Sample records for relevant learning experiences

  1. Learned predictiveness training modulates biases towards using boundary or landmark cues during navigation

    PubMed Central

    Buckley, Matthew G.; Smith, Alastair D.; Haselgrove, Mark

    2015-01-01

    A number of navigational theories state that learning about landmark information should not interfere with learning about shape information provided by the boundary walls of an environment. A common test of such theories has been to assess whether landmark information will overshadow, or restrict, learning about shape information. Whilst a number of studies have shown that landmarks are not able to overshadow learning about shape information, some have shown that landmarks can, in fact, overshadow learning about shape information. Given the continued importance of theories that grant the shape information that is provided by the boundary of an environment a special status during learning, the experiments presented here were designed to assess whether the relative salience of shape and landmark information could account for the discrepant results of overshadowing studies. In Experiment 1, participants were first trained that either the landmarks within an arena (landmark-relevant), or the shape information provided by the boundary walls of an arena (shape-relevant), were relevant to finding a hidden goal. In a subsequent stage, when novel landmark and shape information were made relevant to finding the hidden goal, landmarks dominated behaviour for those given landmark-relevant training, whereas shape information dominated behaviour for those given shape-relevant training. Experiment 2, which was conducted without prior relevance training, revealed that the landmark cues, unconditionally, dominated behaviour in our task. The results of the present experiments, and the conflicting results from previous overshadowing experiments, are explained in terms of associative models that incorporate an attention variant. PMID:25409751

  2. The Role of Specificity, Targeted Learning Activities, and Prior Knowledge for the Effects of Relevance Instructions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roelle, Julian; Lehmkuhl, Nina; Beyer, Martin-Uwe; Berthold, Kirsten

    2015-01-01

    In 2 experiments we examined the role of (a) specificity, (b) the type of targeted learning activities, and (c) learners' prior knowledge for the effects of relevance instructions on learning from instructional explanations. In Experiment 1, we recruited novices regarding the topic of atomic structure (N = 80) and found that "specific"…

  3. Defense Acquisition Review Journal. Volume 16, Number 3, Issue 52

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-10-01

    This is also theorized to lead to increased ability for a student to transfer that learning experience into their everyday workplace experiences. In...hands-on, apprenticeship -type learning environment, increased motivation, and increased relevance for students through interactivity and...vation to learn and increasing perceived relevance of the instruction . This article covers the use of games and simulations in three different

  4. Prepared stimuli enhance aversive learning without weakening the impact of verbal instructions

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Fear-relevant stimuli such as snakes and spiders are thought to capture attention due to evolutionary significance. Classical conditioning experiments indicate that these stimuli accelerate learning, while instructed extinction experiments suggest they may be less responsive to instructions. We manipulated stimulus type during instructed aversive reversal learning and used quantitative modeling to simultaneously test both hypotheses. Skin conductance reversed immediately upon instruction in both groups. However, fear-relevant stimuli enhanced dynamic learning, as measured by higher learning rates in participants conditioned with images of snakes and spiders. Results are consistent with findings that dissociable neural pathways underlie feedback-driven and instructed aversive learning. PMID:29339561

  5. Accurate Monitoring Leads to Effective Control and Greater Learning of Patient Education Materials

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rawson, Katherine A.; O'Neil, Rochelle; Dunlosky, John

    2011-01-01

    Effective management of chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes) can depend on the extent to which patients can learn and remember disease-relevant information. In two experiments, we explored a technique motivated by theories of self-regulated learning for improving people's learning of information relevant to managing a chronic disease. Materials were…

  6. Minimal Groups Increase Young Children's Motivation and Learning on Group-Relevant Tasks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Master, Allison; Walton, Gregory M.

    2013-01-01

    Three experiments ("N" = 130) used a minimal group manipulation to show that just perceived membership in a social group boosts young children's motivation for and learning from group-relevant tasks. In Experiment 1, 4-year-old children assigned to a minimal "puzzles group" persisted longer on a challenging puzzle than children identified as the…

  7. Selection as a learning experience: an exploratory study.

    PubMed

    de Visser, Marieke; Laan, Roland F; Engbers, Rik; Cohen-Schotanus, Janke; Fluit, Cornelia

    2018-01-01

    Research on selection for medical school does not explore selection as a learning experience, despite growing attention for the learning effects of assessment in general. Insight in the learning effects allows us to take advantage of selection as an inclusive part of medical students' learning process to become competent professionals. The aims of this study at Radboud University Medical Center, the Netherlands, were 1) to determine whether students have learning experiences in the selection process, and, if so, what experiences; and 2) to understand what students need in order to utilize the learning effects of the selection process at the start of the formal curriculum. We used focus groups to interview 30 students admitted in 2016 about their learning experiences in the selection process. Thematic analysis was used to explore the outcomes of the interviews and to define relevant themes. In the selection process, students learned about the curriculum, themselves, their relation to others, and the profession they had been selected to enter, although this was not explicitly perceived as learning. Students needed a connection between selection and the curriculum as well as feedback to be able to really use their learning experiences for their further development. Medical school selection qualifies as a learning experience, and students as well as medical schools can take advantage of this. We recommend a careful design of the selection procedure, integrating relevant selection learning experiences into the formal curriculum, providing feedback and explicitly approaching the selection and the formal curriculum as interconnected contributors to students' development.

  8. Stimulus fear relevance and the speed, magnitude, and robustness of vicariously learned fear.

    PubMed

    Dunne, Güler; Reynolds, Gemma; Askew, Chris

    2017-08-01

    Superior learning for fear-relevant stimuli is typically indicated in the laboratory by faster acquisition of fear responses, greater learned fear, and enhanced resistance to extinction. Three experiments investigated the speed, magnitude, and robustness of UK children's (6-10 years; N = 290; 122 boys, 168 girls) vicariously learned fear responses for three types of stimuli. In two experiments, children were presented with pictures of novel animals (Australian marsupials) and flowers (fear-irrelevant stimuli) alone (control) or together with faces expressing fear or happiness. To determine learning speed the number of stimulus-face pairings seen by children was varied (1, 10, or 30 trials). Robustness of learning was examined via repeated extinction procedures over 3 weeks. A third experiment compared the magnitude and robustness of vicarious fear learning for snakes and marsupials. Significant increases in fear responses were found for snakes, marsupials and flowers. There was no indication that vicarious learning for marsupials was faster than for flowers. Moreover, vicariously learned fear was neither greater nor more robust for snakes compared to marsupials, or for marsupials compared to flowers. These findings suggest that for this age group stimulus fear relevance may have little influence on vicarious fear learning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Differential impact of relevant and irrelevant dimension primes on rule-based and information-integration category learning.

    PubMed

    Grimm, Lisa R; Maddox, W Todd

    2013-11-01

    Research has identified multiple category-learning systems with each being "tuned" for learning categories with different task demands and each governed by different neurobiological systems. Rule-based (RB) classification involves testing verbalizable rules for category membership while information-integration (II) classification requires the implicit learning of stimulus-response mappings. In the first study to directly test rule priming with RB and II category learning, we investigated the influence of the availability of information presented at the beginning of the task. Participants viewed lines that varied in length, orientation, and position on the screen, and were primed to focus on stimulus dimensions that were relevant or irrelevant to the correct classification rule. In Experiment 1, we used an RB category structure, and in Experiment 2, we used an II category structure. Accuracy and model-based analyses suggested that a focus on relevant dimensions improves RB task performance later in learning while a focus on an irrelevant dimension improves II task performance early in learning. © 2013.

  10. Residents' perceptions of an integrated longitudinal curriculum: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Lubitz, Rebecca; Lee, Joseph; Hillier, Loretta M

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore family medicine residents' perceptions of a newly restructured integrated longitudinal curriculum. A purposeful sample of 16 family medicine residents participated in focus group interviews conducted from a grounded theory perspective to identify the characteristics of this training model that contribute to and that challenge learning. Eight key themes were identified: continuity of care, relevance to family medicine, autonomy, program-focused preparation, professional development as facilitated by role modeling, patient volume, clarity of expectations for learners, and logistics. Positive learning experiences were marked by high levels of autonomy, continuity, and relevance to family medicine. Less favorable learning experiences were characterized by limited opportunities for continuity of care, limited relevance to family medicine practice and unclear expectations for the resident's role. Family physician-led learning experiences contributed to residents' understanding of the full scope of family medicine practice, more so than specialist-led experiences. The logistics of implementing the integrated block were challenging and negatively impacted continuity and learning. This study suggests that an integrated longitudinalized family medicine block training model has the potential to support the principles of a longitudinal integrated competency-based curriculum to effectively prepare residents for family medicine practice.

  11. Context modulation of learned attention deployment.

    PubMed

    Uengoer, Metin; Pearce, John M; Lachnit, Harald; Koenig, Stephan

    2018-03-01

    In three experiments, we investigated the contextual control of attention in human discrimination learning. In each experiment, participants initially received discrimination training in which the cues from Dimension A were relevant in Context 1 but irrelevant in Context 2, whereas the cues from Dimension B were irrelevant in Context 1 but relevant in Context 2. In Experiment 1, the same cues from each dimension were used in Contexts 1 and 2, whereas in Experiments 2 and 3, the cues from each dimension were changed across contexts. In each experiment, participants were subsequently shifted to a transfer discrimination involving novel cues from either dimension, to assess the contextual control of attention. In Experiment 1, measures of eye gaze during the transfer discrimination revealed that Dimension A received more attention than Dimension B in Context 1, whereas the reverse occurred in Context 2. Corresponding results indicating the contextual control of attention were found in Experiments 2 and 3, in which we used the speed of learning (associability) as an indirect marker of learned attentional changes. Implications of our results for current theories of learning and attention are discussed.

  12. Selection as a learning experience: an exploratory study

    PubMed Central

    de Visser, Marieke; Laan, Roland F; Engbers, Rik; Cohen-Schotanus, Janke; Fluit, Cornelia

    2018-01-01

    Introduction Research on selection for medical school does not explore selection as a learning experience, despite growing attention for the learning effects of assessment in general. Insight in the learning effects allows us to take advantage of selection as an inclusive part of medical students’ learning process to become competent professionals. The aims of this study at Radboud University Medical Center, the Netherlands, were 1) to determine whether students have learning experiences in the selection process, and, if so, what experiences; and 2) to understand what students need in order to utilize the learning effects of the selection process at the start of the formal curriculum. Materials and methods We used focus groups to interview 30 students admitted in 2016 about their learning experiences in the selection process. Thematic analysis was used to explore the outcomes of the interviews and to define relevant themes. Results In the selection process, students learned about the curriculum, themselves, their relation to others, and the profession they had been selected to enter, although this was not explicitly perceived as learning. Students needed a connection between selection and the curriculum as well as feedback to be able to really use their learning experiences for their further development. Discussion Medical school selection qualifies as a learning experience, and students as well as medical schools can take advantage of this. We recommend a careful design of the selection procedure, integrating relevant selection learning experiences into the formal curriculum, providing feedback and explicitly approaching the selection and the formal curriculum as interconnected contributors to students’ development. PMID:29785147

  13. The Impact of School Design and Arrangement on Learning Experiences: A Case Study of an Architecturally Significant Elementary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Churchill, Deirdre Lyne

    2014-01-01

    This qualitative study examined the impact of architectural design and arrangement on the learning experiences of students. Specifically, it examined how school design and arrangement foster interactions and relationships among students and adults relevant to integral learning experiences. This case study was limited to the breadth of knowledge…

  14. Minimal groups increase young children's motivation and learning on group-relevant tasks.

    PubMed

    Master, Allison; Walton, Gregory M

    2013-01-01

    Three experiments (N = 130) used a minimal group manipulation to show that just perceived membership in a social group boosts young children's motivation for and learning from group-relevant tasks. In Experiment 1, 4-year-old children assigned to a minimal "puzzles group" persisted longer on a challenging puzzle than children identified as the "puzzles child" or children in a control condition. Experiment 2 showed that this boost in motivation occurred only when the group was associated with the task. In Experiment 3, children assigned to a minimal group associated with word learning learned more words than children assigned an analogous individual identity. The studies demonstrate that fostering shared motivations may be a powerful means by which to shape young children's academic outcomes. © 2012 The Authors. Child Development © 2012 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

  15. Embodied experiences for science learning: A cognitive linguistics exploration of middle school students' language in learning about water

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Salinas Barrios, Ivan Eduardo

    I investigated linguistic patterns in middle school students' writing to understand their relevant embodied experiences for learning science. Embodied experiences are those limited by the perceptual and motor constraints of the human body. Recent research indicates student understanding of science needs embodied experiences. Recent emphases of science education researchers in the practices of science suggest that students' understanding of systems and their structure, scale, size, representations, and causality are crosscutting concepts that unify all scientific disciplinary areas. To discern the relationship between linguistic patterns and embodied experiences, I relied on Cognitive Linguistics, a field within cognitive sciences that pays attention to language organization and use assuming that language reflects the human cognitive system. Particularly, I investigated the embodied experiences that 268 middle school students learning about water brought to understanding: i) systems and system structure; ii) scale, size and representations; and iii) causality. Using content analysis, I explored students' language in search of patterns regarding linguistic phenomena described within cognitive linguistics: image schemas, conceptual metaphors, event schemas, semantical roles, and force-dynamics. I found several common embodied experiences organizing students' understanding of crosscutting concepts. Perception of boundaries and change in location and perception of spatial organization in the vertical axis are relevant embodied experiences for students' understanding of systems and system structure. Direct object manipulation and perception of size with and without locomotion are relevant for understanding scale, size and representations. Direct applications of force and consequential perception of movement or change in form are relevant for understanding of causality. I discuss implications of these findings for research and science teaching.

  16. Learning Literature in an Era of Change: Innovations in Teaching.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hickey, Dona, J. Ed.; Reiss, Donna, Ed.

    This essay collection presents a range of teaching strategies developed by teachers of literature who have heard the call from students, employers, and academic administrators for more relevant learning experiences in an ever-changing world. Integrating critical theory and classroom experiences, the essays demonstrate how to foster learning,…

  17. Service-Learning by Doing: How a Student-Run Consulting Company Finds Relevance and Purpose in a Business Strategy Capstone Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robinson, David F.; Sherwood, Arthur Lloyd; DePaolo, Concetta A.

    2010-01-01

    A challenge for undergraduate learning in strategy is that the students lack professional work experiences. Without a rich background of experience, many strategic management topics are difficult to grasp. Our solution has been to develop a strategic management capstone course that combines service-learning and problem-based learning. The…

  18. Learning-to-Learn and Learning-to-Teach: The Impact of Disciplinary Subject Study on Student-Teachers' Professional Identity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogers, Graham

    2011-01-01

    A coherent view of student-teachers' preparation and the learning experiences to which they are exposed are key to sustaining the relevance of university-based teacher-education programmes. Arguably, such coherence is lacking and the research base to an understanding of the student-teacher experience is still a relatively limited one. This paper…

  19. Active Learning with Irrelevant Examples

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

    2006-01-01

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

  20. Making Work-Based Learning Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cahill, Charlotte

    2016-01-01

    Americans seeking employment often face a conundrum: relevant work experience is a prerequisite for many jobs, but it is difficult to gain the required experience without being in the workplace. Work-based learning--activities that occur in workplaces through which youth and adults gain the knowledge, skills, and experience needed for entry or…

  1. Learning Practice-Based Research Methods: Capturing the Experiences of MSW Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Natland, Sidsel; Weissinger, Erika; Graaf, Genevieve; Carnochan, Sarah

    2016-01-01

    The literature on teaching research methods to social work students identifies many challenges, such as dealing with the tensions related to producing research relevant to practice, access to data to teach practice-based research, and limited student interest in learning research methods. This is an exploratory study of the learning experiences of…

  2. Semantic and visual memory codes in learning disabled readers.

    PubMed

    Swanson, H L

    1984-02-01

    Two experiments investigated whether learning disabled readers' impaired recall is due to multiple coding deficiencies. In Experiment 1, learning disabled and skilled readers viewed nonsense pictures without names or with either relevant or irrelevant names with respect to the distinctive characteristics of the picture. Both types of names improved recall of nondisabled readers, while learning disabled readers exhibited better recall for unnamed pictures. No significant difference in recall was found between name training (relevant, irrelevant) conditions within reading groups. In Experiment 2, both reading groups participated in recall training for complex visual forms labeled with unrelated words, hierarchically related words, or without labels. A subsequent reproduction transfer task showed a facilitation in performance in skilled readers due to labeling, with learning disabled readers exhibiting better reproduction for unnamed pictures. Measures of output organization (clustering) indicated that recall is related to the development of superordinate categories. The results suggest that learning disabled children's reading difficulties are due to an inability to activate a semantic representation that interconnects visual and verbal codes.

  3. Benefits of fading in perceptual learning are driven by more than dimensional attention.

    PubMed

    Wisniewski, Matthew G; Radell, Milen L; Church, Barbara A; Mercado, Eduardo

    2017-01-01

    Individuals learn to classify percepts effectively when the task is initially easy and then gradually increases in difficulty. Some suggest that this is because easy-to-discriminate events help learners focus attention on discrimination-relevant dimensions. Here, we tested whether such attentional-spotlighting accounts are sufficient to explain easy-to-hard effects in auditory perceptual learning. In two experiments, participants were trained to discriminate periodic, frequency-modulated (FM) tones in two separate frequency ranges (300-600 Hz or 3000-6000 Hz). In one frequency range, sounds gradually increased in similarity as training progressed. In the other, stimulus similarity was constant throughout training. After training, participants showed better performance in their progressively trained frequency range, even though the discrimination-relevant dimension across ranges was the same. Learning theories that posit experience-dependent changes in stimulus representations and/or the strengthening of associations with differential responses, predict the observed specificity of easy-to-hard effects, whereas attentional-spotlighting theories do not. Calibrating the difficulty and temporal sequencing of training experiences to support more incremental representation-based learning can enhance the effectiveness of practice beyond any benefits gained from explicitly highlighting relevant dimensions.

  4. Impact of a novel teaching method based on feedback, activity, individuality and relevance on students' learning.

    PubMed

    Edafe, Ovie; Brooks, William S; Laskar, Simone N; Benjamin, Miles W; Chan, Philip

    2016-03-20

    This study examines the perceived impact of a novel clinical teaching method based on FAIR principles (feedback, activity, individuality and relevance) on students' learning on clinical placement. This was a qualitative research study. Participants were third year and final year medical students attached to one UK vascular firm over a four-year period (N=108). Students were asked to write a reflective essay on how FAIRness approach differs from previous clinical placement, and its advantages and disadvantages. Essays were thematically analysed and globally rated (positive, negative or neutral) by two independent researchers. Over 90% of essays reported positive experiences of feedback, activity, individuality and relevance model. The model provided multifaceted feedback; active participation; longitudinal improvement; relevance to stage of learning and future goals; structured teaching; professional development; safe learning environment; consultant involvement in teaching. Students perceived preparation for tutorials to be time intensive for tutors/students; a lack of teaching on medical sciences and direct observation of performance; more than once weekly sessions would be beneficial; some issues with peer and public feedback, relevance to upcoming exam and large group sizes. Students described negative experiences of "standard" clinical teaching. Progressive teaching programmes based on the FAIRness principles, feedback, activity, individuality and relevance, could be used as a model to improve current undergraduate clinical teaching.

  5. Contextual control of attentional allocation in human discrimination learning.

    PubMed

    Uengoer, Metin; Lachnit, Harald; Lotz, Anja; Koenig, Stephan; Pearce, John M

    2013-01-01

    In 3 human predictive learning experiments, we investigated whether the allocation of attention can come under the control of contextual stimuli. In each experiment, participants initially received a conditional discrimination for which one set of cues was trained as relevant in Context 1 and irrelevant in Context 2, and another set was relevant in Context 2 and irrelevant in Context 1. For Experiments 1 and 2, we observed that a second discrimination based on cues that had previously been trained as relevant in Context 1 during the conditional discrimination was acquired more rapidly in Context 1 than in Context 2. Experiment 3 revealed a similar outcome when new stimuli from the original dimensions were used in the test stage. Our results support the view that the associability of a stimulus can be controlled by the stimuli that accompany it.

  6. Taking an Active Stance: How Urban Elementary Students Connect Sociocultural Experiences in Learning Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Upadhyay, Bhaskar; Maruyama, Geoffrey; Albrecht, Nancy

    2017-01-01

    In this interpretive case study, we draw from sociocultural theory of learning and culturally relevant pedagogy to understand how urban students from nondominant groups leverage their sociocultural experiences. These experiences allow them to gain an empowering voice in influencing science content and activities and to work towards…

  7. 7 Principles for Effective Work-Based Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cahill, Charlotte

    2016-01-01

    Americans seeking employment often face a conundrum: relevant work experience is a prerequisite for many jobs, but it is difficult to gain the required experience without being in the workplace. Work-based learning--activities that occur in workplaces through which youth and adults gain the knowledge, skills, and experience needed for entry or…

  8. Task Experience as a Boundary Condition for the Negative Effects of Irrelevant Information on Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rop, Gertjan; van Wermeskerken, Margot; de Nooijer, Jacqueline A.; Verkoeijen, Peter P. J. L.; van Gog, Tamara

    2018-01-01

    Research on multimedia learning has shown that learning is hampered when a multimedia message includes extraneous information that is not relevant for the task, because processing the extraneous information uses up scarce attention and working memory resources. However, eye-tracking research suggests that task experience might be a boundary…

  9. An Exploration into First-Year University Students' Approaches to Inquiry and Online Learning Technologies in Blended Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ellis, Robert A.; Bliuc, Ana-Maria

    2016-01-01

    The use of online learning technologies in experiences of inquiry is increasingly ubiquitous in university contexts. In blended environments, research into university experiences suggests that student approaches to learning are a key determiner of the quality of outcomes. The purpose of this study was to develop relevant measures which help…

  10. Contribution of Content Knowledge and Learning Ability to the Learning of Facts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuhara-Kojima, Keiko; Hatano, Giyoo

    1991-01-01

    In 3 experiments, 1,598 Japanese college students were examined concerning the learning of facts in 2 content domains, baseball and music. Content knowledge facilitated fact learning only in the relevant domain; learning ability facilitated fact learning in both domains. Effects of content knowledge and learning ability were additive. (SLD)

  11. Action and Organizational Learning in an Elevator Company

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De Loo, Ivo

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: To highlight the relevance of management control in action learning programs that aim to foster organizational learning. Design/methodology/approach: Literature review plus case study. The latter consists of archival analysis and multiple interviews. Findings: When action learning programs are built around singular learning experiences,…

  12. An Investigation of the Effects of Relevant Samples and a Comparison of Verification versus Discovery Based Lab Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rieben, James C., Jr.

    2010-01-01

    This study focuses on the effects of relevance and lab design on student learning within the chemistry laboratory environment. A general chemistry conductivity of solutions experiment and an upper level organic chemistry cellulose regeneration experiment were employed. In the conductivity experiment, the two main variables studied were the effect…

  13. The Role of Production in Infant Word Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vihman, Marilyn May; DePaolis, Rory A.; Keren-Portnoy, Tamar

    2014-01-01

    Studies of phonological development that combine speech-processing experiments with observation and analysis of production remain rare, although production experience is necessarily relevant to developmental advance. Here we focus on three proposals regarding the relationship of production to word learning: (1) "Articulatory filter": The…

  14. Addressing the learning needs of multidisciplinary students at a distance using a virtual learning environment (VLE): A novice teacher reflects.

    PubMed

    Janes, Gillian

    2006-03-01

    This paper analyses the experience of one individual in the development and delivery of an innovative, undergraduate leadership development module. The module is accessed by practising health care professionals in Malaysia as part of a top-up Honours Degree and is delivered solely using a virtual learning environment (VLE), in this case Blackboard. The aim of this analysis is to contribute to the current body of knowledge regarding the use of VLE technology to facilitate learning at a distance. Of particular relevance is the paper's focus on: the drivers for e-learning; widening participation and increasing access; the experience of designing and delivering learning of relevance for this contemporary student population and evaluating the VLE experience/module. The development and delivery of this module is one result of a rapidly growing area of education. As a novice teacher in her first year in the higher education sector, this experience was a significant and stimulating challenge for a number of reasons and these are explored in greater depth. This is achieved by means of personal reflection using the phases of module development and delivery as a focus.

  15. UK health-care professionals' experience of on-line learning techniques: a systematic review of qualitative data.

    PubMed

    Carroll, Christopher; Booth, Andrew; Papaioannou, Diana; Sutton, Anthea; Wong, Ruth

    2009-01-01

    Continuing professional development and education is vital to the provision of better health services and outcomes. The aim of this study is to contribute to the evidence base by performing a systematic review of qualitative data from studies reporting health professionals' experience of e-learning. No such previous review has been published. A systematic review of qualitative data reporting UK health professionals' experiences of the ways in which on-line learning is delivered by higher education and other relevant institutions. Evidence synthesis was performed with the use of thematic analysis grounded in the data. Literature searches identified 19 relevant studies. The subjects of the studies were nurses, midwives, and allied professions (8 studies), general practitioners and hospital doctors (6 studies), and a range of different health practitioners (5 studies). The majority of courses were stand-alone continuing professional development modules. Five key themes emerged from the data: peer communication, flexibility, support, knowledge validation, and course presentation and design. The effectiveness of on-line learning is mediated by the learning experience. If they are to enhance health professionals' experience of e-learning, courses need to address presentation and course design; they must be flexible, offer mechanisms for both support and rapid assessment, and develop effective and efficient means of communication, especially among the students themselves.

  16. Memory and Learning--A Study from Neurological Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fathima, M. Parimala; Sasikumar, N.; Roja, M. Panimalar

    2012-01-01

    Learning is the acquisition and storage of information as a consequence of experience. The human brain is designed in such a way that thousands bits of sensory data are processed each minute. The brain pays attention to what is relevant to daily life, always asking: "What's going on?" and "How is it important relevant to me?"…

  17. Taking an active stance: How urban elementary students connect sociocultural experiences in learning science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Upadhyay, Bhaskar; Maruyama, Geoffrey; Albrecht, Nancy

    2017-12-01

    In this interpretive case study, we draw from sociocultural theory of learning and culturally relevant pedagogy to understand how urban students from nondominant groups leverage their sociocultural experiences. These experiences allow them to gain an empowering voice in influencing science content and activities and to work towards self-determining the sciences that are personally meaningful. Furthermore, tying sociocultural experiences with science learning helps generate sociopolitical awareness among students. We collected interview and observation data in an urban elementary classroom over one academic year to understand the value of urban students' sociocultural experiences in learning science and choosing science activities.

  18. Impact of a novel teaching method based on feedback, activity, individuality and relevance on students’ learning

    PubMed Central

    Brooks, William S.; Laskar, Simone N.; Benjamin, Miles W.; Chan, Philip

    2016-01-01

    Objectives This study examines the perceived impact of a novel clinical teaching method based on FAIR principles (feedback, activity, individuality and relevance) on students’ learning on clinical placement. Methods This was a qualitative research study. Participants were third year and final year medical students attached to one UK vascular firm over a four-year period (N=108). Students were asked to write a reflective essay on how FAIRness approach differs from previous clinical placement, and its advantages and disadvantages. Essays were thematically analysed and globally rated (positive, negative or neutral) by two independent researchers. Results Over 90% of essays reported positive experiences of feedback, activity, individuality and relevance model.  The model provided multifaceted feedback; active participation; longitudinal improvement; relevance to stage of learning and future goals; structured teaching; professional development; safe learning environment; consultant involvement in teaching. Students perceived preparation for tutorials to be time intensive for tutors/students; a lack of teaching on medical sciences and direct observation of performance; more than once weekly sessions would be beneficial; some issues with peer and public feedback, relevance to upcoming exam and large group sizes. Students described negative experiences of “standard” clinical teaching. Conclusions Progressive teaching programmes based on the FAIRness principles, feedback, activity, individuality and relevance, could be used as a model to improve current undergraduate clinical teaching. PMID:26995588

  19. Prepared Stimuli Enhance Aversive Learning without Weakening the Impact of Verbal Instructions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Atlas, Lauren Y.; Phelps, Elizabeth A.

    2018-01-01

    Fear-relevant stimuli such as snakes and spiders are thought to capture attention due to evolutionary significance. Classical conditioning experiments indicate that these stimuli accelerate learning, while instructed extinction experiments suggest they may be less responsive to instructions. We manipulated stimulus type during instructed aversive…

  20. Outdoor Education: A Guide for Planning Resident Programs. (Revision September 1977.)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosenstein, Irwin; Donaldson, George W.

    The culmination of educational experiences in the outdoors is the resident outdoor education program. Involving teachers and pupils living and learning in the natural environment, the program emphasizes the development of human values and provides students with learning opportunities that focus on direct, real, and relevant experiences. Intended…

  1. Mobile and Online Learning Journal: Effects on Apprentices' Reflection in Vocational Education and Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mauroux, Laetitia; Könings, Karen D.; Zufferey, Jessica Dehler; Gurtner, Jean-Luc

    2014-01-01

    While learning journals (LJs) have been shown to support self-regulated learning strategies, reflection and learning outcomes in academic contexts, few studies have investigated their relevance in vocational education. A mobile and online learning journal (MOLJ) was developed to support reflection on workplace experiences. However, acceptance of…

  2. Knowledge Transfer: What, How, and Why

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chin, Si-Chi

    2013-01-01

    People learn from prior experiences. We first learn how to use a spoon and then know how to use a different size of spoon. We first learn how to sew and then learn how to embroider. Transferring knowledge from one situation to another related situation often increases the speed of learning. This observation is relevant to human learning, as well…

  3. SMILE (Shared Mentoring in Instructional Learning Environments): Effectiveness of a Lesson-Study Approach to Student-Teaching Supervision on a Teacher-Education Performance Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chizhik, Estella Williams; Chizhik, Alexander Williams; Close, Catherine; Gallego, Margaret

    2017-01-01

    Student-teaching field placements play an important role in preparing teacher candidates, many of whom rate the practice as the most authentic and relevant learning experience associated with their teacher-education programs. As a part of these field experiences, teacher candidates have opportunities to learn instructional and class management…

  4. The Impact of Performance Skills on Students' Attitudes towards the Learning Experience in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hains-Wesson, Rachael

    2011-01-01

    One way to assist in transforming a lecture experience into an occasion that can attract and engage students is via the use of performance techniques. Investigating the impact of certain types of performance skills on students' attitudes towards the learning experience can help better understand the relevance of such techniques in face to face and…

  5. The cost of selective attention in category learning: Developmental differences between adults and infants

    PubMed Central

    Best, Catherine A.; Yim, Hyungwook; Sloutsky, Vladimir M.

    2013-01-01

    Selective attention plays an important role in category learning. However, immaturities of top-down attentional control during infancy coupled with successful category learning suggest that early category learning is achieved without attending selectively. Research presented here examines this possibility by focusing on category learning in infants (6–8 months old) and adults. Participants were trained on a novel visual category. Halfway through the experiment, unbeknownst to participants, the to-be-learned category switched to another category, where previously relevant features became irrelevant and previously irrelevant features became relevant. If participants attend selectively to the relevant features of the first category, they should incur a cost of selective attention immediately after the unknown category switch. Results revealed that adults demonstrated a cost, as evidenced by a decrease in accuracy and response time on test trials as well as a decrease in visual attention to newly relevant features. In contrast, infants did not demonstrate a similar cost of selective attention as adults despite evidence of learning both to-be-learned categories. Findings are discussed as supporting multiple systems of category learning and as suggesting that learning mechanisms engaged by adults may be different from those engaged by infants. PMID:23773914

  6. No two cues are alike: Depth of learning during infancy is dependent on what orients attention.

    PubMed

    Wu, Rachel; Kirkham, Natasha Z

    2010-10-01

    Human infants develop a variety of attentional mechanisms that allow them to extract relevant information from a cluttered multimodal world. We know that both social and nonsocial cues shift infants' attention, but not how these cues differentially affect learning of multimodal events. Experiment 1 used social cues to direct 8- and 4-month-olds' attention to two audiovisual events (i.e., animations of a cat or dog accompanied by particular sounds) while identical distractor events played in another location. Experiment 2 directed 8-month-olds' attention with colorful flashes to the same events. Experiment 3 measured baseline learning without attention cues both with the familiarization and test trials (no cue condition) and with only the test trials (test control condition). The 8-month-olds exposed to social cues showed specific learning of audiovisual events. The 4-month-olds displayed only general spatial learning from social cues, suggesting that specific learning of audiovisual events from social cues may be a function of experience. Infants cued with the colorful flashes looked indiscriminately to both cued locations during test (similar to the 4-month-olds learning from social cues) despite attending for equal duration to the training trials as the 8-month-olds with the social cues. Results from Experiment 3 indicated that the learning effects in Experiments 1 and 2 resulted from exposure to the different cues and multimodal events. We discuss these findings in terms of the perceptual differences and relevance of the cues. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Life Satisfaction and Perceived Meaningfulness of Learning Experience among First-Year Traditional Graduate Social Work Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fakunmoju, Sunday; Donahue, Gilpatrick R.; McCoy, Shandria; Mengel, Alison S.

    2016-01-01

    Knowledge about life satisfaction and learning experience among first-year graduate students is sparse, despite its relevance to instructional decisions, academic support, and success of students. Adequate knowledge is crucial, as it may help graduate students manage personal and professional life changes associated with graduate education. Using…

  8. Synchronising Pedagogy and Musical Experiences in Early Childhood: Addressing Challenges in Preschool Music Education in Kenya

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Andang'o, Elizabeth A.

    2009-01-01

    This paper examines pedagogy in early childhood music education and the resultant learning experiences in music for children in Kenyan preschools. Two important principles proposed for the synchronisation of teaching and learning in early childhood music education are cultural relevance and developmental appropriateness. These terms are…

  9. Feet Wet, Hands Dirty: Engaging Students in Science Teaching and Learning with Stream Investigations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haines, Sarah

    2016-01-01

    Stream investigation and restoration projects offer unique experiential opportunities to engage students in outdoor learning experiences that are relevant to the communities in which they live. These experiences promote an understanding of watershed issues and establish positive attitudes and behaviors that benefit local watersheds and help to…

  10. Towards Improved Student Experiences in Service Learning in Information Systems Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Petkova, Olga

    2017-01-01

    The paper explores relevant past research on service-learning in Information Systems courses since 2000. One of the conclusions from this is that most of the publications are not founded on specific theoretical models and are mainly about sharing instructor or student experiences. Then several theoretical frameworks from Education and other…

  11. Environmental Learning Experiences for Kindergarten Through Second Grade.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willoughby-Eastlake School District, Willoughby, OH.

    This collection of teaching units is one of three volumes designed to assist teachers in bringing relevant, interdisciplinary, environmental learning experiences to elementary students. This first volume is aimed at the K-2 level and deals with the immediate environment of the student. Titles of the nine units presented are: Preparing for Seasonal…

  12. E-Textbooks and Students' Learning Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sun, Jun; Flores, Javier; Tanguma, Jesus

    2012-01-01

    The contribution of the e-textbooks can be enormous considering their additional supporting features, but adoption has not crystallized yet. This study examines the relevant experiences of college students in terms of how the use of e-textbooks may enhance their learning. A survey study was conducted to measure the perceptions of each student on…

  13. Learning a New Language is "Like Swiss Cheese": Learning to Learn English

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Larrotta, Clarena; Moon, Ji Yoon Christine; Huang, Jiuhan

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to understand instructors' viewpoints on the relevance of learning to learn (L2L) in the settings where they teach. Twenty-four instructors answered an online qualitative survey about their experiences teaching English to adults. Data analysis was informed by narrative analysis procedures. Study findings include…

  14. Enhancing visuospatial performance through video game training to increase learning in visuospatial science domains.

    PubMed

    Sanchez, Christopher A

    2012-02-01

    Although previous research has demonstrated that performance on visuospatial assessments can be enhanced through relevant experience, an unaddressed question is whether such experience also produces a similar increase in target domains (such as science learning) where visuospatial abilities are directly relevant for performance. In the present study, participants completed either spatial or nonspatial training via interaction with video games and were then asked to read and learn about the geologic topic of plate tectonics. Results replicate the benefit of playing appropriate video games in enhancing visuospatial performance and demonstrate that this facilitation also manifests itself in learning science topics that are visuospatial in nature. This novel result suggests that visuospatial training not only can impact performance on measures of spatial functioning, but also can affect performance in content areas in which these abilities are utilized.

  15. Creating a Model of Acceptance: Preservice Teachers Interact with Non-English-Speaking Latino Parents Using Culturally Relevant Mathematics and Science Activities at Family Learning Events

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramirez, Olga; McCollough, Cherie A.; Diaz, Zulmaris

    2016-01-01

    The following describes a culturally relevant mathematics and science content program implemented by preservice teachers (PSTs) at Family Math/Science Learning Events (FM/SLEs) conducted through two different university programs in south Texas. These experiences are required course activities designed to inform PSTs of the importance of…

  16. Overcoming Learned Helplessness in Community College Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roueche, John E.; Mink, Oscar G.

    1982-01-01

    Reviews research on the effects of repeated experiences of helplessness and on locus of control. Identifies conditions necessary for overcoming learned helplessness; i.e., the potential for learning to occur; consistent reinforcement; relevant, valued reinforcers; and favorable psychological situation. Recommends eight ways for teachers to…

  17. Adult Learning Principles and Presentation Pearls

    PubMed Central

    Palis, Ana G.; Quiros, Peter A.

    2014-01-01

    Although lectures are one of the most common methods of knowledge transfer in medicine, their effectiveness has been questioned. Passive formats, lack of relevance and disconnection from the student's needs are some of the arguments supporting this apparent lack of efficacy. However, many authors have suggested that applying adult learning principles (i.e., relevance, congruence with student's needs, interactivity, connection to student's previous knowledge and experience) to this method increases learning by lectures and the effectiveness of lectures. This paper presents recommendations for applying adult learning principles during planning, creation and development of lectures to make them more effective. PMID:24791101

  18. Adaptive Memory: Survival Processing Enhances Retention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nairne, James S.; Thompson, Sarah R.; Pandeirada, Josefa N. S.

    2007-01-01

    The authors investigated the idea that memory systems might have evolved to help us remember fitness-relevant information--specifically, information relevant to survival. In 4 incidental learning experiments, people were asked to rate common nouns for their survival relevance (e.g., in securing food, water, or protection from predators); in…

  19. Learning experience of Chinese nursing students in an online clinical English course: qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Tang, Anson C Y; Wong, Nick; Wong, Thomas K S

    2015-02-01

    The low English proficiency of Chinese nurse/nursing students affects their performance when they work in English-speaking countries. However, limited resources are available to help them improve their workplace English, i.e. English used in a clinical setting. To this end, it is essential to look for an appropriate and effective means to assist them in improving their clinical English. The objective of this study is to evaluate the learning experience of Chinese nursing students after they have completed an online clinical English course. Focus group interview was used to explore their learning experience. 100 students in nursing programs at Tung Wah College were recruited. The inclusion criteria were: (1) currently enrolled in a nursing program; and (2) having clinical experience. Eligible participants self-registered for the online English course, and were required to complete the course within 3 months. After that, semi-structured interviews were conducted on students whom completed the whole and less than half of the course. One of the researchers joined each of the interviews as a facilitator and an observer. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Finally, 7 themes emerged from the interviews: technical issues, adequacy of support, time requirement, motivation, clarity of course instruction, course design, and relevancy of the course. Participants had varied opinions on the 2 themes: motivation and relevancy of the course. Overall, results of this study suggest that the online English course helped students improve their English. Factors which support their learning are interactive course design, no time constraint, and relevancy to their work/study. Factors which detracted from their learning are poor accessibility, poor technical and learning support and no peer support throughout the course. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  20. Slower reacquisition after partial extinction in human contingency learning.

    PubMed

    Morís, Joaquín; Barberia, Itxaso; Vadillo, Miguel A; Andrades, Ainhoa; López, Francisco J

    2017-01-01

    Extinction is a very relevant learning phenomenon from a theoretical and applied point of view. One of its most relevant features is that relapse phenomena often take place once the extinction training has been completed. Accordingly, as extinction-based therapies constitute the most widespread empirically validated treatment of anxiety disorders, one of their most important limitations is this potential relapse. We provide the first demonstration of relapse reduction in human contingency learning using mild aversive stimuli. This effect was found after partial extinction (i.e., reinforced trials were occasionally experienced during extinction, Experiment 1) and progressive extinction treatments (Experiment 3), and it was not only because of differences in uncertainty levels between the partial and a standard extinction group (Experiment 2). The theoretical explanation of these results, the potential uses of this strategy in applied situations, and its current limitations are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  1. Intrinsic Motivation of Chinese Learning in Predicting Online Learning Self-Efficacy and Flow Experience Relevant to Students' Learning Progress

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hong, Jon-Chao; Hwang, Ming-Yueh; Tai, Kai-Hsin; Lin, Pei-Hsin

    2017-01-01

    Students of Southeast Asian Heritage Learning Chinese (SSAHLC) in Taiwan have frequently demonstrated difficulty with traditional Chinese (a graphical character) radical recognition due to their limited exposure to the written language form since childhood. In this study, we designed a Chinese radical learning game (CRLG), which adopted a drill…

  2. Exploring Hurdles to Transfer: Student Experiences of Applying Knowledge across Disciplines

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lappalainen, Jouni; Rosqvist, Juho

    2015-01-01

    This paper explores the ways students perceive the transfer of learned knowledge to new situations -- often a surprisingly difficult prospect. The novel aspect compared to the traditional transfer studies is that the learning phase is not a part of the experiment itself. The intention was only to activate acquired knowledge relevant to the…

  3. Experiences of People with Learning Disabilities in the Criminal Justice System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hyun, Elly; Hahn, Lyndsey; McConnell, David

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this review is to synthesise findings from research about the experiences of people with learning disabilities who have faced arrest and jail time. After an extensive search of the literature, four relevant articles were found. The first-person accounts presented in these four studies were pooled, and a thematic analysis was undertaken.…

  4. The cost of selective attention in category learning: developmental differences between adults and infants.

    PubMed

    Best, Catherine A; Yim, Hyungwook; Sloutsky, Vladimir M

    2013-10-01

    Selective attention plays an important role in category learning. However, immaturities of top-down attentional control during infancy coupled with successful category learning suggest that early category learning is achieved without attending selectively. Research presented here examines this possibility by focusing on category learning in infants (6-8months old) and adults. Participants were trained on a novel visual category. Halfway through the experiment, unbeknownst to participants, the to-be-learned category switched to another category, where previously relevant features became irrelevant and previously irrelevant features became relevant. If participants attend selectively to the relevant features of the first category, they should incur a cost of selective attention immediately after the unknown category switch. Results revealed that adults demonstrated a cost, as evidenced by a decrease in accuracy and response time on test trials as well as a decrease in visual attention to newly relevant features. In contrast, infants did not demonstrate a similar cost of selective attention as adults despite evidence of learning both to-be-learned categories. Findings are discussed as supporting multiple systems of category learning and as suggesting that learning mechanisms engaged by adults may be different from those engaged by infants. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Perceptual learning: toward a comprehensive theory.

    PubMed

    Watanabe, Takeo; Sasaki, Yuka

    2015-01-03

    Visual perceptual learning (VPL) is long-term performance increase resulting from visual perceptual experience. Task-relevant VPL of a feature results from training of a task on the feature relevant to the task. Task-irrelevant VPL arises as a result of exposure to the feature irrelevant to the trained task. At least two serious problems exist. First, there is the controversy over which stage of information processing is changed in association with task-relevant VPL. Second, no model has ever explained both task-relevant and task-irrelevant VPL. Here we propose a dual plasticity model in which feature-based plasticity is a change in a representation of the learned feature, and task-based plasticity is a change in processing of the trained task. Although the two types of plasticity underlie task-relevant VPL, only feature-based plasticity underlies task-irrelevant VPL. This model provides a new comprehensive framework in which apparently contradictory results could be explained.

  6. Faculty Experiences, Perceptions, and the Factors That Influence the Use of E-Learning Technologies in the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burgos, Rosalina

    2014-01-01

    The rapid growth of e-learning technologies in higher education challenges university faculty to make their teaching relevant in these new contexts. As e-learning technologies are widely available, faculty members integrated them to their teaching repertoire. Several researchers discussed the impact of e-learning technologies on teaching and…

  7. Troublesome Knowledge, Troubling Experience: An Inquiry into Faculty Learning in Service-Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harrison, Barbara; Clayton, Patti H.; Tilley-Lubbs, Gresilda A.

    2014-01-01

    In this article we share the theoretical framework of threshold concepts--concepts on which deep understanding of a field of practice and inquiry hinges and which, once understood and internalized, open a doorway to otherwise inaccessible ways of thinking--and explore its relevance to learning how to teach, learn, serve, partner, and generate…

  8. Theoretical Explanation for Success of Deep-Level-Learning Study Tours

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bergsteiner, Harald; Avery, Gayle C.

    2008-01-01

    Study tours can help internationalize curricula and prepare students for global workplaces. We examine benefits of tours providing deep-level learning experiences rather than industrial tourism using five main theoretical frameworks to highlight the diverse learning benefits associated with intensive study tours in particular. Relevant theoretical…

  9. Creating Experiential Learning in the Graduate Classroom through Community Engagement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Katryna

    2013-01-01

    Educators can provide opportunities for active learning for the students by engaging them in client-based projects with the community, which enhances application of theory and provides students with the relevance demanded from the business community. Experiential learning opportunities through client-based projects provide for such an experience.…

  10. An investigation of the effects of relevant samples and a comparison of verification versus discovery based lab design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rieben, James C., Jr.

    This study focuses on the effects of relevance and lab design on student learning within the chemistry laboratory environment. A general chemistry conductivity of solutions experiment and an upper level organic chemistry cellulose regeneration experiment were employed. In the conductivity experiment, the two main variables studied were the effect of relevant (or "real world") samples on student learning and a verification-based lab design versus a discovery-based lab design. With the cellulose regeneration experiment, the effect of a discovery-based lab design vs. a verification-based lab design was the sole focus. Evaluation surveys consisting of six questions were used at three different times to assess student knowledge of experimental concepts. In the general chemistry laboratory portion of this study, four experimental variants were employed to investigate the effect of relevance and lab design on student learning. These variants consisted of a traditional (or verification) lab design, a traditional lab design using "real world" samples, a new lab design employing real world samples/situations using unknown samples, and the new lab design using real world samples/situations that were known to the student. Data used in this analysis were collected during the Fall 08, Winter 09, and Fall 09 terms. For the second part of this study a cellulose regeneration experiment was employed to investigate the effects of lab design. A demonstration creating regenerated cellulose "rayon" was modified and converted to an efficient and low-waste experiment. In the first variant students tested their products and verified a list of physical properties. In the second variant, students filled in a blank physical property chart with their own experimental results for the physical properties. Results from the conductivity experiment show significant student learning of the effects of concentration on conductivity and how to use conductivity to differentiate solution types with the use of real world samples. In the organic chemistry experiment, results suggest that the discovery-based design improved student retention of the chain length differentiation by physical properties relative to the verification-based design.

  11. Working for the Common Good: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Management. AAHE's Series on Service-Learning in the Disciplines.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Godfrey, Paul C., Ed.; Grasso, Edward T., Ed.

    The articles in this volume, 15th in a series of monographs on service learning and the academic disciplines, show how student learning can be enhanced by joining management theory with experience and management analysis with action. Service learning prepares business students to see new dimensions of relevance in their coursework, and it provides…

  12. Transforming Misconceptions: Using Transformative Experience to Promote Positive Affect and Conceptual Change in Students Learning about Biological Evolution

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heddy, Benjamin C.; Sinatra, Gale M.

    2013-01-01

    Teaching and learning about complex scientific content, such as biological evolution, is challenging in part because students have a difficult time seeing the relevance of evolution in their everyday lives. The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of the Teaching for Transformative Experiences in Science (TTES) model (Pugh, 2002)…

  13. Physics Group Work in a Phenomenographic Perspective--Learning Dynamics as the Experience of Variation and Relevance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ingerman, Ake; Berge, Maria; Booth, Shirley

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, we analyse learning dynamics in the context of physics group work of the kind increasingly found in engineering education. We apply a phenomenographic perspective on learning, seeing the notion of variation as the basic mechanism of learning. Empirically, we base our analysis on data from first year engineering students discussing…

  14. Rats' learning of a new motor skill: insight into the evolution of motor sequence learning.

    PubMed

    Hermer-Vazquez, Linda; Moshtagh, Nasim

    2009-05-01

    Recent behavioral and neural evidence has suggested that ethologically relevant sub-movements (movement primitives) are used by primates for more complex motor skill learning. These primitives include extending the hand, grasping an object, and holding food while moving it toward the mouth. In prior experiments with rats performing a reach-to-grasp-food task, we observed that especially during early task learning, rats appeared to have movement primitives similar to those seen in primates. Unlike primates, however, during task learning the rats performed these sub-movements in a disordered manner not seen in humans or macaques, e.g. with the rat chewing before placing the food pellet in its mouth. Here, in two experiments, we tested the hypothesis that for rats, learning this ecologically relevant skill involved learning to concatenate the sub-movements in the correct order. The results confirmed our initial observations, and suggested that several aspects of forepaw/hand use, taken for granted in primate studies, must be learned by rats to perform a logically connected and seemingly ecologically important series of sub-movements. We discuss our results from a comparative and evolutionary perspective.

  15. Supporting Multimedia Learning with Visual Signalling and Animated Pedagogical Agent: Moderating Effects of Prior Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, A. M.; Ozogul, G.; Reisslein, M.

    2015-01-01

    An experiment examined the effects of visual signalling to relevant information in multiple external representations and the visual presence of an animated pedagogical agent (APA). Students learned electric circuit analysis using a computer-based learning environment that included Cartesian graphs, equations and electric circuit diagrams. The…

  16. From Periphery to Core: The Increasing Relevance of Experiential Learning in Undergraduate Business Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hodge, Laurin; Proudford, Karen L.; Holt, Harry, Jr.

    2014-01-01

    Business educators have been challenged to provide a learning experience that prepares graduates to successfully compete in a dynamic business environment. The insistence on building demonstrable competencies prior to entering the workforce has led to a shift in the academic community. Experiential learning has gone from the uncommon, exceptional…

  17. "Drawing in the Sand" as a Tool for Teaching Coastal Geography

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fagan, Joseph B.; Sturm, Sean

    2015-01-01

    Field trips are recognized as an essential component of the study of geography. They are popular with learners and teachers, but their value as learning experiences is largely assumed. What is needed are interactive and relevant learning activities like "drawing in the sand," a participatory learning activity that has been introduced…

  18. Collaborative learning: A next step in the training of peer support providers.

    PubMed

    Cronise, Rita

    2016-09-01

    This column explores how peer support provider training is enhanced through collaborative learning. Collaborative learning is an approach that draws upon the "real life" experiences of individual learners and encompasses opportunities to explore varying perspectives and collectively construct solutions that enrich the practice of all participants. This description draws upon published articles and examples of collaborative learning in training and communities of practice of peer support providers. Similar to person-centered practices that enhance the recovery experience of individuals receiving services, collaborative learning enhances the experience of peer support providers as they explore relevant "real world" issues, offer unique contributions, and work together toward improving practice. Three examples of collaborative learning approaches are provided that have resulted in successful collaborative learning opportunities for peer support providers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  19. Finding faults: analogical comparison supports spatial concept learning in geoscience.

    PubMed

    Jee, Benjamin D; Uttal, David H; Gentner, Dedre; Manduca, Cathy; Shipley, Thomas F; Sageman, Bradley

    2013-05-01

    A central issue in education is how to support the spatial thinking involved in learning science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We investigated whether and how the cognitive process of analogical comparison supports learning of a basic spatial concept in geoscience, fault. Because of the high variability in the appearance of faults, it may be difficult for students to learn the category-relevant spatial structure. There is abundant evidence that comparing analogous examples can help students gain insight into important category-defining features (Gentner in Cogn Sci 34(5):752-775, 2010). Further, comparing high-similarity pairs can be especially effective at revealing key differences (Sagi et al. 2012). Across three experiments, we tested whether comparison of visually similar contrasting examples would help students learn the fault concept. Our main findings were that participants performed better at identifying faults when they (1) compared contrasting (fault/no fault) cases versus viewing each case separately (Experiment 1), (2) compared similar as opposed to dissimilar contrasting cases early in learning (Experiment 2), and (3) viewed a contrasting pair of schematic block diagrams as opposed to a single block diagram of a fault as part of an instructional text (Experiment 3). These results suggest that comparison of visually similar contrasting cases helped distinguish category-relevant from category-irrelevant features for participants. When such comparisons occurred early in learning, participants were more likely to form an accurate conceptual representation. Thus, analogical comparison of images may provide one powerful way to enhance spatial learning in geoscience and other STEM disciplines.

  20. Defense AR Journal. Volume 16, Number 3, Issue 52, October 2009

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-10-01

    increased ability for a student to transfer that learning experience into their everyday workplace experiences. In short, the use of game...vation to learn and increasing perceived relevance of the instruction . This article covers the use of games and simulations in three different...Rand McNally. Jaaskelainen, V. (1969). Accounting and mathematical programming [Monograph]. Helsinki, Finland: Helsinki School of Economics. Jazayeri, M

  1. Previous experience in manned space flight: A survey of human factors lessons learned

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chandlee, George O.; Woolford, Barbara

    1993-01-01

    Previous experience in manned space flight programs can be used to compile a data base of human factors lessons learned for the purpose of developing aids in the future design of inhabited spacecraft. The objectives are to gather information available from relevant sources, to develop a taxonomy of human factors data, and to produce a data base that can be used in the future for those people involved in the design of manned spacecraft operations. A study is currently underway at the Johnson Space Center with the objective of compiling, classifying, and summarizing relevant human factors data bearing on the lessons learned from previous manned space flights. The research reported defines sources of data, methods for collection, and proposes a classification for human factors data that may be a model for other human factors disciplines.

  2. An Overview: How FCS Integrates the Core Academics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Newell, Becky A.

    2004-01-01

    No one learns in isolation; learning must be tied to real life experiences that are relevant to the student. "Integrated curriculum, interdisciplinary" and "multidisciplinary curriculum, teaming, standards" and "accountability" are terms with which every educator is familiar. "No Child Left Behind" is the…

  3. Are the concepts of andragogy and pedagogy relevant to veterinary undergraduate teaching?

    PubMed

    Parkinson, Tim J; St George, Alison M

    2003-01-01

    Knowles and colleagues have described teaching methods as being either teacher centered, with dependent learning (pedagogy), or learner centered, with independent learning underpinned by the learners' experience and intrinsic motivation (andragogy). This paper argues that both models can be recognized within veterinary undergraduate programs. Veterinary students enter the program with a high level of intrinsic motivation and are prepared to invest considerably in comprehending the material that is presented to them. While this should result in learners whose behavior fits the assumptions underlying andragogy, information overload, poor communication of the relevance of material, teaching by transmission, and examination by memorization often confine learning to the dependent learning characteristic of pedagogical approaches. Students' experience and practical ability should develop as they progress through the program. Drawing upon experience provides opportunities for both fleshing out and putting in context the declarative knowledge from the didactic components of the curriculum. Where this is achieved (either in the clinical or preclinical curriculum), students' motivation and interest is stimulated, resulting in andragogical responses of enhanced motivation and engagement with the subject. Pedagogy and andragogy can, however, be complementary, rather than antithetical. Students enter a new subject with minimal experience and little knowledge about it, so a pedagogical methodology may be the most efficient way of initiating understanding. However, as understanding develops, an andragogical method becomes more appropriate, progressively developing students' independence of learning. The cycle may repeat itself during the program, with the balance changing along with changes in knowledge, goals, experience, and context.

  4. A Learning-Center Solution for Using Technology in Elementary Music

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Casey, Amy C.

    2005-01-01

    The challenge for educators today is to overcome this barrage of media and technology and find innovative ways to help students learn. But, how can teachers compete for student attention when this is the challenge? How can they improve learning experiences and make them relevant to our students' lives? Integrating technology into the music…

  5. Yohimbine Impairs Extinction of Cocaine-Conditioned Place Preference in an [alpha] [subscript 2]-Adrenergic Receptor Independent Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Adeola R.; Shields, Angela D.; Brigman, Jonathan L.; Norcross, Maxine; McElligott, Zoe A.; Holmes, Andrew; Winder, Danny G.

    2008-01-01

    Extinction, a form of learning that has the ability to reshape learned behavior based on new experiences, has been heavily studied utilizing fear learning paradigms. Mechanisms underlying extinction of positive-valence associations, such as drug self-administration and place preference, are poorly understood yet may have important relevance to…

  6. How Do Professional Learning Communities Foster Strong Career and Technical Education Programs of Study in Illinois Public High Schools?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Custable, Wendy

    2013-01-01

    This research study examines how Illinois public high school Career and Technical Education educational leaders employ best practices in providing all students rigorous, relevant, and equitable learning experiences within a professional learning community structure. This study utilized a mixed method two-tier case study methodology. Tier one…

  7. Using Adaptive Learning Technologies to Personalize Instruction to Student Interests: The Impact of Relevant Contexts on Performance and Learning Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walkington, Candace A.

    2013-01-01

    Adaptive learning technologies are emerging in educational settings as a means to customize instruction to learners' background, experiences, and prior knowledge. Here, a technology-based personalization intervention within an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) for secondary mathematics was used to adapt instruction to students' personal interests.…

  8. Memory Accessibility and Medical Decision-Making for Significant Others: The Role of Socially Shared Retrieval-Induced Forgetting

    PubMed Central

    Coman, Dora; Coman, Alin; Hirst, William

    2013-01-01

    Medical decisions will often entail a broad search for relevant information. No sources alone may offer a complete picture, and many may be selective in their presentation. This selectivity may induce forgetting for previously learned material, thereby adversely affecting medical decision-making. In the study phase of two experiments, participants learned information about a fictitious disease and advantages and disadvantages of four treatment options. In the subsequent practice phase, they read a pamphlet selectively presenting either relevant (Experiment 1) or irrelevant (Experiment 2) advantages or disadvantages. A final cued recall followed and, in Experiment 2, a decision as to the best treatment for a patient. Not only did reading the pamphlet induce forgetting for related and unmentioned information, the induced forgetting adversely affected decision-making. The research provides a cautionary note about the risks of searching through selectively presented information when making a medical decision. PMID:23785320

  9. The effects of aging on the interaction between reinforcement learning and attention.

    PubMed

    Radulescu, Angela; Daniel, Reka; Niv, Yael

    2016-11-01

    Reinforcement learning (RL) in complex environments relies on selective attention to uncover those aspects of the environment that are most predictive of reward. Whereas previous work has focused on age-related changes in RL, it is not known whether older adults learn differently from younger adults when selective attention is required. In 2 experiments, we examined how aging affects the interaction between RL and selective attention. Younger and older adults performed a learning task in which only 1 stimulus dimension was relevant to predicting reward, and within it, 1 "target" feature was the most rewarding. Participants had to discover this target feature through trial and error. In Experiment 1, stimuli varied on 1 or 3 dimensions and participants received hints that revealed the target feature, the relevant dimension, or gave no information. Group-related differences in accuracy and RTs differed systematically as a function of the number of dimensions and the type of hint available. In Experiment 2 we used trial-by-trial computational modeling of the learning process to test for age-related differences in learning strategies. Behavior of both young and older adults was explained well by a reinforcement-learning model that uses selective attention to constrain learning. However, the model suggested that older adults restricted their learning to fewer features, employing more focused attention than younger adults. Furthermore, this difference in strategy predicted age-related deficits in accuracy. We discuss these results suggesting that a narrower filter of attention may reflect an adaptation to the reduced capabilities of the reinforcement learning system. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. Informing Educational Psychology Training with Students' Community Engagement Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ebersohn, Liesel; Bender, C. J. Gerda; Carvalho-Malekane, Wendy M.

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this article was to describe students' experiences of community engagement in an Educational Psychology practicum in order to inform relevant educational psychology training literature with experiences of students' community engagement. Experiential learning served as our theoretical framework and we employed an instrumental case…

  11. Cooperative Education: Characteristics and Effectiveness. ERIC Digest No. 91.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kerka, Sandra

    Cooperative education can enhance classroom instruction by providing practical work experience that is relevant to students' career goals. Among co-op's benefits to students are increased relevance of learning and motivation for study; improved self-reliance, self-confidence, and responsibility; contacts with potential employers; and higher…

  12. Cancer Moonshot Data and Technology Team: Enabling a National Learning Healthcare System for Cancer to Unleash the Power of Data

    PubMed Central

    Hsu, ER; Klemm, JD; Kerlavage, AR; Kusnezov, D

    2017-01-01

    The Cancer Moonshot emphasizes the need to learn from the experiences of cancer patients to positively impact their outcomes, experiences, and qualities of life. To realize this vision, there has been a concerted effort to identify the fundamental building blocks required to establish a National Learning Healthcare System for Cancer, such that relevant data on all cancer patients is accessible, shareable, and contributing to the current state of knowledge of cancer care and outcomes. PMID:28139831

  13. Work Measurements: Interdisciplinary Overlap in Manufacturing and Algebra I

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rose, Mary Annette

    2007-01-01

    Manufacturing engineering provides a relevant context from which to envision interdisciplinary learning experiences because engineers integrate their knowledge and skills of manufacturing and algebra processes in order to plan the efficient manufacture of products. In this article, the author describes an interdisciplinary learning activity that…

  14. Using Web 2.0 to Support the Active Learning Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Jo; Chinn, Susan J.

    2009-01-01

    Increased attention to student engagement and active learning strategies have become particularly relevant in today's classroom environments. These approaches are also considered to be meaningful when teaching "net generation" students who have different styles and expectations. This study attempts to address these challenges through the…

  15. Discrepancies between adolescents' attributed relevance and experiences regarding communication are associated with poorer client participation and learning processes in psychosocial care.

    PubMed

    Jager, Margot; Reijneveld, Sijmen A; Metselaar, Janneke; Knorth, Erik J; De Winter, Andrea F

    2014-12-01

    To examine adolescents' attributed relevance and experiences regarding communication, and whether discrepancies in these are associated with clients' participation and learning processes in psychosocial care. Adolescents receiving psychosocial care (n=211) completed measures of communication in three domains: affective communication, information provision, and shared decision-making. Participation involved clients' attendance and adherence (professional-reported). Learning processes involved clients' improved understanding and improved confidence (client and professional-reported). Important but less often experienced affective communication was associated with low adherence (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 2.8, 1.1-6.8), less improvement in understanding (3.7, 1.5-9.0), and less improvement in confidence (4.5, 1.8-11.6). If information provision or shared decision-making was important but less often experienced, adolescents were more likely to demonstrate less improvement in understanding (3.1, 1.1-8.5; 4.2, 1.7-10.8). The combination "less important but experienced" only had an effect regarding affective communication; these adolescents were more likely to demonstrate less improvement in confidence (6.0, 2.3-15.4). Discrepancies between attributed relevance and experiences frequently occur. These discrepancies negatively affect adolescents' participation and their learning processes, although the pattern differs across communication domains. Care professionals should pay considerable attention to their clients' communication preferences and adapt their communication style when necessary. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Training future health providers to care for the underserved: a pilot interprofessional experience.

    PubMed

    Hasnain, Memoona; Koronkowski, Michael J; Kondratowicz, Diane M; Goliak, Kristen L

    2012-01-01

    Interprofessional teamwork is essential for effective delivery of health care to all patients, particularly the vulnerable and underserved. This brief communication describes a pilot interprofessional learning experience designed to introduce medicine and pharmacy students to critical health issues affecting at-risk, vulnerable patients and helping students learn the value of functioning effectively in interprofessional teams. With reflective practice as an overarching principle, readings, writing assignments, a community-based immersion experience, discussion seminars, and presentations were organized to cultivate students' insights into key issues impacting the health and well-being of vulnerable patients. A written program evaluation form was used to gather students' feedback about this learning experience. Participating students evaluated this learning experience positively. Both quantitative and qualitative input indicated the usefulness of this learning experience in stimulating learners' thinking and helping them learn to work collaboratively with peers from another discipline to understand and address health issues for at-risk, vulnerable patients within their community. This pilot educational activity helped medicine and pharmacy students learn the value of functioning effectively in interprofessional teams. Given the importance of interprofessional teamwork and the increasing need to respond to the health needs of underserved populations, integrating interprofessional learning experiences in health professions training is highly relevant, feasible, and critically needed.

  17. Development of a Design-Based Learning Curriculum through Design-Based Research for a Technology-Enabled Science Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Paul; Suh, Esther; Song, Donggil

    2015-01-01

    This exploratory study provides a deeper look into the aspects of students' experience from design-based learning (DBL) activities for fifth grade students. Using design-based research (DBR), this study was conducted on a series of science learning activities leveraging mobile phones with relevant applications and sensors. We observed 3 different…

  18. A Case Study to Evaluate Balance Training with Movement Test Items and through Teaching Observation: Beyond Specificity and Transfer of Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kluwe, Margret; Miyahara, Motohide; Heveldt, Kate

    2012-01-01

    Background: Specificity and transfer of learning have been examined in experimental studies. However, their findings may not be relevant to practitioners because of the difference between the experiment conditions and teaching situations. This case study investigates the theoretical issue of specificity vs. transfer of learning by conducting…

  19. The Impact of Project-Based Learning on Minority Student Achievement: Implications for School Redesign

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cervantes, Bernadine; Hemmer, Lynn; Kouzekanani, Kamiar

    2015-01-01

    Project-Based Learning (PBL) serves as an instructional approach to classroom teaching and learning that is designed to engage students in the investigation of real-world problems to create meaningful and relevant educational experiences. The causal-comparative study compared 7th and 8th students who had utilized the PBL with a comparison group in…

  20. Accurate monitoring leads to effective control and greater learning of patient education materials.

    PubMed

    Rawson, Katherine A; O'Neil, Rochelle; Dunlosky, John

    2011-09-01

    Effective management of chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes) can depend on the extent to which patients can learn and remember disease-relevant information. In two experiments, we explored a technique motivated by theories of self-regulated learning for improving people's learning of information relevant to managing a chronic disease. Materials were passages from patient education booklets on diabetes from NIDDK. Session 1 included an initial study trial, Session 2 included self-regulated restudy, and Session 3 included a final memory test. The key manipulation concerned the kind of support provided for self-regulated learning during Session 2. In Experiment 1, participants either were prompted to self-test and then evaluate their learning before selecting passages to restudy, were shown the prompt questions but did not overtly self-test or evaluate learning prior to selecting passages, or were not shown any prompts and were simply given the menu for selecting passages to restudy. Participants who self-tested and evaluated learning during Session 2 had a small but significant advantage over the other groups on the final test. Secondary analyses provided evidence that the performance advantage may have been modest because of inaccurate monitoring. Experiment 2 included a group who also self-tested but who evaluated their learning using idea-unit judgments (i.e., by checking their responses against a list of key ideas from the correct response). Participants who self-tested and made idea-unit judgments exhibited a sizable advantage on final test performance. Secondary analyses indicated that the performance advantage was attributable in part to more accurate monitoring and more effective self-regulated learning. An important practical implication is that learning of patient education materials can be enhanced by including appropriate support for learners' self-regulatory processes. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

  1. Predictable Locations Aid Early Object Name Learning

    PubMed Central

    Benitez, Viridiana L.; Smith, Linda B.

    2012-01-01

    Expectancy-based localized attention has been shown to promote the formation and retrieval of multisensory memories in adults. Three experiments show that these processes also characterize attention and learning in 16- to 18- month old infants and, moreover, that these processes may play a critical role in supporting early object name learning. The three experiments show that infants learn names for objects when those objects have predictable rather than varied locations, that infants who anticipate the location of named objects better learn those object names, and that infants integrate experiences that are separated in time but share a common location. Taken together, these results suggest that localized attention, cued attention, and spatial indexing are an inter-related set of processes in young children that aid in the early building of coherent object representations. The relevance of the experimental results and spatial attention for everyday word learning are discussed. PMID:22989872

  2. Optimisation of simulated team training through the application of learning theories: a debate for a conceptual framework.

    PubMed

    Stocker, Martin; Burmester, Margarita; Allen, Meredith

    2014-04-03

    As a conceptual review, this paper will debate relevant learning theories to inform the development, design and delivery of an effective educational programme for simulated team training relevant to health professionals. Kolb's experiential learning theory is used as the main conceptual framework to define the sequence of activities. Dewey's theory of reflective thought and action, Jarvis modification of Kolb's learning cycle and Schön's reflection-on-action serve as a model to design scenarios for optimal concrete experience and debriefing for challenging participants' beliefs and habits. Bandura's theory of self-efficacy and newer socio-cultural learning models outline that for efficient team training, it is mandatory to introduce the social-cultural context of a team. The ideal simulated team training programme needs a scenario for concrete experience, followed by a debriefing with a critical reflexive observation and abstract conceptualisation phase, and ending with a second scenario for active experimentation. Let them re-experiment to optimise the effect of a simulated training session. Challenge them to the edge: The scenario needs to challenge participants to generate failures and feelings of inadequacy to drive and motivate team members to critical reflect and learn. Not experience itself but the inadequacy and contradictions of habitual experience serve as basis for reflection. Facilitate critical reflection: Facilitators and group members must guide and motivate individual participants through the debriefing session, inciting and empowering learners to challenge their own beliefs and habits. To do this, learners need to feel psychological safe. Let the group talk and critical explore. Motivate with reality and context: Training with multidisciplinary team members, with different levels of expertise, acting in their usual environment (in-situ simulation) on physiological variables is mandatory to introduce cultural context and social conditions to the learning experience. Embedding in situ team training sessions into a teaching programme to enable repeated training and to assess regularly team performance is mandatory for a cultural change of sustained improvement of team performance and patient safety.

  3. Reinforcement learning in multidimensional environments relies on attention mechanisms.

    PubMed

    Niv, Yael; Daniel, Reka; Geana, Andra; Gershman, Samuel J; Leong, Yuan Chang; Radulescu, Angela; Wilson, Robert C

    2015-05-27

    In recent years, ideas from the computational field of reinforcement learning have revolutionized the study of learning in the brain, famously providing new, precise theories of how dopamine affects learning in the basal ganglia. However, reinforcement learning algorithms are notorious for not scaling well to multidimensional environments, as is required for real-world learning. We hypothesized that the brain naturally reduces the dimensionality of real-world problems to only those dimensions that are relevant to predicting reward, and conducted an experiment to assess by what algorithms and with what neural mechanisms this "representation learning" process is realized in humans. Our results suggest that a bilateral attentional control network comprising the intraparietal sulcus, precuneus, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is involved in selecting what dimensions are relevant to the task at hand, effectively updating the task representation through trial and error. In this way, cortical attention mechanisms interact with learning in the basal ganglia to solve the "curse of dimensionality" in reinforcement learning. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/358145-13$15.00/0.

  4. Blended learning in anesthesia education: current state and future model.

    PubMed

    Kannan, Jaya; Kurup, Viji

    2012-12-01

    Educators in anesthesia residency programs across the country are facing a number of challenges as they attempt to integrate blended learning techniques in their curriculum. Compared with the rest of higher education, which has made advances to varying degrees in the adoption of online learning anesthesiology education has been sporadic in the active integration of blended learning. The purpose of this review is to discuss the challenges in anesthesiology education and relevance of the Universal Design for Learning framework in addressing them. There is a wide chasm between student demand for online education and the availability of trained faculty to teach. The design of the learning interface is important and will significantly affect the learning experience for the student. This review examines recent literature pertaining to this field, both in the realm of higher education in general and medical education in particular, and proposes the application of a comprehensive learning model that is new to anesthesiology education and relevant to its goals of promoting self-directed learning.

  5. Reflection Fosters Deep Learning: The 'Reflection Page & Relevant to You' Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Mark R.

    2018-01-01

    Cognitive science indicates that the millennial generation's behavior of instant messaging and multitasking may provide inadequate cognitive capabilities for thoughtful processing of experiences that lead to deep learning. This study describes a teaching innovation that explicitly stimulates reflection and critical self-assessment, along with…

  6. Form Follows Function: Learning about Function Helps Children Learn about Shape

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ware, Elizabeth A.; Booth, Amy E.

    2010-01-01

    Object functions help young children to organize new artifact categories. However, the scope of their influence is unknown. We explore whether functions highlight property dimensions that are relevant to artifact categories in general. Specifically, using a longitudinal training procedure, we assessed whether experience with functions highlights…

  7. Learning from Student Experiences for Online Assessment Tasks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Qayyum, M. Asim; Smith, David

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: Use of the Internet for open Web searches is common among university students in academic learning tasks. The tools used by students to find relevant information for online assessment tasks were investigated and their information seeking behaviour was documented to explore the impact on assessment design. Method: A mixed methods…

  8. Perceptions of Culturally Diverse Head Start Families: A Focus Group Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Riley, Jeanetta G.; Gichuru, Margaret; Robertson, Jo

    2012-01-01

    Teachers who embrace culturally relevant practices support children's learning by infusing "cultural referents" into the curriculum to provide children with learning opportunities that are related to their experiences outside of the classroom. They strive to establish congruency between home, community, and school and to use knowledge of…

  9. TESOL in Context: Authentic Workplace Learning for Pre-Service Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomsett, Janeen; Leggett, Bridget; Ainsworth, Sharon

    2011-01-01

    The action research project entitled "Engaging pre-service TESOL teachers in authentic workplace learning" aimed to enhance the TESOL practicum experience of pre-service teachers in the Graduate Diploma of Education at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia. Integrated into the relevant TESOL curriculum unit was the…

  10. Themes to Emphasize in the Geography Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ediger, Marlow

    2005-01-01

    There are major themes in geography, which all teachers should incorporate into the social studies. These themes assist students to organize information and relate relevant ideas. Teachers need to study and experiment with using a set of structural ideas to facilitate student learning. Otherwise, learning may comprise of isolated facts, concepts,…

  11. University Teaching with a Disability: Student Learnings beyond the Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheridan, Lynnaire; Kotevski, Suzanne

    2014-01-01

    This research examines the learning experience of university students who were tutored by a teacher with quadriplegia mixed type cerebral palsy. It was inspired by Pritchard's [2010. "Disabled People as Culturally Relevant Teachers." "Journal of Social Inclusion" 1 (1): 43-51] argument that the presence of people with a…

  12. Extraneous Perceptual Information Interferes with Children's Acquisition of Mathematical Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaminski, Jennifer A.; Sloutsky, Vladimir M.

    2013-01-01

    Educational material often includes engaging perceptual information. However, this perceptual information is often extraneous and may compete with the deeper to-be-learned structure, consequently hindering either the learning of relevant structure or its transfer to new situations. This hypothesis was tested in 4 experiments in which 6- to…

  13. Contextual Cueing: Implicit Learning and Memory of Visual Context Guides Spatial Attention.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chun, Marvin M.; Jiang, Yuhong

    1998-01-01

    Six experiments involving a total of 112 college students demonstrate that a robust memory for visual context exists to guide spatial attention. Results show how implicit learning and memory of visual context can guide spatial attention toward task-relevant aspects of a scene. (SLD)

  14. Career Education: Gateway to Better Reading.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gorton, Patricia C.

    Career education is a vehicle which can capitalize on the interests of learning disabled students and, at the same time, show the relevance of academic skills. Project SELECT (Special Education Learning Experiences for Career Training), funded by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title III, was implemented in order to develop a…

  15. The First Three Years: Experiences of Early Career Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fenwick, Ashley

    2011-01-01

    This study considers two discourses of current relevance to national and international educators--early professional learning (EPL) and curriculum change. Induction arrangements for early career teachers (ECTs), EPL and informal learning have received considerable attention in the past few years. Changes to induction inevitably have knock-on…

  16. Improving Collaborative Learning in Online Software Engineering Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Neill, Colin J.; DeFranco, Joanna F.; Sangwan, Raghvinder S.

    2017-01-01

    Team projects are commonplace in software engineering education. They address a key educational objective, provide students critical experience relevant to their future careers, allow instructors to set problems of greater scale and complexity than could be tackled individually, and are a vehicle for socially constructed learning. While all…

  17. Sensory Cortical Population Dynamics Uniquely Track Behavior across Learning and Extinction

    PubMed Central

    Katz, Donald B.

    2014-01-01

    Neural responses in many cortical regions encode information relevant to behavior: information that necessarily changes as that behavior changes with learning. Although such responses are reasonably theorized to be related to behavior causation, the true nature of that relationship cannot be clarified by simple learning studies, which show primarily that responses change with experience. Neural activity that truly tracks behavior (as opposed to simply changing with experience) will not only change with learning but also change back when that learning is extinguished. Here, we directly probed for this pattern, recording the activity of ensembles of gustatory cortical single neurons as rats that normally consumed sucrose avidly were trained first to reject it (i.e., conditioned taste aversion learning) and then to enjoy it again (i.e., extinction), all within 49 h. Both learning and extinction altered cortical responses, consistent with the suggestion (based on indirect evidence) that extinction is a novel form of learning. But despite the fact that, as expected, postextinction single-neuron responses did not resemble “naive responses,” ensemble response dynamics changed with learning and reverted with extinction: both the speed of stimulus processing and the relationships among ensemble responses to the different stimuli tracked behavioral relevance. These data suggest that population coding is linked to behavior with a fidelity that single-neuron coding is not. PMID:24453316

  18. The Continuity of Care Experience in Australian midwifery education-What have we achieved?

    PubMed

    Tierney, Olivia; Sweet, Linda; Houston, Don; Ebert, Lyn

    2017-06-01

    The Continuity of Care Experience is a mandated workplace based component of midwifery education in Australia. Since its inclusion in midwifery clinical education, the pedagogical approaches used across Australia have varied. The purpose of this integrative review is to determine the outcomes of the Continuity of Care Experience as an educational model. A search for relevant research literature was undertaken in 2015 using a range of databases and by examining relevant bibliographies. Articles published in English, which provided information about the outcomes of Continuity of Care Experiences for midwifery education were included. A total of 20 studies were selected. The included studies were primarily exploratory and descriptive. Studies reported the value that both students and women place on the relationship they developed. This relationship resulted in opportunities that enhanced student learning by providing a context in which clinical practice learning was optimized. Challenges identified included managing time and workload pressures for students in relation to the CCE, inconsistencies in academic use of the experience, and variations in how the healthcare system influences the continuity experience. No research was found that reports on the educational model in terms of defining learning objectives and assessment of outcomes. This represents an important omission in mandating this clinical practice model in midwifery curricula without sufficient guidance to unify and maximize learning for students. Research is required to explore the educational intent and assessment methods of the Continuity of Care Experience as an educational model. Copyright © 2016 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Nursing students' perceptions of their clinical learning environment in placements outside traditional hospital settings

    PubMed Central

    Bjørk, Ida T; Berntsen, Karin; Brynildsen, Grethe; Hestetun, Margrete

    2014-01-01

    Aims and objectives To explore students' opinions of the learning environment during clinical placement in settings outside traditional hospital settings. Background Clinical placement experiences may influence positively on nursing students attitudes towards the clinical setting in question. Most studies exploring the quality of clinical placements have targeted students' experience in hospital settings. The number of studies exploring students' experiences of the learning environment in healthcare settings outside of the hospital venue does not match the growing importance of such settings in the delivery of health care, nor the growing number of nurses needed in these venues. Design A survey design was used. Method The Clinical Learning Environment Inventory was administered to two cohorts of undergraduate nursing students (n = 184) after clinical placement in mental health care, home care and nursing home care. Results Nursing students' overall contentment with the learning environment was quite similar across all three placement areas. Students in mental health care had significantly higher scores on the subscale individualisation, and older students had significantly higher scores on the total scale. Compared with other studies where the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory has been used, the students' total scores in this study are similar or higher than scores in studies including students from hospital settings. Conclusion Results from this study negate the negative views on clinical placements outside the hospital setting, especially those related to placements in nursing homes and mental healthcare settings. Relevance to clinical practice Students' experience of the learning environment during placements in mental health care, home care and nursing homes indicates the relevance of clinical education in settings outside the hospital setting. PMID:24460862

  20. The Brain-Compatible Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Westwater, Anne; Wolfe, Pat

    2000-01-01

    Demonstrates how teachers can make instruction more meaningful by linking new subject matter to students' previous experiences and by using community resources to create exciting new learning experiences. If the content is rigorous and relevant, debates, storytelling, the arts, graphic organizers, and mnemonics can dramatically enhance student…

  1. Faculty experiences teaching Native Americans in a university setting.

    PubMed

    Dickerson, S S; Neary, M A

    1999-01-01

    Nursing faculty told their stories about the beginnings of a Native American Family Nurse Practitioner Recruitment Program. Through hermeneutical analysis, the authors' findings reveal a strong academic worldview, active in maintaining professional standards. This traditional view tends to override efforts to provide individualized programs that are culturally relevant to the Native American worldviews. By understanding the value conflicts active in this study, nursing faculty can begin dialogue to create new learning experiences that are more culturally relevant.

  2. Just Do It or Just Talk about It? The Alleged Conflict between "Applied" and "Theory" Courses and the Students Who Take Them.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rohan, Liz

    1996-01-01

    Reflects on the relationship between swimming and writing; between learning to swim and learning to write; and between the relevance of pedagogical theory and practice. Suggests that graduate students in writing should learn from historical and contemporary theorists but must have their own theories, the codification of their experiences as…

  3. Bridging Authentic Experiences and Literacy Skills through the Language Experience Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huang, Jiuhan

    2013-01-01

    Although the research base is small on adult English language learners (ELLs) who are learning English while also acquiring basic literacy, this research can still guide instructional practices. The essential components of reading skills suggests that the Language Experience Approach has the potential to integrate relevant meaning-focused reading…

  4. A sex difference in effect of prior experience on object-mediated problem-solving in gibbons.

    PubMed

    Cunningham, Clare; Anderson, James; Mootnick, Alan

    2011-07-01

    Understanding the functionally relevant properties of objects is likely facilitated by learning with a critical role for past experience. However, current evidence is conflicting regarding the effect of prior object exposure on acquisition of object manipulation skills. This may be due to the influence of life history variables on the capacity to benefit from such experience. This study assessed effect of task-relevant object exposure on object-mediated problem-solving in 22 gibbons using a raking-in task. Despite not using tools habitually, 14 gibbons spontaneously used a rake to obtain a reward. Having prior experience with the rake in an unrewarded context did not improve learning efficiency in males. However, females benefitted significantly from the opportunity to interact with the rake before testing, with reduced latencies to solution compared to those with no previous exposure. These results reflect potential sex differences in approach to novelty that moderate the possible benefits of prior experience. Due to their relatively high energetic requirements, reproductively active females may be highly motivated to explore potential resources; however, increased investment in developing offspring could make them more guarded in their investigations. Previous exposure that allows females to learn of an object's neutrality can offset this cautious exploration.

  5. Relative speed of processing determines color-word contingency learning.

    PubMed

    Forrin, Noah D; MacLeod, Colin M

    2017-10-01

    In three experiments, we tested a relative-speed-of-processing account of color-word contingency learning, a phenomenon in which color identification responses to high-contingency stimuli (words that appear most often in particular colors) are faster than those to low-contingency stimuli. Experiment 1 showed equally large contingency-learning effects whether responding was to the colors or to the words, likely due to slow responding to both dimensions because of the unfamiliar mapping required by the key press responses. For Experiment 2, participants switched to vocal responding, in which reading words is considerably faster than naming colors, and we obtained a contingency-learning effect only for color naming, the slower dimension. In Experiment 3, previewing the color information resulted in a reduced contingency-learning effect for color naming, but it enhanced the contingency-learning effect for word reading. These results are all consistent with contingency learning influencing performance only when the nominally irrelevant feature is faster to process than the relevant feature, and therefore are entirely in accord with a relative-speed-of-processing explanation.

  6. Shape shifting: Local landmarks interfere with navigation by, and recognition of, global shape.

    PubMed

    Buckley, Matthew G; Smith, Alastair D; Haselgrove, Mark

    2014-03-01

    An influential theory of spatial navigation states that the boundary shape of an environment is preferentially encoded over and above other spatial cues, such that it is impervious to interference from alternative sources of information. We explored this claim with 3 intradimensional-extradimensional shift experiments, designed to examine the interaction of landmark and geometric features of the environment in a virtual navigation task. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants were first required to find a hidden goal using information provided by the shape of the arena or landmarks integrated into the arena boundary (Experiment 1) or within the arena itself (Experiment 2). Participants were then transferred to a different-shaped arena that contained novel landmarks and were again required to find a hidden goal. In both experiments, participants who were navigating on the basis of cues that were from the same dimension that was previously relevant (intradimensional shift) learned to find the goal significantly faster than participants who were navigating on the basis of cues that were from a dimension that was previously irrelevant (extradimensional shift). This suggests that shape information does not hold special status when learning about an environment. Experiment 3 replicated Experiment 2 and also assessed participants' recognition of the global shape of the navigated arenas. Recognition was attenuated when landmarks were relevant to navigation throughout the experiment. The results of these experiments are discussed in terms of associative and non-associative theories of spatial learning.

  7. Reinforcement Learning in Multidimensional Environments Relies on Attention Mechanisms

    PubMed Central

    Daniel, Reka; Geana, Andra; Gershman, Samuel J.; Leong, Yuan Chang; Radulescu, Angela; Wilson, Robert C.

    2015-01-01

    In recent years, ideas from the computational field of reinforcement learning have revolutionized the study of learning in the brain, famously providing new, precise theories of how dopamine affects learning in the basal ganglia. However, reinforcement learning algorithms are notorious for not scaling well to multidimensional environments, as is required for real-world learning. We hypothesized that the brain naturally reduces the dimensionality of real-world problems to only those dimensions that are relevant to predicting reward, and conducted an experiment to assess by what algorithms and with what neural mechanisms this “representation learning” process is realized in humans. Our results suggest that a bilateral attentional control network comprising the intraparietal sulcus, precuneus, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is involved in selecting what dimensions are relevant to the task at hand, effectively updating the task representation through trial and error. In this way, cortical attention mechanisms interact with learning in the basal ganglia to solve the “curse of dimensionality” in reinforcement learning. PMID:26019331

  8. Domain analysis for the reuse of software development experiences

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Basili, V. R.; Briand, L. C.; Thomas, W. M.

    1994-01-01

    We need to be able to learn from past experiences so we can improve our software processes and products. The Experience Factory is an organizational structure designed to support and encourage the effective reuse of software experiences. This structure consists of two organizations which separates project development concerns from organizational concerns of experience packaging and learning. The experience factory provides the processes and support for analyzing, packaging, and improving the organization's stored experience. The project organization is structured to reuse this stored experience in its development efforts. However, a number of questions arise: What past experiences are relevant? Can they all be used (reused) on our current project? How do we take advantage of what has been learned in other parts of the organization? How do we take advantage of experience in the world-at-large? Can someone else's best practices be used in our organization with confidence? This paper describes approaches to help answer these questions. We propose both quantitative and qualitative approaches for effectively reusing software development experiences.

  9. Promoting higher order thinking skills using inquiry-based learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Madhuri, G. V.; S. S. N Kantamreddi, V.; Goteti, L. N. S. Prakash

    2012-05-01

    Active learning pedagogies play an important role in enhancing higher order cognitive skills among the student community. In this work, a laboratory course for first year engineering chemistry is designed and executed using an inquiry-based learning pedagogical approach. The goal of this module is to promote higher order thinking skills in chemistry. Laboratory exercises are designed based on Bloom's taxonomy and a just-in-time facilitation approach is used. A pre-laboratory discussion outlining the theory of the experiment and its relevance is carried out to enable the students to analyse real-life problems. The performance of the students is assessed based on their ability to perform the experiment, design new experiments and correlate practical utility of the course module with real life. The novelty of the present approach lies in the fact that the learning outcomes of the existing experiments are achieved through establishing a relationship with real-world problems.

  10. Formal and Informal Learning and First-Year Psychology Students’ Development of Scientific Thinking: A Two-Wave Panel Study

    PubMed Central

    Soyyılmaz, Demet; Griffin, Laura M.; Martín, Miguel H.; Kucharský, Šimon; Peycheva, Ekaterina D.; Vaupotič, Nina; Edelsbrunner, Peter A.

    2017-01-01

    Scientific thinking is a predicate for scientific inquiry, and thus important to develop early in psychology students as potential future researchers. The present research is aimed at fathoming the contributions of formal and informal learning experiences to psychology students’ development of scientific thinking during their 1st-year of study. We hypothesize that informal experiences are relevant beyond formal experiences. First-year psychology student cohorts from various European countries will be assessed at the beginning and again at the end of the second semester. Assessments of scientific thinking will include scientific reasoning skills, the understanding of basic statistics concepts, and epistemic cognition. Formal learning experiences will include engagement in academic activities which are guided by university authorities. Informal learning experiences will include non-compulsory, self-guided learning experiences. Formal and informal experiences will be assessed with a newly developed survey. As dispositional predictors, students’ need for cognition and self-efficacy in psychological science will be assessed. In a structural equation model, students’ learning experiences and personal dispositions will be examined as predictors of their development of scientific thinking. Commonalities and differences in predictive weights across universities will be tested. The project is aimed at contributing information for designing university environments to optimize the development of students’ scientific thinking. PMID:28239363

  11. Formal and Informal Learning and First-Year Psychology Students' Development of Scientific Thinking: A Two-Wave Panel Study.

    PubMed

    Soyyılmaz, Demet; Griffin, Laura M; Martín, Miguel H; Kucharský, Šimon; Peycheva, Ekaterina D; Vaupotič, Nina; Edelsbrunner, Peter A

    2017-01-01

    Scientific thinking is a predicate for scientific inquiry, and thus important to develop early in psychology students as potential future researchers. The present research is aimed at fathoming the contributions of formal and informal learning experiences to psychology students' development of scientific thinking during their 1st-year of study. We hypothesize that informal experiences are relevant beyond formal experiences. First-year psychology student cohorts from various European countries will be assessed at the beginning and again at the end of the second semester. Assessments of scientific thinking will include scientific reasoning skills, the understanding of basic statistics concepts, and epistemic cognition. Formal learning experiences will include engagement in academic activities which are guided by university authorities. Informal learning experiences will include non-compulsory, self-guided learning experiences. Formal and informal experiences will be assessed with a newly developed survey. As dispositional predictors, students' need for cognition and self-efficacy in psychological science will be assessed. In a structural equation model, students' learning experiences and personal dispositions will be examined as predictors of their development of scientific thinking. Commonalities and differences in predictive weights across universities will be tested. The project is aimed at contributing information for designing university environments to optimize the development of students' scientific thinking.

  12. Learning to attend: modeling the shaping of selectivity in infero-temporal cortex in a categorization task.

    PubMed

    Szabo, Miruna; Deco, Gustavo; Fusi, Stefano; Del Giudice, Paolo; Mattia, Maurizio; Stetter, Martin

    2006-05-01

    Recent experiments on behaving monkeys have shown that learning a visual categorization task makes the neurons in infero-temporal cortex (ITC) more selective to the task-relevant features of the stimuli (Sigala and Logothetis in Nature 415 318-320, 2002). We hypothesize that such a selectivity modulation emerges from the interaction between ITC and other cortical area, presumably the prefrontal cortex (PFC), where the previously learned stimulus categories are encoded. We propose a biologically inspired model of excitatory and inhibitory spiking neurons with plastic synapses, modified according to a reward based Hebbian learning rule, to explain the experimental results and test the validity of our hypothesis. We assume that the ITC neurons, receiving feature selective inputs, form stronger connections with the category specific neurons to which they are consistently associated in rewarded trials. After learning, the top-down influence of PFC neurons enhances the selectivity of the ITC neurons encoding the behaviorally relevant features of the stimuli, as observed in the experiments. We conclude that the perceptual representation in visual areas like ITC can be strongly affected by the interaction with other areas which are devoted to higher cognitive functions.

  13. Experientially Learning and Teaching in a Student-Directed Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Breunig, Mary

    2017-01-01

    There exists a relatively coherent body of research relevant to problem-based and transformational learning but too few studies that have empirically explored the many anecdotal claims of the attributes of experiential, student-directed pedagogy. The purpose of this present study was to explore students' and professor experiences with/in a…

  14. Queer(y)ing Culture through Professional Learning Communities: A Reimagining of Culturally Relevant and Responsive Pedagogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guerrero, Cristina; Shahnazarian, Armen; Brown, Michelle F.

    2017-01-01

    In this article we document our experiences as facilitators for the "Engaging All Students" professional learning community (PLC), which was implemented to help Toronto public school teachers re-engage underachieving students. These students, who are known as "marker students," are members of the school system's most…

  15. The Evaluation of Experiential Learning: Guidelines for Evaluators Concerning Graduate Student Evaluation. Revised.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Central Michigan Univ., Mount Pleasant. Inst. for Personal and Career Development.

    Central Michigan University's experiential learning program and the guidelines for awarding academic credit are described. Graduate students may apply for college credit on the basis of relevant skills which have been acquired as a result of their occupational, military, and personal experiences. The evaluators judge the student's application to…

  16. Counter-Mapping the Neighborhood on Bicycles: Mobilizing Youth to Reimagine the City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Katie Headrick; Hall, Rogers

    2013-01-01

    Personal mobility is a mundane characteristic of daily life. However, mobility is rarely considered an opportunity for learning in the learning sciences, and is almost never leveraged as relevant, experiential material for teaching. This article describes a social design experiment for spatial justice that focused on changes in the personal…

  17. Incorporating Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences into Analytical Chemistry Laboratory Curricula

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kerr, Melissa A.; Yan, Fei

    2016-01-01

    A continuous effort within an undergraduate university setting is to improve students' learning outcomes and thus improve students' attitudes about a particular field of study. This is undoubtedly relevant within a chemistry laboratory. This paper reports the results of an effort to introduce a problem-based learning strategy into the analytical…

  18. Learning to Collaborate: General and Special Educators in Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pellegrino, Anthony; Weiss, Margaret; Regan, Kelley

    2015-01-01

    One of the foremost challenges for K-12 teachers is to provide relevant learning experiences in an environment of increasing accountability and student diversity. This balance is particularly consequential for students with disabilities who rely on special and general education teachers to ensure access to and success within the general…

  19. Learning from Texts: Activation of Information from Previous Texts during Reading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beker, Katinka; Jolles, Dietsje; Lorch, Robert F., Jr.; van den Broek, Paul

    2016-01-01

    Learning often involves integration of information from multiple texts. The aim of the current study was to determine whether relevant information from previously read texts is spontaneously activated during reading, allowing for integration between texts (experiment 1 and 2), and whether this process is related to the representation of the texts…

  20. Promoting Creativity in the Kitchen: Digital Lessons from the Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Surgenor, Dawn; McMahon-Beattie, Una S. M.; Burns, Amy; Hollywood, Lynsey E.

    2016-01-01

    Creativity and learning are heightened when individuals are exposed to problem-solving activity (Y. Cho, Chung, Choi, Sea, & Baek, 2013); however, while creativity has historically been promoted in schools, educationalists experience difficulty in integrating it meaningfully to the curriculum (Y. Cho et al., 2013). This is relevant in terms of…

  1. Using Active Learning to Teach Culturally Relevant Personal Finance to Native American Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saboe, Lorna

    2014-01-01

    Active learning is a teaching approach that requires students to do something intellectually with course content. This involves examining, questioning, and relating knowledge gained from previous experiences to new knowledge and skills. Native American students have been found to have low financial literacy skills. Family and consumer sciences…

  2. Prereading Questions and Online Text Comprehension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, Mark Rose; Mensink, Michael C.

    2012-01-01

    Prereading questions can be an effective tool for directing students' learning. However, it is not always clear what the online effects of a set of prereading questions will be. In two experiments, this study investigated whether readers direct additional attention to and learn more from sentences that are potentially relevant to a set of…

  3. Understanding the optimal learning environment in palliative care.

    PubMed

    Connell, Shirley E; Yates, Patsy; Barrett, Linda

    2011-07-01

    The learning experiences of student nurses undertaking clinical placement are reported widely, however little is known about the learning experiences of health professionals undertaking continuing professional development (CPD) in a clinical setting, especially in palliative care. The aim of this study, which was conducted as part of the national evaluation of a professional development program involving clinical attachments with palliative care services (The Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach [PEPA]), was to explore factors influencing the learning experiences of participants over time. Thirteen semi-structured, one-to-one telephone interviews were conducted with five participants throughout their PEPA experience. The analysis was informed by the traditions of adult, social and psychological learning theories and relevant literature. The participants' learning was enhanced by engaging interactively with host site staff and patients, and by the validation of their personal and professional life experiences together with the reciprocation of their knowledge with host site staff. Self-directed learning strategies maximised the participants' learning outcomes. Inclusion in team activities aided the participants to feel accepted within the host site. Personal interactions with host site staff and patients shaped this social/cultural environment of the host site. Optimal learning was promoted when participants were actively engaged, felt accepted and supported by, and experienced positive interpersonal interactions with, the host site staff. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. What Learning Systems do Intelligent Agents Need? Complementary Learning Systems Theory Updated.

    PubMed

    Kumaran, Dharshan; Hassabis, Demis; McClelland, James L

    2016-07-01

    We update complementary learning systems (CLS) theory, which holds that intelligent agents must possess two learning systems, instantiated in mammalians in neocortex and hippocampus. The first gradually acquires structured knowledge representations while the second quickly learns the specifics of individual experiences. We broaden the role of replay of hippocampal memories in the theory, noting that replay allows goal-dependent weighting of experience statistics. We also address recent challenges to the theory and extend it by showing that recurrent activation of hippocampal traces can support some forms of generalization and that neocortical learning can be rapid for information that is consistent with known structure. Finally, we note the relevance of the theory to the design of artificial intelligent agents, highlighting connections between neuroscience and machine learning. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Learning in Insect Pollinators and Herbivores.

    PubMed

    Jones, Patricia L; Agrawal, Anurag A

    2017-01-31

    The relationship between plants and insects is influenced by insects' behavioral decisions during foraging and oviposition. In mutualistic pollinators and antagonistic herbivores, past experience (learning) affects such decisions, which ultimately can impact plant fitness. The higher levels of dietary generalism in pollinators than in herbivores may be an explanation for the differences in learning seen between these two groups. Generalist pollinators experience a high level of environmental variation, which we suggest favors associative learning. Larval herbivores employ habituation and sensitization-strategies useful in their less variable environments. Exceptions to these patterns based on habitats, mobility, and life history provide critical tests of current theory. Relevant plant traits should be under selection to be easily learned and remembered in pollinators and difficult to learn in herbivores. Insect learning thereby has the potential to have an important, yet largely unexplored, role in plant-insect coevolution.

  6. Teaching Stress Physiology Using Zebrafish ("Danio Rerio")

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cooper, Michael; Dhawale, Shree; Mustafa, Ahmed

    2009-01-01

    A straightforward and inexpensive laboratory experiment is presented that investigates the physiological stress response of zebrafish after a 5 degree C increase in water temperature. This experiment is designed for an undergraduate physiology lab and allows students to learn the scientific method and relevant laboratory techniques without causing…

  7. Comparing the Impact of Two Internship Experiences on Student Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eyler, Janet

    1993-01-01

    Of 71 students in business or social service internships, 54 participated in systematic activities to integrate core curriculum with field experience. Opportunities for guided analysis and reflection enabled them to recognize curriculum relevance and develop empathy, interpersonal skills, awareness of politics, understanding of organizations, and…

  8. Chickens across the Curriculum: An Experiment in Experiential Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Poulsen, Kristin; And Others

    This paper describes: (1) the experiences of a class of 6- and 7-year-old students as they designed and built a small farm on the Laboratory School grounds at Berry College (Georgia); (2) the understanding that comes with the relevant and meaningful experience of building a farm and raising animals; (3) the infusion of Friedrich Froebel's…

  9. Second Language Experience Facilitates Statistical Learning of Novel Linguistic Materials.

    PubMed

    Potter, Christine E; Wang, Tianlin; Saffran, Jenny R

    2017-04-01

    Recent research has begun to explore individual differences in statistical learning, and how those differences may be related to other cognitive abilities, particularly their effects on language learning. In this research, we explored a different type of relationship between language learning and statistical learning: the possibility that learning a new language may also influence statistical learning by changing the regularities to which learners are sensitive. We tested two groups of participants, Mandarin Learners and Naïve Controls, at two time points, 6 months apart. At each time point, participants performed two different statistical learning tasks: an artificial tonal language statistical learning task and a visual statistical learning task. Only the Mandarin-learning group showed significant improvement on the linguistic task, whereas both groups improved equally on the visual task. These results support the view that there are multiple influences on statistical learning. Domain-relevant experiences may affect the regularities that learners can discover when presented with novel stimuli. Copyright © 2016 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

  10. Second language experience facilitates statistical learning of novel linguistic materials

    PubMed Central

    Potter, Christine E.; Wang, Tianlin; Saffran, Jenny R.

    2016-01-01

    Recent research has begun to explore individual differences in statistical learning, and how those differences may be related to other cognitive abilities, particularly their effects on language learning. In the present research, we explored a different type of relationship between language learning and statistical learning: the possibility that learning a new language may also influence statistical learning by changing the regularities to which learners are sensitive. We tested two groups of participants, Mandarin Learners and Naïve Controls, at two time points, six months apart. At each time point, participants performed two different statistical learning tasks: an artificial tonal language statistical learning task and a visual statistical learning task. Only the Mandarin-learning group showed significant improvement on the linguistic task, while both groups improved equally on the visual task. These results support the view that there are multiple influences on statistical learning. Domain-relevant experiences may affect the regularities that learners can discover when presented with novel stimuli. PMID:27988939

  11. Enhancing the Therapy Experience Using Principles of Video Game Design.

    PubMed

    Folkins, John Wm; Brackenbury, Tim; Krause, Miriam; Haviland, Allison

    2016-02-01

    This article considers the potential benefits that applying design principles from contemporary video games may have on enhancing therapy experiences. Six principles of video game design are presented, and their relevance for enriching clinical experiences is discussed. The motivational and learning benefits of each design principle have been discussed in the education literature as having positive impacts on student motivation and learning and are related here to aspects of clinical practice. The essential experience principle suggests connecting all aspects of the experience around a central emotion or cognitive connection. The discovery principle promotes indirect learning in focused environments. The risk-taking principle addresses the uncertainties clients face when attempting newly learned skills in novel situations. The generalization principle encourages multiple opportunities for skill transfer. The reward system principle directly relates to the scaffolding of frequent and varied feedback in treatment. Last, the identity principle can assist clients in using their newly learned communication skills to redefine self-perceptions. These principles highlight areas for research and interventions that may be used to reinforce or advance current practice.

  12. Learning Resources Organization Using Ontological Framework

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gavrilova, Tatiana; Gorovoy, Vladimir; Petrashen, Elena

    The paper describes the ontological approach to the knowledge structuring for the e-learning portal design as it turns out to be efficient and relevant to current domain conditions. It is primarily based on the visual ontology-based description of the content of the learning materials and this helps to provide productive and personalized access to these materials. The experience of ontology developing for Knowledge Engineering coursetersburg State University is discussed and “OntolingeWiki” tool for creating ontology-based e-learning portals is described.

  13. Reinforcement Learning of Two-Joint Virtual Arm Reaching in a Computer Model of Sensorimotor Cortex

    PubMed Central

    Neymotin, Samuel A.; Chadderdon, George L.; Kerr, Cliff C.; Francis, Joseph T.; Lytton, William W.

    2014-01-01

    Neocortical mechanisms of learning sensorimotor control involve a complex series of interactions at multiple levels, from synaptic mechanisms to cellular dynamics to network connectomics. We developed a model of sensory and motor neocortex consisting of 704 spiking model neurons. Sensory and motor populations included excitatory cells and two types of interneurons. Neurons were interconnected with AMPA/NMDA and GABAA synapses. We trained our model using spike-timing-dependent reinforcement learning to control a two-joint virtual arm to reach to a fixed target. For each of 125 trained networks, we used 200 training sessions, each involving 15 s reaches to the target from 16 starting positions. Learning altered network dynamics, with enhancements to neuronal synchrony and behaviorally relevant information flow between neurons. After learning, networks demonstrated retention of behaviorally relevant memories by using proprioceptive information to perform reach-to-target from multiple starting positions. Networks dynamically controlled which joint rotations to use to reach a target, depending on current arm position. Learning-dependent network reorganization was evident in both sensory and motor populations: learned synaptic weights showed target-specific patterning optimized for particular reach movements. Our model embodies an integrative hypothesis of sensorimotor cortical learning that could be used to interpret future electrophysiological data recorded in vivo from sensorimotor learning experiments. We used our model to make the following predictions: learning enhances synchrony in neuronal populations and behaviorally relevant information flow across neuronal populations, enhanced sensory processing aids task-relevant motor performance and the relative ease of a particular movement in vivo depends on the amount of sensory information required to complete the movement. PMID:24047323

  14. Skill acquisition while operating in-vehicle information systems: interface design determines the level of safety-relevant distractions.

    PubMed

    Jahn, Georg; Krems, Josef F; Gelau, Christhard

    2009-04-01

    This study tested whether the ease of learning to use human-machine interfaces of in-vehicle information systems (IVIS) can be assessed at standstill. Assessing the attentional demand of IVIS should include an evaluation of ease of learning, because the use of IVIS at low skill levels may create safety-relevant distractions. Skill acquisition in operating IVIS was quantified by fitting the power law of practice to training data sets collected in a driving study and at standstill. Participants practiced manual destination entry with two route guidance systems differing in cognitive demand. In Experiment 1, a sample of middle-aged participants was trained while steering routes of varying driving demands. In Experiment 2, another sample of middle-aged participants was trained at standstill. In Experiment 1, display glance times were less affected by driving demands than by total task times and decreased at slightly higher speed-up rates (0.02 higher on average) than task times collected at standstill in Experiment 2. The system interface that minimized cognitive demand was operated more quickly and was easier to learn. Its system delays increased static task times, which still predicted 58% of variance in display glance times compared with even 76% for the second system. The ease of learning to use an IVIS interface and the decrease in attentional demand with training can be assessed at standstill. Fitting the power law of practice to static task times yields parameters that predict display glance times while driving, which makes it possible to compare interfaces with regard to ease of learning.

  15. Cholinergic enhancement augments magnitude and specificity of visual perceptual learning in healthy humans

    PubMed Central

    Rokem, Ariel; Silver, Michael A.

    2010-01-01

    Summary Learning through experience underlies the ability to adapt to novel tasks and unfamiliar environments. However, learning must be regulated so that relevant aspects of the environment are selectively encoded. Acetylcholine (ACh) has been suggested to regulate learning by enhancing the responses of sensory cortical neurons to behaviorally-relevant stimuli [1]. In this study, we increased synaptic levels of ACh in the brains of healthy human subjects with the cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil (trade name: Aricept) and measured the effects of this cholinergic enhancement on visual perceptual learning. Each subject completed two five-day courses of training on a motion direction discrimination task [2], once while ingesting 5 mg of donepezil before every training session and once while placebo was administered. We found that cholinergic enhancement augmented perceptual learning for stimuli having the same direction of motion and visual field location used during training. In addition, perceptual learning under donepezil was more selective to the trained direction of motion and visual field location. These results, combined with previous studies demonstrating an increase in neuronal selectivity following cholinergic enhancement [3–5], suggest a possible mechanism by which ACh augments neural plasticity by directing activity to populations of neurons that encode behaviorally-relevant stimulus features. PMID:20850321

  16. "Her energy kind of went into a different place": a qualitative study examining supervisors' experience of promoting reflexive learning in students.

    PubMed

    McCandless, Robert; Eatough, Virginia

    2012-10-01

    For family therapists in training, a key learning outcome is the development of reflexive abilities. This study explores the experience of three experienced training supervisors as they address this learning outcome with students. Transcripts of semi-structured interviews were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The Supervisory Relationship emerged as a single overarching theme that contained and contextualized three further themes: Promoting Learning, Dimensions of Power, and The Self of the Supervisor. One theme is reported here, Promoting Learning, with an illustrative example of experiential learning in a student that demonstrates the overriding significance of The Supervisory Relationship. The findings are discussed in the context of current literature and research regarding supervision and training. This study adds richness and detail to material published on supervisory experience, and documents supervisory "micro-skills" relevant to the development of reflexive abilities in students. © 2012 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

  17. Memory and visual search in naturalistic 2D and 3D environments

    PubMed Central

    Li, Chia-Ling; Aivar, M. Pilar; Kit, Dmitry M.; Tong, Matthew H.; Hayhoe, Mary M.

    2016-01-01

    The role of memory in guiding attention allocation in daily behaviors is not well understood. In experiments with two-dimensional (2D) images, there is mixed evidence about the importance of memory. Because the stimulus context in laboratory experiments and daily behaviors differs extensively, we investigated the role of memory in visual search, in both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) environments. A 3D immersive virtual apartment composed of two rooms was created, and a parallel 2D visual search experiment composed of snapshots from the 3D environment was developed. Eye movements were tracked in both experiments. Repeated searches for geometric objects were performed to assess the role of spatial memory. Subsequently, subjects searched for realistic context objects to test for incidental learning. Our results show that subjects learned the room-target associations in 3D but less so in 2D. Gaze was increasingly restricted to relevant regions of the room with experience in both settings. Search for local contextual objects, however, was not facilitated by early experience. Incidental fixations to context objects do not necessarily benefit search performance. Together, these results demonstrate that memory for global aspects of the environment guides search by restricting allocation of attention to likely regions, whereas task relevance determines what is learned from the active search experience. Behaviors in 2D and 3D environments are comparable, although there is greater use of memory in 3D. PMID:27299769

  18. Application of Social Network Theory: Doctoral Students' Experiences in Conferences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ghosh, Rajashi; Githens, Rod P.

    2009-01-01

    As regular attendees at the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) Conference, the authors enjoyed interacting with the highly relevant study by Diane Chapman and her colleagues (Chapman, Wiessner, Morton, Fire, Jones, & Majekodunmi, 2009). In the study, they use several theoretical tools to understand the learning experiences of doctoral…

  19. Perceptions of Head Start Teachers about Culturally Relevant Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gichuru, Margaret; Riley, Jeanetta G.; Robertson, Jo; Park, Mi-Hwa

    2015-01-01

    Children bring a variety of cultural, linguistic, and social backgrounds into the preschool classroom. When teachers consider these backgrounds, they are better able to create environments that reflect children's cultures and to design learning experiences that build on children's prior experiences. This qualitative study examined how children's…

  20. The Flipped Class: Experience in a University Business Communication Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sherrow, Tammy; Lang, Brenda; Corbett, Rod

    2016-01-01

    Business, like many other programs in higher education, continues to rely largely on traditional classroom environments. In this article, another approach to teaching and learning, the flipped classroom, is explored. After a review of relevant literature, the authors present their experience with the flipped classroom approach to teaching and…

  1. Statistical interpretation of machine learning-based feature importance scores for biomarker discovery.

    PubMed

    Huynh-Thu, Vân Anh; Saeys, Yvan; Wehenkel, Louis; Geurts, Pierre

    2012-07-01

    Univariate statistical tests are widely used for biomarker discovery in bioinformatics. These procedures are simple, fast and their output is easily interpretable by biologists but they can only identify variables that provide a significant amount of information in isolation from the other variables. As biological processes are expected to involve complex interactions between variables, univariate methods thus potentially miss some informative biomarkers. Variable relevance scores provided by machine learning techniques, however, are potentially able to highlight multivariate interacting effects, but unlike the p-values returned by univariate tests, these relevance scores are usually not statistically interpretable. This lack of interpretability hampers the determination of a relevance threshold for extracting a feature subset from the rankings and also prevents the wide adoption of these methods by practicians. We evaluated several, existing and novel, procedures that extract relevant features from rankings derived from machine learning approaches. These procedures replace the relevance scores with measures that can be interpreted in a statistical way, such as p-values, false discovery rates, or family wise error rates, for which it is easier to determine a significance level. Experiments were performed on several artificial problems as well as on real microarray datasets. Although the methods differ in terms of computing times and the tradeoff, they achieve in terms of false positives and false negatives, some of them greatly help in the extraction of truly relevant biomarkers and should thus be of great practical interest for biologists and physicians. As a side conclusion, our experiments also clearly highlight that using model performance as a criterion for feature selection is often counter-productive. Python source codes of all tested methods, as well as the MATLAB scripts used for data simulation, can be found in the Supplementary Material.

  2. Investigating Meaning in Learning: A Case Study of Adult Developmental Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glasser, Tim

    2011-01-01

    The objective of this article is to investigate meaning and relevance in the context of adult developmental math learning and instruction. In this case study, at the Art Institute of San Francisco, 12 vocational instructors and four math learners are interviewed on their early and current math experiences. During the semi-structured interviews,…

  3. Incidental Learning of S-R Contingencies in the Masked Prime Task

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schlaghecken, Friederike; Blagrove, Elisabeth; Maylor, Elizabeth A.

    2007-01-01

    Subliminal motor priming effects in the masked prime paradigm can only be obtained when primes are part of the task set. In 2 experiments, the authors investigated whether the relevant task set feature needs to be explicitly instructed or could be extracted automatically in an incidental learning paradigm. Primes and targets were symmetrical…

  4. Montessori Secondary Schools: Preparing Today's Adolescents for the Challenges of Tomorrow

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKenzie, Ginger Kelley

    2007-01-01

    They are adolescents--and those who work with them must understand them, connect with them, and make learning relevant to their lives. This article looks at recent theories and educational practices identified as appropriate for supporting the educational learning experiences of students ages 12 to 15. In this article, the author also discusses,…

  5. "Think Bigger about Science": Using Twitter for Learning in the Middle Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Becker, Ryan; Bishop, Penny

    2016-01-01

    This article examines the use of Twitter as a learning tool in a middle grades science classroom. Relevant research, the direct experience of the teacher leading this unique initiative, and the invaluable perspectives of his middle level students are included to inform interested stakeholders. Following a discussion of open versus closed digital…

  6. Instance, Cue, and Dimension Learning in Concept Shift Task.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prentice, Joan L.; Panda, Kailas C.

    Experiment I was designed to demonstrate that young children fail to abstract the positive cue as the relevant stimulus event in a restricted concept-learning task. Sixteen kindergarten and 16 fourth grade subjects were trained to criterion on a Kendler-type task, whereupon each subject was presented a pair of new instances which contrasted only…

  7. Learning to Teach English Language Arts in Urban Middle Schools: A Cultural and Interactional Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buescher, Eileen M.

    2017-01-01

    This dissertation explores the experiences of middle childhood pre-service teachers (PST) across two academic years as they learn to teach English language arts to diverse students from conflicting sociocultural contexts. To help PSTs navigate the tensions across contexts, this study introduced culturally relevant (Ladson-Billings, 1995; 2014) and…

  8. The Effect of Surprising Events in a Serious Game on Learning Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wouters, Pieter; van Oostendorp, Herre; ter Vrugte, Judith; vanderCruysse, Sylke; de Jong, Ton; Elen, Jan

    2017-01-01

    The challenge in serious games is to improve the effectiveness of learning by stimulating relevant cognitive processes. In this paper, we investigate the potential of surprise in two experiments with prevocational students in the domain of proportional reasoning. Surprise involves an emotional reaction, but it also serves a cognitive goal as it…

  9. Sustaining a Stakeholder-Scientists Partnership in Co-producing Locally Relevant Data, Methods, and Tools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asefa, T.

    2017-12-01

    This case study presents the experiences of two of the most successful boundary organizations that are engaged in co-producing decision relevant climate information for water resources management. The Water Utilities Climate Alliance (www.wucaonline.org) is a coalition of 11 of the nation's largest water utilities with customers base over 50 million. Whereas Florida Water and Climate Alliance (www.floridaWCA.org) is a state level collaborative Learning network that is engaged in co-exploration and co-development of actionable climate science. Lesson learned from these two structurally different organizations will be shared.

  10. Case study on perspicacity of collaborative learning experiences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdullah, Fadzidah; Majid, Noor Hanita Abdul; Numen, Ibrahim; Kesuma Azmin, Aida; Abd. Rahim, Zaiton; Denan, Zuraini; Emin Sisman, Muhammet

    2017-12-01

    In the attempt to relate to the architectural practice, architectural education today has augmented the development of collaborative learning environment in the campus scenario. Presently, collaborative work among students from the same program and university is considered common. Hence, attempts of collaboration is extended into having learning and teaching collaboration by means of inter-universities. The School of Architecture, at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) has explored into having collaboration across the continent with Fatih Sultan Mehmet Waqf University (FSMWU), among faculty members and students of the two (2) universities This paper explicates the empirical study on students’ perspicacity of their collaborative learning experiences; in term of effectiveness, generative behaviour, and teamwork. Survey with three (3) open-ended questions are distributed to students to express their opinions on learning collaboration that they have had during the execution of the Joint Summer School Program (JSSP). Feedback on their perspicacity is obtained and organised into numerical and understandable data display, using qualitative data processing software. Albeit the relevancy of collaborative learning, students gave both positive and negative feedbacks on their experiences. Suggestions are given to enhance the quality of collaborative learning experience for future development

  11. Moving toward heutagogical learning: Illuminating undergraduate nursing students' experiences in a flipped classroom.

    PubMed

    Green, Rebecca D; Schlairet, Maura C

    2017-02-01

    Nurse educators rely on the tenets of educational theory and evidence-based education to promote the most effective curriculum and facilitate the best outcomes. The flipped classroom model, in which students assume personal responsibility for knowledge acquisition in a highly engaging and interactive environment, supports self-directed learning and the unique needs of clinical education. To understand how students perceived their experiences in the flipped classroom and how students' learning dispositions were affected by the flipped classroom experience. A phenomenological approach was used to gain deeper understanding about students' perspectives, perceptions and subjective experiences of the flipped classroom model. The focus of the study was on characteristics of student learning. Fourteen Bachelors of Science of Nursing (BSN) students at a regional university in the southeastern United States. Using data transcribed from face-to-face, semi-structured interviews, experiential themes were extracted from the qualitative data (student-reported experiences, attributes, thoughts, values, and beliefs regarding teaching and learning in the context of their experience of the flipped classroom) using Graneheim's and Lundman's (2004) guidelines; and were coded and analyzed within theoretical categories based on pedagogical, andragogical or heutagogical learning dispositions. Experiential themes that emerged from students' descriptions of their experiences in the flipped classroom included discernment, challenge, relevance, responsibility, and expertise. The flipped classroom model offers promising possibilities for facilitating students' movement from learning that is characteristic of pedagogy and andragogy toward heutagogical learning. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Optimisation of simulated team training through the application of learning theories: a debate for a conceptual framework

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background As a conceptual review, this paper will debate relevant learning theories to inform the development, design and delivery of an effective educational programme for simulated team training relevant to health professionals. Discussion Kolb’s experiential learning theory is used as the main conceptual framework to define the sequence of activities. Dewey’s theory of reflective thought and action, Jarvis modification of Kolb’s learning cycle and Schön’s reflection-on-action serve as a model to design scenarios for optimal concrete experience and debriefing for challenging participants’ beliefs and habits. Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy and newer socio-cultural learning models outline that for efficient team training, it is mandatory to introduce the social-cultural context of a team. Summary The ideal simulated team training programme needs a scenario for concrete experience, followed by a debriefing with a critical reflexive observation and abstract conceptualisation phase, and ending with a second scenario for active experimentation. Let them re-experiment to optimise the effect of a simulated training session. Challenge them to the edge: The scenario needs to challenge participants to generate failures and feelings of inadequacy to drive and motivate team members to critical reflect and learn. Not experience itself but the inadequacy and contradictions of habitual experience serve as basis for reflection. Facilitate critical reflection: Facilitators and group members must guide and motivate individual participants through the debriefing session, inciting and empowering learners to challenge their own beliefs and habits. To do this, learners need to feel psychological safe. Let the group talk and critical explore. Motivate with reality and context: Training with multidisciplinary team members, with different levels of expertise, acting in their usual environment (in-situ simulation) on physiological variables is mandatory to introduce cultural context and social conditions to the learning experience. Embedding in situ team training sessions into a teaching programme to enable repeated training and to assess regularly team performance is mandatory for a cultural change of sustained improvement of team performance and patient safety. PMID:24694243

  13. Image Search Reranking With Hierarchical Topic Awareness.

    PubMed

    Tian, Xinmei; Yang, Linjun; Lu, Yijuan; Tian, Qi; Tao, Dacheng

    2015-10-01

    With much attention from both academia and industrial communities, visual search reranking has recently been proposed to refine image search results obtained from text-based image search engines. Most of the traditional reranking methods cannot capture both relevance and diversity of the search results at the same time. Or they ignore the hierarchical topic structure of search result. Each topic is treated equally and independently. However, in real applications, images returned for certain queries are naturally in hierarchical organization, rather than simple parallel relation. In this paper, a new reranking method "topic-aware reranking (TARerank)" is proposed. TARerank describes the hierarchical topic structure of search results in one model, and seamlessly captures both relevance and diversity of the image search results simultaneously. Through a structured learning framework, relevance and diversity are modeled in TARerank by a set of carefully designed features, and then the model is learned from human-labeled training samples. The learned model is expected to predict reranking results with high relevance and diversity for testing queries. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, we collect an image search dataset and conduct comparison experiments on it. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed TARerank outperforms the existing relevance-based and diversified reranking methods.

  14. Lessons learned during the successful eradication of bovine tuberculosis from Australia

    PubMed Central

    More, S. J.; Radunz, B.; Glanville, R. J.

    2015-01-01

    There are very few international examples of the successful eradication of bovine tuberculosis (TB, caused by infection with Mycobacterium bovis) from a national cattle population. This paper presents a brief overview of the successful TB eradication programme in Australia from 1970, with primary emphasis on lessons of international relevance that were learned from the Australian experience. The national brucellosis and tuberculosis eradication campaign ran for 27 years from 1970 to 1997 and has been followed by ongoing abattoir surveillance. Rapid progress towards eradication was made in southern Australia, but proved much more challenging in extensive pastoral areas of northern Australia. Declaration of TB freedom was made on December 31, 1997. A range of factors were critical to this success, including a compelling rationale for eradication, an agreed final outcome, industry commitment and financial support, a business model for programme planning, implementation and review, consistent and transparent technical standards underpinned by a strict regulatory regime and applied research, the critical role of abattoir surveillance, effective elimination of residual infection and objective measures of programme progress. Although direct translation of some of these experiences may not be possible, many of the lessons learned from the Australian experience may be relevant to other countries. PMID:26338937

  15. An Experimental Introduction to Acoustics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Black, Andy Nicholas; Magruder, Robert H.

    2017-11-01

    Learning and understanding physics requires more than studying physics texts. It requires doing physics. Doing research is a key opportunity for students to connect physical principles with their everyday experience. A powerful way to introduce students to research and technique is through subjects in which they might find interest. Presented is an experiment that serves to introduce an advanced undergraduate or high school student to conducting research in acoustics via an experiment involving a standard dreadnought acoustic guitar, recording industry-related equipment, and relevant industrial analysis software. This experimental process is applicable to a wide range of acoustical topics including both acoustic and electric instruments. Also, the student has a hands-on experience with relevant audio engineering technology to study physical principles.

  16. How learning might strengthen existing visual object representations in human object-selective cortex.

    PubMed

    Brants, Marijke; Bulthé, Jessica; Daniels, Nicky; Wagemans, Johan; Op de Beeck, Hans P

    2016-02-15

    Visual object perception is an important function in primates which can be fine-tuned by experience, even in adults. Which factors determine the regions and the neurons that are modified by learning is still unclear. Recently, it was proposed that the exact cortical focus and distribution of learning effects might depend upon the pre-learning mapping of relevant functional properties and how this mapping determines the informativeness of neural units for the stimuli and the task to be learned. From this hypothesis we would expect that visual experience would strengthen the pre-learning distributed functional map of the relevant distinctive object properties. Here we present a first test of this prediction in twelve human subjects who were trained in object categorization and differentiation, preceded and followed by a functional magnetic resonance imaging session. Specifically, training increased the distributed multi-voxel pattern information for trained object distinctions in object-selective cortex, resulting in a generalization from pre-training multi-voxel activity patterns to after-training activity patterns. Simulations show that the increased selectivity combined with the inter-session generalization is consistent with a training-induced strengthening of a pre-existing selectivity map. No training-related neural changes were detected in other regions. In sum, training to categorize or individuate objects strengthened pre-existing representations in human object-selective cortex, providing a first indication that the neuroanatomical distribution of learning effects depends upon the pre-learning mapping of visual object properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Pre-Service Teachers and Study Abroad: A Reflective, Experiential Sojourn to Increase Intercultural Competence and Translate the Experience into Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roller, Kathleen Marie

    2012-01-01

    This study used a randomized experimental, mixed methods approach to examine whether a stand-apart course curriculum based on experiential learning theory, Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) theory (Bennett, 1993) and culturally relevant pedagogy influenced students' intercultural competence within the context of a study…

  18. Culturally Relevant Pedagogy Twenty-Plus Years Later: How an Arts Approach to Teaching and Learning Can Keep the Dream Alive

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCarther, Shirley Marie; Davis, Donna M.

    2017-01-01

    Gloria Ladson-Billings' (1995) ground-breaking work around the theory of culturally relevant pedagogy has shaped the discourse in schools and education programs for over twenty years. Her belief that schools should be places where students and teachers come together to have meaningful educational experiences has provided a foundation for…

  19. Contrast Enhancement without Transient Map Expansion for Species-Specific Vocalizations in Core Auditory Cortex during Learning.

    PubMed

    Shepard, Kathryn N; Chong, Kelly K; Liu, Robert C

    2016-01-01

    Tonotopic map plasticity in the adult auditory cortex (AC) is a well established and oft-cited measure of auditory associative learning in classical conditioning paradigms. However, its necessity as an enduring memory trace has been debated, especially given a recent finding that the areal expansion of core AC tuned to a newly relevant frequency range may arise only transiently to support auditory learning. This has been reinforced by an ethological paradigm showing that map expansion is not observed for ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) or for ultrasound frequencies in postweaning dams for whom USVs emitted by pups acquire behavioral relevance. However, whether transient expansion occurs during maternal experience is not known, and could help to reveal the generality of cortical map expansion as a correlate for auditory learning. We thus mapped the auditory cortices of maternal mice at postnatal time points surrounding the peak in pup USV emission, but found no evidence of frequency map expansion for the behaviorally relevant high ultrasound range in AC. Instead, regions tuned to low frequencies outside of the ultrasound range show progressively greater suppression of activity in response to the playback of ultrasounds or pup USVs for maternally experienced animals assessed at their pups' postnatal day 9 (P9) to P10, or postweaning. This provides new evidence for a lateral-band suppression mechanism elicited by behaviorally meaningful USVs, likely enhancing their population-level signal-to-noise ratio. These results demonstrate that tonotopic map enlargement has limits as a construct for conceptualizing how experience leaves neural memory traces within sensory cortex in the context of ethological auditory learning.

  20. Perceptual grouping enhances visual plasticity.

    PubMed

    Mastropasqua, Tommaso; Turatto, Massimo

    2013-01-01

    Visual perceptual learning, a manifestation of neural plasticity, refers to improvements in performance on a visual task achieved by training. Attention is known to play an important role in perceptual learning, given that the observer's discriminative ability improves only for those stimulus feature that are attended. However, the distribution of attention can be severely constrained by perceptual grouping, a process whereby the visual system organizes the initial retinal input into candidate objects. Taken together, these two pieces of evidence suggest the interesting possibility that perceptual grouping might also affect perceptual learning, either directly or via attentional mechanisms. To address this issue, we conducted two experiments. During the training phase, participants attended to the contrast of the task-relevant stimulus (oriented grating), while two similar task-irrelevant stimuli were presented in the adjacent positions. One of the two flanking stimuli was perceptually grouped with the attended stimulus as a consequence of its similar orientation (Experiment 1) or because it was part of the same perceptual object (Experiment 2). A test phase followed the training phase at each location. Compared to the task-irrelevant no-grouping stimulus, orientation discrimination improved at the attended location. Critically, a perceptual learning effect equivalent to the one observed for the attended location also emerged for the task-irrelevant grouping stimulus, indicating that perceptual grouping induced a transfer of learning to the stimulus (or feature) being perceptually grouped with the task-relevant one. Our findings indicate that no voluntary effort to direct attention to the grouping stimulus or feature is necessary to enhance visual plasticity.

  1. Thinking outside the (voice) box: a case study of students' perceptions of the relevance of anatomy to speech pathology.

    PubMed

    Weir, Kristy A

    2008-01-01

    Speech pathology students readily identify the importance of a sound understanding of anatomical structures central to their intended profession. In contrast, they often do not recognize the relevance of a broader understanding of structure and function. This study aimed to explore students' perceptions of the relevance of anatomy to speech pathology. The effect of two learning activities on students' perceptions was also evaluated. First, a written assignment required students to illustrate the relevance of anatomy to speech pathology by using an example selected from one of the four alternative structures. The second approach was the introduction of brief "scenarios" with directed questions into the practical class. The effects of these activities were assessed via two surveys designed to evaluate students' perceptions of the relevance of anatomy before and during the course experience. A focus group was conducted to clarify and extend discussion of issues arising from the survey data. The results showed that the students perceived some course material as irrelevant to speech pathology. The importance of relevance to the students' "state" motivation was well supported by the data. Although the students believed that the learning activities helped their understanding of the relevance of anatomy, some structures were considered less relevant at the end of the course. It is likely that the perceived amount of content and surface approach to learning may have prevented students from "thinking outside the box" regarding which anatomical structures are relevant to the profession.

  2. Learning Bridge: Curricular Integration of Didactic and Experiential Education

    PubMed Central

    Arendt, Cassandra S.; Cawley, Pauline; Buhler, Amber V.; Elbarbry, Fawzy; Roberts, Sigrid C.

    2010-01-01

    Objectives To assess the impact of a program to integrate introductory pharmacy practice experiences with pharmaceutical science topics by promoting active learning, self-directed learning skills, and critical-thinking skills. Design The Learning Bridge, a curriculum program, was created to better integrate the material first-year (P1) students learned in pharmaceutical science courses into their introductory pharmacy practice experiences. Four Learning Bridge assignments required students to interact with their preceptors and answer questions relating to the pharmaceutical science material concurrently covered in their didactic courses. Assessment Surveys of students and preceptors were conducted to measure the effectiveness of the Learning Bridge process. Feedback indicated the Learning Bridge promoted students' interaction with their preceptors as well as development of active learning, self-directed learning, and critical-thinking skills. Students also indicated that the Learning Bridge assignments increased their learning, knowledge of drug information, and comprehension of relevant data in package inserts. Conclusion The Learning Bridge process integrated the didactic and experiential components of the curriculum, enhancing student learning in both areas, and offered students educational opportunities to interact more with their preceptors. PMID:20498741

  3. Students' perceptions of effective learning experiences in dental school: a qualitative study using a critical incident technique.

    PubMed

    Victoroff, Kristin Zakariasen; Hogan, Sarah

    2006-02-01

    Students' views of their educational experience can be an important source of information for curriculum assessment. Although quantitative methods, particularly surveys, are frequently used to gather such data, fewer studies have employed qualitative methods to examine students' dental education experiences. The purpose of this study is to explore characteristics of effective learning experiences in dental school using a qualitative method. All third-year (seventy) and fourth-year (seventy) dental students enrolled in one midwestern dental school were invited to participate. Fifty-three dental students (thirty-five male and eighteen female; thirty-two third-year and twenty-one fourth-year) were interviewed using a critical incident interview technique. Each student was asked to describe a specific, particularly effective learning incident that he or she had experienced in dental school and a specific, particularly ineffective learning incident, for comparison. Each interview was audiotaped. Students were assured that only the interviewer and one additional researcher would have access to the tapes. Data analysis resulted in identification of key themes in the data describing characteristics of effective learning experiences. The following characteristics of effective learning experiences were identified: 1) instructor characteristics (personal qualities, "checking-in" with students, and an interactive style); 2) characteristics of the learning process (focus on the "big picture," modeling and demonstrations, opportunities to apply new knowledge, high-quality feedback, focus, specificity and relevance, and peer interactions); and 3) learning environment (culture of the learning environment, technology). Common themes emerged across a wide variety of learning incidents. Although additional research is needed, the characteristics of effective learning experiences identified in this study may have implications for individual course design and for the dental school curriculum as a whole.

  4. Deficits in hippocampal-dependent transfer generalization learning accompany synaptic dysfunction in a mouse model of amyloidosis.

    PubMed

    Montgomery, Karienn S; Edwards, George; Levites, Yona; Kumar, Ashok; Myers, Catherine E; Gluck, Mark A; Setlow, Barry; Bizon, Jennifer L

    2016-04-01

    Elevated β-amyloid and impaired synaptic function in hippocampus are among the earliest manifestations of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Most cognitive assessments employed in both humans and animal models, however, are insensitive to this early disease pathology. One critical aspect of hippocampal function is its role in episodic memory, which involves the binding of temporally coincident sensory information (e.g., sights, smells, and sounds) to create a representation of a specific learning epoch. Flexible associations can be formed among these distinct sensory stimuli that enable the "transfer" of new learning across a wide variety of contexts. The current studies employed a mouse analog of an associative "transfer learning" task that has previously been used to identify risk for prodromal AD in humans. The rodent version of the task assesses the transfer of learning about stimulus features relevant to a food reward across a series of compound discrimination problems. The relevant feature that predicts the food reward is unchanged across problems, but an irrelevant feature (i.e., the context) is altered. Experiment 1 demonstrated that C57BL6/J mice with bilateral ibotenic acid lesions of hippocampus were able to discriminate between two stimuli on par with control mice; however, lesioned mice were unable to transfer or apply this learning to new problem configurations. Experiment 2 used the APPswe PS1 mouse model of amyloidosis to show that robust impairments in transfer learning are evident in mice with subtle β-amyloid-induced synaptic deficits in the hippocampus. Finally, Experiment 3 confirmed that the same transfer learning impairments observed in APPswePS1 mice were also evident in the Tg-SwDI mouse, a second model of amyloidosis. Together, these data show that the ability to generalize learned associations to new contexts is disrupted even in the presence of subtle hippocampal dysfunction and suggest that, across species, this aspect of hippocampal-dependent learning may be useful for early identification of AD-like pathology. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. "The magic is in the mix": lessons from research capacity building in the Canadian tobacco control community, 2000-2010.

    PubMed

    Riley, Barbara L; Viehbeck, Sarah M; Cohen, Joanna E; Chia, Marie C

    2013-02-25

    Global public health issues, including tobacco use, will be addressed most effectively if informed by relevant evidence. Additional capacity is needed to undertake and sustain relevant and rigorous research that will inform and enable learning from interventions. Despite the undisputed importance of research capacity building (RCB), there is little evidence about how to create relevant capacities. RCB for tobacco control in Canada from 2000-2010 offers a rich experience from which to learn. Lessons were derived using structured data collection from seven capacity-building initiatives and an invitational workshop, at which reflections on major contributions and lessons learned were discussed by initiative leads. Ten years of RCB for tobacco control in Canada revealed the importance of a) taking an organic approach to RCB, b) targeting and sustaining investments in a mix of RCB activities, c) vision and collaborative leadership at organizational and initiative levels, d) a focus on building community, and e) studying capacity building. The experience also provided tangible examples of RCB initiatives and how independent investments can be linked to create a coherent approach. Looking ahead, promising directions may include positioning RCB within a broader context of "field building", focusing on practical approaches to sustainability, and enhancing research on RCB.

  6. Evolutionary perspectives on learning: conceptual and methodological issues in the study of adaptive specializations.

    PubMed

    Krause, Mark A

    2015-07-01

    Inquiry into evolutionary adaptations has flourished since the modern synthesis of evolutionary biology. Comparative methods, genetic techniques, and various experimental and modeling approaches are used to test adaptive hypotheses. In psychology, the concept of adaptation is broadly applied and is central to comparative psychology and cognition. The concept of an adaptive specialization of learning is a proposed account for exceptions to general learning processes, as seen in studies of Pavlovian conditioning of taste aversions, sexual responses, and fear. The evidence generally consists of selective associations forming between biologically relevant conditioned and unconditioned stimuli, with conditioned responses differing in magnitude, persistence, or other measures relative to non-biologically relevant stimuli. Selective associations for biologically relevant stimuli may suggest adaptive specializations of learning, but do not necessarily confirm adaptive hypotheses as conceived of in evolutionary biology. Exceptions to general learning processes do not necessarily default to an adaptive specialization explanation, even if experimental results "make biological sense". This paper examines the degree to which hypotheses of adaptive specializations of learning in sexual and fear response systems have been tested using methodologies developed in evolutionary biology (e.g., comparative methods, quantitative and molecular genetics, survival experiments). A broader aim is to offer perspectives from evolutionary biology for testing adaptive hypotheses in psychological science.

  7. Using Blogs: Authentic Material and Ranking Quality for SLA

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coppens, Xulian; Rico, Mercedes; Agudo, J. Enrique

    2013-01-01

    Exposure real life language experiences forms an integral part of the acquisition process. Authentic materials--those derived from the culture of the target language rather than specially produced for language learners--increase the relevance of the learning experience by reusing texts taken directly from the target culture. Web 2.0 technologies…

  8. The Design and the Formative Evaluation of a Web-Based Course for Simulation Analysis Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tao, Yu-Hui; Guo, Shin-Ming; Lu, Ya-Hui

    2006-01-01

    Simulation output analysis has received little attention comparing to modeling and programming in real-world simulation applications. This is further evidenced by our observation that students and beginners acquire neither adequate details of knowledge nor relevant experience of simulation output analysis in traditional classroom learning. With…

  9. The Sources of Developmental Differences in Children's Incidental Processing during Discrimination Trials

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kemler, Deborah G.; And Others

    1976-01-01

    Two experiments are reported that reveal the sources of the developmental difference reported by Crane and Ross that second graders learned more than sixth graders about attributes made relevant after solution of a discrimination task. Experiments use technique whereby children verbalize their hypotheses during solution of a discrimination…

  10. Teaching Critical Thinking through Media Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sperry, Chris

    2012-01-01

    Today more than ever, students want their school experience to be relevant. They live and learn in a media-saturated environment where information abounds, but wisdom is often lacking. Teachers must tie their science curricula to students' real-life experiences: When their students see the utility of scientific thought and reason in helping them…

  11. Curriculum and Psychology--Reflections on the Issues Raised at the 1983 British Psychological Society Education Section Conference.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barratt, Gill

    1984-01-01

    Issues concerning psychology and education that were raised at the 1983 British Psychology Society Education Section Conference are discussed. With respect to teacher training courses, a major issue is whether only practical experience and reflection on the experience can make theoretical learning relevant and usable. (RM)

  12. Reorganization of Equivalence Classes: Evidence for Contextual Control by Baseline Reviews before Probes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garotti, Marilice; De Rose, Julio C.

    2007-01-01

    Two experiments investigated baseline reviews as a relevant variable in reorganization of equivalence classes. After formation of three 4-member classes, participants learned reversals of baseline conditional discriminations and expanded the classes to 5 members each. In Experiment 1, 4 students responded on equivalence probes without baseline…

  13. Discovery and Broad Relevance May Be Insignificant Components of Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) for Non-Biology Majors.

    PubMed

    Ballen, Cissy J; Thompson, Seth K; Blum, Jessamina E; Newstrom, Nicholas P; Cotner, Sehoya

    2018-01-01

    Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are a type of laboratory learning environment associated with a science course, in which undergraduates participate in novel research. According to Auchincloss et al. (CBE Life Sci Educ 2104; 13:29-40), CUREs are distinct from other laboratory learning environments because they possess five core design components, and while national calls to improve STEM education have led to an increase in CURE programs nationally, less work has specifically focused on which core components are critical to achieving desired student outcomes. Here we use a backward elimination experimental design to test the importance of two CURE components for a population of non-biology majors: the experience of discovery and the production of data broadly relevant to the scientific or local community. We found nonsignificant impacts of either laboratory component on students' academic performance, science self-efficacy, sense of project ownership, and perceived value of the laboratory experience. Our results challenge the assumption that all core components of CUREs are essential to achieve positive student outcomes when applied at scale.

  14. Evaluating the Development of Science Research Skills in Work-Integrated Learning through the Use of Workplace Science Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCurdy, Susan M.; Zegwaard, Karsten E.; Dalgety, Jacinta

    2013-01-01

    Concept understanding, the development of analytical skills and a research mind set are explored through the use of academic tools common in a tertiary science education and relevant work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences. The use and development of the tools; laboratory book, technical report, and literature review are examined by way of…

  15. A Total Quality Management Approach to Assurance of Learning in the Accounting Classroom: An Empirical Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harvey, Mary Ellen; Eisner, Susan

    2011-01-01

    The research presented in this paper seeks to discern which combination of pedagogical tools most positively impact student learning of the introductory Accounting curriculum in the Principles of Accounting courses in a 4-year U.S. public college. This research topic is relevant because it helps address a quandary many instructors experience: how…

  16. No Two Cues Are Alike: Depth of Learning during Infancy Is Dependent on What Orients Attention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wu, Rachel; Kirkham, Natasha Z.

    2010-01-01

    Human infants develop a variety of attentional mechanisms that allow them to extract relevant information from a cluttered multimodal world. We know that both social and nonsocial cues shift infants' attention, but not how these cues differentially affect learning of multimodal events. Experiment 1 used social cues to direct 8- and 4-month-olds'…

  17. Investigating the Integration of Everyday Phenomena and Practical Work in Physics Teaching in Vietnamese High Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ng, Wan; Nguyen, Van Thanh

    2006-01-01

    Making science relevant in students' learning is an important aspect of science education. This involves the ability to draw in examples from daily contexts to begin with the learning or to apply concepts learnt into familiar everyday phenomena that students observe and experience around them. Another important aspect of science education is the…

  18. Fostering Self-Regulated Learning in a Blended Environment Using Group Awareness and Peer Assistance as External Scaffolds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, J-W.; Lai, Y-C.; Lai, Y-C.; Chang, L-C.

    2016-01-01

    Most systems for training self-regulated learning (SRL) behaviour focus on the provision of a learner-centred environment. Such systems repeat the training process and place learners alone to experience that process iteratively. According to the relevant literature, external scaffolds are more promising for effective SRL training. In this work,…

  19. Three-Step Approach for Developing Integrated Work-Ready Assessment Tools to Foster Student's Learning and Satisfaction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adapa, Sujana

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to present the relevance of the three-step approach undertaken by a marketing academic working in the University of New England Business School to foster distance student's learning, satisfaction and overall study experience. This work is a reflection of the author's teaching practice whereby a multitude of innovative…

  20. Collaboration, Reflection and Selective Neglect: Campus-Based Marketing Students' Experiences of Using a Virtual Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Molesworth, Mike

    2004-01-01

    Previous studies have suggested significant benefits to using computer-mediated communication in higher education and the development of the relevant skills may also be important for preparing students for their working careers. This study is a review of the introduction of a virtual learning environment to support a group of 60 campus-based,…

  1. Development, awareness and inductive selectivity.

    PubMed

    Hayes, Brett K; Lim, Melissa

    2013-05-01

    Two studies examined whether adults and children could learn to make context-dependent inferences about novel stimuli and the role of awareness of context cues in such learning. Participants were trained to match probes to targets on the basis of shape or color with the relevant dimension shifting according to item context. A selective induction test then examined context-dependent responding in a more complex matching task. Awareness of the role of context was assessed using a behavioral task and explicit questions. Experiment 1 showed that after training with the procedure described by Sloutsky and Fisher (2008), only a minority of adults showed evidence of context-dependent responding in the selective induction test. Experiment 2 used a modified training protocol that promoted attention to context cues. This led to reliable selective induction in a majority of adults and a sizeable proportion of 4- to 6-year-olds. Crucially, in both age groups, selective induction was dependent on awareness of context. Hence, children as young as 4 can learn to make selective inferences about novel stimuli, but only when they are aware of the relevant context cues. These results challenge previous claims that selective induction in children is the product of implicit learning.

  2. Probabilistic and machine learning-based retrieval approaches for biomedical dataset retrieval

    PubMed Central

    Karisani, Payam; Qin, Zhaohui S; Agichtein, Eugene

    2018-01-01

    Abstract The bioCADDIE dataset retrieval challenge brought together different approaches to retrieval of biomedical datasets relevant to a user’s query, expressed as a text description of a needed dataset. We describe experiments in applying a data-driven, machine learning-based approach to biomedical dataset retrieval as part of this challenge. We report on a series of experiments carried out to evaluate the performance of both probabilistic and machine learning-driven techniques from information retrieval, as applied to this challenge. Our experiments with probabilistic information retrieval methods, such as query term weight optimization, automatic query expansion and simulated user relevance feedback, demonstrate that automatically boosting the weights of important keywords in a verbose query is more effective than other methods. We also show that although there is a rich space of potential representations and features available in this domain, machine learning-based re-ranking models are not able to improve on probabilistic information retrieval techniques with the currently available training data. The models and algorithms presented in this paper can serve as a viable implementation of a search engine to provide access to biomedical datasets. The retrieval performance is expected to be further improved by using additional training data that is created by expert annotation, or gathered through usage logs, clicks and other processes during natural operation of the system. Database URL: https://github.com/emory-irlab/biocaddie PMID:29688379

  3. Innovation in collaborative health research training: the role of active learning.

    PubMed

    Poole, Gary; Egan, John P; Iqbal, Isabeau

    2009-03-01

    This paper describes and discusses the essential pedagogical elements of the Partnering in Community Health Research (PCHR) program, which was designed to address the training needs of researchers who participate in collaborative, interdisciplinary health research. These elements were intended to foster specific skills that helped learners develop research partnerships featuring knowledge, capabilities, values and attitudes needed for successful research projects. By establishing research teams called "clusters", PCHR provided research training and experience for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, as well as for community health workers and professionals. Pedagogical elements relied on active learning approaches such as inquiry-based and experience-based learning. Links between these elements and learning approaches are explained. Through their work in cluster-based applied research projects, the development of learning plans, and cross-cluster learning events, trainees acquired collaborative research competencies that were valuable, relevant and theoretically informed.

  4. Learning processes in the professional development of mental health counselors: knowledge restructuring and illness script formation.

    PubMed

    Strasser, Josef; Gruber, Hans

    2015-05-01

    An important part of learning processes in the professional development of counselors is the integration of declarative knowledge and professional experience. It was investigated in-how-far mental health counselors at different levels of expertise (experts, intermediates, novices) differ in their availability of experience-based knowledge structures. Participants were prompted with 20 client problems. They had to explain those problems, the explanations were analyzed using think-aloud protocols. The results show that experts' knowledge is organized in script-like structures that integrate declarative knowledge and professional experience and help experts in accessing relevant information about cases. Novices revealed less integrated knowledge structures. It is concluded that knowledge restructuring and illness script formation are crucial parts of the professional learning of counselors.

  5. Anatomy by whole body dissection: a focus group study of students' learning experience.

    PubMed

    Burgess, Annette; Ramsey-Stewart, George

    2015-01-01

    The social construction of knowledge within medical education is essential for learning. Students' interactions within groups and associated learning artifacts can meaningfully impact learning. Situated cognition theory poses that knowledge, thinking, and learning are located in experience. In recent years, there has been a reported decline in time spent on anatomy by whole body dissection (AWBD) within medical programs. However, teaching by surgeons in AWBD provides unique opportunities for students, promoting a deeper engagement in learning. In this study, we apply situated cognition theory as a conceptual framework to explore students' perceptions of their learning experience within the 2014 iteration of an 8-week elective AWBD course. At the end of the course, all students (n=24) were invited to attend one of three focus groups. Framework analysis was used to code and categorize data into themes. In total, 20/24 (83%) students participated in focus groups. Utilizing situated cognition theory as a conceptual framework, we illustrate students' learning experiences within the AWBD course. Students highlighted opportunities to create and reinforce their own knowledge through active participation in authentic dissection tasks; guidance and clinical context provided by surgeons as supervisors; and the provision of an inclusive learning community. Situated cognition theory offers a valuable lens through which to view students' learning experience in the anatomy dissection course. By doing so, the importance of providing clinical relevance to medical teaching is highlighted. Additionally, the value of having surgeons teach AWBD and the experience they share is illustrated. The team learning course design, with varying teaching methods and frequent assessments, prompting student-student and student-teacher interaction, was also beneficial for student learning.

  6. Systems for Documenting Student Experiences and Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yeung, Fanny P. F.; Fallucca, Amber

    2017-01-01

    This chapter illustrates two campus processes that utilized student-level data management systems, such as student record systems, assessment platforms, and comprehensive student records, to assess student outcomes relevant to campus missions, goals, and learning outcomes.

  7. Giving Voice to Low-Income Noncustodial Fathers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferguson, Alan K.

    2000-01-01

    Describes the Fatherhood Responsibility Program of the Urban League of Greater Madison Wisconsin and explores its relevance for the learning context, process, process, and experience as they relate to noncustodial fathers in fatherhood programs. (SLD)

  8. Transfer of dimensional associability in human contingency learning.

    PubMed

    Kattner, Florian; Green, C Shawn

    2016-01-01

    Several studies have demonstrated processing advantages for stimuli that were experienced to be reliable predictors of an outcome relative to other stimuli. The present study tested whether such increases in associability apply at the level of entire stimulus dimensions (as suggested by Sutherland & Mackintosh, 1971). In 4 experiments, participants had to learn associations between Gabor gratings and particular responses. In a first experiment, some gratings were more predictive of the response than other gratings, whereas in 3 subsequent experiments, one stimulus dimension (i.e., either the orientation or spatial frequency of the grating) was more predictive than the other dimension. In contrast to the learned predictiveness of individual gratings (Experiment 1), dimensional predictiveness did not affect the subsequent rate of learning (Experiments 2 and 3), suggesting changes in the associability of specific stimuli, but not of stimulus dimensions. Moreover, greater transfer of predictiveness was found in all experiments when particular stimulus values of the test discrimination did not lie between the previously relevant stimuli. In Experiment 4, an increased learning rate was found for discriminations along the previously predictive dimension compared with a dimension that was indicative of uncertainty, but again the transfer was more pronounced for specific stimuli that were compatible with the previously learned discrimination. Taken together, the results imply that a transfer of associability typically applies to individual stimuli and depends on how the transfer stimuli relate to those stimuli that individuals previously learned to attend. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  9. A Fly-Inspired Mushroom Bodies Model for Sensory-Motor Control Through Sequence and Subsequence Learning.

    PubMed

    Arena, Paolo; Calí, Marco; Patané, Luca; Portera, Agnese; Strauss, Roland

    2016-09-01

    Classification and sequence learning are relevant capabilities used by living beings to extract complex information from the environment for behavioral control. The insect world is full of examples where the presentation time of specific stimuli shapes the behavioral response. On the basis of previously developed neural models, inspired by Drosophila melanogaster, a new architecture for classification and sequence learning is here presented under the perspective of the Neural Reuse theory. Classification of relevant input stimuli is performed through resonant neurons, activated by the complex dynamics generated in a lattice of recurrent spiking neurons modeling the insect Mushroom Bodies neuropile. The network devoted to context formation is able to reconstruct the learned sequence and also to trace the subsequences present in the provided input. A sensitivity analysis to parameter variation and noise is reported. Experiments on a roving robot are reported to show the capabilities of the architecture used as a neural controller.

  10. Determining the influence of past development experience on the cost of strategic ballistic missile development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Whitney, Dwight E.

    The influence of learning in the form of past relevant experience was examined in data collected for strategic ballistic missiles developed by the United States. A total of twenty-four new missiles were developed and entered service between 1954 and 1990. Missile development costs were collected and analyzed by regression analysis using the learning curve model with factors for past experience and other relevant cost estimating relationships. The purpose of the study was to determine whether prior development experience was a factor in the development cost of these like systems. Of the twenty-four missiles in the population, development costs for twelve of the missiles were collected from the literature. Since the costs were found to be segmented by military service, a discrete input variable for military service was used as one of the cost estimating relationships. Because there were only two US Navy samples, too few to analyze for segmentation and learning rate, they were excluded from the final analysis. The final analysis was on a sample of ten out of eighteen US Army and US Air Force missiles within the population. The result of the analysis found past experience to be a statistically significant factor in describing the development cost of the US Army and US Air Force missiles. The influence equated to a 0.86 progress ratio, indicating prior development experience had a positive (cost-reducing) influence on their development cost. Based on the result, it was concluded that prior development experience was a factor in the development cost of these systems.

  11. Deficits in hippocampal-dependent transfer generalization learning accompany synaptic dysfunction in a mouse model of amyloidosis

    PubMed Central

    Montgomery, Karienn S.; Edwards, George; Levites, Yona; Kumar, Ashok; Myers, Catherine E.; Gluck, Mark A.; Setlow, Barry; Bizon, Jennifer L.

    2015-01-01

    Elevated β-amyloid and impaired synaptic function in hippocampus are among the earliest manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Most cognitive assessments employed in both humans and animal models, however, are insensitive to this early disease pathology. One critical aspect of hippocampal function is its role in episodic memory, which involves the binding of temporally coincident sensory information (e.g., sights, smells, and sounds) to create a representation of a specific learning epoch. Flexible associations can be formed among these distinct sensory stimuli that enable the “transfer” of new learning across a wide variety of contexts. The current studies employed a mouse analog of an associative “transfer learning” task that has previously been used to identify risk for prodromal AD in humans. The rodent version of the task assesses the transfer of learning about stimulus features relevant to a food reward across a series of compound discrimination problems. The relevant feature that predicts the food reward is unchanged across problems, but an irrelevant feature (i.e., the context) is altered. Experiment 1 demonstrated that C57BL6/J mice with bilateral ibotenic acid lesions of hippocampus were able to discriminate between two stimuli on par with control mice; however, lesioned mice were unable to transfer or apply this learning to new problem configurations. Experiment 2 used the APPswePS1 mouse model of amyloidosis to show that robust impairments in transfer learning are evident in mice with subtle β amyloid-induced synaptic deficits in the hippocampus. Finally, Experiment 3 confirmed that the same transfer learning impairments observed in APPswePS1 mice were also evident in the Tg-SwDI mouse, a second model of amyloidosis. Together, these data show that the ability to generalize learned associations to new contexts is disrupted even in the presence of subtle hippocampal dysfunction and suggest that, across species, this aspect of hippocampal-dependent learning may be useful for early identification of AD-like pathology. PMID:26418152

  12. Deep imitation learning for 3D navigation tasks.

    PubMed

    Hussein, Ahmed; Elyan, Eyad; Gaber, Mohamed Medhat; Jayne, Chrisina

    2018-01-01

    Deep learning techniques have shown success in learning from raw high-dimensional data in various applications. While deep reinforcement learning is recently gaining popularity as a method to train intelligent agents, utilizing deep learning in imitation learning has been scarcely explored. Imitation learning can be an efficient method to teach intelligent agents by providing a set of demonstrations to learn from. However, generalizing to situations that are not represented in the demonstrations can be challenging, especially in 3D environments. In this paper, we propose a deep imitation learning method to learn navigation tasks from demonstrations in a 3D environment. The supervised policy is refined using active learning in order to generalize to unseen situations. This approach is compared to two popular deep reinforcement learning techniques: deep-Q-networks and Asynchronous actor-critic (A3C). The proposed method as well as the reinforcement learning methods employ deep convolutional neural networks and learn directly from raw visual input. Methods for combining learning from demonstrations and experience are also investigated. This combination aims to join the generalization ability of learning by experience with the efficiency of learning by imitation. The proposed methods are evaluated on 4 navigation tasks in a 3D simulated environment. Navigation tasks are a typical problem that is relevant to many real applications. They pose the challenge of requiring demonstrations of long trajectories to reach the target and only providing delayed rewards (usually terminal) to the agent. The experiments show that the proposed method can successfully learn navigation tasks from raw visual input while learning from experience methods fail to learn an effective policy. Moreover, it is shown that active learning can significantly improve the performance of the initially learned policy using a small number of active samples.

  13. An Advanced Professional Pharmacy Experience in a Community Setting Using an Experiential Manual

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Karen W.; Machado, Matthew R.; Wenzel, Marie M.; Gagnon, James M.; Calomo, Joseph M.

    2006-01-01

    Objectives To determine the usefulness of a teaching and learning tool used to create structure for advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) in community pharmacy settings, and to identify differences between respondents' perspectives on the relevance and practicality of implementing specific community pharmacy-related topics during the experience. Design Community practice faculty members designed a manual that outlined a week-by-week schedule of student activities, consistent with the Center for the Advancement of Pharmaceutical Education (CAPE) outcome-based goals, and included associated teaching, documentation, and assessment tools. The manual was distributed to site preceptors and students. Assessment Eighty-six PharmD students responded to a questionnaire upon completion of their community APPE. Student feedback concerning the impact of the manual relative to interactions with site preceptors and their overall learning experience was relatively positive. Conclusion The manual was an effective teaching and learning tool for students completing a community APPE. PMID:17149421

  14. Contextual modulation of attention in human category learning.

    PubMed

    George, David N; Kruschke, John K

    2012-12-01

    In a category-learning experiment, we assessed whether participants were able to selectively attend to different components of a compound stimulus in two distinct contexts. The participants were presented with stimulus compounds for which they had to learn categorical labels. Each compound comprised one feature from each of two dimensions, and on different trials the compound was presented in two contexts, X and Y. In Context X, Dimension A was relevant to the solution of the categorization task and Dimension B was irrelevant, whereas in Context Y, Dimension A was irrelevant and Dimension B was relevant. The results of transfer tests to novel stimuli suggested that people learned to attend selectively to Dimension A in Context X and Dimension B in Context Y. These findings contribute to the growing body of evidence that people can learn to selectively attend to particular dimensions of stimuli dependent on the context in which the stimuli are presented. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate that context-dependent changes in attention transfer to other categorization tasks involving novel stimuli.

  15. Teachers' experiences of teaching in a blended learning environment.

    PubMed

    Jokinen, Pirkko; Mikkonen, Irma

    2013-11-01

    This paper considers teachers' experiences of teaching undergraduate nursing students in a blended learning environment. The basic idea of the study programme was to support students to reflect on theory and practice, and provide with access to expert and professional knowledge in real-life problem-solving and decision making. Learning was organised to support learning in and about work: students worked full-time and this provided excellent opportunities for learning both in practice, online and face-to-face sessions. The aim of the study was to describe teachers' experiences of planning and implementing teaching and learning in a blended-learning-based adult nursing programme. The research method was qualitative, and the data were collected by three focus group interviews, each with four to six participants. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results show that the blended learning environment constructed by the combination of face-to-face learning and learning in practice with technology-mediated learning creates challenges that must be taken into consideration when planning and implementing blended teaching and learning. However, it provides good opportunities to enhance students' learning in and about work. This is because such programmes support student motivation through the presence of "real-life" and their relevance to the students' own places of work. Nevertheless, teachers require knowledge of different pedagogical approaches; they need professional development support in redesigning teaching and learning. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. The Transition from Early Child Care to Preschool: Emerging Toddler Skills and Readiness for Group-Based Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goodrich, Samantha; Mudrick, Hannah; Robinson, JoAnn

    2015-01-01

    Research Findings: National policy today is on the brink of defining preschool experiences as essential for children's academic success. Indeed, many children's classroom experience begins as they transition from infant/toddler care to a preschool classroom. This study examined developmentally relevant skill domains among 36-month-olds (effortful…

  17. Exploring Primary School CLIL Perceptions in Catalonia: Students', Teachers' and Parents' Opinions and Expectations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pladevall-Ballester, Elisabet

    2015-01-01

    Analysing participants' perceptions of a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) experience is essential in order to provide a clear picture of whether CLIL is effectively implemented. This becomes extremely relevant in primary school contexts, where the way the different groups involved in an educational experience feel tends to be highly…

  18. Teachers' Perceived Self-Efficacy in Integrating Technology into Pedagogical Practice and Barriers to Technology Integration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burke, Lynne F.

    2014-01-01

    According to Mundy, Kupczynski, and Kee (2012), many teachers use technology primarily for administrative functions. This limits the learning potential students may experience from technology use that expands their thinking and exposes them to relevant applications of content knowledge to real world experiences. If teachers are to grow in their…

  19. Contrast Enhancement without Transient Map Expansion for Species-Specific Vocalizations in Core Auditory Cortex during Learning

    PubMed Central

    Shepard, Kathryn N.; Chong, Kelly K.

    2016-01-01

    Tonotopic map plasticity in the adult auditory cortex (AC) is a well established and oft-cited measure of auditory associative learning in classical conditioning paradigms. However, its necessity as an enduring memory trace has been debated, especially given a recent finding that the areal expansion of core AC tuned to a newly relevant frequency range may arise only transiently to support auditory learning. This has been reinforced by an ethological paradigm showing that map expansion is not observed for ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) or for ultrasound frequencies in postweaning dams for whom USVs emitted by pups acquire behavioral relevance. However, whether transient expansion occurs during maternal experience is not known, and could help to reveal the generality of cortical map expansion as a correlate for auditory learning. We thus mapped the auditory cortices of maternal mice at postnatal time points surrounding the peak in pup USV emission, but found no evidence of frequency map expansion for the behaviorally relevant high ultrasound range in AC. Instead, regions tuned to low frequencies outside of the ultrasound range show progressively greater suppression of activity in response to the playback of ultrasounds or pup USVs for maternally experienced animals assessed at their pups’ postnatal day 9 (P9) to P10, or postweaning. This provides new evidence for a lateral-band suppression mechanism elicited by behaviorally meaningful USVs, likely enhancing their population-level signal-to-noise ratio. These results demonstrate that tonotopic map enlargement has limits as a construct for conceptualizing how experience leaves neural memory traces within sensory cortex in the context of ethological auditory learning. PMID:27957529

  20. Perceptual Grouping Enhances Visual Plasticity

    PubMed Central

    Mastropasqua, Tommaso; Turatto, Massimo

    2013-01-01

    Visual perceptual learning, a manifestation of neural plasticity, refers to improvements in performance on a visual task achieved by training. Attention is known to play an important role in perceptual learning, given that the observer's discriminative ability improves only for those stimulus feature that are attended. However, the distribution of attention can be severely constrained by perceptual grouping, a process whereby the visual system organizes the initial retinal input into candidate objects. Taken together, these two pieces of evidence suggest the interesting possibility that perceptual grouping might also affect perceptual learning, either directly or via attentional mechanisms. To address this issue, we conducted two experiments. During the training phase, participants attended to the contrast of the task-relevant stimulus (oriented grating), while two similar task-irrelevant stimuli were presented in the adjacent positions. One of the two flanking stimuli was perceptually grouped with the attended stimulus as a consequence of its similar orientation (Experiment 1) or because it was part of the same perceptual object (Experiment 2). A test phase followed the training phase at each location. Compared to the task-irrelevant no-grouping stimulus, orientation discrimination improved at the attended location. Critically, a perceptual learning effect equivalent to the one observed for the attended location also emerged for the task-irrelevant grouping stimulus, indicating that perceptual grouping induced a transfer of learning to the stimulus (or feature) being perceptually grouped with the task-relevant one. Our findings indicate that no voluntary effort to direct attention to the grouping stimulus or feature is necessary to enhance visual plasticity. PMID:23301100

  1. A course designed for undergraduate biochemistry students to learn about cultural diversity issues.

    PubMed

    Benore-Parsons, Marilee

    2006-09-01

    Biology, biochemistry, and other science students are well trained in science and familiar with how to conduct and evaluate scientific experiments. They are less aware of cultural issues or how these will impact their careers in research, education, or as professional health care workers. A course was developed for advanced undergraduate science majors to learn about diversity issues in a context that would be relevant to them, entitled "Diversity Issues in Health Care: Treatment and Research." Learning objectives included: developing awareness of current topics concerning diversity issues in health care; learning how research is carried out in health care, including pharmaceutical research, clinical trials, and social research; and learning about health care practices. Lectures and projects included readings on laboratory and clinical research, as well as literature on legal, race, gender, language, age, and income issues in health care research and clinical practice. Exams, papers, and a service learning project were used to determine the final course grade. Assessment indicated student understanding of diversity issues was improved, and the material was relevant. Copyright © 2006 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  2. Social Relevance Enhances Memory for Impressions in Older Adults

    PubMed Central

    Cassidy, Brittany S.; Gutchess, Angela H.

    2012-01-01

    Previous research has demonstrated that older adults have difficulty retrieving contextual material over items alone. Recent research suggests this deficit can be reduced by adding emotional context, allowing for the possibility that memory for social impressions may show less age-related decline than memory for other types of contextual information. Two studies investigated how orienting to social or self-relevant aspects of information contributed to the learning and retrieval of impressions in young and older adults. Participants encoded impressions of others in conditions varying in the use of self-reference (Experiment 1) and interpersonal meaningfulness (Experiment 2), and completed memory tasks requiring the retrieval of specific traits. For both experiments, age groups remembered similar numbers of impressions. In Experiment 1, using more self-relevant encoding contexts increased memory for impressions over orienting to stimuli in a non-social way, regardless of age. In Experiment 2, older adults had enhanced memory for impressions presented in an interpersonally meaningful relative to a personally irrelevant way, whereas young adults were unaffected by this manipulation. The results provide evidence that increasing social relevance ameliorates age differences in memory for impressions, and enhances older adults’ ability to successfully retrieve contextual information. PMID:22364168

  3. Social relevance enhances memory for impressions in older adults.

    PubMed

    Cassidy, Brittany S; Gutchess, Angela H

    2012-01-01

    Previous research has demonstrated that older adults have difficulty retrieving contextual material over items alone. Recent research suggests this deficit can be reduced by adding emotional context, allowing for the possibility that memory for social impressions may show less age-related decline than memory for other types of contextual information. Two studies investigated how orienting to social or self-relevant aspects of information contributed to the learning and retrieval of impressions in young and older adults. Participants encoded impressions of others in conditions varying in the use of self-reference (Experiment 1) and interpersonal meaningfulness (Experiment 2), and completed memory tasks requiring the retrieval of specific traits. For both experiments, age groups remembered similar numbers of impressions. In Experiment 1 using more self-relevant encoding contexts increased memory for impressions over orienting to stimuli in a non-social way, regardless of age. In Experiment 2 older adults had enhanced memory for impressions presented in an interpersonally meaningful relative to a personally irrelevant way, whereas young adults were unaffected by this manipulation. The results provide evidence that increasing social relevance ameliorates age differences in memory for impressions, and enhances older adults' ability to successfully retrieve contextual information.

  4. The Relevance of Four Types of Knowledge for Leader Preparation in Radically Different Settings: Reflections on Data from a Case Study in Qatar and Teaching at a United States Military Academy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bakken, Richard; Dobbs, James

    2016-01-01

    Based on our experiences at a military service academy and the study of leadership informing administrators in overseas branch campuses, we propose a link between conceptual leadership development in these learning environments and the relevance of the four types of knowledge--declarative, procedural, contextual, and somatic for educational…

  5. Thinking about the weather: How display salience and knowledge affect performance in a graphic inference task.

    PubMed

    Hegarty, Mary; Canham, Matt S; Fabrikant, Sara I

    2010-01-01

    Three experiments examined how bottom-up and top-down processes interact when people view and make inferences from complex visual displays (weather maps). Bottom-up effects of display design were investigated by manipulating the relative visual salience of task-relevant and task-irrelevant information across different maps. Top-down effects of domain knowledge were investigated by examining performance and eye fixations before and after participants learned relevant meteorological principles. Map design and knowledge interacted such that salience had no effect on performance before participants learned the meteorological principles; however, after learning, participants were more accurate if they viewed maps that made task-relevant information more visually salient. Effects of display design on task performance were somewhat dissociated from effects of display design on eye fixations. The results support a model in which eye fixations are directed primarily by top-down factors (task and domain knowledge). They suggest that good display design facilitates performance not just by guiding where viewers look in a complex display but also by facilitating processing of the visual features that represent task-relevant information at a given display location. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

  6. Experiential learning: transforming theory into practice.

    PubMed

    Yardley, Sarah; Teunissen, Pim W; Dornan, Tim

    2012-01-01

    Whilst much is debated about the importance of experiential learning in curriculum development, the concept only becomes effective if it is applied in an appropriate way. We believe that this effectiveness is directly related to a sound understanding of the theory, supporting the learning. The purpose of this article is to introduce readers to the theories underpinning experiential learning, which are then expanded further in an AMEE Guide, which considers the theoretical basis of experiential learning from a social learning, constructionist perspective and applies it to three stages of medical education: early workplace experience, clerkships and residency. This article argues for the importance and relevance of experiential learning and addresses questions that are commonly asked about it. First, we answer the questions 'what is experiential learning?' and 'how does it relate to social learning theory?' to orientate readers to the principles on which our arguments are based. Then, we consider why those ideas (theories) are relevant to educators--ranging from those with responsibilities for curriculum design to 'hands-on' teachers and workplace supervisors. The remainder of this article discusses how experiential learning theories and a socio-cultural perspective can be applied in practice. We hope that this will give readers a taste for our more detailed AMEE Guide and the further reading recommended at the end of it.

  7. Active Learning with Irrelevant Examples

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wagstaff, Kiri; Mazzoni, Dominic

    2009-01-01

    An improved active learning method has been devised for training data classifiers. One example of a data classifier is the algorithm used by the United States Postal Service since the 1960s to recognize scans of handwritten digits for processing zip codes. Active learning algorithms enable rapid training with minimal investment of time on the part of human experts to provide training examples consisting of correctly classified (labeled) input data. They function by identifying which examples would be most profitable for a human expert to label. The goal is to maximize classifier accuracy while minimizing the number of examples the expert must label. Although there are several well-established methods for active learning, they may not operate well when irrelevant examples are present in the data set. That is, they may select an item for labeling that the expert simply cannot assign to any of the valid classes. In the context of classifying handwritten digits, the irrelevant items may include stray marks, smudges, and mis-scans. Querying the expert about these items results in wasted time or erroneous labels, if the expert is forced to assign the item to one of the valid classes. In contrast, the new algorithm provides a specific mechanism for avoiding querying the irrelevant items. This algorithm has two components: an active learner (which could be a conventional active learning algorithm) and a relevance classifier. The combination of these components yields a method, denoted Relevance Bias, that enables the active learner to avoid querying irrelevant data so as to increase its learning rate and efficiency when irrelevant items are present. The algorithm collects irrelevant data in a set of rejected examples, then trains the relevance classifier to distinguish between labeled (relevant) training examples and the rejected ones. The active learner combines its ranking of the items with the probability that they are relevant to yield a final decision about which item to present to the expert for labeling. Experiments on several data sets have demonstrated that the Relevance Bias approach significantly decreases the number of irrelevant items queried and also accelerates learning speed.

  8. Individual differences in working memory capacity and search efficiency.

    PubMed

    Miller, Ashley L; Unsworth, Nash

    2018-05-29

    In two experiments, we examined how various learning conditions impact the relation between working memory capacity (WMC) and memory search abilities. Experiment 1 employed a delayed free recall task with semantically related words to induce the buildup of proactive interference (PI) and revealed that the buildup of PI differentially impacted recall accuracy and recall latency for low-WMC and high-WMC individuals. Namely, the buildup of PI impaired recall accuracy and slowed recall latency for low-WMC individuals to a greater extent than what was observed for high-WMC individuals. To provide a circumstance in which previously learned information remains relevant over the course of learning, Experiment 2 required participants to complete a multitrial delayed free recall task with unrelated words. Results revealed that with increased practice with the same word list, WMC-related differences were eventually eliminated in interresponse times (IRTs) and recall accuracy, but not recall latency. Thus, despite still accumulating larger search sets, low-WMC individuals searched LTM as efficiently as high-WMC individuals. Collectively, these results are consistent with the notion that under normal free recall conditions, low-WMC individuals search LTM less efficiently than do high-WMC individuals because of their reliance on noisy temporal-contextual cues at retrieval. However, it appears that under conditions in which previously learned items remain relevant at recall, this tendency to rely on vague self-generated retrieval cues can actually facilitate the ability to accurately and quickly recall information.

  9. A Preliminary Study on the Use of Mind Mapping as a Visual-Learning Strategy in General Education Science Classes for Arabic Speakers in the United Arab Emirates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, Kenesha; Copeland-Solas, Eddia; Guthrie-Dixon, Natalie

    2016-01-01

    Mind mapping was introduced as a culturally relevant pedagogy aimed at enhancing the teaching and learning experience in a general education, Environmental Science class for mostly Emirati English Language Learners (ELL). Anecdotal evidence suggests that the students are very artistic and visual and enjoy group-based activities. It was decided to…

  10. An Eye Tracking Comparison of External Pointing Cues and Internal Continuous Cues in Learning with Complex Animations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boucheix, Jean-Michel; Lowe, Richard K.

    2010-01-01

    Two experiments used eye tracking to investigate a novel cueing approach for directing learner attention to low salience, high relevance aspects of a complex animation. In the first experiment, comprehension of a piano mechanism animation containing spreading-colour cues was compared with comprehension obtained with arrow cues or no cues. Eye…

  11. Incidental learning of probability information is differentially affected by the type of visual working memory representation.

    PubMed

    van Lamsweerde, Amanda E; Beck, Melissa R

    2015-12-01

    In this study, we investigated whether the ability to learn probability information is affected by the type of representation held in visual working memory. Across 4 experiments, participants detected changes to displays of coloured shapes. While participants detected changes in 1 dimension (e.g., colour), a feature from a second, nonchanging dimension (e.g., shape) predicted which object was most likely to change. In Experiments 1 and 3, items could be grouped by similarity in the changing dimension across items (e.g., colours and shapes were repeated in the display), while in Experiments 2 and 4 items could not be grouped by similarity (all features were unique). Probability information from the predictive dimension was learned and used to increase performance, but only when all of the features within a display were unique (Experiments 2 and 4). When it was possible to group by feature similarity in the changing dimension (e.g., 2 blue objects appeared within an array), participants were unable to learn probability information and use it to improve performance (Experiments 1 and 3). The results suggest that probability information can be learned in a dimension that is not explicitly task-relevant, but only when the probability information is represented with the changing dimension in visual working memory. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  12. Feature highlighting enhances learning of a complex natural-science category.

    PubMed

    Miyatsu, Toshiya; Gouravajhala, Reshma; Nosofsky, Robert M; McDaniel, Mark A

    2018-04-26

    Learning naturalistic categories, which tend to have fuzzy boundaries and vary on many dimensions, can often be harder than learning well defined categories. One method for facilitating the category learning of naturalistic stimuli may be to provide explicit feature descriptions that highlight the characteristic features of each category. Although this method is commonly used in textbooks and classrooms, theoretically it remains uncertain whether feature descriptions should advantage learning complex natural-science categories. In three experiments, participants were trained on 12 categories of rocks, either without or with a brief description highlighting key features of each category. After training, they were tested on their ability to categorize both old and new rocks from each of the categories. Providing feature descriptions as a caption under a rock image failed to improve category learning relative to providing only the rock image with its category label (Experiment 1). However, when these same feature descriptions were presented such that they were explicitly linked to the relevant parts of the rock image (feature highlighting), participants showed significantly higher performance on both immediate generalization to new rocks (Experiment 2) and generalization after a 2-day delay (Experiment 3). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  13. Matematica Natural.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lozano, Patricia; Medearis, Linda

    Matematica Natural (Natural Mathematics) is a mathematics curriculum for young children based on the assumption that they learn mathematics through concrete, real life, relevant experiences and that educational differences rather than cultural differences influence math achievement. The curriculum uses hands-on materials and activities to teach…

  14. Strategic Tutor Monitoring.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chee-kwong, Kenneth Chao

    1996-01-01

    Discusses effective tutor monitoring strategies based on experiences at the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong. Highlights include key performance and strategic control points; situational factors, including tutor expectations and relevant culture; Theory X versus Theory Y leadership theories; and monitoring relationships with tutors. (LRW)

  15. Automated annotation of functional imaging experiments via multi-label classification

    PubMed Central

    Turner, Matthew D.; Chakrabarti, Chayan; Jones, Thomas B.; Xu, Jiawei F.; Fox, Peter T.; Luger, George F.; Laird, Angela R.; Turner, Jessica A.

    2013-01-01

    Identifying the experimental methods in human neuroimaging papers is important for grouping meaningfully similar experiments for meta-analyses. Currently, this can only be done by human readers. We present the performance of common machine learning (text mining) methods applied to the problem of automatically classifying or labeling this literature. Labeling terms are from the Cognitive Paradigm Ontology (CogPO), the text corpora are abstracts of published functional neuroimaging papers, and the methods use the performance of a human expert as training data. We aim to replicate the expert's annotation of multiple labels per abstract identifying the experimental stimuli, cognitive paradigms, response types, and other relevant dimensions of the experiments. We use several standard machine learning methods: naive Bayes (NB), k-nearest neighbor, and support vector machines (specifically SMO or sequential minimal optimization). Exact match performance ranged from only 15% in the worst cases to 78% in the best cases. NB methods combined with binary relevance transformations performed strongly and were robust to overfitting. This collection of results demonstrates what can be achieved with off-the-shelf software components and little to no pre-processing of raw text. PMID:24409112

  16. Student nurses' experiences of using a learning contract as a method of assessment.

    PubMed

    Bailey, Maria E; Tuohy, Dympna

    2009-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe final year undergraduate nurses' experiences of assessment through the use of a learning contract. Using a qualitative descriptive design, data was collected from a purposive sample of final (fourth) year undergraduate student nurses. Two approaches were taken for data collection, anonymous evaluative questionnaires and interviews. The study was approved by the local university research and ethics committee. Data was thematically analysed. This article presents and discusses the findings from the interviews. Findings suggest that students' approach to the assessment strategy influenced engagement with the learning contract. Three themes were identified: skills, perceptions, and actions. Within these themes three types of learner were identified: happy, pragmatic and fearful. Factors found to influence successful completion of the learning contract were: support, relevant skills, prior experiential learning and required theoretical knowledge. Recommendations include the need for educators to consider module assessments that recognise the learning needs and preferences of the student within a supportive environment.

  17. Developing learning community model with soft skill integration for the building engineering apprenticeship programme in vocational high school

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sutrisno, Dardiri, Ahmad; Sugandi, R. Machmud

    2017-09-01

    This study aimed to address the procedure, effectiveness, and problems in the implementation of learning model for Building Engineering Apprenticeship Training Programme. This study was carried out through survey method and experiment. The data were collected using questionnaire, test, and assessment sheet. The collected data were examined through description, t-test, and covariance analysis. The results of the study showed that (1) the model's procedure covered preparation course, readiness assessment, assignment distribution, handing over students to apprenticeship instructors, task completion, assisting, field assessment, report writing, and follow-up examination, (2) the Learning Community model could significantly improve students' active learning, but not improve students' hard skills and soft skills, and (3) the problems emerging in the implementation of the model were (1) students' difficulties in finding apprenticeship places and qualified instructors, and asking for relevant tasks, (2) teachers' difficulties in determining relevant tasks and monitoring students, and (3) apprenticeship instructors' difficulties in assigning, monitoring, and assessing students.

  18. Stimulus homogeneity enhances implicit learning: evidence from contextual cueing.

    PubMed

    Feldmann-Wüstefeld, Tobias; Schubö, Anna

    2014-04-01

    Visual search for a target object is faster if the target is embedded in a repeatedly presented invariant configuration of distractors ('contextual cueing'). It has also been shown that the homogeneity of a context affects the efficiency of visual search: targets receive prioritized processing when presented in a homogeneous context compared to a heterogeneous context, presumably due to grouping processes at early stages of visual processing. The present study investigated in three Experiments whether context homogeneity also affects contextual cueing. In Experiment 1, context homogeneity varied on three levels of the task-relevant dimension (orientation) and contextual cueing was most pronounced for context configurations with high orientation homogeneity. When context homogeneity varied on three levels of the task-irrelevant dimension (color) and orientation homogeneity was fixed, no modulation of contextual cueing was observed: high orientation homogeneity led to large contextual cueing effects (Experiment 2) and low orientation homogeneity led to low contextual cueing effects (Experiment 3), irrespective of color homogeneity. Enhanced contextual cueing for homogeneous context configurations suggest that grouping processes do not only affect visual search but also implicit learning. We conclude that memory representation of context configurations are more easily acquired when context configurations can be processed as larger, grouped perceptual units. However, this form of implicit perceptual learning is only improved by stimulus homogeneity when stimulus homogeneity facilitates grouping processes on a dimension that is currently relevant in the task. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Dental students' motivation and the context of learning.

    PubMed

    Kristensen, Bettina Tjagvad; Netterstrom, Ingeborg; Kayser, Lars

    2009-02-01

    This qualitative study shows dental students' motives for choosing the dental education and how the motives influence their motivation at the first semester of study. Further the study demonstrates the relevance of the context of learning. This issue is of importance when planning a curriculum for the dental education. The material consists of interviews with eight dental students. The results show that dental students were focused on their future professional role, its practical dimensions and their future working conditions. Their motivation for choosing the dental education was found to influence their motivation for studying and their experience of the relevance of the first semester. The dental students who had co-education with the medical students at the first year of study missed a dental context and courses with clinically relevant contents. In conclusion, our data signify the importance of the context of learning. It is recommended that a future curriculum for the dental school should be designed in a way where basic science subjects are taught with both theoretically as well as practically oriented subjects and in a context which is meaningful for the students.

  20. Global Collaboration Enhances Technology Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cook, Linda A.; Bell, Meredith L.; Nugent, Jill; Smith, Walter S.

    2016-01-01

    Today's learners routinely use technology outside of school to communicate, collaborate, and gather information about the world around them. Classroom learning experiences are relevant when they include communication technologies such as social networking, blogging, and video conferencing, and information technologies such as databases, browsers,…

  1. Supporting Students with Autism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chalfant, Logan; Rose, Karen; Whalon, Kelly

    2017-01-01

    Approximately one in 68 children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to official estimates (CDC 2016). Although students with ASD have no typical learning profile, many have trouble organizing information, connecting past and present experiences/events, linking concepts, determining relevant from extraneous…

  2. The STEAM-Powered Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harper, Charlie

    2017-01-01

    An instructional coach argues that STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) programming combined with problem-based learning can offer rich academic experiences--and not just in science classrooms. He outlines relevant problem-based lesson ideas, and discusses ways school leaders can better support instructional practices…

  3. A Framework for Culturally Relevant Online Learning: Lessons from Alaska's Tribal Health Workers.

    PubMed

    Cueva, Katie; Cueva, Melany; Revels, Laura; Lanier, Anne P; Dignan, Mark; Viswanath, K; Fung, Teresa T; Geller, Alan C

    2018-03-22

    Culturally relevant health promotion is an opportunity to reduce health inequities in diseases with modifiable risks, such as cancer. Alaska Native people bear a disproportionate cancer burden, and Alaska's rural tribal health workers consequently requested cancer education accessible online. In response, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium cancer education team sought to create a framework for culturally relevant online learning to inform the creation of distance-delivered cancer education. Guided by the principles of community-based participatory action research and grounded in empowerment theory, the project team conducted a focus group with 10 Alaska Native education experts, 12 culturally diverse key informant interviews, a key stakeholder survey of 62 Alaska Native tribal health workers and their instructors/supervisors, and a literature review on distance-delivered education with Alaska Native or American Indian people. Qualitative findings were analyzed in Atlas.ti, with common themes presented in this article as a framework for culturally relevant online education. This proposed framework includes four principles: collaborative development, interactive content delivery, contextualizing learning, and creating connection. As an Alaskan tribal health worker shared "we're all in this together. All about conversations, relationships. Always learn from you/with you, together what we know and understand from the center of our experience, our ways of knowing, being, caring." The proposed framework has been applied to support cancer education and promote cancer control with Alaska Native people and has motivated health behavior change to reduce cancer risk. This framework may be adaptable to other populations to guide effective and culturally relevant online interventions.

  4. Description and student self-evaluation of a pilot integrated small group learning and simulation programme for medical students in the first clinical year.

    PubMed

    Levinson, Michele; Kelly, Diane; Zahariou, Krisoula; Johnson, Matthew; Jackman, Christine; Mackenzie, Sara

    2017-02-01

    Contemporary education for medical students should be student-centred, integrated and contextualised. Small group learning promotes clinical reasoning and skills for lifelong learning. Simulation can provide experiential learning in a safe and controlled environment. We developed a weekly integrated problem-based learning and simulation programme (IPS) over two semesters in the first clinical year to augment clinical placement experience and contextualise theory into work-relevant practice. To evaluate the new programme at Kirkpatrick level 1. An anonymous survey of participating students. The programme was well liked. Students found the programme relevant and that they had a better understanding of patient safety and the assessment of the deteriorating patient. They felt it contributed to integration of theory and practice, clinical reasoning and the acquisition of non-technical skills, particularly affective and communication elements. This IPS programme in the first clinical year can deliver a student-centred curriculum to complement clinical placement that delivers the important requirements of contemporary medical student education. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

  5. Praxis-based research networks: An emerging paradigm for research that is rigorous, relevant, and inclusive.

    PubMed

    Werner, James J; Stange, Kurt C

    2014-01-01

    Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) have developed a grounded approach to conducting practice-relevant and translational research in community practice settings. Seismic shifts in the health care landscape are shaping PBRNs that work across organizational and institutional margins to address complex problems. Praxis-based research networks combine PBRN knowledge generation with multistakeholder learning, experimentation, and application of practical knowledge. The catalytic processes in praxis-based research networks are cycles of action and reflection based on experience, observation, conceptualization, and experimentation by network members and partners. To facilitate co-learning and solution-building, these networks have a flexible architecture that allows pragmatic inclusion of stakeholders based on the demands of the problem and the needs of the network. Praxis-based research networks represent an evolving trend that combines the core values of PBRNs with new opportunities for relevance, rigor, and broad participation. © Copyright 2014 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

  6. Is Implicit Motor Learning Preserved after Stroke? A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Kal, E.; Winters, M.; van der Kamp, J.; Houdijk, H.; Groet, E.; van Bennekom, C.; Scherder, E.

    2016-01-01

    Many stroke patients experience difficulty with performing dual-tasks. A promising intervention to target this issue is implicit motor learning, as it should enhance patients’ automaticity of movement. Yet, although it is often thought that implicit motor learning is preserved post-stroke, evidence for this claim has not been systematically analysed yet. Therefore, we systematically reviewed whether implicit motor learning is preserved post-stroke, and whether patients benefit more from implicit than from explicit motor learning. We comprehensively searched conventional (MEDLINE, Cochrane, Embase, PEDro, PsycINFO) and grey literature databases (BIOSIS, Web of Science, OpenGrey, British Library, trial registries) for relevant reports. Two independent reviewers screened reports, extracted data, and performed a risk of bias assessment. Overall, we included 20 out of the 2177 identified reports that allow for a succinct evaluation of implicit motor learning. Of these, only 1 study investigated learning on a relatively complex, whole-body (balance board) task. All 19 other studies concerned variants of the serial-reaction time paradigm, with most of these focusing on learning with the unaffected hand (N = 13) rather than the affected hand or both hands (both: N = 4). Four of the 20 studies compared explicit and implicit motor learning post-stroke. Meta-analyses suggest that patients with stroke can learn implicitly with their unaffected side (mean difference (MD) = 69 ms, 95% CI[45.1, 92.9], p < .00001), but not with their affected side (standardized MD = -.11, 95% CI[-.45, .25], p = .56). Finally, implicit motor learning seemed equally effective as explicit motor learning post-stroke (SMD = -.54, 95% CI[-1.37, .29], p = .20). However, overall, the high risk of bias, small samples, and limited clinical relevance of most studies make it impossible to draw reliable conclusions regarding the effect of implicit motor learning strategies post-stroke. High quality studies with larger samples are warranted to test implicit motor learning in clinically relevant contexts. PMID:27992442

  7. Blended learning in paediatric emergency medicine: preliminary analysis of a virtual learning environment.

    PubMed

    Spedding, Ruth; Jenner, Rachel; Potier, Katherine; Mackway-Jones, Kevin; Carley, Simon

    2013-04-01

    Paediatric emergency medicine (PEM) currently faces many competing educational challenges. Recent changes to the working patterns have made the delivery of effective teaching to trainees extremely difficult. We developed a virtual learning environment, on the basis of socioconstructivist principles, which allows learning to take place regardless of time or location. The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of a blended e-learning approach for PEM training. We evaluated the experiences of ST3 trainees in PEM using a multimodal approach. We classified and analysed message board discussions over a 6-month period to look for evidence of practice change and learning. We conducted semistructured qualitative interviews with trainees approximately 5 months after they completed the course. Trainees embraced the virtual learning environment and had positive experiences of the blended approach to learning. Socioconstructivist learning did take place through the use of message boards on the virtual learning environment. Despite their initial unfamiliarity with the online learning system, the participants found it easy to access and use. The participants found the learning relevant and there was an overlap between shop floor learning and the online content. Clinical discussion was often led by trainees on the forums and these were described as enjoyable and informative. A blended approach to e-learning in basic PEM is effective and enjoyable to trainees.

  8. Nursing and healthcare students' experiences and use of e-learning in higher education.

    PubMed

    Moule, Pam; Ward, Rod; Lockyer, Lesley

    2010-12-01

    This paper presents research on nursing and healthcare students' experiences and use of e-learning. The inception of e-learning in higher education is supported by a policy background and technological developments, yet little is known of student experience and use in the United Kingdom. Conducted in 2007 and 2008, this study employed a mixed methods approach. An initial quantitative questionnaire was completed by 25 Higher Education Institutions and nine case study sites were visited. In the sites 41 students took part in focus groups and 35 staff were interviewed. Twenty-four Higher Education Institutions used a virtual learning environment and all respondents used e-learning to enable access to course materials and web-based learning resources. Three main themes were identified from student interviews, 'Pedagogic use'; 'Factors inhibiting use' and 'Facilitating factors to engagement'. Student's main engagement with e-learning was at an instructivist level and as a support to existing face-to-face modes of delivery. Student use of Web 2.0 was limited, although a number were using social software at home. Limited computer access, computing skills, technical issues and poor peer commitment affected use. Motivation and relevance to the course and practice, in addition to an appreciation of the potential for student-centred and flexible learning, facilitated use. There is scope to broaden the use of e-learning that would engage students in the social construction of knowledge. In addition, experiences of e-learning use could be improved if factors adversely affecting engagement were addressed. © 2010 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  9. OSI-compatible protocols for mobile-satellite communications: The AMSS experience

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moher, Michael

    1990-01-01

    The protocol structure of the international aeronautical mobile satellite service (AMSS) is reviewed with emphasis on those aspects of protocol performance, validation, and conformance which are peculiar to mobile services. This is in part an analysis of what can be learned from the AMSS experience with protocols which is relevant to the design of other mobile satellite data networks, e.g., land mobile.

  10. Alienation and engagement in postgraduate training at a South African medical school.

    PubMed

    Bezuidenhout, Juanita; Cilliers, Francois; Van Heusden, Martie; Wasserman, Elizabeth; Burch, Vanessa

    2011-01-01

    The importance of contextual factors, such as the learning environment and sociocultural characteristics of the student, are becoming increasingly evident. Mann [2001. Alternative perspectives on the student experience: Alienation and engagement. Stud High Educ 26(1):7-19.] proposed that all learning experiences can be viewed as either alienating or engaging and Case expanded on this work. The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of alienation or engagement as experienced by residents in anatomical pathology at one South African university. A cross-sectional case study, with 16 semi-structured interviews was conducted. Residents were categorised as either alienated or engaged, based mainly on workplace experiences. Four relevant dimensions were identified; individual, home, workplace and institution. The personal attributes, strategies for coping and reasons for choosing pathology of alienated residents differed from those with engaged experiences. Poor socioeconomic background and schooling did not lead to predominantly alienating experiences, but this group still lacked some generic skills. In the workplace, two main factors resulting in alienated experiences were the interaction between residents and consultants and residents' comprehension of workplace-based learning. We present a simple model which may be used to identify factors that engage and alienate students in the learning experience in the workplace-based setting. Addressing these factors can contribute towards a more engaging experience for all residents.

  11. The Development of a Scientific Motive: How Preschool Science and Home Play Reciprocally Contribute to Science Learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gomes, Judith; Fleer, Marilyn

    2017-07-01

    There are a growing number of studies that have examined science learning for preschool children. Some research has looked into children's home experiences and some has focused on transition, practices, routines, and traditions in preschool contexts. However, little attention has been directed to the relationship between children's learning experiences at preschool and at home, and how this relationship can assist in the development of science concepts relevant to everyday life. In drawing upon Hedegaard's (Learning and child development, 2002) cultural-historical conception of motives and Vygotsky's (The collected works of L.S. Vygotsky: problems of general psychology, 1987) theory of everyday and scientific concept formation, the study reported in this paper examines one child, Jimmy (4.2 years), and his learning experiences at home and at preschool. Data gathering featured the video recording of 4 weeks of Jimmy's learning in play at home and at preschool (38.5 h), parent questionnaire and interviews, and researcher and family gathered video observations of home play with his parents (3.5 h). Findings show how a scientific motive develops through playful everyday learning moments at home and at preschool when scientific play narratives and resources are aligned. The study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the science learning of young children and a conception of pedagogy that takes into account the reciprocity of home and school contexts for learning science.

  12. Quantum Speedup for Active Learning Agents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paparo, Giuseppe Davide; Dunjko, Vedran; Makmal, Adi; Martin-Delgado, Miguel Angel; Briegel, Hans J.

    2014-07-01

    Can quantum mechanics help us build intelligent learning agents? A defining signature of intelligent behavior is the capacity to learn from experience. However, a major bottleneck for agents to learn in real-life situations is the size and complexity of the corresponding task environment. Even in a moderately realistic environment, it may simply take too long to rationally respond to a given situation. If the environment is impatient, allowing only a certain time for a response, an agent may then be unable to cope with the situation and to learn at all. Here, we show that quantum physics can help and provide a quadratic speedup for active learning as a genuine problem of artificial intelligence. This result will be particularly relevant for applications involving complex task environments.

  13. Coupled dimensionality reduction and classification for supervised and semi-supervised multilabel learning

    PubMed Central

    Gönen, Mehmet

    2014-01-01

    Coupled training of dimensionality reduction and classification is proposed previously to improve the prediction performance for single-label problems. Following this line of research, in this paper, we first introduce a novel Bayesian method that combines linear dimensionality reduction with linear binary classification for supervised multilabel learning and present a deterministic variational approximation algorithm to learn the proposed probabilistic model. We then extend the proposed method to find intrinsic dimensionality of the projected subspace using automatic relevance determination and to handle semi-supervised learning using a low-density assumption. We perform supervised learning experiments on four benchmark multilabel learning data sets by comparing our method with baseline linear dimensionality reduction algorithms. These experiments show that the proposed approach achieves good performance values in terms of hamming loss, average AUC, macro F1, and micro F1 on held-out test data. The low-dimensional embeddings obtained by our method are also very useful for exploratory data analysis. We also show the effectiveness of our approach in finding intrinsic subspace dimensionality and semi-supervised learning tasks. PMID:24532862

  14. Coupled dimensionality reduction and classification for supervised and semi-supervised multilabel learning.

    PubMed

    Gönen, Mehmet

    2014-03-01

    Coupled training of dimensionality reduction and classification is proposed previously to improve the prediction performance for single-label problems. Following this line of research, in this paper, we first introduce a novel Bayesian method that combines linear dimensionality reduction with linear binary classification for supervised multilabel learning and present a deterministic variational approximation algorithm to learn the proposed probabilistic model. We then extend the proposed method to find intrinsic dimensionality of the projected subspace using automatic relevance determination and to handle semi-supervised learning using a low-density assumption. We perform supervised learning experiments on four benchmark multilabel learning data sets by comparing our method with baseline linear dimensionality reduction algorithms. These experiments show that the proposed approach achieves good performance values in terms of hamming loss, average AUC, macro F 1 , and micro F 1 on held-out test data. The low-dimensional embeddings obtained by our method are also very useful for exploratory data analysis. We also show the effectiveness of our approach in finding intrinsic subspace dimensionality and semi-supervised learning tasks.

  15. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, escitalopram, enhances inhibition of prepotent responding and spatial reversal learning

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Holden D.; Amodeo, Dionisio A.; Sweeney, John A.; Ragozzino, Michael E.

    2011-01-01

    Previous findings indicate treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) facilitates behavioral flexibility when conditions require inhibition of a learned response pattern. The present experiment investigated whether acute treatment with the SSRI, escitalopram, affects behavioral flexibility when conditions require inhibition of a naturally-biased response pattern (elevated conflict test) and/or reversal of a learned response pattern (spatial reversal learning). An additional experiment was carried out to determine whether escitalopram, at doses that affected behavioral flexibility, also reduced anxiety as tested in the elevated plus-maze. In each experiment, Long-Evans rats received an intraperitoneal injection of either saline or escitalopram (0.03, 0.3 or 1.0 mg/kg) 30 minutes prior to behavioral testing. Escitalopram, at all doses tested, enhanced acquisition in the elevated conflict test, but did not affect performance in the elevated plus-maze. Escitalopram (0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg) did not alter acquisition of the spatial discrimination, but facilitated reversal learning. In the elevated conflict and spatial reversal learning test, escitalopram enhanced the ability to maintain the relevant strategy after being initially selected. The present findings suggest that enhancing serotonin transmission with a SSRI facilitates inhibitory processes when conditions require a shift away from either a naturally-biased response pattern or a learned choice pattern. PMID:22219222

  16. Student-inspired activities for the teaching and learning of engineering ethics.

    PubMed

    Alpay, E

    2013-12-01

    Ethics teaching in engineering can be problematic because of student perceptions of its subjective, ambiguous and philosophical content. The use of discipline-specific case studies has helped to address such perceptions, as has practical decision making and problem solving approaches based on some ethical frameworks. However, a need exists for a wider range of creative methods in ethics education to help complement the variety of activities and learning experiences within the engineering curriculum. In this work, a novel approach is presented in which first-year undergraduate students are responsible for proposing ethics education activities of relevance to their peers and discipline area. The students are prepared for the task through a short introduction on engineering ethics, whereby generic frameworks for moral and professional conduct are discussed, and discipline and student-relevance contexts provided. The approach has been used in four departments of engineering at Imperial College London, and has led to the generation of many creative ideas for wider student engagement in ethics awareness, reflection and understanding. The paper presents information on the premise of the introductory sessions for supporting the design task, and an evaluation of the student experience of the course and task work. Examples of proposals are given to demonstrate the value of such an approach to teachers, and ultimately to the learning experiences of the students themselves.

  17. Students' perceptions of the relevance of mathematics in engineering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flegg, Jennifer; Mallet, Dann; Lupton, Mandy

    2012-09-01

    In this article, we report on the findings of an exploratory study into the experience of students as they learn first year engineering mathematics. Here we define engineering as the application of mathematics and sciences to the building and design of projects for the use of society [M. Kirschenman and B. Brenner, Education for Civil Engineering: A Profession of Practice, Leader. Manag. Eng. 10 (2010), p. 54]. Qualitative and quantitative data on students' views of the relevance of their mathematics study to their engineering studies and future careers in engineering was collected. The students described using a range of mathematics techniques (mathematics skills developed, mathematics concepts applied to engineering and skills developed relevant for engineering) for various usages (as a subject of study, a tool for other subjects or a tool for real world problems). We found a number of themes relating to the design of engineering mathematics curriculum emerged from the data. These included the relevance of mathematics within different engineering majors, the relevance of mathematics to future studies, the relevance of learning mathematical rigour and the effectiveness of problem-solving tasks in conveying the relevance of mathematics more effectively than other forms of assessment. We make recommendations for the design of engineering mathematics curriculum based on our findings.

  18. Perceived benefits of the use of learning contracts to guide clinical education in respiratory care students.

    PubMed

    Rye, Kathy Jones-Boggs

    2008-11-01

    The benefits of contract learning have been identified in the literature as increased individualization to meet the student's individual needs, promotion of learner independence, and development of lifelong learning behaviors among students. I used an "action research" approach to implement the contract-learning method into a clinical course. Clinical learning contracts were designed to provide students with the opportunity to focus on any identified areas of unsatisfactory or desired practice. The learning contract specified how the learner would acquire the knowledge and attitudes relevant to their selected learning experience. The learning contract was used as a learning tool and as evidence of the student's development in the clinical experience. Twenty-four senior respiratory therapy students in the College of Health Related Professions, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, prepared and used learning contracts during their Clinical Practicum IV. After they had completed the clinical practicum and received their grades, I surveyed the students about their experience with the learning-contract method. The surveys were administered anonymously. Twenty-one students (88%) returned the surveys. The respondents were overall quite optimistic regarding learning contracts. They generally agreed that they could use the learning contract with confidence and that there is an increase in student autonomy and motivation in scholarship with a learning contract. The median agree/disagree ratings on the survey ranged from 1 (strongly agree) to 2 (agree). Contract learning is favorable to students' knowledge and skill acquisition and can be incorporated into clinical education of respiratory care students.

  19. Curriculum Integration in Singapore: Teachers' Perspectives and Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lam, Chi Chung; Alviar-Martin, Theresa; Adler, Susan A.; Sim, Jasmine B.-Y.

    2013-01-01

    In this qualitative study, we examined eleven Singapore teachers' conceptions of teaching and learning as related to their experiences implementing integrated curriculum. Interviews revealed that the teachers' conceptions of integration spanned the spectrum of ideas found in relevant literature. Further, although participants saw benefits to…

  20. Best not to bet on the horserace: A comment on Forrin and MacLeod (2017) and a relevant stimulus-response compatibility view of colour-word contingency learning asymmetries.

    PubMed

    Schmidt, James R

    2018-02-01

    One powerfully robust method for the study of human contingency learning is the colour-word contingency learning paradigm. In this task, participants respond to the print colour of neutral words, each of which is presented most often in one colour. The contingencies between words and colours are learned, as indicated by faster and more accurate responses when words are presented in their expected colour relative to an unexpected colour. In a recent report, Forrin and MacLeod (2017b, Memory & Cognition) asked to what extent this performance (i.e., response time) measure of learning might depend on the relative speed of processing of the word and the colour. With keypress responses, learning effects were comparable when responding to the word and to the colour (contrary to predictions). However, an asymmetry appeared in a second experiment with vocal responses, with a contingency effect only present for colour identification. In a third experiment, the colour was preexposed, and contingency effects were again roughly symmetrical. In their report, they suggested that a simple speed-of-processing (or "horserace") model might explain when contingency effects are observed in colour and word identification. In the present report, an alternative view is presented. In particular, it is argued that the results are best explained by appealing to the notion of relevant stimulus-response compatibility, which also resolves discrepancies between horserace model predictions and participant results. The article presents simulations with the Parallel Episodic Processing model to demonstrate this case.

  1. Information empowerment: predeparture resource training for students in global health.

    PubMed

    Rana, Gurpreet K

    2014-04-01

    The Taubman Health Sciences Library (THL) collaborates with health sciences schools to provide information skills instruction for students preparing for international experiences. THL enhances students' global health learning through predeparture instruction for students who are involved in global health research, clinical internships, and international collaborations. This includes teaching international literature searching skills, providing country-specific data sources, building awareness of relevant mobile resources, and encouraging investigation of international news. Information skills empower creation of stronger global partnerships. Use of information resources has enhanced international research and training experiences, built lifelong learning foundations, and contributed to the university's global engagement. THL continues to assess predeparture instruction.

  2. Attention, awareness of contingencies, and control in spatial localization: a qualitative difference approach.

    PubMed

    Vaquero, Joaquín M M; Fiacconi, Chris; Milliken, Bruce

    2010-12-01

    The qualitative difference method for distinguishing between aware and unaware processes was applied here to a spatial priming task. Participants were asked simply to locate a target stimulus that appeared in one of four locations, and this target stimulus was preceded by a prime in one of the same four locations. The prime location predicted the location of the target with high probability (p = .75), but prime and target mismatched on a task-relevant feature (identity, color). Across 5 experiments, we observed repetition costs in the absence of awareness of the contingency, and repetition benefits in the presence of awareness of the contingency. These results were particularly clear-cut in Experiment 4, in which awareness was defined by reference to self-reported strategy use. Finally, Experiment 5 showed that frequency-based implicit learning effects were present in our experiments but that these implicit learning effects were not strong enough to override repetition costs that pushed performance in the opposite direction. The results of these experiments constitute a novel application of the qualitative difference method to the study of awareness, learning of contingencies, and strategic control.

  3. Critical thinking ability of new graduate and experienced nurses.

    PubMed

    Fero, Laura J; Witsberger, Catherine M; Wesmiller, Susan W; Zullo, Thomas G; Hoffman, Leslie A

    2009-01-01

    This paper is a report of a study to identify critical thinking learning needs of new and experienced nurses. Concern for patient safety has grown worldwide as high rates of error and injury continue to be reported. In order to improve patient safety, nurses must be able to recognize changes in patient condition, perform independent nursing interventions, anticipate orders and prioritize. In 2004-2006, a consecutive sample of 2144 newly hired nurses in a university-affiliated healthcare system completed the Performance Based Development System Assessment consisting of 10 videotaped vignettes depicting change in patient status. Results were reported as meeting or not meeting expectations. For nurses not meeting expectations, learning needs were identified in one of six subcategories. Overall, 74.9% met assessment expectations. Learning needs identified for nurses not meeting expectations included initiating independent nursing interventions (97.2%), differentiation of urgency (67%), reporting essential clinical data (65.4%), anticipating relevant medical orders (62.8%), providing relevant rationale to support decisions (62.6%) and problem recognition (57.1%). Controlling for level of preparation, associate (P=0.007) and baccalaureate (P<0.0001) nurses were more likely to meet expectations as years of experience increased; a similar trend was not seen for diploma nurses (P=0.10). Controlling for years of experience, new graduates were less likely to meet expectations compared with nurses with >or=10 years experience (P=0.046). Patient safety may be compromised if a nurse cannot provide clinically competent care. Assessments such as the Performance Based Development System can provide information about learning needs and facilitate individualized orientation targeted to increase performance level.

  4. Paediatric team handover: a time to learn?

    PubMed

    Bradley, Stephen; Egan, John P; Henning, Marcus

    2018-06-08

    Paediatric team handovers provide medical professionals and students with the opportunity to exchange clinically relevant information about patients. This study explored the extent to which learning opportunities existed and were utilised within paediatric team handovers in New Zealand secondary hospitals. We undertook a qualitative, two-site case study within two paediatric departments in 2014 and 2015, and interviewed 29 participants, including medical students, junior doctors and consultants. We conducted a thematic analysis using a general inductive approach. Participants' narratives revealed that safe transfer of pertinent patient information between clinicians was the primary function of team handover. They described learning as an additional key component. Most learning opportunities were reported to be informal and opportunistic, related to the specific patients whose care was discussed within each handover. Handover team members indicated that implicit learning occurred as a feature of their handover experience. Learning opportunities exist within team handovers and the associated learning frequently occurs either opportunistically or implicitly. Adoption of a reflective approach to learning opportunities is likely to result in improved educational experiences for handover participants, particularly medical students and junior doctors. Handover represents a clinical event within which valuable workplace learning occurs.

  5. Debate: a teaching-learning strategy for developing competence in communication and critical thinking.

    PubMed

    Darby, Michele

    2007-01-01

    The literature highlights key benefits from debate as a teaching-learning strategy for developing critical thinking and analytical skills while fostering teamwork and communication. Authors report that this method of teaching-learning has been implemented successfully in nursing and occupational therapy programs and would benefit other academic programs in the health sciences, particularly in courses that cover controversial issues. Although there are disadvantages to using the debate as a teaching-learning strategy, the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. In conclusion, debating is an effective pedagogical strategy because of the level of responsibility for learning and active involvement required by all student debaters. Moreover, it provides an experience by which students can develop competencies in researching current issues, preparing logical arguments, actively listening to various perspectives, differentiating between subjective and evidence-based information, asking cogent questions, integrating relevant information, and formulating their own opinions based on evidence. After the debate is over, students also report that the experience is FUN!

  6. The organization of an autonomous learning system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kanerva, Pentti

    1988-01-01

    The organization of systems that learn from experience is examined, human beings and animals being prime examples of such systems. How is their information processing organized. They build an internal model of the world and base their actions on the model. The model is dynamic and predictive, and it includes the systems' own actions and their effects. In modeling such systems, a large pattern of features represents a moment of the system's experience. Some of the features are provided by the system's senses, some control the system's motors, and the rest have no immediate external significance. A sequence of such patterns then represents the system's experience over time. By storing such sequences appropriately in memory, the system builds a world model based on experience. In addition to the essential function of memory, fundamental roles are played by a sensory system that makes raw information about the world suitable for memory storage and by a motor system that affects the world. The relation of sensory and motor systems to the memory is discussed, together with how favorable actions can be learned and unfavorable actions can be avoided. Results in classical learning theory are explained in terms of the model, more advanced forms of learning are discussed, and the relevance of the model to the frame problem of robotics is examined.

  7. An experience of field work learning for healthcare providers: new perspectives between disadvantages and critical issues.

    PubMed

    Pennini, A; Cittadini, N; Basilici Zannetti, E; Cervoni, C; Vellone, E; D'Agostino, F; Alvaro, R

    2016-01-01

    The learning models used in traditional education are not very effective for the continuing education of healthcare providers. Fieldwork learning is an active learning method that is feasible in the workplace and is also suitable for professionals who possess a style of experiential learning. Guardian Angel 2.0® is a fieldwork learning project designed to promote educational skills in nurses to improve the self-care and quality of life in women affected by osteoporosis. The purpose of this article is to present the Guardian Angel 2.0® project and its results. The Guardian Angel 2.0® effort lasted nine months and involved 212 nurses in the north, centre and south of Italy. A socio-demographic questionnaire, an evaluation scale of the learning process and a participants' satisfaction questionnaire were used to evaluate and monitor the fieldwork learning project. Out of the 212 nurses who participated in the project, 119 (70%) completed it. The mean age of these participants was 48 years (± 7.98), and 83.5% were female. About half of the participants (52.0%, 55.4% and 45.0%, respectively) were good (a) at respecting deadlines, (b) at using the methodological instruments and (c) the information tools properly. Almost all nurses considered the project to be very relevant (96.4%). In regards to the project's quality, the nurses perceived it as excellent (51.0%) and very good (48.5%). Finally, the project was considered very useful or useful by 100% of nurses. The general satisfaction of nurses was high. The fieldwork learning was relevant and useful for developing educational skills in nurses. It would therefore be appropriate to use fieldwork learning in clinical settings to improve the existing experience of healthcare providers and thereby reduce the difficulties of transforming the knowledge from a theoretical to a practical level and to promote the development of new behaviours when the existing ones become obsolete or inefficient.

  8. Entropy-Based Search Algorithm for Experimental Design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malakar, N. K.; Knuth, K. H.

    2011-03-01

    The scientific method relies on the iterated processes of inference and inquiry. The inference phase consists of selecting the most probable models based on the available data; whereas the inquiry phase consists of using what is known about the models to select the most relevant experiment. Optimizing inquiry involves searching the parameterized space of experiments to select the experiment that promises, on average, to be maximally informative. In the case where it is important to learn about each of the model parameters, the relevance of an experiment is quantified by Shannon entropy of the distribution of experimental outcomes predicted by a probable set of models. If the set of potential experiments is described by many parameters, we must search this high-dimensional entropy space. Brute force search methods will be slow and computationally expensive. We present an entropy-based search algorithm, called nested entropy sampling, to select the most informative experiment for efficient experimental design. This algorithm is inspired by Skilling's nested sampling algorithm used in inference and borrows the concept of a rising threshold while a set of experiment samples are maintained. We demonstrate that this algorithm not only selects highly relevant experiments, but also is more efficient than brute force search. Such entropic search techniques promise to greatly benefit autonomous experimental design.

  9. An Investigation of the Effects of Authentic Science Experiences Among Urban High School Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chapman, Angela

    Providing equitable learning opportunities for all students has been a persistent issue for some time. This is evident by the science achievement gap that still exists between male and female students as well as between White and many non-White student populations (NCES, 2007, 2009, 2009b) and an underrepresentation of female, African-American, Hispanic, and Native Americans in many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related careers (NCES, 2009b). In addition to gender and ethnicity, socioeconomic status and linguistic differences are also factors that can marginalize students in the science classroom. One factor attributed to the achievement gap and low participation in STEM career is equitable access to resources including textbooks, laboratory equipment, qualified science teachers, and type of instruction. Extensive literature supports authentic science as one way of improving science learning. However, the majority of students do not have access to this type of resource. Additionally, extensive literature posits that culturally relevant pedagogy is one way of improving education. This study examines students' participation in an authentic science experience and argues that this is one way of providing culturally relevant pedagogy in science classrooms. The purpose of this study was to better understand how marginalized students were affected by their participation in an authentic science experience, within the context of an algae biofuel project. Accordingly, an interpretivist approach was taken. Data were collected from pre/post surveys and tests, semi-structured interviews, student journals, and classroom observations. Data analysis used a mixed methods approach. The data from this study were analyzed to better understand whether students perceived the experience to be one of authentic science, as well as how students science identities, perceptions about who can do science, attitudes toward science, and learning of science practices were affected by participation in an authentic science experience. Findings indicated that participation in an authentic science experience has a positive effect on science identities, scientist perceptions, science attitudes, and learning of science and is one approach to mitigating the effects of marginalization in the science classroom. Additional findings indicated that a relationship between the authenticity of the experience and the outcomes (science identity, perceptions about who can do science, science attitudes, and learning of science). This study provides empirical evidence to support authentic science learning as a means of improving students' learning, attitudes, and identities with respect to science. This study endorses authentic science experiences for all students, marginalized included. This has implications for how we prepare future and support current science teachers. In addition, this study shows how this model can be used to effectively implement science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

  10. Using a human patient simulation mannequin to teach interdisciplinary team skills to pharmacy students.

    PubMed

    Fernandez, Rosemarie; Parker, Dennis; Kalus, James S; Miller, Douglas; Compton, Scott

    2007-06-15

    To determine the effectiveness and student acceptance of using a human patient simulation (HPS) training module focused on interdisciplinary teamwork skills. During their second-professional year, all pharmacy students were in enrolled in Principles of Pharmacotherapy 4: Cardiovascular Diseases and Patient Care Lab IV, a problem-based learning course. As part of the patient care laboratory, students participated in a simulated case of an acutely ill patient with a hypertensive emergency. During the simulation, students performed a history and physical examination. They then worked as a team to make treatment recommendations to the nursing and physician staff members. Following the exercise, a facilitated debriefing session was conducted. Students completed satisfaction surveys to assess the quality and effectiveness of the session. Over 98% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they learned material relevant to their current studies. When compared to student lectures, 90% of students felt that they learned clinical patient care better when using a HPS mannequin in simulated patient scenarios. HPS-based learning offers a realistic training experience through which clinical knowledge and interpersonal teamwork skills can be taught. Students enjoy the experience and find it relevant to their future practice. Simulation-based training may teach certain topics better than traditional lecture formats and as such could help to fill gaps in the current pharmacy curriculum.

  11. Communication, Social Justice, and Joyful Commitment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hartnett, Stephen John

    2010-01-01

    Combining an overview of the history of communication scholarship with lessons learned from 20 years of experience as a prison abolitionist and peace activist, Hartnett argues that the discipline of communication can be enriched intellectually and made more politically relevant by turning our efforts toward community service, problem-based…

  12. Sex Differences in Science Learning: Closing the Gap through Animations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanchez, Christopher A.; Wiley, Jennifer

    2010-01-01

    Males traditionally outperform females on measures of both visuospatial ability and science achievement. This experiment directly tests a manipulation designed to compensate for such differences through the presentation of relevant illustrations or animations to support the construction of understanding of a specific scientific phenomenon. Males…

  13. The Psychology of Isolated and Confined Environments: Understanding Human Behavior in Antarctica.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Palinkas, Lawrence A.

    2003-01-01

    Reviews lessons learned from research in Antarctica with relevance to understanding human behavior in other isolated and confined environments. Outlines four distinct characteristics of psychosocial adaptation to such environments and discusses some of the benefits for individuals seeking challenging experiences. (Contains references.) (SLD)

  14. Using Two Languages when Learning Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moschkovich, Judit

    2007-01-01

    This article reviews two sets of research studies from outside of mathematics education to consider how they may be relevant to the study of bilingual mathematics learners using two languages. The first set of studies is psycholinguistics experiments comparing monolinguals and bilinguals using two languages during arithmetic computation (language…

  15. Learning about the internal structure of categories through classification and feature inference.

    PubMed

    Jee, Benjamin D; Wiley, Jennifer

    2014-01-01

    Previous research on category learning has found that classification tasks produce representations that are skewed toward diagnostic feature dimensions, whereas feature inference tasks lead to richer representations of within-category structure. Yet, prior studies often measure category knowledge through tasks that involve identifying only the typical features of a category. This neglects an important aspect of a category's internal structure: how typical and atypical features are distributed within a category. The present experiments tested the hypothesis that inference learning results in richer knowledge of internal category structure than classification learning. We introduced several new measures to probe learners' representations of within-category structure. Experiment 1 found that participants in the inference condition learned and used a wider range of feature dimensions than classification learners. Classification learners, however, were more sensitive to the presence of atypical features within categories. Experiment 2 provided converging evidence that classification learners were more likely to incorporate atypical features into their representations. Inference learners were less likely to encode atypical category features, even in a "partial inference" condition that focused learners' attention on the feature dimensions relevant to classification. Overall, these results are contrary to the hypothesis that inference learning produces superior knowledge of within-category structure. Although inference learning promoted representations that included a broad range of category-typical features, classification learning promoted greater sensitivity to the distribution of typical and atypical features within categories.

  16. Measuring medical students' motivation to learning anatomy by cadaveric dissection.

    PubMed

    Abdel Meguid, Eiman M; Khalil, Mohammed K

    2017-07-01

    Motivation and learning are inter-related. It is well known that motivating learners is clearly a complex endeavor, which can be influenced by the educational program and the learning environment. Limited research has been conducted to examine students' motivation as a method to assess the effectiveness of dissection in medical education. This study aimed to assess and analyze students' motivation following their dissection experience. A 29-item survey was developed based on the Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction model of motivation. Descriptive statistics were undertaken to describe students' motivation to the dissection experience. T-test and ANOVA were used to compare differences in motivational scores between gender and educational characteristics of students. Dissection activities appear to promote students' motivation. Gender difference was statistically significant as males were more motivated by the dissection experience than females. Comparison between students with different knowledge of anatomy was also significantly different. The study is an important step in the motivational design to improve students' motivation to learn. The outcome of this study provides guidance to the selection of specific strategies to increase motivation by generating motivational strategies/tactics to facilitate learning. Anat Sci Educ 10: 363-371. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.

  17. Science Teachers' Perceptions of the Relationship Between Game Play and Inquiry Learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mezei, Jessica M.

    The implementation of inquiry learning in American science classrooms remains a challenge. Teachers' perceptions of inquiry learning are predicated on their past educational experiences, which means outdated methods of learning may influence teachers' instructional approaches. In order to enhance their understanding and ultimately their implementation of inquiry learning, teachers need new and more relevant models. This study takes a preliminary step exploring the potential of game play as a valuable experience for science teachers. It has been proposed that game play and inquiry experiences can embody constructivist processes of learning, however there has been little work done with science teachers to systematically explore the relationship between the two. Game play may be an effective new model for teacher education and it is important to understand if and how teachers relate game playing experience and knowledge to inquiry. This study examined science teachers' game playing experiences and their perceptions of inquiry experiences and evaluated teacher's recognition of learning in both contexts. Data was collected through an online survey (N=246) and a series of follow-up interviews (N=29). Research questions guiding the study were: (1) What is the nature of the relationship between science teachers' game experience and their perceptions of inquiry? (2) How do teachers describe learning in and from game playing as compared with inquiry science learning? and (3) What is the range of similarities and differences teachers articulate between game play and inquiry experiences?. Results showed weak quantitative links between science teachers' game experiences and their perceptions of inquiry, but identified promising game variables such as belief in games as learning tools, game experiences, and playing a diverse set of games for future study. The qualitative data suggests that teachers made broad linkages in terms of parallels of both teaching and learning. Teachers mostly articulated learning connections in terms of the active or participatory nature of the experiences. Additionally, a majority of teachers discussed inquiry learning in concert with inquiry teaching which led to a wider range of comparisons made based on the teacher's interpretation of inquiry as a pedagogical approach instead of focusing solely on inquiry learning. This study has implications for both research and practice. Results demonstrate that teachers are interested in game play as it relates to learning and the linkages teachers made between the domains suggests it may yet prove to be a fruitful analogical device that could be leveraged for teacher development. However, further study is needed to test these claims and ultimately, research that further aligns the benefits of game play experiences to teacher practice is encouraged in order to build on the propositions and findings of this thesis.

  18. Auditory Perceptual Learning for Speech Perception Can be Enhanced by Audiovisual Training.

    PubMed

    Bernstein, Lynne E; Auer, Edward T; Eberhardt, Silvio P; Jiang, Jintao

    2013-01-01

    Speech perception under audiovisual (AV) conditions is well known to confer benefits to perception such as increased speed and accuracy. Here, we investigated how AV training might benefit or impede auditory perceptual learning of speech degraded by vocoding. In Experiments 1 and 3, participants learned paired associations between vocoded spoken nonsense words and nonsense pictures. In Experiment 1, paired-associates (PA) AV training of one group of participants was compared with audio-only (AO) training of another group. When tested under AO conditions, the AV-trained group was significantly more accurate than the AO-trained group. In addition, pre- and post-training AO forced-choice consonant identification with untrained nonsense words showed that AV-trained participants had learned significantly more than AO participants. The pattern of results pointed to their having learned at the level of the auditory phonetic features of the vocoded stimuli. Experiment 2, a no-training control with testing and re-testing on the AO consonant identification, showed that the controls were as accurate as the AO-trained participants in Experiment 1 but less accurate than the AV-trained participants. In Experiment 3, PA training alternated AV and AO conditions on a list-by-list basis within participants, and training was to criterion (92% correct). PA training with AO stimuli was reliably more effective than training with AV stimuli. We explain these discrepant results in terms of the so-called "reverse hierarchy theory" of perceptual learning and in terms of the diverse multisensory and unisensory processing resources available to speech perception. We propose that early AV speech integration can potentially impede auditory perceptual learning; but visual top-down access to relevant auditory features can promote auditory perceptual learning.

  19. Auditory Perceptual Learning for Speech Perception Can be Enhanced by Audiovisual Training

    PubMed Central

    Bernstein, Lynne E.; Auer, Edward T.; Eberhardt, Silvio P.; Jiang, Jintao

    2013-01-01

    Speech perception under audiovisual (AV) conditions is well known to confer benefits to perception such as increased speed and accuracy. Here, we investigated how AV training might benefit or impede auditory perceptual learning of speech degraded by vocoding. In Experiments 1 and 3, participants learned paired associations between vocoded spoken nonsense words and nonsense pictures. In Experiment 1, paired-associates (PA) AV training of one group of participants was compared with audio-only (AO) training of another group. When tested under AO conditions, the AV-trained group was significantly more accurate than the AO-trained group. In addition, pre- and post-training AO forced-choice consonant identification with untrained nonsense words showed that AV-trained participants had learned significantly more than AO participants. The pattern of results pointed to their having learned at the level of the auditory phonetic features of the vocoded stimuli. Experiment 2, a no-training control with testing and re-testing on the AO consonant identification, showed that the controls were as accurate as the AO-trained participants in Experiment 1 but less accurate than the AV-trained participants. In Experiment 3, PA training alternated AV and AO conditions on a list-by-list basis within participants, and training was to criterion (92% correct). PA training with AO stimuli was reliably more effective than training with AV stimuli. We explain these discrepant results in terms of the so-called “reverse hierarchy theory” of perceptual learning and in terms of the diverse multisensory and unisensory processing resources available to speech perception. We propose that early AV speech integration can potentially impede auditory perceptual learning; but visual top-down access to relevant auditory features can promote auditory perceptual learning. PMID:23515520

  20. Manipulating memory efficacy affects the behavioral and neural profiles of deterministic learning and decision-making.

    PubMed

    Tremel, Joshua J; Ortiz, Daniella M; Fiez, Julie A

    2018-06-01

    When making a decision, we have to identify, collect, and evaluate relevant bits of information to ensure an optimal outcome. How we approach a given choice can be influenced by prior experience. Contextual factors and structural elements of these past decisions can cause a shift in how information is encoded and can in turn influence later decision-making. In this two-experiment study, we sought to manipulate declarative memory efficacy and decision-making in a concurrent discrimination learning task by altering the amount of information to be learned. Subjects learned correct responses to pairs of items across several repetitions of a 50- or 100-pair set and were tested for memory retention. In one experiment, this memory test interrupted learning after an initial encoding experience in order to test for early encoding differences and associate those differences with changes in decision-making. In a second experiment, we used fMRI to probe neural differences between the two list-length groups related to decision-making across learning and assessed subsequent memory retention. We found that a striatum-based system was associated with decision-making patterns when learning a longer list of items, while a medial cortical network was associated with patterns when learning a shorter list. Additionally, the hippocampus was exclusively active for the shorter list group. Altogether, these behavioral, computational, and imaging results provide evidence that multiple types of mnemonic representations contribute to experienced-based decision-making. Moreover, contextual and structural factors of the task and of prior decisions can influence what types of evidence are drawn upon during decision-making. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Problem-based learning: ancient Chinese educational philosophy reflected in a modern educational methodology.

    PubMed

    Lee, Wai Man; Wong, Frances Kam Yuet; Mok, Esther S B

    2004-02-01

    Problem-based learning (PBL) has been widely adopted as a strategy by nurse educators all over the world. Many studies have been carried out to examine its process and outcomes. There are few studies discussing the relevance of PBL to students with different cultural background. This study reports the experiences of Chinese students in Hong Kong using PBL and explores if their experiences were compatible with the educational philosophy documented in traditional Chinese literature. The phenomenological approach was used in the treatment of data. The informants were students enrolled in the post-registration nursing degree programme at a university in Hong Kong during 1997-1998. A total of 94 journals were included in the analysis. Seven main themes emerged from the phenomenological analysis. They were the integration of knowing and doing, critical reflection and debate, individuality of learning, self-motivated learning, critical inquiry and independent thinking, timeliness of instruction and cooperative learning. This study provides evidence to show that PBL is an approach that is compatible with the Chinese way of learning. The result of this study shows that aspects of the modern PBL process harken back to an ancient Chinese learning philosophy that underpins Chinese learning today.

  2. Both memory and attention systems contribute to visual search for targets cued by implicitly learned context

    PubMed Central

    Giesbrecht, Barry; Sy, Jocelyn L.; Guerin, Scott A.

    2012-01-01

    Environmental context learned without awareness can facilitate visual processing of goal-relevant information. According to one view, the benefit of implicitly learned context relies on the neural systems involved in spatial attention and hippocampus-mediated memory. While this view has received empirical support, it contradicts traditional models of hippocampal function. The purpose of the present work was to clarify the influence of spatial context on visual search performance and on brain structures involved memory and attention. Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed that activity in the hippocampus as well as in visual and parietal cortex was modulated by learned visual context even though participants’ subjective reports and performance on a post-experiment recognition task indicated no explicit knowledge of the learned context. Moreover, the magnitude of the initial selective hippocampus response predicted the magnitude of the behavioral benefit due to context observed at the end of the experiment. The results suggest that implicit contextual learning is mediated by attention and memory and that these systems interact to support search of our environment. PMID:23099047

  3. Translating Knowledge: The role of Shared Learning in Bridging the Science-Application Divide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moench, M.

    2014-12-01

    As the organizers of this session state: "Understanding and managing our future relation with the Earth requires research and knowledge spanning diverse fields, and integrated, societally-relevant science that is geared toward solutions." In most cases, however, integration is weak and scientific outputs do not match decision maker requirements. As a result, while scientific results may be highly relevant to society that relevance is operationally far from clear. This paper explores the use of shared learning processes to bridge the gap between the evolving body of scientific information on climate change and its relevance for resilience planning in cities across Asia. Examples related to understanding uncertainty, the evolution of scientific knowledge from different sources, and data extraction and presentation are given using experiences generated over five years of work as part of the Rockefeller Foundation supported Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network and other programs. Results suggest that processes supporting effective translation of knowledge between different sources and different applications are essential for the identification of solutions that respond to the dynamics and uncertainties inherent in global change processes.

  4. Designing for expansive science learning and identification across settings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stromholt, Shelley; Bell, Philip

    2017-10-01

    In this study, we present a case for designing expansive science learning environments in relation to neoliberal instantiations of standards-based implementation projects in education. Using ethnographic and design-based research methods, we examine how the design of coordinated learning across settings can engage youth from non-dominant communities in scientific and engineering practices, resulting in learning experiences that are more relevant to youth and their communities. Analyses highlight: (a) transformative moments of identification for one fifth-grade student across school and non-school settings; (b) the disruption of societal, racial stereotypes on the capabilities of and expectations for marginalized youth; and (c) how youth recognized themselves as members of their community and agents of social change by engaging in personally consequential science investigations and learning.

  5. Investigating the Intersection of Race and Histories in the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martell, Christopher C.

    2012-01-01

    In this practitioner research study, a social studies teacher examined the intersection between his students' race/ethnicity and their experiences learning history. Using the theory of culturally relevant pedagogy as a lens, this study employed mixed methods, analyzing teacher journaling, classroom artifacts, and student reflections, as well as…

  6. Creating Futures Activity Cards and Teacher Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klenzman, Elizabeth; Taylor, Paula

    Teachers can use these learning activities to teach about the future in elementary and secondary social studies, science, math, language arts, and arts courses. The purpose of the activities is to help students practice creative-thinking skills, investigate problems relevant to their personal futures, experience the concept of change, and evaluate…

  7. The Purpose-Driven Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chesley, Gary M.; Hartman, Diane

    2010-01-01

    During the 2008-2009 school year, faculty members at New Fairfield (CT) Middle School examined relevance and student engagement in relation to student achievement. Subtle clues indicated that students were not fully engaged in their learning: many students did not relate their classroom experiences to their personal reality or to their vision of…

  8. A Profile of School-Based Enterprises within CTE Disciplines

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haltinner, Urs; Mooney, Carol; Stanislawski, Debbie

    2012-01-01

    It is imperative that career and technical education (CTE) utilize research-proven pedagogy. Pushing on relevance to arrive at rigor provides an opportunity for "limited" and "perpetual duration" real-world learning experiences to be implemented within every contemporary CTE program. This study describes how secondary CTE programs are currently…

  9. Computer-Assisted Learning in Language Arts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Serwer, Blanche L.; Stolurow, Lawrence M.

    1970-01-01

    A description of computer program segments in the feasibility and development phase of Operationally Relevant Activities for Children's Language Experience (Project ORACLE); original form of this paper was prepared by Serwer for presentation to annual meeting of New England Research Association (1st, Boston College, June 5-6, 1969). (Authors/RD)

  10. Chemistry I and Clothing, Textiles and Fashion Merchandising Majors.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clausen, Donald F.

    1980-01-01

    The application of principles learned in a first course in chemistry to chemical problems of interest to home economics majors specializing in clothing and textiles or fashion merchandising is described. Concept transfer--teaching difficult concepts in terms of an everyday analogue--is also explained and relevant laboratory experiments are…

  11. Creating Sacred Places for Children in Grades 4-6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fox, Sandra J.

    This guide attempts to help teachers of American Indian children in grades 4-6 provide a culturally relevant education that takes place in the regular classroom, includes content related to Indian students' lives, makes students proud, expands to other experiences, and enhances learning. Creating sacred places means responding appropriately to…

  12. A Neurosciences-in-Psychiatry Curriculum Project for Medical Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dunstone, David C.

    2006-01-01

    Objective: Incorporating new neuroscience findings relevant to psychiatry into the medical school curriculum is challenging, especially at the level of clinical learning. In this pilot project, third-year medical student volunteers in their required 8-week clerkship participated in an e-mail-based experience relating contemporary neuroscience to…

  13. Oxalate Synthesis and Pyrolysis: A Colorful Introduction to Stoichiometry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vannatta, Michael W.; Richards-Babb, Michelle; Sweeney, Robert J.

    2010-01-01

    Metal oxalate synthesis and pyrolysis provides an opportunity for students to (i) learn stoichiometry, (ii) experience the consequences of proper stoichiometric calculations and experimental techniques, and (iii) be introduced to the relevance of chemistry by highlighting oxalates in context, for example, usages and health effects. At our…

  14. The Project Method as Practice of Study Activation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fazlyeva, Zulfiya Kh.; Sheinina, Dina P.; Deputatova, Natalia A.

    2016-01-01

    Relevance of the problem stated in the article is determined by new teaching approach uniting the traditional teaching experience with that of the modern information technologies, all being merged into a new course of the computer lingua-didactics (the international term of which is "Computer Assisted Language Learning" (CALL) or…

  15. Leadership Practices for Student Engagement in Challenging Conditions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trowler, Vicki

    2013-01-01

    Student Engagement is the investment of time, effort and other relevant resources by both students and their institutions intended to optimise the student experience and enhance the learning outcomes and development of students, and the performance and reputation of the institution. As such, it has affective, behavioural and cognitive dimensions,…

  16. Fostering Experiential Self-Regulation through Outdoor Adventure Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sibthorp, Jim; Collins, Rachel; Rathunde, Kevin; Paisley, Karen; Schumann, Scott; Pohja, Mandy; Gookin, John; Baynes, Sheila

    2015-01-01

    Learners thrive when they have the capacity to regulate interest and goal direction. Through direct experiences that are interesting and goal-relevant, learners can internalize and better understand their own agency in the learning process. This article further examines this premise in an outdoor adventure education (OAE) context through two…

  17. The Commission Game: An Ethics Activity for Professional Selling Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Milewicz, Chad

    2012-01-01

    The Commission Game is an experiment-based experiential learning activity designed to elicit students' sincere ethical decision making in an ambiguous sales context. The activity includes multiple relevant stakeholders as well as tangible, shared risk/reward elements. The activity's design encourages students to contemplate their own personal code…

  18. Considerations for Teaching Integrated STEM Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stohlmann, Micah; Moore, Tamara J.; Roehrig, Gillian H.

    2012-01-01

    Quality Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education is vital for the future success of students. Integrated STEM education is one way to make learning more connected and relevant for students. There is a need for further research and discussion on the knowledge, experiences, and background that teachers need to effectively…

  19. Personalization of Instruction: Design Dimensions and Implications for Cognition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walkington, Candace; Bernacki, Matthew L.

    2018-01-01

    Instruction can be made relevant to students when it draws upon and utilizes their interests, experiences, and "funds of knowledge" in productive ways to support classroom learning. This approach has been referred to as "context personalization." In this paper, we discuss the cognitive basis of personalization interventions,…

  20. Integrated Laboratories: Laying the Foundation for Undergraduate Research Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dillner, Debra K.; Ferrante, Robert F.; Fitzgerald, Jeffrey P.; Schroeder, Maria J.

    2011-01-01

    Interest in undergraduate student research has grown in response to initiatives from various professional societies and educational organizations. Participation in research changes student attitudes towards courses as they realize the utility and relevance of what they are learning. At the U.S. Naval Academy, the chemistry majors' curriculum was…

  1. Health and Physical Activity Content Knowledge of Pima Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brusseau, Timothy; Kulinna, Pamela H.; Cothran, Donetta J.

    2011-01-01

    This study grounded in constructivist theory and the public health literature investigated Native American children's knowledge related to physical activity and healthy behavior concepts. Learning tends to be more meaningful and relevant when teachers take into consideration the students' knowledge and experiences. Therefore it is important to…

  2. Writing in the Professions: An Internship for Interdisciplinary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bourelle, Tiffany

    2015-01-01

    This article considers how professional writing courses can prepare students in various disciplines for the workforce. Specifically, I argue for Writing in the Disciplines (WID) internships where students learn to write documents relevant for their careers while participating in practical work experiences. In the WID internships I describe,…

  3. Creating Sacred Places for Students in Grades 7&8.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fox, Sandra J.

    This guide attempts to help teachers of American Indian students in grades 7-8 provide a culturally relevant education that takes place in the regular classroom, includes content related to Indian students' lives, makes students proud, expands to other experiences, and enhances learning. Creating sacred places means responding appropriately to…

  4. Creating Sacred Places for Students in Grades 9-12.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fox, Sandra J.

    This guide attempts to help teachers of American Indian students in grades 9-12 provide a culturally relevant education that takes place in the regular classroom, includes content related to Indian students' lives, makes students proud, expands to other experiences, and enhances learning. Creating sacred places means responding appropriately to…

  5. Learning by Brewing: Beer Production Experiments in the Chemical Engineering Laboratory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cerretani, Colin; Kelkile, Esayas; Landry, Alexandra

    2017-01-01

    We discuss the successful creation and implementation of a biotechnology track within the chemical engineering unit operations course. The track focuses on engineering principles relevant to brewing. Following laboratory modules investigating heat transfer processes and yeast fermentation kinetics, student groups design and implement a project to…

  6. Teaching Primary School Mathematics and Statistics: Evidence-Based Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Averill, Robin; Harvey, Roger

    2010-01-01

    Here is the only reference book you will ever need for teaching primary school mathematics and statistics. It is full of exciting and engaging snapshots of excellent classroom practice relevant to "The New Zealand Curriculum" and national mathematics standards. There are many fascinating examples of investigative learning experiences,…

  7. Some aspects of using new techniques of teaching/learning in education in optics (Abstract only)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suchanska, Malgorzata

    2003-11-01

    The deep learning in Optics can be encouraged by stimulating and considerate teaching. It means that teacher should demonstrate his/her personal commitment to the subject and stress its meaning, relevance and importance to the students. It is also important to allow students to be creative in solving problems and in interpretation of its contents. In order to help the students to become more creative persons it is necessary to enhance the learning process of modern knowledge in Optics, to design and conduct experiments, stimulate passions and interests, allow an access to the e-learning system (Internet) and introduce the psychological training (creativity, communication, lateral thinking etc.) (Abstract only available)

  8. Relevance in the science classroom: A multidimensional analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hartwell, Matthew F.

    While perceived relevance is considered a fundamental component of adaptive learning, the experience of relevance and its conceptual definition have not been well described. The mixed-methods research presented in this dissertation aimed to clarify the conceptual meaning of relevance by focusing on its phenomenological experience from the students' perspective. Following a critical literature review, I propose an identity-based model of perceived relevance that includes three components: a contextual target, an identity target, and a connection type, or lens. An empirical investigation of this model that consisted of two general phases was implemented in four 9th grade-biology classrooms. Participants in Phase 1 (N = 118) completed a series of four open-ended writing activities focused on eliciting perceived personal connections to academic content. Exploratory qualitative content analysis of a 25% random sample of the student responses was used to identify the main meaning-units of the proposed model as well as different dimensions of student relevance perceptions. These meaning-units and dimensions provided the basis for the construction of a conceptual mapping sentence capturing students' perceived relevance, which was then applied in a confirmatory analysis to all other student responses. Participants in Phase 2 (N = 139) completed a closed survey designed based on the mapping sentence to assess their perceived relevance of a biology unit. The survey also included scales assessing other domain-level motivational processes. Exploratory factor analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling indicated a coherent conceptual structure, which included a primary interpretive relevance dimension. Comparison of the conceptual structure across various groups (randomly-split sample, gender, academic level, domain-general motivational profiles) provided support for its ubiquity and insight into variation in the experience of perceived relevance among students of different groups. The findings combine to support a multidimensional perspective of relevance in the 9th grade biology classroom; offering researchers a useful model for future investigation and educators with insights into the students' classroom experience.

  9. Infants are superior in implicit crossmodal learning and use other learning mechanisms than adults

    PubMed Central

    von Frieling, Marco; Röder, Brigitte

    2017-01-01

    During development internal models of the sensory world must be acquired which have to be continuously adapted later. We used event-related potentials (ERP) to test the hypothesis that infants extract crossmodal statistics implicitly while adults learn them when task relevant. Participants were passively exposed to frequent standard audio-visual combinations (A1V1, A2V2, p=0.35 each), rare recombinations of these standard stimuli (A1V2, A2V1, p=0.10 each), and a rare audio-visual deviant with infrequent auditory and visual elements (A3V3, p=0.10). While both six-month-old infants and adults differentiated between rare deviants and standards involving early neural processing stages only infants were sensitive to crossmodal statistics as indicated by a late ERP difference between standard and recombined stimuli. A second experiment revealed that adults differentiated recombined and standard combinations when crossmodal combinations were task relevant. These results demonstrate a heightened sensitivity for crossmodal statistics in infants and a change in learning mode from infancy to adulthood. PMID:28949291

  10. Learning through participating on an interprofessional training ward.

    PubMed

    Lidskog, Marie; Löfmark, Anna; Ahlström, Gerd

    2009-09-01

    Learning in clinical education can be understood as a process of becoming a legitimate participant in the relevant context. Interprofessional training wards (IPTWs) are designed to give students from educational programmes in health and social care a realistic experience of collaboration for the purpose of developing teamwork skills. IPTWs have been found to be appreciated by the students and to influence students' understanding of each other's professions. The aim of this study was to describe and analyse the students' learning on an interprofessional training ward in care for older persons through focusing on the students' ways of participating in the communities of practice on the ward. A case study design was chosen. Multiple data sources were used. The findings show that the students engaged as active participants in the care. At the same time there was sometimes a discrepancy between on the one hand expectations and goals, on the other hand actual participation. There were difficulties in making the training relevant for all the student groups involved. The findings indicate that in the planning of interprofessional education the choice of setting and learning situations is crucial with regard to the learning that will occur.

  11. Peer learning in the UNSW Medicine program.

    PubMed

    Scicluna, Helen A; O'Sullivan, Anthony J; Boyle, Patrick; Jones, Philip D; McNeil, H Patrick

    2015-10-02

    The UNSW Australia Medicine program explicitly structures peer learning in program wide mixing of students where students from two adjoining cohorts complete the same course together, including all learning activities and assessment. The purpose of this evaluation is to explore the student experience of peer learning and determine benefits and concerns for junior and senior students. All medical students at UNSW Australia in 2012 (n = 1608) were invited to complete the Peer Learning Questionnaire consisting of 26 fixed-response items and 2 open-ended items exploring vertical integration and near-peer teaching. Assessment data from vertically integrated and non-vertically integrated courses were compared for the period 2011-2013. We received valid responses from 20 % of medical students (n = 328). Eighty percent of respondents were positive about their experience of vertical integration. Year 1 students reported that second year students provided guidance and reassurance (87.8 %), whilst year 2 students reported that the senior role helped them to improve their own understanding, communication and confidence (84 %). Vertical integration had little effect on examination performance and failure rates. This evaluation demonstrates that vertical integration of students who are one year apart and completing the same course leads to positive outcomes for the student experience of learning. Students benefit through deeper learning and the development of leadership qualities within teams. These results are relevant not only for medical education, but also for other professional higher education programs.

  12. Criterion learning in rule-based categorization: Simulation of neural mechanism and new data

    PubMed Central

    Helie, Sebastien; Ell, Shawn W.; Filoteo, J. Vincent; Maddox, W. Todd

    2015-01-01

    In perceptual categorization, rule selection consists of selecting one or several stimulus-dimensions to be used to categorize the stimuli (e.g, categorize lines according to their length). Once a rule has been selected, criterion learning consists of defining how stimuli will be grouped using the selected dimension(s) (e.g., if the selected rule is line length, define ‘long’ and ‘short’). Very little is known about the neuroscience of criterion learning, and most existing computational models do not provide a biological mechanism for this process. In this article, we introduce a new model of rule learning called Heterosynaptic Inhibitory Criterion Learning (HICL). HICL includes a biologically-based explanation of criterion learning, and we use new category-learning data to test key aspects of the model. In HICL, rule selective cells in prefrontal cortex modulate stimulus-response associations using pre-synaptic inhibition. Criterion learning is implemented by a new type of heterosynaptic error-driven Hebbian learning at inhibitory synapses that uses feedback to drive cell activation above/below thresholds representing ionic gating mechanisms. The model is used to account for new human categorization data from two experiments showing that: (1) changing rule criterion on a given dimension is easier if irrelevant dimensions are also changing (Experiment 1), and (2) showing that changing the relevant rule dimension and learning a new criterion is more difficult, but also facilitated by a change in the irrelevant dimension (Experiment 2). We conclude with a discussion of some of HICL’s implications for future research on rule learning. PMID:25682349

  13. Criterion learning in rule-based categorization: simulation of neural mechanism and new data.

    PubMed

    Helie, Sebastien; Ell, Shawn W; Filoteo, J Vincent; Maddox, W Todd

    2015-04-01

    In perceptual categorization, rule selection consists of selecting one or several stimulus-dimensions to be used to categorize the stimuli (e.g., categorize lines according to their length). Once a rule has been selected, criterion learning consists of defining how stimuli will be grouped using the selected dimension(s) (e.g., if the selected rule is line length, define 'long' and 'short'). Very little is known about the neuroscience of criterion learning, and most existing computational models do not provide a biological mechanism for this process. In this article, we introduce a new model of rule learning called Heterosynaptic Inhibitory Criterion Learning (HICL). HICL includes a biologically-based explanation of criterion learning, and we use new category-learning data to test key aspects of the model. In HICL, rule selective cells in prefrontal cortex modulate stimulus-response associations using pre-synaptic inhibition. Criterion learning is implemented by a new type of heterosynaptic error-driven Hebbian learning at inhibitory synapses that uses feedback to drive cell activation above/below thresholds representing ionic gating mechanisms. The model is used to account for new human categorization data from two experiments showing that: (1) changing rule criterion on a given dimension is easier if irrelevant dimensions are also changing (Experiment 1), and (2) showing that changing the relevant rule dimension and learning a new criterion is more difficult, but also facilitated by a change in the irrelevant dimension (Experiment 2). We conclude with a discussion of some of HICL's implications for future research on rule learning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Lessons Learned and Technical Standards: A Logical Marriage

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gill, Paul; Vaughan, William W.; Garcia, Danny; Gill, Maninderpal S. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    A comprehensive database of lessons learned that corresponds with relevant technical standards would be a boon to technical personnel and standards developers. The authors discuss the emergence of one such database within NASA, and show how and why the incorporation of lessons learned into technical standards databases can be an indispensable tool for government and industry. Passed down from parent to child, teacher to pupil, and from senior to junior employees, lessons learned have been the basis for our accomplishments throughout the ages. Government and industry, too, have long recognized the need to systematically document And utilize the knowledge gained from past experiences in order to avoid the repetition of failures and mishaps. The use of lessons learned is a principle component of any organizational culture committed to continuous improvement. They have formed the foundation for discoveries, inventions, improvements, textbooks, and technical standards. Technical standards are a very logical way to communicate these lessons. Using the time-honored tradition of passing on lessons learned while utilizing the newest in information technology, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched an intensive effort to link lessons learned with specific technical standards through various Internet databases. This article will discuss the importance of lessons learned to engineers, the difficulty in finding relevant lessons learned while engaged in an engineering project, and the new NASA project that can help alleviate this difficulty. The article will conclude with recommendations for more expanded cross-sectoral uses of lessons learned with reference to technical standards.

  15. Constraints on Access: Costs and Benefits (Spontaneous Memory for Relevant Experiences)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-05-01

    F. I. M. Craik (Eds.), Levels of processing and human memory. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Dewey, J. (1963). How we think. Portions published in R. M...transfer. Pictures (vs. words) and levels of processing and elaborative encoding manipulations are shown to affect directed access but are found to have...includes most 5 6 list-learning experiments, research on schema/script abstraction, and studies of remembering which might manipulate levels of processing

  16. Curriculum development for a national cardiotocography education program: a Delphi survey to obtain consensus on learning objectives.

    PubMed

    Thellesen, Line; Hedegaard, Morten; Bergholt, Thomas; Colov, Nina P; Hoegh, Stinne; Sorensen, Jette L

    2015-08-01

    To define learning objectives for a national cardiotocography (CTG) education program based on expert consensus. A three-round Delphi survey. One midwife and one obstetrician from each maternity unit in Denmark were appointed based on CTG teaching experience and clinical obstetric experience. Following national and international guidelines, the research group determined six topics as important when using CTG: fetal physiology, equipment, indication, interpretation, clinical management, and communication/responsibility. In the first Delphi round, participants listed one to five learning objectives within the predefined topics. Responses were analyzed by a directed approach to content analysis. Phrasing was modified in accordance with Bloom's taxonomy. In the second and third Delphi rounds, participants rated each objective on a five-point relevance scale. Consensus was predefined as objectives with a mean rating value of ≥ 3. A prioritized list of CTG learning objectives. A total of 42 midwives and obstetricians from 21 maternity units were invited to participate, of whom 26 completed all three Delphi rounds, representing 18 maternity units. The final prioritized list included 40 objectives. The highest ranked objectives emphasized CTG interpretation and clinical management. The lowest ranked objectives emphasized fetal physiology. Mean ratings of relevance ranged from 3.15 to 5.00. National consensus on CTG learning objectives was achieved using the Delphi methodology. This was an initial step in developing a valid CTG education program. A prioritized list of objectives will clarify which topics to emphasize in a CTG education program. © 2015 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

  17. Memory retrieval of everyday information under stress.

    PubMed

    Stock, Lisa-Marie; Merz, Christian J

    2018-07-01

    Psychosocial stress is known to crucially influence learning and memory processes. Several studies have already shown an impairing effect of elevated cortisol concentrations on memory retrieval. These studies mainly used learning material consisting of stimuli with a limited ecological validity. When using material with a social contextual component or with educational relevant material both impairing and enhancing stress effects on memory retrieval could be observed. In line with these latter studies, the present experiment also used material with a higher ecological validity (a coherent text consisting of daily relevant numeric, figural and verbal information). After encoding, retrieval took place 24 h later after exposure to psychosocial stress or a control procedure (20 healthy men per group). The stress group was further subdivided into cortisol responders and non-responders. Results showed a significantly impaired retrieval of everyday information in non-responders compared to responders and controls. Altogether, the present findings indicate the need of an appropriate cortisol response for the successful memory retrieval of everyday information. Thus, the present findings suggest that cortisol increases - contrary to a stressful experience per se - seem to play a protective role for retrieving everyday information. Additionally, it could be speculated that the previously reported impairing stress effects on memory retrieval might depend on the used learning material. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. A mixed methods evaluation of team-based learning for applied pathophysiology in undergraduate nursing education.

    PubMed

    Branney, Jonathan; Priego-Hernández, Jacqueline

    2018-02-01

    It is important for nurses to have a thorough understanding of the biosciences such as pathophysiology that underpin nursing care. These courses include content that can be difficult to learn. Team-based learning is emerging as a strategy for enhancing learning in nurse education due to the promotion of individual learning as well as learning in teams. In this study we sought to evaluate the use of team-based learning in the teaching of applied pathophysiology to undergraduate student nurses. A mixed methods observational study. In a year two, undergraduate nursing applied pathophysiology module circulatory shock was taught using Team-based Learning while all remaining topics were taught using traditional lectures. After the Team-based Learning intervention the students were invited to complete the Team-based Learning Student Assessment Instrument, which measures accountability, preference and satisfaction with Team-based Learning. Students were also invited to focus group discussions to gain a more thorough understanding of their experience with Team-based Learning. Exam scores for answers to questions based on Team-based Learning-taught material were compared with those from lecture-taught material. Of the 197 students enrolled on the module, 167 (85% response rate) returned the instrument, the results from which indicated a favourable experience with Team-based Learning. Most students reported higher accountability (93%) and satisfaction (92%) with Team-based Learning. Lectures that promoted active learning were viewed as an important feature of the university experience which may explain the 76% exhibiting a preference for Team-based Learning. Most students wanted to make a meaningful contribution so as not to let down their team and they saw a clear relevance between the Team-based Learning activities and their own experiences of teamwork in clinical practice. Exam scores on the question related to Team-based Learning-taught material were comparable to those related to lecture-taught material. Most students had a preference for, and reported higher accountability and satisfaction with Team-based Learning. Through contextualisation and teamwork, Team-based Learning appears to be a strategy that confers strong pedagogical benefits for teaching applied pathophysiology (bioscience) to student nurses. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  19. Eliciting and activating funds of knowledge in an environmental science community college classroom: An action research study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Niel, John J.

    Many non-traditional students are currently underperforming in college and yet may have untapped knowledge and skills that could support their academic success if appropriately utilized. Previous practices that students experience as a part of their lives are what Gonzales and other researchers call "funds of knowledge" (FOK). There is ample evidence to show that utilization of students' FOK in K-12 instructional contexts can be beneficial. In contrast, little formal FOK research has been done with higher education students. To address this gap, this study explores how environmental college courses could be designed so as to better elicit and capitalize on students' FOK, with the ultimate goal of increasing student engagement and learning. More specifically, using an action research paradigm, I designed, implemented and studied an intervention in two sections of the required environmental science course I taught in Fall 2009 at the community college where I am employed. The intervention consisted of two phases: (1) eliciting FOK from the students enrolled in one section of the course through a draft survey, and (2) refining that survey tool in order to better elicit FOK, development of other methods of elicitation of FOK and activating (or incorporating) the FOK thus identified as relevant to enhance the learning experience of the students in both sections of the course. The designs of the intervention as well as data collection and analysis were informed by the following research questions: Q1. What are effective strategies for eliciting FOK that may be generalized to the practices of other college instructors? Q2. What relevant FOK do students bring to this class? Q3. What were instances where FOK were activated in the course? Q4. What are effective strategies for activating FOK that may be generalized to the practices of other college instructors? Q5. What evidence was there that students took up new practices due to the intervention? Data were collected from a variety of sources including an audio recorded small-group session where FOK were elicited, surveys compiled by all students to point to potentially relevant life experiences and practices, audio recorded classroom lessons where FOK were utilized, audio recorded final class reflections on the experience, and my own teacher log. Data were qualitatively analyzed first to identify the range and frequency of students' relevant FOK, then to identify and characterize effective activation of these funds in a classroom setting. Findings highlight the breadth of relevant FOK present in a given class as well as strategies shown to be effective for both elicitation and activation of these funds. Implications are drawn for future research into FOK as well as for other instructors wishing to explicitly draw on students' FOK to enrich their learning experiences.

  20. Dissociation of rapid response learning and facilitation in perceptual and conceptual networks of person recognition.

    PubMed

    Valt, Christian; Klein, Christoph; Boehm, Stephan G

    2015-08-01

    Repetition priming is a prominent example of non-declarative memory, and it increases the accuracy and speed of responses to repeatedly processed stimuli. Major long-hold memory theories posit that repetition priming results from facilitation within perceptual and conceptual networks for stimulus recognition and categorization. Stimuli can also be bound to particular responses, and it has recently been suggested that this rapid response learning, not network facilitation, provides a sound theory of priming of object recognition. Here, we addressed the relevance of network facilitation and rapid response learning for priming of person recognition with a view to advance general theories of priming. In four experiments, participants performed conceptual decisions like occupation or nationality judgments for famous faces. The magnitude of rapid response learning varied across experiments, and rapid response learning co-occurred and interacted with facilitation in perceptual and conceptual networks. These findings indicate that rapid response learning and facilitation in perceptual and conceptual networks are complementary rather than competing theories of priming. Thus, future memory theories need to incorporate both rapid response learning and network facilitation as individual facets of priming. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

  1. Visual statistical learning is not reliably modulated by selective attention to isolated events

    PubMed Central

    Musz, Elizabeth; Weber, Matthew J.; Thompson-Schill, Sharon L.

    2014-01-01

    Recent studies of visual statistical learning (VSL) indicate that the visual system can automatically extract temporal and spatial relationships between objects. We report several attempts to replicate and extend earlier work (Turk-Browne et al., 2005) in which observers performed a cover task on one of two interleaved stimulus sets, resulting in learning of temporal relationships that occur in the attended stream, but not those present in the unattended stream. Across four experiments, we exposed observers to a similar or identical familiarization protocol, directing attention to one of two interleaved stimulus sets; afterward, we assessed VSL efficacy for both sets using either implicit response-time measures or explicit familiarity judgments. In line with prior work, we observe learning for the attended stimulus set. However, unlike previous reports, we also observe learning for the unattended stimulus set. When instructed to selectively attend to only one of the stimulus sets and ignore the other set, observers could extract temporal regularities for both sets. Our efforts to experimentally decrease this effect by changing the cover task (Experiment 1) or the complexity of the statistical regularities (Experiment 3) were unsuccessful. A fourth experiment using a different assessment of learning likewise failed to show an attentional effect. Simulations drawing random samples our first three experiments (n=64) confirm that the distribution of attentional effects in our sample closely approximates the null. We offer several potential explanations for our failure to replicate earlier findings, and discuss how our results suggest limiting conditions on the relevance of attention to VSL. PMID:25172196

  2. Playable stories: Making programming and 3D role-playing game design personally and socially relevant

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ingram-Goble, Adam

    This is an exploratory design study of a novel system for learning programming and 3D role-playing game design as tools for social change. This study was conducted at two sites. Participants in the study were ages 9-14 and worked for up to 15 hours with the platform to learn how to program and design video games with personally or socially relevant narratives. This first study was successful in that students learned to program a narrative game, and they viewed the social problem framing for the practices as an interesting aspect of the experience. The second study provided illustrative examples of how providing less general structure up-front, afforded players the opportunity to produce the necessary structures as needed for their particular design, and therefore had a richer understanding of what those structures represented. This study demonstrates that not only were participants able to use computational thinking skills such as Boolean and conditional logic, planning, modeling, abstraction, and encapsulation, they were able to bridge these skills to social domains they cared about. In particular, participants created stories about socially relevant topics without to explicit pushes by the instructors. The findings also suggest that the rapid uptake, and successful creation of personally and socially relevant narratives may have been facilitated by close alignment between the conceptual tools represented in the platform, and the domain of 3D role-playing games.

  3. Cultural Memory Banking in Preservice Science Teacher Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Handa, Vicente C.; Tippins, Deborah J.

    2012-12-01

    This study focused on the exemplification of cultural memory banking as an ethnographic tool to understand cultural practices relevant to science teaching and learning in a rural coastal village in a central island of the Philippine archipelago. Using the collaborative action ethnography as a research methodology, 10 prospective science teachers and a science teacher educator/doctoral candidate formed a research team and documented community funds of knowledge relevant to science teaching and learning through their participation in a Community Immersion course. The study employed the use of the cultural memory banking as a meditational tool to analyze, make sense of, and represent interview, focus-group discussion, and observation data, among others, for the development of culturally relevant science lessons. Originally used as an anthropological tool to preserve cultural knowledge associated with the cultivation of indigenous plant varieties, the cultural memory banking, as adapted in science education, was used, both as a data collection and analytic tool, to locate relevant science at the intersection of community life. The research team developed a cultural memory bank exemplar, "Ginamos: The Stinky Smell that Sells," to highlight the learning experiences and meaning-making process of those involved in its development. Dilemmas and insights on the development and use of cultural memory banking were discussed with respect to issues of knowledge mining and mainstreaming of indigenous/local funds of knowledge, troubling the privileged position of Western-inspired nature of science.

  4. Attention toward contexts modulates context-specificity of behavior in human predictive learning: Evidence from the n-back task.

    PubMed

    Uengoer, Metin; Lucke, Sara; Lachnit, Harald

    2018-02-20

    According to the attentional theory of context processing (ATCP), learning becomes context specific when acquired under conditions that promote attention toward contextual stimuli regardless of whether attention deployment is guided by learning experience or by other factors unrelated to learning. In one experiment with humans, we investigated whether performance in a predictive learning task can be brought under contextual control by means of a secondary task that was unrelated to predictive learning, but supposed to modulate participants' attention toward contexts. Initially, participants acquired cue-outcome relationships presented in contexts that were each composed of two elements from two dimensions. Acquisition training in the predictive learning task was combined with a one-back task that required participants to match across consecutive trials context elements belonging to one of the two dimensions. During a subsequent test, we observed that acquisition behavior in the predictive learning task was disrupted by changing the acquisition context along the dimension that was relevant for the one-back task, while there was no evidence for context specificity of predictive learning when the acquisition context was changed along the dimension that was irrelevant for the one-back task. Our results support the generality of the principles advocated by ATCP.

  5. LEARNING NONADJACENT DEPENDENCIES IN PHONOLOGY: TRANSPARENT VOWELS IN VOWEL HARMONY

    PubMed Central

    Finley, Sara

    2015-01-01

    Nonadjacent dependencies are an important part of the structure of language. While the majority of syntactic and phonological processes occur at a local domain, there are several processes that appear to apply at a distance, posing a challenge for theories of linguistic structure. This article addresses one of the most common nonadjacent phenomena in phonology: transparent vowels in vowel harmony. Vowel harmony occurs when adjacent vowels are required to share the same phonological feature value (e.g. V+F C V+F). However, transparent vowels create a second-order nonadjacent pattern because agreement between two vowels can ‘skip’ the transparent neutral vowel in addition to consonants (e.g. V+F C VT−F C V+F). Adults are shown to display initial learning biases against second-order nonadjacency in experiments that use an artificial grammar learning paradigm. Experiments 1–3 show that adult learners fail to learn the second-order long-distance dependency created by the transparent vowel (as compared to a control condition). In experiments 4–5, training in terms of overall exposure as well as the frequency of relevant transparent items was increased. With adequate exposure, learners reliably generalize to novel words containing transparent vowels. The experiments suggest that learners are sensitive to the structure of phonological representations, even when learning occurs at a relatively rapid pace.* PMID:26146423

  6. The Chemically Elegant Proton Pump Inhibitors

    PubMed Central

    Roche, Victoria F.

    2006-01-01

    Medicinal chemistry instruction at Creighton University is designed to provide an in-depth scientifically grounded and clinically relevant learning experience for pharmacy students. Each topic covered in the 2-semester required course sequence is selected based on the general utility of the compounds in question and/or the therapeutic importance of the drugs in treating life-threatening diseases. All lessons provided to campus- and Web-based students by the author are in the form of a descriptive and conversational narrative and course requirements are in place to assure that students read the lesson prior to the class period in which it is discussed. Learning tools and aids are provided to help students more readily discern the most critical aspects of each lesson, to practice required critical thinking and structure analysis skills, and to self-assess competency in meeting specific learning objectives. This manuscript illustrates this approach by sharing a lesson on the chemistry and clinically relevant structure-activity relationships of proton pump inhibitors. PMID:17149430

  7. GP supervisors' experience in supporting self-regulated learning: a balancing act.

    PubMed

    Sagasser, Margaretha H; Kramer, Anneke W M; van Weel, Chris; van der Vleuten, Cees P M

    2015-08-01

    Self-regulated learning is essential for professional development and lifelong learning. As self-regulated learning has many inaccuracies, the need to support self-regulated learning has been recommended. Supervisors can provide such support. In a prior study trainees reported on the variation in received supervisor support. This study aims at exploring supervisors' perspectives. The aim is to explore how supervisors experience self-regulated learning of postgraduate general practitioners (GP) trainees and their role in this, and what helps and hinders them in supervising. In a qualitative study using a phenomenological approach, we interviewed 20 supervisors of first- and third-year postgraduate GP trainees. Supervisors recognised trainee activity in self-regulated learning and adapted their coaching style to trainee needs, occasionally causing conflicting emotions. Supervisors' beliefs regarding their role, trainees' role and the usefulness of educational interventions influenced their support. Supervisors experienced a relation between patient safety, self-regulated learning and trainee capability to learn. Supervisor training was helpful to exchange experience and obtain advice. Supervisors found colleagues helpful in sharing supervision tasks or in calibrating judgments of trainees. Busy practice occasionally hindered the supervisory process. In conclusion, supervisors adapt their coaching to trainees' self-regulated learning, sometimes causing conflicting emotions. Patient safety and entrustment are key aspects of the supervisory process. Supervisors' beliefs about their role and trainees' role influence their support. Supervisor training is important to increase awareness of these beliefs and the influence on their behaviour, and to improve the use of educational instruments. The results align with findings from other (medical) education, thereby illustrating its relevance.

  8. Virtual patient care: an interprofessional education approach for physician assistant, physical therapy and occupational therapy students.

    PubMed

    Shoemaker, Michael J; Platko, Christina M; Cleghorn, Susan M; Booth, Andrew

    2014-07-01

    The purpose of this retrospective qualitative case report is to describe how a case-based, virtual patient interprofessional education (IPE) simulation activity was utilized to achieve physician assistant (PA), physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) student IPE learning outcomes. Following completion of a virtual patient case, 30 PA, 46 PT and 24 OT students were required to develop a comprehensive, written treatment plan and respond to reflective questions. A qualitative analysis of the submitted written assignment was used to determine whether IPE learning objectives were met. Student responses revealed three themes that supported the learning objectives of the IPE experience: benefits of collaborative care, role clarification and relevance of the IPE experience for future practice. A case-based, IPE simulation activity for physician assistant and rehabilitation students using a computerized virtual patient software program effectively facilitated achievement of the IPE learning objectives, including development of greater student awareness of other professions and ways in which collaborative patient care can be provided.

  9. Enhancing Teacher Preparation and Improving Faculty Teaching Skills: Lessons Learned from Implementing ``Science That Matters'' a Standards Based Interdisciplinary Science Course Sequence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Potter, Robert; Meisels, Gerry

    2005-06-01

    In a highly collaborative process we developed an introductory science course sequence to improve science literacy especially among future elementary and middle school education majors. The materials and course features were designed using the results of research on teaching and learning to provide a rigorous, relevant and engaging, standard based science experience. More than ten years of combined planning, development, implementation and assessment of this college science course sequence for nonmajors/future teachers has provided significant insights and success in achieving our goal. This paper describes the history and iterative nature of our ongoing improvements, changes in faculty instructional practice, strategies used to overcome student resistance, significant student learning outcomes, support structures for faculty, and the essential and informative role of assessment in improving the outcomes. Our experience with diverse institutions, students and faculty provides the basis for the lessons we have learned and should be of help to others involved in advancing science education.

  10. Appraising the role of the virtual patient for therapeutics health education.

    PubMed

    Baumann-Birkbeck, Lyndsee; Florentina, Fiona; Karatas, Onur; Sun, Jianbe; Tang, Tingna; Thaung, Victor; McFarland, Amelia; Bernaitis, Nijole; Khan, Sohil A; Grant, Gary; Anoopkumar-Dukie, Shailendra

    2017-09-01

    Face-to-face instruction, paper-based case-studies and clinical placements remain the most commonly used teaching methods for therapeutics curricula. Presenting clinical content in a didactic manner presents challenges in engaging learners and developing their clinical reasoning skills which may be overcome by inclusion of the virtual patient (VP). Currently there is limited literature examining the use of the VP in therapeutics teaching and learning. This review aimed to determine the role of VPs in therapeutics education, specifically the impact on student experiences, performance, and clinical skills. A search of primary literature was conducted with search terms including virtual patient, education, health, AND learning. Boolean operators were applied to include studies from health relevant fields with article titles and abstracts vetted. Nine of the 21 included studies were control-matched, and all but one compared VPs to traditional teaching. VPs enhanced the learning experience in all 17 studies that measured this outcome. Fourteen studies measured performance and clinical skills and 12 found VPs were beneficial, while two did not. The VP was not superior to traditional teaching in all studies, but the VP appeared beneficial to the student learning experience. Discrepancy was found between the impact of VPs on short- and long-term knowledge. The VP appears to enhance the student learning experience and has a role in therapeutics education, however a blended-learning (BL) approach may be required to account for individual learning styles. Additional investigation is required to clarify the efficacy of the VP, particularly as a component of BL, on longer-term knowledge retention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Mayan Children's Creation of Learning Ecologies by Initiative and Cooperative Action.

    PubMed

    de León, Lourdes

    2015-01-01

    This chapter examines Mayan children's initiatives in creating their own learning environments in collaboration with others as they engage in culturally relevant endeavors of family and community life. To this end, I carry out a fine-grained ethnographic and linguistic analysis of the interactional emergence of learning ecologies. Erickson defines learning ecology as a socioecological system where participants mutually influence one another through verbal and nonverbal actions, as well as through other forms of semiotic communication (2010, 254). In analyzing learning ecologies, I adopt a "theory of action" approach, taking into account multimodal communication (e.g., talk, gesture, gaze, body positioning), participants' sociospatial organization, embodied action, objects, tools, and other culturally relevant materials brought together to build action (Goodwin, 2000, 2013; Hutchins, 1995). I use microethnographic analysis (Erickson, 1992) to bring to the surface central aspects of children's agentive roles in learning through "cooperative actions" (Goodwin, 2013) and "hands-on" experience (Ingold, 2007) the skills of competent members of their community. I examine three distinct Learning Ecologies created by children's initiatives among the Mayan children that I observed: (i) children requesting guidance to collaborate in a task, (ii) older children working on their own initiative with subsequent monitoring and correction from competent members, and (iii) children with near competence in a task with occasional monitoring and no guidance. I argue that these findings enrich and add power to models of family- and community-based learning such as Learning by Observing and Pitching In (Rogoff, 2014). © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Learning optimal eye movements to unusual faces

    PubMed Central

    Peterson, Matthew F.; Eckstein, Miguel P.

    2014-01-01

    Eye movements, which guide the fovea’s high resolution and computational power to relevant areas of the visual scene, are integral to efficient, successful completion of many visual tasks. How humans modify their eye movements through experience with their perceptual environments, and its functional role in learning new tasks, has not been fully investigated. Here, we used a face identification task where only the mouth discriminated exemplars to assess if, how, and when eye movement modulation may mediate learning. By interleaving trials of unconstrained eye movements with trials of forced fixation, we attempted to separate the contributions of eye movements and covert mechanisms to performance improvements. Without instruction, a majority of observers substantially increased accuracy and learned to direct their initial eye movements towards the optimal fixation point. The proximity of an observer’s default face identification eye movement behavior to the new optimal fixation point and the observer’s peripheral processing ability were predictive of performance gains and eye movement learning. After practice in a subsequent condition in which observers were directed to fixate different locations along the face, including the relevant mouth region, all observers learned to make eye movements to the optimal fixation point. In this fully learned state, augmented fixation strategy accounted for 43% of total efficiency improvements while covert mechanisms accounted for the remaining 57%. The findings suggest a critical role for eye movement planning to perceptual learning, and elucidate factors that can predict when and how well an observer can learn a new task with unusual exemplars. PMID:24291712

  13. Perceptual statistical learning over one week in child speech production.

    PubMed

    Richtsmeier, Peter T; Goffman, Lisa

    2017-07-01

    What cognitive mechanisms account for the trajectory of speech sound development, in particular, gradually increasing accuracy during childhood? An intriguing potential contributor is statistical learning, a type of learning that has been studied frequently in infant perception but less often in child speech production. To assess the relevance of statistical learning to developing speech accuracy, we carried out a statistical learning experiment with four- and five-year-olds in which statistical learning was examined over one week. Children were familiarized with and tested on word-medial consonant sequences in novel words. There was only modest evidence for statistical learning, primarily in the first few productions of the first session. This initial learning effect nevertheless aligns with previous statistical learning research. Furthermore, the overall learning effect was similar to an estimate of weekly accuracy growth based on normative studies. The results implicate other important factors in speech sound development, particularly learning via production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. The evolutionary basis of human social learning

    PubMed Central

    Morgan, T. J. H.; Rendell, L. E.; Ehn, M.; Hoppitt, W.; Laland, K. N.

    2012-01-01

    Humans are characterized by an extreme dependence on culturally transmitted information. Such dependence requires the complex integration of social and asocial information to generate effective learning and decision making. Recent formal theory predicts that natural selection should favour adaptive learning strategies, but relevant empirical work is scarce and rarely examines multiple strategies or tasks. We tested nine hypotheses derived from theoretical models, running a series of experiments investigating factors affecting when and how humans use social information, and whether such behaviour is adaptive, across several computer-based tasks. The number of demonstrators, consensus among demonstrators, confidence of subjects, task difficulty, number of sessions, cost of asocial learning, subject performance and demonstrator performance all influenced subjects' use of social information, and did so adaptively. Our analysis provides strong support for the hypothesis that human social learning is regulated by adaptive learning rules. PMID:21795267

  15. The evolutionary basis of human social learning.

    PubMed

    Morgan, T J H; Rendell, L E; Ehn, M; Hoppitt, W; Laland, K N

    2012-02-22

    Humans are characterized by an extreme dependence on culturally transmitted information. Such dependence requires the complex integration of social and asocial information to generate effective learning and decision making. Recent formal theory predicts that natural selection should favour adaptive learning strategies, but relevant empirical work is scarce and rarely examines multiple strategies or tasks. We tested nine hypotheses derived from theoretical models, running a series of experiments investigating factors affecting when and how humans use social information, and whether such behaviour is adaptive, across several computer-based tasks. The number of demonstrators, consensus among demonstrators, confidence of subjects, task difficulty, number of sessions, cost of asocial learning, subject performance and demonstrator performance all influenced subjects' use of social information, and did so adaptively. Our analysis provides strong support for the hypothesis that human social learning is regulated by adaptive learning rules.

  16. Race and Histories: Examining Culturally Relevant Teaching in the U.S. History Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martell, Christopher C.

    2013-01-01

    In this practitioner research study, the author, a White social studies teacher, examined the intersection between his students' race/ethnicity and their experiences learning history. Using critical race theory as a lens, the author employed mixed methods, analyzing teacher journaling, classroom artifacts, and student reflections, as well as…

  17. FindIt@Flinders: User Experiences of the Primo Discovery Search Solution

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jarrett, Kylie

    2012-01-01

    In September 2011, Flinders University Library launched FindIt@Flinders, the Primo discovery layer search to provide simultaneous results from the Library's collections and subscription databases. This research project was an exploratory case study which aimed to show whether students were finding relevant information for their course learning and…

  18. A Model for Effective Teaching and Learning in Research Methods.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Poindexter, Paula M.

    1998-01-01

    Proposes a teaching model for making research relevant. Presents a case study of the model as used in advertising and public relations research classes. Notes that the model consists of a knowledge base, team process, a realistic goal-oriented experience, self-management, expert consultation, and evaluation and synthesis. Discusses resulting…

  19. Learning a New Curricular Approach: Mechanisms of Knowledge Acquisition in Preservice Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rovegno, Inez

    1992-01-01

    Reports a study of preservice physical educators' acquisition of knowledge of a nontraditional movement approach to physical education. Interviews and field observations indicated that before student teaching their knowledge of deeper content objectives was weak. In early field experiences, students attended to aspects of the approach relevant to…

  20. Discovering Euler Circuits and Paths through a Culturally Relevant Lesson

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robichaux, Rebecca R.; Rodrigue, Paulette R.

    2006-01-01

    This article describes a middle school discrete mathematics lesson that uses the context of catching crawfish to provide students with a hands-on experience related to Euler circuits and paths. The lesson promotes mathematical communication through the use of cooperative learning as well as connections between mathematics and the real world…

  1. Annotated Selected Bibliography & Index for Teaching African-American Learners: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hilliard, Asa G.

    This annotated bibliography and index presents nearly 2,000 references that are substantially unique to African or African American teaching and learning. Designed to support teacher education, the bibliography features references that were chosen if they were culturally relevant, recognized the African or African American experience, and drew…

  2. Women's Transitions from Welfare: "Where Does that Leave Us? Employable or in the Pit?"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Andruske, Cynthia Lee

    2001-01-01

    A British Columbia preemployment program for women on welfare focused on engaging them in identifying their needs and determining content. Brainstorming and popular theatre techniques demonstrated the relevance of learning, helped them discover the extent of their experience and knowledge, engaged them in problem solving and reflection, and…

  3. Reflections on a Coaching Pilot Project in Healthcare Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gurbutt, D. J.; Gurbutt, R.

    2016-01-01

    This paper draws on personal reflection of coaching experiences and learning as a coach to consider the relevance of these approaches in a management context with a group of four healthcare staff who participated in a pilot coaching project. It explores their understanding of coaching techniques applied in management settings via their reflections…

  4. Tapping into the Resources on Our Doorstep

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaikh, Maha

    2014-01-01

    With the introduction of the new science curriculum in September 2014 in England, there is an even greater need to teach science that is real and relevant to the children. Bringing in support from external sources can give children hands-on science experiences with meaningful outcomes that will improve and enhance their learning. A wide-reaching…

  5. The Teacher as Communicator: An Aspect of Teacher Effectiveness.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olson, David R.; And Others

    Experiments were devised to determine teacher effectiveness on the basis of ability to communicate, on the assumption that no relevant learning will occur if communication is faulty. A series of communication games involved an encoder (teacher) and decoder (student) to provide tentative answers to the questions: 1) Are there individual differences…

  6. Metric Inservice Teacher Training: Learning from the English and Australian Experience. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chalupsky, Albert B.; And Others

    This study was conducted in order to gain detailed information about teacher education programs related to the English and Australian conversions to the metric system of measurement. Information was gathered by review and analysis of relevant official and unofficial documents, and by intensive interviews of key persons involved in teacher…

  7. The Critical Role of Dispositions: What's Missing in Measurements of English Teacher Candidate Effectiveness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hochstetler, Sarah

    2014-01-01

    This article explores a fundamental indicator missing from current assessments of preservice teacher effectiveness, namely the importance of competencies central to professionalism and to impact on student learning. Drawing from her classroom experiences and relevant research, the author makes the case that evaluation of English teacher…

  8. Reflective Practice in a Capstone Business Internship Subject

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lang, Roselynn; McNaught, Keith

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: Capstone subjects which link students approaching graduation with significant experiential learning and relevant industry placements, have the potential to be very valuable to students. This is particularly evident if they are able to critically reflect on the experience. In light of this, the School of Business at the University of Notre…

  9. Engaging Middle School Students with Technology: Using Real-Time Data to Test Predictions in Aquatic Ecosystems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adams, Lisa G.

    2011-01-01

    Take advantage of teen internet savvy and redirect students' online travels toward exploration of our environment through streaming real-time data (RTD). Studies have shown that using RTD adds relevancy to students' learning experiences and engages them in scientific investigations. (Contains 14 online resources and 5 figures.)

  10. Effects of Causal Attributions Following Mathematics Tasks on Student Cognitions about a Subsequent Task

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seegers, Gerard; Van Putten, Cornelis M.; Vermeer, Harriet J.

    2004-01-01

    The authors investigated the effects of former learning experiences on how students adapt to challenging mathematics tasks. A distinction has been made between domain-specific variables (goal orientation, self-concept of mathematics ability) and task- (or context-) specific appraisals (estimated competence for, attractiveness and relevance of the…

  11. Using Cooperative Education and Work-Integrated Education to Provide Career Clarification

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zegwaard, Karsten E.; Coll, Richard K.

    2011-01-01

    When students commence university studies they typically choose subjects that are of interest to them, and hold only vague notions of intended career paths. However, some universities offer work-integrated learning degrees (WIL), programs that require students to undertake relevant practical work experience by way of work placements, internships…

  12. Island Explorations: Discovering Effects of Environmental Research-Based Lab Activities on Analytical Chemistry Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tomasik, Janice Hall; LeCaptain, Dale; Murphy, Sarah; Martin, Mary; Knight, Rachel M.; Harke, Maureen A.; Burke, Ryan; Beck, Kara; Acevedo-Polakovich, I. David

    2014-01-01

    Motivating students in analytical chemistry can be challenging, in part because of the complexity and breadth of topics involved. Some methods that help encourage students and convey real-world relevancy of the material include incorporating environmental issues, research-based lab experiments, and service learning projects. In this paper, we…

  13. Understanding and Engagement in Places of Science Experience: Science Museums, Science Centers, Zoos, and Aquariums

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwan, Stephan; Grajal, Alejandro; Lewalter, Doris

    2014-01-01

    Science museums, science centers, zoos, and aquariums (MCZAs) constitute major settings of science learning with unique characteristics of informal science education. Emphasis will be given to the analysis of four specific characteristics of MCZAs that seem relevant for educational research and practice, namely, conditions of mixed motives and…

  14. Mentoring for population health in general practice divisions.

    PubMed

    Moss, John R; Mickan, Sharon M; Fuller, Jeffrey D; Procter, Nicholas G; Waters, Barb A; O'Rourke, Peter K

    2006-02-01

    This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of a three-way model of service development mentoring. This population health mentoring program was funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing to enable staff from eight Divisions of General Practice in South Australia to gain a sound understanding of population health concepts relevant to their workplace. The distinguishing features of service development mentoring were that the learning was grounded within an individual's work setting and experience; there was an identified population health problem or issue confronting the Division of General Practice; and there was an expectation of enhanced organisational performance. A formal evaluation found a consensus among all learners that mentoring was a positive and worthwhile experience, where they had achieved what they had set out to do. Mentors found the model of learning agreeable and effective. Division executive officers recognised enhanced skills among their "learner" colleagues, and commented positively on the benefits to their organisations through the development of well researched and relevant projects, with the potential to improve the efficiency of their population health activities.

  15. A comparative study on first-time and experienced project-based learning students in an engineering design module

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chua, K. J.

    2014-09-01

    This study aims to compare and evaluate the learning ability and performance differences between two groups of students undergoing project-based learning (PjBL), with one group having prior PjBL experience, while the other group is being freshly exposed to PjBL. More specifically, it examines if there are significant differences in knowledge score, problem-solving ability, and eventual project-deliverable outcomes between the two sets of students. Performances were compared via qualitative and quantitative analyses. Key findings have indicated a significant increase in fundamental formative knowledge; enhanced problem-solving abilities; and production of better performing artefacts with regard to the set of design skills between experienced and first-time PjBL groups. This study also highlighted that experienced PjBL students have less conflicts within their groups, and are more receptive to PjBL compared to first-time PjBL students. Results from this study provide a starting point for educators to seek new learning/facilitating strategies that are relevant based on the experience and learning styles of students.

  16. Learning to teach science in urban schools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tobin, Kenneth; Roth, Wolff-Michael; Zimmermann, Andrea

    2001-10-01

    Teaching in urban schools, with their problems of violence, lack of resources, and inadequate funding, is difficult. It is even more difficult to learn to teach in urban schools. Yet learning in those locations where one will subsequently be working has been shown to be the best preparation for teaching. In this article we propose coteaching as a viable model for teacher preparation and the professional development of urban science teachers. Coteaching - working at the elbow of someone else - allows new teachers to experience appropriate and timely action by providing them with shared experiences that become the topic of their professional conversations with other coteachers (including peers, the cooperating teacher, university supervisors, and high school students). This article also includes an ethnography describing the experiences of a new teacher who had been assigned to an urban high school as field experience, during which she enacted a curriculum that was culturally relevant to her African American students, acknowledged their minority status with respect to science, and enabled them to pursue the school district standards. Even though coteaching enables learning to teach and curricula reform, we raise doubts about whether our approaches to teacher education and enacting science curricula are hegemonic and oppressive to the students we seek to emancipate through education.

  17. Digital case-based learning system in school.

    PubMed

    Gu, Peipei; Guo, Jiayang

    2017-01-01

    With the continuing growth of multi-media learning resources, it is important to offer methods helping learners to explore and acquire relevant learning information effectively. As services that organize multi-media learning materials together to support programming learning, the digital case-based learning system is needed. In order to create a case-oriented e-learning system, this paper concentrates on the digital case study of multi-media resources and learning processes with an integrated framework. An integration of multi-media resources, testing and learning strategies recommendation as the learning unit is proposed in the digital case-based learning framework. The learning mechanism of learning guidance, multi-media materials learning and testing feedback is supported in our project. An improved personalized genetic algorithm which incorporates preference information and usage degree into the crossover and mutation process is proposed to assemble the personalized test sheet for each learner. A learning strategies recommendation solution is proposed to recommend learning strategies for learners to help them to learn. The experiments are conducted to prove that the proposed approaches are capable of constructing personalized sheets and the effectiveness of the framework.

  18. Digital case-based learning system in school

    PubMed Central

    Gu, Peipei

    2017-01-01

    With the continuing growth of multi-media learning resources, it is important to offer methods helping learners to explore and acquire relevant learning information effectively. As services that organize multi-media learning materials together to support programming learning, the digital case-based learning system is needed. In order to create a case-oriented e-learning system, this paper concentrates on the digital case study of multi-media resources and learning processes with an integrated framework. An integration of multi-media resources, testing and learning strategies recommendation as the learning unit is proposed in the digital case-based learning framework. The learning mechanism of learning guidance, multi-media materials learning and testing feedback is supported in our project. An improved personalized genetic algorithm which incorporates preference information and usage degree into the crossover and mutation process is proposed to assemble the personalized test sheet for each learner. A learning strategies recommendation solution is proposed to recommend learning strategies for learners to help them to learn. The experiments are conducted to prove that the proposed approaches are capable of constructing personalized sheets and the effectiveness of the framework. PMID:29107965

  19. Category transfer in sequential causal learning: the unbroken mechanism hypothesis.

    PubMed

    Hagmayer, York; Meder, Björn; von Sydow, Momme; Waldmann, Michael R

    2011-07-01

    The goal of the present set of studies is to explore the boundary conditions of category transfer in causal learning. Previous research has shown that people are capable of inducing categories based on causal learning input, and they often transfer these categories to new causal learning tasks. However, occasionally learners abandon the learned categories and induce new ones. Whereas previously it has been argued that transfer is only observed with essentialist categories in which the hidden properties are causally relevant for the target effect in the transfer relation, we here propose an alternative explanation, the unbroken mechanism hypothesis. This hypothesis claims that categories are transferred from a previously learned causal relation to a new causal relation when learners assume a causal mechanism linking the two relations that is continuous and unbroken. The findings of two causal learning experiments support the unbroken mechanism hypothesis. Copyright © 2011 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

  20. Semi-supervised learning via regularized boosting working on multiple semi-supervised assumptions.

    PubMed

    Chen, Ke; Wang, Shihai

    2011-01-01

    Semi-supervised learning concerns the problem of learning in the presence of labeled and unlabeled data. Several boosting algorithms have been extended to semi-supervised learning with various strategies. To our knowledge, however, none of them takes all three semi-supervised assumptions, i.e., smoothness, cluster, and manifold assumptions, together into account during boosting learning. In this paper, we propose a novel cost functional consisting of the margin cost on labeled data and the regularization penalty on unlabeled data based on three fundamental semi-supervised assumptions. Thus, minimizing our proposed cost functional with a greedy yet stagewise functional optimization procedure leads to a generic boosting framework for semi-supervised learning. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our algorithm yields favorite results for benchmark and real-world classification tasks in comparison to state-of-the-art semi-supervised learning algorithms, including newly developed boosting algorithms. Finally, we discuss relevant issues and relate our algorithm to the previous work.

  1. Perceptual Learning and Attention: Reduction of Object Attention Limitations with Practice

    PubMed Central

    Dosher, Barbara Anne; Han, Songmei; Lu, Zhong-Lin

    2012-01-01

    Perceptual learning has widely been claimed to be attention driven; attention assists in choosing the relevant sensory information and attention may be necessary in many cases for learning. In this paper, we focus on the interaction of perceptual learning and attention – that perceptual learning can reduce or eliminate the limitations of attention, or, correspondingly, that perceptual learning depends on the attention condition. Object attention is a robust limit on performance. Two attributes of a single attended object may be reported without loss, while the same two attributes of different objects can exhibit a substantial dual-report deficit due to the sharing of attention between objects. The current experiments document that this fundamental dual-object report deficit can be reduced, or eliminated, through perceptual learning that is partially specific to retinal location. This suggests that alternative routes established by practice may reduce the competition between objects for processing resources. PMID:19796653

  2. A neural framework for organization and flexible utilization of episodic memory in cumulatively learning baby humanoids.

    PubMed

    Mohan, Vishwanathan; Sandini, Giulio; Morasso, Pietro

    2014-12-01

    Cumulatively developing robots offer a unique opportunity to reenact the constant interplay between neural mechanisms related to learning, memory, prospection, and abstraction from the perspective of an integrated system that acts, learns, remembers, reasons, and makes mistakes. Situated within such interplay lie some of the computationally elusive and fundamental aspects of cognitive behavior: the ability to recall and flexibly exploit diverse experiences of one's past in the context of the present to realize goals, simulate the future, and keep learning further. This article is an adventurous exploration in this direction using a simple engaging scenario of how the humanoid iCub learns to construct the tallest possible stack given an arbitrary set of objects to play with. The learning takes place cumulatively, with the robot interacting with different objects (some previously experienced, some novel) in an open-ended fashion. Since the solution itself depends on what objects are available in the "now," multiple episodes of past experiences have to be remembered and creatively integrated in the context of the present to be successful. Starting from zero, where the robot knows nothing, we explore the computational basis of organization episodic memory in a cumulatively learning humanoid and address (1) how relevant past experiences can be reconstructed based on the present context, (2) how multiple stored episodic memories compete to survive in the neural space and not be forgotten, (3) how remembered past experiences can be combined with explorative actions to learn something new, and (4) how multiple remembered experiences can be recombined to generate novel behaviors (without exploration). Through the resulting behaviors of the robot as it builds, breaks, learns, and remembers, we emphasize that mechanisms of episodic memory are fundamental design features necessary to enable the survival of autonomous robots in a real world where neither everything can be known nor can everything be experienced.

  3. Harnessing user generated multimedia content in the creation of collaborative classification structures and retrieval learning games

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Borchert, Otto Jerome

    This paper describes a software tool to assist groups of people in the classification and identification of real world objects called the Classification, Identification, and Retrieval-based Collaborative Learning Environment (CIRCLE). A thorough literature review identified current pedagogical theories that were synthesized into a series of five tasks: gathering, elaboration, classification, identification, and reinforcement through game play. This approach is detailed as part of an included peer reviewed paper. Motivation is increased through the use of formative and summative gamification; getting points completing important portions of the tasks and playing retrieval learning based games, respectively, which is also included as a peer-reviewed conference proceedings paper. Collaboration is integrated into the experience through specific tasks and communication mediums. Implementation focused on a REST-based client-server architecture. The client is a series of web-based interfaces to complete each of the tasks, support formal classroom interaction through faculty accounts and student tracking, and a module for peers to help each other. The server, developed using an in-house JavaMOO platform, stores relevant project data and serves data through a series of messages implemented as a JavaScript Object Notation Application Programming Interface (JSON API). Through a series of two beta tests and two experiments, it was discovered the second, elaboration, task requires considerable support. While students were able to properly suggest experiments and make observations, the subtask involving cleaning the data for use in CIRCLE required extra support. When supplied with more structured data, students were enthusiastic about the classification and identification tasks, showing marked improvement in usability scores and in open ended survey responses. CIRCLE tracks a variety of educationally relevant variables, facilitating support for instructors and researchers. Future work will revolve around material development, software refinement, and theory building. Curricula, lesson plans, instructional materials need to be created to seamlessly integrate CIRCLE in a variety of courses. Further refinement of the software will focus on improving the elaboration interface and developing further game templates to add to the motivation and retrieval learning aspects of the software. Data gathered from CIRCLE experiments can be used to develop and strengthen theories on teaching and learning.

  4. Coming Out in Class: Challenges and Benefits of Active Learning in a Biology Classroom for LGBTQIA Students

    PubMed Central

    Cooper, Katelyn M.; Brownell, Sara E.

    2016-01-01

    As we transition our undergraduate biology classrooms from traditional lectures to active learning, the dynamics among students become more important. These dynamics can be influenced by student social identities. One social identity that has been unexamined in the context of undergraduate biology is the spectrum of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) identities. In this exploratory interview study, we probed the experiences and perceptions of seven students who identify as part of the LGBTQIA community. We found that students do not always experience the undergraduate biology classroom to be a welcoming or accepting place for their identities. In contrast to traditional lectures, active-learning classes increase the relevance of their LGBTQIA identities due to the increased interactions among students during group work. Finally, working with other students in active-learning classrooms can present challenges and opportunities for students considering their LGBTQIA identity. These findings indicate that these students’ LGBTQIA identities are affecting their experience in the classroom and that there may be specific instructional practices that can mitigate some of the possible obstacles. We hope that this work can stimulate discussions about how to broadly make our active-learning biology classes more inclusive of this specific population of students. PMID:27543636

  5. Clerkship in primary care: a cross-sectional study about expectations and experiences of undergraduates in medicine.

    PubMed

    Fuchs, Stephan; Klement, Andreas; Lichte, Thomas; Abendroth, Jens

    2014-01-01

    With the amendment of the medical licensure act (Approbationsordnung) in 2012, a four-week clerkship in primary care (FHV) became mandatory. We investigated the expectations with which students begin the FHV, which criteria are relevant in selecting the location for the FHV, and the experiences the students had during the FHV. In a cross-sectional study, all third-year students at both medical schools in Saxony-Anhalt were surveyed in 2013 about their expectations and experiences regarding the FHV. This is the last cohort for which the FHV is optional. Questions were asked about 29 items addressing six topics (personal information, selection of FHV location, selection of FHV medical practice, expectations, experiences, and specialty selection). Out of a student body of 446, responses were received from N=424 (response rate 95.1%; of which 61.8% female). Of these students, 71 (16.7%) had completed the FHV and 70 (16.5%) were planning to; another 267 students (63%) had not (yet) planned to participate in an FHV. Where a student's parents lived, personal recommendations of a particular medical practice and the attractiveness of the region were the most important criteria for selecting the clerkship site. After completing the FHV, the learning objectives reflected themselves in the experiences of the students in a similar order and significance as in the expectations of students who planned or had not (as of yet) planned to complete the FHV. A relevant influence of the FHV confirming the choice to specialize in general practice or outpatient care was not indicated by those who had completed the FHV. After location and practice, the FHV is selected according to personal criteria and in connection with prioritized learning objectives. From the students' perspective, the most frequently named learning objectives are also identified as acquired experience after completing the FHV. However, the FHV does not have a reinforcing effect on the selection of general practice as a specialty.

  6. Identification of the Learning Styles and "On-the-Job" Learning Methods Implemented by Nurses for Promoting Their Professional Knowledge and Skills.

    PubMed

    Rassin, Michal; Kurzweil, Yaffa; Maoz, Yael

    2015-05-09

    The aim of this study was to identify the learning styles and methods used by nurses to promote their professional knowledge and skills. 928 nurses from 11 hospitals across Israel completed 2 questionnaires, (1) Kolb's Learning Style Inventory, Version 3.1. and (2) the On-The-Job Learning Styles Questionnaire for the Nursing Profession. The most common learning style was the convergent style. The other learning styles were rated in the following descending order: accommodation, assimilation, and divergence. The on-the-job learning style consistently ranked highest was experience of relevant situations. On the other hand, seeking knowledge from books, journals, television, or the Internet was ranked lowest on all the indicators examined. With respect to general and on-the-job learning styles, statistically significant differences were found between groups of nurses by: country of birth, gender, department, age, education, and role. Nurses required to take more personal responsibility for their own professional development by deepening their self-learning skills.

  7. A similarity learning approach to content-based image retrieval: application to digital mammography.

    PubMed

    El-Naqa, Issam; Yang, Yongyi; Galatsanos, Nikolas P; Nishikawa, Robert M; Wernick, Miles N

    2004-10-01

    In this paper, we describe an approach to content-based retrieval of medical images from a database, and provide a preliminary demonstration of our approach as applied to retrieval of digital mammograms. Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) refers to the retrieval of images from a database using information derived from the images themselves, rather than solely from accompanying text indices. In the medical-imaging context, the ultimate aim of CBIR is to provide radiologists with a diagnostic aid in the form of a display of relevant past cases, along with proven pathology and other suitable information. CBIR may also be useful as a training tool for medical students and residents. The goal of information retrieval is to recall from a database information that is relevant to the user's query. The most challenging aspect of CBIR is the definition of relevance (similarity), which is used to guide the retrieval machine. In this paper, we pursue a new approach, in which similarity is learned from training examples provided by human observers. Specifically, we explore the use of neural networks and support vector machines to predict the user's notion of similarity. Within this framework we propose using a hierarchal learning approach, which consists of a cascade of a binary classifier and a regression module to optimize retrieval effectiveness and efficiency. We also explore how to incorporate online human interaction to achieve relevance feedback in this learning framework. Our experiments are based on a database consisting of 76 mammograms, all of which contain clustered microcalcifications (MCs). Our goal is to retrieve mammogram images containing similar MC clusters to that in a query. The performance of the retrieval system is evaluated using precision-recall curves computed using a cross-validation procedure. Our experimental results demonstrate that: 1) the learning framework can accurately predict the perceptual similarity reported by human observers, thereby serving as a basis for CBIR; 2) the learning-based framework can significantly outperform a simple distance-based similarity metric; 3) the use of the hierarchical two-stage network can improve retrieval performance; and 4) relevance feedback can be effectively incorporated into this learning framework to achieve improvement in retrieval precision based on online interaction with users; and 5) the retrieved images by the network can have predicting value for the disease condition of the query.

  8. Aligning Goals, Assessments, and Activities: An Approach to Teaching PCR and Gel Electrophoresis

    PubMed Central

    Robertson, Amber L.; Batzli, Janet; Harris, Michelle; Miller, Sarah

    2008-01-01

    Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gel electrophoresis have become common techniques used in undergraduate molecular and cell biology labs. Although students enjoy learning these techniques, they often cannot fully comprehend and analyze the outcomes of their experiments because of a disconnect between concepts taught in lecture and experiments done in lab. Here we report the development and implementation of novel exercises that integrate the biological concepts of DNA structure and replication with the techniques of PCR and gel electrophoresis. Learning goals were defined based on concepts taught throughout the cell biology lab course and learning objectives specific to the PCR and gel electrophoresis lab. Exercises developed to promote critical thinking and target the underlying concepts of PCR, primer design, gel analysis, and troubleshooting were incorporated into an existing lab unit based on the detection of genetically modified organisms. Evaluative assessments for each exercise were aligned with the learning goals and used to measure student learning achievements. Our analysis found that the exercises were effective in enhancing student understanding of these concepts as shown by student performance across all learning goals. The new materials were particularly helpful in acquiring relevant knowledge, fostering critical-thinking skills, and uncovering prevalent misconceptions. PMID:18316813

  9. Features: Real-Time Adaptive Feature and Document Learning for Web Search.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Zhixiang; Meng, Xiannong; Fowler, Richard H.; Zhu, Binhai

    2001-01-01

    Describes Features, an intelligent Web search engine that is able to perform real-time adaptive feature (i.e., keyword) and document learning. Explains how Features learns from users' document relevance feedback and automatically extracts and suggests indexing keywords relevant to a search query, and learns from users' keyword relevance feedback…

  10. Elastic Waves: Mental Models and Teaching/Learning Sequences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tarantino, Giovanni

    In last years many research studies have pointed out relevant student diff- culties in understanding the physics of mechanical waves. Moreover, it has been reported that these diffculties deal with some fundamental concepts as the role of the medium in wave propagation, the superposition principle and the mathematical description of waves involving the use of functions of two variables. In the context of pre-service courses for teacher preparation a teaching/learning (T/L) sequence based on using simple RTL experiments and interactive simulation environments aimed to show the effect of medium properties on the propagation speed of a wave pulse, has been experimented. Here, preliminary results of investigations carried out with a 120 traineeteacher (TT) group are reported and discussed.

  11. A case study in experiential learning: pharmaceutical cold chain management on wheels.

    PubMed

    Vesper, James; Kartoglu, Ümit; Bishara, Rafik; Reeves, Thomas

    2010-01-01

    People who handle and regulate temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products require the knowledge and skills to ensure those products maintain quality, integrity, safety, and efficacy throughout their shelf life. People best acquire such knowledge and skills through "experiential learning" that involves working with other learners and experts. The World Health Organization developed a weeklong experiential learning event for participants so they could gain experience in how temperature-sensitive products are handled, stored, and distributed throughout the length of the distribution supply chain system. This experiential learning method enabled participants to visit, critically observe, discuss and report on the various components of the cold chain process. An emphasis was placed on team members working together to learn from one another and on several global expert mentors who were available to guide the learning, share their experiences, and respond to questions. The learning event, Pharmaceutical Cold Chain Management on Wheels, has been conducted once each year since 2008 in Turkey with participants from the global pharmaceutical industry, health care providers, national regulatory authorities, and suppliers/vendors. Observations made during the course showed that it was consistent with the principles of experiential and social learning theories. Questionnaires and focus groups provided evidence of the value of the learning event and ways to improve it. Reflecting the critical elements derived from experiential and social learning theories, five factors contributed to the success of this unique experiential learning event. These factors may also have relevance in other experiential learning courses and, potentially, for experiential e-learning events.

  12. Enabling multi-level relevance feedback on PubMed by integrating rank learning into DBMS.

    PubMed

    Yu, Hwanjo; Kim, Taehoon; Oh, Jinoh; Ko, Ilhwan; Kim, Sungchul; Han, Wook-Shin

    2010-04-16

    Finding relevant articles from PubMed is challenging because it is hard to express the user's specific intention in the given query interface, and a keyword query typically retrieves a large number of results. Researchers have applied machine learning techniques to find relevant articles by ranking the articles according to the learned relevance function. However, the process of learning and ranking is usually done offline without integrated with the keyword queries, and the users have to provide a large amount of training documents to get a reasonable learning accuracy. This paper proposes a novel multi-level relevance feedback system for PubMed, called RefMed, which supports both ad-hoc keyword queries and a multi-level relevance feedback in real time on PubMed. RefMed supports a multi-level relevance feedback by using the RankSVM as the learning method, and thus it achieves higher accuracy with less feedback. RefMed "tightly" integrates the RankSVM into RDBMS to support both keyword queries and the multi-level relevance feedback in real time; the tight coupling of the RankSVM and DBMS substantially improves the processing time. An efficient parameter selection method for the RankSVM is also proposed, which tunes the RankSVM parameter without performing validation. Thereby, RefMed achieves a high learning accuracy in real time without performing a validation process. RefMed is accessible at http://dm.postech.ac.kr/refmed. RefMed is the first multi-level relevance feedback system for PubMed, which achieves a high accuracy with less feedback. It effectively learns an accurate relevance function from the user's feedback and efficiently processes the function to return relevant articles in real time.

  13. Enabling multi-level relevance feedback on PubMed by integrating rank learning into DBMS

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background Finding relevant articles from PubMed is challenging because it is hard to express the user's specific intention in the given query interface, and a keyword query typically retrieves a large number of results. Researchers have applied machine learning techniques to find relevant articles by ranking the articles according to the learned relevance function. However, the process of learning and ranking is usually done offline without integrated with the keyword queries, and the users have to provide a large amount of training documents to get a reasonable learning accuracy. This paper proposes a novel multi-level relevance feedback system for PubMed, called RefMed, which supports both ad-hoc keyword queries and a multi-level relevance feedback in real time on PubMed. Results RefMed supports a multi-level relevance feedback by using the RankSVM as the learning method, and thus it achieves higher accuracy with less feedback. RefMed "tightly" integrates the RankSVM into RDBMS to support both keyword queries and the multi-level relevance feedback in real time; the tight coupling of the RankSVM and DBMS substantially improves the processing time. An efficient parameter selection method for the RankSVM is also proposed, which tunes the RankSVM parameter without performing validation. Thereby, RefMed achieves a high learning accuracy in real time without performing a validation process. RefMed is accessible at http://dm.postech.ac.kr/refmed. Conclusions RefMed is the first multi-level relevance feedback system for PubMed, which achieves a high accuracy with less feedback. It effectively learns an accurate relevance function from the user’s feedback and efficiently processes the function to return relevant articles in real time. PMID:20406504

  14. Using Technology, Bioinformatics and Health Informatics Approaches to Improve Learning Experiences in Optometry Education, Research and Practice.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Vivek K; Gupta, Veer B

    2016-11-15

    Rapid advances in ocular diagnostic approaches and emerging links of pathological changes in the eye with systemic disorders have widened the scope of optometry as the front line of eye health care. Expanding professional requirements stipulate that optometry students get a meticulous training in relevant information and communication technologies (ICT) and various bioinformatics and health informatics software to meet current and future challenges. Greater incorporation of ICT approaches in optometry education can facilitate increased student engagement in shared learning experiences and improve collaborative learning. This, in turn, will enable students to participate in and prepare for the complex real-world situations. A judicious use of ICTs by teachers in learning endeavors can help students develop innovative patterns of thinking to be a successful optometry professional. ICT-facilitated learning enables students and professionals to carry out their own research and take initiatives and thus shifts the equilibrium towards self-education. It is important that optometry and allied vision science schools adapt to the changing professional requirements with pedagogical evolution and react appropriately to provide the best educational experience for the students and teachers. This review aims to highlight the scope of ICT applications in optometry education and professional development drawing from similar experiences in other disciplines. Further, while enhanced use of ICT in optometry has the potential to create opportunities for transformative learning experiences, many schools use it merely to reinforce conventional teaching practices. Tremendous developments in ICT should allow educators to consider using ICT tools to enhance communication as well as providing a novel, richer, and more meaningful medium for the comprehensive knowledge construction in optometry and allied health disciplines.

  15. Using Technology, Bioinformatics and Health Informatics Approaches to Improve Learning Experiences in Optometry Education, Research and Practice

    PubMed Central

    Gupta, Vivek K.; Gupta, Veer B.

    2016-01-01

    Rapid advances in ocular diagnostic approaches and emerging links of pathological changes in the eye with systemic disorders have widened the scope of optometry as the front line of eye health care. Expanding professional requirements stipulate that optometry students get a meticulous training in relevant information and communication technologies (ICT) and various bioinformatics and health informatics software to meet current and future challenges. Greater incorporation of ICT approaches in optometry education can facilitate increased student engagement in shared learning experiences and improve collaborative learning. This, in turn, will enable students to participate in and prepare for the complex real-world situations. A judicious use of ICTs by teachers in learning endeavors can help students develop innovative patterns of thinking to be a successful optometry professional. ICT-facilitated learning enables students and professionals to carry out their own research and take initiatives and thus shifts the equilibrium towards self-education. It is important that optometry and allied vision science schools adapt to the changing professional requirements with pedagogical evolution and react appropriately to provide the best educational experience for the students and teachers. This review aims to highlight the scope of ICT applications in optometry education and professional development drawing from similar experiences in other disciplines. Further, while enhanced use of ICT in optometry has the potential to create opportunities for transformative learning experiences, many schools use it merely to reinforce conventional teaching practices. Tremendous developments in ICT should allow educators to consider using ICT tools to enhance communication as well as providing a novel, richer, and more meaningful medium for the comprehensive knowledge construction in optometry and allied health disciplines. PMID:27854266

  16. Comparative study on legislation of utilization of construction wastes as resources in china and abroad

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wenfeng, Liu; Zhaomeng, Wang; Hongmei, Hou

    2018-05-01

    The dilemma of the “Building wastes Besieged City” has gradually become a national problem. Historical experience in the world shows that establishing a systematic and complete legal system is an effective way and powerful weapon to ensure the comprehensive utilization of building wastes resources. Based on the domestic conditions, the state focuses on the problems and learns from the legislation experience of Chinese and foreign construction wastes recycling laws and regulations, to design the legal system form multiple fields, multiple angles, and multiple levels as much as possible to achieve maximum environmental, social, and economic benefits. This article mainly summarizes the characteristics and outstanding experience of the legislation of the comprehensive utilization of construction wastes as resources in foreign countries, as well as the existing problems of Chinese relevant legal regulations, and provides reference for future research and implementation of relevant legislation.

  17. Motivating Young Native American Students to Pursue STEM Learning Through a Culturally Relevant Science Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stevens, Sally; Andrade, Rosi; Page, Melissa

    2016-12-01

    Data indicate that females and ethnic/race minority groups are underrepresented in the science and engineering workforce calling for innovative strategies to engage and retain them in science education and careers. This study reports on the development, delivery, and outcomes of a culturally driven science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) program, iSTEM, aimed at increasing engagement in STEM learning among Native American 3rd-8th grade students. A culturally relevant theoretical framework, Funds of Knowledge, informs the iSTEM program, a program based on the contention that the synergistic effect of a hybrid program combining two strategic approaches (1) in-school mentoring and (2) out-of-school informal science education experiences would foster engagement and interest in STEM learning. Students are paired with one of three types of mentors: Native American community members, university students, and STEM professionals. The iSTEM program is theme based with all program activities specifically relevant to Native people living in southern Arizona. Student mentees and mentors complete interactive flash STEM activities at lunch hour and attend approximately six field trips per year. Data from the iSTEM program indicate that the program has been successful in engaging Native American students in iSTEM as well as increasing their interest in STEM and their science beliefs.

  18. Young doctors' problem solving strategies on call may be improved.

    PubMed

    Michelsen, Jens; Malchow-Møller, Axel; Charles, Peder; Eika, Berit

    2013-03-01

    The first year following graduation from medical school is challenging as learning from books changes to workplace-based learning. Analysis and reflection on experience may ease this transition. We used Significant Event Analysis (SEA) as a tool to explore what pre-registration house officers (PRHOs) consider successful and problematic events, and to identify what problem-solving strategies they employ. A senior house officer systematically led the PRHO through the SEA of one successful and one problematic event following a night call. The PRHO wrote answers to questions about diagnosis, what happened, how he or she contributed and what knowledge-gaining activities the PRHO would prioritise before the next call. By using an inductive, thematic data analysis, we identified five problem-solving strategies: non-analytical reasoning, analytical reasoning, communication with patients, communication with colleagues and professional behaviour. On average, 1.5 strategies were used in the successful events and 1.2 strategies in the problematic events. Most PRHOs were unable to suggest activities other than reading textbooks. SEA was valuable for the identification of PRHOs' problem-solving strategies in a natural setting. PRHOs should be assisted in increasing their repertoire of strategies, and they should also be helped to "learn to learn" as they were largely unable to point to new learning strategies. not relevant. not relevant.

  19. Building Interactivity in Higher Education to Support Student Engagement in Spatial Problem Solving and Programming

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gulland, E.-K.; Veenendaal, B.; Schut, A. G. T.

    2012-07-01

    Problem-solving knowledge and skills are an important attribute of spatial sciences graduates. The challenge of higher education is to build a teaching and learning environment that enables students to acquire these skills in relevant and authentic applications. This study investigates the effectiveness of traditional face-to-face teaching and online learning technologies in supporting the student learning of problem-solving and computer programming skills, techniques and solutions. The student cohort considered for this study involves students in the surveying as well as geographic information science (GISc) disciplines. Also, students studying across a range of learning modes including on-campus, distance and blended, are considered in this study. Student feedback and past studies reveal a lack of student interest and engagement in problem solving and computer programming. Many students do not see such skills as directly relevant and applicable to their perceptions of what future spatial careers hold. A range of teaching and learning methods for both face-to-face teaching and distance learning were introduced to address some of the perceived weaknesses of the learning environment. These included initiating greater student interaction in lectures, modifying assessments to provide greater feedback and student accountability, and the provision of more interactive and engaging online learning resources. The paper presents and evaluates the teaching methods used to support the student learning environment. Responses of students in relation to their learning experiences were collected via two anonymous, online surveys and these results were analysed with respect to student pass and retention rates. The study found a clear distinction between expectations and engagement of surveying students in comparison to GISc students. A further outcome revealed that students who were already engaged in their learning benefited the most from the interactive learning resources and opportunities provided.

  20. Feminist Group Process in Seminar Classes: Possibilities and Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barrett, Betty J.

    2009-01-01

    In this essay, I describe my experience applying the principles of feminist group process in a senior level social science course. I begin by providing an overview of feminist pedagogy as an approach to teaching and learning and discuss the relevance of feminist group process within this model. I then highlight the core components of feminist…

  1. The Past as a Puzzle: How Essential Questions Can Piece Together a Meaningful Investigation of History

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Obenchain, Kathryn M.; Orr, Angela; Davis, Susan H.

    2011-01-01

    This article details a professional development program focused on the use of essential questions in reframing U.S. history learning experiences in elementary, middle, and high schools. Teachers identified four problems in designing and teaching engaging, relevant, and challenging U.S. history lessons. Each problem was addressed through the…

  2. Towards an Interdisciplinary Model of Practice for Participatory Building Design in Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Könings, Karen D.; Bovill, Catherine; Woolner, Pamela

    2017-01-01

    It is recognised that educational environments influence learning experiences, so it is important to ensure that educational buildings are designed to be fit for purpose. In order to ensure that educational buildings meet the needs of those who use them, all relevant stakeholders should be involved in the design process. However, this is not…

  3. What Scientists Say: Scientists' Views of Nature of Science and Relation to Science Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwartz, Renee; Lederman, Norman

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine practicing scientists' views of nature of science (NOS) and explore possible relationships between these views and science context. Science educators emphasize teaching NOS through inquiry-based learning experiences throughout science disciplines. Yet aspects of NOS that are agreed upon as relevant to…

  4. Exploring Qualified Nurses' Perceptions of the Relevance of Education in Preparation for Their Role in Rehabilitation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Long, Andrew F.; Kneafsey, Rosie; Ryan, Julia; Berry, Judith

    2002-01-01

    Responses from 137 nurses indicated that 64% felt their education had not prepared them for work in rehabilitation; only one-fourth of recent graduates felt prepared; 71% had participated in continuing education, but many felt they learned from experience or from others. Better education would enhance confidence, promote professional equality, and…

  5. Transforming the Initial Marketing Education Experience: An Action Learning Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Mark R.

    2010-01-01

    Marketing education today is facing significant challenges in attracting and retaining high-quality students. The focus of this article is to advocate engaging 1st-year students in the practice of marketing to help develop their identity as a marketing major, to see the relevance of their studies, and to enhance their thinking and self-regulating…

  6. Knowing and Doing Vocational Education and Training Reform: Evidence, Learning and the Policy Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGrath, Simon; Lugg, Rosemary

    2012-01-01

    Much of VET policy internationally draws on a toolkit that has been seriously questioned for its logic, international relevance and effectiveness by considerable amounts of academic research. Reflecting primarily on our experiences of leading a complex, multi-country policy study, we develop an account that seeks to explore ways in which the…

  7. Impact of an Inquiry Unit on Grade 4 Students' Science Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Di Mauro, María Florencia; Furman, Melina

    2016-01-01

    This paper concerns the identification of teaching strategies that enhance the development of 4th grade students' experimental design skills at a public primary school in Argentina. Students' performance in the design of relevant experiments was evaluated before and after an eight-week intervention compared to a control group, as well as the…

  8. Assessing Toxic Risk. Teacher's Guide [and] Student Edition. Cornell Scientific Inquiry Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trautmann, Nancy M.; Carlsen, William S.; Krasny, Marianne E.; Cunningham, Christine M.

    The teacher's guide of "Assessing Toxic Risk" aims to help students conduct scientific research on relevant environmental topics. Using the research protocols in this book, students learn to carry out experiments known as bioassays. In this way, the toxicity of substances is evaluated by measuring its effect on living things. The text is…

  9. Self-Regulation in Children Born with Extremely Low Birth Weight at 2 Years Old: A Comparison Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lynn, Lisa N.; Cuskelly, Monica; Gray, Peter H.; O'Callaghan, Michael J.

    2012-01-01

    Survival rates for children born with extremely low birth weight (ELBW) are increasing; however, many of these children experience later problems with learning. This study adopted an integrated approach to these problems, involving the self-regulatory tasks of inhibition and delay of gratification and relevant individual factors including…

  10. Students' Perceptions of the Relevance of Mathematics in Engineering

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flegg, Jennifer; Mallet, Dann; Lupton, Mandy

    2012-01-01

    In this article, we report on the findings of an exploratory study into the experience of students as they learn first year engineering mathematics. Here we define engineering as the application of mathematics and sciences to the building and design of projects for the use of society [M. Kirschenman and B. Brenner, "Education for Civil…

  11. Respond to Diversity: Graduate Minority Students' Perceptions on Their Learning Experiences in an American University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yuan, Huanshu

    2017-01-01

    The increasing population of minority students in higher education in the United States makes it relevant to focus on the issue of how to improve current educational philosophies, instruction and curriculum design, investment, and organization to meet the needs of minority students. A "teaching gap" between minority students' learning…

  12. Nonlinear Pedagogy and Its Role in Encouraging Twenty-First Century Competencies through Physical Education: A Singapore Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Miriam Chang Yi; Chow, Jia Yi; Button, Chris; Tan, Clara Wee Keat

    2017-01-01

    Nonlinear Pedagogy is an exploratory approach to teaching and learning Physical Education that can be potentially effective to help children acquire relevant twenty-first century competencies. Underpinned by Ecological Dynamics, the focus of Nonlinear Pedagogy is on the learner and includes the provision of less prescriptive instructions and…

  13. Wolves in the Wild: Using Current Issues to Make Science Relevant

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Post, Jennie; Sadler, Troy D.

    2010-01-01

    As teachers, one of our most important responsibilities is to help students develop dynamic and useful views of science. Using current issues to create learning experiences can help generate student interest in science and help students appreciate its significance in both personal and societal contexts. This article presents a lesson based on news…

  14. Images of Mathematics in Popular Culture/Adults' Lives: A Study of Advertisements in the UK Press

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans, Jeff; Tsatsaroni, Anna; Staub, Natalie

    2007-01-01

    The success of policies to attract adults back to the learning of mathematics, at various levels, is often linked to questions of motivation. However, motivations depend on relevant beliefs, attitudes and emotions about mathematics--which themselves reflect, together with experiences with maths in school and in the home, wider cultural discourses…

  15. Medical Mycology and the Chemistry Classroom: Germinating Student Interest in Organic Chemistry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bliss, Joseph M.; Reid, Christopher W.

    2013-01-01

    Efforts to provide active research context to introductory courses in basic sciences are likely to better engage learners and provide a framework for relevant concepts. A simple teaching and learning experiment was conducted to use concepts in organic chemistry to solve problems in the life sciences. Bryant University is a liberal arts university…

  16. Case-Based Instruction: Improving Students' Conceptual Understanding through Cases in a Mechanical Engineering Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yadav, Aman; Vinh, Megan; Shaver, Gregory M.; Meckl, Peter; Firebaugh, Stephanie

    2014-01-01

    Recently, there has been a push within engineering curricula to adopt more learner-centered pedagogies, such as case-based instruction. Case-based instruction has been hypothesized to make the curriculum more relevant and motivating for students by pushing them to integrate the concepts they have learned with other experiences. The current study…

  17. The Benefits of Computer-Generated Feedback for Mathematics Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fyfe, Emily R.; Rittle-Johnson, Bethany

    2016-01-01

    The goal of the current research was to better understand when and why feedback has positive effects on learning and to identify features of feedback that may improve its efficacy. In a randomized experiment, second-grade children (N = 75) received instruction on a correct problem-solving strategy and then solved a set of relevant problems.…

  18. Journey to the 'New Normal' and Beyond: Reflections on Learning in a Community of Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watson-Gegeo, Karen Ann

    2005-01-01

    Through poetry and strips of narrative, this paper discusses the embodied experience of chemical sensitivity and the anthropologist author's and other patients' journey through altered perception towards knowledge, community and transformation in the context of a medical clinic. The narratives are situated in several strands of relevant theory,…

  19. Women's Bodies as a "Puzzle" for College Men: Grounded Theory Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koch, Patricia Barthalow

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the level of college men's understanding about women's bodies (i.e., reproductive anatomy and physiology) in order to structure learning experiences of most relevance and interest to them. A grounded theory research design, using the constant comparative method, was used in order to gain a deeper…

  20. Learner-Adaptive Educational Technology for Simulation in Healthcare: Foundations and Opportunities.

    PubMed

    Lineberry, Matthew; Dev, Parvati; Lane, H Chad; Talbot, Thomas B

    2018-06-01

    Despite evidence that learners vary greatly in their learning needs, practical constraints tend to favor ''one-size-fits-all'' educational approaches, in simulation-based education as elsewhere. Adaptive educational technologies - devices and/or software applications that capture and analyze relevant data about learners to select and present individually tailored learning stimuli - are a promising aid in learners' and educators' efforts to provide learning experiences that meet individual needs. In this article, we summarize and build upon the 2017 Society for Simulation in Healthcare Research Summit panel discussion on adaptive learning. First, we consider the role of adaptivity in learning broadly. We then outline the basic functions that adaptive learning technologies must implement and the unique affordances and challenges of technology-based approaches for those functions, sharing an illustrative example from healthcare simulation. Finally, we consider future directions for accelerating research, development, and deployment of effective adaptive educational technology and techniques in healthcare simulation.

  1. Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating the Educational Module Students Active Learning via Internet Observations (SALIO) in Undergraduate Nursing Education.

    PubMed

    Salzmann-Erikson, Martin; Bjuhr, Marie; Mårtensson, Gunilla

    2017-04-01

    This study aimed not only to describe the development and implementation of the module but also to evaluate the nursing students' perceptions. A cross-sectional design including 101 students who were asked to participate and answer a survey. We describe the development of the pedagogic module Students Active Learning via Internet Observations based on situated learning. The findings show that learning about service users' own lived experiences via web-based platforms was instructive according to the students: 81% agreed to a high or very high degree. Another important finding was that 96% of students responded that the module had clinical relevance for nursing work. We argue that learning that engages students with data that are contextually and culturally situated is important for developing competence in caregiving. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. The role of alpha-rhythm states in perceptual learning: insights from experiments and computational models

    PubMed Central

    Sigala, Rodrigo; Haufe, Sebastian; Roy, Dipanjan; Dinse, Hubert R.; Ritter, Petra

    2014-01-01

    During the past two decades growing evidence indicates that brain oscillations in the alpha band (~10 Hz) not only reflect an “idle” state of cortical activity, but also take a more active role in the generation of complex cognitive functions. A recent study shows that more than 60% of the observed inter-subject variability in perceptual learning can be ascribed to ongoing alpha activity. This evidence indicates a significant role of alpha oscillations for perceptual learning and hence motivates to explore the potential underlying mechanisms. Hence, it is the purpose of this review to highlight existent evidence that ascribes intrinsic alpha oscillations a role in shaping our ability to learn. In the review, we disentangle the alpha rhythm into different neural signatures that control information processing within individual functional building blocks of perceptual learning. We further highlight computational studies that shed light on potential mechanisms regarding how alpha oscillations may modulate information transfer and connectivity changes relevant for learning. To enable testing of those model based hypotheses, we emphasize the need for multidisciplinary approaches combining assessment of behavior and multi-scale neuronal activity, active modulation of ongoing brain states and computational modeling to reveal the mathematical principles of the complex neuronal interactions. In particular we highlight the relevance of multi-scale modeling frameworks such as the one currently being developed by “The Virtual Brain” project. PMID:24772077

  3. Pedagogical Approaches to Diagnostic Imaging Education: A Narrative Review of the Literature

    PubMed Central

    Linaker, Kathleen L.

    2015-01-01

    Objective The purpose of this study was to examine literature on how radiology is taught and learned by both radiology residents and undergraduates in the health professions. Methods A review of the literature was performed using relevant key words. Articles were retrieved through December 2012 using PubMed, ScienceDirect, ERIC, Proquest, and ICL databases along with a manual review of references. Results Of the 4716 unique abstracts reviewed by the author, 91 were found to be relevant to the purpose of this study. The literature retrieved reported pedagogical approaches to teaching radiology including the following: problem solving, technology as teacher, independent learning tools, visiting lectureships, case based teaching, and conferences. There was some exploration of the relative effectiveness of educational formats. Suggestions for future research identify 7 areas of relative consistency. Conclusion Radiology is a clinical skill that requires integration science, clinical information, clinical experiences, and information recorded on diagnostic imaging studies. The research in this area focuses on problem solving, the use of algorithm/scripts, introducing uncertainty in clinical scenarios, incorporating technology in learning environments, active learning techniques, and methods of independent learning. Although the literature in this area is still in its infancy, the research examining the relative effectiveness of these various educational formats is often contradictory, suggesting that this is a complex area of study with numerous factors influencing student learning. PMID:26770173

  4. The role of emotion in the learning and transfer of clinical skills and knowledge.

    PubMed

    McConnell, Meghan M; Eva, Kevin W

    2012-10-01

    Medical school and residency are emotional experiences for trainees. Most research examining emotion in medicine has focused on negative moods associated with physician burnout and poor quality of life. However, positive emotional states also may have important influences on student learning and performance. The authors present a review of the literature on the influence of emotion on cognition, specifically how individuals learn complex skills and knowledge and how they transfer that information to new scenarios. From September 2011 to February 2012, the authors searched Medline, PsycInfo, GoogleScholar, ERIC, and Web of Science, as well as the reference lists of relevant articles, for research on the interaction between emotion, learning, and knowledge transfer. They extracted representative themes and noted particularly relevant empirical findings. The authors found articles that show that emotion influences various cognitive processes that are involved in the acquisition and transfer of knowledge and skills. More specifically, emotion influences how individuals identify and perceive information, how they interpret it, and how they act on the information available in learning and practice situations. There are many ways in which emotions may influence medical education. Researchers must further explore the implications of these findings to ensure that learning is not treated simply as a rational, mechanistic process but that trainees are effectively prepared to perform under a wide range of emotional conditions.

  5. Creative Learning Identities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jeffrey, Bob

    2008-01-01

    Making learning relevant involves many aspects of teaching such as attention to levels of maturity, individual inclinations, emotional, physical, aesthetic and cognitive activity and group dynamics. However, making learning relevant is not only a teacher led activity, for learners make activities relevant by the identification of connections with…

  6. Learning in and about rural places: Connections and tensions between students' everyday experiences and environmental quality issues in their community

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zimmerman, Heather Toomey; Weible, Jennifer L.

    2017-03-01

    Guided by sociocultural perspectives on the importance of place as a resource for learning, we investigated 14- and 15-year old students' understandings of their community and water quality during a school-based watershed unit. Methods included a theory-driven thematic analysis of field notes and video transcripts from four biology classrooms, a qualitative and quantitative analysis of 67 pairs of matched pre- and post-intervention mindmaps, and a content analysis of 73 student reflections. As they learned about water quality, learners recognized the relevance of the watershed's health to the health of their community. Students acknowledged the impacts of local economically driven activities (e.g., natural gas wells, application of agrichemicals) and leisure activities (e.g., boating, fishing) on the watershed's environmental health. As students learned in and about their watershed, they experienced both connections and tensions between their everyday experiences and the environmental problems in their community. The students suggested individual sustainability actions needed to address water quality issues; however, the students struggled to understand how to act collectively. Implications of rural experiences as assets to future environmental sciences learning are discussed as well as the implications of educational experiences that do not include an advocacy component when students uncover environmental health issues. We suggest further consideration is needed on how to help young people develop action-oriented science knowledge, not just inert knowledge of environmental problems, during place-based education units.

  7. Nursing students' perceptions of their clinical learning environment in placements outside traditional hospital settings.

    PubMed

    Bjørk, Ida T; Berntsen, Karin; Brynildsen, Grethe; Hestetun, Margrete

    2014-10-01

    To explore students' opinions of the learning environment during clinical placement in settings outside traditional hospital settings. Clinical placement experiences may influence positively on nursing students attitudes towards the clinical setting in question. Most studies exploring the quality of clinical placements have targeted students' experience in hospital settings. The number of studies exploring students' experiences of the learning environment in healthcare settings outside of the hospital venue does not match the growing importance of such settings in the delivery of health care, nor the growing number of nurses needed in these venues. A survey design was used. The Clinical Learning Environment Inventory was administered to two cohorts of undergraduate nursing students (n = 184) after clinical placement in mental health care, home care and nursing home care. Nursing students' overall contentment with the learning environment was quite similar across all three placement areas. Students in mental health care had significantly higher scores on the subscale individualisation, and older students had significantly higher scores on the total scale. Compared with other studies where the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory has been used, the students' total scores in this study are similar or higher than scores in studies including students from hospital settings. Results from this study negate the negative views on clinical placements outside the hospital setting, especially those related to placements in nursing homes and mental healthcare settings. Students' experience of the learning environment during placements in mental health care, home care and nursing homes indicates the relevance of clinical education in settings outside the hospital setting. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Transforming a sequence of microbiology courses using student profile data.

    PubMed

    Buxeda, R J; Moore, D A

    2000-05-01

    A study was performed in the General Microbiology and Industrial Microbiology courses to increase research awareness at an early stage of the educational process and to establish collaboration between students in an Industrial Microbiology program and industry. In both courses, the professor helped students determine their learning styles and then used these data to design activities in order to accomplish the above objectives. In both the treatment and the control sections, students learned about strategies to optimize learning based on their learning styles. A cooperative learning format was introduced to promote active learning and team-building skills. The diverse learning styles data profile was used by students during cooperative learning activities for effective team integration. In the General Microbiology course, a mentor-mentee structure was introduced to expose students to research in microbiology by visiting research facilities on campus. This structure was an addition to the regular curriculum, which meets American Society for Microbiology curriculum recommendations. The results suggest an increase in interest in research by students. In the Industrial Microbiology course, a strategy was introduced to establish collaboration with industry in which students visit the workplace and identify microbial processes, microbiologist roles, and skills needed by microbiologists. Evaluation of these topics using pre- and posttest data indicates a significant increase in acquired knowledge relevant to daily workplace environments with the reformed course. In both courses, students gain information early in their academic experience to help them consider participation in research experiences while providing them with real-world experience toward the end of their academic careers, when they see the need for it.

  9. Are Children the Better Placebo Analgesia Responders? An Experimental Approach.

    PubMed

    Wrobel, Nathalie; Fadai, Tahmine; Sprenger, Christian; Hebebrand, Johannes; Wiech, Katja; Bingel, Ulrike

    2015-10-01

    There is little information regarding changes in placebo responsiveness with age, although first predictors of placebo responders such as psychological and physiological processes have been identified. Reviews and meta-analyses indicate that placebo response rates in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are higher in children and adolescents compared with adults. As these studies cannot control for age-dependent differences in the natural course of the disease, biases might contribute to different placebo rates in RCTs. To avoid these biases, this study investigated age-related differences in placebo responsiveness between children and adults in a well-established experimental model of placebo analgesia combining classic conditioning and expectation. Our data confirm placebo analgesic responses in children, which did not differ in magnitude from those of adults. The influence of previous experience on subsequent treatment outcome was stronger in children than in adults, indicating an increased relevance of learning processes for treatment outcomes in children. Further studies are needed to understand the influence of treatment-related learning processes in children and adolescents, which might critically determine treatment responsiveness during adulthood. This study is the first to experimentally explore placebo analgesia and influences of previous experience on placebo responses in children compared with adults. We found comparable placebo responses in both groups and an increased relevance of learning processes for treatment outcomes in children. Copyright © 2015 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Gaming, texting, learning? Teaching engineering ethics through students' lived experiences with technology.

    PubMed

    Voss, Georgina

    2013-09-01

    This paper examines how young peoples' lived experiences with personal technologies can be used to teach engineering ethics in a way which facilitates greater engagement with the subject. Engineering ethics can be challenging to teach: as a form of practical ethics, it is framed around future workplace experience in a professional setting which students are assumed to have no prior experience of. Yet the current generations of engineering students, who have been described as 'digital natives', do however have immersive personal experience with digital technologies; and experiential learning theory describes how students learn ethics more successfully when they can draw on personal experience which give context and meaning to abstract theories. This paper reviews current teaching practices in engineering ethics; and examines young people's engagement with technologies including cell phones, social networking sites, digital music and computer games to identify social and ethical elements of these practices which have relevance for the engineering ethics curricula. From this analysis three case studies are developed to illustrate how facets of the use of these technologies can be drawn on to teach topics including group work and communication; risk and safety; and engineering as social experimentation. Means for bridging personal experience and professional ethics when teaching these cases are discussed. The paper contributes to research and curriculum development in engineering ethics education, and to wider education research about methods of teaching 'the net generation'.

  11. Task-relevant information is prioritized in spatiotemporal contextual cueing.

    PubMed

    Higuchi, Yoko; Ueda, Yoshiyuki; Ogawa, Hirokazu; Saiki, Jun

    2016-11-01

    Implicit learning of visual contexts facilitates search performance-a phenomenon known as contextual cueing; however, little is known about contextual cueing under situations in which multidimensional regularities exist simultaneously. In everyday vision, different information, such as object identity and location, appears simultaneously and interacts with each other. We tested the hypothesis that, in contextual cueing, when multiple regularities are present, the regularities that are most relevant to our behavioral goals would be prioritized. Previous studies of contextual cueing have commonly used the visual search paradigm. However, this paradigm is not suitable for directing participants' attention to a particular regularity. Therefore, we developed a new paradigm, the "spatiotemporal contextual cueing paradigm," and manipulated task-relevant and task-irrelevant regularities. In four experiments, we demonstrated that task-relevant regularities were more responsible for search facilitation than task-irrelevant regularities. This finding suggests our visual behavior is focused on regularities that are relevant to our current goal.

  12. Brief or new: the benefits of on-line learning in occupational therapy.

    PubMed

    Gallew, Heather A

    2004-01-01

    SUMMARY This paper discusses the benefits of incorporating an on-line program, such as Blackboard, into occupational therapy education to enhance the learning experience. An occupational therapy department at a midwestern university piloted the use of Blackboard in two classes in the spring semester of the junior year. Students (n = 16) ranging in age from 20-28 years participated in the pilot study, which lasted a period of 12 weeks. The students were given various assignments on Blackboard involving discussions, answering questions related to the lecture topic, and sharing evidence-based practice. Overall, the student perceptions of incorporating Blackboard into a traditional classroom were positive. Eighty-one percent of the students felt that Blackboard was easy to access, 75% felt that they could share thoughts and stories that they would not necessarily have shared in a classroom setting, and 81% felt that Blackboard expanded on lecture topics and relevant practice information. Data suggest that on-line learning can enhance the educational experience by building upon student fieldwork experiences, evidence-based practice, discussion of key concepts in the profession, and clinical reasoning.

  13. Computer literacy and attitudes towards e-learning among first year medical students

    PubMed Central

    Link, Thomas Michael; Marz, Richard

    2006-01-01

    Background At the Medical University of Vienna, most information for students is available only online. In 2005, an e-learning project was initiated and there are plans to introduce a learning management system. In this study, we estimate the level of students' computer skills, the number of students having difficulty with e-learning, and the number of students opposed to e-learning. Methods The study was conducted in an introductory course on computer-based and web-based training (CBT/WBT). Students were asked to fill out a questionnaire online that covered a wide range of relevant attitudes and experiences. Results While the great majority of students possess sufficient computer skills and acknowledge the advantages of interactive and multimedia-enhanced learning material, a small percentage lacks basic computer skills and/or is very skeptical about e-learning. There is also a consistently significant albeit weak gender difference in available computer infrastructure and Internet access. As for student attitudes toward e-learning, we found that age, computer use, and previous exposure to computers are more important than gender. A sizable number of students, 12% of the total, make little or no use of existing e-learning offerings. Conclusion Many students would benefit from a basic introduction to computers and to the relevant computer-based resources of the university. Given to the wide range of computer skills among students, a single computer course for all students would not be useful nor would it be accepted. Special measures should be taken to prevent students who lack computer skills from being disadvantaged or from developing computer-hostile attitudes. PMID:16784524

  14. Computer literacy and attitudes towards e-learning among first year medical students.

    PubMed

    Link, Thomas Michael; Marz, Richard

    2006-06-19

    At the Medical University of Vienna, most information for students is available only online. In 2005, an e-learning project was initiated and there are plans to introduce a learning management system. In this study, we estimate the level of students' computer skills, the number of students having difficulty with e-learning, and the number of students opposed to e-learning. The study was conducted in an introductory course on computer-based and web-based training (CBT/WBT). Students were asked to fill out a questionnaire online that covered a wide range of relevant attitudes and experiences. While the great majority of students possess sufficient computer skills and acknowledge the advantages of interactive and multimedia-enhanced learning material, a small percentage lacks basic computer skills and/or is very skeptical about e-learning. There is also a consistently significant albeit weak gender difference in available computer infrastructure and Internet access. As for student attitudes toward e-learning, we found that age, computer use, and previous exposure to computers are more important than gender. A sizable number of students, 12% of the total, make little or no use of existing e-learning offerings. Many students would benefit from a basic introduction to computers and to the relevant computer-based resources of the university. Given to the wide range of computer skills among students, a single computer course for all students would not be useful nor would it be accepted. Special measures should be taken to prevent students who lack computer skills from being disadvantaged or from developing computer-hostile attitudes.

  15. Residents' views of the role of classroom-based learning in graduate medical education through the lens of academic half days.

    PubMed

    Chen, Luke Y C; McDonald, Julie A; Pratt, Daniel D; Wisener, Katherine M; Jarvis-Selinger, Sandra

    2015-04-01

    To examine the role of classroom-based learning in graduate medical education through the lens of academic half days (AHDs) by exploring residents' perceptions of AHDs' purpose and relevance and the effectiveness of teaching and learning in AHDs. The authors invited a total of 186 residents in three programs (internal medicine, orthopedic surgery, and hematology) at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine to participate in semistructured focus groups from October 2010 to February 2011. Verbatim transcripts of the interviews underwent inductive analysis. Twenty-seven residents across the three programs volunteered to participate. Two major findings emerged. Purpose and relevance of AHDs: Residents believed that AHDs are primarily for knowledge acquisition and should complement clinical learning. Classroom learning facilitated consolidation of clinical experiences with expert clinical reasoning. Social aspects of AHDs were highly valued as an important secondary purpose. Perceived effectiveness of teaching and learning: Case-based teaching engaged residents in critical thinking; active learning was valued. Knowledge retention was considered suboptimal. Perspectives on the concept of AHDs as "protected time" varied in the three programs. Findings suggest that (1) engagement in classroom learning occurs through participation in clinically oriented discussions that highlight expert reasoning processes; (2) formal classroom teaching, which focuses on knowledge acquisition, can enhance informal learning occurring during clinical activity; and (3) social aspects of AHDs, including their role in creating communities of practice in residency programs and in professional identity formation, are an important, underappreciated asset for residency programs.

  16. Characterizing Student Experiences in Physics Competitions: The Power of Emotions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moll, Rachel F.; Nashon, S.; Anderson, D.

    2006-12-01

    Low enrolment and motivation are key issues in physics education and recently the affective dimension of learning is being studied for evidence of its influence on student attitudes towards physics. Physics Olympics competitions are a novel context for stimulating intense emotional experiences. In this study, one team of students and their teacher were interviewed and observed prior to and during the event to characterize their emotions and determine the connections between their experiences and learning and attitudes/motivation towards physics. Results showed that certain types of events stimulated strong emotions of frustration and ownership, and that students’ attitudes were that physics is fun, diverse and relevant. Analysis of these themes indicated that the nature of emotions generated was connected to their attitudes towards physics. This finding points to the potential and value of informal and novel contexts in creating strong positive emotions, which have a strong influence on student attitudes towards physics.

  17. Learning in the informal spaces and re-signification of the existence of undergraduate students of nursing

    PubMed Central

    de Jesus, Isabel Silva; Sena, Edite Lago da Silva; Andrade, Luana Machado

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: to describe the perception of lecturers and undergraduate nursing students regarding the dialogic experience in the informal spaces and its relationship with training in health. METHOD: experiential descriptions were collected in the context of a public university in the non-metropolitan region of the state of Bahia, Brazil, using open interviews. These descriptions were analyzed according to the principles of the phenomenology of Maurice Merleau-Ponty. RESULTS: it was revealed that the informal spaces contribute significantly to the construction of knowledge and professional training strengthening teaching and promoting the re-signification of the subjects' experience. CONCLUSION: it is evidenced that the dialogic experience has relevancy for rethinking the teaching-learning process in the university, such that the informal spaces should be included and valued as producers of meanings for the personal and academic life of lecturers and students, with the ability to re-signify existence. PMID:25493667

  18. Exploring hurdles to transfer : student experiences of applying knowledge across disciplines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lappalainen, Jouni; Rosqvist, Juho

    2015-04-01

    This paper explores the ways students perceive the transfer of learned knowledge to new situations - often a surprisingly difficult prospect. The novel aspect compared to the traditional transfer studies is that the learning phase is not a part of the experiment itself. The intention was only to activate acquired knowledge relevant to the transfer target using a short primer immediately prior to the situation where the knowledge was to be applied. Eight volunteer students from either mathematics or computer science curricula were given a task of designing an adder circuit using logic gates: a new context in which to apply knowledge of binary arithmetic and Boolean algebra. The results of a phenomenographic classification of the views presented by the students in their post-experiment interviews are reported. The degree to which the students were conscious of the acquired knowledge they employed and how they applied it in a new context emerged as the differentiating factors.

  19. Generalizing attentional control across dimensions and tasks: evidence from transfer of proportion-congruent effects.

    PubMed

    Wühr, Peter; Duthoo, Wout; Notebaert, Wim

    2015-01-01

    Three experiments investigated transfer of list-wide proportion congruent (LWPC) effects from a set of congruent and incongruent items with different frequency (inducer task) to a set of congruent and incongruent items with equal frequency (diagnostic task). Experiments 1 and 2 mixed items from horizontal and vertical Simon tasks. Tasks always involved different stimuli that varied on the same dimension (colour) in Experiment 1 and on different dimensions (colour, shape) in Experiment 2. Experiment 3 mixed trials from a manual Simon task with trials from a vocal Stroop task, with colour being the relevant stimulus in both tasks. There were two major results. First, we observed transfer of LWPC effects in Experiments 1 and 3, when tasks shared the relevant dimension, but not in Experiment 2. Second, sequential modulations of congruency effects transferred in Experiment 1 only. Hence, the different transfer patterns suggest that LWPC effects and sequential modulations arise from different mechanisms. Moreover, the observation of transfer supports an account of LWPC effects in terms of list-wide cognitive control, while being at odds with accounts in terms of stimulus-response (contingency) learning and item-specific control.

  20. A Space-Based Learning Service for Schools Worldwide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    White, Norman A.; Gibson, Alan

    2002-01-01

    This paper outlines a scheme for international collaboration to enrich the use of space in school education, to improve students' learning about science and related subjects and to enhance the continuity of science-related studies after the age of 16. Guidelines are presented for the design of an on-line learning service to provide schools worldwide with:- interactive curriculum-related learning resources for teaching about space and through - access to a purpose-designed education satellite or satellites; - opportunities for hands-on work by students in out-of-school hours; - news about space developments to attract, widen and deepen initial interest among teachers - support services to enable teachers to make effective use of the learning service. The Learning Service is the product of almost twenty years of experience by a significant number of UK schools in experimenting with, and in using, satellites and space to aid learning; and over four years of study and development by the SpaceLink Learning Foundation - a private-sector, not- for-profit UK registered charity, which is dedicated to help in increasing both the supply of scientists and engineers and the public understanding of science. This initiative provides scope for, and could benefit from, the involvement of relevant/interested organisations drawn from different countries. The Foundation would be ready, from its UK base, to be among such a group of initiating organisations.

  1. On the limits of statistical learning: Intertrial contextual cueing is confined to temporally close contingencies.

    PubMed

    Thomas, Cyril; Didierjean, André; Maquestiaux, François; Goujon, Annabelle

    2018-04-12

    Since the seminal study by Chun and Jiang (Cognitive Psychology, 36, 28-71, 1998), a large body of research based on the contextual-cueing paradigm has shown that the cognitive system is capable of extracting statistical contingencies from visual environments. Most of these studies have focused on how individuals learn regularities found within an intratrial temporal window: A context predicts the target position within a given trial. However, Ono, Jiang, and Kawahara (Journal of Experimental Psychology, 31, 703-712, 2005) provided evidence of an intertrial implicit-learning effect when a distractor configuration in preceding trials N - 1 predicted the target location in trials N. The aim of the present study was to gain further insight into this effect by examining whether it occurs when predictive relationships are impeded by interfering task-relevant noise (Experiments 2 and 3) or by a long delay (Experiments 1, 4, and 5). Our results replicated the intertrial contextual-cueing effect, which occurred in the condition of temporally close contingencies. However, there was no evidence of integration across long-range spatiotemporal contingencies, suggesting a temporal limitation of statistical learning.

  2. The Influence of the Pinyin and Zhuyin Writing Systems on the Acquisition of Mandarin Word Forms by Native English Speakers

    PubMed Central

    Hayes-Harb, Rachel; Cheng, Hui-Wen

    2016-01-01

    The role of written input in second language (L2) phonological and lexical acquisition has received increased attention in recent years. Here we investigated the influence of two factors that may moderate the influence of orthography on L2 word form learning: (i) whether the writing system is shared by the native language and the L2, and (ii) if the writing system is shared, whether the relevant grapheme-phoneme correspondences are also shared. The acquisition of Mandarin via the Pinyin and Zhuyin writing systems provides an ecologically valid opportunity to explore these factors. We first asked whether there is a difference in native English speakers' ability to learn Pinyin and Zhuyin grapheme-phoneme correspondences. In Experiment 1, native English speakers assigned to either Pinyin or Zhuyin groups were exposed to Mandarin words belonging to one of two conditions: in the “congruent” condition, the Pinyin forms are possible English spellings for the auditory words (e.g., < nai> for [nai]); in the “incongruent” condition, the Pinyin forms involve a familiar grapheme representing a novel phoneme (e.g., < xiu> for [ɕiou]). At test, participants were asked to indicate whether auditory and written forms matched; in the crucial trials, the written forms from training (e.g., < xiu>) were paired with possible English pronunciations of the Pinyin written forms (e.g., [ziou]). Experiment 2 was identical to Experiment 1 except that participants additionally saw pictures depicting word meanings during the exposure phase, and at test were asked to match auditory forms with the pictures. In both experiments the Zhuyin group outperformed the Pinyin group due to the Pinyin group's difficulty with “incongruent” items. A third experiment confirmed that the groups did not differ in their ability to perceptually distinguish the relevant Mandarin consonants (e.g., [ɕ]) from the foils (e.g., [z]), suggesting that the findings of Experiments 1 and 2 can be attributed to the effects of orthographic input. We thus conclude that despite the familiarity of Pinyin graphemes to native English speakers, the need to suppress native language grapheme-phoneme correspondences in favor of new ones can lead to less target-like knowledge of newly learned words' forms than does learning Zhuyin's entirely novel graphemes. PMID:27375506

  3. Using machine learning tools to model complex toxic interactions with limited sampling regimes.

    PubMed

    Bertin, Matthew J; Moeller, Peter; Guillette, Louis J; Chapman, Robert W

    2013-03-19

    A major impediment to understanding the impact of environmental stress, including toxins and other pollutants, on organisms, is that organisms are rarely challenged by one or a few stressors in natural systems. Thus, linking laboratory experiments that are limited by practical considerations to a few stressors and a few levels of these stressors to real world conditions is constrained. In addition, while the existence of complex interactions among stressors can be identified by current statistical methods, these methods do not provide a means to construct mathematical models of these interactions. In this paper, we offer a two-step process by which complex interactions of stressors on biological systems can be modeled in an experimental design that is within the limits of practicality. We begin with the notion that environment conditions circumscribe an n-dimensional hyperspace within which biological processes or end points are embedded. We then randomly sample this hyperspace to establish experimental conditions that span the range of the relevant parameters and conduct the experiment(s) based upon these selected conditions. Models of the complex interactions of the parameters are then extracted using machine learning tools, specifically artificial neural networks. This approach can rapidly generate highly accurate models of biological responses to complex interactions among environmentally relevant toxins, identify critical subspaces where nonlinear responses exist, and provide an expedient means of designing traditional experiments to test the impact of complex mixtures on biological responses. Further, this can be accomplished with an astonishingly small sample size.

  4. The Impact of Deliberative Strategy Dissociates ERP Components Related to Conflict Processing vs. Reinforcement Learning

    PubMed Central

    Warren, Christopher M.; Holroyd, Clay B.

    2012-01-01

    We applied the event-related brain potential (ERP) technique to investigate the involvement of two neuromodulatory systems in learning and decision making: The locus coeruleus–norepinephrine system (NE system) and the mesencephalic dopamine system (DA system). We have previously presented evidence that the N2, a negative deflection in the ERP elicited by task-relevant events that begins approximately 200 ms after onset of the eliciting stimulus and that is sensitive to low-probability events, is a manifestation of cortex-wide noradrenergic modulation recruited to facilitate the processing of unexpected stimuli. Further, we hold that the impact of DA reinforcement learning signals on the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) produces a component of the ERP called the feedback-related negativity (FRN). The N2 and the FRN share a similar time range, a similar topography, and similar antecedent conditions. We varied factors related to the degree of cognitive deliberation across a series of experiments to dissociate these two ERP components. Across four experiments we varied the demand for a deliberative strategy, from passively watching feedback, to more complex/challenging decision tasks. Consistent with our predictions, the FRN was largest in the experiment involving active learning and smallest in the experiment involving passive learning whereas the N2 exhibited the opposite effect. Within each experiment, when subjects attended to color, the N2 was maximal at frontal–central sites, and when they attended to gender it was maximal over lateral-occipital areas, whereas the topology of the FRN was frontal–central in both task conditions. We conclude that both the DA system and the NE system act in concert when learning from rewards that vary in expectedness, but that the DA system is relatively more exercised when subjects are relatively more engaged by the learning task. PMID:22493568

  5. Says Who?: Students Apply Their Critical-Analysis Skills to Fight Town Hall

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trimarchi, Ruth

    2002-01-01

    For some time the author looked for a tool to let students apply what they are learning about critical analysis in the science classroom to a relevant life experience. The opportunity occurred when a proposal to use environmentally friendly cleaning products in town buildings appeared on the local town meeting agenda. Using a copy of the proposal…

  6. Learning to Be (In)Variant: Combining Prior Knowledge and Experience to Infer Orientation Invariance in Object Recognition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Austerweil, Joseph L.; Griffiths, Thomas L.; Palmer, Stephen E.

    2017-01-01

    How does the visual system recognize images of a novel object after a single observation despite possible variations in the viewpoint of that object relative to the observer? One possibility is comparing the image with a prototype for invariance over a relevant transformation set (e.g., translations and dilations). However, invariance over…

  7. A Case for Culturally Relevant Teaching in Science Education and Lessons Learned for Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mensah, Felicia Moore

    2011-01-01

    In this article, the researcher discusses three elementary pre-service teachers' experiences in co-planning and co-teaching a Pollution Unit in a 4th-5th grade science classroom in New York City. The study makes use of microteaching papers, lesson plans, researcher classroom observations, interviews, and informal conversations to elicit lessons…

  8. Band-Aids Don't Fix Bullet Holes. A Response to "We Were There Too: Learning from Black Male Teachers in Mississippi about Successful Teaching of Black Students"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Melinda; Green, Dari; Martin, Lori Latrice; Fasching-Varner, Kenneth J.

    2016-01-01

    Hayes, Juarez, and Escoffery-Runnels (2014) analyzed the educational philosophies and pedagogical practices of two educators to understand how personal and professional experiences individually and collectively influenced their approach to teaching. Using oral histories, they presented an argument of why culturally relevant and social…

  9. A Curriculum Evaluation Study of Commercial Art Programs in the Wisconsin Vocational, Technical and Adult Schools: Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crandall, William H.; Niesl, Joseph

    A study of 2-year associate degree commercial arts programs in Wisconsin was conducted to determine the entry-level job requirements of commercial artists on a statewide basis; to identify skill tasks, performance levels, and learning experiences required of commercial artists; to evaluate the relevance of 2-year programs to industry requirements;…

  10. Learning within and beyond the Classroom: Compulsory School Students Voicing Their Positive Experiences of School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Backman, Ylva; Alerby, Eva; Bergmark, Ulrika; Gardelli, Asa; Hertting, Krister; Kostenius, Catrine; Ohrling, Kerstin

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study was to describe, reflect upon, and create a deeper understanding of aspects relevant for promoting a positive school environment from a student perspective. The data was analyzed by using an inductive phenomenological method and based on written responses from 200 Swedish students from grades 5-9. The results indicated that…

  11. Young Children's Use of Video as a Source of Socially Relevant Information

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Troseth, Georgene L.; Saylor, Megan M.; Archer, Allison H.

    2006-01-01

    Although prior research clearly shows that toddlers have difficulty learning from video, the basis for their difficulty is unknown. In the 2 current experiments, the effect of social feedback on 2-year-olds' use of information from video was assessed. Children who were told "face to face" where to find a hidden toy typically found it, but children…

  12. Stuttering adults' lack of pre-speech auditory modulation normalizes when speaking with delayed auditory feedback.

    PubMed

    Daliri, Ayoub; Max, Ludo

    2018-02-01

    Auditory modulation during speech movement planning is limited in adults who stutter (AWS), but the functional relevance of the phenomenon itself remains unknown. We investigated for AWS and adults who do not stutter (AWNS) (a) a potential relationship between pre-speech auditory modulation and auditory feedback contributions to speech motor learning and (b) the effect on pre-speech auditory modulation of real-time versus delayed auditory feedback. Experiment I used a sensorimotor adaptation paradigm to estimate auditory-motor speech learning. Using acoustic speech recordings, we quantified subjects' formant frequency adjustments across trials when continually exposed to formant-shifted auditory feedback. In Experiment II, we used electroencephalography to determine the same subjects' extent of pre-speech auditory modulation (reductions in auditory evoked potential N1 amplitude) when probe tones were delivered prior to speaking versus not speaking. To manipulate subjects' ability to monitor real-time feedback, we included speaking conditions with non-altered auditory feedback (NAF) and delayed auditory feedback (DAF). Experiment I showed that auditory-motor learning was limited for AWS versus AWNS, and the extent of learning was negatively correlated with stuttering frequency. Experiment II yielded several key findings: (a) our prior finding of limited pre-speech auditory modulation in AWS was replicated; (b) DAF caused a decrease in auditory modulation for most AWNS but an increase for most AWS; and (c) for AWS, the amount of auditory modulation when speaking with DAF was positively correlated with stuttering frequency. Lastly, AWNS showed no correlation between pre-speech auditory modulation (Experiment II) and extent of auditory-motor learning (Experiment I) whereas AWS showed a negative correlation between these measures. Thus, findings suggest that AWS show deficits in both pre-speech auditory modulation and auditory-motor learning; however, limited pre-speech modulation is not directly related to limited auditory-motor adaptation; and in AWS, DAF paradoxically tends to normalize their otherwise limited pre-speech auditory modulation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Let's Get Physical: Teaching Physics Through Gymnastics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sojourner, Elena J.; Burgasser, Adam J.; Weise, Eric D.

    2018-01-01

    The concept of embodied learning—that we can learn with our bodies and with our minds—is a well-established concept in physics and math education research, and includes symbolic understanding (e.g., gestures that track how students think or facilitate learning to model complex systems of energy flow) as well as the literal experience of exploring physical phenomena through body movements. Sport has long served as a guide for both illustrating and experiencing physical concepts and phenomena, with a particularly relevant example being the sport of gymnastics. Here, the practitioner is subjected to a wide range of forces and torques, and experiences translational and rotational motions, all guided by control of body positioning, shape, strength, and leverage. Smith provides a comprehensive study of the mechanics used to analyze gymnastic movements, which includes core concepts such as force balance, leverage and torque, center of mass and stability, moment of inertia, ballistic motion, pendulum motion, and circular motion. For life science majors, gymnastics also provides relevant physical examples of biomechanics and the physical limits of biological materials (skin, bones, ligaments). The popularity of gymnastics—consider the phenomenon of Simone Biles—makes it broadly accessible and engaging, particularly across genders.

  14. The effects of learning about one's own genetic susceptibility to alcoholism: a randomized experiment.

    PubMed

    Dar-Nimrod, Ilan; Zuckerman, Miron; Duberstein, Paul R

    2013-02-01

    Increased accessibility of direct-to-consumer personalized genetic reports raises the question: how are people affected by information about their own genetic predispositions? Participants were led to believe that they had entered a study on the genetics of alcoholism and sleep disorders. Participants provided a saliva sample purportedly to be tested for the presence of relevant genes. While awaiting the results, they completed a questionnaire assessing their emotional state. They subsequently received a bogus report about their genetic susceptibility and completed a questionnaire about their emotional state and items assessing perceived control over drinking, relevant future drinking-related intentions, and intervention-related motivation and behavior. Participants who were led to believe that they had a gene associated with alcoholism showed an increase in negative affect, decrease in positive affect, and reduced perceived personal control over drinking. Reported intentions for alcohol consumption in the near future were not affected; however, individuals were more likely to enroll in a "responsible drinking" workshop after learning of their alleged genetic susceptibility. The first complete randomized experiment to examine the psychological and behavioral effects of receiving personalized genetic susceptibility information indicates some potential perils and benefits of direct-to-consumer genetic tests.

  15. Lived experiences of self-reported science-anxious students taking an interdisciplinary undergraduate science course

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Minger, Mark Austin

    Having fears and frustrations while studying science topics can lead to science anxiety for some individuals. For those who experience science learning anxiety, the reality is often poor performance, lowered self-esteem, anger, and avoidance of further science courses. Using an interpretive approach, this study captures the experiences of five self-reported science anxious students as they participate in an interdisciplinary science course at the University of Minnesota. A series of three in-depth interviews were conducted with five students who were enrolled in the "Our Changing Planet" course offered at the University of Minnesota. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed thematically. Four major themes emerged from the interviews. Two of the themes involve the realities of being a science anxious student. These focus on participants' experiences of feeling frustrated, anxious and incompetent when studying both math and science; and the experiences of trying to learn science content that does not seem relevant to them. The last two themes highlight the participants' perceptions of their experiences during the "Our Changing Planet" course, including how the course seemed different from previous science courses as well as their learning experiences in cooperative groups. After presenting the themes, with supporting quotations, each theme is linked to the related literature. The essence of the participants' science anxiety experiences is presented and practical implications regarding science anxious students are discussed. Finally, insights gained and suggestions for further research are provided.

  16. The Sensorimotor System Can Sculpt Behaviorally Relevant Representations for Motor Learning

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The coordinate system in which humans learn novel motor skills is controversial. The representation of sensorimotor skills has been extensively studied by examining generalization after learning perturbations specifically designed to be ambiguous as to their coordinate system. Recent studies have found that learning is not represented in any simple coordinate system and can potentially be accounted for by a mixed representation. Here, instead of probing generalization, which has led to conflicting results, we examine whether novel dynamics can be learned when explicitly and unambiguously presented in particular coordinate systems. Subjects performed center–out reaches to targets in the presence of a force field, while varying the orientation of their hand (i.e., the wrist angle) across trials. Different groups of subjects experienced force fields that were explicitly presented either in Cartesian coordinates (field independent of hand orientation), in object coordinates (field rotated with hand orientation), or in anti-object coordinates (field rotated counter to hand orientation). Subjects learned to represent the dynamics when presented in either Cartesian or object coordinates, learning these as well as an ambiguous force field. However, learning was slower for the object-based dynamics and substantially impaired for the anti-object presentation. Our results show that the motor system is able to tune its representation to at least two natural coordinate systems but is impaired when the representation of the task does not correspond to a behaviorally relevant coordinate system. Our results show that the motor system can sculpt its representation through experience to match those of natural tasks. PMID:27588304

  17. Promoting interest and performance in high school science classes.

    PubMed

    Hulleman, Chris S; Harackiewicz, Judith M

    2009-12-04

    We tested whether classroom activities that encourage students to connect course materials to their lives will increase student motivation and learning. We hypothesized that this effect will be stronger for students who have low expectations of success. In a randomized field experiment with high school students, we found that a relevance intervention, which encouraged students to make connections between their lives and what they were learning in their science courses, increased interest in science and course grades for students with low success expectations. The results have implications for the development of science curricula and theories of motivation.

  18. Geomorphological Fieldwork

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Thornbush, Mary J; Allen, Casey D; Fitzpatrick, Faith A.

    2014-01-01

    Geomorphological Fieldwork addresses a topic that always remains popular within the geosciences and environmental science. More specifically, the volume conveys a growing legacy of field-based learning for young geomorphologists that can be used as a student book for field-based university courses and postgraduate research requiring fieldwork or field schools. The editors have much experience of field-based learning within geomorphology and extend this to physical geography. The topics covered are relevant to basic geomorphology as well as applied approaches in environmental and cultural geomorphology. The book integrates a physical-human approach to geography, but focuses on physical geography and geomorphology from an integrated field-based geoscience perspective.

  19. Social intuition as a form of implicit learning: Sequences of body movements are learned less explicitly than letter sequences

    PubMed Central

    Norman, Elisabeth; Price, Mark C.

    2012-01-01

    In the current paper, we first evaluate the suitability of traditional serial reaction time (SRT) and artificial grammar learning (AGL) experiments for measuring implicit learning of social signals. We then report the results of a novel sequence learning task which combines aspects of the SRT and AGL paradigms to meet our suggested criteria for how implicit learning experiments can be adapted to increase their relevance to situations of social intuition. The sequences followed standard finite-state grammars. Sequence learning and consciousness of acquired knowledge were compared between 2 groups of 24 participants viewing either sequences of individually presented letters or sequences of body-posture pictures, which were described as series of yoga movements. Participants in both conditions showed above-chance classification accuracy, indicating that sequence learning had occurred in both stimulus conditions. This shows that sequence learning can still be found when learning procedures reflect the characteristics of social intuition. Rule awareness was measured using trial-by-trial evaluation of decision strategy (Dienes & Scott, 2005; Scott & Dienes, 2008). For letters, sequence classification was best on trials where participants reported responding on the basis of explicit rules or memory, indicating some explicit learning in this condition. For body-posture, classification was not above chance on these types of trial, but instead showed a trend to be best on those trials where participants reported that their responses were based on intuition, familiarity, or random choice, suggesting that learning was more implicit. Results therefore indicate that the use of traditional stimuli in research on sequence learning might underestimate the extent to which learning is implicit in domains such as social learning, contributing to ongoing debate about levels of conscious awareness in implicit learning. PMID:22679467

  20. Re-Interpreting Relevant Learning: An Evaluative Framework for Secondary Education in a Global Language

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barrett, Angeline M.; Bainton, David

    2016-01-01

    The 2030 education goal privileges "relevant learning outcomes" as the evaluative space for quality improvement. Whilst the goal was designed for global level monitoring, its influence cuts across different scales. Implementation of the goal involves reinterpreting "relevant learning" at the local level. One way that small…

  1. Chinese students studying at Australian universities with specific reference to nursing students: a narrative literature review.

    PubMed

    Wang, Carol Chunfeng; Andre, Kate; Greenwood, Kenneth Mark

    2015-04-01

    To report the current knowledge on the Chinese nursing students' learning at Australian universities. The intent is to provide educators and researchers with a background to the contexts, the methodologies, the emphases of various relevant studies, and to provide recommendations for future research. Attracting international students has become an important part of Australian universities' business and contributes to their cultural diversity. Teaching international students has received considerable attention in the educational research literature. Experiences of international students can vary greatly depending on their country of origin. This paper critically reviews current literature relating to issues for Chinese students and in particular, Chinese nursing students, the biggest single group of international nursing students at Australian universities Narrative literature review. A comprehensive search of seven electronic databases for literature between 2003 and 2014 helped to identify qualitative and quantitative studies that addressed issues of Asian international students with English as a second language (ESL) (included nursing students) studying in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the United States and China. Pertinent websites were also searched. The reference lists and bibliographies of retrieved articles were hand- searched to identify other relevant studies. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria for the review. The majority of existing literature claimed that there is a range of challenges confronting international students including Chinese nursing students, in assimilation into their host country. These include issues with English language proficiency, cultural barriers, social problems, different learning styles, academic demands, perceived racism, homesickness, lack of assertiveness and financial problems. There is limited research about the Chinese students' study in Australia. In particular, the learning experience of Chinese nursing students has not been fully explored nor understood. This paper highlights the need for further research into the lived learning experience of Chinese nursing students studying at Australian universities. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Student and educator experiences of maternal-child simulation-based learning: a systematic review of qualitative evidence.

    PubMed

    MacKinnon, Karen; Marcellus, Lenora; Rivers, Julie; Gordon, Carol; Ryan, Maureen; Butcher, Diane

    2017-11-01

    Although maternal-child care is a pillar of primary health care, there is a global shortage of maternal-child health care providers. Nurse educators experience difficulties providing undergraduate students with maternal-child learning experiences for a number of reasons. Simulation has the potential to complement learning in clinical and classroom settings. Although systematic reviews of simulation are available, no systematic reviews of qualitative evidence related to maternal-child simulation-based learning (SBL) for undergraduate nursing students and/or educators have been located. The aim of this systematic review was to identify the appropriateness and meaningfulness of maternal-child simulation-based learning for undergraduate nursing students and nursing educators in educational settings to inform curriculum decision-making. The review questions are: INCLUSION CRITERIA TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS: Pre-registration or pre-licensure or undergraduate nursing or health professional students and educators. Experiences of simulation in an educational setting with a focus relevant to maternal child nursing. Qualitative research and educational evaluation using qualitative methods. North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. A three-step search strategy identified published studies in the English language from 2000 until April 2016. Identified studies that met the inclusion criteria were retrieved and critically appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-QARI) by at least two independent reviewers. Overall the methodological quality of the included studies was low. Qualitative findings were extracted by two independent reviewers using JBI-QARI data extraction tools. Findings were aggregated and categorized on the basis of similarity in meaning. Categories were subjected to a meta-synthesis to produce a single comprehensive set of synthesized findings. Twenty-two articles from 19 studies were included in the review. A total of 112 findings were extracted from the included articles. Findings were grouped into 15 categories created on the basis of similarity of meaning. Meta-synthesis of these categories generated three synthesized findings.Synthesized finding 1 Students experienced simulated learning experiences (SLE) as preparation that enhanced their confidence in practice. When simulation was being used for evaluation purposes many students experienced anxiety about the SLE.Synthesized finding 2 Pedagogical practices thought to be appropriate and meaningful included: realistic, relevant and engaging scenarios, a safe non-threatening learning environment, supportive guidance throughout the process, and integration with curriculum.Synthesized finding 3 Barriers and enablers to incorporating SLEs into maternal child education were identified including adequate resources, technological support and faculty development. Students and educators recognized that some things, such as relationship building, could not be simulated. Students felt that simulation prepared them for practice through building their self-confidence related to frequently and infrequently seen maternal-child scenarios. Specific pedagogical elements support the meaningfulness of the simulation for student learning. The presence or absence of resources impacts the capacity of educators to integrate simulation activities throughout curricula.

  3. Distributional Learning of Lexical Tones: A Comparison of Attended vs. Unattended Listening.

    PubMed

    Ong, Jia Hoong; Burnham, Denis; Escudero, Paola

    2015-01-01

    This study examines whether non-tone language listeners can acquire lexical tone categories distributionally and whether attention in the training phase modulates the effect of distributional learning. Native Australian English listeners were trained on a Thai lexical tone minimal pair and their performance was assessed using a discrimination task before and after training. During Training, participants either heard a Unimodal distribution that would induce a single central category, which should hinder their discrimination of that minimal pair, or a Bimodal distribution that would induce two separate categories that should facilitate their discrimination. The participants either heard the distribution passively (Experiments 1A and 1B) or performed a cover task during training designed to encourage auditory attention to the entire distribution (Experiment 2). In passive listening (Experiments 1A and 1B), results indicated no effect of distributional learning: the Bimodal group did not outperform the Unimodal group in discriminating the Thai tone minimal pairs. Moreover, both Unimodal and Bimodal groups improved above chance on most test aspects from Pretest to Posttest. However, when participants' auditory attention was encouraged using the cover task (Experiment 2), distributional learning was found: the Bimodal group outperformed the Unimodal group on a novel test syllable minimal pair at Posttest relative to at Pretest. Furthermore, the Bimodal group showed above-chance improvement from Pretest to Posttest on three test aspects, while the Unimodal group only showed above-chance improvement on one test aspect. These results suggest that non-tone language listeners are able to learn lexical tones distributionally but only when auditory attention is encouraged in the acquisition phase. This implies that distributional learning of lexical tones is more readily induced when participants attend carefully during training, presumably because they are better able to compute the relevant statistics of the distribution.

  4. Distributional Learning of Lexical Tones: A Comparison of Attended vs. Unattended Listening

    PubMed Central

    Ong, Jia Hoong; Burnham, Denis; Escudero, Paola

    2015-01-01

    This study examines whether non-tone language listeners can acquire lexical tone categories distributionally and whether attention in the training phase modulates the effect of distributional learning. Native Australian English listeners were trained on a Thai lexical tone minimal pair and their performance was assessed using a discrimination task before and after training. During Training, participants either heard a Unimodal distribution that would induce a single central category, which should hinder their discrimination of that minimal pair, or a Bimodal distribution that would induce two separate categories that should facilitate their discrimination. The participants either heard the distribution passively (Experiments 1A and 1B) or performed a cover task during training designed to encourage auditory attention to the entire distribution (Experiment 2). In passive listening (Experiments 1A and 1B), results indicated no effect of distributional learning: the Bimodal group did not outperform the Unimodal group in discriminating the Thai tone minimal pairs. Moreover, both Unimodal and Bimodal groups improved above chance on most test aspects from Pretest to Posttest. However, when participants’ auditory attention was encouraged using the cover task (Experiment 2), distributional learning was found: the Bimodal group outperformed the Unimodal group on a novel test syllable minimal pair at Posttest relative to at Pretest. Furthermore, the Bimodal group showed above-chance improvement from Pretest to Posttest on three test aspects, while the Unimodal group only showed above-chance improvement on one test aspect. These results suggest that non-tone language listeners are able to learn lexical tones distributionally but only when auditory attention is encouraged in the acquisition phase. This implies that distributional learning of lexical tones is more readily induced when participants attend carefully during training, presumably because they are better able to compute the relevant statistics of the distribution. PMID:26214002

  5. Memory in Elementary School Children Is Improved by an Unrelated Novel Experience.

    PubMed

    Ballarini, Fabricio; Martínez, María Cecilia; Díaz Perez, Magdalena; Moncada, Diego; Viola, Haydée

    2013-01-01

    Education is the most traditional means with formative effect on the human mind, learning and memory being its fundamental support. For this reason, it is essential to find different strategies to improve the studentś performance. Based on previous work, we hypothesized that a novel experience could exert an enhancing effect on learning and memory within the school environment. Here we show that novel experience improved the memory of literary or graphical activities when it is close to these learning sessions. We found memory improvements in groups of students who had experienced a novel science lesson 1 hour before or after the reading of a story, but not when these events were 4 hours apart. Such promoting effect on long-term memory (LTM) was also reproduced with another type of novelty (a music lesson) and also after another type of learning task (a visual memory). Interestingly, when the lesson was familiar, it failed to enhance the memory of the other task. Our results show that educationally relevant novel events experienced during normal school hours can improve LTM for tasks/activities learned during regular school lessons. This effect is restricted to a critical time window around learning and is particularly dependent on the novel nature of the associated experience. These findings provide a tool that could be easily transferred to the classroom by the incorporation of educationally novel events in the school schedule as an extrinsic adjuvant of other information acquired some time before or after it. This approach could be a helpful tool for the consolidation of certain types of topics that generally demand a great effort from the children.

  6. Manipulatives and problem situations as escalators for students' geometric understanding: a semiotic analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Daher, Wajeeh M.

    2014-04-01

    Mathematical learning and teaching are increasingly seen as a multimodal experience involved in cultural and social semiotic registers and means, and as such social-cultural semiotic analysis is expected to shed light on learning and teaching processes occurring in the mathematics classroom. In this research, three social-cultural semiotic frameworks were utilised to analyse elementary school students' learning of a geometric relation: the semiotic bundle, the space of action, production and communication and the theoretical framework of attention, awareness and objectification. Educational mathematical situations are described, in addition to semiotic sets, registers and means emerging in the different mathematical situations and that are relevant to the three social-cultural semiotic frameworks which the current research utilizes. Further, the students, as a consequence of (1) their multimodal experience, (2) their connecting between the different mathematical situations and semiotic registers, and (3) the teacher's questions and tasks, could objectify the geometric relation between the lengths of the triangle's edges.

  7. Interprofessional Education on Adverse Childhood Experiences for Associate Degree Nursing Students.

    PubMed

    Olsen, Jeanette M; Warring, Sarah L

    2018-02-01

    The health impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is significant. Nurses need knowledge and must work in multidisciplinary teams to address this problem. This study examined the effects of an interprofessional education (IPE) activity with nonhealth care students on associate degree nursing (ADN) students' ACEs knowledge and perspectives on IPE. The mixed-methods approach used a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with an intervention and control group and thematic analysis of focus group data. Readiness for Interprofessional Learning scale mean scores indicated positive baseline IPE perspectives. Scores changed minimally for most measures in both the intervention and control groups on posttest. However, four major relevant themes related to ACEs knowledge and two related to interprofessional learning were identified. IPE with nonhealth care students is an effective way to teach ADN students about ACEs and infuse interprofessional learning in a nonuniversity setting. However, outcomes are best captured with qualitative data. [J Nurs Educ. 2018;57(2):101-105.]. Copyright 2018, SLACK Incorporated.

  8. How can experience in clinical and community settings contribute to early medical education? A BEME systematic review.

    PubMed

    Dornan, T; Littlewood, S; Margolis, S A; Scherpbier, A; Spencer, J; Ypinazar, V

    2006-02-01

    Review period January 1992-December 2001. Final analysis July 2004-January 2005. BACKGROUND AND REVIEW CONTEXT: There has been no rigorous systematic review of the outcomes of early exposure to clinical and community settings in medical education. OBJECTIVES OF REVIEW: Identify published empirical evidence of the effects of early experience in medical education, analyse it, and synthesize conclusions from it. Identify the strengths and limitations of the research effort to date, and identify objectives for future research. Ovid search of: BEI, ERIC, Medline, CINAHL and EMBASE Additional electronic searches of: Psychinfo, Timelit, EBM reviews, SIGLE, and the Cochrane databases. Hand-searches of:Medical Education, Medical Teacher, Academic Medicine, Teaching and Learning in Medicine, Advances in Health Sciences Education, Journal of Educational Psychology. Authentic (real as opposed to simulated) human contact in a social or clinical context that enhances learning of health, illness and/or disease, and the role of the health professional. Early: What would traditionally have been regarded as the preclinical phase, usually the first 2 years. Inclusions: All empirical studies (verifiable, observational data) of early experience in the basic education of health professionals, whatever their design or methodology, including papers not in English. Evidence from other health care professions that could be applied to medicine was included. Not empirical; not early; post-basic; simulated rather than 'authentic' experience. Careful validation of selection processes. Coding by two reviewers onto an extensively modified version of the standard BEME coding sheet. Accumulation into an Access database. Secondary coding and synthesis of an interpretation. A total of 73 studies met the selection criteria and yielded 277 educational outcomes; 116 of those outcomes (from 38 studies) were rated strong and important enough to include in a narrative synthesis of results; 76% of those outcomes were from descriptive studies and 24% from comparative studies. Early experience motivated and satisfied students of the health professions and helped them acclimatize to clinical environments, develop professionally, interact with patients with more confidence and less stress, develop self-reflection and appraisal skill, and develop a professional identity. It strengthened their learning and made it more real and relevant to clinical practice. It helped students learn about the structure and function of the healthcare system, and about preventive care and the role of health professionals. It supported the learning of both biomedical and behavioural/social sciences and helped students acquire communication and basic clinical skills. There were outcomes for beneficiaries other than students, including teachers, patients, populations, organizations and specialties. Early experience increased recruitment to primary care/rural medical practice, though mainly in US studies which introduced it for that specific purpose as part of a complex intervention. Early experience helps medical students socialize to their chosen profession. It helps them acquire a range of subject matter and makes their learning more real and relevant. It has potential benefits for other stakeholders, notably teachers and patients. It can influence career choices.

  9. Exploring deliberate practice in medicine: how do physicians learn in the workplace?

    PubMed

    van de Wiel, Margje W J; Van den Bossche, Piet; Janssen, Sandra; Jossberger, Helen

    2011-03-01

    Medical professionals need to keep on learning as part of their everyday work to deliver high-quality health care. Although the importance of physicians' learning is widely recognized, few studies have investigated how they learn in the workplace. Based on insights from deliberate practice research, this study examined the activities physicians engage in during their work that might further their professional development. As deliberate practice requires a focused effort to improve performance, the study also examined the goals underlying this behaviour. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 internal medicine physicians: 19 residents, 18 internists working at a university hospital, and 13 working at a non-university hospital. The results showed that learning in medical practice was very much embedded in clinical work. Most relevant learning activities were directly related to patient care rather than motivated by competence improvement goals. Advice and feedback were sought when necessary to provide this care. Performance standards were tied to patients' conditions. The patients encountered and the discussions with colleagues about patients were valued most for professional development, while teaching and updating activities were also valued in this respect. In conclusion, physicians' learning is largely guided by practical experience rather than deliberately sought. When professionals interact in diagnosing and treating patients to achieve high-quality care, their experiences contribute to expertise development. However, much could be gained from managing learning opportunities more explicitly. We offer suggestions for increasing the focus on learning in medical practice and further research.

  10. Implicit Learning of Recursive Context-Free Grammars

    PubMed Central

    Rohrmeier, Martin; Fu, Qiufang; Dienes, Zoltan

    2012-01-01

    Context-free grammars are fundamental for the description of linguistic syntax. However, most artificial grammar learning experiments have explored learning of simpler finite-state grammars, while studies exploring context-free grammars have not assessed awareness and implicitness. This paper explores the implicit learning of context-free grammars employing features of hierarchical organization, recursive embedding and long-distance dependencies. The grammars also featured the distinction between left- and right-branching structures, as well as between centre- and tail-embedding, both distinctions found in natural languages. People acquired unconscious knowledge of relations between grammatical classes even for dependencies over long distances, in ways that went beyond learning simpler relations (e.g. n-grams) between individual words. The structural distinctions drawn from linguistics also proved important as performance was greater for tail-embedding than centre-embedding structures. The results suggest the plausibility of implicit learning of complex context-free structures, which model some features of natural languages. They support the relevance of artificial grammar learning for probing mechanisms of language learning and challenge existing theories and computational models of implicit learning. PMID:23094021

  11. A general framework to learn surrogate relevance criterion for atlas based image segmentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Tingting; Ruan, Dan

    2016-09-01

    Multi-atlas based image segmentation sees great opportunities in the big data era but also faces unprecedented challenges in identifying positive contributors from extensive heterogeneous data. To assess data relevance, image similarity criteria based on various image features widely serve as surrogates for the inaccessible geometric agreement criteria. This paper proposes a general framework to learn image based surrogate relevance criteria to better mimic the behaviors of segmentation based oracle geometric relevance. The validity of its general rationale is verified in the specific context of fusion set selection for image segmentation. More specifically, we first present a unified formulation for surrogate relevance criteria and model the neighborhood relationship among atlases based on the oracle relevance knowledge. Surrogates are then trained to be small for geometrically relevant neighbors and large for irrelevant remotes to the given targets. The proposed surrogate learning framework is verified in corpus callosum segmentation. The learned surrogates demonstrate superiority in inferring the underlying oracle value and selecting relevant fusion set, compared to benchmark surrogates.

  12. Perceived relevance of oral biology by dental students.

    PubMed

    Scheven, B A A

    2012-02-01

    This study investigated the perception that dental students have regarding the relevance of oral biology (OB) to dental education and dentistry in general. Moreover, this study analysed students' attitude towards OB learning approaches and resources. A questionnaire based on a Likert scale was used to survey pre-clinical/second (BDS2)- and final/fifth (BDS5)-year dental students at the School of Dentistry of the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom). In comparison, a small group of postgraduate specialist registrars were surveyed to evaluate the attitudes of practising dentists. The results show that all study groups expressed a high level of perceived relevance of OB to dentistry. Students' perception of OB for dental education, clinical training and practice also scored high. More than 40% of undergraduate students and about 55% of the postgraduates indicated a perceived change in their attitude towards OB with time characterised by increased appreciation of the subject. Lectures were considered as the most important teaching approach, whereas 'group poster projects' ranked lowest. Of the different study resources, lecture handouts received the overall highest importance score. The results indicate that dental students considered OB relevant for dental education and dentistry and suggest a positive attitude towards the subject. This study also suggested that dental students prefer teacher-centred/led teaching rather than student-directed learning of OB. The article addresses the role of OB and science-related research projects within the dental curriculum and discusses that close integration of basic sciences with dental education may enrich dental education and overall learning experience. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  13. Preparing for the workplace: fostering generic attributes in allied health education programs.

    PubMed

    Higgs, J; Hunt, A

    1999-01-01

    Allied health curricula need to extend beyond the learning of discipline-specific skills to encompass broader learning goals. In particular, the acquisition of generic skills is necessary to enable graduates to function more competently and confidently within their rapidly changing work, professional, and societal environments. In health sciences education particularly, the rate of change in practice and education is rapid and unprecedented. If educators focus on components of the curriculum rather than the entire learning experience, they are likely to significantly limit the students' acquisition of such generic skills. To achieve the desired generic skills outcomes, an overarching, integrated, and consistently applied curriculum strategy is advocated. This article considers a number of such strategies relevant to allied health education.

  14. Determining the EDTA Content in a Consumer Shower Cleaner. An Introductory Chemistry Laboratory Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weigand, Willis A.

    2000-10-01

    At Altoona College, Chemistry 11 is offered to students as a preparatory course for the University's Chemical Principles course, Chem 12. A relevant laboratory is a source of motivation for the students to learn the chemistry. One way of making the laboratory relevant is to analyze the chemical components of consumer products. Several new shower-cleaning products have been introduced, which advertise that cleaning the shower is no longer necessary. The cleaners work using a combination of surfactants, alcohols, and a chelating agent. The Web site of a popular shower cleaner lists EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetate ion) as the chelating agent. The classic EDTA/calcium complexometric titration can be used to determine the EDTA content of the cleaner. This article describes the experiment to determine the EDTA content in a shower-cleaning product.

  15. Implementing an interprofessional first-year teamwork project: some key reflections.

    PubMed

    McNaughton, Susan Maree

    2013-09-01

    Implementing an interprofessional teamwork project for first-year students presents pedagogical and practical challenges. While transferable skills and attributes are important, engagement of students with limited professional experience in teamwork depends on relevance to current learning needs. This report outlines principles learned from planning and implementing a teamwork project for an interprofessional health administration and service development course. Practising interprofessional teamwork as leaders and teachers, aligning with previous, current and future teamwork content and processes and responding to student feedback and achievement have been the key factors in shaping the project over three semesters. Face-to-face and online interprofessional teamwork learning has necessitated developing resources that support self-direction, using familiar technology and providing enabling physical environments. Implications for first-year interprofessional teamwork are that structured well-resourced processes, responsiveness and alignment of learning all improve student outcomes.

  16. Teaching/learning strategies for the essentials of baccalaureate nursing education for entry-level community/public health nursing.

    PubMed

    Callen, Bonnie; Smith, Claudia M; Joyce, Barbara; Lutz, Jayne; Brown-Schott, Nancy; Block, Derryl

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to describe teaching/learning strategies for each of the 15 Essentials of Baccalaureate Nursing Education for Entry-Level Community/Public Health Nursing (ACHNE, 2009). Carper's ways of knowing serve as foundations for creating classroom and clinical experiences that focus on clinical action with community as client. Each community/public health essential is defined with relevance to community/public health nursing practice. Five teaching/learning strategies have been delineated for each essential with suggestions of teaching resources and/or target population application. Teaching/learning strategies that focus on community as client, population health, and the essential knowledge and competencies of C/PH nursing will help ensure preparation of baccalaureate prepared nurses with knowledge and skills to improve the health of populations. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Scientific field training for human planetary exploration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lim, D. S. S.; Warman, G. L.; Gernhardt, M. L.; McKay, C. P.; Fong, T.; Marinova, M. M.; Davila, A. F.; Andersen, D.; Brady, A. L.; Cardman, Z.; Cowie, B.; Delaney, M. D.; Fairén, A. G.; Forrest, A. L.; Heaton, J.; Laval, B. E.; Arnold, R.; Nuytten, P.; Osinski, G.; Reay, M.; Reid, D.; Schulze-Makuch, D.; Shepard, R.; Slater, G. F.; Williams, D.

    2010-05-01

    Forthcoming human planetary exploration will require increased scientific return (both in real time and post-mission), longer surface stays, greater geographical coverage, longer and more frequent EVAs, and more operational complexities than during the Apollo missions. As such, there is a need to shift the nature of astronauts' scientific capabilities to something akin to an experienced terrestrial field scientist. To achieve this aim, the authors present a case that astronaut training should include an Apollo-style curriculum based on traditional field school experiences, as well as full immersion in field science programs. Herein we propose four Learning Design Principles (LDPs) focused on optimizing astronaut learning in field science settings. The LDPs are as follows: LDP#1: Provide multiple experiences: varied field science activities will hone astronauts' abilities to adapt to novel scientific opportunities LDP#2: Focus on the learner: fostering intrinsic motivation will orient astronauts towards continuous informal learning and a quest for mastery LDP#3: Provide a relevant experience - the field site: field sites that share features with future planetary missions will increase the likelihood that astronauts will successfully transfer learning LDP#4: Provide a social learning experience - the field science team and their activities: ensuring the field team includes members of varying levels of experience engaged in opportunities for discourse and joint problem solving will facilitate astronauts' abilities to think and perform like a field scientist. The proposed training program focuses on the intellectual and technical aspects of field science, as well as the cognitive manner in which field scientists experience, observe and synthesize their environment. The goal of the latter is to help astronauts develop the thought patterns and mechanics of an effective field scientist, thereby providing a broader base of experience and expertise than could be achieved from field school alone. This will enhance their ability to execute, explore and adapt as in-field situations require.

  18. Attitudes and intellectual development of further education science students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Farargy, Nancy Ibrahim

    The world of teaching and learning in the sciences in the Further Education (FE) sector is relatively under-researched. This study, across Scottish FE colleges, has sought to define some of the key landmarks in the area of the sciences, looking specifically at the students and their college experiences by means of surveys, interviews and curriculum intervention. The study started from the issue, observed personally, of students finding the learning of chemistry for a nursing course as being problematic. The main aim was to explore the key issues of science in FE, focussing on problems and successes. The attitudes, intellectual development and self perceptions of students have all been considered. The study explores the attitudes and self perceptions of over 800 learners studying the sciences at ten Scottish colleges. Demographic data, prior learning experiences and current learning attitudes to science and learning were obtained by means of questionnaires and interviews. Intellectual development data was obtained using an adaptation of the Perry Scheme of Intellectual Development. Further interview data were obtained with participating students at various stages of their learning experiences. The results show that, in general, students have varied backgrounds, aspirations and reasons for learning in FE. The learning experiences obtained at college were, in general, viewed to be very positive. In addition, the participating lecturers in Further Education college classes were viewed in a very positive light. In most cases, attitudes towards students learning experiences at college were viewed more positively than at school level, this being a greater emphasis for biology than chemistry. In addition, the role of the teacher at school level could be seen clearly in developing positive attitudes to science. In relating this back to school experience, it was found that those who had positive attitudes to science at school level, correlated more with intentions of studying a specialist science at university, thus illustrating the importance of how studies in science is generated at an early age. In looking at learning in terms of the Perry Scheme, students in general had neutral to developed views towards themselves, the lecturer, assessment and towards the nature of scientific knowledge. The study highlighted that, in certain cases, assessment was perceived to have a more dualistic role and in general, was not age related. In looking at the relevancy of the college science lessons, chemistry was sometimes viewed as being irrelevant and difficult for some students in terms of their goals for the Abstract future. In light of this, it was decided to carry out an applications-led style chemistry curriculum intervention that was able to highlight the importance of chemistry in the context of their lives and needs. This was done by relating the material, wherever possible to prior knowledge held by the students from their school experiences, real life working practices or from their life experiences in general. The order, presentation and sequencing of materials were changed in order to reduce the perceived load on the working memory. In this manner, the learner can focus on important essential material without absorbing irrelevant material. It was found that the lecturer and participating students gave universal support to the new materials and teaching style. Students felt that the new materials were relevant and meaningful to their studies and life and felt it was a big difference from learning chemistry at school. In general, the majority of students were looking forward to more studies at university level. In conclusion, students perceive learning science in a further education college in a positive light. There may however, be a need to rethink the role of assessment and the curriculum style being offered. The study concluded by suggesting some of the main issues needing further consideration: issues related to working memory capacity as a rate determining step in learning, teaching those from a wide diversity of background in the sciences, the need for significant curriculum revisions and the greater use of application- led approaches, and the need to share research findings with lecturers. All of which are considered to be important for high quality learning.

  19. Learning More from Educational Intervention Studies: Estimating Complier Average Causal Effects in a Relevance Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nagengast, Benjamin; Brisson, Brigitte M.; Hulleman, Chris S.; Gaspard, Hanna; Häfner, Isabelle; Trautwein, Ulrich

    2018-01-01

    An emerging literature demonstrates that relevance interventions, which ask students to produce written reflections on how what they are learning relates to their lives, improve student learning outcomes. As part of a randomized evaluation of a relevance intervention (N = 1,978 students from 82 ninth-grade classes), we used Complier Average Causal…

  20. Society of Neurological Surgeons boot camp courses: knowledge retention and relevance of hands-on learning after 6 months of postgraduate year 1 training.

    PubMed

    Selden, Nathan R; Anderson, Valerie C; McCartney, Shirley; Origitano, Thomas C; Burchiel, Kim J; Barbaro, Nicholas M

    2013-09-01

    In July 2010, the Society of Neurological Surgeons (SNS) introduced regional courses to promote patient safety and teach fundamental skills and knowledge to all postgraduate Year 1 (PGY1) trainees entering Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited US neurosurgery residency programs. Data from these courses demonstrated significant didactic learning and high faculty and resident satisfaction with hands-on training. Here, the authors evaluated the durability of learning from and the relevance of participation in SNS PGY1 courses as measured midway through PGY1 training. Resident participants were resurveyed 6 months after boot camp course attendance to assess knowledge retention and course effectiveness. Exposure to relevant hands-on experiences during PGY1 training and the subjective value of pre-residency simulated training in the courses were assessed. Ninety-four percent of all residents entering US PGY1 neurosurgical training participated in the 2010 SNS boot camp courses. One hundred sixty-four (88%) of these resident participants responded to the survey. Six months after course completion, 99% of respondents believed the boot camp courses benefited beginning neurosurgery residents and imparted skills and knowledge that would improve patient care. The PGY1 residents' knowledge of information taught in the courses was retained 6 months after initial testing (p < 0.0001). The learning and other benefits of participation in a national curriculum for residents entering PGY1 neurosurgical training were maintained 6 months after the courses, halfway through the initial training year.

  1. Not all choices are created equal: Task-relevant choices enhance motor learning compared to task-irrelevant choices.

    PubMed

    Carter, Michael J; Ste-Marie, Diane M

    2017-12-01

    Lewthwaite et al. (2015) reported that the learning benefits of exercising choice (i.e., their self-controlled condition) are not restricted to task-relevant features (e.g., feedback). They found that choosing one's golf ball color (Exp. 1) or choosing which of two tasks to perform at a later time plus which of two artworks to hang (Exp. 2) resulted in better retention than did being denied these same choices (i.e., yoked condition). The researchers concluded that the learning benefits derived from choice, whether irrelevant or relevant to the to-be-learned task, are predominantly motivational because choice is intrinsically rewarding and satisfies basic psychological needs. However, the absence of a group that made task-relevant choices and the lack of psychological measures significantly weakened their conclusions. Here, we investigated how task-relevant and task-irrelevant choices affect motor-skill learning. Participants practiced a spatiotemporal motor task in either a task-relevant group (choice over feedback schedule), a task-irrelevant group (choice over the color of an arm-wrap plus game selection), or a no-choice group. The results showed significantly greater learning in the task-relevant group than in both the task-irrelevant and no-choice groups, who did not differ significantly. Critically, these learning differences were not attributed to differences in perceptions of competence or autonomy, but instead to superior error-estimation abilities. These results challenge the perspective that motivational influences are the root cause of self-controlled learning advantages. Instead, the findings add to the growing evidence highlighting that the informational value gained from task-relevant choices makes a greater relative contribution to these advantages than motivational influences do.

  2. Feature Selection for Speech Emotion Recognition in Spanish and Basque: On the Use of Machine Learning to Improve Human-Computer Interaction

    PubMed Central

    Arruti, Andoni; Cearreta, Idoia; Álvarez, Aitor; Lazkano, Elena; Sierra, Basilio

    2014-01-01

    Study of emotions in human–computer interaction is a growing research area. This paper shows an attempt to select the most significant features for emotion recognition in spoken Basque and Spanish Languages using different methods for feature selection. RekEmozio database was used as the experimental data set. Several Machine Learning paradigms were used for the emotion classification task. Experiments were executed in three phases, using different sets of features as classification variables in each phase. Moreover, feature subset selection was applied at each phase in order to seek for the most relevant feature subset. The three phases approach was selected to check the validity of the proposed approach. Achieved results show that an instance-based learning algorithm using feature subset selection techniques based on evolutionary algorithms is the best Machine Learning paradigm in automatic emotion recognition, with all different feature sets, obtaining a mean of 80,05% emotion recognition rate in Basque and a 74,82% in Spanish. In order to check the goodness of the proposed process, a greedy searching approach (FSS-Forward) has been applied and a comparison between them is provided. Based on achieved results, a set of most relevant non-speaker dependent features is proposed for both languages and new perspectives are suggested. PMID:25279686

  3. Exploring how New Teaching Materials Influence the Beliefs and Practices of Instructors and Students' Attitudes about Geoscience

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pelch, Michael Anthony

    STEM educational reform encourages a transition from instructor-centered passive learning classrooms to student-centered, active learning environments. Instructors adopting these changes incorporate research-validated teaching practices that improve student learning. Professional development that trains faculty to implement instructional reforms plays a key role in supporting this transition. Effective professional development features authentic, rigorous experiences of sufficient duration. We investigated changes in the teaching beliefs of college faculty resulting from their participation in InTeGrate project that guided them in the development of reformed instructional materials for introductory college science courses. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was employed using the Teacher Belief Interview, the Beliefs About Reformed Science Teaching and Learning survey and participants' reflections on their experience to characterize pedagogical beliefs at different stages of their professional development. Qualitative and quantitative data show a congruent change toward reformed pedagogical beliefs for the majority of participants. The majority of participants' TBI scores improved toward more student-centered pedagogical beliefs. Instructors who began with the most traditional pedagogical beliefs showed the greatest gains. Interview data and participants' reflections aligned with the characteristics of effective professional development. Merged results suggest that the most significant changes occurred in areas strongly influenced by situational classroom factors. Introductory geoscience courses play a crucial role in recruiting new geoscience majors but we know relatively little about how students' attitudes and motivations are impacted by their experiences in geoscience classes. Students' attitudes toward science and its relevance are complex and are dependent upon the context in which they encounter science. Recent investigations into the attitudes of geoscience students have provided evidence to support this observation. We sought to expand this data set to provide a broader characterization of students' attitudes. We examined students' attitudes about the nature of science and its relevance before and after taking an introductory geology course. To characterize students' attitudes, we employed two quantitative instruments: the revised Scientific Attitude Inventory and the Changes in Attitudes about the Relevance of Science survey. Results show a negative trend in students' attitudes about the nature of science while their attitudes about the relevance of science were more variable. Our data support the findings of previous studies showing only minimal change in students' attitudes about the nature of science and its relevance after taking an introductory science course. The data also highlighted several misconceptions about the nature of science that could have implications toward future investigations of how geoscience courses impact student attitudes about science. There is consensus among industrialized nations that it is important for its citizens and leaders to be scientifically literate. Therefore, it is important for the educational system to provide students with pertinent scientific knowledge, an understanding of the scientific processes, and the ability to evaluate scientific claims. Students' attitudes toward science and its relevance are important aspects of science literacy. We sought to determine if the repeated and explicit exposure to socioscientific issues through the use of InTeGrate course materials would result in positive changes to students' attitudes about the nature and relevance of science. We collected data on student attitudes using the revised Scientific Attitude Inventory and the Changes in Attitude about the Relevance of Science survey in a quasi-experimental design over four semesters of an introductory physical geology course. Results show that the emphasis of socioscientific issues can influence both students' attitudes about the nature of science and their perceptions on the relevance of science. Changes were observed in data from both STEM and non-STEM majors. These findings have implications about how we select content for introductory science courses in general, and proves the utility of designing geoscience lessons based around socioscientific issues.

  4. Comparative analysis of student self-reflections on course projects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pomales-García, Cristina; Cortés Barreto, Kenneth

    2014-11-01

    This study presents the skills, experiences, and values identified in project self-reflections of 161 undergraduate engineering students. Self-reflections from two different engineering design courses, which provide experiences in project-based learning (PBL), are analysed through the content analysis methodology. Results show that 'application', 'true life', 'satisfaction', and 'communication' are the common keywords shared in the reflections. Multiple hypothesis tests to identify differences between courses, project types, years, and gender suggest that there are no significant differences between experiences, skills, and values self-reported by students who completed either a case study or an industry project. Based on research findings, recommendations will be provided to enhance the engineering curriculum based on PBL experiences to support the development of relevant professional skills and experiences.

  5. Exploring the evolutionary origins of overimitation: a comparison across domesticated and non-domesticated canids.

    PubMed

    Johnston, Angie M; Holden, Paul C; Santos, Laurie R

    2017-07-01

    When learning from others, human children tend to faithfully copy - or 'overimitate' - the actions of a demonstrator, even when these actions are irrelevant for solving the task at hand. We investigate whether domesticated dogs (Canis familiaris) and dingoes (Canis dingo) share this tendency to overimitate in three experiments. In Experiment 1, dogs and dingoes had the opportunity to solve a puzzle after watching an ostensive demonstrator who used both a relevant action and an irrelevant action. We find clear evidence against overimitation in both species. In contrast to human children (Horner & Whiten, 2005), dogs and dingoes used the irrelevant action less often across trials, suggesting that both species were filtering out the irrelevant action as they gained experience with the puzzle (like chimpanzees; Horner & Whiten, 2005). Experiments 2 and 3 provide further evidence against overimitation, demonstrating that both species' behavior is better characterized by individual exploration than overimitation. Given that both species, particularly dogs, show human-like social learning in other contexts, these findings provide additional evidence that overimitation may be a unique aspect of human social learning. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/g2mRniJZ7aU. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Physics Matters, 1st Edition, with Student Access Card eGrade Plus 1 Term Set

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trefil, James

    2004-04-01

    Written by authors who have vast experience in communicating science to general audiences, Physics Matters conveys the principles of physics in a manner that is understandable to non-majors. In a prose style that is clear, engaging, and contemporary, it pays particular attention to the relevance of physics in comprehending our modern technological society and the issues created by those technologies. It offers a broad, relatively non-mathematical, and highly readable survey of all the standard topics in physics. Before you buy, make sure you are getting the best value and all the learning tools you'll need to succeed in your course. If your professor requires eGrade Plus, you can purchase it now at no additional cost! With this special eGrade Plus package you get the new text--no highlighting, no missing pages, no food stains--an activity book with class activities, self study and homework assignments, as well as a registration code to eGrade Plus, a suite of effective learning tools to help you get a better grade. eGrade Plus gives you: A complete online version of the textbook Video experiments Student web projects Self assessment tests Homework questions with links to the relevant section of the online book eGrade Plus is a powerful online tool that provides students with an integrated suite of teaching and learning resources and an online version of the text in one easy-to-use website.

  7. Scientific evaluation of an intra-curricular educational kit to foster inquiry-based learning (IBL)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Debaes, Nathalie; Cords, Nina; Prasad, Amrita; Fischer, Robert; Euler, Manfred; Thienpont, Hugo

    2014-07-01

    Society becomes increasingly dependent on photonics technologies; however there is an alarming lack of technological awareness among secondary school students. They associate photonics with experiments and components in the class room that seem to bear little relevance to their daily life. The Rocard Report [5] highlights the need for fostering students' scientific skills and technological awareness and identifies inquiry based learning (IBL) as a means to achieve this. Students need to actively do science rather than be silent spectators. The `Photonics Explorer' kit was developed as an EU funded project to equip teachers, free-of-charge, with educational material designed to excite, engage and educate European secondary school students using guided inquiry based learning techniques. Students put together their own experiments using up-to-date versatile components, critically interpret results and relate the conclusions to relevant applications in their daily life. They work hands-on with the material, thus developing and honing their scientific and analytical skills that are otherwise latent in a typical class room situation. A qualitative and quantitative study of the impact of the kit in the classroom was undertaken with 50 kits tested in 7 EU countries with over 1500 students in the local language. This paper reports on the results of the EU wide field tests that show the positive impact of the kit in raising the self-efficacy, scientific skills and interest in science among students and the effectiveness of the kit in implementing IBL strategies in classrooms across EU.

  8. Contributions of the hippocampus to feedback learning

    PubMed Central

    Dickerson, Kathryn C.; Delgado, Mauricio R.

    2015-01-01

    Humans learn about the world in a variety of manners, including by observation, by associating cues in the environment, and via feedback. Across species, two brain structures have been predominantly involved in these learning processes: the hippocampus—supporting learning via observation and paired association—and the striatum—critical for feedback learning. This simple dichotomy, however, has recently been challenged by reports of hippocampal engagement in feedback learning, although the role of the hippocampus is not fully understood. The purpose of this experiment was to characterize the hippocampal response during feedback learning by manipulating varying levels of memory interference. Consistent with prior reports, feedback learning recruited the striatum and midbrain. Notably, feedback learning also engaged the hippocampus. The level of activity in these regions was modulated by the degree of memory interference, such that the greatest activation occurred during the highest level of memory interference. Importantly, the accuracy of information learned via feedback correlated with hippocampal activation and was reduced by the presence of high memory interference. Taken together, these findings provide evidence of hippocampal involvement in feedback learning by demonstrating both its relevance for the accuracy of information learned via feedback and its susceptibility to interference. PMID:26055632

  9. Engaging L2 Undergraduates in Relevant Project Work and Interaction: A Role for Video Conferencing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Colwell O'Callaghan, Veronica

    2013-01-01

    This article reports on two small-scale international projects, both outcomes of a teaching staff exchange, which seek to exploit the potential afforded by new technologies to enrich L2 learning conditions and learners' experience of using the L2 (in this case English) as a lingua franca. Two undergraduate courses, one for professional and one for…

  10. Rapid performance modeling and parameter regression of geodynamic models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, J.; Duplyakin, D.

    2016-12-01

    Geodynamic models run in a parallel environment have many parameters with complicated effects on performance and scientifically-relevant functionals. Manually choosing an efficient machine configuration and mapping out the parameter space requires a great deal of expert knowledge and time-consuming experiments. We propose an active learning technique based on Gaussion Process Regression to automatically select experiments to map out the performance landscape with respect to scientific and machine parameters. The resulting performance model is then used to select optimal experiments for improving the accuracy of a reduced order model per unit of computational cost. We present the framework and evaluate its quality and capability using popular lithospheric dynamics models.

  11. How fear-relevant illusory correlations might develop and persist in anxiety disorders: A model of contributing factors.

    PubMed

    Wiemer, Julian; Pauli, Paul

    2016-12-01

    Fear-relevant illusory correlations (ICs) are defined as the overestimation of the relationship between a fear-relevant stimulus and aversive consequences. ICs reflect biased cognitions affecting the learning and unlearning of fear in anxiety disorders, and a deeper understanding might help to improve treatment. A model for the maintenance of ICs is proposed that highlights the importance of amplified aversiveness and salience of fear-relevant outcomes, impaired executive contingency monitoring and an availability heuristic. The model explains why ICs are enhanced in high fearful individuals and allows for some implications that might be applied to augment the effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy, such as emotion regulation and the direction of attention to non-aversive experiences. Finally, we suggest possible future research directions and an alternative measure of ICs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Recent study, but not retrieval, of knowledge protects against learning errors.

    PubMed

    Mullet, Hillary G; Umanath, Sharda; Marsh, Elizabeth J

    2014-11-01

    Surprisingly, people incorporate errors into their knowledge bases even when they have the correct knowledge stored in memory (e.g., Fazio, Barber, Rajaram, Ornstein, & Marsh, 2013). We examined whether heightening the accessibility of correct knowledge would protect people from later reproducing misleading information that they encountered in fictional stories. In Experiment 1, participants studied a series of target general knowledge questions and their correct answers either a few minutes (high accessibility of knowledge) or 1 week (low accessibility of knowledge) before exposure to misleading story references. In Experiments 2a and 2b, participants instead retrieved the answers to the target general knowledge questions either a few minutes or 1 week before the rest of the experiment. Reading the relevant knowledge directly before the story-reading phase protected against reproduction of the misleading story answers on a later general knowledge test, but retrieving that same correct information did not. Retrieving stored knowledge from memory might actually enhance the encoding of relevant misinformation.

  13. Acquiring and Producing Sentences: Whether Learners Use Verb-Specific or Verb-General Information Depends on Cue Validity

    PubMed Central

    Thothathiri, Malathi; Rattinger, Michelle G.

    2016-01-01

    Learning to produce sentences involves learning patterns that enable the generation of new utterances. Language contains both verb-specific and verb-general regularities that are relevant to this capacity. Previous research has focused on whether one source is more important than the other. We tested whether the production system can flexibly learn to use either source, depending on the predictive validity of different cues in the input. Participants learned new sentence structures in a miniature language paradigm. In three experiments, we manipulated whether individual verbs or verb-general mappings better predicted the structures heard during learning. Evaluation of participants’ subsequent production revealed that they could use either the structural preferences of individual verbs or abstract meaning-to-form mappings to construct new sentences. Further, this choice varied according to cue validity. These results demonstrate flexibility within the production architecture and the importance of considering how language was learned when discussing how language is used. PMID:27047428

  14. Making the Introductory Meteorology Class Relevant in a Minority Serving Community College

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marchese, P. J.; Tremberger, G.; Bluestone, C.

    2008-12-01

    Queensborough Community College (QCC), a constituent campus of the City University of New York (CUNY), has modified the introductory Meteorology Class lecture and lab to include active learning activities and discovery based learning. The modules were developed at QCC and other 4 year colleges and designed to introduce basic physical concepts important in meteorology. The modules consisted of either interactive lecture demonstrations or discovery-based activities. The discovery based activities are intended to have students become familiar with scientific investigation. Students engage in formulating hypotheses, developing and carrying out experiments, and analyzing scientific data. These activities differ from traditional lab experiments in that they avoid "cookbook" procedures and emphasize having the students learn about physical concepts by applying the scientific method. During the interactive lecture demonstrations the instructor describes an experiment/phenomenon that is to be demonstrated in class. Students discuss the phenomenon based on their experiences and make a prediction about the outcome. The class then runs the experiment, makes observations, and compares the expected results to the actual outcome. As a result of these activities students in the introductory Meteorology class scored higher in exams questions measuring conceptual understanding, as well as factual knowledge. Lower scoring students demonstrated the greatest benefit, while the better students had little (or no) changes. All students also had higher self-efficacy scores after the intervention, compared to an unmodified class.

  15. Selection history alters attentional filter settings persistently and beyond top-down control.

    PubMed

    Kadel, Hanna; Feldmann-Wüstefeld, Tobias; Schubö, Anna

    2017-05-01

    Visual selective attention is known to be guided by stimulus-based (bottom-up) and goal-oriented (top-down) control mechanisms. Recent work has pointed out that selection history (i.e., the bias to prioritize items that have been previously attended) can result in a learning experience that also has a substantial impact on subsequent attention guidance. The present study examined to what extent goal-oriented top-down control mechanisms interact with an observer's individual selection history in guiding attention. Selection history was manipulated in a categorization task in a between-subjects design, where participants learned that either color or shape was the response-relevant dimension. The impact of this experience was assessed in a compound visual search task with an additional color distractor. Top-down preparation for each search trial was enabled by a pretrial task cue (Experiment 1) or a fixed, predictable trial sequence (Experiment 2). Reaction times and ERPs served as indicators of attention deployment. Results showed that attention was captured by the color distractor when participants had learned that color predicted the correct response in the categorization learning task, suggesting that a bias for predictive stimulus features had developed. The possibility to prepare for the search task reduced the bias, but could not entirely overrule this selection history effect. In Experiment 3, both tasks were performed in separate sessions, and the bias still persisted. These results indicate that selection history considerably shapes selective attention and continues to do so persistently even when the task allowed for high top-down control. © 2017 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

  16. Analysis of Soft Drinks Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: A Mentorship

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilson, Arkim; Myers, Craig; Crull, George; Curtis, Michael; Pasciak Patterson, Pamela

    1999-10-01

    This mentorship was designed to expose a student to the laboratory routine for a chemist at Bristol Myers Squibb Company (BMS). The student visited BMS, collaborated with BMS scientists, and actually completed a project on site. He was asked to determine the identity of an unknown sample of soft drink retrieved from a fictitious crime scene using NMR spectroscopy. He designed an experiment to test the unknown sample and used samples of purified sugar, purified caffeine, purified citric acid, Coke, Diet Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Diet 7-Up, and Sam's Diet Cola as controls. The results were analyzed and presented in a final report. The student was able to determine if the unknown contained sugar, caffeine, Nutrasweet, or sodium benzoate. He learned how to compile relevant information, conduct an experiment, collect and analyze data, draw conclusions, and prepare and edit a formal report. In addition to learning the uses of NMR, he also learned some of its limitations. In the final report, he was encouraged to reflect on the difficulties a scientist might encounter when trying to identify NMR peaks without an "ingredient list" like those of the soft drink cans. The experience was rewarding for the student and all scientists involved.

  17. Collaborative innovations with rural and regional secondary teachers: enhancing student learning in mathematics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pegg, John; Panizzon, Debra

    2011-06-01

    When questioned, secondary mathematics teachers in rural and regional schools in Australia refer to their limited opportunities to engage and share experiences with peers in other schools as an under-utilised and cost-effective mechanism to support their professional learning and enhance their students' learning. The paper reports on the creation and evaluation of a network of learning communities of rural secondary mathematics teachers around a common purpose—enhancement and increased engagement of student learning in mathematics. To achieve this goal, teams of teachers from six rural schools identified an issue hindering improved student learning of mathematics in their school. Working collaboratively with support from university personnel with expertise in curriculum, assessment and quality pedagogy, teachers developed and implemented strategies to address an identified issue in ways that were relevant to their teaching contexts. The research study identifies issues in mathematics of major concern to rural teachers of mathematics, the successes and challenges the teachers faced in working in learning communities on the issue they identified, and the efficacy of the professional learning model.

  18. Web-based curriculum improves residents' knowledge of health care business.

    PubMed

    Hauge, Linnea S; Frischknecht, Adam C; Gauger, Paul G; Hirshfield, Laura E; Harkins, Deborah; Butz, David A; Taheri, Paul A

    2010-12-01

    Curricular options for teaching and evaluating surgery residents' outcomes in systems-based practice are limited. A Web-based curriculum, MDContent, developed collaboratively by experts in business and surgery, provides learning experiences in the business of health care. The purpose of this study is to describe surgery residents' experience and learning outcomes associated with the curriculum. Twenty-eight PGY3 to 6 general and plastic surgery residents were enrolled in the Web-based curriculum. Twenty-two residents (79%) completed the pretest, 11 modules, the post-test, and the course evaluation by the end of 1 year. The pretest and the post-test were 30-item multiple-choice exams based on a blueprint of the curricular objectives. Descriptive statistics were calculated on course evaluation and module completion data. Paired t-tests were used to compare pre- and post-test performance. Content analysis was performed on course evaluation written responses. Residents' performance on the multiple choice exam improved significantly (p = 0.0001) from the pre-test (mean 59%, SD 12.1) to the post-test (mean 78%, SD 9.4), with an average gain of 19 percentage points. Participants rated their Web-based learning experience as very positive, with a majority of residents agreeing that the content was well organized, relevant, and an excellent learning experience around content not taught elsewhere in medical school or residency. Participation in a Web-based curriculum on health care business improves surgery residents' knowledge about health care business concepts and principles. Residents with varying levels of interest in health care business provide positive ratings about their learning experience and indications that lessons learned would be applied in their clinical practice. MDContent is a feasible and effective method for teaching and assessing systems-based practice concepts. Copyright © 2010 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Sampling in the Snow: High School Winter Field Experiences Provide Relevant, Real World Connections Between Scientific Practices and Disciplinary Core Ideas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hanson, E. W.; Burakowski, E. A.

    2014-12-01

    For much of the northern United States, the months surrounding the winter solstice are times of increased darkness, low temperatures, and frozen landscapes. It's a time when many high school science educators, who otherwise would venture outside with their classes, hunker down and are wary of the outdoors. However, a plethora of learning opportunities lies just beyond the classroom. Working collaboratively, a high school science teacher and a snow scientist have developed multiple activities to engage students in the scientific process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting the winter world using snow data to (1) learn about the insulative properties of snow, and (2) to learn about the role of snow cover on winter climate through its reflective properties while participating in a volunteer network that collects snow depth, albedo (reflectivity), and density data. These outdoor field-based snow investigations incorporate Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and disciplinary core ideas, including ESS2.C: The roles of water in Earth's surface processes and ESS2.D: Weather and Climate. Additionally, the lesson plans presented address Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in Mathematics, including the creation and analysis of bar graphs and time series plots (CCSS.Math.HSS-ID.A.1) and xy scatter plots (CCSS.Math.HSS-ID.B.6). High school students participating in the 2013/2014 snow sampling season described their outdoor learning experience as "authentic" and "hands-on" as compared to traditional class indoors. They emphasized that learning outdoors was essential to their understanding of underlying content and concepts because they "learn through actual experience."

  20. A mixed-methods study of interprofessional learning of resuscitation skills.

    PubMed

    Bradley, Paul; Cooper, Simon; Duncan, Fiona

    2009-09-01

    This study aimed to identify the effects of interprofessional resuscitation skills teaching on medical and nursing students' attitudes, leadership, team-working and performance skills. Year 2 medical and nursing students learned resuscitation skills in uniprofessional or interprofessional settings, prior to undergoing observational ratings of video-recorded leadership, teamwork and skills performance and subsequent focus group interviews. The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) was administered pre- and post-intervention and again 3-4 months later. There was no significant difference between interprofessional and uniprofessional teams for leadership, team dynamics or resuscitation tasks performance. Gender, previous interprofessional learning experience, professional background and previous leadership experience had no significant effect. Interview analysis showed broad support for interprofessional education (IPE) matched to clinical reality with perceived benefits for teamwork, communication and improved understanding of roles and perspectives. Concerns included inappropriate role adoption, hierarchy issues, professional identity and the timing of IPE episodes. The RIPLS subscales for professional identity and team-working increased significantly post-intervention for interprofessional groups but returned to pre-test levels by 3-4 months. However, interviews showed interprofessional groups retained a 'residual positivity' towards IPE, more so than uniprofessional groups. An intervention based on common, relevant, shared learning outcomes set in a realistic educational context can work with students who have differing levels of previous IPE and skills training experience. Qualitatively, positive attitudes outlast quantitative changes measured using the RIPLS. Further quantitative and qualitative work is required to examine other domains of learning, the timing of interventions and impact on attitudes towards IPE.

  1. Discriminative components of data.

    PubMed

    Peltonen, Jaakko; Kaski, Samuel

    2005-01-01

    A simple probabilistic model is introduced to generalize classical linear discriminant analysis (LDA) in finding components that are informative of or relevant for data classes. The components maximize the predictability of the class distribution which is asymptotically equivalent to 1) maximizing mutual information with the classes, and 2) finding principal components in the so-called learning or Fisher metrics. The Fisher metric measures only distances that are relevant to the classes, that is, distances that cause changes in the class distribution. The components have applications in data exploration, visualization, and dimensionality reduction. In empirical experiments, the method outperformed, in addition to more classical methods, a Renyi entropy-based alternative while having essentially equivalent computational cost.

  2. Learning challenges of nursing students in clinical environments: A qualitative study in Iran

    PubMed Central

    Baraz, Shahram; Memarian, Robabeh; Vanaki, Zohreh

    2015-01-01

    Background: Clinical learning environment is a complex social entity. This environment is effective on the learning process of nursing students in the clinical area. However, learning in clinical environment has several benefits, but it can be challenging, unpredictable, stressful, and constantly changing. In attention to clinical experiences and factors contributing to the learning of these experiences can waste a great deal of time and energy, impose heavy financial burden on educational systems, cause mental, familial and educational problems for students, and compromise the quality of patient care. Therefore, this study was carried out with the goal of determining the learning challenges of nursing students in clinical environments in Iran. Materials and Methods: In this qualitative study carried out in 2012–2013, 18 undergraduate nursing students were selected by using purposive sampling method from the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery of Tehran and Shahid Beheshti Universities. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The content analysis method was used to determine relevant themes. Results: Two themes were derived from the data analysis, which represented the students’ clinical learning challenges. These two themes included insufficient qualification of nursing instructors and unsupportive learning environment. Conclusions: Identification of the students’ clinical learning challenges and actions to remove or modify them will create more learning opportunities for the students, improve the achievement of educational goals, provide training to nursing students with the needed competencies to meet the complex demands of caring and for application of theories in practice, and improve the quality of healthcare services. PMID:26430679

  3. PubMedReco: A Real-Time Recommender System for PubMed Citations.

    PubMed

    Samuel, Hamman W; Zaïane, Osmar R

    2017-01-01

    We present a recommender system, PubMedReco, for real-time suggestions of medical articles from PubMed, a database of over 23 million medical citations. PubMedReco can recommend medical article citations while users are conversing in a synchronous communication environment such as a chat room. Normally, users would have to leave their chat interface to open a new web browser window, and formulate an appropriate search query to retrieve relevant results. PubMedReco automatically generates the search query and shows relevant citations within the same integrated user interface. PubMedReco analyzes relevant keywords associated with the conversation and uses them to search for relevant citations using the PubMed E-utilities programming interface. Our contributions include improvements to the user experience for searching PubMed from within health forums and chat rooms, and a machine learning model for identifying relevant keywords. We demonstrate the feasibility of PubMedReco using BMJ's Doc2Doc forum discussions.

  4. Self-directed e-learning at a tertiary hospital in Malawi--a qualitative evaluation and lessons learnt.

    PubMed

    Barteit, Sandra; Hoepffner, Philip; Huwendiek, Sören; Karamagi, Angela; Munthali, Charles; Theurer, Antje; Neuhann, Florian

    2015-01-01

    Malawi faces a severe lack of health workers. Despite initiatives to address this problem, a critical shortage of health care staff remains. This lack challenges the education and training of junior medical staff, especially medical interns in their final and crucial training year before they independently work as medical doctors. We have introduced an e-learning platform in the medical department of the Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in Malawi. With the support of computer-assisted instruction, we aimed to improve the quality of medical training and education, as well as access to current medical materials, in particular for interns. From March to April 2012, we conducted a qualitative evaluation to assess relevance and appropriateness of the e-learning platform. Data was collected via face-to-face interviews, a guided group discussion and a checklist based observation log. Evaluation data was recorded and coded using content analysis, interviewees were chosen via purposive sampling. E-learning proved to be technically feasible in this setting. Users considered the e-learning platform to be relevant and appropriate. Concerns were raised about sustainability, accessibility and technical infrastructure, as well as limited involvement and responsibilities of Malawian partners. Interest in e-learning was high, yet, awareness of and knowledge about the e-learning platform among potential users was low. Evaluation results indicated that further adaptions to local needs are necessary to increase usage and accessibility. Interview results and our project experiences showed that, in the given setting, e-learning requires commitment from local stakeholders, adequate technical infrastructure, identification and assignation of responsibilities, as well as specific adaption to local needs.

  5. Self-directed e-learning at a tertiary hospital in Malawi – A qualitative Evaluation and Lessons learnt

    PubMed Central

    Barteit, Sandra; Hoepffner, Philip; Huwendiek, Sören; Karamagi, Angela; Munthali, Charles; Theurer, Antje; Neuhann, Florian

    2015-01-01

    Background: Malawi faces a severe lack of health workers. Despite initiatives to address this problem, a critical shortage of health care staff remains. This lack challenges the education and training of junior medical staff, especially medical interns in their final and crucial training year before they independently work as medical doctors. Project description: We have introduced an e-learning platform in the medical department of the Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in Malawi. With the support of computer-assisted instruction, we aimed to improve the quality of medical training and education, as well as access to current medical materials, in particular for interns. Method: From March to April 2012, we conducted a qualitative evaluation to assess relevance and appropriateness of the e-learning platform. Data was collected via face-to-face interviews, a guided group discussion and a checklist based observation log. Evaluation data was recorded and coded using content analysis, interviewees were chosen via purposive sampling. Results: E-learning proved to be technically feasible in this setting. Users considered the e-learning platform to be relevant and appropriate. Concerns were raised about sustainability, accessibility and technical infrastructure, as well as limited involvement and responsibilities of Malawian partners. Interest in e-learning was high, yet, awareness of and knowledge about the e-learning platform among potential users was low. Evaluation results indicated that further adaptions to local needs are necessary to increase usage and accessibility. Conclusions: Interview results and our project experiences showed that, in the given setting, e-learning requires commitment from local stakeholders, adequate technical infrastructure, identification and assignation of responsibilities, as well as specific adaption to local needs. PMID:25699110

  6. Irrelevant reward and selection histories have different influences on task-relevant attentional selection.

    PubMed

    MacLean, Mary H; Giesbrecht, Barry

    2015-07-01

    Task-relevant and physically salient features influence visual selective attention. In the present study, we investigated the influence of task-irrelevant and physically nonsalient reward-associated features on visual selective attention. Two hypotheses were tested: One predicts that the effects of target-defining task-relevant and task-irrelevant features interact to modulate visual selection; the other predicts that visual selection is determined by the independent combination of relevant and irrelevant feature effects. These alternatives were tested using a visual search task that contained multiple targets, placing a high demand on the need for selectivity, and that was data-limited and required unspeeded responses, emphasizing early perceptual selection processes. One week prior to the visual search task, participants completed a training task in which they learned to associate particular colors with a specific reward value. In the search task, the reward-associated colors were presented surrounding targets and distractors, but were neither physically salient nor task-relevant. In two experiments, the irrelevant reward-associated features influenced performance, but only when they were presented in a task-relevant location. The costs induced by the irrelevant reward-associated features were greater when they oriented attention to a target than to a distractor. In a third experiment, we examined the effects of selection history in the absence of reward history and found that the interaction between task relevance and selection history differed, relative to when the features had previously been associated with reward. The results indicate that under conditions that demand highly efficient perceptual selection, physically nonsalient task-irrelevant and task-relevant factors interact to influence visual selective attention.

  7. Adult sibling experience, roles, relationships and future concerns - a review of the literature in learning disabilities.

    PubMed

    Davys, Deborah; Mitchell, Duncan; Haigh, Carol

    2011-10-01

    This paper provides a review of the literature related to adult siblings of learning-disabled people. Siblings of learning-disabled people are often looked upon as next of kin when older parents die; however, there is little research regarding sibling views and wishes. A literature review of published peer-reviewed empirical research was undertaken. Electronic databases and citation tracking were used to collate data using key terms such as adult siblings and learning disability. Relevant articles were analysed, compared and contrasted. Six key themes emerged suggesting a varied impact of learning disability upon sibling lives in areas that include life choices, relationships, identity and future plans. Some siblings report a positive impact upon life, others state their lives are comparable with other adults who do not have a learning-disabled sibling and others still report a negative impact. Sibling roles and relationships are varied. Evidence suggests that sibling roles, relationships and experience are affected by life stage. Parents often have a primary care role for the disabled person, whilst siblings perform a more distant role; however, sibling involvement often rises when parents are no longer able to provide previous levels of support. Many factors appear to affect the sibling experience and uptake of roles including gender, life stage and circumstances, level of disability, health status and relationships between family members. Siblings are concerned about the future, particularly when parents are no longer able to provide support, and many appear to have expectations of future responsibilities regarding their disabled sibling. As siblings of people who have a learning disability are often expected by society to provide support, it is important that health and social care practitioners are aware of issues that may impact on this relationship. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  8. Royal Engineer Geographic Technicians: Exploring their attitudes to education and training

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Knight, John Anthony

    A creative approach is presented for understanding the attitudes of Royal Engineer (RE) Geographic Technicians (Geo Techs) to training and education. Through a grounded theory methodology, participants' experiences of learning and teaching are explored. These provide a greater awareness and perception of attitudes than have emerged through more established, formal methods of evaluating the effectiveness of training. Recent developments in technology, doctrine, requirements and operations have brought about significant changes to the range and complexity of subjects taught in the field of Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT). This in turn has increased the challenges to RE staff and students, many of whom find themselves instructing on or undertaking demanding degree level courses without the requisite formal qualifications. Grounded theory, based on guidelines rather than rigid rules, is adopted to provide a study of RE Geographic Technicians' learning experiences from the perspective of those who live it and for an interpretive understanding of their meanings to emerge. The policies, culture and social processes in which the RE Geo training takes place are explored to appreciate the influence of the training environment on learning. Data obtained through focus groups held with students and instructors, and through in-depth interviews with individuals who hold key roles associated with the course, recognises the relativism of multiple social realities in developing a rich source of knowledge on attitudes to learning. The collection, synthesis and analysis of data led to the emergence of core categories: context, commitment, expectations, motivation, qualifications, relevance and respect. Through their engagement the research participants' awareness, in particular of instructors, of Geographic Technicians' attitudes to training and education has been raised. Using the theoretical framework of communities of practice, the challenges and effectiveness of the RSMS as a learning organisation for the instructors is reviewed. By exploring beyond the routine, an insight is offered into how the quality of teaching and learning can be enhanced for RE Geographic Technicians through a better understanding of attitudes to learning. Whilst the research is focused on a specific environment the lessons identified can have relevance to other learning situations where the training and education are closely aligned to the work place or to professional practice. In particular, the way in which teacher-practitioners are inducted, developed and employed in training and education has resonance with the wider lifelong learning sector.

  9. Improving collaborative learning in online software engineering education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neill, Colin J.; DeFranco, Joanna F.; Sangwan, Raghvinder S.

    2017-11-01

    Team projects are commonplace in software engineering education. They address a key educational objective, provide students critical experience relevant to their future careers, allow instructors to set problems of greater scale and complexity than could be tackled individually, and are a vehicle for socially constructed learning. While all student teams experience challenges, those in fully online programmes must also deal with remote working, asynchronous coordination, and computer-mediated communications all of which contribute to greater social distance between team members. We have developed a facilitation framework to aid team collaboration and have demonstrated its efficacy, in prior research, with respect to team performance and outcomes. Those studies indicated, however, that despite experiencing improved project outcomes, students working in effective software engineering teams did not experience significantly improved individual achievement. To address this deficiency we implemented theoretically grounded refinements to the collaboration model based upon peer-tutoring research. Our results indicate a modest, but statistically significant (p = .08), improvement in individual achievement using this refined model.

  10. Reflections on Government Service Rotations by an Academic Health Education Professional.

    PubMed

    Green, Lawrence W

    2016-02-01

    This reflection is on a health education professional's rotation from professor in a school of public health to a government position and back parallels that of Professor Howard Koh's journey to Assistant Secretary of Health, one level higher in the same federal bureaucracy. We both acknowledge the steep learning curve and some bureaucratic hassles and mazes that can attend government service, but similarly conclude that ". . . it was worth it." In this personalized case, I weigh some of the specific learning experiences and challenges I faced while in the government against the needs of the field of health promotion for more such revolving-door experiences among academic public health professionals. From my argument that to get more evidence-based practice we need more practice-based evidence, I conclude that more experience in practice among those returning to academia will render their teaching and research more relevant to the needs for evidence in policy and practice. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

  11. Assessing the uniqueness of language: Animal grammatical abilities take center stage.

    PubMed

    Ten Cate, Carel

    2017-02-01

    Questions related to the uniqueness of language can only be addressed properly by referring to sound knowledge of the relevant cognitive abilities of nonhuman animals. A key question concerns the nature and extent of animal rule-learning abilities. I discuss two approaches used to assess these abilities. One is comparing the structures of animal vocalizations to linguistic ones, and another is addressing the grammatical rule- and pattern-learning abilities of animals through experiments using artificial grammars. Neither of these approaches has so far provided unambiguous evidence of advanced animal abilities. However, when we consider how animal vocalizations are analyzed, the types of stimuli and tasks that are used in artificial grammar learning experiments, the limited number of species examined, and the groups to which these belong, I argue that the currently available evidence is insufficient to arrive at firm conclusions concerning the limitations of animal grammatical abilities. As a consequence, the gap between human linguistic rule-learning abilities and those of nonhuman animals may be smaller and less clear than is currently assumed. This means that it is still an open question whether a difference in the rule-learning and rule abstraction abilities between animals and humans played the key role in the evolution of language.

  12. Conducting rapid, relevant research: lessons learned from the My Own Health Report project.

    PubMed

    Glasgow, Russell E; Kessler, Rodger S; Ory, Marcia G; Roby, Dylan; Gorin, Sherri Sheinfeld; Krist, Alex

    2014-08-01

    The lengthy and uncertain translation of research into clinical practice is well documented. Much of the current "gold standard" clinical research is slow, expensive, and lacks perceived relevance for practitioners and decision makers. In contrast, we summarize experiences conducting the My Own Health Report (MOHR) project to collect and address patient reported measures using principles of rapid, relevant pragmatic research. The methods used for rapid design and fielding of the MOHR project to improve attention to health behaviors and mental health are detailed. Within the multisite, pragmatic, implementation-focused MOHR study, we describe the four phases of the research and the key decisions made and actions taken within each. We provide concrete examples of how relevant research can be conducted transparently to rapidly provide information to practitioners. Data were collected and analyzed in 2013. The multisite (seven research centers partnered with 18 clinics) cluster randomized pragmatic delayed intervention trial was conducted in less than 18 months from receipt of funding applications to completion of data collection. Phases that were especially accelerated included funding and review, and recruitment and implementation. Conducting complex studies rapidly and efficiently is a realistic goal. Key lessons learned for prevention research include use of existing research networks; use of web-based assessment/feedback tools that are tailored to fit local needs; engaging relevant stakeholders early on and throughout the process to minimize need for redesign; and making pragmatic decisions that balance internal and external validity concerns rather than waiting for perfect solutions. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  13. METALS (Minority Education Through Traveling and Learning in the Sciences) and the Value of Collaborative Field-centered Experiences in the Geosciences (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    White, L. D.

    2013-12-01

    METALS (Minority Education Through Traveling and Learning in the Sciences) is a field-based, geoscience diversity program developed by a collaborative venture among San Francisco State University, the University of Texas at El Paso, the University of New Orleans, and Purdue University. Since 2010, this program has created meaningful geoscience experiences for underrepresented minorities by engaging 30 high school students in experiential learning opportunities each year. During METALS field trips, the primarily urban students observe natural landforms, measure water quality, conduct beach profiles, and interpret stratigraphic and structural features in locations that have included southern Utah, southern Louisiana, central Wyoming, and northern California. In these geological settings participants are also able to focus on societally relevant, community-related issues. Results from program evaluation suggest that student participants view METALS as: (1) opening up new opportunities for field-based science not normally available to them, (2) engaging in a valuable science-based field experience, (3) an inspirational, but often physically challenging, undertaking that combines high-interest geology content with an exciting outdoor adventure, and (4) a unique social experience that brings together people from various parts of the United States. Further evaluation findings from the four summer trips completed thus far demonstrate that active learning opportunities through direct interaction with the environment is an effective way to engage students in geoscience-related learning. Students also seem to benefit from teaching strategies that include thoughtful reflection, journaling, and teamwork, and mentors are positive about engaging with these approaches. Participants appear motivated to explore geoscience topics further and often discuss having new insights and new perspectives leading to career choices in geosciences. Additionally, students who had a prior and similar fieldtrip experience that included outdoor expeditions and/or a geoscience focus, were able to utilize and build on those prior experiences during their participation in METALS.

  14. An integrated course in pain management and palliative care bridging the basic sciences and pharmacy practice.

    PubMed

    Kullgren, Justin; Radhakrishnan, Rajan; Unni, Elizabeth; Hanson, Eric

    2013-08-12

    To describe the development of an integrated pain and palliative care course and to investigate the long-term effectiveness of the course during doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students' advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) and in their practice after graduation. Roseman University College of Pharmacy faculty developed a 3-week elective course in pain and palliative care by integrating relevant clinical and pharmaceutical sciences. Instructional strategies included lectures, team and individual activities, case studies, and student presentations. Students who participated in the course in 2010 and 2011 were surveyed anonymously to gain their perception about the class as well as the utility of the course during their APPEs and in their everyday practice. Traditional and nontraditional assessment of students confirmed that the learning outcomes objectives were achieved. Students taking the integrated course on pain management and palliative care achieved mastery of the learning outcome objectives. Surveys of students and practicing pharmacists who completed the course showed that the learning experience as well as retention was improved with the integrated mode of teaching. Integrating basic and clinical sciences in therapeutic courses is an effective learning strategy.

  15. The perceived importance of anatomy and neuroanatomy in the practice of speech-language pathology.

    PubMed

    Martin, Kate; Bessell, Nicola J; Scholten, Ingrid

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the application of anatomy and neuroanatomy knowledge to current practice of speech-language pathology (SLP), based on the perceptions of practicing SLPs, and to elicit information on participants' experiences of learning these subjects in their primary SLP degree with a view to inform potential curriculum development. A qualitative approach was taken to the collection of data. Eight practicing SLPs from four settings were interviewed. The critical incident technique, together with further probing, was used to elicit information. Interviews were transcribed and later thematically analyzed. This study found that knowledge of anatomy and neuroanatomy was perceived to be important by SLPs across all settings, to varying degrees, with a greater application in acute hospital settings. Negative experiences in studying this material were reported across all settings regardless of country of study. Participants discussed ways to increase students' motivation to learn this challenging material. Relevance of material demanded by students may be enhanced if active learning methods were used to teach anatomy/neuroanatomy, including case-based learning and with vertical and horizontal integration of material to provide a cohesive, spiral curriculum. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.

  16. An Integrated Course in Pain Management and Palliative Care Bridging the Basic Sciences and Pharmacy Practice

    PubMed Central

    Kullgren, Justin; Unni, Elizabeth; Hanson, Eric

    2013-01-01

    Objective. To describe the development of an integrated pain and palliative care course and to investigate the long-term effectiveness of the course during doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students’ advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) and in their practice after graduation. Design. Roseman University College of Pharmacy faculty developed a 3-week elective course in pain and palliative care by integrating relevant clinical and pharmaceutical sciences. Instructional strategies included lectures, team and individual activities, case studies, and student presentations. Assessment. Students who participated in the course in 2010 and 2011 were surveyed anonymously to gain their perception about the class as well as the utility of the course during their APPEs and in their everyday practice. Traditional and nontraditional assessment of students confirmed that the learning outcomes objectives were achieved. Conclusions. Students taking the integrated course on pain management and palliative care achieved mastery of the learning outcome objectives. Surveys of students and practicing pharmacists who completed the course showed that the learning experience as well as retention was improved with the integrated mode of teaching. Integrating basic and clinical sciences in therapeutic courses is an effective learning strategy. PMID:23966724

  17. Functional requirements for reward-modulated spike-timing-dependent plasticity.

    PubMed

    Frémaux, Nicolas; Sprekeler, Henning; Gerstner, Wulfram

    2010-10-06

    Recent experiments have shown that spike-timing-dependent plasticity is influenced by neuromodulation. We derive theoretical conditions for successful learning of reward-related behavior for a large class of learning rules where Hebbian synaptic plasticity is conditioned on a global modulatory factor signaling reward. We show that all learning rules in this class can be separated into a term that captures the covariance of neuronal firing and reward and a second term that presents the influence of unsupervised learning. The unsupervised term, which is, in general, detrimental for reward-based learning, can be suppressed if the neuromodulatory signal encodes the difference between the reward and the expected reward-but only if the expected reward is calculated for each task and stimulus separately. If several tasks are to be learned simultaneously, the nervous system needs an internal critic that is able to predict the expected reward for arbitrary stimuli. We show that, with a critic, reward-modulated spike-timing-dependent plasticity is capable of learning motor trajectories with a temporal resolution of tens of milliseconds. The relation to temporal difference learning, the relevance of block-based learning paradigms, and the limitations of learning with a critic are discussed.

  18. One-trial overshadowing: Evidence for fast specific fear learning in humans.

    PubMed

    Haesen, Kim; Beckers, Tom; Baeyens, Frank; Vervliet, Bram

    2017-03-01

    Adaptive defensive actions necessitate a fear learning system that is both fast and specific. Fast learning serves to minimize the number of threat confrontations, while specific learning ensures that the acquired fears are tied to threat-relevant cues only. In Pavlovian fear conditioning, fear acquisition is typically studied via repetitive pairings of a single cue with an aversive experience, which is not optimal for the examination of fast specific fear learning. In this study, we adopted the one-trial overshadowing procedure from basic learning research, in which a combination of two visual cues is presented once and paired with an aversive electrical stimulation. Using on-line shock expectancy ratings, skin conductance reactivity and startle reflex modulation as indices of fear learning, we found evidence of strong fear after a single conditioning trial (fast learning) as well as attenuated fear responding when only half of the trained stimulus combination was presented (specific learning). Moreover, specificity of fear responding tended to correlate with levels of state and trait anxiety. These results suggest that one-trial overshadowing can be used as a model to study fast specific fear learning in humans and individual differences therein. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Stereotype Threat Reinterpreted as a Regulatory Mismatch

    PubMed Central

    Grimm, Lisa R.; Markman, Arthur B.; Maddox, W. Todd; Baldwin, Grant C.

    2008-01-01

    Research documents performance decrements resulting from the activation of a negative task-relevant stereotype. We combine a number of strands of work to identify causes of stereotype threat in a way that allows us to reverse the effects and improve the performance of individuals with negative task-relevant stereotypes. We draw on prior work suggesting that negative stereotypes induce a prevention focus, and other research suggesting that people exhibit greater flexibility when their regulatory focus matches the reward structure of the task. This work suggests that stereotype threat effects emerge from a prevention focus combined with tasks that have an explicit or implicit gains reward structure. We find flexible performance can be induced in individuals who have a negative task-relevant stereotype by using a losses reward structure. We demonstrate the interaction of stereotypes and the reward structure of the task using chronic stereotypes and GRE math problems (Experiment 1), and primed stereotypes and a category learning task (Experiments 2a and 2b). We discuss implications of this research for other work on stereotype threat. PMID:19159133

  20. Evaluation of a web-based family medicine case library for self-directed learning in a third-year clerkship.

    PubMed

    Morrow, Jay B; Sepdham, Dan; Snell, Laura; Lindeman, Carolyn; Dobbie, Alison

    2010-01-01

    Web-based cases are well accepted by medical students and enable faculty to deliver equivalent educational experiences to all students. A 2009 literature search revealed no study investigating student use patterns of Web-based case libraries for self-directed learning. We investigated third-year students' use of a Web-based case program for self-directed learning in a family medicine clerkship. We analyzed Design A Case usage patterns of 210 medical students during academic year 2008--2009. We compared board score differences between these students and those from the previous 5 years who did not use Design A Case. We analyzed data from a 13-item survey, administered to a subgroup of 85 students, about the strengths, weaknesses, and acceptability of the program. Students completed, on average, four cases, which was beyond the requirement of three. They reported that the content was highly relevant to cases they saw in clinic. Almost 75% preferred the self-directed Web-based learning over didactics, and most (64%) felt they learned more electronically. Use of the cases was associated with equivalent Board scores versus didactic lectures. In our setting, self-directed learning using a Web-based case program was highly acceptable to students. Web-based cases may provide an option for family medicine educators who wish to deliver equivalent educational experiences across sites.

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