated to account for changes in the research pathways over time. Audit and feedback will be used to encourage research translation and collect evidence of achievement of any process, output and interim impacts. In phase III, three proven methodologies for measuring research impact—Payback, economic assessment and narratives—will be applied. Data on the application of FAIT will be collected and analysed to inform and improve FAIT’s performance. Ethics and dissemination This study is funded by a nationally competitive grant (ID 1078927) from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Newcastle’s Human Research Ethics Committee (ID: H-2017–0026). The results from the study will be presented in several

  17. Employees Encouraged to Exercise at Work on Take a Hike Day | Poster

    Cancer.gov

    By Ashley DeVine, Staff Writer Occupational Health Services and the Recreation and Welfare (R&W) Club Frederick teamed up for the first Take a Hike Day at NCI at Frederick on November 21. Employees were encouraged to hike, walk, jog, or run the 1.3-mile course around Fort Detrick. “For those employees who walk all the time, the event gave them a partner to walk with, and for

  18. How to encourage intrinsic motivation in the clinical teaching environment?: a systematic review from the self-determination theory.

    PubMed

    Orsini, Cesar; Evans, Phillip; Jerez, Oscar

    2015-01-01

    Internalization of students' motivation towards an intrinsic form is associated with increased interest, commitment, learning, and satisfaction with education. Self-Determination theory postulates that intrinsic motivation and autonomous forms of self-regulation are the desired type of motivation; as they have been associated with deep learning, better performance and well-being. It claims three basic psychological needs have to be satisfied in order to achieve intrinsic motivation. These are the needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness. This study aims to provide a review on how these basic psychological needs are encouraged in undergraduate students so they can be transferred to the clinical teaching environment. Electronic searches were performed across four databases (Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and ERIC), relevant journals, and retrieved bibliography of selected articles. In total, searches produced 4,869 references, from which 16 studies met the inclusion criteria. Main themes were coded in three categories: The support of autonomy, competence and relatedness. The research-based evidence appears to be of reasonable quality, and indicates that teachers should work to satisfy students' basic psychological needs to foster internalization of self-regulation. Our findings suggest that teachers should interact with students in a more 'human centred' teaching style, as these actions predict motivational internalization. Several themes emerged from different contexts and further investigation should expand them. This review identified actions that clinical teachers could implement in their daily work to support students' self-determination. Autonomy supportive teaching in health professions educations would benefit students and may actually result in more effective health care delivery.

  19. Designing Effective Programmes for Encouraging the Business Start-up Process: Lessons from UK Experience.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gibb, Allan A.

    1987-01-01

    Outlines programs in the United Kingdom (UK) designed to encourage the starting of small businesses. Successful programs help entrepreneurs obtain financial support, get business training, and develop a business plan. Recommends emphasis on personal competency and motivation training as well as shorter courses. (CH)

  20. Encouraging CPAP adherence: it is everyone's job.

    PubMed

    Bollig, Suzanne M

    2010-09-01

    Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic disease treated effectively with the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. Patient adherence to prescribed CPAP is variable, however, leaving the undertreated OSA patient at risk of development or worsening of comorbid medical conditions, including hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The severity of disease and the presence of daytime sleepiness appear to have some predictive quality for subsequent adherence, though a search for consistent predictive factors related to CPAP adherence has proven elusive. Other influences, such as sex, age, socioeconomic status, and personality traits are less robust predictors. The use of sophisticated therapy modalities such as auto-titration or bi-level PAP units has been shown to improve adherence in certain subsets of OSA patients. Adverse effects such as nasal congestion, dry mouth, or skin irritation occur in approximately 50% of CPAP users, and addressing these adverse effects may improve adherence in some patients. More encouraging, studies on the use of intensive patient education and behavioral interventions have shown more positive effects on adherence, leading to the conclusion that improvement in patient adherence to CPAP therapy requires a multi-layered approach, using combined technological, behavioral, and adverse-effect interventions.

  1. A Contract to Encourage Full Utilization of Educational Talent. Final Report 1968-1969.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New Mexico Council for the Development of Educational Talent, Las Vegas.

    Goals of the New Mexico Educational Talent Project--funded under Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act--are (1) to identify qualified secondary school students at the 11th grade or earlier and assist them in completing their high school education, (2) to encourage an increasing number of high school students to select a teaching…

  2. To the Moon!--A Launch Pad for Encouraging Students to Express Their Opinions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burkhalter, Nancy

    2011-01-01

    In this article, the author discusses a four-part exercise called "To the Moon!" The exercise encourages students to develop and orally defend their choice of four volunteers who will be part of a team to colonize Earth's moon. This oral exercise prepares them for subsequent written work. As Bean (1996, 7) states, "Good writing...grows out of good…

  3. Examining science achievement of African American females in suburban middle schools: A mixed methods study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Topping, Kecia C.

    This dissertation examined factors that affected the science achievement of African American females in suburban middle schools. The research literature informed that African American females are facing the barriers of race, gender, socioeconomic status, and cultural learning style preferences. Nationally used measurements of science achievement such as the Standardized Achievement Test, Tenth edition (SAT-10), National Assessment for Educational Progress, and National Center for Educational Statistics showed that African American females are continuing to falter in the areas of science when compared to other ethnic groups. This study used a transformative sequential explanatory mixed methods design. In the first, quantitative, phase, the relationships among the dependent variables, science subscale SAT-10 NCE scores, yearly averages, and the independent variables, attitude toward science scores obtained from the Modified Fennema-Sherman Attitudes toward Science Scale, socioeconomics, and caregiver status were tested. The participants were 150 African American females in grades 6 through 8 in four suburban middle schools located in the Southeastern United States. The results showed a positive, significant linear relationship between the females' attitude and their science subscale SAT-10 NCE scores and a positive, significant linear relationship between the females' attitudes and their yearly averages in science. The results also confirmed that attitude was a significant predictor of science subscale SAT-10 NCE scores for these females and that attitude and socioeconomics were significant predictors of the females' yearly averages in science. In the second, qualitative, phase, nine females purposefully selected from those who had high and low attitude towards science scores on the scale in the quantitative phase were interviewed. The themes that emerged revealed seven additional factors that impacted the females' science achievement. They were usefulness of science

  4. Achievement Goals and Achievement Emotions: A Meta-Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huang, Chiungjung

    2011-01-01

    This meta-analysis synthesized 93 independent samples (N = 30,003) in 77 studies that reported in 78 articles examining correlations between achievement goals and achievement emotions. Achievement goals were meaningfully associated with different achievement emotions. The correlations of mastery and mastery approach goals with positive achievement…

  5. Encouraging Student Interest in Teaching Through a Medical Student Teaching Competition.

    PubMed

    DeSimone, Ariadne K; Haydek, John P; Sudduth, Christopher L; LaBarbera, Vincent; Desai, Yaanik; Reinertsen, Erik; Manning, Kimberly D

    2017-08-01

    Clinician educators have realized the value not only of assigning teaching roles to medical students but also of offering explicit training in how to teach effectively. Despite this interest in the development of medical students' teaching skills, formal teaching instruction and opportunities for practice are lacking. To encourage medical student interest in teaching, the authors developed and implemented a medical student teaching competition (MSTC) at Emory University School of Medicine during the summers of 2014, 2015, and 2016. Each year, eight student finalists were each paired with a physician "teaching coach" and given one month to prepare for the MSTC. During the competition, each finalist delivered an eight-minute presentation to a panel of seven physician and resident judges. The authors describe the development, implementation, and assessment of the MSTC. Approximately 150 medical students and faculty members attended the MSTC each year. The students in attendance felt that the MSTC made them more likely to seek out opportunities to learn how to teach effectively and to practice teaching. Additionally, some students are now more interested in learning about a career in academic medicine than they were before the MSTC. Given the need for more formal initiatives dedicated to improving the teaching skills of doctors-in-training, including medical students, innovative solutions such as the MSTC may enhance a medical school's existing curriculum and encourage student interest in teaching. The MSTC model may be generalizable to other medical schools.

  6. Affection Activities: Procedures for Encouraging Young Children with Handicaps to Interact with Their Peers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McEvoy, Mary A.; And Others

    1990-01-01

    Affection activities (such as hugging, smiling, and saying positive things) can be added to typical preschool games and songs to encourage interaction between handicapped children and nonhandicapped peers. The intervention can be adapted for use with children with diverse handicapping conditions. Typical activities, modified directions for…

  7. Technical and economic analysis use of flare gas into alternative energy as a breakthrough in achieving zero routine flaring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petri, Y.; Juliza, H.; Humala, N.

    2018-03-01

    The activity of exploring natural oil and gas will produce gas flare 0.584 MMSCFD. A gas flare is the combustion of gas remaining to avoid poisonous gas like H2S and CO which is very dangerous for human and environmental health. The combustion can bring about environmental pollution and losses because it still contains valuable energy. It needs the policy to encourage the use of flare gas with Zero Routine Flaring and green productivity to reduce waste and pollution. The objective of the research was to determine the use of gas flare so that it will have economic value and can achieve Zero Routine Flaring. It was started by analysing based on volume or rate and composition gas flare was used to determine technical feasibility, and the estimation of the gas reserves as the determination of the economy of a gas well. The results showed that the use of flare gas as fuel for power generation feasible to be implemented technically and economically with Internal Rate of Return (IRR) 19.32% and the Payback Period (PP) 5 year. Thus, it can increase gas flare value economically and can achieve a breakthrough in Zero Routine Flaring.

  8. Cyclists' attitudes toward policies encouraging bicycle travel: findings from the Taupo Bicycle Study in New Zealand.

    PubMed

    Tin Tin, Sandar; Woodward, Alistair; Thornley, Simon; Langley, John; Rodgers, Anthony; Ameratunga, Shanthi

    2010-03-01

    Utility cycling provides substantial health, environmental and economic benefits. Despite a favourable trend in leisure-time cycling, cycling is infrequently used for everyday travel needs in New Zealand. This study investigated cyclists' attitudes toward environmental and policy measures that would encourage them to cycle more, particularly for a trip to work. A cross-sectional analysis was undertaken using baseline data obtained from the Taupo Bicycle Study, a web-based longitudinal study. The study population comprised 2469 cyclists, aged 16 years or over, who had enrolled in the 2006 Wattyl Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge. The majority (88%) reported the provision of bicycle lanes as an important factor that would encourage them to cycle more often, followed by bicycle paths (76%), better bicycle security (64%), reduced motor vehicle speed (55%) and bike friendly public transport (38%). Of those who reported travelling to work at least once a week (N = 2223), varying proportions reported shower facilities at work (61%), fewer difficult intersections (43%), rising fuel costs (41%), fewer car parks (27%), bike designed to commute (26%) and rising cost of car parking (25%) as important factors that would encourage them to cycle to work more often. There were important differences in these perceived influences defined by the participants' socio-demographic characteristics and current cycling habits.

  9. Nebraska STARS: Achieving Results

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roschewski, Pat; Isernhagen, Jody; Dappen, Leon

    2006-01-01

    In 2000, the state of Nebraska passed legislation requiring the assessment of student performance on content standards, but its requirements were very different from those of any other state. Nebraska created what has come to be known as STARS (School-based Teacher-led Assessment and Reporting System). Under STARS, each of Nebraska's nearly 500…

  10. Testing Behavior Change Techniques to Encourage Primary Care Physicians to Access Cancer Screening Audit and Feedback Reports: Protocol for a Factorial Randomized Experiment of Email Content

    PubMed Central

    Witteman, Holly O; Bouck, Zachary; Bravo, Caroline A; Desveaux, Laura; Llovet, Diego; Presseau, Justin; Saragosa, Marianne; Taljaard, Monica; Umar, Shama; Grimshaw, Jeremy M; Tinmouth, Jill; Ivers, Noah M

    2018-01-01

    Background Cancer Care Ontario’s Screening Activity Report (SAR) is an online audit and feedback tool designed to help primary care physicians in Ontario, Canada, identify patients who are overdue for cancer screening or have abnormal results requiring follow-up. Use of the SAR is associated with increased screening rates. To encourage SAR use, Cancer Care Ontario sends monthly emails to registered primary care physicians announcing that updated data are available. However, analytics reveal that 50% of email recipients do not open the email and less than 7% click the embedded link to log in to their report. Objective The goal of the study is to determine whether rewritten emails result in increased log-ins. This manuscript describes how different user- and theory-informed messages intended to improve the impact of the monthly emails will be experimentally tested and how a process evaluation will explore why and how any effects observed were (or were not) achieved. Methods A user-centered approach was used to rewrite the content of the monthly email, including messages operationalizing 3 behavior change techniques: anticipated regret, material incentive (behavior), and problem solving. A pragmatic, 2x2x2 factorial experiment within a multiphase optimization strategy will test the redesigned emails with an embedded qualitative process evaluation to understand how and why the emails may or may not have worked. Trial outcomes will be ascertained using routinely collected administrative data. Physicians will be recruited for semistructured interviews using convenience and snowball sampling. Results As of April 2017, 5576 primary care physicians across the province of Ontario, Canada, had voluntarily registered for the SAR, and in so doing, signed up to receive the monthly email updates. From May to August 2017 participants received the redesigned monthly emails with content specific to their allocated experimental condition prompting use of the SAR. We have not yet

  11. Parental Involvement and Academic Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goodwin, Sarah Christine

    2015-01-01

    This research study examined the correlation between student achievement and parent's perceptions of their involvement in their child's schooling. Parent participants completed the Parent Involvement Project Parent Questionnaire. Results slightly indicated parents of students with higher level of achievement perceived less demand or invitations…

  12. Evaluating physical capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: comparing the shuttle walk test with the encouraged 6-minute walk test.

    PubMed

    Rosa, Fernanda Warken; Camelier, Aquiles; Mayer, Anamaria; Jardim, José Roberto

    2006-01-01

    To evaluate the applicability of the incremental (shuttle) walk test in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and compare the performance of those patients on the shuttle walk test to that of the same patients on the encouraged 6-minute walk test. A cross-sectional study was conducted, in which 24 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were selected. In random order, patients were, after an initial practice period, submitted to a shuttle walk test and an encouraged 6-minute walk test. The patients obtained a higher heart rate (expressed as a percentage of that predicted based on gender and age) on the encouraged 6-minute walk test (84.1 +/- 11.4%) than on the shuttle walk test (76.4 +/- 9.7%) (p = 0.003). The post-test sensation of dyspnea (Borg scale) was also higher on the encouraged 6-minute walk test. On average, the patients walked 307.0 +/- 89.3 meters on the shuttle walk test and 515.5 +/- 102.3 meters on the encouraged 6-minute walk test (p < 0.001). There was a good correlation between the two tests in terms of the distance walked (r = 0.80, p < 0.001). The shuttle walk test is simple and easy to implement in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The encouraged 6-minute walk test produced higher post-test heart rate and greater post-test sensation of dyspnea than did the shuttle walk test.

  13. 48 CFR 52.223-18 - Encouraging Contractor Policies To Ban Text Messaging While Driving.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... Policies To Ban Text Messaging While Driving. 52.223-18 Section 52.223-18 Federal Acquisition Regulations... While Driving. As prescribed in 23.1105, insert the following clause: Encouraging Contractor Policies To Ban Text Messaging While Driving (AUG 2011) (a) Definitions. As used in this clause— Driving—(1) Means...

  14. 48 CFR 52.223-18 - Encouraging Contractor Policies To Ban Text Messaging While Driving.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... Policies To Ban Text Messaging While Driving. 52.223-18 Section 52.223-18 Federal Acquisition Regulations... While Driving. As prescribed in 23.1105, insert the following clause: Encouraging Contractor Policies To Ban Text Messaging While Driving (AUG 2011) (a) Definitions. As used in this clause— Driving—(1) Means...

  15. 48 CFR 52.223-18 - Encouraging Contractor Policies To Ban Text Messaging While Driving.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Policies To Ban Text Messaging While Driving. 52.223-18 Section 52.223-18 Federal Acquisition Regulations... While Driving. As prescribed in 23.1105, insert the following clause: ENCOURAGING CONTRACTOR POLICIES TO BAN TEXT MESSAGING WHILE DRIVING (AUG 2011) (a) Definitions. As used in this clause— Driving—(1) Means...

  16. 48 CFR 52.223-18 - Encouraging Contractor Policies To Ban Text Messaging While Driving.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... Policies To Ban Text Messaging While Driving. 52.223-18 Section 52.223-18 Federal Acquisition Regulations... While Driving. As prescribed in 23.1105, insert the following clause: Encouraging Contractor Policies To Ban Text Messaging While Driving (AUG 2011) (a) Definitions. As used in this clause— Driving—(1) Means...

  17. 36 CFR 1010.16 - Actions to encourage agency cooperation early in the NEPA process.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... cooperation early in the NEPA process. 1010.16 Section 1010.16 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY § 1010.16 Actions to encourage agency cooperation early in the NEPA process... other Federal, State, local, or tribal agency that has jurisdiction by law or special expertise with...

  18. 36 CFR 1010.16 - Actions to encourage agency cooperation early in the NEPA process.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... cooperation early in the NEPA process. 1010.16 Section 1010.16 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY § 1010.16 Actions to encourage agency cooperation early in the NEPA process... other Federal, State, local, or tribal agency that has jurisdiction by law or special expertise with...

  19. The Monte Carlo Quiz: Encouraging Punctual Completion and Deep Processing of Assigned Readings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fernald, Peter S.

    2004-01-01

    The Monte Carlo Quiz (MCQ), a single-item quiz, is so named because chance, with the roll of a die, determines (a) whether the quiz is administered; (b) the specific article, chapter, or section of the assigned reading that the quiz covers; and (c) the particular question that makes up the quiz. The MCQ encourages both punctual completion and deep…

  20. The effects of chronic achievement motivation and achievement primes on the activation of achievement and fun goals.

    PubMed

    Hart, William; Albarracín, Dolores

    2009-12-01

    This research examined the hypothesis that situational achievement cues can elicit achievement or fun goals depending on chronic differences in achievement motivation. In 4 studies, chronic differences in achievement motivation were measured, and achievement-denoting words were used to influence behavior. The effects of these variables were assessed on self-report inventories, task performance, task resumption following an interruption, and the pursuit of means relevant to achieving or having fun. Findings indicated that achievement priming (vs. control priming) activated a goal to achieve and inhibited a goal to have fun in individuals with chronically high-achievement motivation but activated a goal to have fun and inhibited a goal to achieve in individuals with chronically low-achievement motivation.

  1. The Effects of Chronic Achievement Motivation and Achievement Primes on the Activation of Achievement and Fun Goals

    PubMed Central

    Hart, William; Albarracín, Dolores

    2013-01-01

    This research examined the hypothesis that situational achievement cues can elicit achievement or fun goals depending on chronic differences in achievement motivation. In 4 studies, chronic differences in achievement motivation were measured, and achievement-denoting words were used to influence behavior. The effects of these variables were assessed on self-report inventories, task performance, task resumption following an interruption, and the pursuit of means relevant to achieving or having fun. Findings indicated that achievement priming (vs. control priming) activated a goal to achieve and inhibited a goal to have fun in individuals with chronically high-achievement motivation but activated a goal to have fun and inhibited a goal to achieve in individuals with chronically low-achievement motivation. PMID:19968423

  2. Mathematics beliefs and achievement of elementary school students in Japan and the United States: results from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study.

    PubMed

    House, J Daniel

    2006-03-01

    Student self-beliefs are significantly related to several types of academic achievement. In addition, results from international assessments have indicated that students in Japan have typically scored above international averages (D. L. Kelly, I. V. S. Mullis, & M. O. Martin, 2000). In this study, the author examined relationships between mathematics beliefs and achievement of elementary school-aged students in the United States and Japan. The students had participated in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS; A. E. Beaton et al., 1996). The author examined several self-beliefs and used variance estimation techniques for complex sampling designs. The author identified a number of significant relationships between self-beliefs and mathematics achievement. Students who attributed success in mathematics to controllable factors (e.g., hard work, studying at home) showed higher test scores whereas students who attributed success in mathematics at school to external factors (e.g., good luck) tended to earn lower mathematics test scores. These results extend the findings of previous research results because the author examined large national samples of students in cross-cultural settings as part of a comprehensive international assessment.

  3. Students’ Achievement Goals, Learning-Related Emotions and Academic Achievement

    PubMed Central

    Lüftenegger, Marko; Klug, Julia; Harrer, Katharina; Langer, Marie; Spiel, Christiane; Schober, Barbara

    2016-01-01

    In the present research, the recently proposed 3 × 2 model of achievement goals is tested and associations with achievement emotions and their joint influence on academic achievement are investigated. The study was conducted with 388 students using the 3 × 2 Achievement Goal Questionnaire including the six proposed goal constructs (task-approach, task-avoidance, self-approach, self-avoidance, other-approach, other-avoidance) and the enjoyment and boredom scales from the Achievement Emotion Questionnaire. Exam grades were used as an indicator of academic achievement. Findings from CFAs provided strong support for the proposed structure of the 3 × 2 achievement goal model. Self-based goals, other-based goals and task-approach goals predicted enjoyment. Task-approach goals negatively predicted boredom. Task-approach and other-approach predicted achievement. The indirect effects of achievement goals through emotion variables on achievement were assessed using bias-corrected bootstrapping. No mediation effects were found. Implications for educational practice are discussed. PMID:27199836

  4. Individuals achieve more accurate results with meters that are codeless and employ dynamic electrochemistry.

    PubMed

    Rao, Anoop; Wiley, Meg; Iyengar, Sridhar; Nadeau, Dan; Carnevale, Julie

    2010-01-01

    Studies have shown that controlling blood glucose can reduce the onset and progression of the long-term microvascular and neuropathic complications associated with the chronic course of diabetes mellitus. Improved glycemic control can be achieved by frequent testing combined with changes in medication, exercise, and diet. Technological advancements have enabled improvements in analytical accuracy of meters, and this paper explores two such parameters to which that accuracy can be attributed. Four blood glucose monitoring systems (with or without dynamic electrochemistry algorithms, codeless or requiring coding prior to testing) were evaluated and compared with respect to their accuracy. Altogether, 108 blood glucose values were obtained for each system from 54 study participants and compared with the reference values. The analysis depicted in the International Organization for Standardization table format indicates that the devices with dynamic electrochemistry and the codeless feature had the highest proportion of acceptable results overall (System A, 101/103). Results were significant when compared at the 10% bias level with meters that were codeless and utilized static electrochemistry (p = .017) or systems that had static electrochemistry but needed coding (p = .008). Analytical performance of these blood glucose meters differed significantly depending on their technologic features. Meters that utilized dynamic electrochemistry and did not require coding were more accurate than meters that used static electrochemistry or required coding. 2010 Diabetes Technology Society.

  5. The role of singing familiar songs in encouraging conversation among people with middle to late stage Alzheimer's disease.

    PubMed

    Dassa, Ayelet; Amir, Dorit

    2014-01-01

    Language deficits in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) manifest, among other things, in a gradual deterioration of spontaneous speech. People with AD tend to speak less as the disease progresses and their speech becomes confused. However, the ability to sing old tunes sometimes remains intact throughout the disease. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of singing familiar songs in encouraging conversation among people with middle to late stage AD. Six participants attended group music therapy sessions over a one-month period. Using content analysis, we qualitatively examined transcriptions of verbal and sung content during 8 group sessions for the purpose of understanding the relationship between specific songs and conversations that occurred during and following group singing. Content analysis revealed that songs from the participants' past-elicited memories, especially songs related to their social and national identity. Analyses also indicated that conversation related to the singing was extensive and the act of group singing encouraged spontaneous responses. After singing, group members expressed positive feelings, a sense of accomplishment, and belonging. Carefully selecting music from the participants' past can encourage conversation. Considering the failure in spontaneous speech in people with middle to late stage AD, it is important to emphasize that group members' responses to each other occurred spontaneously without the researcher's encouragement. © the American Music Therapy Association 2014. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  6. 5 a day Achievement Badge for African-American Boy Scouts: pilot outcome results.

    PubMed

    Baranowski, Tom; Baranowski, Janice; Cullen, Karen W; deMoor, Carl; Rittenberry, LaTroy; Hebert, David; Jones, Lovell

    2002-03-01

    Boy Scouts are an important channel to complement school-based programs to enable boys to eat more fruit, 100% juice, and vegetables (FJV) for chronic disease prevention. The "5 a Day Achievement Badge" program was presented on a pilot study basis to African-American Boy Scout troops in Houston. Troops were the unit of recruitment and random assignment to treatment and control groups. The badge program was presented in Fall 1997 by trained dietitians and included activities to increase availability and accessibility of fruit and vegetables at scouts' homes, increase preferences for vegetables, and train in the preparation of FaSST (fast, simple, safe, and tasty) recipes. Weekly comic books demonstrated and reinforced what scouts were expected to do at home. A weekly newsletter with recipes was sent to parents. The program was revised and presented to the control group in Winter 1998. Two 24-h recalls were the primary assessment tools. Telephone interviews were conducted with parents. The intervention resulted in a 0.8 FJV serving difference (post values of treatment versus control groups with pre value covaried). The changes obtained suggest that the intervention was effective in promoting dietary change. (C)2002 American Health Foundation and Elsevier Science (USA).

  7. The Effects of Homework Activities and Teaching Strategies for New Mathematics Topics on Achievement of Adolescent Students in Japan: Results from the TIMSS 1999 Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    House, J. Daniel

    2004-01-01

    The importance of homework activities for student achievement has been extensively discussed. Research has indicated that, in general, students who spend more time on homework tend to show higher levels of academic achievement. For instance, results from the Third International Mathematics Study (TIMSS) indicated that adolescent students in Japan…

  8. Encouraging Free Play: Extramural Digital Game-Based Language Learning as a Complex Adaptive System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scholz, Kyle

    2017-01-01

    Massively multiplayer online role-playing games like World of Warcraft are ideally suited to encourage and facilitate second language development (SLD) in the extramural setting, but to what extent do the language learners' actual trajectories of gameplay contribute to SLD? With the current propensity to focus research in digital game-based…

  9. The Effects of Learning Strategy Instruction on Achievement, Attitude, and Achievement Motivation in a Physics Course

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sezgin Selçuk, Gamze; Sahin, Mehmet; Açıkgöz, Kamile Ün

    2011-01-01

    This article reports on the influence of learning strategy instruction on student teachers' physics achievement, attitude towards physics, and achievement motivation. A pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design with matching control group was used in the study. Two groups of student teachers ( n = 75) who were enrolled in an introductory physics course participated in the study. In the experimental group, questioning, summarizing, and graphic organizers were taught. The control group did not receive any presentation on strategy learning. Data were collected via the pre- and post-administration of the Physics Course Achievement Test, the Scale of Attitudes towards Physics, and the Achievement Motivation Scale. Univariate and multivariate analyses of variance on the data revealed no significant differences in the attitude and achievement motivation between the strategy and control groups. However, the strategy group students were observed to have a tendency of more positive attitude and motivation than the control group students. Results also showed that explicit learning strategy instruction was more effective than traditional instruction in improving physics achievement of the participating students. The implications of these results for physics education are discussed.

  10. Encouraging French medical students to choose a career in psychiatry: how and why?

    PubMed

    Andlauer, Olivier; Van Effenterre, Aude; Haffen, Emmanuel; Sechter, Daniel; Farooq, Kitty; Lydall, Gregory; Malik, Amit; Bhugra, Dinesh

    2013-08-01

    There is an increasing demand for psychiatrists in France. This paper reviews the reasons for French medical students choosing psychiatry and the rationale and mechanisms for encouraging them towards this medical speciality. The main factors associated with choosing psychiatry as a career are the quantity and quality of undergraduate training and placements in psychiatry, better attitudes towards psychiatry and more emphasis on a positive life/work balance. The quality of postgraduate training can also influence students' decisions. Medical students should be encouraged to choose psychiatry first to counterbalance the existing stigma towards mental illness within the society, but also towards psychiatry within the medical profession, and second because of the current decline in French medical demography. Ways to improve recruitment are a selection process that favours a large number of psychiatric trainees, and an increase in the quality and quantity of training. Providing medical students with relevant information about training in psychiatry, notably through a national trainees' association, will not only improve the quality of care by increasing recruitment in psychiatry, but also ensure that all future doctors are familiar with and develop positive attitudes towards mental health issues.

  11. Family physician practice visits arising from the Alberta Physician Achievement Review

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Licensed physicians in Alberta are required to participate in the Physician Achievement Review (PAR) program every 5 years, comprising multi-source feedback questionnaires with confidential feedback, and practice visits for a minority of physicians. We wished to identify and classify issues requiring change or improvement from the family practice visits, and the responses to advice. Methods Retrospective analysis of narrative practice visit reports data using a mixed methods design to study records of visits to 51 family physicians and general practitioners who participated in PAR during the period 2010 to 2011, and whose ratings in one or more major assessment domains were significantly lower than their peer group. Results Reports from visits to the practices of family physicians and general practitioners confirmed opportunities for change and improvement, with two main groupings – practice environment and physician performance. For 40/51 physicians (78%) suggested actions were discussed with physicians and changes were confirmed. Areas of particular concern included problems arising from practice isolation and diagnostic conclusions being reached with incomplete clinical evidence. Conclusion This study provides additional evidence for the construct validity of a regulatory authority educational program in which multi-source performance feedback identifies areas for practice quality improvement, and change is encouraged by supplementary contact for selected physicians. PMID:24010980

  12. The Variation in Student Achievement and Behavior within a Portfolio Management Model: Early Results from New Orleans

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McEachin, Andrew J.; Welsh, Richard Osbourne; Brewer, Dominic James

    2016-01-01

    A growing number of states experimented with alternative governance structures in response to pressure to raise student achievement. Post-Katrina experimentation in New Orleans was widely regarded as a model example of new governance reforms and provided a unique opportunity to learn about the variation in student achievement and behavior within…

  13. Upholding Tuberculosis Services during the 2014 Ebola Storm: An Encouraging Experience from Conakry, Guinea.

    PubMed

    Ortuno-Gutierrez, Nimer; Zachariah, Rony; Woldeyohannes, Desalegn; Bangoura, Adama; Chérif, Gba-Foromo; Loua, Francis; Hermans, Veerle; Tayler-Smith, Katie; Sikhondze, Welile; Camara, Lansana-Mady

    2016-01-01

    Ten targeted health facilities supported by Damien Foundation (a Belgian Non Governmental Organization) and the National Tuberculosis (TB) Program in Conakry, Guinea. To uphold TB program performance during the Ebola outbreak in the presence of a package of pre-emptive additional measures geared at reinforcing the routine TB program, and ensuring Ebola infection control, health-workers safety and motivation. A retrospective comparative cohort study of a TB program assessing the performance before (2013) and during the (2014) Ebola outbreak. During the Ebola outbreak, all health facilities were maintained opened, there were no reported health-worker Ebola infections, drug stockouts or health staff absences. Of 2,475 presumptive pulmonary TB cases, 13% were diagnosed with TB in both periods (160/1203 in 2013 and 163/1272 in 2014). For new TB, treatment success improved from 84% before to 87% during the Ebola outbreak (P = 0.03). Adjusted Hazard-ratios (AHR) for an unfavorable outcome was alwo lower during the Ebola outbreak, AHR = 0.8, 95% CI:0.7-0.9, P = 0.04). Treatment success improved for HIV co-infected patients (72% to 80%, P<0.01). For retreatment patients, the proportion achieving treatment success was maintained (68% to 72%, P = 0.05). Uptake of HIV-testing and Cotrimoxazole Preventive Treatment was maintained over 85%, and Anti-Retroviral Therapy uptake increased from 77% in 2013 to 86% in 2014 (P<0.01). Contingency planning and health system and worker support during the 2014 Ebola outbreak was associated with encouraging and sustained TB program performance. This is of relevance to future outbreaks.

  14. The Retention of College Students with Disabilities: What Encourages Them to Stay in College?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rigler, Michelle

    2013-01-01

    This study explored the retention rate of college students with disabilities and the factors that encourage this population of students to successfully persist to graduation. The study explored the current lack of information in regard to the comparison of the retention rates of college students with disabilities to that of the general college…

  15. Encouraging Young Women to Stay in the Mathematics Pipeline: Mathematics Camps for Young Women

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chacon, Paul; Soto-Johnson, Hortensia

    2003-01-01

    For two summers, week-long residential mathematics programs were held for high school women, with the primary goal of encouraging them to continue their study of mathematics. The activities were designed to rekindle their excitement about mathematics and to support the idea that women should learn advanced mathematics. This paper reports the…

  16. 36 CFR 1010.16 - Actions to encourage agency cooperation early in the NEPA process.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY § 1010.16 Actions to encourage agency cooperation early in the NEPA process. Consistent with 40 CFR 1501.6, the Trust may request the NPS to be a cooperating agency for actions or projects significantly affecting the quality of the Presidio. In addition, upon request of the Trust, any...

  17. Nature and Young Children: Encouraging Creative Play and Learning in Natural Environments. Second Edition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, Ruth

    2012-01-01

    Now in its second edition, "Nature and Young Children" promotes the holistic development of children by connecting them with nature. It offers advice and guidance on how to set up indoor and outdoor nature play spaces as well as encouraging environmentally responsible attitudes, values and behaviour in your early childhood setting. Covering topics…

  18. The Achievement Ideology and Whiteness: "Achieving Whiteness" or "Achieving Middle Class?"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allen, Ricky Lee

    Over the past few decades, social reproduction theorists have criticized achievement ideology as a dominant and dominating myth that hides the true nature of class immobility. Social reproductionists' primary criticism of achievement ideology is that it blinds the working class, regardless of race or gender, to the possibilities of collective…

  19. 10 CFR 605.20 - Dissemination of results.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Dissemination of results. 605.20 Section 605.20 Energy... PROGRAM § 605.20 Dissemination of results. (a) Recipients are encouraged to disseminate project results..., the reports resulting from awards. (b) DOE may waive progress reporting requirements set forth in...

  20. 10 CFR 605.20 - Dissemination of results.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Dissemination of results. 605.20 Section 605.20 Energy... PROGRAM § 605.20 Dissemination of results. (a) Recipients are encouraged to disseminate project results..., the reports resulting from awards. (b) DOE may waive progress reporting requirements set forth in...

  1. 10 CFR 605.20 - Dissemination of results.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Dissemination of results. 605.20 Section 605.20 Energy... PROGRAM § 605.20 Dissemination of results. (a) Recipients are encouraged to disseminate project results..., the reports resulting from awards. (b) DOE may waive progress reporting requirements set forth in...

  2. 10 CFR 605.20 - Dissemination of results.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Dissemination of results. 605.20 Section 605.20 Energy... PROGRAM § 605.20 Dissemination of results. (a) Recipients are encouraged to disseminate project results..., the reports resulting from awards. (b) DOE may waive progress reporting requirements set forth in...

  3. 10 CFR 605.20 - Dissemination of results.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Dissemination of results. 605.20 Section 605.20 Energy... PROGRAM § 605.20 Dissemination of results. (a) Recipients are encouraged to disseminate project results..., the reports resulting from awards. (b) DOE may waive progress reporting requirements set forth in...

  4. Mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sherman, Brian F.; Wither (Post.), David P.

    2003-09-01

    This paper is a distillation of the major result from the 1998 Ph.D. thesis of the late David Wither. It details a longitudinal study over five years of the relationship between mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement. It starts from the already well documented negative correlation between the two, and seeks to establish one of the three hypotheses—that mathematics anxiety causes an impairment of mathematics achievement; that lack of mathematics achievement causes mathematics anxiety; or that there is a third underlying cause of the two.

  5. The role of social message using norm abstraction level and ecological value orientation to achieve sustainable consumption

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ekasari, A.

    2018-01-01

    Pro-environmental behavior is one of human activities to achieve sustainability. In order to encourage people to do so, it needs contribution from marketing discipline using social message. The research aims to investigate the effect of social message framed by norm abstraction level and ecological value orientation on attitude and intention to act pro-environmental behavior in the context of littering. This study implemented a 3 (message framing: biospheric/altruistic/egoistic) × 2 (norm abstraction level : abstract/concrete) between subject experimental design to collect the data. An independent sample t test was used to analyze the data. The results indicate that a social message using concrete norm combined with the three ecological value orientation gains more positive response than the use of abstract norm with the same ecological value orientations. Findings of the research are expected to help government or other institutions to create an appropriate social message in anti littering campaign and motivates people to change their behavior in practicing sustainable consumption.

  6. Strategies to encourage physical activity in patients with hemophilia to improve quality of life

    PubMed Central

    Goto, Miwa; Takedani, Hideyuki; Yokota, Kazuhiko; Haga, Nobuhiko

    2016-01-01

    Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder caused by a congenital abnormality of blood coagulation. Until the mid-1970s, patients with hemophilia (PWH) were advised to refrain from physical activity (PA) because of a perceived increased risk of bleeding. Since then, PA, which is recognized as being essential for health maintenance, is now recommended by the World Federation of Hemophilia. Moreover, a number of studies reported that PA can improve treatment efficacy and prevent bleeding in PWH. Physical assessment and intervention in PA are currently used in clinical practice. However, the necessity of PA is not emphasized, and many PWH generally have low- to- no PA. Therefore, a behavior change approach to encourage patient motivation is becoming ever more important. In this article, we review articles addressing PA in PWH and discuss strategies to encourage PA through a behavior change approach by focusing on factors relevant to hemophilia, such as benefits and bleeding risk of PA, risk management of bleeding, PA characteristics, and difficulty with exercise adherence. The trust relationship between clinicians and patients, a transtheoretical model of behavior change, and motivation theory as approaches to promote PA are introduced. Finally, we review a case report of the clinical success of a behavior change approach to promote PA. Many PWH find it difficult to continue PA because of aging, fear of bleeding, insufficient recognition of PA benefits, and psychological problems. Therefore, it is essential and important to perform prophylaxis with PWH and to heighten their understanding of the benefits and risks of PA, before initiating the exercise regimen. For those patients who find it difficult to participate in PA, it is necessary to plan individual-based behavior change approach and encourage self-efficacy. PMID:27274330

  7. Achievement goal profiles and developments in effort and achievement in upper elementary school.

    PubMed

    Hornstra, Lisette; Majoor, Marieke; Peetsma, Thea

    2017-12-01

    The multiple goal perspective posits that certain combinations of achievement goals are more favourable than others in terms of educational outcomes. This study aimed to examine longitudinally whether students' achievement goal profiles and transitions between profiles are associated with developments in self-reported and teacher-rated effort and academic achievement in upper elementary school. Participants were 722 fifth-grade students and their teachers in fifth and sixth grade (N = 68). Students reported on their achievement goals and effort in language and mathematics three times in grade 5 to grade 6. Teachers rated students' general school effort. Achievement scores were obtained from school records. Goal profiles were derived with latent profile and transition analyses. Longitudinal multilevel analyses were conducted. Theoretically favourable goal profiles (high mastery and performance-approach goals, low on performance-avoidance goals), as well as transitions from less to more theoretically favourable goal profiles, were associated with higher levels and more growth in effort for language and mathematics and with stronger language achievement gains. Overall, these results provide support for the multiple goal perspective and show the sustained benefits of favourable goal profiles beyond effects of cognitive ability and background characteristics. © 2017 The Authors. British Journal of Education Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.

  8. Achievement as Resistance: The Development of a Critical Race Achievement Ideology among Black Achievers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carter, Dorinda J.

    2008-01-01

    In this article, Dorinda Carter examines the embodiment of a critical race achievement ideology in high-achieving black students. She conducted a yearlong qualitative investigation of the adaptive behaviors that nine high-achieving black students developed and employed to navigate the process of schooling at an upper-class, predominantly white,…

  9. Impact of Mediated Intimate Interaction on Education: A Huggable Communication Medium that Encourages Listening

    PubMed Central

    Nakanishi, Junya; Sumioka, Hidenobu; Ishiguro, Hiroshi

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we propose the introduction of human-like communication media as a proxy for teachers to support the listening of children in school education. Three case studies are presented on storytime fieldwork for children using our huggable communication medium called Hugvie, through which children are encouraged to concentrate on listening by intimate interaction between children and storytellers. We investigate the effect of Hugvie on children's listening and how they and their teachers react to it through observations and interviews. Our results suggest that Hugvie increased the number of children who concentrated on listening to a story and was welcomed by almost all the children and educators. We also discuss improvement and research issues to introduce huggable communication media into classrooms, potential applications, and their contributions to other education situations through improved listening. PMID:27148119

  10. THE HIGH ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    ALEXANDER, KAY

    ENRICHMENT OF THE EXISTING CURRICULUM TO ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUAL CAPABILITIES WAS CONDUCTED IN THE 4TH, 5TH, AND 6TH GRADES. THREE TYPES OF CHILDREN CHOSEN WERE--THOSE WHO HAVE KEEN INSIGHT INTO THE WAYS OTHER PEOPLE ARE THINKING AND FEELING, THOSE WHO ARE BEST ORGANIZING AND SOLVING THE PROBLEMS OF TECHNOLOGY, MECHANICS, OR SOCIAL SITUATIONS, AND…

  11. Encouraging Girls into Science and Technology with Feminine Role Model: Does This Work?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bamberger, Yael M.

    2014-08-01

    This study examines the effect of a program that aimed to encourage girls to choose a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career in Israel. The program involved school visits to a high-tech company and meeting with role model female scientists. Sixty ninth-grade female students from a Jewish modern-orthodox single-sex secondary school in the same city as the company participated in the study. The control group contained 30 girls from the same classes who did not participate in the program. Data were collected through pre-post questionnaires, observations, and focus group interviews. It was analyzed for three main themes: perceptions of scientists and engineers, capability of dealing with STEM, and future career choice. Findings indicated respect toward the women scientists as being smart and creative, but significant negative change on the perceptions of women scientists/engineers, the capability of dealing with STEM, and the STEM career choices. Possible causes for these results are discussed, as well as implications for education.

  12. Women's intentions of informal and formal help-seeking for mental health problems during the perinatal period: The role of perceived encouragement from the partner.

    PubMed

    Fonseca, Ana; Canavarro, Maria Cristina

    2017-07-01

    this study aimed to examine the relationship between women's intentions to seek informal help and to seek professional help and to explore the indirect effects of women's perceived encouragement to seek professional help from their male partner. Moreover, this study aimed to examine if these relationships vary as function of the presence of higher levels of perinatal distress. cross-sectional internet survey. participants were recruited through advertisements published in pamphlets and posted on social media websites (e.g., Facebook) and websites and forums that focused on pregnancy and childbirth. 231 women (pregnant/ had a baby during the last 12 months) completed the survey. participants were questioned about sociodemographic and clinical data and were assessed concerning perinatal distress (Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), intentions to seek informal and formal help (General Help-Seeking Questionnaire) and perceived encouragement from the partner to seek professional help. the women reported a significantly higher intention to seek help from their partner than to seek professional help (p < .001). Although women with higher perinatal distress levels presented lower intentions to seek informal help from the male partner (p = .001) and perceived less encouragement from the male partner to seek professional help (p < .001), the presence of perinatal distress did not moderate the relationship between those variables. A significant indirect effect on the relationship between women's intention to seek informal and professional help occurred through the women's perceived encouragement from the male partner to seek professional help. the results of this study highlight the important role of the male partner's encouragement in women's professional help-seeking for mental health problems. awareness campaigns about perinatal distress and about professional treatment benefits may be directed universally to all women in the

  13. Parental Resources, Schooling Achievements, and Gender Schooling Gaps: Evidence of Change over 25 years in Rural Guatemala

    PubMed Central

    Maluccio, John A.; Behrman, Jere R.; Hoddinott, John; Murphy, Alexis; Ramakrishnan, Usha

    2013-01-01

    We use village census data and linear regression models to examine changes between 1975 and 2002 in the associations of parental resources with boys' and girls' schooling in four rural Guatemalan villages. Levels of schooling in 1975 were universally low for children 7–17 years. Large increases in schooling achievements occurred between 1975 and 2002. By 2002, schooling levels were comparable for younger boys and girls (7–12 years, N = 3,525) and favored older boys compared to older girls (13–17 years, N = 2,440) by about 0.5 grades. The associations of household standard of living and maternal schooling with schooling among girls diminished over time and became more comparable with these associations among boys, and the associations of household standard of living with schooling among older boys declined and became more comparable with these associations among girls. Thus, as increased social investments reduce the costs of schooling or increase the supply and quality of schooling to families, the magnitudes of the associations between parental resources and children's schooling decline and become more gender equitable at all ages. However, our results show that older boys may benefit more than older girls from social investments in schooling. These changes suggest potential needs to monitor gender gaps in schooling retention among older children, to insure gender equitable access to social investments in schooling, and to encourage parents to invest in schooling as joint measures to achieve greater schooling achievements of girls and boys. PMID:23888089

  14. Achieving 10,000 steps: a comparison of public transport users and drivers in a university setting.

    PubMed

    Villanueva, Karen; Giles-Corti, Billie; McCormack, Gavin

    2008-09-01

    To compare pedometer steps of university students who used public transport and private motor vehicles to travel to and or from The University of Western Australia (UWA). 103 undergraduate students in 2006 recruited by e-mail and snowballing wore a pedometer for five consecutive university days, and completed a travel and physical activity diary. Compared with private motor vehicle users, public transport users performed more daily steps (11443 vs. 10242 steps/day, p=0.04) After adjusting for gender, age group and average daily minutes of self-reported leisure-time physical activity, the odds of achieving 10,000 steps/day was higher in public transport users compared with private motor vehicle users (OR 3.55; 95% CI 1.34-9.38, p=0.01). Walking associated with public transport use appeared to contribute to university students achieving higher levels of daily steps. Encouraging public transport use could help increase and maintain community physical activity levels.

  15. Tutoring Online Tutors: Using Digital Badges to Encourage the Development of Online Tutoring Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hrastinski, Stefan; Cleveland-Innes, Martha; Stenbom, Stefan

    2018-01-01

    Online tutors play a critical role in e-learning and need to have an appropriate set of skills in addition to subject matter expertise. This paper explores how digital badges can be used to encourage the development of online tutoring skills. Based on previous research, we defined three digital badges, which are examples of essential tutoring…

  16. Education on fluid management and encouraging critical thinking skills.

    PubMed

    Dale, Willette

    2012-01-01

    The unit is currently utilizing hematocrit-based blood volume monitoring on each patient, resulting in improved monitoring in patients achieving their target weight. The nurses expressed confidence in their understanding of the use of hematocrit-based blood volume monitoring. This learning experience provided a vivid look at the importance of fluid management in nephrology nursing. This area should always be included in nephrology nurse competencies and represented in a way that it ignites critical thinking within the nursing professional. It is the responsibility of a professional nurse to stay current in evidence-based practice and continuing education. Professional pride stimulates nephrology nurses to seek new learning experiences to enhance their practice.

  17. Target Salt 2025: A Global Overview of National Programs to Encourage the Food Industry to Reduce Salt in Foods

    PubMed Central

    Webster, Jacqui; Trieu, Kathy; Dunford, Elizabeth; Hawkes, Corinna

    2014-01-01

    Reducing population salt intake has been identified as a priority intervention to reduce non-communicable diseases. Member States of the World Health Organization have agreed to a global target of a 30% reduction in salt intake by 2025. In countries where most salt consumed is from processed foods, programs to engage the food industry to reduce salt in products are being developed. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of national initiatives to encourage the food industry to reduce salt. A systematic review of the literature was supplemented by key informant questionnaires to inform categorization of the initiatives. Fifty nine food industry salt reduction programs were identified. Thirty eight countries had targets for salt levels in foods and nine countries had introduced legislation for some products. South Africa and Argentina have both introduced legislation limiting salt levels across a broad range of foods. Seventeen countries reported reductions in salt levels in foods—the majority in bread. While these trends represent progress, many countries have yet to initiate work in this area, others are at early stages of implementation and further monitoring is required to assess progress towards achieving the global target. PMID:25195640

  18. Target salt 2025: a global overview of national programs to encourage the food industry to reduce salt in foods.

    PubMed

    Webster, Jacqui; Trieu, Kathy; Dunford, Elizabeth; Hawkes, Corinna

    2014-08-21

    Reducing population salt intake has been identified as a priority intervention to reduce non-communicable diseases. Member States of the World Health Organization have agreed to a global target of a 30% reduction in salt intake by 2025. In countries where most salt consumed is from processed foods, programs to engage the food industry to reduce salt in products are being developed. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of national initiatives to encourage the food industry to reduce salt. A systematic review of the literature was supplemented by key informant questionnaires to inform categorization of the initiatives. Fifty nine food industry salt reduction programs were identified. Thirty eight countries had targets for salt levels in foods and nine countries had introduced legislation for some products. South Africa and Argentina have both introduced legislation limiting salt levels across a broad range of foods. Seventeen countries reported reductions in salt levels in foods-the majority in bread. While these trends represent progress, many countries have yet to initiate work in this area, others are at early stages of implementation and further monitoring is required to assess progress towards achieving the global target.

  19. Early Intervention and Student Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hormes, Mridula T.

    2009-01-01

    The United States Department of Education has been rigorous in holding all states accountable with regard to student achievement. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 clearly laid out federal mandates for all schools to follow. K-12 leaders of public schools are very aware of the fact that results in terms of student achievement need to improve…

  20. 26 CFR 1.621-1 - Payments to encourage exploration, development, and mining for defense purposes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ..., DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Exclusions from Gross...) General rule. (1) Under section 621, a taxpayer shall exclude from gross income amounts which are paid to..., gift, bounty, bonus, premium, incentive, subsidy, loan, or advance, (iii) For the encouragement of...

  1. Proactive Encouragement of Interdisciplinary Research Teams in a Business School Environment: Strategy and Results

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adams, Susan M.; Carter, Nathan C.; Hadlock, Charles R.; Haughton, Dominique M.; Sirbu, George

    2008-01-01

    This case study describes efforts to promote collaborative research across traditional boundaries in a business-oriented university as part of an institutional transformation. We model this activity within the framework of social network analysis and use quantitative tools from that field to characterize resulting impacts. (Contains 4 tables and 2…

  2. Counterstereotypic Identity among High-Achieving Black Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harpalani, Vinay

    2017-01-01

    This article examines how racial stereotypes affect achievement and identity formation among low income, urban Black adolescents. Specifically, the major question addressed is: how do high-achieving Black students succeed academically despite negative stereotypes of their intellectual abilities? Results indicate that high-achieving Black youth,…

  3. Encouraging Teachers to Build Collaborations with Researchers; Examples From the Classroom (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kane, M.

    2013-12-01

    Bringing experts into our schools allows for highly engaging lessons, encourages career thinking, adds authenticity to the topic, and allows student's questions to be answered by experts. Researchers can physically visit classrooms or appear through presentation technologies, such as Skype, or Google Hangouts. Virtual visits allow students to see laboratories and field sites. Collaborating with scientists builds the connective tissue that helps all educators and our students learn more deeply. When K-12 teachers collaborate with scientists and graduate students, teachers learn more science, and scientists learn more teaching. This growth of background knowledge is a win-win situation and helps us meet the expectations of the Common Core State Standards. Teachers need to feel encouraged to contact their local or regional scientists for support. Reaching out into the universities to make contact with polar scientists or graduate students is a good place to start. Building professional networks allows PI's to address the 'broader impact' requirement on many grant applications, and helps spread the university's work in the polar regions out to the general public. These collaborations also give teachers expert insights and current data to build authentic lessons, and excite their students to seek careers in the sciences. This presentation will focus on three completed interactive opportunities I have built with researchers in my classroom. Students adding daily sediment to their sediment core, after communications from the field with scientist Heidi Roop in Alaska.

  4. Achievement goals, self-handicapping, and performance: a 2 x 2 achievement goal perspective.

    PubMed

    Ntoumanis, Nikos; Thøgersen-Ntoumani, Cecilie; Smith, Alison L

    2009-11-01

    Elliot and colleagues (2006) examined the effects of experimentally induced achievement goals, proposed by the trichotomous model, on self-handicapping and performance in physical education. Our study replicated and extended the work of Elliot et al. by experimentally promoting all four goals proposed by the 2 x 2 model (Elliot & McGregor, 2001), measuring the participants' own situational achievement goals, using a relatively novel task, and testing the participants in a group setting. We used a randomized experimental design with four conditions that aimed to induce one of the four goals advanced by the 2 x 2 model. The participants (n = 138) were undergraduates who engaged in a dart-throwing task. The results pertaining to self-handicapping partly replicated Elliot and colleagues' findings by showing that experimentally promoted performance-avoidance goals resulted in less practice. In contrast, the promotion of mastery-avoidance goals did not result in less practice compared with either of the approach goals. Dart-throwing performance did not differ among the four goal conditions. Personal achievement goals did not moderate the effects of experimentally induced goals on self-handicapping and performance. The extent to which mastery-avoidance goals are maladaptive is discussed, as well as the interplay between personal and experimentally induced goals.

  5. 10 CFR 602.18 - Dissemination of results.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Dissemination of results. 602.18 Section 602.18 Energy... ASSISTANCE PROGRAM § 602.18 Dissemination of results. (a) Recipients are encouraged to disseminate research results promptly. DOE reserves the right to utilize, and have others utilize to the extent it deems...

  6. 10 CFR 602.18 - Dissemination of results.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Dissemination of results. 602.18 Section 602.18 Energy... ASSISTANCE PROGRAM § 602.18 Dissemination of results. (a) Recipients are encouraged to disseminate research results promptly. DOE reserves the right to utilize, and have others utilize to the extent it deems...

  7. 10 CFR 602.18 - Dissemination of results.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Dissemination of results. 602.18 Section 602.18 Energy... ASSISTANCE PROGRAM § 602.18 Dissemination of results. (a) Recipients are encouraged to disseminate research results promptly. DOE reserves the right to utilize, and have others utilize to the extent it deems...

  8. 10 CFR 602.18 - Dissemination of results.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Dissemination of results. 602.18 Section 602.18 Energy... ASSISTANCE PROGRAM § 602.18 Dissemination of results. (a) Recipients are encouraged to disseminate research results promptly. DOE reserves the right to utilize, and have others utilize to the extent it deems...

  9. 10 CFR 602.18 - Dissemination of results.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Dissemination of results. 602.18 Section 602.18 Energy... ASSISTANCE PROGRAM § 602.18 Dissemination of results. (a) Recipients are encouraged to disseminate research results promptly. DOE reserves the right to utilize, and have others utilize to the extent it deems...

  10. Interventions for encouraging sexual behaviours intended to prevent cervical cancer

    PubMed Central

    Shepherd, Jonathan P; Frampton, Geoff K; Harris, Petra

    2014-01-01

    Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the key risk factor for cervical cancer. Continuing high rates of HPV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in young people demonstrate the need for effective behavioural interventions. Objectives To assess the effectiveness of behavioural interventions for young women to encourage safer sexual behaviours to prevent transmission of STIs (including HPV) and cervical cancer. Search methods Systematic literature searches were performed on the following databases: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL Issue 4, 2009) Cochrane Gynaecological Cancer Review Group (CGCRG) Specialised Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsychINFO, Social Science Citation Index and Trials Register of Promoting Health Interventions (TRoPHI) up to the end of 2009. All references were screened for inclusion against selection criteria. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of behavioural interventions for young women up to the age of 25 years that included, amongst other things, information provision about the transmission and prevention of STIs. Trials had to measure behavioural outcomes (e.g. condom use) and/or biological outcomes (e.g. incidence of STIs, cervical cancer). Data collection and analysis A narrative synthesis was conducted. Meta-analysis was not considered appropriate due to heterogeneity between the interventions and trial populations. Main results A total of 5271 references were screened and of these 23 RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Most were conducted in the USA and in health-care clinics (e.g. family planning). The majority of interventions provided information about STIs and taught safer sex skills (e.g. communication), occasionally supplemented with provision of resources (e.g. free sexual health services). They were heterogeneous in duration, contact time, provider, behavioural aims and outcomes. A variety of STIs were addressed including HIV and chlamydia. None of the trials explicitly

  11. The influence of achievement goals on the constructive activity of low achievers during collaborative problem solving.

    PubMed

    Gabriele, Anthony J

    2007-03-01

    Previous research on small-group learning has found that level of constructive activity (solving or explaining how to solve problems using ideas stated or implied in the explanation provided by a partner) was a better predictor of post-test achievement than either a student's prior achievement or the quality of help received (Webb, Troper, & Fall, 1995). The purpose of this study was to extend this research by examining the influence of additional factors, in particular, achievement goals and comprehension monitoring, on low achieving students' constructive activity after receiving help from a high achieving peer. Thirty-two low achieving upper elementary students from an urban school district in the mid-west of the United States were paired with high achieving partners. Videotape data from a previously reported study on peer collaboration were transcribed and reanalyzed. In that study, dyads were randomly assigned instructions designed to induce either a learning or performance goal and were videotaped as they worked together to solve a set of mathematical word problems. The following day, students were individually post-tested on problems similar to the ones worked on in pairs. Consistent with previous research, low achieving students' level of constructive activity predicted post-test performance. In addition, constructive activity was found to mediate the relationship between achievement goals and learning. However, achievement goals were not related to low achievers constructive use of help. Instead, achievement goals were related to low achievers' relative accuracy in comprehension monitoring, which in turn was related to level of constructive activity. The meaning of these results for understanding the processes by which low achievers learn from peer help and implications for classroom practice are discussed.

  12. Can We Encourage Girls' Mobility towards Science-Related Careers? Disconfirming Stereotype Belief through Expert Influence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Selimbegovic, Leila; Chatard, Armand; Mugny, Gabriel

    2007-01-01

    A study was conducted to explore expert influence as a possible way to encourage girls' mobility towards math- and science-related careers. High school students were exposed to an expert source presenting "scientific evidence" that contrary to stereotype, girls are better than boys in all subject domains. Beliefs related to stereotype…

  13. Using Audience Response Systems to Encourage Student Engagement and Reflection on Ethical Orientation and Behavior

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Micheletto, Melinda J.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to use an audience response system (ARS) to engage students in classroom discussions concerning sensitive and controversial topics (e.g., business ethics), assess student's ethical orientation and conduct in unethical behaviors, and encourage reflection on their personal level of ethicality. Students used ARS devices…

  14. Classroom Instruction and Science Achievement in Japan, Hong Kong, and Chinese Taipei: Results from the TIMSS 1999 Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    House, J. Daniel

    2005-01-01

    The Third International Mathematics and Science Study represents the most comprehensive international assessment of educational contexts and student achievement yet conducted. As part of the examination of the effects of contextual factors on student achievement, a model was constructed that considered the effects of variables such as…

  15. Facilitating small groups: how to encourage student learning.

    PubMed

    Kitchen, Mark

    2012-02-01

    Many clinicians are involved in medical education, with small group teaching (SGT) forming a significant part of their work. Most facilitate these sessions by experience and common sense: less than one-third of them have received formal training in SGT. Evidence suggests small group productivity depends on good facilitation rather than on topic knowledge. Applying the fundamental concepts of SGT will lead to improvements in the quality of clinicians' teaching and in student learning. Good SGT creates the perfect environment for learning and discussion, without the need for didactic teaching. SGT emphasises the role of students in sharing and discussing their ideas in a safe learning environment, without domination by the tutor. This article provides clinicians with basic requirements for effective session design and planning, explains how to encourage student participation, how to manage students as a group, how to manage student learning, and how to recognise and deal with problems. Active facilitation and group management is the key to success in SGT, and consequently better learning outcomes. Improving the facilitation skills of clinical teachers makes teaching more effective, stimulating, and enjoyable for both tutors and students. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

  16. Relationship between the Wide Range Achievement Test 3 and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test.

    PubMed

    Smith, T D; Smith, B L

    1998-12-01

    The present study examined the relationship between the Wide Range Achievement Test 3 and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test for a sample of children with learning disabilities in two rural school districts. Data were collected for 87 school children who had been classified as learning disabled and placed in special education resource services. Pearson product-moment correlations between scores on the two measures were significant and moderate to high; however, mean scores were not significantly different on Reading, Spelling, and Arithmetic subtests of the Wide Range Achievement Test 3 compared to those for the basic Reading, Spelling, and Mathematics Reasoning subtests of the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test. Although there were significant mean differences between scores on Reading and Reading Comprehension and on Arithmetic and Numerical Operations, magnitudes were small. It appears that the two tests provide similar results when screening for reading, spelling, and arithmetic.

  17. [Policies encouraging price competition in the generic drug market: Lessons from the European experience].

    PubMed

    Puig-Junoy, Jaume

    2010-01-01

    To describe alternative policies aimed at encouraging price competition in generic drug markets in countries with strict price regulation, and to present some case studies drawn from the European experience. Systematic literature review of articles and technical reports published after 1999. The shortcomings in consumer price competition observed in some European generic markets, including Spain, may be reduced through three types of public reimbursement or financing reforms: policies aimed at improving the design of current maximum reimbursement level policies; policies aimed at monitoring competitive prices in order to reimburse real acquisition cost to pharmacies; and, more radical and market-oriented policies such as competitive tendering of public drug purchases. The experience of recent reforms adopted in Germany, Belgium, Holland, Norway, and Sweden offers a useful guide for highly price-regulated European countries, such as Spain, currently characterized by limited consumer price competition and the high discounts offered to pharmacy purchases. Direct price regulation and/or the generic reference pricing systems used to reduce generic drug prices in many European countries can be successfully reformed by adopting measures more closely aimed at encouraging consumer price competition in generic drug markets. Copyright 2009 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  18. A Multigrade, Multiyear Statewide Examination of Reading Achievement: Examination of Reading Achievement Examining Variability between Districts, Schools, and Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adelson, Jill L.; Dickinson, Emily R.; Cunningham, Brittany C.

    2016-01-01

    This brief examined the patterns of reading achievement using statewide data from all students (Grades 3-10) in multiple years to examine gaps based on student, school, and district characteristics. Results indicate reading achievement varied most between students within schools and that students' prior achievement was the strongest predictor of…

  19. The School Climate-Student Achievement Connection: If We Want Achievement Gains, We Need to Begin by Improving the Climate

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shindler, John; Jones, Albert; Williams, A. Dee; Taylor, Clint; Cardenas, Hermenia

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the relationship between school climate and student achievement ratings in urban school districts in five states (N = 230). Many educators view school climate and student achievement as separate considerations. However the results of this study suggest that climate and student achievement were highly related. In fact, the…

  20. Computer-Based Training in Math and Working Memory Improves Cognitive Skills and Academic Achievement in Primary School Children: Behavioral Results

    PubMed Central

    Sánchez-Pérez, Noelia; Castillo, Alejandro; López-López, José A.; Pina, Violeta; Puga, Jorge L.; Campoy, Guillermo; González-Salinas, Carmen; Fuentes, Luis J.

    2018-01-01

    Student academic achievement has been positively related to further development outcomes, such as the attainment of higher educational, employment, and socioeconomic aspirations. Among all the academic competences, mathematics has been identified as an essential skill in the field of international leadership as well as for those seeking positions in disciplines related to science, technology, and engineering. Given its positive consequences, studies have designed trainings to enhance children's mathematical skills. Additionally, the ability to regulate and control actions and cognitions, i.e., executive functions (EF), has been associated with school success, which has resulted in a strong effort to develop EF training programs to improve students' EF and academic achievement. The present study examined the efficacy of a school computer-based training composed of two components, namely, working memory and mathematics tasks. Among the advantages of using a computer-based training program is the ease with which it can be implemented in school settings and the ease by which the difficulty of the tasks can be adapted to fit the child's ability level. To test the effects of the training, children's cognitive skills (EF and IQ) and their school achievement (math and language grades and abilities) were evaluated. The results revealed a significant improvement in cognitive skills, such as non-verbal IQ and inhibition, and better school performance in math and reading among the children who participated in the training compared to those children who did not. Most of the improvements were related to training on WM tasks. These findings confirmed the efficacy of a computer-based training that combined WM and mathematics activities as part of the school routines based on the training's impact on children's academic competences and cognitive skills. PMID:29375442

  1. Computer-Based Training in Math and Working Memory Improves Cognitive Skills and Academic Achievement in Primary School Children: Behavioral Results.

    PubMed

    Sánchez-Pérez, Noelia; Castillo, Alejandro; López-López, José A; Pina, Violeta; Puga, Jorge L; Campoy, Guillermo; González-Salinas, Carmen; Fuentes, Luis J

    2017-01-01

    Student academic achievement has been positively related to further development outcomes, such as the attainment of higher educational, employment, and socioeconomic aspirations. Among all the academic competences, mathematics has been identified as an essential skill in the field of international leadership as well as for those seeking positions in disciplines related to science, technology, and engineering. Given its positive consequences, studies have designed trainings to enhance children's mathematical skills. Additionally, the ability to regulate and control actions and cognitions, i.e., executive functions (EF), has been associated with school success, which has resulted in a strong effort to develop EF training programs to improve students' EF and academic achievement. The present study examined the efficacy of a school computer-based training composed of two components, namely, working memory and mathematics tasks. Among the advantages of using a computer-based training program is the ease with which it can be implemented in school settings and the ease by which the difficulty of the tasks can be adapted to fit the child's ability level. To test the effects of the training, children's cognitive skills (EF and IQ) and their school achievement (math and language grades and abilities) were evaluated. The results revealed a significant improvement in cognitive skills, such as non-verbal IQ and inhibition, and better school performance in math and reading among the children who participated in the training compared to those children who did not. Most of the improvements were related to training on WM tasks. These findings confirmed the efficacy of a computer-based training that combined WM and mathematics activities as part of the school routines based on the training's impact on children's academic competences and cognitive skills.

  2. 36 CFR § 1010.16 - Actions to encourage agency cooperation early in the NEPA process.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... cooperation early in the NEPA process. § 1010.16 Section § 1010.16 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PRESIDIO TRUST ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY § 1010.16 Actions to encourage agency cooperation early in the NEPA... Trust, any other Federal, State, local, or tribal agency that has jurisdiction by law or special...

  3. Minority Students of Color and the Psychology Graduate Pipeline: Disquieting and Encouraging Trends, 1989-2003

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maton, Kenneth I.; Kohout, Jessica L.; Wicherski, Marlene; Leary, George E.; Vinokurov, Andrey

    2006-01-01

    Trends since 1989 in the minority graduate pipeline in psychology are examined, with special focus on trends in recent years. Encouraging trends generally outweigh troubling ones at lower levels of the pipeline. However, in recent years disquieting trends dominate at the higher pipeline levels. Promising trends include a rise in the percentage (to…

  4. The relationship between medical students' epistemological beliefs and achievement on a clinical performance examination.

    PubMed

    Oh, Sun-A; Chung, Eun-Kyung; Han, Eui-Ryoung; Woo, Young-Jong; Kevin, Deiter

    2016-03-01

    This study was to explore the relationship between clinical performance examination (CPX) achievement and epistemological beliefs to investigate the potentials of epistemological beliefs in ill-structured medical problem solving tasks. We administered the epistemological beliefs questionnaire (EBQ) to fourth-year medical students and correlated the results with their CPX scores. The EBQ comprised 61 items reflecting five belief systems: certainty of knowledge, source of knowledge, rigidity of learning, ability to learn, and speed of knowledge acquisition. The CPX included scores for history taking, physical examination, and patient-physician interaction. The higher epistemological beliefs group obtained significantly higher scores on the CPX with regard to history taking and patient-physician interaction. The epistemological beliefs scores on certainty of knowledge and source of knowledge were significantly positively correlated with patient-physician interaction. The epistemological beliefs scores for ability to learn were significantly positively correlated with those for history taking, physical examination, and patient-physician interaction. Students with more sophisticated and advanced epistemological beliefs stances used more comprehensive and varied approaches in the patient-physician interaction. Therefore, educational efforts that encourage discussions pertaining to epistemological views should be considered to improve clinical reasoning and problem-solving competence in the clinic setting.

  5. Primary care-public health linkages: Older primary care patients with prediabetes & type 2 diabetes encouraged to attend community-based senior centers.

    PubMed

    Noël, Polly H; Parchman, Michael L; Finley, Erin P; Wang, Chen-Pin; Bollinger, Mary; Espinoza, Sara E; Hazuda, Helen P

    2016-12-01

    The Institute of Medicine (IOM) suggests that primary care-public health integration can improve health outcomes for vulnerable patients, but the extent to which formal linkages may enhance patients' use of community resources, or the factors that may influence providers to encourage their patients to use these resources, remain unclear. We conducted baseline assessments in 2014-2015 with 149 older adults with prediabetes or diabetes who had recently joined three senior centers linked to a network of primary care clinics in San Antonio, Texas. In addition to collecting sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, we asked members to identify their source of primary care and whether a health care provider had encouraged them to go to the senior center. We also asked members why they had joined the senior centers and which programs interested them the most. Members' source of primary care was not associated with being encouraged to attend the senior centers by a health care professional. Multivariable analysis indicated that participants with total annual household incomes of $20,000 or less [OR = 2.78; 95% CI = (1.05, 7.14)] and those reporting 12 years of education or less [OR = 3.57; 95% CI = (1.11, 11.11)] were significantly more likely to report being encouraged to attend the senior center by a health care provider. Providers who are aware of community-based resources to support patient self-management may be just as likely to encourage their socioeconomically vulnerable patients with prediabetes or diabetes to use them as providers who have a more formal partnership with the senior centers.

  6. Life insurance and genetic test results: a mutation carrier's fight to achieve full cover.

    PubMed

    Keogh, Louise A; Otlowski, Margaret F A

    2013-09-02

    Currently, there is debate about life insurance companies' use of genetic information for assessing applicants. In his early 20s, James (pseudonym) was denied full life insurance cover because he revealed that he had discussed genetic testing with a genetic counsellor. He was later tested and found to carry a mutation in the MSH6 gene; after disclosing this, he was denied cover for cancer by two other life insurance companies. Unsatisfied with the insurance companies' risk assessments, and based on his understanding that regular colonoscopy significantly reduced his risk of cancer, James made a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission. After informing the third insurance company that he had done so, he was offered full coverage, which suggests that the company did not have actuarial data to justify its decision. This case provides evidence of the high level of initiative and proactivity required for a consumer to achieve a fair result. Few Australians would be in a position to pursue the level of research and advocacy undertaken by James (a professional with scientific training). We call on a collaborative approach between industry, government and researchers to address the issues that James's case raises about genetic testing and life insurance.

  7. An apparent contradiction: increasing variability to achieve greater precision?

    PubMed

    Rosenblatt, Noah J; Hurt, Christopher P; Latash, Mark L; Grabiner, Mark D

    2014-02-01

    To understand the relationship between variability of foot placement in the frontal plane and stability of gait patterns, we explored how constraining mediolateral foot placement during walking affects the structure of kinematic variance in the lower-limb configuration space during the swing phase of gait. Ten young subjects walked under three conditions: (1) unconstrained (normal walking), (2) constrained (walking overground with visual guides for foot placement to achieve the measured unconstrained step width) and, (3) beam (walking on elevated beams spaced to achieve the measured unconstrained step width). The uncontrolled manifold analysis of the joint configuration variance was used to quantify two variance components, one that did not affect the mediolateral trajectory of the foot in the frontal plane ("good variance") and one that affected this trajectory ("bad variance"). Based on recent studies, we hypothesized that across conditions (1) the index of the synergy stabilizing the mediolateral trajectory of the foot (the normalized difference between the "good variance" and "bad variance") would systematically increase and (2) the changes in the synergy index would be associated with a disproportionate increase in the "good variance." Both hypotheses were confirmed. We conclude that an increase in the "good variance" component of the joint configuration variance may be an effective method of ensuring high stability of gait patterns during conditions requiring increased control of foot placement, particularly if a postural threat is present. Ultimately, designing interventions that encourage a larger amount of "good variance" may be a promising method of improving stability of gait patterns in populations such as older adults and neurological patients.

  8. MECCA (Making Equity Count for Classroom Achievement). Utah Gender Equity Curriculum Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Utah State Office of Education, Salt Lake City.

    This gender equity trainer's guide has three purposes: to raise awareness in Utah's preservice and inservice teachers of harmful, often unconscious, behaviors; to encourage gender fairness; and to help teachers develop strategies that result in gender fairness in schools. The guide contains 12 modules of instruction that cover the following…

  9. A Web Environment to Encourage Students to Do Exercises outside the Classroom: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Capus, Laurence; Curvat, Frederic; Leclair, Olivier; Tourigny, Nicole

    2006-01-01

    For the past five years, our students have been passing less and less time preparing for lectures and exams. To encourage them to do more exercises, a pedagogical activity was offered outside the classroom. With the goal of making students more active during the problem-solving process, an innovative online environment, Sphinx, was developed.…

  10. Shifting the Reflective Focus: Encouraging Student Teacher Learning in Video-Framed and Peer-Sharing Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Danielowich, Robert M.

    2014-01-01

    Since many studies that use video to support teacher learning are situated in strongly guided contexts and encourage particular kinds of thinking, we still know very little about how more loosely guided contexts can support teachers to think about the dilemmas of practice associated with their own goals by reflecting about video. This study…

  11. Gender Diversity in Planetary Volcanology: Encouraging Equality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gregg, T. K.; Lopes, R. M.

    2004-12-01

    We have brought together a group of respected and well-known female planetary volcanologists to create a book designed to encourage young women to pursue scientific careers. The book, entitled "Volcanic Worlds: Exploring the Solar System's Volcanoes," published by Praxis, is written for undergraduates who may have no background in geology or planetary sciences. Each chapter covers a different Solar System body or volcanic process, and is authored by a woman who is an expert in her field. Subjects covered include: the relation of plate tectonics to volcanism on Earth; the study of Mars' volcanoes from space and using rovers; geysers on Neptune's moon Triton and on Earth; eruptions on Io; and studying submarine lava flows from a submarine. Each chapter is written in a comfortable, readily accessible tone, with authors presenting not only science, but also some of the unique challenges faced by women conducting volcanological research today-and how these are overcome. Although not intended to be a textbook, this work could easily form the basis of an undergraduate geology seminar, honors course, or as a valuable accessory to an introductory geology course. In addition, it could be used in courses that would be cross-listed between geology departments and sociology departments. We will present more information on the book, and suggestions of how it could be used in the classroom to enhance gender diversity in the Earth and Space Sciences.

  12. Peer reactions to early childhood aggression in a preschool setting: Defenders, encouragers, or neutral bystander.

    PubMed

    Rose, Chad A; Richman, David M; Fettig, Katharine; Hayner, Annamarie; Slavin, Carly; Preast, June L

    2016-08-01

    The purpose of the current study was to determine if peer reactions to aggression among preschool youth were consistent with those conceptualized in the adolescent bullying literature as defenders, encouragers, and neutral bystanders. Direct observations were used to document patterns for types of peer-directed aggression in early childhood settings to ascertain interaction differences between individuals involved within the bullying dynamic. Observations of 50 students in preschool were conducted over 5.5 months. Event recording procedures were used to document aggressive behaviors and reactions from peers and teachers. Results indicated that the majority of aggression was physical. Additionally, peer reactions, as described in the bullying literature for school-aged youth, occurred very infrequently. Peer aggression tended to be more physical, suggesting that early childhood educators should attend to these physical interactions, and cultivate a classroom community that emphasizes social supports and appropriate interactions.

  13. Employees Encouraged to Exercise at Work on Take a Hike Day | Poster

    Cancer.gov

    By Ashley DeVine, Staff Writer Occupational Health Services and the Recreation and Welfare (R&W) Club Frederick teamed up for the first Take a Hike Day at NCI at Frederick on November 21. Employees were encouraged to hike, walk, jog, or run the 1.3-mile course around Fort Detrick. “For those employees who walk all the time, the event gave them a partner to walk with, and for those that do not walk all the time, it gave inspiration that 1.3 miles was not a formidable distance,” said Sarah Hooper, manager of Occupational Health Services.

  14. The Achiever. Volume 6, Number 7

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ashby, Nicole, Ed.

    2007-01-01

    "The Achiever" is a monthly publication for parents and community leaders from the Office of Communications and Outreach, U.S. Department of Education. This issue contains the following articles: (1) President Seeks to Build on Law's Results; (2) Bridging the Gap: Ohio Charter School Surmounts Age, Achievement Barriers; (3) Spellings'…

  15. Teaching Note--Using TED Talks in the Social Work Classroom: Encouraging Student Engagement and Discourse

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loya, Melody Aye; Klemm, Terri

    2016-01-01

    Focusing on TED Talks (online videos) as a resource for social work educators, this teaching note shares our ideas regarding the use of the online videos as an avenue for reaching students and encouraging discussions in the social work classroom. The article first explores the TED platform and then discusses using TED as a teaching tool. Finally,…

  16. Encouraging Usage of an Endangered Ancestral Language: A Supportive Role for Caregivers' Deictic Gestures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yuksel, Peri; Brooks, Patricia J.

    2017-01-01

    Many ancestral languages (AL) are at imminent risk of extinction due to societal changes that pressure minority communities to assimilate with dominant cultures and forego usage of their AL. This study aimed to encourage caregiver-child dyads to converse in Lazuri, an endangered AL in Rize, Turkey. Dyads (N = 59; child age M = 30.7 months, range…

  17. What Hispanic parents do to encourage and discourage 3-5 year old children to be active: a qualitative study using nominal group technique.

    PubMed

    O'Connor, Teresia M; Cerin, Ester; Hughes, Sheryl O; Robles, Jessica; Thompson, Deborah; Baranowski, Tom; Lee, Rebecca E; Nicklas, Theresa; Shewchuk, Richard M

    2013-08-06

    Hispanic preschoolers are less active than their non-Hispanic peers. As part of a feasibility study to assess environmental and parenting influences on preschooler physical activity (PA) (Niños Activos), the aim of this study was to identify what parents do to encourage or discourage PA among Hispanic 3-5 year old children to inform the development of a new PA parenting practice instrument and future interventions to increase PA among Hispanic youth. Nominal Group Technique (NGT), a structured multi-step group procedure, was used to elicit and prioritize responses from 10 groups of Hispanic parents regarding what parents do to encourage (5 groups) or discourage (5 groups) preschool aged children to be active. Five groups consisted of parents with low education (less than high school) and 5 with high education (high school or greater) distributed between the two NGT questions. Ten NGT groups (n = 74, range 4-11/group) generated 20-46 and 42-69 responses/group for practices that encourage or discourage PA respectively. Eight to 18 responses/group were elected as the most likely to encourage or discourage PA. Parental engagement in child activities, modeling PA, and feeding the child well were identified as parenting practices that encourage child PA. Allowing TV and videogame use, psychological control, physical or emotional abuse, and lack of parental engagement emerged as parenting practices that discourage children from being active. There were few differences in the pattern of responses by education level. Parents identified ways they encourage and discourage 3-5 year-olds from PA, suggesting both are important targets for interventions. These will inform the development of a new PA parenting practice scale to be further evaluated. Further research should explore the role parents play in discouraging child PA, especially in using psychological control or submitting children to abuse, which were new findings in this study.

  18. Online High School Achievement versus Traditional High School Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blohm, Katherine E.

    2017-01-01

    The following study examined the question of student achievement in online charter schools and how the achievement scores of students at online charter schools compare to achievement scores of students at traditional schools. Arizona has seen explosive growth in charter schools and online charter schools. A study comparing how these two types of…

  19. Why I Believe I Achieve Determines Whether I Achieve

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Siegle, Del; McCoach, D. Betsy; Roberts, Anne

    2017-01-01

    The beliefs and values students hold toward themselves, given tasks, and achievement itself can influence what tasks students seek, and whether they are able to obtain them. On the basis of previous research on underachievement and motivation, we developed the Achievement Orientation Model (AOM) to explore the issue of student achievement. The…

  20. The advantages and disadvantages of encouraging consumerist notions of health care at two minor injury units.

    PubMed

    Sturgeon, David

    2018-03-22

    Over the past four decades, UK governments have moved towards an increasingly pro-market model of healthcare provision. Under this system, patients are not only encouraged, but expected, to take increasing responsibility for healthcare decision-making and the risks that it might entail. This article investigate how and why patients make choices about their health care and how service providers help facilitate this. Between October 2014 and May 2015, the researcher was embedded as an emergency nurse practitioner at two minor injury units in order to undertake direct and participant observation. During this time, 40 patients, 17 service providers and 1 senior manager also consented to semi-structured interview. The findings suggest that patients should continue to be encouraged to make decisions about their health care, but only if they feel confident to do so. The challenge for service providers is to recognise when this is or is not appropriate and tailor interaction accordingly.

  1. Evaluation of a Speed Mentoring Program: Achievement of Short-Term Mentee Goals and Potential for Longer-Term Relationships.

    PubMed

    Cellini, Melissa M; Serwint, Janet R; D'Alessandro, Donna M; Schulte, Elaine E; Osman, Cynthia

    2017-07-01

    Speed mentoring provides brief mentoring and networking opportunities. We evaluated 1) a national speed mentoring program's ability to encourage in-person networking and advice-sharing, and 2) 2 potential outcomes: helping mentees achieve 3-month goals, and fostering mentoring relationships after the program. An outcome approach logic model guided our program evaluation. Sixty mentees and 60 mentors participated. Each mentee met with 6 mentors for 10 minutes per pairing. At the program, mentees created goals. At 3 months, mentors sent mentees a reminder e-mail. At 4 months, participants received a Web-based survey. Forty-two (70%) mentees and 46 (77%) mentors completed the survey. Participants reported the program allowed them to share/receive advice, to network, to provide/gain different perspectives, and to learn from each other. Mentors as well as mentees identified shared interests, mentor-mentee chemistry, mentee initiative, and mentor approachability as key qualities contributing to ongoing relationships. Many mentor-mentee dyads had additional contact (approximately 60%) after the program and approximately one-third thought they were likely to continue the relationship. Goal-setting encouraged subsequent mentor-mentee contact and motivated mentees to work toward attaining their 3-month goals. The mentors aided mentees goal attainment by providing advice, offering support, and holding mentees accountable. A national speed mentoring program was an effective and efficient way to establish national connections, obtain different perspectives, and receive advice. Goal-setting helped mentees in achieving 3-month goals and fostering mentoring relationships outside of the program. These elements continue to be a part of this program and might be valuable for similar programs. Copyright © 2017 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Tax policy as a lifeline: encouraging blood and organ donation through tax credits.

    PubMed

    Clamon, Joseph B

    2008-01-01

    This article, the second concerning the organ donation crisis, proposes the use of tax policy to encourage blood and organ donation. After critiquing the ethical and logistical problems posed by other commercial and non-commercial solutions, the author demonstrates how tax credits can be used as an effective and ethical solution to address the shortage of donors. The author also offers two model statutes that provide guidance as to how a nonrefundable tax credit for blood and organ donation might operate in the tax code.

  3. Achieving Metacognition through Cognitive Strategy Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Apaydin, Marina; Hossary, Mohamad

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present hands-on techniques that could help achieve higher forms of cognitive work of Bloom's learning taxonomy and progress toward self-actualization, the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. These results can be achieved by the combination of Apaydin's 3A approach and integrative learning.…

  4. Structures and Technology Encouraging Discussion in Human Sexuality Courses: Strategies to Engage a Range of Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Angera, Jeffrey J.; Latty, Christopher R.

    2015-01-01

    Human sexuality courses are common across many college/university campuses. The methods of instruction typically encourage discussion to increase knowledge and critical thinking about self, relationships, and professional pathways. However, often the pedagogical practices do not include methods to draw out students with a range of personalities,…

  5. Developing Critical Understanding in HRM Students: Using Innovative Teaching Methods to Encourage Deep Approaches to Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Butler, Michael J. R.; Reddy, Peter

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to focus on developing critical understanding in human resource management (HRM) students in Aston Business School, UK. The paper reveals that innovative teaching methods encourage deep approaches to study, an indicator of students reaching their own understanding of material and ideas. This improves student employability…

  6. Characteristics and Experiences Related to VTAE Programs That Encourage and/or Inhibit Entrepreneurial Competencies. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gilbertson, Alan; And Others

    A study examined the characteristics and features of vocational, technical, and adult education (VTAE) programs that encourage and/or inhibit entrepreneurship competencies. The study population included random samples of 50 students drawn from each of Wisconsin's VTAE districts, 30 occupational instructors from each district, and 30 graduates of…

  7. Encouraging climate-friendly behaviors through a community energy challenge: The effects of information, feedback, and shared stories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wolske, Kimberly S.

    Research suggests that changes in household behavior can play a significant role in mitigating climate change. While surveys indicate that many Americans care about climate change and believe something should be done to reduce it, a number of real and perceived barriers prevent them from acting on that concern. This research investigated two strategies to promote engagement in climate-friendly behaviors: (1) providing feedback about the positive impact of participants' energy-saving efforts on their carbon footprint; and (2) sharing stories about other participants' conservation successes. A random sample of residents in a Midwest college town were invited to participate in a month-long community Energy Challenge that asked households to try to reduce their carbon footprint by 2 percent. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: monthly feedback, weekly feedback, and weekly feedback + stories. All participants received a booklet that gave procedural guidance and estimated carbon savings for 34 behaviors related to personal transportation, household energy use, and dietary choices. In addition, all participants were asked to track their efforts in an online log. For participants in the weekly feedback conditions, these logs estimated their total carbon savings for each week of the challenge. Weekly e-mails were sent to all groups to encourage completion of the logs. For participants in the weekly feedback + stories condition, these reminders included anecdotes about other participants' conservation experiences. Overall, the results suggest that the basic format of the Energy Challenge provided a supportive setting for developing new climate-friendly behaviors and increasing existing ones. The majority of participants (78 percent), regardless of treatment condition, achieved the Energy Challenge goal, with a median carbon savings of 6 percent. For some participants, weekly feedback helped reduce perceived barriers related to driving less

  8. The effects of student-level and classroom-level factors on elementary students' science achievement in five countries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaya, Sibel

    The interest in raising levels of achievement in math and science has led to a focus on investigating the factors that shape achievement in these subjects (Lamb & Fullarton, 2002) as well as understanding how these factors operate across countries (Baker, Fabrega, Galindo, & Mishook, 2004). The current study examined the individual student factors and classroom factors on fourth grade science achievement within and across five countries. Guided by the previous school learning models, the elements of students' science learning were categorized as student-level and classroom-level factors. The student-level factors included gender, self-confidence in science, and home resources. The classroom-level factors included teacher characteristics, instructional variables and classroom composition. Results for the United States and four other countries, Singapore, Japan, Australia, and Scotland were reported. Multilevel effects of student and classroom variables were examined through Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) using the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003 fourth grade dataset. The outcome variable was the TIMSS 2003 science score. Overall, the results of this study showed that selected student background characteristics were consistently related to elementary science achievement in countries investigated. At the student-level, higher levels of home resources and self-confidence and at the classroom-level, higher levels of class mean home resources yielded higher science scores on the TIMSS 2003. In general, teacher and instructional variables were minimally related to science achievement. There was evidence of positive effects of teacher support in the U.S. and Singapore. The emphasis on science inquiry was positively related to science achievement in Singapore and negatively related in the U.S. and Australia. Experimental studies that investigate the impacts of teacher and instructional factors on elementary science achievement are

  9. Encouraging top-down attention in visual search:A developmental perspective.

    PubMed

    Lookadoo, Regan; Yang, Yingying; Merrill, Edward C

    2017-10-01

    Four experiments are reported in which 60 younger children (7-8 years old), 60 older children (10-11 years old), and 60 young adults (18-25 years old) performed a conjunctive visual search task (15 per group in each experiment). The number of distractors of each feature type was unbalanced across displays to evaluate participants' ability to restrict search to the smaller subset of features. The use of top-down attention processes to restrict search was encouraged by providing external aids for identifying and maintaining attention on the smaller set. In Experiment 1, no external assistance was provided. In Experiment 2, precues and instructions were provided to focus attention on that subset. In Experiment 3, trials in which the smaller subset was represented by the same feature were presented in alternating blocks to eliminate the need to switch attention between features from trial to trial. In Experiment 4, consecutive blocks of the same subset features were presented in the first or second half of the experiment, providing additional consistency. All groups benefited from external support of top-down attention, although the pattern of improvement varied across experiments. The younger children benefited most from precues and instruction, using the subset search strategy when instructed. Furthermore, younger children benefited from blocking trials only when blocks of the same features did not alternate. Older participants benefited from the blocking of trials in both Experiments 3 and 4, but not from precues and instructions. Hence, our results revealed both malleability and limits of children's top-down control of attention.

  10. Encouragers and discouragers affecting medical graduates' choice of regional and rural practice locations.

    PubMed

    McKillop, Ann; Webster, Craig; Bennett, Win; O'Connor, Barbara; Bagg, Warwick

    2017-12-01

    Access to health care as near to where people live as possible is desirable. However, not enough medical graduates choose to work in rural and regional areas, especially in general practice. The career decisions of recent medical graduates are known to be affected by a variety of professional, societal and personal factors. Internationally, medical programmes have exposed students to regional and rural experiences partly to encourage them to seek employment in these areas after graduation. As such, the Pūkawakawa Programme is a year-long regional and rural experience for selected Year 5 students from the University of Auckland‘s Medical Programme in New Zealand in partnership with the Northland District Health Board and two Primary Health Organisations. A lack of clarity about the drivers of rural and regional career decisions underpinned this study, which aimed to explore the barriers and encouragers for students of the programme to return as resident medical officers to the regional hospital where they had gained clinical experience. A mixed-method, descriptive design was used, including a short survey, followed by participation in a focus-group discussion or a one-on-one interview. Survey data were summarised in tabular form and inductive, thematic analysis was applied to transcripts of focus groups and interviews. Nineteen doctors in their first or second year following graduation participated: 15 who had returned to the hospital where they had clinical experience in the programme and four who were employed elsewhere. 'A match of personal goals and intended career intentions' was the reason most frequently selected for junior doctors’ choice of early career employment. Other frequently selected reasons were lifestyle, friends and family close by, and the reputation and experience of the Pūkawakawa Programme. Qualitative data revealed that the learning experience, the unique design of the curriculum and associated support from clinicians were

  11. Encouraging data citation and discovery with the Data Citation Index.

    PubMed

    Force, Megan M; Robinson, Nigel J

    2014-10-01

    An overview of the Data Citation Index is provided. Thomson Reuters developed this resource in response to a stated desire among members of the research community for increased attribution of non-traditional scholarly output. Launched in October of 2012 on the Web of science research platform, its aims include linking published research articles to their underlying data sets and tracking the citation of the data, as well as encouraging bibliographic citation of data. Cross-disciplinary search capabilities in the Index enable new possibilities for data discovery and synthesis. Data repositories are evaluated with respect to various selection criteria, with particular attention to their relevance to scientific and scholarly research. Index content reflects current data deposition practices. As data citation standards and practices continue to move toward widespread formalization and adoption, the initiative seeks to address issues of data citation, reuse, and author credit in a developing climate.

  12. Encouraging data citation and discovery with the Data Citation Index

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Force, Megan M.; Robinson, Nigel J.

    2014-10-01

    An overview of the Data Citation Index is provided. Thomson Reuters developed this resource in response to a stated desire among members of the research community for increased attribution of non-traditional scholarly output. Launched in October of 2012 on the Web of science research platform, its aims include linking published research articles to their underlying data sets and tracking the citation of the data, as well as encouraging bibliographic citation of data. Cross-disciplinary search capabilities in the Index enable new possibilities for data discovery and synthesis. Data repositories are evaluated with respect to various selection criteria, with particular attention to their relevance to scientific and scholarly research. Index content reflects current data deposition practices. As data citation standards and practices continue to move toward widespread formalization and adoption, the initiative seeks to address issues of data citation, reuse, and author credit in a developing climate.

  13. Encouraging a "Romantic Understanding" of Science: The Effect of the Nikola Tesla Story

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hadzigeorgiou, Yannis; Klassen, Stephen; Klassen, Cathrine Froese

    2012-08-01

    The purpose of this paper is to discuss and apply the notion of romantic understanding by outlining its features and its potential role in science education, to identify its features in the story of Nikola Tesla, and to describe an empirical study conducted to determine the effect of telling such a story to Grade 9 students. Elaborated features of the story are the humanization of meaning, an association with heroes and heroic qualities, the limits of reality and extremes of experience, a sense of wonder, and a contesting of conventions and conventional ideas. The study demonstrates the learning benefits of encouraging a romantic understanding through a story that is structured explicitly around the identified features, in this instance in the context of the production and transmission of alternating current electricity. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of journal entries showed that the group of students who were encouraged to understand the concept of alternating current romantically (the experimental group) became more involved with both the content and the context of the story than a comparison group of students who were taught the concept explicitly, without a context (the control group). The students in the experimental group also performed statistically better on a science-content test taken 1 week and again 8 weeks after the indicated teaching intervention. This finding, along with the content analyses of students' journals, provided evidence of romantic understanding of the science content for those students who listened to the Tesla story.

  14. Matching medical student achievement to learning objectives and outcomes: a paradigm shift for an implemented teaching module.

    PubMed

    Atta, Ihab Shafek; AlQahtani, Fahd Nasser

    2018-01-01

    Low student achievement in a basic imaging module was the impetus for an assessment of the module. A valid, reliable, and structured Likert scale was designed to measure the degree of student satisfaction with the domains of the module, including learning objectives (LO), teaching strategy and tools (TT), assessment tools (AT), and allotted credit hours (CH). Further analysis was conducted of student dissatisfaction to determine the subdomain in which module improvement was to be implemented. Statistical analysis of data among Likert scale domains was conducted. Likert scale data showed the TT domain to be the major reason for low student achievement. Statistical studies revealed 57/117 students (48.6%) were dissatisfied with TT, compared with LO 16/117 (13.6%), AT 54/117 (46.1%), and CH 12/117 (10.2%). Significant P -values were obtained for LO vs TT ( P <0.0001), LO vs AT ( P <0.0001), LO vs CH ( P <0.03), TT vs CH ( P <0.0001), and AT vs CH ( P <0.0001). No significant difference was observed between TT and AT ( P <0.29). Regarding TT, 41/117 (34.9%) students were dissatisfied with lectures (L) compared to hospital-based teaching (HPT) 24/117 (20%), problem-based learning (PBL) 8/117 (6.8%), self-directed learning (SDL) 3/117 (2.5%), and seminars (S) 4/117 (3.4%). Significant P -values were obtained for L vs HPT ( P <0.0001), L vs PBL ( P <0.0001), L vs SDL ( P <0.0001), L vs S ( P <0.0001), HPT vs PBL ( P <0.002), HPT vs SDL ( P <0.0001), and HPT vs S ( P <0.0001). Regarding lecture modifications, student satisfaction was 78.3% compared to 52% before modification. A significant P -value ( P <0.0001) was obtained between Likert scale domains before and after modification. Lecture modification resulted in a good student response and satisfaction. The major reason for low student achievement was the teaching tools, particularly the lectures. Major modifications to lectures improved student achievement. The students and most of the teaching staff were highly

  15. Perceived Harm of Online Drug-Encouraging Messages: Third-Person Effect and Adolescents' Support for Rectifying Measures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leung, Wan Chi; Lo, Ven-Hwei

    2015-01-01

    This study examines third-person perceptions (TPP) of two types of online messages--antisocial messages that encourage drug abuse and prosocial messages in the youth anti-drug campaign--and their relationship with support for three types of rectifying measures: restrictive, corrective, and promotional. A survey of 778 secondary school students…

  16. Luchando y logrando/struggling and achieving: Resilience of Latina/o math and science teacher candidates at California Hispanic-Serving Institutions: A critical race perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gonzalez, Laura

    Latin math and science students represent a resilient, determined, and encouraging group of high achievers. This qualitative study presents the narratives of 10 Latin science and math teacher candidates currently attending Hispanic-Serving Institutions in California. Semi structured, in-depth interviews were conducted, where participants shared the challenges they experienced and the factors that contributed to their resilience. The Connor Davidson Resilience Scale CD-RISC was used to present resilience measures for each participant. This score is compared to a group of college students throughout the nation. The findings provide insight into the critical need for universities to examine institutional practices and efforts to support these high achievers who have already beaten tremendous odds by entering the halls of higher education.

  17. Academic Self-Concept, Achievement Goals, and Achievement: Is Their Relation the Same for Academic Achievers and Underachievers?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Preckel, Franzis; Brunner, Martin

    2015-01-01

    This longitudinal study investigated the contribution of achievement goals and academic self-concept for the prediction of unexpected academic achievement (i.e., achievement that is higher or lower than expected with respect to students' cognitive ability) in general and when comparing groups of extreme over- and underachievers. Our sample…

  18. Scanning Rocket Impact Area with an UAV: First Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Santos, C. C. C.; Costa, D. A. L. M.; Junior, V. L. S.; Silva, B. R. F.; Leite, D. L.; Junor, C. E. B. S.; Liberator, B. A.; Nogueira, M. B.; Senna, M. D.; Santiago, G. S.; Dantas, J. B. D.; Alsina, P. J.; Albuquerque, G. L. A.

    2015-09-01

    This paper presents the first subsystems developed for an UAV used in safety procedures of sounding rockets campaigns. The aim of this UAV is to scan the rocket impact area in order to search for unexpected boats. To achieve this mission, designers developed an image recognition algorithm, two human-machine interfaces and two communication links, one to control the drone and the other for receiving telemetry data. In this paper, developers take all major engineering decisions in order to overcome the project constraints. A secondary goal of the project is to encourage young people to take part in Brazilian space program. For this reason, most of designers are undergraduate students under supervision of experts.

  19. Black Working Class Adolescents' Attitudes Toward Academic Achievement.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mickelson, Roslyn Arlin

    This paper examines the discrepancy between black working class students' positive attitudes toward academic achievement and their failure to achieve good grades. The research presented was drawn from a study which altered a high school's reward structure, and then tested its effects on student attitudes toward academic achievement. The results of…

  20. A mediation analysis of achievement motives, goals, learning strategies, and academic achievement.

    PubMed

    Diseth, Age; Kobbeltvedt, Therese

    2010-12-01

    Previous research is inconclusive regarding antecedents and consequences of achievement goals, and there is a need for more research in order to examine the joint effects of different types of motives and learning strategies as predictors of academic achievement. To investigate the relationship between achievement motives, achievement goals, learning strategies (deep, surface, and strategic), and academic achievement in a hierarchical model. Participants were 229 undergraduate students (mean age: 21.2 years) of psychology and economics at the University of Bergen, Norway. Variables were measured by means of items from the Achievement Motives Scale (AMS), the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students, and an achievement goal scale. Correlation analysis showed that academic achievement (examination grade) was positively correlated with performance-approach goal, mastery goal, and strategic learning strategies, and negatively correlated with performance-avoidance goal and surface learning strategy. A path analysis (structural equation model) showed that achievement goals were mediators between achievement motives and learning strategies, and that strategic learning strategies mediated the relationship between achievement goals and academic achievement. This study integrated previous findings from several studies and provided new evidence on the direct and indirect effects of different types of motives and learning strategies as predictors of academic achievement.

  1. Nutrition interventions at point-of-sale to encourage healthier food purchasing: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Liberato, Selma C; Bailie, Ross; Brimblecombe, Julie

    2014-09-05

    Point-of-sale is a potentially important opportunity to promote healthy eating through nutrition education and environment modification. The aim of this review was to describe and review the evidence of effectiveness of various types of interventions that have been used at point-of-sale to encourage purchase and/or eating of healthier food and to improve health outcomes, and the extent to which effectiveness was related to intensity, duration and intervention setting. Records from searches in databases were screened and assessed against inclusion criteria. Included studies had risk of bias assessed. Intervention effectiveness was assessed for two outcomes: i) purchase and/or intake of healthier food options and/or nutrient intake; and ii) mediating factors that might effect the primary outcome. The search identified 5635 references. Thirty-two papers met the inclusion criteria. Twelve studies had low risk of bias and were classified as strong, nine were moderate and 11 were weak. Six intervention types and a range of different outcome measures were described in these papers: i) nutrition education and promotion alone through supermarkets/stores; ii) nutrition education plus enhanced availability of healthy food; iii) monetary incentive alone; iv) nutrition education plus monetary incentives; v) nutrition intervention through vending machines; and vi) nutrition intervention through shopping online. The evidence of this review indicates that monetary incentives offered to customers for a short-term look promising in increasing purchase of healthier food options when the intervention is applied by itself in stores or supermarkets. There was a lack of good quality studies addressing all other types of relevant point-of-sale interventions examining change in purchase and/or intake of healthier food options. There were few studies that examined mediating factors that might mediate the effect on the primary outcomes of relevant interventions. A range of intervention types

  2. Can Using Rigorous Evidence to Guide Federal Education Funds Improve Student Achievement? Randomized Trials Show Encouraging Initial Results for DoED's Investing in Innovation Fund

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, 2014

    2014-01-01

    An important recent development in evidence-based policy is the federal government's use of a "tiered evidence" approach to allocating funding in grant programs such as the U.S. Department of Education's Investing in Innovation Fund (i3). A central feature of this approach is that the largest grants are awarded to fund large-scale…

  3. Attitude Towards Physics and Additional Mathematics Achievement Towards Physics Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Veloo, Arsaythamby; Nor, Rahimah; Khalid, Rozalina

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this research is to identify the difference in students' attitude towards Physics and Additional Mathematics achievement based on gender and relationship between attitudinal variables towards Physics and Additional Mathematics achievement with achievement in Physics. This research focused on six variables, which is attitude towards…

  4. Mathematics Beliefs and Achievement of Elementary School Students in Japan and the United States: Results from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    House, J. Daniel

    2006-01-01

    Student self-beliefs are significantly related to several types of academic achievement. In addition, results from international assessments have indicated that students in Japan have typically scored above international averages (D. L. Kelly, I. V. S. Mullis, & M. O. Martin, 2000). In this study, the author examined relationships between…

  5. Fifteen Years of Collaborative Innovation and Achievement: NASA Nebraska Space Grant Consortium 15-Year Program Performance and Results Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schaaf, Michaela M. (Editor); Bowen, Brent D.; Fink, Mary M.; Nickerson, Jocelyn S.; Avery Shelly; Calamaio, Caprice; Carstenson, Larry; Dugan, James; Farr, Lynne; Farritor, Shane

    2003-01-01

    This 15-year evaluation serves as a summary document highlighting the numerous and complete successes of the Nebraska Space Grant Program. Innovation has been highlighted through significant new endeavors during this 5-year period, such as placement of students and faculty at NASA Centers and the expansion of NSGC Native American Outreach Programs. While the last national program evaluation resulted in Nebraska s ranking as the top Capability Enhancement Consortium, and 5th best overall, Nebraska felt there was room for significant growth and development. This has been validated through the recent competitive attainment of Designated Grant status and has allowed for the exploration of new initiatives, as well as the expansion of already successful programs. A comprehensive strategic planning effort has involved all Nebraska representative entities and has guided Nebraska Space Grant through the evaluation period, providing a basis for continual advancement. Nebraska rigorously employs evaluation techniques to ensure that stated outcomes and metrics are achieved and that weaknesses are identified and corrected. With this coordinated approach, Nebraska expects that the next 5 years will yield new opportunities for significant achievement. Nebraska Space Grant will embrace new national endeavors, including the integration of Pender Public Schools -Nebraska s NASA Explorer School, geospatial initiatives, and the National Student Satellite Program.

  6. The Multi-GNSS Experiment (MGEX) of the International GNSS Service (IGS) - Achievements, prospects and challenges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Montenbruck, Oliver; Steigenberger, Peter; Prange, Lars; Deng, Zhiguo; Zhao, Qile; Perosanz, Felix; Romero, Ignacio; Noll, Carey; Stürze, Andrea; Weber, Georg; Schmid, Ralf; MacLeod, Ken; Schaer, Stefan

    2017-04-01

    Over the past five years, the International GNSS Service (IGS) has made continuous efforts to extend its service from GPS and GLONASS to the variety of newly established global and regional navigation satellite systems. This report summarizes the achievements and progress made in this period by the IGS Multi-GNSS Experiment (MGEX). The status and tracking capabilities of the IGS monitoring station network are presented and the multi-GNSS products derived from this resource are discussed. The achieved performance is assessed and related to the current level of space segment and user equipment characterization. While the performance of orbit and clock products for BeiDou, Galileo, and QZSS still lags behind the legacy GPS and GLONASS products, continued progress has been made since launch of the MGEX project and already enables use of the new constellations for precise point positioning, atmospheric research and other applications. Directions for further research are identified to fully integrate the new constellations into routine GNSS processing. Furthermore, the active support of GNSS providers is encouraged to assist the scientific community in the generation of fully competitive products for the new constellations.

  7. Leader Perceptions and Student Achievement: An Examination of Reading and Mathematics International Test Results in Korea and the USA

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shin, Seon-Hi; Slater, Charles L.; Ortiz, Steve

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine what factors affect student achievement in reading and mathematics. The research questions addressed the perceptions of school principals and background characteristics related to student achievement in Korea and the USA with respect to differences among students in low, middle and high quantiles.…

  8. Encouraging the Use of Technology in Problem-Solving: Some Examples from an Initial Teacher Education Programme

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lopez-Real, Francis; Lee, Arthur

    2006-01-01

    As part of a module on mathematical problem solving in an Initial Teacher Education programme, the student teachers are encouraged to produce alternative solutions to the problems they tackle and, in particular, to consider whether ICT can help. In this paper we discuss a number of unusual solutions produced for some of the problems, specifically…

  9. Factors that encourage and discourage policy-making to prevent childhood obesity: Experience in the United States.

    PubMed

    Rutkow, Lainie; Jones-Smith, Jesse; Walters, Hannah J; O'Hara, Marguerite; Bleich, Sara N

    2016-12-01

    Policy-makers throughout the world seek to address childhood obesity prevention, yet little is known about factors that influence policy-makers' decisions on this topic. From September 2014 to April 2015, we conducted 43 semi-structured interviews about factors that encourage and discourage policy-makers' support for childhood obesity prevention policies. We interviewed policy-makers (n = 12) and two other groups engaged with childhood obesity prevention policies: representatives of non-governmental organizations (n = 24) and academics (n = 7). Factors that encourage policy-makers' support for childhood obesity prevention policies included: positive impact on government finances, an existing evidence base, partnerships with community-based collaborators, and consistency with policy-makers' priorities. Factors that discourage policy-makers' support included the following: perceptions about government's role, food and beverage industry opposition, and policy-makers' beliefs about personal responsibility. As public health practitioners, advocates, and others seek to advance childhood obesity prevention in the U.S. and elsewhere, the factors we identified offer insights into ways to frame proposed policies and strategies to influence policy-makers.

  10. Scholarships for scientific initiation encourage post-graduation degree.

    PubMed

    Pinto, Gabriela S; Nascimento, Gustavo G; Mendes, Matheus S; Ogliari, Fabrício A; Demarco, Flávio F; Correa, Marcos B

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with the decision to attend an academic post-graduation program by dental students. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012, last-year undergraduate students from Dental Schools of Southern Brazil. A closed questionnaire was applied including questions grouped in three different blocks: pre-graduate, undergraduate period and future perspectives. The outcome was the decision to pursuit an academic post-graduation degree. Associations were tested using chi-squared test and chi-squared test for linear trends when appropriate. Multivariate Poisson regression was also performed. The sample was composed by 671 students (response rate of 69.9%, n=467). In relation to future perspectives, 68% of the interviewed students intended to attend a post-graduation program, but only 17.5% would choose a program with academic and research post-graduation program (Master and PhD programs). In the final model, students from public universities (PR 2.08, 95%CI 1.41-3.08) and students that received scientific initiation scholarship (PR 1.93 95%CI 1.14-3.27) presented a twice greater prevalence to seek academic post-graduate programs. Students with higher family incomes showed a lower prevalence to seek these programs (PR 0.50, 95%IC 0.28-0.90). Scholarships seem to encourage undergraduate students to pursue stricto sensu post-graduation.

  11. Using Motion-Sensor Games to Encourage Physical Activity for Adults with Intellectual Disability.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Michael J; Taylor, David; Gamboa, Patricia; Vlaev, Ivo; Darzi, Ara

    2016-01-01

    Adults with Intellectual Disability (ID) are at high risk of being in poor health as a result of exercising infrequently; recent evidence indicates this is often due to there being a lack of opportunities to exercise. This pilot study involved an investigation of the use of motion-sensor game technology to enable and encourage exercise for this population. Five adults (two female; 3 male, aged 34-74 [M = 55.20, SD = 16.71] with ID used motion-sensor games to conduct exercise at weekly sessions at a day-centre. Session attendees reported to have enjoyed using the games, and that they would like to use the games in future. Interviews were conducted with six (four female; two male, aged 27-51 [M = 40.20, SD = 11.28]) day-centre staff, which indicated ways in which the motion-sensor games could be improved for use by adults with ID, and barriers to consider in relation to their possible future implementation. Findings indicate motion-sensor games provide a useful, enjoyable and accessible way for adults with ID to exercise. Future research could investigate implementation of motion-sensor games as a method for exercise promotion for this population on a larger scale.

  12. Achieving definitive results in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation trials of term infants: factors for consideration.

    PubMed

    Meldrum, Suzanne J; Smith, Michael A; Prescott, Susan L; Hird, Kathryn; Simmer, Karen

    2011-04-01

    Numerous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been undertaken to determine whether supplementation with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) in infancy would improve the developmental outcomes of term infants. The results of such trials have been thoroughly reviewed with no definitive conclusion as to the efficacy of LCPUFA supplementation. A number of reasons for the lack of conclusive findings in this area have been proposed. This review examines such factors with the aim of determining whether an optimal method of investigation for RCTs of LCPUFA supplementation in term infants can be ascertained from previous research. While more research is required to completely inform a method that is likely to achieve definitive results, the findings of this literature review indicate future trials should investigate the effects of sex, genetic polymorphisms, the specific effects of LCPUFAs, and the optimal tests for neurodevelopmental assessment. The current literature indicates a docosahexaenoic acid dose of 0.32%, supplementation from birth to 12 months, and a total sample size of at least 286 (143 per group) should be included in the methodology of future trials. © 2011 International Life Sciences Institute.

  13. Reasoning Abilities in Primary School: A Pilot Study on Poor Achievers vs. Normal Achievers in Computer Game Tasks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dagnino, Francesca Maria; Ballauri, Margherita; Benigno, Vincenza; Caponetto, Ilaria; Pesenti, Elia

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents the results of preliminary research on the assessment of reasoning abilities in primary school poor achievers vs. normal achievers using computer game tasks. Subjects were evaluated by means of cognitive assessment on logical abilities and academic skills. The aim of this study is to better understand the relationship between…

  14. Reading and Love: Encouraging Love of Reading at Home and School: Proceedings of the Annual Symposium on Reading (6th, Mangilao, Guam, January 18, 1986).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cotton, Eileen G., Ed.

    Representing the expertise of university education professors and public school teachers, the articles in these proceedings focus on encouraging reading and fostering lifelong reading habits. Titles of the papers and their authors are as follows: (1) "Television and Books: Friends or Foes" (Jeannetta H. Caplan); (2) "Encouraging the…

  15. Mathematics beliefs and instructional strategies in achievement of elementary-school students in Japan: results from the TIMSS 2003 assessment.

    PubMed

    House, J Daniel

    2007-04-01

    Recent findings concerning mathematics assessment indicate that students in Japan consistently score above international averages. Researchers have examined specific mathematics beliefs and instructional strategies associated with mathematics achievement for students in Japan. This study examined relationships among self-beliefs, classroom instructional strategies, and mathematics achievement for a large national sample of students (N=4,207) from the TIMSS 2003 international sample of fourth graders in Japan. Several significant relationships between mathematics beliefs and test scores were found; a number of classroom teaching strategies were also significantly associated with test scores. However, multiple regression using the complete set of five mathematics beliefs and five instructional strategies explained only 25.1% of the variance in mathematics achievement test scores.

  16. Achievement goals affect metacognitive judgments

    PubMed Central

    Ikeda, Kenji; Yue, Carole L.; Murayama, Kou; Castel, Alan D.

    2017-01-01

    The present study examined the effect of achievement goals on metacognitive judgments, such as judgments of learning (JOLs) and metacomprehension judgments, and actual recall performance. We conducted five experiments manipulating the instruction of achievement goals. In each experiment, participants were instructed to adopt mastery-approach goals (i.e., develop their own mental ability through a memory task) or performance-approach goals (i.e., demonstrate their strong memory ability through getting a high score on a memory task). The results of Experiments 1 and 2 showed that JOLs of word pairs in the performance-approach goal condition tended to be higher than those in the mastery-approach goal condition. In contrast, cued recall performance did not differ between the two goal conditions. Experiment 3 also demonstrated that metacomprehension judgments of text passages were higher in the performance-approach goal condition than in the mastery-approach goals condition, whereas test performance did not differ between conditions. These findings suggest that achievement motivation affects metacognitive judgments during learning, even when achievement motivation does not influence actual performance. PMID:28983496

  17. The impact of endocrine therapy on sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women with early stage breast cancer: encouraging results from a prospective study.

    PubMed

    Frechette, Dominique; Paquet, Lise; Verma, Shailendra; Clemons, Mark; Wheatley-Price, Paul; Gertler, Stan Z; Song, Xinni; Graham, Nadine; Dent, Susan

    2013-08-01

    The goal of this project was to investigate the contentious issue of a possible effect of endocrine therapy (ET) on sexual dysfunction (SD) in postmenopausal early stage breast cancer survivors. To date, few studies have assessed sexual functioning prior to initiating ET and none have taken sexual distress into account when reporting the prevalence of ET-induced SD. We report the findings of a study on the change in SD (defined as experiencing sexual problems causing distress) during the first 6 months of ET usage. Between January 2009 and May 2011, 118 patients entered the study and 66 completed questionnaires prior to initiation of ET and after 6 months of use. Sexual functioning (SF) was evaluated with the female sexual function index while sexual distress was assessed with the female sexual distress scale (FSDS-R). Gynecological symptoms were measured with the FACT-B ES subscale. Over time, the level of gynecological symptoms increased (p < 0.001), whereas no decline in SF was observed. The percentage of women who reported experiencing at least one sexual problem (85 %) and the percentage who were sexually distressed (30 %) remained the same across time. Importantly, the change in the prevalence of SD between baseline (24 %) and 6 months (29 %) was not statistically significant. Women experiencing SD at baseline were more likely to experience SD after 6 months of ET usage (OR = 7.4, 95 % CI = 1.5-36.9) than women who had no SD prior to initiating ET. The observation that SF remained stable across time is encouraging news. However, longer follow-up and the inclusion of women who were premenopausal at diagnosis are needed to determine the potential influence of extended duration of ET (e.g., at least 5 years) on SD. Further studies, including assessing the impact of early identification of patients at risk of developing SD and timely intervention, are warranted.

  18. Harmonisation of seven common enzyme results through EQA.

    PubMed

    Weykamp, Cas; Franck, Paul; Gunnewiek, Jacqueline Klein; de Jonge, Robert; Kuypers, Aldy; van Loon, Douwe; Steigstra, Herman; Cobbaert, Christa

    2014-11-01

    Equivalent results between different laboratories enable optimal patient care and can be achieved with harmonisation. We report on EQA-initiated national harmonisation of seven enzymes using commutable samples. EQA samples were prepared from human serum spiked with human recombinant enzymes. Target values were assigned with the IFCC Reference Measurement Procedures. The same samples were included at four occasions in the EQA programmes of 2012 and 2013. Laboratories were encouraged to report IFCC traceable results. A parallel study was done to confirm commutability of the samples. Of the 223 participating laboratories, 95% reported IFCC traceable results, ranging from 98% (ASAT) to 87% (amylase). Users of Roche and Siemens (97%) more frequently reported in IFCC traceable results than users of Abbott (91%), Beckman (90%), and Olympus (87%). The success of harmonisation, expressed as the recovery of assigned values and the inter-laboratory CV was: ALAT (recovery 100%; inter-lab CV 4%), ASAT (102%; 4%), LD (98%; 3%), CK (101%; 5%), GGT (98%; 4%), AP (96%; 6%), amylase (99%; 4%). There were no significant differences between the manufacturers. Commutability was demonstrated in the parallel study. Equal results in the same sample in the 2012 and 2013 EQA programmes demonstrated stability of the samples. The EQA-initiated national harmonisation of seven enzymes, using stable, commutable human serum samples, spiked with human recombinant enzymes, and targeted with the IFCC Reference Measurement Procedures, was successful in terms of implementation of IFCC traceable results (95%), recovery of the target (99%), and inter-laboratory CV (4%).

  19. Attitudes and Achievement of Bruneian Science Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dhindsa, Harkirat S.; Chung, Gilbert

    2003-01-01

    Evaluates attitudes towards and achievement in science of Form 3 students studying in single-sex and coeducational schools in Brunei. Results demonstrated significant differences in attitudes towards and achievement in science of male and female students in single-sex schools and students in coeducational schools. (Contains 46 references.)…

  20. Beliefs and Achievement in Seventh-Grade Mathematics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kloosterman, Peter

    1991-01-01

    This study highlights the correlation between seventh grade students' (n=429) beliefs about how mathematics is learned and their achievement in mathematics. Results from structural relation modeling indicate that, when beliefs are considered as a single construct, the relationship between beliefs and achievement is much stronger than when beliefs…

  1. The Efforts to Improve Mathematics Learning Achievement Results of High School Students as Required by Competency-Based Curriculum and Lesson Level-Based Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sidabutar, Ropinus

    2016-01-01

    The research was aimed to investigate the effect of various, innovated teaching models to improved the student's achievement in various topic in Mathematics. The study was conduct experiment by using innovated teaching with contextual, media and web which are the compared. with conventional teaching method. The result showed the innovation in the…

  2. Social and Musical Objectives or Experiences School Music Teachers Anticipate Their Students Will Achieve as a Result of Attending a Summer Music Camp

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richards, Eric W.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate specific social and musical objectives or experiences school music teachers anticipate their students will achieve as a result of attending a summer music camp. A survey instrument was developed to collect demographic data and responses to questions regarding 14 specific musical and social variables.…

  3. Test Results of a Ten Cell Bipolar Nickel-hydrogen Battery

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cataldo, R. L.

    1984-01-01

    A study was initiated to design and evaluate a new design concept for nickel-hydrogen cells. This concept involved constructing a battery in a bipolar stack with cells consisting of a one plate for each nickel and hydrogen electrode. Preliminary designs at the system level of this concept promised improvements in both volumetric and gravimetric energy densities, thermal management, life extension, costs, and peak power capability over more conventional designs. Test results were most encouraging. This preprototype battery, built with less than ideal components and hardware, exceeded expectations. A total of 2000 LEO cycles at 80 percent depth of discharge were accrued. A cycle life goal of 30,000 cycles appears achievable with minor design changes. These improvements include advanced technology nickel electrodes, insulated bipolar plates and specifically designed frames to minimize shunt currents. The discharge rate capability of this design exceeds 25C. At the 10C discharge rate, 80% of the battery capacity can be withdrawn in six minutes. This data shows that the bipolar design is well suited for those applications requiring high peak power pulses.

  4. Essays on Educational Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ampaabeng, Samuel Kofi

    2013-01-01

    This dissertation examines the determinants of student outcomes--achievement, attainment, occupational choices and earnings--in three different contexts. The first two chapters focus on Ghana while the final chapter focuses on the US state of Massachusetts. In the first chapter, I exploit the incidence of famine and malnutrition that resulted to…

  5. Parenting styles and adolescents' achievement strategies.

    PubMed

    Aunola, K; Stattin, H; Nurmi, J E

    2000-04-01

    The aim of the study was to investigate the extent to which adolescents' achievement strategies are associated with the parenting styles they experience in their families. Three hundred and fifty-four 14-year-old adolescents completed a Strategy and Attribution Questionnaire and a family parenting style inventory. Analogous questionnaires were also completed by the adolescents' parents. Based on adolescents' report of the parenting styles, four types of families were identified: those with Authoritative, Authoritarian, Permissive, and Neglectful parenting styles. The results further showed that adolescents from authoritative families applied most adaptive achievement strategies characterized by low levels of failure expectations, task-irrelevant behaviour and passivity, and the use of self-enhancing attributions. Adolescents from neglectful families, in turn, applied maladaptive strategies characterized by high levels of task-irrelevant behaviour, passivity and a lack of self-enhancing attributions. The results provide a basis for understanding some of the processes by which parenting styles may influence adolescents' academic achievement and performance.

  6. Achievement Test Provincial Report, June 1987 Administration.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Student Evaluation and Records Branch.

    This document summarizes results of province-wide achievement tests given in Alberta, Canada in June 1987. These tests evaluated student achievement in third grade science, sixth grade mathematics, and ninth grade social studies. The test questions for each subject area reflected Alberta's curriculum specifications for that subject. The grade 3…

  7. Speeding Up the Drug Review Process: Results Encouraging -- But Progress Slow.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-11-23

    the Division of Biopharma - ceutics, which reviews studies of such things as the drug’s rate of dissolution in the blood. These divisions’ data...BIOPHARMACEUTICAL REVIEWS CONTINUE TO BE DELAYED Efforts to speed up the reviews of the Division of Biopharma - ceutics, which reviews such things as the rate of

  8. Strategic Staffing? How Performance Pressures Affect the Distribution of Teachers within Schools and Resulting Student Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grissom, Jason A.; Kalogrides, Demetra; Loeb, Susanna

    2017-01-01

    School performance pressures apply disproportionately to tested grades and subjects. Using longitudinal administrative data--including achievement data from untested grades--and teacher survey data from a large urban district, we examine schools' responses to those pressures in assigning teachers to high-stakes and low-stakes classrooms. We find…

  9. Black Achievement in a Desegregated School District.

    PubMed

    Sheehan, Daniel S

    1979-04-01

    This study compared the achievement of black students (N = 1115) who attended segregated schools with the achievement of black students (N = 810) who attended desegregated schools. Analyses of covariance indicated that after controlling for previous achievement level, student sex, prior school experience, social status, parental involvement, and attitude toward education the segregated black students had the highest adjusted language arts, reading, and mathematics posttest scores. In addition to differences in ethnic composition between the segregated and desegregated schools, several potential confounding factors could have caused these results.

  10. Fostering Dental Students' Academic Achievements and Reflection Skills Through Clinical Peer Assessment and Feedback.

    PubMed

    Tricio, Jorge A; Woolford, Mark J; Escudier, Michael P

    2016-08-01

    Peer assessment is increasingly being encouraged to enhance dental students' learning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the educational impact in terms of academic achievements and reflective thinking of a formative prospective peer assessment and feedback protocol. Volunteer final-year dental students at King's College London Dental Institute, UK, received training on peer assessment, peer feedback, and self-reflection. At the beginning (baseline) and end (resultant) of the 2012-13 academic year, 86 students (55% of the year group) completed a reflection questionnaire (RQ). Sixty-eight of those students used a modified Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) as a framework for peer assessment and peer feedback during a complete academic year. End-of-year, high-stakes examination grades and RQ scores from the participants and nonparticipants were statistically compared. The participants completed 576 peer DOPS. Those 22 students who peer assessed each other ≥10 times exhibited highly statistically significant differences and powerful positive effect sizes in their high-stakes exam grades (p=0.0001, d=0.74) and critical reflection skills (p=0.005, d=1.41) when compared to those who did not assess one another. Furthermore, only the same 22 students showed a statistically significant increase and positive effect size in their critical reflection skills from baseline to resultant (p=0.003, d=1.04). The results of this study suggest that the protocol used has the potential to impact dental students' academic and reflection skills, provided it is practiced in ten or more peer encounters and ensuring peer feedback is provided followed by self-reflection.

  11. BIBLIOGRAPHY ON ACHIEVEMENT.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA. Graduate School of Education.

    THIS BIBLIOGRAPHY LISTS MATERIAL ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF ACHIEVEMENT. APPROXIMATELY 40 UNANNOTATED REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED TO DOCUMENTS DATING FROM 1952 TO 1965. JOURNALS, BOOKS, AND REPORT MATERIALS ARE LISTED. SUBJECT AREAS INCLUDED ARE BEHAVIOR TESTS, ACHIEVEMENT BEHAVIOR, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, AND SOCIAL-CLASS BACKGROUND. A RELATED REPORT IS ED…

  12. Achievement Goals and Discrete Achievement Emotions: A Theoretical Model and Prospective Test

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pekrun, Reinhard; Elliot, Andrew J.; Maier, Markus A.

    2006-01-01

    A theoretical model linking achievement goals to discrete achievement emotions is proposed. The model posits relations between the goals of the trichotomous achievement goal framework and 8 commonly experienced achievement emotions organized in a 2 (activity/outcome focus) x 2 (positive/negative valence) taxonomy. Two prospective studies tested…

  13. The Phantom Collapse of Student Achievement in New York

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cronin, John; Jensen, Nate

    2014-01-01

    When New York state released the first results of the exams under the Common Core State Standards, many wrongly believed that the results showed dramatic declines in student achievement. A closer look at the results showed that student achievement may have increased. Another lesson from the exams is that states need to closely coordinate new data…

  14. Which Achievement Gap?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, Sharon; Medrich, Elliott; Fowler, Donna

    2007-01-01

    From the halls of Congress to the local elementary school, conversations on education reform have tossed around the term "achievement gap" as though people all know precisely what that means. As it's commonly used, "achievement gap" refers to the differences in scores on state or national achievement tests between various…

  15. What can the food and drink industry do to help achieve the 5% free sugars goal?

    PubMed

    Gibson, Sigrid; Ashwell, Margaret; Arthur, Jenny; Bagley, Lindsey; Lennox, Alison; Rogers, Peter J; Stanner, Sara

    2017-07-01

    To contribute evidence and make recommendations to assist in achieving free sugars reduction, with due consideration to the broader picture of weight management and dietary quality. An expert workshop in July 2016 addressed options outlined in the Public Health England report 'Sugar reduction: The evidence for action' that related directly to the food industry. Panel members contributed expertise in food technology, public heath nutrition, marketing, communications, psychology and behaviour. Recommendations were directed towards reformulation, reduced portion sizes, labelling and consumer education. These were evaluated based on their feasibility, likely consumer acceptability, efficacy and cost. The panel agreed that the 5% target for energy from free sugars is unlikely to be achievable by the UK population in the near future, but a gradual reduction from average current level of intake is feasible. Progress requires collaborations between government, food industry, non-government organisations, health professionals, educators and consumers. Reformulation should start with the main contributors of free sugars in the diet, prioritising those products high in free sugars and relatively low in micronutrients. There is most potential for replacing free sugars in beverages using high-potency sweeteners and possibly via gradual reduction in sweetness levels. However, reformulation alone, with its inherent practical difficulties, will not achieve the desired reduction in free sugars. Food manufacturers and the out-of-home sector can help consumers by providing smaller portions. Labelling of free sugars would extend choice and encourage reformulation; however, government needs to assist industry by addressing current analytical and regulatory problems. There are also opportunities for multi-agency collaboration to develop tools/communications based on the Eatwell Guide, to help consumers understand the principles of a varied, healthy, balanced diet. Multiple strategies

  16. Encouraging Student Participation While Designing Writing Exercises

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Narayanan, M.

    2017-12-01

    Encouraging student participation while designing writing exercises requires a certain pragmatic approach. Wilbert James McKeachie is the author of a widely read textbook on college teaching. McKeachie was a longtime faculty member at the University of Michigan. He served as president of the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Foundation and the American Association of Higher Education. In his famous book Teaching and Learning in the College Classroom, McKeachie provides an introduction and notes the role of research in identifying new goals for higher education. He also offers a conceptual framework based on a student mediation model and a focuses on the processs-product relationships between faculty teacher behavior and student learning outcomes. McKeachie' s Teaching Tips provides helpful strategies for dealing with both the everyday problems of university teaching and those that arise in trying to maximize learning for every student. The book does not suggest a set of recipes to be followed mechanically; it gives instructors the tools they need to deal with the ever-changing dynamics of teaching and learning. First, it is extremely important to define the target skill areas and means of implementation. Next, the professor can then proceed to focus on the techniques that could be employed to ensure student participation. This includes selection of an appropriate topic that is relevant to the field of study as well as classroom learning experiences. By pragmatically combining these objectives, the teacher can expect both enthusiasm and effective learning among the student population. McKeachie, Wilbert James. (1980) Learning, Cognition and College Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey - Bass McKeachie, Wilbert James. (1980) Teaching Tips: A Guidebook for the Beginning College Teacher Lexington, MASS. : Heath. 1986. ISBN: 0669067520 McKeachie, Wilbert James., et. al. (2001) Teaching Tips (Eleventh Edition): Strategies, Research, and Theory for

  17. Electronic voting to encourage interactive lectures: a randomised trial

    PubMed Central

    2007-01-01

    Background Electronic Voting Systems have been used for education in a variety of disciplines. Outcomes from these studies have been mixed. Because results from these studies have been mixed, we examined whether an EVS system could enhance a lecture's effect on educational outcomes. Methods A cohort of 127 Year 5 medical students at the University of Adelaide was stratified by gender, residency status and academic record then randomised into 2 groups of 64 and 63 students. Each group received consecutive 40-minute lectures on two clinical topics. One group received the EVS for both topics. The other group received traditional teaching only. Evaluation was undertaken with two, 15-question multiple-choice questionnaires (MCQ) assessing knowledge and problem solving and undertaken as a written paper immediately before and after the lectures and repeated online 8–12 weeks later. Standardised institutional student questionnaires were completed for each lecture and independent observers assessed student behaviour during the lectures. Lecturer's opinions were assessed by a questionnaire developed for this study. Results Two-thirds of students randomised to EVS and 59% of students randomised to traditional lectures attended. One-half of the students in the EVS group and 41% in the traditional group completed all questionnaires. There was no difference in MCQ scores between EVS and traditional lectures (p = 0.785). The cervical cancer lectures showed higher student ranking in favour of EVS in all parameters. The breast cancer lectures showed higher ranking in favour of traditional lectures in 5 of 7 parameters (p < 0.001). The observed higher-order lecturer-students interactions were increased in the EVS lecture for one lecturer and reduced for the other. Both lecturers felt that the EVS lectures were difficult to prepare, that they were able to keep to time in the traditional lectures, that the educational value of both lecture styles was similar, and that they were

  18. Increasing Male Academic Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Barbara Talbert

    2008-01-01

    The No Child Left Behind legislation has brought greater attention to the academic performance of American youth. Its emphasis on student achievement requires a closer analysis of assessment data by school districts. To address the findings, educators must seek strategies to remedy failing results. In a mid-Atlantic district of the Unites States,…

  19. Active2Gether: A Personalized m-Health Intervention to Encourage Physical Activity

    PubMed Central

    Klein, Michel C. A.; Manzoor, Adnan; Mollee, Julia S.

    2017-01-01

    Lack of physical activity is an increasingly important health risk. Modern mobile technology, such as smartphones and digital measurement devices, provides new opportunities to tackle physical inactivity. This paper describes the design of a system that aims to encourage young adults to be more physically active. The system monitors the user’s behavior, uses social comparison and provides tailored and personalized feedback based on intelligent reasoning mechanisms. As the name suggests, social processes play an important role in the Active2Gether system. The design choices and functioning of the system are described in detail. Based on the experiences with the development and deployment of the system, a number of lessons learnt are provided and suggestions are proposed for improvements in future developments. PMID:28629178

  20. Active2Gether: A Personalized m-Health Intervention to Encourage Physical Activity.

    PubMed

    Klein, Michel C A; Manzoor, Adnan; Mollee, Julia S

    2017-06-19

    Lack of physical activity is an increasingly important health risk. Modern mobile technology, such as smartphones and digital measurement devices, provides new opportunities to tackle physical inactivity. This paper describes the design of a system that aims to encourage young adults to be more physically active. The system monitors the user's behavior, uses social comparison and provides tailored and personalized feedback based on intelligent reasoning mechanisms. As the name suggests, social processes play an important role in the Active2Gether system. The design choices and functioning of the system are described in detail. Based on the experiences with the development and deployment of the system, a number of lessons learnt are provided and suggestions are proposed for improvements in future developments.